Ketosis - How did I do after seven days?

The good? I've lost 5.2 pounds in seven days.  Yes, I'm aware most of it is water weight, but I'll take it.  After all, I have to own it if I gain  it back.  The bad? Has it only been a week?  It has been seven very long days.  I'm whining.  Any diet feels forever for me.  I'm very clear that ketosis is a diet.  

I've tried ketosis before and have never made it past day eight.  So why is it working well for me now?  I think the carb "flu" was very short this time around.  I've been eating Primal/Paleo for a while--but with many cheats.  The cheating can last for a couple of weeks.  Overall, I will go weeks eating healthy animal protein and lots of vegetables.  I've learned to cook mixed greens with Louisiana sausage!  I've made zucchini into 'noodles' for my chicken soup!  I made chili that tastes wonderful!  Because of that, I think it was easier for my body to switch from being a sugar burner to a fat burner.  I had that horrible, fluey, out-of-body kind of experience for only two days.  Last time I tried this, I don't think I ever felt good. 

Things that are working for me this time:

• I expected to feel the carb "flu" so I didn't plan anything additionally stressful for the first week.
• This is my version of ketosis, not Atkins or anyone else's.  I own my plan and eating choices. 
• I made a firm decision to do this for at least a week, no matter how hard it was.
• I found alternatives to eating for reward, motivation, comfort:
• I watch junk TV as my reward.  I can't do this forever, but it works as a transition.
• For comfort, I read whatever I want for at least 15 minutes out of the day.
• For motivation, I remind myself I have a graduation in June and a bathing suit vacation in July and I have a lot of weight to lose.
• I asked the kids to put their treats in the pantry so I don't have to look at them on the counter-tops.  I go in and out of the pantry as quickly as possible.
• This one is weird: I pretend that the pretty and enticing food like candy, cakes and cookies is fake.  I imagine biting into plastic, and not enjoying it.  Sounds crazy, but it's staved off many a craving. 
• I shopped for proteins that I really like: chicken wings, carnitas, grilled chicken, wild salmon, pot roast.
• I remind myself I can have spaghetti sauce and yams in a few weeks.  Those foods will be my treats, not pasta and candy.  I have a lot more weight to lose after ketosis.
• I have to learn how to live in a world of pizza, cupcakes, and sandwiches.  Other people will enjoy their food and I'll enjoy mine.   

More good news?  Eating high protein and high fat has dropped my insatiable appetite. That horrible bottomless pit feeling is gone.  I'm glad I read that during ketosis most people's appetite diminishes, otherwise I might have panicked.  I expect to be continually hungry.  I think the last time I did this, I ate a lot of low-fat proteins and processed foods.  I ate lunch meats, protein bars, low carb breads, etc.  That kind of food never makes me feel great or full.  Now I'm eating a steak with a side of spinach salad, or carnitas and sour cream with a few tablespoons of salsa.  I'll have a salad with grilled chicken for lunch or breakfast.  Food that tastes great and is filling. 

Do I still get tired?  Yes.  Am I too tired to work out?  No.  I've been alternating weight training and cardio.  I've kept it to 30 minutes a day.  I need the extra time to watch junk TV as my reward.  Tonight's choice: last night's Amazing Race or Real Housewives.  I'm doing this one step at a time, and since I feel good, I'm doing at least one more week of ketosis. 

Tip of the week, pretend that candy is plastic:

Ketosis

I'm on Day Four of ketosis, and it's surprisingly not bad. During the first three days, I lost and gained the same two pounds of water weight. Today, the scale shows a four pound loss. Even if I bounce back up a pound or two, I'm happy.

I felt terrible the first two days. Thankfully, I knew I'd feel flu-like. This time it felt like some odd, out-of-body experience. Then I woke up the third day and felt like myself again. My energy has been more up than down. When it's down, it's so down, it's hard to move. It doesn't bother me though. When I was in my Easter candy, and bread frenzy, I was so tired in the afternoon, I had to close my eyes for at least fifteen minutes. Thankfully, it happened after work and didn't impact my ability to get things done.

I knew that switching from being a sugar-burner to a fat-burner was going to be tough, so I was prepared. I had carnitas, chicken wings (baked), tri-tip, spinach, shredded cabbage, peppers, mixed greens, etc. to keep my meals from getting too dull. One of the local supermarkets had wild salmon on sale, and that was a great addition. I had it for dinner last night, and I'll add some homemade mayo and celery to it for lunch.

This has never happened to me before, but I don't have much of an appetite. Usually my appetite is on overdrive, and runs my life. All my life I've felt hungry. Now, I wake up and feel good. I don't get hungry until I've been up for four or five hours. Then a simple lunch fills me up until dinnertime. Usually, dinner is pretty light. I don't feel cheated.

Could I start to fixate on sugary treats or honey BBQ sauce? Sure. That's always a possibility with me. My history assumes I'll snap and buy a cheesecake. My history assumes I'll fixate about what I can't eat, rather than what I can. But what my history doesn't know, is this time, I was stubborn enough to make it through the difficult first days. This time around, I feel much better without the processed carbs. But just to show I'm far from perfect, I bought some low carb 'snack' bars, just in case. I want to be successful.  

I'm baaack

I was doing pretty well for a while there, but a few months back, I started some stress eating.  Then that turned into the see-food diet.  (I see food, I eat it--ba da bing.) Now I'm back at my top weight, which would be fine if I were a prize fighter or a marathon runner, but since I'm a mom who works part time at school, I don't need the extra weight.

Sugar is adding a lot of unwanted calories and insulin spikes to my diet.  Easter candy is killer for me, even more than the Halloween treats.  Halloween is little candy bars, but Easter is the good stuff.  It's See's eggs and creams.  It's the "fancy" stuff that I love.  I had to toss the remaining chocolates because I can't keep it in the house.  A Snicker bar can last months around me, but not a scotchmallow egg.  I pretend that I'm keeping it around for the kids, but they don't want it.  If they want something, it's more likely to be Skittles or Funyons--food I won't touch. 

This summer I have both a junior high graduation, with pictures that will last forever, and a vacation near the ocean.  The family plans to snorkel and I'd love to try it, but not if I'm the size of a whale.  I really have to get the weight off, and not at the usual .25lbs a week that I manage.  

What's a dilettante dieter to do?  Look to the internet!  Did any of you see this?

http://gma.yahoo.com/k-e-diet-brides-using-feeding-tubes-rapidly-080053646--abc-news-health.html

It's about the K-E diet.  I gather you have a doctor push a tube down your nose to your stomach, giving you a constant drip of 800 cals a day of protein and fat, with no carbs at all.  It puts you into ketosis, and viola, the tonnage disappears.  I'm sure the nose tube is very fetching, but why not just eat 800 cals a day of protein and fat, no carbs?  

That's when it hit me.  I'll do an under 20g a day of carbs for a week, then up it to about 50g for the next three weeks.   Hopefully, that will get me into ketosis without too much pain.  At 50g, I can still have a nice salad and an apple once in a while. 

I like eating vegetables, chicken, beef and pork without starches or grains.  It's the sugar I worry about.  I have a hard time not eating sugar.  Am I addicted?  Probably.  I'm hoping my desire to look a little chunky in June, rather than fat, will motivate me to give up sugar.  Sugar is my ticket out of ketosis, so I need to drop it. 

I'll let you know how it goes. 

Reverse Anorexia?

One of the confounding things that happens when I lose weight, is I begin to see how fat I really am.  For instance, I gain the bulk of my weight around the middle.  I don’t notice this when I’m eating whatever I want.  Yeah, it’s tough to zip my pants.  Yes, many shirts aren’t big enough to skim over the spare tires.  But I ignore it.  I think to myself, this is what happens when you eat whatever you want, whenever you want.  Oh, well.

When I begin to lose the weight, I really see the extra pounds on my frame.  Since I’m paying attention to how quickly or slowly the spare tires are receding, I can’t help but notice they’re there.  And how prominent they are.  I begin to look at pictures differently.  Like, did I really wear that on vacation last year?  I thought that looked kind of cute, but it seemed to make me look even rounder.  Then I feel bad for my old self, maybe even a little embarrassed.  There I was, living my life, not knowing how fat I was.  Holy geebuz!  It’s almost like having reverse anorexia.  An anorexic can’t see how thin she’s getting, and I couldn’t see how much weight I was putting on. 

I know from previous experience that no one, other than my mom, will notice any weight loss until I lose about 20 more pounds.  I’m in that fat-girl zone where I look the same, give or take 10 pounds.  I think many of us can get to a spot where we just look fat, and extra pounds one way or another, do not make a difference to our overall appearance.  It’s a good place when you’re gaining, but a difficult place when you’re losing. 

Because I know my mind plays tricks on me, I’m keeping a food log and weighing myself every day.  That way if I gain or lose, I can try to see where the problem is.  It also helps me keep track of my nutrition.  For instance, I was at a mini-plateau for a few days.  I wasn’t eating any grains or added sugars and I stayed at the same weight.  Then, one day I dropped down .8, the next day 1.2.  The lesson learned was to eat as well as I can and the weight will come off.  Maybe not every day, but it comes off. 

Crispy Chicken Skin!

            I’m still on the Primal Blueprint diet, or my version of it.  If I didn’t keep “falling off the wagon”, I’d be real close to Mark Sisson’s version of it.  I’ve been “good” for four days now, and feeling great.  (But I’ve also been more on the diet than off for the past month.) My energy is so much greater.  I’m getting more done and am happier about it.  There’s nothing like dragging my sorry, tired self though my days that makes me really grumpy.

             My biggest hurdle is figuring out what to eat, and often that leads to figuring out what to cook.  There aren’t a lot of primal fast food spots.  I can make do, but I’d prefer to stay away from the ‘bad’ vegetable oils and extra sugars found outside of my kitchen.   Breakfast is turning into an egg or two, scrambled or boiled, along with chopped vegetables or bacon.  Snacks include Greek yogurt (many Primal types stay away from dairy, but I need it as a crutch right now), almonds, or an organic cheese.  I saw a recipe for Primal sushi and I’ve made two versions of it so far.  One, with eggs, for breakfast and the other, with smoked salmon and cream cheese as a mid-morning snack.  Despite how it sounds, I don’t eat dairy every day, but it’s nice to have when craving a treat.

            I have to re-learn how to cook steak.  I'm out of practice.  I can do beef kabobs, with a nice marinade I found on the food network site.  It’s hard finding grass fed beef that doesn’t cost a small fortune.  I haven’t yet taken the leap to talk to the local organic, grass fed beef farmers in the area.  But it’s relatively easy to find wild salmon and organic chicken. 

            It was pretty thrilling the other night to have chicken with the crispy skin on it!  And zucchini and yellow squash gratin.  I think the last time I had gratin was three years ago on Christmas Eve. 

            But here’s the craziest thing, I’m losing weight.  I love that I’m losing weight while eating gratin, steak and chicken skin.   Yeah, once in a while I’ll look longingly at a crusty roll (hence the falling off the wagon).   I loooove candy, and buttery baked potatoes are this close to heaven for me.  But it’s a great trade-off.  I can lose weight and still have meat and cheese, or I can continue to gain weight eating cinnamon buns and M&Ms.  I’ll take the great food and weight loss, please. 

Bummer Wet Blanket

            I have become a bummer wet blanket of a person.  When did this happen?   One of my friends sent me an email that a mutual friend (MF) is set for the gastric band operation.  She, being a positive person, was elated for MF.  I, too, am elated for our friend, but I’m a bummer wet blanket.  I had to ask if MF was going to get therapy afterward.  I have acquaintances who’ve had the surgery, and after a few years, they go back to being nearly as big as they started.  “She really needs to fix the broken eating patterns that she’s had her whole life,” I pompously wrote back.  My friend did not email back.  I don’t blame her.  What can you say to the bummer wet blanket who can’t be thrilled for MF who’s had a massive weight problem all her life?  MF’s wonderful mom died way too young, from a bad heart.   We don’t want that for MF!

             My bummer wet blanket is thrown on everything.  One of the teachers at school lost about 30 pounds with Weight Watchers a couple of years ago.  Last spring, I said to a friend, “It’s creeping back up.”  And, damn, I’m right.  I hate that I’m right.  I gained and lost in a very similar way a few years back—so now I’m an ‘expert’.  A neighbor lost 60 pounds on a rigorous diet, and in two years, she’s gained 50 back.  She was positive she would never allow herself to gain the weight again.  Bummer wet blanket that I am, I preached to my husband, that she can’t eat 900 to 1200 calories a day for the rest of her life.  I give her a year.  Okay, I was right again, but that’s no excuse to be the Eeyore of dieting tips. 

             I had the nerve to tell a friend who has lost about 30ish pounds, and kept it off for years, about how to keep it off even better.  Thankfully, he gave me a funny look and changed the subject.  Next time I offer someone maintenance advice, I’d better be rail thin.  But it goes to show what a bummer wet blanket I’ve become.  I can’t even let successful people alone.  I have to teach them about calorie intake and the food you get the calories from makes a difference.  I’m horrible!

            There’s a reason I’m writing this blog.  All this wonderful “advice” has to go somewhere.  Now, maybe I can leave my friends and family alone. 

Diet Mania

     I was reorganizing some bookshelves last weekend and discovered I’m even more of a Dilettante Dieter than I thought.  Here are the diet books and diet cookbooks that were scattered around various bookshelves in one room:

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening

Intuitive Eating

How to Never Look Fat Again

I Can Make You Thin

Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

The Most Decadent Diet

Eat To Live

The End of Overeating

The Gluten Free Vegan

My Diva Diet

Cook Yourself Thin

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

Shortcuts To Big Weight Loss

The Biggest Loser Fitness Program

Zone Meals in Seconds

Fast Food Fix

Eat This, Not That

The No S Diet

When Food is Love

A Guide To Ending Compulsive Eating

The South Beach Diet

The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine

The Beck Diet

Health and Weight Loss Breakthroughs

8 Minutes in the Morning

Dr.  Atkins’ New Diet Revolution

Eating Well Diet

Low-Carb Bible

Eat to Live

The End of Overeating

Eating By Design

400 Calorie Fix: The Easy New Rule for Permanent Weight Loss!    [You gotta love the !]

You Can Think Yourself Thin

     See?  There’s a reason I’m crazy.  These are just the ones I forgot about over the past decade.  (I have many more scattered throughout the house.)  I learned from some, and others are not worth the time I spent reading them, or the space they take up.  Some of books were bundled into the “give away” pile.  One particularly condescending and ignorant book was thrown against a wall, then dropped into the garbage.  In other rooms, I have at least eight Weight Watchers Cookbooks and tons of point counters for restaurants, point counters for home cooking, etc.  I have been on nearly all of these diets at one time or another in the last fifteen years.  Not a single one of them helped me change my eating habits forever.  Not a single one of them helped me lose and keep the weight off.  Scary.  Crazy scary.