Maintenance Weekly 31st July - Derailing - And Getting Back on Track

[Mitra]

The thing about maintenance is that it goes on for such a long time. It's not realistic to believe that the rest of your life will all go by without any physical or emotional problems. You may have a sudden injury; have to deal with your own or a family member's illness; there may be relationship, work or financial difficulties.

Ideally, we'd all recognise immediately that falling headfirst into the carbs won't help, and that by getting adequate protein and keeping control of our blood sugar, reducing carbs and calories if we can't exercise for a while &c, we're better able to deal with life's challenges. But that's not always the way we respond when some major stress hits us. In Staying Power, the Eadeses talk about using various techniqes to help get through difficult times: counselling (professional or talking to a friend), anti-depressants, community service, keeping busy with gardening or clearing out the attic...

If you didn't manage to head-off the carb-binge in time, they suggest a seven day Boot Camp to get back on track. There are suggested menus (intervention style) and some extra recommendations for the week:

no alcohol
no more than one snack per day - in the longest gap between meals
no more than two cups of coffee per day
drink water, decaf, herb tea
stick to low carb dressings
remember to supplement with magnesium and potassium when you shift back onto eating low-carb


Do you have any strategies for dealing with major stresses without hitting the bread basket/ice cream tub/personal poison of choice?

Do you have a way to get back on track if you didn't catch it in time?

For those who've followed PP then drifted away (and presumably come back again or you wouldn't be reading this) can you identify what started & fed your move away, and what helped you get back?

[deirdra]

I followed PP & drifted away after 9/11 and also a few years ago because I couldn't get below 150 lbs and felt tired & frustrated. Since then I have found that food allergies & intolerances and taking medications for the resulting respiratory, headache & joint symptoms were the root of my problems. Now that I avoid the stuff I don't tolerate well, I am off all meds and feeling great and really in tune with my body. I may eat a slice of homemade bread fresh from the oven (somebody else's oven; I don't keep or make intolerant foods in my house), but the itchy eyes, runny nose & difficulty breathing quickly bring me back into focus. Now I think of my tolerated real foods as nourishment and medicine (yummy medicine, since I don't eat things that I don't enjoy).

To get back on track after an excursion from controlled carbs, I don't limit my intake; I typically eat more protein & fat (comfort foods like chicken salad w/lots of mayo) than I need to be satisfied for a couple of days to kill off any cravings.

This time I ate more (300 calories of fat more, for a total of 65% fat, 25% protein and 1700 calories) throughout my weightloss and have continued eating like this in maintenance. Today happens to be the 1 year anniversary of my first (after 35 years of trying) successful transition to eating like a "normal" person. Without food allergens/irritants in my body, I no longer have emotional reactions to food and handle stress without even thinking about food.

[cmcole]

Well, initially my excuse was that I had to change my menu all over again - moving into this Province (I refer to it as the "carb capital of the world") where there is a severe lack of all the fresh veggies and things that I had grown accustomed to eating.

However, I can adapt, or I can let things slide and allow "carb creep". What will it be? That is a choice I need to make.

Easier when hubby was living on this end of the country and I was on the other end . . . I didn't stock any "snack" items in the house (cookies, chips, bars). How many times has he "sworn off" those things, only to have them sneak back into the grocery cart a couple of weeks (or less) later?

No, I don't eat them - I just don't like them in the way, and I don't like the idea that you have to snack in the evening - even if you've just finished a good meal. What is the attraction, anyway? I don't understand it, but he seems to believe that the moment he sits in front of the TV, out comes the diet pop and snack foods, even if we've just recently (perhaps no more than 1/2 hour) finished our meal.

You can't tell me I've earned it just by exercising the dogs or going to the gym - that's when I would feel like NOT eating, anyway.

Oh, how I miss our other home, for so many more reasons than selection of food.

So, my first strategy is avoidance - don't have it in the house.

My second is stay busy. Keeping your hands busy at a task that requires them to stay clean is even better.

Use Sherry's "I am a queen, and I'm not going to treat myself that way" strategy (sorry for stealing) Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are the only person who can be responsible for treating you the way you need to be treated and making the correct choices regarding food.

Always have the "right" things available for snacking or meals.

Don't let yourself get to the point of insatiable hunger, or you may just grab anything.

If you start to slip, remember - the second bite won't taste any better than the first - STOP!! Don't just rush through it or have the second bite.

Water, herbal tea, etc. - sometimes you're not hungry, but thirsty.

Wait it out. Go for a walk, have a drink of water, pick up a book, check out this BB.

Write down all the positives that have occurred in your health since beginning LC.

Ideally - have a family that supports you.

Remember - no matter how many "it won't hurt, just one bite" or "you deserve it, you've done so well" type of comments you hear from others, they are not likely to hold you down and cram carbs down your throat if you choose to forego their offerings.

[SherryJ]

Today happens to be the 1 year anniversary of my first (after 35 years of trying) successful transition to eating like a "normal" person.
Happy anniversary, dierdra! :)

Use Sherry's "I am a queen, and I'm not going to treat myself that way" strategy (sorry for stealing)
(Ha! I'm famous!!! :D ;) :D ) Actually, cm, you're not "stealing", you're sharing! :cool:

Sherry

[Shadow]

Luckily, my few periods of high stress have not been enough to derail me. Yes, I do tend to be more lenient and allow myself lc goodies that I normally wouldn't have, but so far that's been the extent of it. Thankfully, I have not suffered an injury that would keep me from exercising - otherwise, it might be a whole other story :p ;)!

[Mitra]

Today happens to be the 1 year anniversary of my first (after 35 years of trying) successful transition to eating like a "normal" person.

Congratulations :D . After 35 years you must have been convinced it would never happen for you!

Thankfully, I have not suffered an injury that would keep me from exercising - otherwise, it might be a whole other story
:eek: I can't begin to imagine ;) .

[cmcole]

On the other hand, my injury causes me to NEED to exercise, or then I would have the whole other story.

I actually thought Basic Training would derail my menu, but I managed to get through it with minor complications. The packaged meals were difficult to deal with, at times, and I had to give away the majority of them because it was bars and other high carb items. As long as I got a basic protein that had the carb separate, it wasn't too bad. I usually chose the mushroom omelette (think shoe leather - the really rubbery one) or the salmon fillet (didn't eat the enclosed rice) for the other meal(s).

When we got to go to the Mess, there was usually a fairly good selection of protein items to choose from, including eggs and cottage cheese for breakfast, and a salad bar with cheeses, sardines, HB eggs and a bunch of things I could choose (varied with the day/meal).

My clothes still fit once I was allowed to wear civvies again, so I guess the exercise burned off any additional carbs I happened to consume.

[Mitra]

Today was my monthly weigh/measure day. Basically no change. 111.8 lbs, about 22% BF.

This month starts with a houseful of carb-eating visitors (I just need to keep reminding myself that just because it's there doesn't mean I have to eat it :rolleyes:) and finishes with a yoga course with a carby vegetarian menu. I'll just do the best I can while I'm there - I escaped without too much damage last year.

[Missy]

There you guys go again....reading my mind....and talking about ME in your words....very stealth you all are. I just don't know HOW you do it!!!!!!!! :eek:

[Shadow]

See what happens when you disappear, Missy :p!!!! That'll teach you to be absent ;).... But as you can see, even when you're not around, we "know" just what you're thinking :lol:!

[Mitra]

There you guys go again....reading my mind....and talking about ME in your words....very stealth you all are. I just don't know HOW you do it!!!!!!!! :eek:

Mind reading is just another benefit of eating low carb ;) .