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  #16   ^
Old Thu, Dec-02-10, 19:07
Sunspot Sunspot is offline
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Posts: 6
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 116/110/110 Female 5"1'
BF:
Progress:
Default Journaling

Hey, DG,

I'm glad to share some journal connections. Last winter, I had a major relapse and was into full blown sugar eating, and went back to do the RR steps in order. In January 2010, I was on Step 2. I'm currently doing all but the potato--I've found tremendous mood elevating effects with a light box, so I'm using that instead. I'll add the potato back if I feel a need.

My journal showed consistently when I eat lots of sugar and white stuff, two things happen: I gain weight and my self esteem nosedives. During times of heavy sugar use, common words I use to describe my moods are: angry, resentful, reactive, pissy, flat, raging, lonely, isolated, unhappy, frustrated. Conversely, even in nearly identical or worse situations, when not using sugar, I describe my moods as: calm, relaxed, light-hearted, responsive, emotionally available, good problem-solving, flexible, content.

When my eating is pristine, but I indulge in a glass of wine, the very next day I will see descriptions such as: cranky, irritable, reactive.

Basically, when I am really doing well, I don't lose it when bad things happen. When my program is off, little things really set me off. The only difference? How/what I've been eating or drinking. I've said before that when my eating is off, it's like my negative emotions are on steroids.

The journal also helps me to recognize which foods trigger in me a desire to keep eating them--these I work to remove and keep out of my diet, even if others can freely indulge. And when a so-called forbidden food does not have that affect, I eat it if it is otherwise good for me, such as fruit.

Hope this helps.
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  #17   ^
Old Thu, Dec-02-10, 21:50
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,842
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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What if you're addicted to starches, not sugar? It seems like the potato would be bad news. I'm a starch addict.
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  #18   ^
Old Fri, Dec-03-10, 10:56
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
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Nancy I too thought starch was more my downfall but it turns out it was actually grain starches. Root veggies don't do it for me. But then I also don't have football-sized potatoes any more either, so I don't know what would happen if I overdid it on the starch from non-grains.

Also, I only did the potato for a period while serotonin was being rebalanced and I learned how to keep it at the right level. I think of it as a consumable - there are things that deplete it, and things that build it up, and I can adjust my lifestyle so I never ever get into a low serotonin depressive state. I hate, hate, hate that.

Also, I have since learned about the relationship of mood to good fats, and I no longer think (like the RR community did when I was there) that good mood depends on "browns" or an evening potato, once one is somewhat rebalanced. To me now it depends on good fats and not overdoing the protein and carb.
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  #19   ^
Old Fri, Dec-03-10, 12:12
Sunspot Sunspot is offline
New Member
Posts: 6
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 116/110/110 Female 5"1'
BF:
Progress:
Default RR-Potato

Hi, Nancy,

The recommendation with the potato is to eat it with the skin on, which causes it to absorb more slowly, and to avoid a blood sugar high.

You have to read one of the books (I like the Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program) to fully comprehend how it all works in terms of biochemistry.

But--starches are converted to sugars in the blood stream--same thing. If you read the book(s), you'll get a sense of why some of us react more strongly to sugars, some to starches, etc.

Sunspot
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  #20   ^
Old Fri, Dec-03-10, 12:55
Doggygirl2's Avatar
Doggygirl2 Doggygirl2 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 175
 
Plan: Very low carb
Stats: 218/205.4/158 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: Joliet, IL
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Sunspot, thank you so much for sharing your examples. That is very helpful.

Seejay, I take it that you began the RR program with the "browns" (recommended carbs) but have since moved away from that? If I got that part right, then I have another question. If you completely fell off of the sugar wagon and had to start all over again, what would be your approach? Would you start over with the carbs? Or go straight to what you are doing now with the fats?

Just curious -and I know we all respond a bit differently to things.

Thanks!!

DG
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  #21   ^
Old Fri, Dec-03-10, 13:46
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
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Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doggygirl2
Seejay, I take it that you began the RR program with the "browns" (recommended carbs) but have since moved away from that?
I do have "browns" if they are things like root vegetables and wild rice starches, but I avoid grains as a carb source. I do not have them in the amounts you might see at RR - instead I have 15-20 g per meal. I get more of my energy from saturated fat.

Quote:
If I got that part right, then I have another question. If you completely fell off of the sugar wagon and had to start all over again, what would be your approach? Would you start over with the carbs? Or go straight to what you are doing now with the fats?
Hm good question!

I would not want to go right from face-down in the sugar, to JK which is minimal protein and carb and the rest fat. It would make me feel crashy if the past was anything to go by. Even JK in his book says, if you feel awful at first, add 15-20 g more carb, more protein, and correspondingly less fat.

I guess I would start over with the steps in order. I would use potatoes, sweet potatoes, maybe oats which don't trigger me, and wild rice for the "browns", at equal volume with the protein (e.g. the fist-sized portion). No fake bread, flour products, wheat, or corn, that's for sure. I would make sure I got the recommended protein, and not be afraid of good butter and fatty meats. For dessert and so not to do a sudden sugar withdrawal, I would use fruit and whipped cream sweetened with real sweetener not artificial. Or chocolate if I were a chocolate person (I'm not).

And then after I felt great again I would crank down the protein and carb to the levels I use now. [/QUOTE]
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  #22   ^
Old Fri, Dec-03-10, 14:42
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,842
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunspot
Hi, Nancy,

The recommendation with the potato is to eat it with the skin on, which causes it to absorb more slowly, and to avoid a blood sugar high.

You have to read one of the books (I like the Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program) to fully comprehend how it all works in terms of biochemistry.

But--starches are converted to sugars in the blood stream--same thing. If you read the book(s), you'll get a sense of why some of us react more strongly to sugars, some to starches, etc.

Sunspot

LOL! I never take the skins off potato. There's really not enough fiber in the skin of a potato to make much of a dent in blood sugar. I've got the glucose meter to prove it. I saw my blood sugar soar 70 points after eating a mere 3.5 oz of potato (with skin). Most people do get a pretty severe glucose reaction to potatoes, that's why they're so high on the GI index.

I can binge on potatoes, easily. Especially if they're crisped up and salted. NOM!
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  #23   ^
Old Sat, Dec-04-10, 14:47
Doggygirl2's Avatar
Doggygirl2 Doggygirl2 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 175
 
Plan: Very low carb
Stats: 218/205.4/158 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: Joliet, IL
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Seejay, thanks. Your description of "browns" makes complete sense to me. I can envision the things you mentioned as part of my plan (with modification if any really DON'T work for me) but the grains??? Not so much.

Nancy, in this particular plan the insulin spike from the potato is desired - at a very specific time of day. That spike supposedly leads to a series of events resulting ultimately in tryptophan crossing the blood-brain barrier and a subsequent increase in seratonin. That is my understanding anyway - being completely new to all this. (others, please correct me if I'm wrong in my understanding!)

Reading, reading reading. And journaling.

DG
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  #24   ^
Old Mon, Dec-06-10, 11:56
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doggygirl2
Nancy, in this particular plan the insulin spike from the potato is desired - at a very specific time of day. That spike supposedly leads to a series of events resulting ultimately in tryptophan crossing the blood-brain barrier and a subsequent increase in seratonin. That is my understanding anyway - being completely new to all this. (others, please correct me if I'm wrong in my understanding!)
That is correct - and I would add, not only a specific time of day, but in the context of a whole day of regular well-composed meals (steps 1, 2, and 3 in place). It doesn't work to do the evening starch if the rest of the day is IF, or many mini meals... because of the insulin and blood sugar sine wave which on this program is supposed to be regular yet spread out.

Nancy are you diabetic? For diabetics a sweet potato is recommended for the evening controlled insulin rise. As you say, a white potato can be too much.
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  #25   ^
Old Mon, Dec-06-10, 12:57
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,842
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seejay
Nancy are you diabetic? For diabetics a sweet potato is recommended for the evening controlled insulin rise. As you say, a white potato can be too much.

Not officially but I'd definitely be one if I were eating SAD. White potatoes spike lots of people's blood sugar to unhealthy high levels but most people don't ever test it to observe it.

Sweet potatoes would definitely be a better option for me. They're not as bad.
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  #26   ^
Old Mon, Dec-06-10, 13:16
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
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Yes and the amounts are small. I used two golf-ball sized yukon golds with butter. I didn't check with a meter but I didn't get any high insulin symptoms (heat flushing and water retention is what I notice)
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  #27   ^
Old Tue, Dec-07-10, 07:08
Doggygirl2's Avatar
Doggygirl2 Doggygirl2 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 175
 
Plan: Very low carb
Stats: 218/205.4/158 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: Joliet, IL
Default

Thanks for your continued input!

Seejay or anyone else who does the potato before bed (3 hrs after dinner, and following 3 meals per day with the recommended protein)....

I'm curious what your sleep / dreaming was like the first few days. Last night was my second night for the potato (about 90 grams). I don't feel like I slept that great. I get the feeling from the books that changes are to be expected. Just wondering what your experiences were over time, and what adjustments you may have made.

Thanks!

DG
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  #28   ^
Old Tue, Dec-07-10, 17:27
Sunspot Sunspot is offline
New Member
Posts: 6
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 116/110/110 Female 5"1'
BF:
Progress:
Default RR-Potato

Hi, DG,

Great question about the potato and sleep. I've experienced two different scenarios when I first start back on the potato after taking time away. More common, I notice that I have a restless night or two, no sense of feeling like I've slept deeply. However, I also don't feel tired the next day. Less common: what I call "potato dreams," which can be WILD and freaky. I believe this is the serotonin. I can experience this even on a small potato--think golf ball sized yukon gold. In these wild dreams, I can see the color of blood, which I never do in regular dreams.

Haven't had one in a while!

Sunspot
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  #29   ^
Old Tue, Dec-07-10, 19:18
Seejay's Avatar
Seejay Seejay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 3,025
 
Plan: Optimal Diet
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress: 8%
Default

My experience was sort of like Sunspot's. First, I got back sleeping all night without getting up. Then, I started remembering dreams in black and white. Then dreams in color. Then dreams started to get psychedelic and that's when I didn't need the potato every night any more.

There are so many nuances to working the potato that it might help to sign up for their step 4 list and just ask a zillion questions as you go. They can help you decide if the potato is the right size, the right time, etc from your journal and your experiences.
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  #30   ^
Old Thu, Dec-09-10, 19:23
Doggygirl2's Avatar
Doggygirl2 Doggygirl2 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 175
 
Plan: Very low carb
Stats: 218/205.4/158 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: Joliet, IL
Default

Very interesting feedback about the dreams / sleep! I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and get used to Yahoo groups which have been like a road block in my electronic life for many years.

Thanks!!!

DG
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