Noob here, read the book and have a few questions...

[BettyBatter]

Hi there, thanks for having me.

I finally got around to reading the book last night. I bought it months ago, after a friend recommended it... it sat on my nightstand for months *shame*. I bumped into her yesterday after not seeing her for a while, and she looked fabulous, having lost/kept off 50 lbs! She renewed my resolve to shed the extra 60lbs I've been hauling around, she pointed me here for support.

I have a couple of questions. I gather I'm supposed to eat when I'm hungry, greens and lean meats mainly, avoiding sugar. Or rather, SUGAR. While I didn't see any specific plan laid out (did I doze on those pages?) I think I'm supposed to eat suggested serving sizes of lean meats/greens/dairy keeping carbs under 20g and eating more if I'm hungry? Is it that simple? Are there any sort of calorie intake guidelines for the day?

I read all there was to read about the artificial sweeteners... is it possible to stick with this without them? I'm one of those people that can spot a diet soda a mile away ... I really can't stand the taste/aftertaste of artificial sweetener anything, not even in gum. I'm not a soda junkie, but I will admit to the occasional Dr. Pepper. I put a teaspoon of sugar in my morning coffee. I think I'd rather go without/in moderation than go artificial?

[Andrea]

Welcome to the forum, Betty.  I'm so glad you are taking the plunge. 

Now, questions.  YES, it is that simple.  Stick to lean meats, eggs, cheeses, low carb vegetables and you'll be losing weight and feeling better very soon.  You will, most likely, have an adjustment period while your body "detoxes."  There is a big variation in symptoms and duration, but the longest it should take is about 2 weeks and you may be one of the lucky folks who breezes right through it. Be sure to drink lots of water (64 oz minimum) from the very beginning.

Sugar substitutes and how you feel about them is a very personal thing.  There are naturally occurring sweeteners like stevia that may be acceptable to you.  The danger in "a little sugar now and then" is that a little can cause you to crave sugar and carbs again and put you back into detox mode.  You are welcome to bring up the topic again while you find your way through the process.

Again, welcome to the forum.  Come back to visit as often as you can and ask any questions you have.  There's a lot of experience here and we love new friends!
 

[BettyBatter]

Thank you for the warm welcome.

I'm a wee bit nervous about he detox period you reference... I already feel a little wonky today. I'm going to just keep guzzling water though, maybe I'll drown it? I do feel completely strung out on sugar, I crave it like mad from 2ish-5ish every day. Those will be the witching hours.

Since I didn't make it to the grocery store this morning, I'm just sticking to the allowed stuff that I already have in, and eating when I'm hungry. I think keeping it simple/repetitive at first will make things easier, I think I'm going to try to eat the same thing for breakfast/lunch for the first week or so until I feel more settled.

Thanks again. *fingers crossed*

[AliciaInTX]

Hey there, Betty!
You look familiar (though a slight bit harrier than I remember)! I'm so excited that you read the book! It's a real eye opener. The cravings will be rough....just remember, you'll have to go through them again if you give in (that usually makes me think twice). Keeping it simple really helps me. I usually do the same thing for breakfast and lunch, too, and if I happen to be out to lunch with friends, I eat lean and green and then have my egg with low carb tortilla (in the bakery section at HEB!) for dinner. If I keep two meals consistent and eat a lean and green meal for the third, it makes it really easy and I don't feel deprived. Missing the sugar is rough at first. My "treat" at the end of the day is a cup of sugar free strawberry jello, with a bit of shredded cheddar, unsweetened shredded coconut and some hand-whipped cream with a bit of sweetener added. I know you don't love the sweeteners....but they might just be your best friend while you're settling into this way of eating and getting off the sugars. It helps me to know that I have a treat waiting for me at the end of the day, if I can just make it through and behave myself!   I'm a HARDCORE sugar addict, so something sweet (even if it's not the real thing) is better than nothing!

Welcome to the group and best of luck!! If you need any questions answered or just want to vent, I'm totally here for you. It can be rough at first....but is so worth it, if you stick to your guns and make it through the rough spots!

[mouseissue]

Welcome to the FTS family, Betty!!!

You've gotten some great advice from Andrea and Alicia.

Keep in mind that for some, sugar detox is a non-event. Or maybe only a tiny bit uncomfortable.
You may be one of those lucky souls!

I wasn't so lucky.
My wife bought some low carb yogurt at Krogers market and it help my tummy out a lot!
Danon makes a good one too!

Keep us posted as you go along.
We'll be right here to help you!

Tony

[BettyBatter]

Hello Alicia! Yes... harrier lol, I don't have any pictures of me with my hair chopped yet! Thank you so much for being such an inspiration, I can't get over how great you look! Not that you didn't look great before, of course. I kind of already knew most of what I read in the book, I just chose to ignore it. Shame on me! My overweight cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes and giving him insulin shots twice a day has really been making me think twice about what I put in my mouth (and his). The extra weight is the source of or at least related to all my angst these days, time to quit hiding from it! I'm off to HEB to pick up a few things so I'm not in panicky what-can-I-eat mode (lunch today). I was so happy to find that my favorite prefab tzatziki yogurt sauce is low carb! I'll try not to abuse the venting offer. Thanks again!!

[BettyBatter]

Hi Tony, thanks for the welcome! I've tried to cut back on sugar before (I'm an Atkins dropout). Sugar is a big deal for me (pastry chef, former bakery owner)... giving it up won't be easy. I'm already feeling crabby and shaky, and this is my first day. I'm going to do some poking around at the grocery store to see what I can find to help wean me off sugar. I should wear a big sign warning people to give me a wide berth for the next couple of weeks. Thanks again, I look forward to contributing here!

[BettyBatter]

So Alicia... I was looking through some of your old posts (I'm not a creeper, I swear) and I saw your one about the omm pancakes? I bought all the stuff to make them in the morning! Do you know the nutritional info on them? I'll do anything to avoid math.

[shawn116]

Hi BettyBatter welcome to the forum!!      I believe you have touched on the reason why Atkins doesn't work for most folks.  It's hard to just cut back and do without.  Trust me SUGAR is a big deal for most of us that are here  Haha  With Fat To Skinny we try to find replacements for all our favorite foods.  I've kept to this lifestyle for well over a year now and not once have I felt deprived or missed having anything.  (Well ok I miss pop corn    Don't judge    Haha )  I'm excited to hear that you are a pastry chef and former bakery owner!!!  I look forward to your input on recipes once you get settled    You are going to love the recipes that are floating around here as well as in the bakery book....keeping it simple for the time being is probably best to start off though until you get the hang of things.  Detox goes quick and you will feel fabulous after.....If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask...there is always someone hanging out. 

The One minute muffin is going to depend on the products that you use.  For mine I count them as 1-2 net carbs depending if I put a few nuts in or not.  This is a wonderful little recipe....so versatile

Again Welcome to the FTS family 

Here is one of my creations so I could enjoy cake at my sons wedding.....It's Umpa's chocolate cake recipe with a cream cheese frosting.....Totally FTS friendly 

[AliciaInTX]

Wow! That cake is amazing, TooSweet! I'm so excited to have hit my goal, so I can allow myself to start indulging in some FTS-friendly goodies. This looks awesome!

Miss Betty. I LOVE the OMM pancakes and my grandbaby is always stealing bites from me, so she gives it a thumbs up, too! I buy the (I think the brand is Walden Farms) sugar free Butter Flavored syrup for mine and it's great! I hate the math part, too, to be honest and I think that's another good reason to keep your menus simple. I think one to two carbs is about right. I tend to add a tiny bit more Real Egg to my mix, too. Maybe an additional TBSP or so? They are amazing. And SO filling! I put off eating my breakfast until after I've had my coffee and a couple of glasses of water and my vitamins in the morning, so I end up eating my pancake around 10:30ish and I'm not hungry until just before or just after Nate gets out of school in the afternoon! Then, I have a small low-carb tortilla (did you find the ones in the bakery?! They're the best!) with a fried egg (with a runny yolk) in it with some salt and pepper and sometimes some fennel seeds added, then I'm good until dinner. I was SHOCKED when I realized how little I NEED to eat to feel full and to get to the next meal. I had to pull myself out of the mindset that eating is fun and sweet stuff is GOOD and remind myself how awful I felt to eat it all the time! Overcoming the emotional attachment to food is the hard part....but you can do it! Can't wait to swap recipes with you!!!!

[BettyBatter]

Hello TooSweet (love the name!)... that cake is gorgeous, and guilt-free to boot. Can't beat that! Really beautiful job decorating, too. Kudos to you! I only do cakes for friends these days, but I made a Minecraft this past weekend for my son's 11th, I'll attach a pic. Mine is decidedly NOT FTS friendly. 

I have to admit, I've been a complete snob about sugar (especially in baking) and I've never even attempted to adjust my recipes to be sugar-free. I'm totally that person that rolled their eyes at diet drinks and artificial sweeteners. But, all I have to do is look in the mirror to realize my current mindset isn't really workin' out for me. I'm happy to report that I ate sugar free strawberry jello with sugar free whipped cream after dinner tonight and I didn't gag/die! Yay! It was better than I thought it would be. I'm going to be working ground-up on developing sugar free recipes to be sure! I can't wait to check out the baking recipes on here.

By the way, I'm completely with you about the popcorn... omg it's my favorite food in the whole world (with butter and salt, of course). It's why I go (went?) to the movies!

Thank you for the warm welcome, I hope to be spending lots of time in here!

[BettyBatter]

Alicia, thanks for all the pointers... I totally made a list from your posts and went to HEB! I bought those tortillas (snack today, they're good!), that butter-flavored syrup, ground flaxseed... I'm all prepared. I'm not much of a breakfast person, I usually grab something around 9:30 or 10, after I get the kids to school and walk the dogs. I gotta have coffee when I get up, though.... I'm going to try it with cream only tomorrow. Trying to stay under 20 carbs is tough! I was at 22 today, not bad for my first day out I guess. I really want to keep it simple for tracking's sake. I'm all set up with LoseIt.com so I can keep a log of everything. Drinking water is already a challenge... it tastes so... plain. Today I think I was eating every time I felt weird/detoxy... hoping tomorrow to actually figure out when I'm *hungry*. I look forward to swapping recipes with you, too... once I get my bearings. I'm so proud of you for reaching your goal... that's awesome!

[umpa]

Welcome to the forum Betty! i am Umpa,Dougs wife .If I can help you please ask I have a column on the homepage called ask umpa where I can convert your favorite recipes to fat to skinny friendly.You are gonna do great and we are gonna help you!

[AliciaInTX]

Oh, those tortillas are the BOMB! I'm glad you found them! Fry them on both sides in a bit of canola oil and you have a pizza crust! During that munchy time in the afternoon, I've even let myself have one (fried first) with a bit of Smart Balance light, xylitol and cinnamon on top! OMG. SO good and I feel like I've gotten a sweet treat without having to feel bad about it. I don't do it every day because I really do try to only eat when hungry....but it's way better than giving in to that munchiness and grabbing a bowl of cereal or something!

[BettyBatter]

Thanks Umpa! I'll have lots of questions I'm sure... thankfully I have so much knowledge to draw on here!