What Should I Do After a Slip Up?

[suramo]

What do you do if you accidentally slip up and eat too many carbs? What can you do to overcome a weight plateau? And what about food cravings during your period?

I slipped up today and ate too many carbs! What to do?

How big of a set back is this going to be? Have I completely undone all the right choices I’ve made over the past five days?

Kristina:

When it comes to falling, we say “fall down seven times, get up eight”. To recover from sugar addiction is trial and error for quite some time. First, a fall is not a failure, it is only a lesson. Sit down with a pen and paper, and think back to the days prior you had your slip or what you like to call it. What could you have done differently?

A book called "Staying Sober", by Terence T Gorski talks about relapse prevention. He writes about alcohol, but sugar and flour are the same if we are addicted. We need to be on the lookout for risky situations (travelling, party, jobs etc.) all the time and know our warning signs (tired, bored, angry etc.) in order to stay ahead. And of course, also stay away from people, places and things (foods) that threatens our sobriety.

Back on the Bus Again:

Any advice on overcoming a plateau?

I have been eating LCHF for five months and did really well the first two months when combined with intermittent fasting. I have kept up the same routine only to have my weight loss stall for over three months now despite sticking to the plan.

I was a type 2 diabetic for a long time – could it be that my body is just taking this long to heal from being insulin resistant?

Deedee:

Hello DeeDee,

We all have plateaus in our struggle for losing weight. It is possible that your body needs a “resting period” for many reasons, not only insulin resistance? If you have not started to slip with your food, I advise you to look at other health factors and ask yourself: Is your sleeping habits okay? Are you stressed about something? Are there any other good tools you need to add? For food addicts, it is important to look at all areas of our health. The physical, psychological, social and spiritual. My experience, is that if food and weight is everything we care about, we will not reach our goals, harmony, serenity, happiness and freedeom.

Cravings During Menstrual Period:

Dear Dr. Jonsson,

I’ve tried the LCHF diet 3 times now. I can do it with no cravings at all during the month, but when I get my period. During that time, my brain just keeps asking for “sugary and floury” things, like pastries, cakes or cookies. I am determined not to let it win this time, but it is really hard. Any recommendations? I really want to sustain this way of life. I feel much better!

Thank you!

Paula

Paula,

You share this problem with many of us female sugar addicts. I am glad to hear that you keep trying. You will succeed. The problem with PMS is that our blood sugar bounces more than usual. I suggest that you take extra B-vitamins and extra B6 and eat the right food but more frequently those days. Also I recommend that you read a great book by a friend of mine, Mia Lundin Nurse practitioner called "Female Brain Gone Insane".

Stay on the bus,

Bitten Jonsson

[suramo Star]

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But the person is already on lchf diet. Now please tell us what you mean by "increase natural fat intake for one or two weeks each month". I myself have experienced that. After losing 10 kg in last one and half months i have regained 2 kg. Diet being the same more or less. Is that a winter effect?

[suramo Star]

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Taking hypocalorie diet doesn't mean compromising with nutrients.

I agree with natural fats but while on lchf diet we take 60% of our calorie needs from "good " fats. Now how much increments in fats do you suggest ? Well is my weight gain due to liberal fats i'm taking ? Or to cheese ?

I think improvements in my D is because of weight reduction. I need to burn my body fats further. There are many D who can't be labeled obese/ overweight but have potbelly. If they do diet management and reduce their waist they can be benefited. Obviously obese or not one has to get rid of visceral fats.

Can you suggest which fat has mufa and sfa in equal proportion or what is your strategy of eating fats that will land up mufa and sfa being equal ?

[suramo Star]

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If we continue to take eucalorie diet how would our body fats dissolve ? The body fats are stored calories and are used when we are getting less calorie in diet.

I read your post. What if we take more calorie in form of fats ? Will it increase weight ?

[suramo Star]

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I think you think that once the weight is lost ?? during the weeks of weight loss it would not increase on eucalorie diet. No sir. Body has a setting mechanism. You need to reset that setting to a lower weight. There are many who eat a lot but are not obese. There are multiple factors acting to set your body weight. I think by eating a hypocalorie fully nutrient diet one loses weight but then you need to maintain the diet in such a way that the weight doesn't increase. Even if you take eucalorie diet the weight lost will be regained. Or you have to consume calories by exercise.

[suramo Star]

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"However, it is necessary to increase intake to a new maintenance level every so often to prevent the body perceiving it is starving."

Would you please explain ? Do you mean we have to increase calorie intake after we have lost weight ?

Now once we lose weight our energy / calorie requirements decrease because of decreased rmr - resting metabolic rate. So once we lose the weight our calorie requirement decreases. And previous eucalorie diet becomes hypercalorie diet imho.

[suramo Star]

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If you replace the deficit with natural fats 1) it's not hypocalorie diet and 2) why should our body spend the energy reserves if it's provided in diet?

In short i'm of the opinion that to lose weight one has to take hypocalorie hypocarb diet and keep reducing body weight until D is reversed. You can take rest on the way but never allow weight to increase. When the goal is achieved one has to restratezise the diet plan.

[suramo Star]

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I think we are saying the same thing but in different words.

Well our set point can't be reset. It's genetically determined imho.

Well we are now in an advanced stages of discussion so whenever we talk it's always a balanced diet that doesn't compromise with nutrients.

One contradictory fact proven by science is that some people are thin because of genes. They have high bmr / rmr so that how much so ever they eat they don't gain weight. So that contradicts with our belief that lower the weight slower the metabolism.

[suramo Star]

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Our uncontrolled appetite is because of wrong eating habits. As we are consuming too much carbs that too processed like refined flour and since ada aha ama recommend 60-70% energy coming from carbs there are insulin spikes and falls which cause hunger and we tend to use more food and that too sugary food. Our genetic predisposition results into ir and type 2 d.