Starting Fast 800 again today. I’ve been trying on and off since my first attempt almost a year ago. It’s more like 1000-1500 cals for the moment, but I’ve carefully set myself up for this attempt by gradually weaning myself off junk food for a few weeks and increased vegetables/reduced carbs for the last fortnight.

Today I had Fage yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast, home made vegetable and lentil casserole for lunch, and chicken in white sauce (tinned) with heaps of broccoli and some broad beans for dinner. I have quite a few tins of this in, and need to use them up but they are reasonably low carb.

So here I am at the scary moment, when I’ve had my dinner and would normally start visiting the kitchen for more and more snacks. I have some celery and carrots in so will make crudités, but I will try not to eat between meals, as this can lead to losing control by past experience.

It’s also half term hols for me, so it will be quite a test of my determination. I’m ok with small slips, but I want to avoid the major relapses that are characteristic of my attempts to be in control of my eating.

This time I feel a little more determined – I’ve seen my blood sugars gradually rise while my diet has been out of control, and I’m of an age where I’m becoming more and more aware of the risks my weight brings. I’ve always had the fanciful idea that one day I would naturally just not want to overeat, and would naturally also just choose healthy food. Sigh. If only! It’s going to be hard work but the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.

Hi jpscloud
Welcome back!
From what you described food wise, you seem quite high in carbs.

Are you weighing and measuring everything and calculating how many carbs are in those foods just from today?

The yoghurt can add up quickly from the lactose, blueberries are quite high (depending on how many you have), lentils are very high as are carrots and not sure what vegetables you had in the casserole for lunch, but some are quite high, even without things like potatoes.

What are the ingredients on the tins you have (is there any added sugar) and what are the carbs per 100g and how many grams did you eat? How much fat have you had, it doesn’t seem enough.

If the carbs are too high, it’s going to make you feel hungry as will the lack of fat. Let us know.
Cheers
Linda

Hi Linda, thanks… yes, carbs are too high today. No, I’m not weighing and measuring everything at the moment. I am fully aware that I am over consuming. I used a generous amount of olive oil in making the soup. I am doing my best with a weak will and an eye on the early grave that awaits me unless I get back in control.

Day two, and stayed in control – not within 800 calories, and too many carbs again, but still in control.

However, I am obsessing. All I can think about is my next opportunity to be off the wagon – when can I let go and eat as much as I want of what I want? I know I need to get healthy, but all my heart and soul is screaming at me to eat junk, and not worry about the consequences.

I’m living with some of the consequences now, and things will only get worse if I don’t stop it. Maybe it isn’t too late, perhaps I can succeed and live a healthier, active life.

I am such a food (carb? sugar?) addict.

Well, demons… day two is mine, not yours. Tomorrow might be mine as well, we’ll see. I’ve made a large batch of celeriac, celery and roasted peppers soup, no potato and a generous amount of olive oil again.

My BG levels have dropped quite dramatically already. It just shows, if I stop overeating, and eat the right things, my body can recover.

Hi jpscloud
Well done and stick with it. The cravings will pass.
It’s not you!
It’s the carb monster screaming at you trying to convince you that you need to feed it sugar. If you ride it through for the next couple of days, it will get much better, but if you succumb or cheat or give yourself a treat, he (or she) will come back with a vengeance and you’ll be starting this all over again.
Sugar is harder than heroine to come off, so remember, it’s not you. It’s the food industry putting sugar in up to 85% of processed foods to keep us hooked so we keep buying it.
Make sure you read the labels of everything you buy and if it has any added sugar, put it back on the shelf and eat real food.
Cheers
Linda

Thanks Linda! Yes, whilst fighting the urges to take the kitchen apart looking for sugar today, I noticed (not for the first time, but so clearly today) just how many adverts are about food, and how many are about sugar-loaded foods. What a world we live in.

I often chat to a recovering alcoholic and our feelings about our respective demons are so similar – we both notice quite sharply that our social world is driven by alcohol and sugar. It’s assumed that everyone wants to join in workplace cake-fests, and go out and drink alcohol, or what on earth is wrong with you?

Linda
That is really interesting. I am not surprised that sugar is harder than heroin to come off. I have stayed completely off sugar and bad carbs because I really don’t want to get hooked on them again.

jpscloud – my daughters have commented in the past that they are so pleased that I don’t like alcohol because I behaved exactly like an alcoholic around sugar and carbs and it would have been a nightmare if I also had behaved the same way around alcohol.

I never liked alcohol but made myself drink it to be sociable. Was so pleased when I became very allergic to wine and had a really good excuse to never drink it again because it made me ill. It is such a shame that our social world is driven by alcohol and sugar.

I used to enjoy alcohol in my twenties and thirties, but no longer do. I do sometimes have a small amount but I’m lucky that it doesn’t make me want more. Sugar, on the other hand… wow, what an addiction.

I too have a hard time not snacking after supper. I found that a higher carb count at supper makes it worse. Once the juices flow, the urge to eat more gets strong.

I don’t eat lunch and try to save calorie room for after dinner snacks, like Greek yogurt with bran which is filling.

I also keep a head of cabbage in the fridge, and I eat that if I am desperate to eat something after I’ve had my 800. It is filling and low in calories and I actually quite enjoy it.

I also get ‘urges’ to eat something sweet after my evening meal. I think lots of people do especially after something spicy. Now I have one or even two squares, if I’m desperate, of Lindt 90% chocolate. At 59 calories and 1.4g of carbs a square I find I can fit it into my daily allowance quite easily.

I know that some people find 90% a bit bitter so you could try the 70% to start. I actually find the 70% too ‘creamy’ now but it is still manageable within your allowances with 57 calories and 3.4g of carbs per square.

It does the trick for me far better than say a biscuit would because I would just keep eating them. Only problem would be if you can’t stop at a couple of squares!

The 90% is perfect after my evening meal. Usually one square but sometimes two. Luckily two is the maximum I can manage at one sitting.

Sometimes though – like this morning – I would like a square after my breakfast. I can usually talk myself out of having a square because I know that a cup of Nespresso completely gets rid of the wanting a square of chocolate feeling. In fact as soon as I switch my coffee machine on the chocolate craving goes.

Krysia how about Nespresso WITH a square of chocolate.!!!!!

Actually I have done that before – it is a perfect treat. I like keeping the Lindt as a special treat so I can eat it when ever everyone else is eating all the sugary bad stuff and I never feel deprived because I can’t wait to eat and enjoy my chocolate. So limiting my consumption of it elevates it to something really special in my mind.

I know I am playing mind games – but for me it really works. The other food I do this with is clotted cream (only allowed on high days and holidays) and Meridian organic peanut butter – one teaspoon is the maximum allowed at one time.

The mind games really work for me. I remember years ago reading that Mary Quant cured herself of a sugar addiction by thinking that sugary foods were absolutely disgusting. At the time I couldn’t work out how she had done it but have now at last managed to turn sugary and starchy carbs into something disgusting in my mind. When I see displays of the sweet stuff – my mind pictures foot amputations and blindness (apologies if you are reading this while eating breakfast) so I have completely demonized the white stuff.

So on a more cheerful note – am now getting ready for a lovely walk in Sheringham Park – and then a coffee with my square of Lindt while everyone else tucks into National Trust cake at the cafe.

Had lovely walk at Sheringham Park – it was a glorious 11 degrees and the birds were singing. Lovely views of the sea in the distance. Had my coffee but didn’t feel like having the Lindt – decided to leave it to after dinner. Husband had a coconut flapjack but wished he hadn’t after he had eaten it.

Back home had a lovely lunch. A piece of stilton then some flaxseeds in Kefir topped with Fage and flaked almonds.

That sounds amazing KrysiaD, I’m a NT member too, must go walking while I’m off this half term.

Verano, great idea… you’ve reminded me I have some Lindt chocolate in, and will use a square of that tonight if I get too twitchy. I have some spare calories as I’m going with poached salmon with sprouts and broccoli for dinner.

Day three… today went fairly well, but I woke up feeling a bit fuzzy and sluggish – it took me ages to get going. That wore off after breakfast, vegetable soup – a bit unusual but it’s what I felt would keep me with the programme. I think it was probably a bit of sugar withdrawal, although my BG reading wasn’t especially low. Felt fine the rest of the day with egg mayonnaise and cress and celery sticks for lunch.

Day four – found that I have lots of energy today, BG reading down a bit too.

Breakfast: HM soup (celeriac, celery, roasted peppers)
Lunch: Another bowl of soup
Dinner: Pork medallions fried in a tablespoon of coconut oil with Cajun spices, cauliflower and sprouts

Snacks: I played around with the kidney bean/cacao recipe, reduced coconut oil and dates quite a bit, added some oatbran and made them as small patties, baked like biscuits. Very nice, as long as you don’t expect anything like a sweet biscuit. They actually taste a little bitter, but still very nice in the way bitter chocolate can be nice. I had two of them, and sadly, I think they awoke the carb monster. I had to fight the urge to make more. The dough is in the fridge, so I have to actually bake them individually, which helps me to not bother!

The sprouts are making for some windy nights… good thing I’m a singleton!

Day five, slipped up and ate a roll while out at lunch. Back home late, and having 3 month fasting blood test tomorrow, so no dinner.

Feeling good, had a nice walk around country lanes with my cousin and not feeling too bad at all.

B HM Soup
L Egg mayo salad, roll, butter
D None

Posting because I’ve promised myself I will not slink off when I fall off the wagon. Today is a write-off, tomorrow is another day!

So, a bit of a relapse this week, weight has not changed – but my NSV is that when I did overeat, I didn’t binge as badly as before. Also, I haven’t bought any contraband food to stash in the cupboards, which I would usually do – so this morning my resolve wasn’t broken by things tempting me in the house.

3 month checkup – readings all down from last time except cholesterol which needs to rebalance good/bad fats.

Post more later when I have more time.

Glad your results were good jpcloud. I am in the same position, weight not moved since 13th Feb and feeling really fed up. I am tested around 14th March and hope that will be good as my cholesterol was down last time but I seem to have been eating more hard cheese than I think is good for me (Cheddar which I bring back from UK and feel I have to eat it up before use by date) so I am worried I may have done some damage there. Hey ho, not much I can do about it now except keep away until my test. As I always say – keep on keeping on…. though it is not always easy.

Thanks Sunshine, it really isn’t easy is it? I keep posting on Fast 800 as I’m aiming high, but really any change for the better, even if it’s a small one, is great. If I make it through more than one day on plan it’s miraculous, but I will keep on trying. I’m slowly improving in the choices I make, and the amount of time on plan that I can manage. I really aspire to be one of the people who can just do it and not waver, but I have to live with the person I am.

Day 10
Still not in the zone, still not giving up.