Face the fact, I'm addicted to Carbs

[chris1gill]

Okay, that's the TRUTH of it... I've also realized a few other things, I GRAZE throughout the day AND I eat for comfort!!! Who would have EVER guessed??

I'm not as bad off as some, but to me, it feels endless!! I'm about 25 pounds overweight & I've lost 20 pounds over the last 9 months.... I do have have a disease of my energy metabolism, so that REALLY really complicates my diet & eating habits....

I would REALLY like to do Atkins... over the last week I've looked into it, it seems pretty good... I would actually have to do a modified Atkins diet... I could never cut my carbs down to 20grams per day, my muscles would turn to jelly... But, I definitely think I could cut way back... I could definitely increase my protein (nutritionist said to do that).... I do see a nutritionist & a modified plan would work if I were careful....

The problem?? Well, I'm addicted grazing & sugar!! This is SOO bad for me, I know it & I'm having a really hard time just stopping....

So, whether you do Atkins or anything else, please tell me what you do when you just feel like grazing for NO reason???

 

[TigH]

Originally posted by chris1gill

So, whether you do Atkins or anything else, please tell me what you do when you just feel like grazing for NO reason???

It's mind over matter! Instead of going "cold turkey" with the grazing (and sugar), how about gradually cutting back?

When I finally got serious, it hit me that I was letting food CONTROL me. Now I control the food. That might sound really simple, but it's the truth.

You can do it! Are you exercising or does the metabolism energy thing you mentioned prevent you from doing so? If you don't exercise (yet), then start moving around more. Just try adding a little bit into your lifestyle, and when you get used to that, add a little more!

You can get over your grazing habits, OR you can change the way you think of eating. Instead of eating B, L, D and grazing, you could graze through the entire day (without having an official B, L, D meal!)

As long as my hands are busy, I don't want to snack. Is there some hobby you can pick up that will keep you occupied and unable to snack while you aren't working?

Good luck! This is the best place to come for healthy lifestyle help, so I'm sure you'll get some terrific responses!

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Wow you sound so much like I used to - it's a little freaky!!

You sound like you need a hug so here you go {{HUGS}} Second, I never thought I could do something like Atkins - I tried it for a week or 2 but it was just so dang hard I quit. That was several years ago. So after going from one fad diet and quick fix to another a friend of mine told me about how her nutritionist told her how bad sugar was and to limit it to no more than 30g per day!! We started cutting out sugar together and while she follows it more closely than I do - I'm having more success. So first thing you must know is everyone is different! You may need more carbs in your diet than others - but as long as they're healthy ones then it's okay!!

I rarely eat sugar now and really don't miss it at all. Try making some easy switches in your life and gradually work into it. I eat a lot of whole wheat pasta instead of regular kind. Hotdogs w/o the bun and same with hamburgers. I also eat a lot more vegetables than I used to. For grazing, I keep string beans in the fridge for a quick crunchy snack. I also love sugar-free jello (Lime rocks) for a quick dessert. And for a healthy sin - cheese crackers with taco seasoning on them taste just like Doritos!

Lastly - just look at how far you've come. 20lbs is fantastic!! You should be so proud of yourself!! Good luck!

 

[chris1gill]

Thanks guys, I've always found the DIS community to be the best, so I knew when I saw this board, it was the place to come!

Just to answer a few questions, I'm basically not mobile, I'm able to walk around my house, but anything more than a hundred feet & my legs start quickly not working at all... my arms aren't much better, but a little bit better To put it mildly, I'm exercise intolerant.... That's when I gained all the wait... I was no longer able to really move much & I kept eating as normal... I put on FIFTY POUNDS!!! Once I saw the nutritionist, she gave me some help & I've very slowly started taking the weight off, 20 pounds off, or 2 pounds a month.... I know I can do a lot better though (and the nutritionist knows it to), also eating less sugar, and increasing my complex carbs. may help my energy production, so I have extra incentive to really get serious....

I can't eat more than a thin slice of cheese every four or five hours (because of the high fat content)... anything with a lot of fat in it is really out, and eggs are out... I hate fish... so I've really been trying to figure out how to increase my protein while decreasing my carbs..... I started cutting back the sugar in my coffee, but I need something filling to eat for breakfast... generally I just have the coffee!!!

For a snack, I've been having two pieces of deli meat & for lunch I generally have a slim-fast (but those have about 40g of carbs)... I have to be careful with my caloric intake, no more than 1000 per day... but I've been eating crap & limiting my good food... the slim-fast is about the only healthy thing I have!! I'm hoping with enough support, I'll break this chain of sugar that's tied around my neck!!!

maybe eating baby carrot's would be a good snack for me, I love those things... Oh & I've already started eating hot dogs & burgers without the roll.... that was only a small sacrifice!

Thanks everyone, I know this is the place to be!

 

[nativetxn]

Why are high fat foods out? Do they make you ill? Are you allergic to eggs or do you just hate them? Why are eggs out?

Aren't I nosy? I'm just trying to understand a little better.

I'm really glad to see you here on WISH. I hope you decide to join us regardless of what eating plan you choose to follow. Every discipline of weight loss plan is represented here on WISH. We have a wonderful support group here too. I think you will like it here, if you join us.

Now, about that grazing, I'm on Atkins and I basically graze all day. Not every hour but every three or four hours, at least. Cheese, macadamia nuts, cucumber slices with spreadable cheese, ham, roast beef, chicken slices with mayo, whatever. I eat all day. I keep my carb intake under 20 grams, ordinarily. This week I'm keeping as close to zero as I can

So, I don't see why you couldn't graze all day as long as you were eating Atkins friendly foods and not exceeding your allowance of 4 ounces of cheese every day.

If you can just stop eating refined carbohydrates completely, you will break that sugar addiction. Could you manage on 30 grams of carbs a day? As long as your carbohydrate consumption is restricted to the carbohydrates in vegetables allowed on induction and the carbs in cheese you will be able to lose weight, break your addiction to sugar and go into ketosis. Might take a little longer for ketosis but you would still get there. If you eat much more than 30 grams a day you might not be able to achieve ketosis and that is what causes your cravings and hungries to go totally away.

Will you keep us posted about what you decide to do? I'm going to be curious about what your eating plan will be like. (There I go being nosy again )

Please be part of my support group. WISH has been a great help to me and I'm sure you will find it helpful too.

Katholyn

 

[chris1gill]

Hi Katholyn,

Thanks for the warm welcome! One of my problems (2 actually), is that my esophagus does NOT push food forcibly down my esophagus & then, at the bottom of the esophagus, the flap that is supposed to stay closed to keep acid down, doesn't!! This is because all of my muscles are affected... So, since high fat content products cause an increase in acid & my esophagus can't push or keep the acid down, the stuff tries to go into my lungs at the very least... plus it hurts... The worst offenders are cheese & eggs (I don't know why eggs, are they high fat?), bacon & potato chips... plus too many cookies or bagels with butter, plus there's other stuff... the secret is, if I want something that is high in fat, or is something I know that causes trouble I just eat like maybe one teaspoon of it or something like that! Eating 4 ounces of cheese in a day isn't in the cards for me!!

Having said all that, I think, personally, if I try really really hard to come up with creative menu's, that I could work under 30 or 40 grams of carbs a day.... One huge problem for me is my coffee in the morning, it's filled with sugar... so I put a combo of sugar/splenda in, but then found I was hungry!! Then, I didn't have any idea what to eat!! I'm thinking cottage cheese would be filling for breakfast? Comments? Then, I could have like two pieces of deli ham or turkey at like 10... but I don't know what I will do for lunch... generally I just have Slim Fast... is there another similar product that I could drink for lunch instead? Slim Fast has 40 grams of carbs... I really would like to just have something I can drink for lunch... I actually have a boring diet (ALL Sugar products) LOL.... I'm just trying to find products that will fill me up... instead of filling up on sugar, I could fill up on something else...

Is there a limit to the amount of cottage cheese one should eat per day?

Thanks for the info!! I definitely think I'll be joining you here on WISH

 

[nativetxn]

Great news! I'm really glad you will be joining us.

Can you tolerate just Splenda? The sugar you are adding is what is making you get hungry.

Have you ever tried to eat high fat low carb before? I only ask because I have two friendly acquaintances who have (had) severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. They tried Atkins as a last resort and without the refined carbohydrates present they had no acid reflux problems. Just wanted to share. Funny how different people are, isn't it. No case of GERD is a like. I know it is miserable, though.

Well, work with your nutritionist and see what you can figure out. I'll bet that if you replace the Slim Fast (has sugar) with an Atkins friendly low carb shake for lunch that might work for you and you would get lots of extra protein that way too.

I'm really glad you are going to be part of my support group, now

Katholyn

 

[chris1gill]

Hi Katholyn,

Where do you get your Atkins products? Are they generally available at stores like Walmart? I was going to go there first to see what was available....

Also, have you tried the Atkins ketchup & salad dressings? or, do you use something different?

About the GERD, it wouldn't be so bad actually, but my esophagus isn't able to push food down properly & what does come up stays up... I walk a tight rope with my swallowing issues... I can certainly try the higher fat products in conjunction with the low carbs, I'm not too optimistic though, this part of my situation totally ROTS!!!

Just a question, what does your typical breakfast look like? I'd love to know! I did try my coffee with just the splenda, but I thought it left a bit of an aftertaste, did I imagine it? Sugar withdrawal might do that LOL.... Oh, and is there a limit on cottage cheese per day? Thanks so much for any info by the way!

 

[zurgswife]

Hi Chris I am a Carbs/Sugar addict and after 6 weeks I think I am beginning to get it under control...

The first 2 weeks I cut my carbs/sugar back considerably but not totally adtkins....weekends I still went overboard...

Next 2 weeks I cut back to about 40 grams of carbs and still went wild on the weekends..

Last weeks I cut back to 20grams and had a bad weekend last weekend..

This week still at 20 grams and I planning on being clean this weekend....

Actually it is not a strick induction because I need to satisfy my cravings with a 0 gram Carbolite bar mid day... and today I had some wine because I wanted it....

But this weekend my goal is to stick to 20 carbs and survive....I'm almost through the first day....Friday....

For real bad carb adicts i suggest what I did slow and steady...

 

[nativetxn]

Kim, you could probably be very helpful in this situation. You sure have come a long way, haven't you?

chris1gill, there are 4 grams of carbohydrate in 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I like cottage cheese well enough but it isn't worth 25% of my daily carbohydrate allowance to me.

I usually eat foods as high in fat as possible because with the Atkins way of eating you lose more weight if you can make fat at least 70% of your daily intake.

So, I've had eggs and bacon, low carb waffles, omelettes, pepperoni with shredded mozzarella cheese melted on top, shrimp scampi, lobster tails in butter, orange roughy with lots of butter, a cheeseburger (no bun), sausages, what I call the Atkins club, brocolli in cheese sauce. I eat all kinds of foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There are a lot of Atkins people here on WISH, but I'm thinking you might want to ask Zurgswife a little more about how she is breaking her carbohydrate addiction. It sounds like her plan is working for her, it might work for you, too.

Katholyn

 

[chris1gill]

Thanks so much Zurgswife!! I think I'm going to have to follow your same approach... All week I've tried cutting back on Carbs & I've been pretty well shocked by the amount of carbs that I eat... I'm talking like 200grams a day at least!! Oh it's so bad for me... I just never realized... Course I started realizing this week & then felt even WORSE about it... I think my estimation of 200 grams a day is actually low

I'm going to go out today & invest in some things to help me with my grazing... instead of junk, I can grab baby carrots or cucumbers at the very least... it's better than Dorito's or any number of other things I go for!

Thanks again guys, who knows maybe just the process of cutting carbs might help me lose the extra weight... I can say that having the extra weight has caused a self esteem issue with me, that's why I really need to lose it (for myself)... I also like the comment that we are in charge of the food, not the other way around.. so when I get the dreaded sugar cravings, I'll try to remember that!

 

[ahutton]

I also am carb addicted and have had allkinds of challenges with my weight and health. Have you seen any of Dr. Heller's books? They wrote the carb addicts eating plan books, and I havefound them very helpful. They also are easy to follow traveling, allow you to enjoy things you love without suffering from sugar surges and valleys. My weight loss has been slow but I feel like this is a way of eating I can live with forever, and in the long run that will serve me best.

 

[zurgswife]

I'm sure my carb intake was well above 200gms per day....It was about 80gm in coke a day not to mention 80gms of poptarts....

I've found that cold turkey just didn't work for me...but slow and steady and not beating my self up over the little (or major) slips has made me getting going in the right direction.....The longer I try the more I realize how addicted I acctually was....

 

[chris1gill]

Zurgswife, I think my estimate of my carbs was REAL low... I've been looking around my house today at the things I was eating & I can't believe how many carbs. were in them... pasta & bread especially & you're right about the pop tarts....

I went out & purchased Carb Solutions Chocolate shake mix... I brought it home, threw two scoops in a blender, 4oz. of coffee, 4oz of water & some light cream.... I added in a touch of vanilla & cinnamon & I'm still not sure I'll be able to drink it... it is SO filling... And, it still doesn't taste all that great.... very protein like LOL... Maybe I should start drinking it at 10am instead of 2pm, it might keep me from eating all the crap around this house!!! I don't know though, I might not tolerate the taste too much... it needs a LOT of sugar LOL....

Ahutton, I haven't checked those books out, but I will, anything that could help me get beyond the great addiction of sugar would be of help!!!

As mentioned before, I think slow & steady will win the race, otherwise, if you take it off in a manner you can't stick with, it comes back!!

Well, off to figure out what I can add to make this shake better!!

 

[faith]

HI ChrisGill1. You mentioned that you like cottage cheese. Years ago I would toast a slice of bread, then add cottage cheese, a slice of pineapple ring and sprinkle with cinammon. Then you put it back into the toaster oven just long enough to warm it up a bit. ( originally a WW recipe)This may sound awful but it really was good. Could you try whole wheat bread for extra fiber or thin slice bread to cut calories? Good luck with your food plan.