Friday, July 24, 2015

The Battle is with my Head and not my Stomach!

I'm just finishing up week 3 of the LCHF WOE (low carb, high fat, way of eating) and I feel terrific. My knees don't hurt as much, I can get up out of my chair without making those noises that my dad used to make and I have tons of energy and I'm in a better mood! Hard to believe that simply changing my diet can help that much...well that and exercising regularly. The two go hand in hand!

I was commenting on a post on Facebook to a question posed by Lynn of Low Carb Traveler (an excellent low carb blogger) in which she asks, "How often do you eat off plan? Meaning: NOT low carb? And do you do it intentionally, or is it usually just a "slip up"? 

My answer was, "I think for me it's hard when I go off the program, even just once. But a couple of weeks ago I had planned to go on a road trip with friends as a celebration for my birthday, so I did allow myself that day to have two margaritas and chips and salsa at dinner at a Mexican restaurant, but that was it and it was a calculated "cheat". I am resolved to making this a way of life and not straying from the plan. It's not always easy but I feel so much better. I may not always be satisfied with what I eat, but I'm never hungry. It's more a battle with my mind than with my stomach."

Here we are having a bracing Margarita to give us courage to get on the Glass Bottom boat, this was strictly for medicinal purposes! From L to R - Lupe, Lisa and me.
That comment made me stop and think. It's not that I eat because I'm hungry, I eat because I have cravings for certain foods and those foods aren't low-carb.

Jalapeno Infused Cucumber Margaritas, Chips and Salsa after the boat trip! 
Ok, see that picture right up there? See that basket of tortilla chips? That...that right there is my downfall, my kryptonite! I adore tortilla chips with salsa and there is no low carb alternative. You can find great recipes for low carb pancakes, brownies, fudge, cookies, cakes, cheesecake, almost anything imaginable that would satisfy a sweet tooth, but my problem is I have a Salty Tooth!

There is nothing as satisfying to me as chips and salsa. Well maybe Cheetos, but that's an addiction!

So even though I am never hungry with this WOE I am never completely satisfied! There is always something missing. I imagine it's like an alcoholic or a drug addict, you can go on with life but something is always missing and as soon as you have that first taste of it all reasoning goes out the window!

Last night Lisa came over and she made guacamole, which is only good with tortilla chips. I peeled and sliced a cucumber and ate my guacamole with slices of cucumber. Very filling, but not as satisfying as the chips. That is just something that I will have to get used to and maybe, in time, I will lose the craving...but I don't think so. I just can't let my stomach and cravings win over the knowledge in my head that I am doing the right thing for me by eating LCHF!


 

6 comments:

  1. Oh my God! I want a Jalapeno Infused Cucumber Margarita. It looks delicious. You have a salty and cruchy tooth! You love those chips. I remember one time I was trying to help you and you almost slap me because I tried to hide the chips from you. LOL! We both need to not have those cheat days. It'd bring back the craving with a vengence. Great post Alicia and thanks for making me crave some chips and salsa, oh and that Jalapeno Infused Cucumber Margarita.
    Your dear friend and partner in crime,
    Angelica

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    1. It was delicious, but I'm sure it was filled with carbs! Lol...I remember that. I've slapped Lisa's hand too when she tries to take them away from me. I don't know why I love them so much, but I do! Yeah, I'm not doing cheat days. And instead of a margarita just drink the tequila straight...no carbs :)

      Thanks dear friend and partner in crime!

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  2. I'm really curious about your kind of diet, It's not the low carb part that interests me but the high fat part. We've been constantly told that fat is bad for the vascular system; so I suppose you do the necessary tests for cholesterol and the like.

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    1. Healthy fats are necessary on a low carb diet. If you eat too lean, with very low carb intake, your body won’t know what to burn for energy and it will stall your weight loss. The healthy fats improve your energy, metabolism and fat-burning. You don’t have to worry about additional calories from these fats, as you don’t count calories on a Low Carb High Fat diet – only carbs. And the goal is to stick to 20 Net Carbs per day as a maximum. The low carb diet is also a natural appetite suppressant. You’ll find that you eat less and feel more satiated if you include plenty of healthy fats in your diet.

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  3. Alicia, I'm a guacamole lover, too! Plus, I've been on the low carb woe for a few months now. I found a low carb cracker recipe that you might enjoy with your guacamole, and they travel well, too! (hint hint) Make sure you roll them out thin and do cook them the prescribed length of time. They are crunchy! I left the jalopeno out of mine, I was using them to eat with a liver pate I had made and I didn't think the jalapeno would pair with the liver...lol. But next time, I will be adding the peppers. HOpe you like them as well!
    http://nutritionfor.us/2013/02/cheddar-jalapeno-crackers/

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    1. Thanks Tina! I appreciate you including the link. I quickly glanced at the pictures and they look yummy! I'm going to go read the rest of the post next. Always great to have another low carber to share recipes, thoughts and idea with. Hope you continue to visit and comment!

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