I was wondering if there’s anyone else here using the app to help them stay away from carbs and sugar?
That’s what I’ve been using it for and it’s been so motivating. I have a few health problems and losing weight is something I’ve struggled with all of my adolescence and adulthood. But now my husband and I are eating good and exercising and I think we’re doing great. We’re up to 48(?)ish days which is huge for me. The longest I’ve gone in the past is 21 days.
I hope everyone is doing well and if not, look after yourselves the best you can
I am a recovering addict. I was addicted to nicotine. I had a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol (352 days sober now, thank God ). I overthink and struggle to relax. I am now fighting a food addiction; I’ve found carbs and sugar a nightmare addiction to overcome. I am struggling. I’m so pleased to read how well you’re doing. Good on you, I hope you’re feeling super proud because you deserve to! What actions, changes, new habits/thoughts have you instilled to get you this far? I have hormonal imbalance issues and I really need to eliminate sugar, processed food, gluten and dairy but it is SO hard! I am stressed out at the moment too, due to uni assessments, and it’s making this extra hard.
Congrats on 48 days that’s awesome! I’m on day 4 of trying to decrease carbs and sugar because I MUST lose some weight. I’ve put on so much weight between quitting drinking and the pandemic. My husband and I are trying out the Keto lifestyle. It’s hard to cut the sugar and carbs when that’s been my “comfort” the last 9 mths. Well done on your efforts. Keep up the good work.
I also struggle with disordered eating, mainly binging sugary foods. I don’t want to completely cut it out, but just eat ‘normally’. This app has certainly helped me see patterns and trends.
Thank you I am super proud of myself. You should be proud too, 352 days sober is amazing!
Actions/changes- This time around I’ve done things differently. Before when I went into LC I’d weigh in weekly, I tried so hard to be perfect with making sure I was eating all of my macros, I focused on food so much that it became too much pressure. This time I’ve only weighed in at the doctors (which I go to fairly frequently because of my health problems. Six weeks between my last visit and my next one) which has helped with not focusing so much on the numbers and more in how I feel about myself. I’ve also focused far less on food. I just make sure I’m getting enough protein and stay under 30-40 grams of carbs (I’m low carb, not keto. Although most days I’m usually under 20 anyway lol).
Habits/thoughts- Most of these have been addressed above, but… I’m not really sure what’s different this time as far as thoughts go. A big part of my sustained motivation has been because of my husband. He managed to lose 45kg (15kg from his goal) between 2018 and 2019. Then at the end of 2019, his depression spiked which made it hard for him to focus on wanting to be healthy and in turn, I kept suggesting to cheat because it made us both feel “happy” temporarily. He ended up gaining the 45kg back. This time, not only has my husbands determination been a massive help to my motivation, my guilt for having a helping hand in his weight gain has put a spur in my backside. I’m doing this for myself (health problems/still being young and wanting to know how it feels to not be disgusted by my own body before I get older) but I’m also doing this for my husband.
I have hormonal imbalances too (PCOS). Eating LC isn’t easy, but it’s definitely one of the best for helping with HI’s. You can do this
It’s so hard to bury yourself out of the hole, I know how that is. I’ve been trying (succeeding and failing many times over the last few years) and it sucks.
My biggest tips are to start slow and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I started this LC round by letting myself have any fruit I wanted (they recommend you only have things like berries as they are technically the only fruit that fits into LC). So for the first 2 weeks I ate maybe 2-4 pieces of fruit a day. For that time since I had so much bloat to lose, I lost weight anyway. Then once I was comfortable and settled into LC I dropped the higher carb fruits.
With exercise, if you’re okay with repetition and don’t mind making an idiot of yourself with exercise videos. I use Walk Away The Pounds. Leslie Sansone’s videos aren’t perfect by a long shot. But they’re low impact. You can start with the 15 minute videos and work your way up. And you can find 1 mile-3mile videos on youtube for free, so there’s no cost. I love them. I work up a sweat, I don’t have to go outside (people, ew, lol) and it’s low impact for my horrible ankles.
Feel free to ask questions, I don’t mind. I haven’t been using this website for long, so I’m not sure if there’s a private message option, but if there is, feel free to message there if you want to.
I started a diet on Monday called whole30 which prohibits any dairy carbs and sugar (although a little natural sugar found in fruits is ok) just getting through day number 4 right now out of 30 days and I feel great! I got the idea from my brother which lost 20 pounds in 30 days. If anyone is interested you can google whole30 and find out more details and also a list of foods that are allowed and not allowed on whole30
Thank you for your thoughtful and considered response! Please don’t ever say sorry for talking about this “too much”! It is really kind and generous of your to reply like you have thank you, again.
Wow, yeah I really resonate with what you’ve said about trying to “be perfect” when it comes to food and what you’re eating… I feel like I am always so focused on food, and always criticising myself about what to eat or what I’ve eaten, and it never seems to be “good enough”… I guess this is the bigger problem. I am thankful for my body, its size and capabilities, however I am struggling with hormonal acne and just can’t seem to get it under control but perhaps that’s the thing, I am not supposed to “control” it. But rather just focus on eating intuitively, food that makes me feel nourished, full and happy, and that would certainly involve consuming less carbs and processed sugar. In terms of gluten, I find that a struggle, as I eat so much of it, I don’t really know what to substitute for it. I love toast! lol. Same with yoghurt. I know the yoghurt is good for my gut, the probiotics and all, but the dairy is not so good for the acne problem … Shhhesh, food is hard. Addiction is hard. Knowing what the “right” thing to do is hard! I am so happy for you that you have your husband by your side and you are able to support each other, no doubt makes a huge difference
I feel for you, having PCOS. That’s really difficult. This new lifestyle you’re living is certainly the best way to love yourself and to heal from PCOS. I think having that new mindset/mentality where, instead of being disgusted by our body, we LOVE our body - no matter what! And then healing will come and we will start to feel joy and appreciation for who we are and the bodies that support us
A massive congratulations to both you and your husband. Sending many blessings X
I have to chime in because there’s a lot of talk of whole 30 that this diet is NOT for everyone. As a nutritionist I view Whole30 as especially dangerous because to the average person, it appears to be a legitimate and safe way to go. But the list of foods to eat and not eat are not based on solid science, and the nitty-gritty rules are rather arbitrary. In fact, Whole30 is precisely the type of thing that lands folks in eating disorder specialists’ offices. I have seen several clients come into my office with a misconception of food as a whole due to the inability to even complete ten days of this “diet.”
For many people, Whole30 is unsustainable (even for just 30 days). It essentially bullies them into believing they aren’t “good enough” if they can’t completely eliminate the laundry list of foods not allowed. There’s a dash of sugar in your salad dressing? Fail. Your barista used (gasp) regular milk for your latte instead of almond milk? Fail. You opt for the carrots and hummus at a party over the pizza? Doesn’t matter…both are fails. The diet overall isn’t meant to be for marathon but more a sprint-I warn people because those in recovery already have tainted views of their physique and overall lower self esteem. This diet focuses on physical appearance and can be psychologically damaging. Once again just my two cents…a non restrictive diet with a healthy meal plan and exercise routine is the better option
Thank you for this balanced and knowledgeable reply! It doesn’t help us addicts (or anyone I guess) one bit to develop more unfounded obsessions about what’s allowed and what’s not, nor the whole mindset of not being good enough now but surely being good enough once we accomplish xyz, an an arbitrary temporary diet for example. We need to rebuild our relationship with ourselves and with food such that they are sustainable. I also consider setting yourself these extreme short time goals contraproductive for addicts and ppl with low self esteem.
I don’t use the app to stay away from carbs or sugar, but both are absolutely addicting (and sugar is most definitely a drug). You are doing awesome so far!
I was an overweight child and teen, and I lost over 100lbs as I moved into young adulthood. For the most part I’ve been able to keep it off and even become healthier through my 20s and into my 30s, but it’s been a real struggle and I’ve tried so many different ways of eating. About 5 years ago I did a deep dive research into the low carb high fat / keto lifestyle and I have to say that, for me at least, it has been the best thing ever. I’ve dropped out of that way of eating a few times, but I always come back to it because I feel so much better. But even for people who just cut down on the carbs but don’t go super low carb and cut the sugar, I think people see good results. I hope that you continue to see the results that you want.
@crystalclear Day 4 is awesome! It can be hard to get fat adapted at first because you basically have to go through carbohydrate withdrawal to do it, but it’s so worth it once you come out on the other side. I’d say give it 2 months before you decide if you want to stay on keto long term or not because the first few weeks can be rough, but once you start seeing results and feeling more energy and being less hungry, it’s really worth it. Another good site for recipes is https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/category/Recipes She has an app, but a lot of the recipes are online without the app if you want.
@SassyRocks 2 years is pretty amazing and it’s sounds like you’ve made some awesome progress. It’s always great to find another keto nut!
I’m definitely with you on the whole “not being good enough or doing good enough”. In saying that, I’m working really hard on not giving in to my cravings while also not being hard on myself. There’s one or two things I still struggle with (cocktail frankfurts, no idea why, every time I eat them I realise how not great they are lol), but I try and not hate myself. I’m trying to have a healthy attitude about food, which is so hard after years of yo-yo dieting and feeling so crap about myself that the only thing I wanted was to punish myself. I have OCD and one thing my DR has warned me of is that people with OCD are susceptible to eating disorders.
Oh not fun! There are many substitutes for things like bread, some you can buy while others you cook. Sucks about dairy not helping with your acne. One of the few things I’ve been blessed with is good skin, so fortunately I don’t know a lot about the right foods to help with acne.
Thank you for your blessings I certainly need them at times lol
I for sure agree. I’d say 4-5 days out of the week I’m eating keto, but some nights I make a dish that puts me a little over and I really don’t mind. As long as I’m under 50 for those nights and under 20 on the keto nights, I’m happy with myself and I’m still making progress.
I’ve also cut out sweetener, soft drinks (even sugar free) and protein bars. I found they just gave me more cravings which wasn’t helpful.
Congratulations on the weight loss. It must have felt so much better to lose weight and feel healthier. I’m in my late 20s and I wish I’d known about low carb in my teens, early 20’s! But it’s never to late, isn’t that what they say
I’m using Carb Manager right now because I’ve used it in the past and it really did help! I think anything that helps you see what you’re actually putting in your body is extremely helpful for this way of life. Appreciate the suggestion! Good luck on your goals. We can do this!
Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions! I’m just taking it one day at a time like I do with not drinking. The mind is where I struggle the most. Appreciate your info and suggestions!
You know, 20 grams is just the lower limit. It’s hard to know without testing your blood, but you might still be staying in ketosis with the occasional 50 grams of carbs in a day. It’s all individual. When I was testing the ketones in my blood, I found that I could personally go to 70g/day of carbs and still be comfortably in ketosis. But I love the data. In the end, what really matters is that you’re happy with how things are going for you, and since you are, not stressing about those extra 30g every now and then is the best thing you can do for you.
That’s really smart to cut out the sweeteners and sugar free soft drinks. There has been some research that shows fake sugars can actually cause a person to gain weight because the brain registers the sweetness and prepares the body for the sugar that it thinks it’s going to get. That can cause the body to release insulin as a response, even though the fake sugar is calorie free. And since insulin is a fat storage hormone, then what is ingested (food or drink) gets converted to fat. Not that an occasional treat with other kinds of sweeteners will be the end of you, but I’ve known people who will binge on sugar free treats because they’re sugar free.
Another fun piece of science that you might find interesting is that with zero calorie sweeteners, the body expects to get a certain amount of energy with what it perceives to be a sugary treat and then when it doesn’t, you can feel more hungry because your body didn’t get the calorie intake it was expecting and so it tries to get you to eat more so that it can get the energy it expected. That could very well be why you felt like you had more cravings when you consumed those things. (I’m a nerd for this type of stuff)
Thank you for the congrats. Losing weight was nice, but honestly it easily took me more than 10 years to see myself how other people saw me. I still saw myself as overweight, even at times when my weight dropped even lower (through the years I’ve fluctuated up and down at times though I never regained all that I lost even when I gained weight). I had to deal with the emotional toll that growing up as ‘the fat kid/teenager’ did on my psyche and the unhealthy relationship with food I had been taught.
It really isn’t ever too late though, you’re right. What matters is that you’ve found something now that works for you and you have the motivation to do it. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t make your 30s be amazing with a healthy you. More and more it is HARD to be healthy in the toxic food environment we all live in, but it’s worth the effort just as much as deciding to quit drinking or using drugs is. I know you’re going to do great. Just keep your eye on the prize. You’ve got this. Seriously. You are worth it.
@SassyRocks I most definitely agree that cutting back on sugar, processed food, and flour based products can be helpful for a lot people. Our bodies just were not meant to take in the kind of crap that passes as food. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Grain Brain or Wheat Belly, but even the wheat for the flour we have now isn’t the same wheat that our grandparents had. It’s been changed and it’s not nearly as healthy as what they had. It’s just sad. It makes me sad anyway. There really is something amazing about not being ruled by hunger and cravings. I absolutely can relate to what you said. I hope you continue to see success!
). I overthink and struggle to relax. I am now fighting a food addiction; I’ve found carbs and sugar a nightmare addiction to overcome. I am struggling. I’m so pleased to read how well you’re doing. Good on you, I hope you’re feeling super proud because you deserve to! 
What actions, changes, new habits/thoughts have you instilled to get you this far? I have hormonal imbalance issues and I really need to eliminate sugar, processed food, gluten and dairy but it is SO hard! I am stressed out at the moment too, due to uni assessments, and it’s making this extra hard.
Just click on their name and you will see Messafe pop up!
Shhhesh, food is hard. Addiction is hard. Knowing what the “right” thing to do is hard! I am so happy for you that you have your husband by your side and you are able to support each other, no doubt makes a huge difference 
