I'm back to low carb, for the last week. Doing okay but could use some encouragement in the form of tips. Tell me something that has really kept you on the straight and narrow in this weight loss journey. Food or drink tip, planning tip? Whatever has worked and sustained you.

I think the first couple of weeks are pretty much hanging in by your fingernails - THAT'S where the will power comes in - but once your body adapts, it gets so much easier. I drink a lot of warm tea or coffee since that makes me feel full. Make sure you get enough fat - I'll sometimes just have a teaspoon scoop of coconut oil as a snack. If you aren't opposed to artificial sweetner, diet soda makes you feel like you're getting a bit of a treat. My all time fave is a glass of diet rootbeer with a couple tablespoons of whipping cream. But lots of people will argue you need to stop that sweet tooth right away. Have a couple of "go to" meals that are super easy - mine are rotisserie chicken from the grocery store with green salad, and bacon and scrambled eggs. I'll let you know if I think of anything else that helped in early days! Oh yeah, and look at the success stories on this site. You here ALL the time "results not typical" or about how hard it is to KEEP weight off - but this website proves it is NOT hard to get it off and keep it off on this Way of Eating! Last thought - be patient. Someone here said this - can't remember who - and it is the best bit of inspiration I ever got. She said sometimes the weight feels SO slow coming off - you have a week or two or three where the scale doesn't budge, and you get so discouraged comparing yourself to the lucky ones who lose ridiculous amounts so quickly. But AFTER you look back and go "wow, that really wasn't long at all!". I'm only half way to goal, but I'm stunned that I've lost over 75 pounds in 11 months. So much about my life has already changed!

Second timer here.... fell into a carb trap and couldn't get out

What I find that really helps (besides being super prepared) is logging my food everyday
And I mean EVERY bite I take

It makes me aware of where the hidden carbs are and also makes me stop before eating, think about logging it and whether I need it, or want it.

Oh, I agree with Chinacat! After several months I stopped tracking...then when I got real I was surprised to see the carb creep! (that was also related to not measuring - and overdoing portions. Imagine the disappointment of finding out you exceeded your daily carb allowance...for BRUSSLES SPROUTS!!)

Chinacat, I logged everything when I first started for about 4-5 months.

And I also kept to eating the same thing. So no carb creep....

So right now my routine. Breakfast Steak Tip Ceasar salad 5 out of 7 days. Lunch Chicken Ranch Salad 7 out of 7 days. And then dinner is from a list of recipes usually involves a protein and then a salad with Romano italian dressing.

This way I know for sure I can't do carb creep.

I switched it recently to 3 salads a day. It used ot be 2 salads with green beans...

But I was in a stall and have dizziness problems. So I switched it to 3 salads a day for the past 3 weeks.

My salad consiste of romainne lettuce, small cabbage, .5 oz red bell and .5 oz of green italian peppers that is it then dressing.

I do better when I plan ahead the days foods on fit day. I also have go to meals. Breakfast is a chai drink. Then I ease into either Greek yogurt and vanilla or hummus and celery. Grilled meats and salads are lunch and dinner. I slip kombucha in daily as well. I'm trying my best.

Hey Kris, happy low carbing! I found that having stuff on hand that I can eat is great, but I go a step further and do things like

Buy chicken thighs in a family pack (hate white meat) and bake all of them at once. Different seasonings on them. Then freeze them individually. Easy to nuke them anytime you want a quick lc snack.

Buy 5 lb hamburger, make mini meatloaves, bake and freeze individually.

Buy a huge pork roast, slow cook and slice some, shred some, freeze portions.

Make a HUGE pot of beef veggie soup, freeze 2cup portions.

Having those on hand really make a difference for me. Not everyone has the freezer space or likes to cook, so you gotta figure what works for you. Lots of good suggestions from the others.

Oh yeah, and LOTS of water, at least 8 cups, preferably more. I drink about 3-4 quarts a day an it really helps flush out the fat you are losing, and cuts the hunger.

Yes, I need to do more preparatory work. Little meat loaves sound delish. I think I'll make those this weekend. I've been trying to make sure there's at least a little meat leftover at dinner that I can have the next day. That helps.

We've also occasionally cooked a big pork butt for pulled pork or a turkey. I think I'll cook a turkey this weekend. Gotta thaw it.

Turkey is a great idea. I am really a big fan of bulk cooking. It saves so much time, and is especially nice when I am having a bad fibromyalgia day and just don't have the energy to cook! Really, anything you make that can be frozen, just make double. One for now, one for later. I also have a vacuum bagger so my stuff doesn't get freezer burnt. I am going to try making low-carb lasagna and see how it freezes. I use slices of zucchini for the noodles and don't know how it will freeze.

Have a great lc day!

BTW, we share a birthday!

My twin! Lol nice to share a birthday. Question for you, how does your fibromyalgia manifest itself? Does this low carb life help with that? I had a car accident 2 years ago and quickly started having deep pain in muscles and bones that was all ruled out as nothing broken or whatever. But it continues, sensitive to touch, terrible TOM pain, trouble sleeping. I've been to the doctors but they don't really diagnose it, just saying it sounds like it. Anyway, looking for ways to manage pain. I can only walk so far, do so much, clean so many things and then I'm in pain. Stairs are not my friend. Just curious about how you deal with it and if lc might help.

LC definitely helps if you avoid wheat and corn. Also, if you decide to exercise do not do anything that makes you feel a "burn" in your muscles, that is exactly what fibro muscular pain is-a build up of lactic acid in the muscle which the body cannot remove effectively. Gentle exercise to begin with, then as you gain strength you can very gradually increase intensity. For me fibro manifested in joints being tender to the touch, and muscles being tender to the touch. I didn't feel sore, but if a muscle is prodded lightly it will burn and the burn takes awhile to dissipate. I was tired all the time, everything is an effort to do. It is an autoimmune disease and that is why wheat and corn can affect it so much. Hope that helps, and if you have any doubts try to get your doctor to check your pressure points for fibro. They have now got diagnosis of fibro down to a rather simple checklist.

check this out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

hope you DON'T have it, it is the pits!

I have also found that I must work in 15-30 minute intervals, resting 15-30 minutes between. So my day goes something like this:

Get a load of wash going, make our bed, tidy the living room.

Rest with reading, letter writing, journal, etc.

Put wash in dryer, tidy the kitchen and dining room, empty dishwasher

Rest with planning supper menus, going over scheduled appts, etc.

Get Mom up, make her bed, tidy her room, get her set with pills, coffee, etc., clean her bathroom

Rest chat with Mom while she has her coffee and cereal

and so on. It is amazing what one can accomplish in 15 minutes! And at that pace I don't get too tired or sore. Some days are better and then I tackle stuff like inside the windows, cleaning out closets/drawers, cleaning out the fridge. The only thing I have a real problem with is running the vacuum. The push/pull really makes my arms sore!

Anyway, best of luck to you. Did you remember to defrost your turkey?

I also log everything. I use the My Fitness Pal app. It definitely helps me "see" what's going in my body. When I first got back to LC, I would carry around a bag of roasted, salted almonds. I could snack on those if I needed, now I don't need them, but I'm glad I had them on hand.

Lots of self talk/self love. I've been reading other people's success stories and they all seem to have told themselves "I can do this." Over and over and over again. It's a way of life and you can do this.

I hope you know that thanks to this thread I've had Chaka Khan running through my head all day.

Like any other thing, you have to take it one day at a time. Don't weigh yourself every day. Try to prepare ahead as much as you can. You can always just take a walk. If nothing else, realize that you're putting GOOD food in your body and helping it heal.

I've read for the last year on it and do believe I have it. Some studies have shown a large portion of people show signs of it after a neck injury or traumatic event. Something to do with the combo of trauma, lack of sleep, pain. Before I even thought to research it I thought I was going crazy. I've since had neck surgery but the pain and burning and such are still here daily. Dr. Has checked points and notes pain I just don't have an official diagnosis of it, because I quit going. Lost insurance last year. Plan to go back next month.

Waiting to take out turkey until I talk to hubby. See if he wants to cook it. He's my chef. Lol

Yes me too! Singing the lines I know all day. Lol. I do need to remember I'm healing me. Not just trying to eat well. Thanks.