Help! Already Stuck

[catznflwrz]

Hello New Friends, You've already advised me on the rules but I just must not be hearing correctly... the scale hasn't moved much in my first week. I started at 190, then 187.6,next day 189 and since for the past 5 days variations of 198 and 188. I dropped the Stevia but am still using Xylitol in my hot tea (3-4 cups per day). I am cooking and eating 100% FTS recipes and counting carbs. I crave and miss fruit and have only eaten raspberries or strawberries and not much as 1 cup is too many carbs to give up for just 1 serving. I use the Land O' Lakes SF whip cream a lot on the jello and to be honest sometimes eat mouthfuls of it straight out of the can. When everyone said to get rid of the sugar alcohol's first if the scale doesn't move I thought that I was doing that but I'm guessing not. I am a pain patient and have trouble sleeping, the cravings at night are horrible. I've tried using a few of the Russel Stover candies to not go crazy. I 've kept the carb count under 20 though. When the whipped cream can says O per serving, is there a point where more than a serving produces a carb count? Do I have to give up my tea? It's the main "food pleasure" for me also the caffeine is important. I've cold turkeyed the Starbucks Chai Tea which is loaded with carbs,sugar,honey and HFCS. My husband is losing and even though he is much more physically active he too is using the same sweets I've mentioned. I've tried to give myself "replacement" treats like the "no bake cheese cake and the egg custard" but I'm guessing that the calories and/or fat count is getting me too. I know that you can't just eat a lot of low carb food and still lose weight but I'm feeling like I still must be not getting it, when it comes to portions of the foods I've mentioned. The rest of my diet has been a couple of eggs and 2 bacon or even no breakfast as I've found I'm not hungry till noonish. Then lunch meats in romaine or left over dinner and dinner is meat/fish/chix and a low carb veg. I haven't been this open to anyone about food, ever but I am convinced FTS community is going to get me through this. I need your help, because clearly I am not "getting it" like I thought, on my own. Sniff- sniff, Catznflwrz. PS no inches have changed either   

[Andrea]

I'll put in a disclaimer first:  I didn't experience this kind of frustration when I started FTS but I do see your frustration in your post.  My first weeks were spent on just the basics.  It was hard but I didn't use any sugar substitutes for about 6 weeks and then I SLOWLY added back replacements for the things that got me into trouble in the first place.  Your body needs to adjust (that's what detox is all about) and some people take longer than others.  You are, in fact, seeing some scale movement, although the boucing around is not fun.  (Have you checked the batteries in the scale?)

You are adjusting.  This is a HUGE change in your life.  Doing this with your husband is a double-edged sword.  The mutual support is great, the competition has you doomed.  You will not lose at his rate no matter how you try. 

And yes, I'd watch the amount of whipping cream from a can.  The carbs will creep in.

[SarahC]

Catznflwrz, the sweets get me - even sugar-free sweets. My body thinks it's getting carbs and doesn't turn loose of any fat. I tried eating salty snacks to get off the sweet - then had to dump the salt as that causes water retention, but it did help with the sweets until the craves went away. Even now sugar-free sweets cause craves for more. I take that as a warning that I shouldn't be indulging. After I'm off of the sweets for awhile, I can live without them, so it's better not to start than to have to go through the cravings again. Sugar free Jello was one of the things that got me, even though most people don't have a problem with it. I must confess that I've been making some desserts lately. And they have stirred up cravings, so they have to go.

When I think it's just too hard, I remember how bad it feels to be overweight and it gets easier suddenly.

The good news is that when you're finally off sugar, regular food will taste sweeter and you'll really enjoy it. Same with salt. I can really taste it in food either off the shelf or that someone else has fixed. You hang in there and you'll be successful!!!

[catznflwrz]

Hi Andrea, Thanks for a super quick reply. In the meantime I've been reading lots of posts from the "post your meals" section... AND have found that 1) I should be posting here and 2) Lots of people, all women by the way, have and are suffering the same issues that I am. I found quite a few posts that were eating 0 sweets of any kind and were getting no where. It seems a lot of us do not drink nearly enough water. Having come over to FTS from Weight Watchers, I've been counting my tea as part of the water amount because in WW they count "liquids". I'm gonna guess that FTS does not. I have a really hard time drinking lots of water. If tea doesn't count as part of our water requirement than I am drinking little to no water! It's hard to believe that it is that important, but it appears that it is. I may sound like a spoiled brat, but I did think that I could, if you pardon the expression," have my cake and eat it to" with the FTS plan. I hate tea without sweetener and skipping that and drinking water all day sounds like punishment to me. I know, I know, "do I really want this or not", I do, I'm just disappointed that it is much harder for me than I had hoped. Thank you so much, everyone , for the support, I just hope that I can do this like the rest of you have. I just want it to be like I first thought. OK, plus the water! And watching my husband enjoy sweet treats etc. and lose weight is enough to make me miserable! Thanks for the warnings to face that men lose so muck easier, or I'd think that I'm going crazy. I will  double down, and keep at it. Catznflwrz

[catznflwrz]

Thanks SarahC, I'm afraid that I am going to turn out to be like you. I hope I can get the success you've had as well. I am literally dreading not being able to eat any king of sweet. I can't imagine enjoying tea or some other things without some type of sweetener. I feel like all of the joy of eating will be gone. I know that I have become an emotional eater just talking about food being a "joy", but after 5 back surgeries and having had to give up a life and business that I loved and to be locked in an indoor lifestyle, food has become the high point of my day. It never was before. I don't want any pity parties 'cause I know there's many people a lot worse off than me etc. I just want to lose this weight and find myself again. The support from you all is amazing! Catznflwrz Oh, am I doing this chat on the web thing right? I'm not sure I'm getting my responses back to the people that are helping me by responding to my posts???

[Andrea]

catznflwrs,
Did you order a bottle of the Fat to Skinny zero?  That is the sweetener that is least likely to cause problems for you.  Enjoy your tea but get in water, too.  Your bladder will adjust in a couple of weeks.  Try lemon or cucumbers to flavor the water or use a product like MIO (aren't their television commercials creative).  Hang in there.  I'm getting close to my goal and that feeling is well worth the pain of the adjustments.

[SarahC]

This is my understanding on water: water molecules attach themselves to something and carry it through your system. When you drink plain water, the molecules will attach to fat molecules and carry them off, but if you drink water with anything in it like tea or coffee (or anything else), the water molecules are laready tied up with the tea (etc.) molecules and can't attach to fat molecules.

Mouseissue Tony says that ice water is better than tepid water because the body works to warm it up and therefore benefits us by using up a few more fat cells.

So when you drink plain water, think of it as a fat flush and maybe it will be better.

Also, you'll only be giving up stuff until the weight starts falling off. Then you can add things back in. I've lost a few pounds in the last couple of weeks, but I'm staying off the scales for a while. I don't drink enough water - I'm going to start drinking more this very day.

You're in my thoughts, Catznflwrz. I have felt the frustration when everyone around you is losing and there you sit.

[mouseissue]

Sarah and Andrea are right on, catznflwrz!

Our bodies run on their own schedules and often don't shed pounds for long periods even when we're doing everything right.

I have weighed the same now for several months.
However, my inches continue to fall.
I've noticed this since I started working (fairly hard) around our property this Spring.

So be patient with your body... Stick with the FTS rules and the FAT will disappear!

[Doug Varrieur]

Deep breaths Cat....we gotcha girlfriend. Yes you're overdoing the whip cream, yes you're still craving the sweets, yes your portions are probably to big and yes your guy is losing faster than you....so what do you do? You break the sweet habit. Limit your sweet flavor in your mouth to what you love the most...your tea. Sweeten it with Zero and have a sweet with every meal if you like. BUT make sure the meal consists of protein, heavy greens and fats. Use the 15 minute rule by cutting your plate in half, eat the first half then wait 15 minutes before you touch the second half. My guess is you won't want it 

[umpa]

Cat you are being way too hard on yourself.Deep breaths just follow the plan and it will work.If you need to post your meal plans do that and we will help you.Just concentrate on getting through the first two weeks.A few of those people that you mentioned aren't following the plan correctly.Its basic science and it works.I love Chai and drink it every week.I just make my own.I buy the chai mix fresh and brew it in a teaball and add milk and sweetener.You can do this and we are gonna help you.If you need help please ask.Stay off the scale!

[Waterlilly]

I'm better off avoiding sweets completely myself. FTS even helped me resist some pretty cupcakes last night. I had feta cheese and some roasted veggies instead.  <pats self on back> I considered it, but some of the old "drive" to eat sweets just wasn't there, so the circuit of "eat the cupcake" just wouldn't complete. LOVE THAT!!

I had some strawberries the other day and a carb related malady started to come back. I don't think I can even have those right now. Not until I get to where I need to go. I also think the ones I bought were frankenfood. These things were MONSTERS. It was  a fructose bath my body did NOT like.

[umpa]

Good for you Waterlily

[mouseissue]

Kudos, Waterlilly!!!

[Waterlilly]

Kudos, Waterlilly!!!

Thanks.  There's some power in that there FTS lifestyle!

[SarahC]

How are you doing, Catznflwrz? I'm thinking of you.