Day 21! I can still use some help from you guys :) page

[maimarni]

Hey everybody!

Today is my 21st day of PB! I may have cheated slightly on day 10 and day 15 but I am still really proud.

My results so far:

Feel better, more energy, no bloated belly, no afternoon naps which I always used to crave. Exercise way more than I used to. I feel happy buying good foods and don't even mind having to cook or actually prepare meals several times a day (I used to be lazy at that: a quick to go sandwich was my favorite choice).
I am starting to accept eggs into my life (have been eating them a lot for the past 21 days but it was a struggle as I don't like the taste at all). I have been eating a lot of fish after years of vegetarianism.
I have not eaten any bread, which was my favorite food. I have resisted pasta and risotto.
I have counted my calorie intake just to make sure now and then.
I have not counted carbs.

I don't think I've lost a lot of weight, maybe 4-6 lbs? I don't really know since I don't weigh myself because I don't want to focus to much on the scale and more on the way I feel and the way I look in the mirror and how well my clothes fit me. I feel some change in the abdominal area.

In my other thread (New to PB and would like to get some feedback on my diet) I was adviced to cut back on the nuts and fruit and I am trying to do so. I also should eat some starchy foods now and then to avoid the bad sugar cravings.

I have had some sugar free candy (just tiny pieces and no more than 3 a day). Is that bad?
Also I use honey now and then to sweeten up my (fatty) yogurt or fresh mint tea.

I don't have any specific questions but I felt like opening a new thread to share this news and I might return for questions because the support on this forum has really helped me a lot!

Thanks guys!

[Forever Young]

Welcome,

First off ditch the sugar free products. They are all fake foods and not a part of a healthy lifestyle. The candy you speak of likely contains aspartame which is toxic and you should NEVER consume that stuff in any form. The whole idea of eating this way is to return to eating real food. Food that our bodies are meant to process.

What about meat? You don't mention this at all.

But hey, 4-6 lbs is a good start!!

[EmeraldRose]

Good for you!! My day 21 was Saturday and I'm feeling great too! Like you I decided to not worry about really trying to count stuff and weigh all the time, and I think it was a better fit for me.

Good luck and continued success to you!

[maimarni]

No meat, I just gave up on vegetarianism which I found hard. Fish is the first step (and I consider that meat btw) and I am still thinking about other kinds of meat.

I will get rid of the aspartam candies, you're right. It's just that sometimes I really want something sweet and sugary.

EmeraldRose, you too congratulations on your 21st day!

[Buffdv]

Congrats on a great start! I agree, get rid of the fake candy. Eat a square or two of dark chocolate (mine has bacon in it). Eat fat to combat the sugar cravings. bacon, beef, pork butt, eggs, avocado, almonds. For the first few months my 'treat' was either 6-8 pieces of bacon with some sharp cheddar cheese or coffee with whole raw milk and some chocolate. I still eat both of these frequently, but just don't 'need' them every night like I did in the beginning. Keep grokking!!

[EmeraldRose]

No meat, I just gave up on vegetarianism which I found hard. Fish is the first step (and I consider that meat btw) and I am still thinking about other kinds of meat.

I will get rid of the aspartam candies, you're right. It's just that sometimes I really want something sweet and sugary.

EmeraldRose, you too congratulations on your 21st day!

Thanks! It's been an incredible change for me and I'm so excited to keep it going.

When I want that extra sweet and sugary something, I've been leaning either toward some super dark chocolate or strawberries or pineapple. Grilled pineapple was so over the top sweet that I wound up getting the entire thing to myself! (over several days) My kids wouldn't even eat it...to sweet for them! O.o

[friesiangrl]

I'm on day 29 and have lost 4lbs so far. For sweet satisfaction, I've been taking a few frozen blackberries, dusting a bit of pure Stevia on them and pouring on 2 tbsp of shaken heavy cream. (cool to watch it freeze as it hits the frozen fruit) By the time I eat them, the frozen berries are cold but thawed and the cream has combined with their juices to form this frothy, succulent, colorful liquid. Woah. It's amazing. I've done this with frozen unsweetened Strawberries, Blueberries and Raspberries too.

At first, I counted calories, carbs, fat and protien on Food journal for the Paleo Diet - PaleoTrack. It helped me get a handle on the other three as calories I was all too familiar with, but carbs, fat and protien not so much.

One thing I've been obsessed with lately is collecting paleo friendly recipes for things. It's given me a new found enthusiasm in the kitchen. I, like you, hated cooking and was so bored with the usual fare. Eating little meat, virtually no eggs, relying on soy products for protien.....who wants to cook like that? Blech. The past month has been so much fun. I look forward to meal planning and cooking, which is a complete 180°.

Congrats on your progress thus far!

[gumboots]

I have had some sugar free candy (just tiny pieces and no more than 3 a day). Is that bad?

Congrats on feeling good! I love success stories, and they help keep me motivated!

I'll second what some others said: stay away from the sugar-free stuff, particularly if you had some digestion issues before. Besides the fake sweeteners, there's almost surely sorbitol in them. It's a sugar alcohol that causes digestion troubles, including bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea in many people. You may not notice anything just eating a few candies, but it changes the flora in your system and makes you more susceptible to other digestion problems!

Good luck!

[Clivalicious]

I was reading this whilst chewing some sugar free gum and thought I'd best check the ingredients...

Yeah: Sorbitol, Maltitol, Maltitol Syrup, Mannitol, Aspartame, Salt of Aspartame ad infinitum ending in -ame or -ol!

Holy crap will be throwing this straight in the bin.

And a follow up question - any ideas for after dinner breath freshener?!

[Sandra in BC]

And a follow up question - any ideas for after dinner breath freshener?!

Brush your teeth?