Category: Day to Day

Happy New Start!

Happy New Start!

It’s been a couple of months since I posted here.  If truth be told, it’s been a couple of months since I was really on Slow Carb.

October through December saw the culmination of my business failing.  It had been on the cards for some time, and I’d been struggling to keep the ship afloat in a sea filled with icebergs.  From November onwards, I just didn’t have the strength to battle with work and keep focused when I came home in an evening, so Slow Carb suffered during that time.

I started on the Slow Carb Diet just a month or so before the wheels started coming off my business, so I managed for 6 months and lost 3 stone (42lbs, 19kgs).  There was no way I could allow myself to have wasted all that by piling the weight back on.

I went in to it with my eyes open though.  I set myself a limit.  I could continue flaunting my slow carb diet so long as my weight stayed below 18 stone.  In fact, I was amazed at how slowly I gained weight.  On 4th November, I weighed in at my lowest weight of 17st 4lbs.  My weight today is 18st 1.8lbs.  In 2 months of being “off plan” I put on less than a stone!

Considering how quickly I know I’ll be able to shed that, I think that’s amazing value!

This is the week that I’m back on plan.  I’m very fortunate that I found a solution for my customers, so the majority of my stress and grief with the business is behind me.  It’s a near year, and for me, a new start in so many ways.

The Slow Carb Club has floundered during the last few months also, I haven’t been able to give it any attention, and as a result people have drifted away.  I’m hoping that New Year’s Resolutions will see some people returning, and in fact we’ve already got a few messages to that affect.

Time to focus on not being fat 🙂

Bouncing Back

Bouncing Back

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about being bad.  Last week I was supposed to get back on track, but I didn’t, I was worse, and this time I actually don’t regret it.  Now I feel great!

The beers I deserved back then were again deserved, and this time we went out and spent an evening at a nice pub, and then ate the pizzas and the other naughtyness.  I was disappointed that I was destroying that week’s progress, but honestly I really needed the break.  Cutting loose (to a limited degree) felt really good and in the morning I didn’t regret it, in fact, the following day I did it again!

I watched with a mixture of horror and amusement, as my weight rose by nearly half a stone (7lbs) by the end of #faturday.  It’s remarkable how quickly you can undo progress!

I committed to getting back on track this week, and I’ve already shed the weight I gained.  In fact, as it’s only Wednesday, I’ve still got time to hit the 3.5st weight loss goal that’s been just out of reach for the past few weeks.

I’m writing about this, because it’s good to remind myself that it only takes a few small wins to really feel the momentum return.  Bouncing back from a low period doesn’t take a lot if you really embrace every high moment.

Are beans necessary for Slow Carb?

Are beans necessary for Slow Carb?

I identify as someone who follows the slow carb diet, but I don’t entirely, not really.

We all adapt diets to suit our needs and desires.  For example, cutting things out that we know will lead to overeating.  For many on the slow carb lifestyle, that’s nuts.  We also add things in that we’re not technically “allowed”, but we’ve found don’t have a negative affect on our weight loss (or maintenance).  I suspect though, that the biggest difference is in foods that we’re encouraged to eat, but that we don’t particularly enjoy.

I’m not adverse to beans, I particularly like them in my Sausage, Chorizo and Bean Casserole, but I struggle to add them to a meal just for “the sake of carbs”.  That means that actually the majority of my diet is closer to keto, than slow carb as I can often go a whole week without eating carbohydrates.

On Sundays I often spend all day on a hillside flying rc gliders.  On those days I never skip breakfast, but that will be all I eat until the evening, and my body’s reaction to coming off #faturday, half starved and the mild exercise can be pretty unpleasant.  The symptoms suggest ketoflu, which would make sense.

Most Sunday’s though, I don’t suffer from ketoflu, so either I’m a special snowflake that can transition relatively seamlessly, or something is keeping me on the wrong (right?) side of ketosis.  I don’t know whether the former is a recognised possibility, but that’s my current theory.

…and I don’t notice any additional hunger from the lack of slow carbs.  I’m hungry when I get home from work whether I eat a salad, or bean based stew, and it’s something I am able to manage in either case.

So for me at least, beans aren’t necessary, but when they’re in something delicious, happy days!

Habits and Happiness

Habits and Happiness

Last night I took a link out of my watch strap.  I’ve lost so much weight that even my wrists are getting skinny!  This week I should finally get into the 17stone bracket.  Pretty damn happy about both of those things 😀

I’ve not been happy though, and that’s messed with my routine, which ultimately must have had some affect on my Slow Carb adherence.

I find that even a short period of neglecting my good habits results in me actively revolting against them.  This blog has been a great habit for me, it helps me keep focused, but just a few days of depression resulted in me ignoring it for 2 weeks.  I was dreading coming back to it, yet the minute I did – with the plan just to write a tiny blog post about my watch being too big – I felt myself slip easily back into the habit of writing.

I wonder what I can do to help prevent this.  “Man up” and “Get on with it” are clearly bullshit answers, even Tim says that willpower is overrated.  I know that if I can push myself back into the habit that I will feel better for it, but still my body and mind rail heavily against it.

Do you experience issues like this?  How do you address them?  Share in the comments!

Birthday Treats, or not?

Birthday Treats, or not?

It’s my birthday today, and I’d like to treat myself to all sorts of naughty things.  I really wanted a bacon butty for breakfast, and maybe some doughnuts to snack on, then some Thai food for lunch, some beers, a BBQ for dinner and more beers.

Unfortunately, last week had 2 extra cheat days in it, which I’m still recovering from.  I put on 5.5lbs when I weighed in on #faturday, so I really need to get a good week under my belt to get me back on track.

I’m choosing to be strict with myself and only allow myself a couple of treats.  We’re going to go out for a Thai lunch, and I’ll allow myself a beer, but that’s it for the day, no beers tonight, no snacking during the day, no bacon butty breakfast :(.

There are tough decisions to be made when you’re losing weight.  I partied over the weekend, and I’ve got #faturday to look forward to, so it’s time to be disciplined.

I’d love to hear how you deal when a glut of occasions meddling with your weight loss routine, post in the comments!