Struggling to stick with it

(grace elizabeth) #1

I KNOW keto is the way to go for me. I have read until my eyes pop, Dr Fung is my favorite. But there are so many others out there who make lots of sense to me. I first did Atkins in the 80s. Had a hard time in induction but I stuck with it. Soon after, things slowly went downhill and soon I gained back what I lost. Then over the years, off and on, I would low carb again. Same story. Initial success then backsliding. I am a pro at sabotage.

I understand how insulin and glocose work in the human body. There is no arguing the science.

About 7 years ago my blood sugar was out of control and I was put on metformin. Hated it. I decided I was going to do this the Fung way, fasting and also Keto.

I got my FBS down around 150 and thought I was on my way to better numbers. But again I slacked off, making stupid excuses and even having sugar on some days.

My diet now is pretty nutrient dense. I eat eggs, bacon, cheese, meat, fish, veggies, and use butter, coconut oil, olive oil. My biggest problem is that I don’t let enough time pass between eating. I know my insulin is constantly being raised.

You would think that knowing all this I would fast and keto like a crazy woman, but I struggle.

I am so glad to find this forum. I am on a couple others, but they are mostly social sites, seems to me. What i need is information, support, and someone to smack me when I eat too often.

There is lots more I could say, but that will do it for now. I’m off to read and then go for a walk. Its a beautiful day here in the PNW.

Oh I should say that when I learned of my high BS I lost 80 lbs and have kept them off. But I’m stuck and can’t seem to lose weight with consistency again. Very frustrating because if feels like I lost all that weight for nothing. Oh I know thats not true, but thats how I feel, still having blood sugar issues and other stuff too. I need to lose at least 60-70 more.

(Jo) #2

Hang in there! You CAN do it. I don’t have a lot of suggestion, because I think you know exactly what you need to be doing. The only thing I can think of is for a week or a couple to make a meal plan and stick to it, without snacking in between, AND hitting your macros, eating fat with meals until you are satiated, which should in principle keep you full till the next meal. Journal about how you feel, and what triggers might be to want to snack so that you can do something about it.

i get the feeling from your post that the urge to eat more often is more emotionally triggered than a real need for food.

I hope this helps! Keep in touch, we’re here to support you!

(grace elizabeth) #3

Hi Jo, yes, it helps. You’re right. I do know what to do. And I hope that finding this forum will help me do just that. So much wonderful information here from people who “get it”. One thing I don’t have in my life is anyone IRL to talk to about all this. Eating fat is a fate worse than death as far as most are concerned. Even the fat ones like me.

I think for me its a matter of emotional but mostly bad habits. This nasty little voice keeps telling me I “deserve” to eat something. Makes no sense when I think about it rationally, but
no one gets to this place by being rational.

Its 4 p.m. here and so far I’ve had bacon, eggs, and avocado at noon. Right I’m sipping some tea and plan to only have a HB egg with mayo around 6 -7 but only if I feel hungry.
No hunger at all right now so doing okay so far. One day at a time.

(Chris W) #4

It takes time, things will progress there are many like you here take some time and search and read through the forums.
I have a couple sayings,
fingers or fires, what will it be?
and
I used to live to eat, and now I eat to live.
@mtncntrykid may be of some assistance amgonst others here.

(grace elizabeth) #5

Yes Chris W, it will definitely take some time. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is working to heal this body.
Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

(Chris W) #6

I was extremely depressed when I started this WOE and it cured me within a couple weeks. To be honest it may have been sooner but there was so much happening that I was a little overwhelmed. Food was my comfort, as it is for many, but just eating bacon and eggs made me feel so much better. And now when I eat I enjoy it, I don’t need as much, and I can go for days without eating at all if I so chose with little consequence. All in good time, you will have some challenges but nothing nobody else has faced here alone.

(grace elizabeth) #7

The food for comfort/reward/celebration etc started for me at a very young age. My Mom used to tell how at 9 months old I could suck a milkshake out of a straw. She said it like I was such an advanced child to be able to do such a thing! Unsurprisingly, sweets were rewards. If you (fill in the blank) you can have a cookie/candy/unhealthy junk food. I was raised in the day when having enough to eat was something to be very thankful for. Both parents were raised during the depression; neither ever went hungry but their parents worked their butts off making sure their families didn’t go hungry. S o very early I was trained to think that eating meant I was a good girl.
Why am I saying all this? I dunno! Probably trying to piece it all together for myself too, knowing I have some bad habits and will just have to white knuckle it until I get to that good place many of you talk about where I look at food with a MEH, or find myself going hours and hourss without even thinking about it. I’m feeling very hopeful tonight…maybe that is what has made me so chatty!

(Ron) #8

Grace,
Welcome aboard! If you need any help just ask. I could have wrote your post about your upbringing as I was brought up the same and sounds like about the same era. I struggled in the beginning and had a hard time getting through the transition period BUT am so thankful that I stuck it out. There are good people here like @In2steam and others that without their help I might not have had the strength to continue. SO…don’t be afraid to ask!
Oh, another similarity - I’m also in the PNW. :smile::wink:

(grace elizabeth) #9

Hi Ron, thank you for taking time to reply. I need all the information and encouragement I can get. Congratulations on sticking with it and reaping benefits after your “initiation”. Seems odd, but I’ve had more hope today that I have in a while simply because I feel like I have found some very helpful and smart people. Like I said, I’ve been on other LC forums and maybe one post in 100 had information that was useful to me. Anyway, today I feel like I have “stuck with it” and will go to sleep tonight feeling good about my accomplishment. Evenings can be my tough time and today I have not succumbed to the cheese, almonds, or pepperoni that usually calls my name around this time. I know I have to be careful of eating too often because of my insulin resistance and blood sugar.
Wasn’t today just beautiful? Finally we are having some nice weather. Sure took its time getting here!
Thanks again for making me feel welcome.

(grace elizabeth) #10

I’ve done pretty well the last 3 days, each one under 20 carbs and 20 hour fasting before eating anything.
But today I want to EAT!!! Its only 8:30 here and I really want to push it until 3 p.m.
Just writing this down so I can reinforce my resolve and keep going. Right now I’m having a big glass of water with ACV and then will have coffee with some coconut oil.

I Can Do This!!!

(Ron) #11

Get some Himalayan Pink Salk crystals and when you get those little cravings just suck on a few little salt rocks. It will curb those hunger pains.
You CAN do this!

(grace elizabeth) #12

Hi Ron, I am hesitant to just “eat salt” because I have hypertension which is getting better with diet. I take no medication because I KNOW my health issues are all diet related so I plan to reverse them with diet.

I’m drinking coffee with CO right now, and doing okay.

How are you doing? I’ll have to go take a peak at your posts.

(Alec) #13

It sounds to me that you are resisting your natural hunger signals. If your body says it wants a snack, i think you should give it one. But make sure it is fat.

Any reason not to have a fat bomb if you feel like a snack?

(grace elizabeth) #14

Hi Alec, thanks for your reply. I am trying to fast because of blood sugar that is way too high and IR.
I’ve made fat bombs in the past (I’ve been LC in some form or another for years) and would be fine with having them again. Do you eat them? What is your favorite recipe?
I think maybe the way to go for me in the beginning is to only eat to my hunger and then expand on that. Of course going longer with no food will come naturally as I get back into ketosis then fat adapted.

(Alec) #15

Grace
I think a key keto principle is to eat fat to satiety. If you have a fat bomb at any time it should not have an insulin effect. So no worries there. The advice not to snack comes from the desire not to raise insulin, but no dramas if it’s a fat bomb. So my view is go ahead and snack!!

Given your background, I would say you should satisfy your hunger whenever it strikes, but make sure it is fat.

(grace elizabeth) #16

Sounds good! I’ll stick to fat… and go look for an easy FB recipe.
Would bacon be okay? Not as much as the FB but dang I love it. :slight_smile:

(Ellen) #17

Yes you can! Sending you hugs.

(Ellen) #18

Salt helps, and as you get healthier won’t raise your BP, I regularly have a few pinchs a day and my BP is coming right down.

(grace elizabeth) #19

Thanks for the hugs! backatcha! :slight_smile:
I’m not omitting salt just now, but not adding extra. I was eating a bag of pork rinds every couple days and noticed they did seem to raise my BP, so I am not having them for awhile.
What kind of salt do you think is best? I have all kinds…lite salt, himalayan pink, sea, kosher. Right now I use mostly the lite, but some sea salt too.

(Ellen) #20

Thanks, hugs are always good :wink: If you’re snacking pork rinds are good, I know many swear by pink salt etc but I just use sea salt, just a little pinch or so around lunch / early afternoon. There’s some science links that show salt doesn’t up BP somewhere on here, am loving the fact that I’ve swapped low sodium salt for the proper stuff & BP just keeps dropping.