HELLLP!!!!! I'm going the WRONG way!

[SarahC]

Ok, so I went from a loss of 0 pounds for over a month to bobbling with a pound, to gaining 2 pounds this week. I've stuck close to net 10 carbs per day. Yesterday and the day before I ate 3 pieces of sugar-free Russell Stovers. 1 piece at .3 carb and 2 pieces at 1 carb ea.

Here is a 'typical' day. This could get long, so I appologize in advance and will try to keep it condensed, but I want to be specific so you can help me.

Breakfast
3 coffees, 1/2 decaf, with cream - 3 carbs
32 ounces plain water

Dinner (Lunch)
2 eggs - 2 carbs
hot sausage patty, 2 ounces cooked - 1 carb

32 ounces plain water
1 coffee - decaf, with cream - 1 carb

Supper
3 oz chicken breast coated with pork skins and fried (or fish, or shrimp, or a hamburger patty)
1/2 cup asparagus with butter and pepper - 2 net carbs

I made this soup so I wouldn't have to cook for a few days:
3 oz chicken breast,
5-inch hot Italian sausage (fresh),
28 oz Swanson chicken broth (4 carbs),
3/4 cup cream (4 grams),
cabbage (3 grams),
2 cups asparagus (8 grams),
3 oz turnip (4 grams),
1 cup celery (1 gram),
mushrooms (1.5 grams),
poultry seasoning,
pepper.
25.5 carbs for the whole pot. There will be at least 10 servings of this soup, probably closer to 12, but let's say 10 servings at 2.5 carbs per serving.

Yesterday's eating
3 cups of coffee with cream (3 carbs)
(lunch with the girls) real turkey spring mix salad with 2 slices of bacon, 1 egg, 3 slices avocado, crumbled bleu cheese (didn't eat most of it - only had a couple pieces - yuk), 1/2 tomato (quarters), about 4 black olives, 1 tablespoon ranch dressing. I ate about half of this salad and brought the rest home for supper. Water to drink.
I had a small bowl of the soup above with the salad for supper.
1 cup of decaf with cream
64 ounces of water
8 oz glass of lemonade - lemon juice, truvia, water, ice.

3, 4, and 5 days ago, each day I had 3 tablespoons of whipped cream/xylitol/maple ice cream with 1 teaspoon of walnut pieces. And as I mentioned at the start of this post, the last couple days I went wild and had a piece of sf Russell Stover.

That's about it. Normally if I go out to eat (like on Sundays when I take an older lady out to lunch) I have fried eggs and bacon or sausage (no hashbrowns or toast), or a grilled chicken salad, no croutons, no bread, dressing on the side, I don't eat the carrots if there are any. Up until the last 5 days I didn't have any sweeteners or nuts. I stay away from cheese most of the time because it plugs me up.

I did try a couple 'tortillas' one day when I first got the oat fiber. That's been close to a couple weeks ago. And one last note - no inches are coming off either.

[SarahC]

I thought for sure someone would respond to my post by now. Is it hopeless?

[mouseissue]

Hi Sarah!

I've been noticing that I sometimes don't get all the unread posts.
It's probably the servers that our forum is on.
Anyway...

Breakfast is more than "3 coffees, 1/2 decaf, with cream".

If you're hungry, eat REAL food! Coffee is NO substitute!
Plus, depriving yourself food when hungry will cause a stall out and will make you feel hungrier later on.
This usually leads to over-eating.

Also, 1/2 cup is a serving size in veggies.
1 cup celery is 2 servings and 2 cups asparagus is 4 servings!
Next to carbs, portion control is VERY important!

It could also be the sugar alcohols. Some of us a more sensitive than others.
So for now, stop the sweeteners and SF candies to see what happens.
When you're weight loss restarts, you can slowly reintroduce them and see how you do.

[SarahC]

Thanks, Tony. The veggies you quoted went into a soup with 10 servings. So 1 cup of celery for 10 servings and 2 cups of asparagus for 10 servings. Didn't eat them all at once.

I have a hard time eating breakfast - it's always at least 10:00 before I get anywhere near hungry. So I just have coffee in the morning.

I only added the sugar alcohols in frustration in the past few days, but that's when the pounds went UP, so they're back off the list.

Yesterday I had 1 cup of the soup - finished it off, 1 sausage patty and 2 eggs. Decaf coffee with cream, and water.

I don't know what else to do. I've cut out salt and cut down portions.  I've increased the water and tried lemonade to get rid of excess water weight.

[buford354]

Miss Sarah,

     I am sorry I blew, I saw your post and things got in the way.

     IMHO, it looks like you are near to a starvation level, you are never
going to lose weight this way and keep it off. Yep you will eventual lose
weight , then you'll start eating again and here come the pounds.

     Now this may sound strange to most dieters , but instead of cutting
food amounts increase them (low carb stuff, please). What should happen
is your body will not be shutting down , instead now it has a food source
which it needs (Your stored body fat). Keep the carbs at less than 20 per day
but increase your protein (Eat a steak) increase your number of meals per day
adding more protein should help. Coffee is great for diets it over rides hunger
for a life style nope , you need to eat, just the right things . If you have FTS
re-read it . Personally , I eat like a cavebear and am still losing weight and that
is after 85lbs and the wonderful part is , there are days I have to stop and fix
something because I simply have no craving for food.

    FTS works remember this is not a diet , it is a life style and believe me it works
.

Our Very Best to You and Yours,
Buford and the Girls

[SarahC]

Thanks, Buford (and Girls). I wondered if I could be going into starvation mode, but Doug assured me that it would not happen. He said to cut portions and keep it at 10 grams of carbs per day or less. I did try upping the calories and ate the sf candy. That's when the pounds started coming on. It's really depressing - and I'm not a 'depressed' person.

[umpa]

i agree with the guys Sarah  You are not being punished There is no race.If you are not hungry don't eat but increase your protein and decrease veggies.Tofu,black soy beans,and low carb pastas are great side dishes loaded with protein.sorry it took me so long to get back to you I have a 2 year old running the house!

[shawn116]

Hi Sarah 

You know on the outside it really doesn't seem to be anything that you are doing wrong.  Unless you aren't watching your portions and measuring carefully instead of eyeballing it.   This looks very close to what my normal day looks like...LOL  Minus the cream though.      I usually don't get hungry until about 10 or 11 either.  There must be something tripping you up.  When you say cream what are you meaning?  Is this 0 carb heavy whipping cream?  I hate to say it but if I have to much of that I will stall.  The same with the cheese    Even though it does say 0 carb.  I know you said you didn't have to much of cheese though.   

I am wondering if you do go out to eat very often?  The reason I am asking is' do you know the exact carb counts for the items you are odering or just estimating?   You might be getting more than you realize there....enough to throw you out of a weight loss anyway.  If you are doing that a couple of times a week it might be enough to stall you.  I'm the queen of maintaining...LOL  I find myself gaining and losing the same 5 lbs over and over... 

I'm also wondering if maybe you have something else going on?  Maybe an imbalance of some sort?  Have you had your thyroid checked or female hormones?  These are just some ideas that come to mind.  I'm sorry you are so frustrated    We are here for you though.... Please keep posting your meals    I'm hoping we will find something   

[shawn116]

I did try upping the calories and ate the sf candy

I think Buford may be on to something here   with this you were adding the wrong calories.............Love the chocolates though...LOL   I'm with Buford  eat a steak.....or chicken....or pork....or some kind of protein.  Your body might be just hanging on to everything you have for fear of not getting any more   

[umpa]

TooSweet love the ticker

[buford354]

Miss Sarah,

     Please DO NOT count calories, count the carbs. Like I said I eat like a
cave bear , forgot to ad get some good fats in there to . Here is what I have
eaten as of 3:30pm

Breakfast:: Coffee 2 cups (Yep, ex-military stronger the better) with whole cream
                  3 scambled eggs, 3 strips of bacon, slice of cheese
                  (This is my own version of a a Egg McMuffin), make it without bread
                  using pancake rings to form up in frying pan

Lunch::      6 oz strip steak, small can of mushrooms sauteed in butter/garlic
                
Snack ::      Hand full of almonds with garlic salt chaser

Beverages    Coffee, Tea(liquid splenda)

This would give most heart doctors a attack of their own just reading it
last Blood test. Was outstanding HDL was up, LDL was down Tri' way down

This works for me, over the weekend, I'll cook Dougs Fried pork chops for starters
IMHO, take away what hurts, but add back what helps you ..Never just take away.

Our Best to you and Yours,
Buford and the Girls


                  

[shawn116]

TooSweet love the ticker

Thanks Umpa...it's a cool site.  They have lots of cute ones to choose from.

Buford great advise 

[SarahC]

Thanks for all the replies! I will eat more protein. Eating fewer veggies is easy - everything I had is eaten or thrown out because it didn't get eaten fast enough.

I take a 90-yr-old woman out to lunch every Sunday and while she eats high-carb, I eat a salad. I try to get a grilled chicken salad or if the restaurant doesn't have anything that looks low-carb in the salad department, I order fried eggs and bacon, no toast, no hashbrowns. I usually take 2/3 of the salad home - at least 1/2, and eat part of it later, a lot of it goes in the garbage. I estimate the carbs - chicken and lettuce, egg, maybe a couple tomato wedges - hard to screw up the count on that. I'll try just getting the grilled chicken or a steak.

I'll stop using heavy whipping cream - I have counted it as 1 carb per tablespoon. I'll drop the coffee. I don't know how much more stark my eating can be.

[shawn116]

If it were me I wouldn't drop the coffee    No one would like me....LOL   Maybe try one thing at a time to see what starts the scale to move   

You would really be surprised at how estimating can get you.  I had a salad out once at a restaurant that I had never been to.  It really seemed harmless...when I got home I checked the web site for the carb count and realized I had eaten close to 10 carbs    I was really mad at myself.  Also my portions will grow    I just thought I would mention it so that you would be mindful.  I love to eat out     

[umpa]

I don't think its making your diet stark.Its finding what works for you.Salads can get you quick because there are so many variables.Try a wedge of iceberg.Mixed veggies are great at restaurants or home because it gives you variety but 1/2 cup servings.i always tell people to reread the book when stuck.Start over.post your food plans.Restaurants have a lot of sugar added to dressing,sauces, and eggs.IHOP omelets are loaded with carbs because they use a premix they add sugar to.I think you are missing carbs.You have the want to,we just gotta find out what is getting you