2nd symptom of ketosis is - Sugar stupidity page 4

[oxide]

I wonder if convenience has something to do with it.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have to spend hours and hours preparing ALL my meals from scratch. AAAND, you can't really eat primal food out-of-hand. Look at all of Mark's recipes -- they are all real sit-down saucy meals that you have to put on a plate and use a fork and spoon, usually eaten during a defined meal time. It's not easy to eat this way if you're constantly chafeurring kids or running errands. That's why convenience food was invented.

Sometimes I really miss the days of being able to just grab something at the checkout or dip into a box of Triscuits in from the of the TV. Doesn't seem to matter if it's carby or not. I'd be eating bags of macadamias or beef jerky if it didn't cost so dang much.

[jscayman]

I too had a food addiction for as long as I could remember. Take it one step at a time. Start weaning yourself off one item at a time leaving tubors for last. I kicked grains first but would still indulge in a burger, but without the bun. Then dairy. I went 2 weeks before I cheated with milk for my coffee and paid the price. Now knowing that if I cheat I'll feel sick for days I no longer have the will to cheat. 6 weeks in and all I eat is animal protein, fruits, veg and tubors. All I need to do now is start limiting my tubor and fruits and increase the veggies.

[sarasue624]

Slow and steady. I'll get there eventually *sigh* I've been at this for nearly 10 years.

Oxide - you can eat primal meals out of hand, you just have to make allowances for things like lunchmeat and sardines and raw or pickled veggies. I like to cook and have had enough practice that I am usually "in food." I don't usually take it in the front seat of the car with me - so that's something else to try - but I do take it to class and eat it at school often.

I'm sure being 50/50 for 10 years is the reason I'm still healthy and fairly active. I'm overweight but not to the point of not getting to do things I want to do.

Did Protein Power version of Atkins (which, really, is much like primal) 2 days on and 1 day off (not intentionally, but that's how it ended up) for about 6 years. Had a 1 summer stint where I successfully averaged 60 carbs or less per day - to do this I literally was not leaving my apartment except to go to my parents (who are primal friendly) and to go to the grocery store - I didn't work, just lived off my savings that summer.

Now I'm seeing the same pattern of 2 on 1 off. It worries me.

But maybe my tenacity makes up for my lack of willpower?

But I'm so tired of having this be a struggle every day and then losing the battle day after day because I never get "on" for long enough for the mental effects to fully kick in.

I'd quit. But every time I decide to quit I gain and I don't lose again when I attempt to hop back on the wagon, but at least I stop gaining. So now I'm stuck battling every day to eat what I should and what I know is most nutritious and what my body is happiest with.

Which, I guess, if I'm going to have a problem is a good problem to have!

The attitude from people who have the ability to just snap their fingers and change the way they eat to people who can't just saddens me. And that's why this thread started, really.

[sbhikes]

Maybe you shouldn't do a low carb diet. Maybe you are the type of person for whom primal baked goods and primal candy treats are the key to getting this to work for you.

[ShannonCC]

Sarasue, unfortunately, I totally know how you feel. Really, really wish I didn't, lol! It's definitely a physical thing. It lessens when I eat well but I just have to give in once and I'm gone. The first time I purposefully decided to have something "in moderation". Hah! But the second time it was like you said. I didn't plan it, I didn't think about it, I just had something and then it was all over.

I have to talk myself down sometimes and what I do is tell myself I'm just like an alcoholic who wants "just one drink". I don't care that most people think that's exaggerating or I'm being dramatic or whatever. My addiction to sugar might not be as bad as alcohol but it's still an addiction and thinking of it that way helps me at times.

But that only works when I'm actually thinking. When I do what you describe and just reach for something - how do you counteract that? I mean, really, how? It's physical, I know, but what to do about it? This last time I even did a Whole30, felt great, then two weeks after I found myself taking a few sips of my son's soda at a fair and that was it. It wasn't a "should I?", it wasn't a "call someone" moment, it was just a soda and I drank it. Afterward I fully intended to stop right then and there but that was it, I was back on sugar, full binge on.

In looking (and this is just me) I know I am ok if I'm eating well, eating enough (not letting myself go hungry) and I'm not sick or run down. But yeah, I'm human. There are times I'm sick or tired or I don't plan well and end up hungry and out. I can't be perfect 24/7 and, this might sound like me giving up, but I am no longer going to beat my head against a wall trying to be.

Sometimes I have a good old pity fest that I can't just eat well like others but you know, this is me. Deal with it. Hell, if I eat well 6 months of every year and binge on sugar the other 6 at least that's better than where I was. It sucks that I can't just do it but eh, we have to play the hand we got, right?

Funny you mention glutamine and chromium being used for impulse control. I didn't know that. I am currently using it to get off sugar (for the third time ). Do you have any links? Just out of curiosity.