Any Newbie Advice?

[gabrielle]

Hello All, some of you may remember that about a week ago I was on here posting asking if this diet was OK for people who need to be gluten free.  Well, you all were so wonderful and I deeply appreciated all of your help!  I took a week to really think if I was ready for this.  I had to really figure out if I was willing to do this because, on some level, it feels like it is going to be really hard.  I've tried low carb programs before and couldn't stick with them.  But, I decided that I am ready to get this weight off.  As I wrote before I am 40 yrs old and my DH and I would like  to try to have a baby. My doc said if I could lose between 30-50lbs she would support it.  So, starting tomorrow I am ready and starting this program.
But, I am feeling overwhelmed.  Food, carbs, calories.....all of it totally overwhelms me.  Maybe that is how I got so big in the first place.  I have read the book and the program seems simple but I still am really afraid that I won't get it right.  Can anyone give me some advice? 
Thanks so much and hope you all have a great day!!

[katary]

click on this link for advice:) good luck:) and welcome:)

      http://www.fattoskinny.net/index.php?topic=2251.0

[SherriPie]

Biggest advice...do this and you will have a baby!! YAY!!

You can do this Gabrielle, if I can you can!

My big tip would be don't eat sugar alcohols for the first two weeks. Let your body totally get into the low carb lifestyle. Also weigh in the morning of your first day then don't for a week. I didn't weigh in for my first full month. I was afraid if I didn't see weight-loss I would want to give up. I finally weighed in five weeks later and lost forty pounds.

Also, we are all here for you. You can do this!!! Think how good you're going to feel when you've lost the weight!!

[gabrielle]

SherriPie-Holy cow....40lbs in 5 weeks. that is unreal.  Do you feel ok from lossing that much weight that quickly? I guess a part of me is fearful of lossing that quickly because people (aka my dh) always says how unhealthy it is to lose weight that quickly.  At any rate, congrats on your hard work and weight loss!!!

Katary-Thank you for providing me with that link. Very helpful!!!!

[joagain]

Dont worry Gabrielle Sherriepie is a weight loss machine ,most of us dont lose that fast but we do lose ,and we are never hungry ,we feel better then we have in years !! Like sherriepie said dont eat anything with sugar alcohols it will make detox take longer . I would weigh the first day and take your measurements and if you have to weigh once a week do ,but it would be so much better to just go by how you feel and your clothes  for a monh if you can do that .

The scale can really derail your progress,look at starting FTS this way there really is no need to weigh because this is how you will be eating forever ,and the weight loss is just a added benefit!!!!!!!! I wish I had thought of it that way when I started because

1. I would not have driven myself crazy because I was not losing as fast as others .

2. Which caused stress that will slow weight loss ,also causing me to mess up 3 times in August before I GOT IT !

3. Did not realize all the other great things that was happening because of FTS .

So that is my advice Oh and just eat real food get your carbs mostly from veggies ,let you meals be simple meat, veggies ,eggs & baon . For breakfast you can eat left over supper . And if you have to have something sweet get SF jello ,but I would try to stay away from anything sweet for 2 weeks like sherriepie said !!!!!
Good Luck ,Welcome & YES YOU CAN DO THIS !!!!!

[gabrielle]

joagain-thank you for that advice.  It is so funny I was just talking with my DH about all of this and we made a deal-If I only weigh myself once a week (cause I am addicted to the scale) he will support anything I have to do to make this diet work.  You just confirmed what I always do wrong, weigh myself like crazy and then get depressed.  So, thank you for that advice and I will follow it!!!

[joagain]

Make sure you take your measurements because I have lost 26 LBs in 6-7 months but I hav also lost like 28 all over inchs  2 pant sizes .

[Doug Varrieur]

OK Gabrielle...take a breath. The place to begin is at the beginning, just like laying tile you do it one piece at a time and before you know it the whole floor is done.  So, lets start with getting in touch with your body by running your 3 day test. DO NOT EAT breakfast this morning, DO NOT EAT anything until you are absolutely sure you're actually hungry. When that feeling occurs and you're sure you're actually hungry drink a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes. If you're actually hungry the feeling will come back within 15 minutes. Now, write down the time the hunger came on. Tomorrow you'll do the same thing, and the next day. You'll find the times are pretty close together. The trick will be to plan the morning meal just before that time hits so you never get ravished. You'll feel the beginnings of what you'll now recognize as true hunger.   NEXT STEP

Eat a high protein breakfast consisting of 3-6 oz of meat and 2 eggs. Don't eat any more than you need to get rid of that feeling, If you have strawberries, eat a couple for dessert. Now, don't eat again until you're hungry

Next meal (notice I say next meal, not lunch) the reason is simple, you may not experience true hunger again until 3pm maybe it will come at 1, we'll have to see. Once again, drink a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes. If you are truly hungry eat a high protein meal. The exercise is to go on for three days and when you're done you'll have a handle on our feeding schedule. It may be 3 meals a day, it may be 4. In my case it's 2. We'll have to wait and see. .

CLEAR THE HOUSE of all high carb non FTS approved foods now, get rid of them all. This is the beginning of your commitment to having a baby.

remember,

MEATS AND GREENS WILL MAKE YOU LEAN, SUGAR AND CARBS WILL MAKE YOU LARGE

[snobles]

HI Gabrielle!! Welcome to the club! lol...Everyone is here to help. Even if you think they're stupid questions, they're not! So feel free to ask!
What I have found that helps me out a lot, at first, don't even walk by the isle where you know you're gonna regret it! Know what I mean? We have a small town grocery store, and I know exactally which isle the "ice cream" stuff is! I can handle walking down the bread isle, I wasn't that much into breads anyways, so no major loss there! and NEVER EVER go grocery shopping hungry!! Very bad idea! ;DBeen there done that! and then you feel miserable, and guilty afterwords! and I absolutley never bring my children with me! I know you said you we're trying, but just to throw it out there ;DThey want everything and anything! and I tend to shop fast! I figure if I'm in and out really quick, with a list, I won't be as tempted!
So...good luck with everything! and by the way...Doug and Umpa are the best about getting back to you with any questions!!

[gabrielle]

Doug-thank you for that advice.  I had already eaten today (been up since 5a.m.  didn't post till around 9a.m.) but I will start that test tomorrow.  Thank you for sharing that because I think that will really help!!!!
Snobles-Thank you for the advice.  I am getting things ready to start tomorrow.  Cleaning out the cabinets and getting low carb food in.  Basically, only shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store.  Thanks for your support and advice!!

[mouseissue]

Hello again gabrielle!

ALWAYS remember that this is a lifestyle and NOT a diet... So just RELAX and enjoy it!!!

The main reason this lifestyle works (and is so pleasurable) is that it is based on REPLACING high carb foods with low carb foods.
Umpa is a master at taking a favorite high carb recipe and converting it to it's low carb equivalent.
See the "Ask Umpa" thread on this forum.

Once you get past "sugar detox" (if you have it at all, some folks don't), you will feel soooo much better than you do now.
I was amazed at how lousy my former high carb diet was making me feel.
I did not know how "lousy" until I was living FTS for a couple of weeks.
I was tired, listless, and almost always hungry.
As soon as I got past my detox... BOOM!!! ... I felt like a new human being!

So, look forward to feeling much better as well as having much better health.

And also remember, we are here for you anytime you need some help or have a question or concern.

Tony

[gabrielle]

Mouseissue, you wrote:
"Once you get past "sugar detox" (if you have it at all, some folks don't), you will feel soooo much better than you do now.
I was amazed at how lousy my former high carb diet was making me feel.
I did not know how "lousy" until I was living FTS for a couple of weeks.
I was tired, listless, and almost always hungry.
As soon as I got past my detox... BOOM!!! ... I felt like a new human being!"

I am so hoping that this happens for me as well.  I also feel tired, listless, and always hungry.  It is the constant hunger that convinced me to do this.  It just isn't normal to eat a meal and be hungry again 30 minutes later.  I am excited to not think about eating for hours at a time   Although I am nervous about the detox but sometimes you just have to suck it up 
Thanks so much for the kind words and encouragement.  I appreciate all of your help!!!!

[umpa]

You are gonna do great Gabrielle!