What I dislike about low-carb (and what I like about NoS)

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:05 am

Hi everyone

As I've mentioned before here on this forum, in the last 2 weeks I've gone on a low-carb version of NoS in order to start losing weight (I have PCOS & that makes weight-loss much harder, and low-carbing seems to be something recommended for PCOS).

It's been going well & I've started losing at last. However, this coming sunday is the 1st year birthday party of my little boy (aaaaawwww can't BELIEVE he's 1 year already!) I'm planning, of course, to bake a special birthday cake for him, & to make some other yummy treats for his little friends & their parents.

However, the whole low-carb idea is that if you go off-piste even once you're doomed. So I'm kind of finding myself obsessing about this coming sunday (which is exactly what I never felt on NoS). Question. Should I give myself an S day just this once & just enjoy the party & eat whatever? Or should i prepare low-carb snacks & try as best I can to not cheat?

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhh this is exactly what I didn't want, to be thinking about food again all the time, when I had got myself in a great frame of mind with NoS, always feeling calm about it...

What do people think? What would you do? (especially those who've combined low-carb food with NoS)?

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:01 pm

Why are you doomed? Who says?

My own opinion, for whatever it's worth, is that Sunday is a double-S day for you, both a weekend and a very special birthday. You should celebrate with your family and enjoy a little piece of the beautiful cake you are making.

Monday morning starts another week of N days. No carbs for you, if that's what you need to do. But please enjoy your child's first birthday. And take lots of pictures! This day only comes once in a lifetime.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:45 pm

You've pointed out exactly what I hate about other diets -- being condemned for going off-plan or program. My least favorite sentence in the whole world in relation to "diets" is, "I can't have that; it's not on my diet."

Not being able to relax and enjoy food is why people don't/won't/can't stick to other diet plans.

Jan's right. Your son's first birthday happens once in a lifetime -- enjoy it. Go back to low-carb on Monday.

J Ellis · Post by **J Ellis** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:51 pm

Many controlled carb diets allow occasional "cheating," even one day a week (e.g. Zone). The indulgence may knock you out of ketosis, but that is not a big deal. Low carb can be effective even without maintaining ketosis 24/7. Cheating on low carb can do one of two things: Trigger carb cravings or Remind you how much better you feel on limited carbs. Either way, you can work the result to your favor when you get back to controlled intake on Monday.

One possible compromise might be to enjoy the birthday party and cake but eat lower carb the rest of the day. Eating a piece of cake does not have to become license to eat every sweet and snack you might crave.

Joel

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:51 pm

I think what you guys say make sense.

What is horrible & annoying about low-carb (even though in other ways it seems to be working fine so far) is the idea that once you cheat & you're 'off ketosis' (not that I know exactly what that means

) that's it, you're doomed. I asked this exact question to an experienced low-carb friend & she warned me that I'd put on the whole 2 kgs that I've struggled to lose if I go off the diet. To me it simply doesn't make sense that 1 day (or actually a couple of hours in one day) will make all that much of a difference. And I really do believe in the value of S days (even though I don't give them to myself at the moment, but eventually I will).

I'm obviously talking only of relaxing during the actual party (which will last 1-2 hours). And I'm not a eat-the-whole-cake-while-you-have-the-chance kind of girl (never was), so that's not what I'm scared of. So I expect what'll happen is I'll probably eat some cake & have a few nibbles here & there (which is what I do at parties anyway). What I'm scared of is getting out of this damn ketosis thing (whatever it is) & spoiling all my hard work....

Can anyone with experience reassure me in this?

TunaFishKid · Post by **TunaFishKid** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:54 pm

Hi, Cassie. If you've only been lowcarbing for 2 weeks, any weight you've lost may just be water at this point, and a piece of cake could very well cause it to come back, so don't be surprised if you find you've put on a couple of pounds the next day.

I have heard of something called "carb cycling", in which people do low carb a lot like No S - low carb all week and carbs on the weekend. They say they lose faster that way. I admit I have no idea how it works, because a lot of people take a week or more just to get into ketosis. It might be something to look into, though.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun at your son's party!

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:59 pm

Thanks Tuna (now I'm back to being scared again...

)

In any case, what will be will be. It's ridiculous to spend my time, just before my little boy's first birthday party, obsessing about food.... that's the main problems with most diets, I'm finding. Not that I plan to change anything at the moment, NoS combined with low-carb it is for me now. But this is just something to keep in mind for the future...

TunaFishKid · Post by **TunaFishKid** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:13 pm

I just had to come back to the computer to add one more thing...

I obsessed about food and denied myself at more parties and holidays than I care to remember, and I'm heavier now than I ever was. (Or at least I was three months ago when I started NoS, lol.) And my dieting intruded into more than just celebrations. Two years ago my brother-in-law died. I was on Kimkins at the time (super lowcarb, lowfat, and unhealthy). Much to my shame, I remember being at his wake and wondering what I should eat and whether I should go off my diet or not. I was thinking about my diet!

But everybody's different. Some people discover lowcarb, lose weight like crazy, and never miss what they can't have. For others, like me, food is an important part of life and they end up feeling left out and obsessed. If you're doing it for health reasons, then that's another story.

I think all I've done is confused you more...

Nichole · Post by **Nichole** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:22 pm

Personally, I would stick to my diet, but allow myself a piece of cake

I allow myself a couple of treats (literally, a couple) on the weekend and it doesn't make me gain weight because I eat healthy 90% of the time. But I'm not low-carbing. I don't think you can do much damage, however, with a treat once in a while and on very special occasions.

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:00 pm

Hi Tuna,

No, you haven't confused me... in fact all that you say is food for thought. Very good point you made about the wake, this is the problem with most diets- especially those which promise quick weight loss. They become the centre of life (at least for some people) & lead to obsessionality. Plus, I'm convinced that there is NO magic quick-weight-loss diet which works, if other structures are not put into place as well. In my mind, this is what NoS has helped me with. To create a structure & a healthy background which can accompany you for life. The fact that I now eat 3 square meals a day while I used to snack on & off all the time (especially during my pregnancy & breastfeeding days) is already a huge step for me. And I've more or less maintained that despite my low-carb plan (even though I do allow myself small pieces of cheese now & then, as i sometimes get really nauseous between meals, but it's not that often). The other thing that NoS & this forum has helped me with is insisting on the importance of exercise, which prompted me to take up jogging a month & a half ago (which has been going great). So I really think it's more what we do in the long run that eventually counts, not the short-run. It's hard though to remind oneself of that, when we live & eat day-to-day & day-to-day worries is what we struggle with...

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:22 pm

If all you've lost is water weight and you gain some back -- so what? You really haven't lost body weight.

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:25 pm

OK just to update everyone. We had our son's first birthday party on sunday (yay!!! it was lovely). I prepared everything from scratch the day before, on saturday, & stayed on course & didn't eat any sugary snacks at all (and no bread etc, as I'm low-carbing atm). On Sunday I very happily gave myself a well-earned S day & had a taste of the birthday cake (actually, birthday cakes, there were 2, since a little friend of my son, 3 days older, was also there, & I baked a cake for him too!) The slices I had were small & I felt ok about it. I also tried a few of the other things but didn't overindulge myself (too busy seeing friends etc). And more importantly, didn't beat myself up about it!

The only decision I made was to not weigh myself for at least a week after the party, so as not to get disappointed.

I'm now back on track. It's such a relief that the party was much less stressful than I had anticipated. I think, in retrospect, that it would have been a big mistake to not try the birthday cake & to over-worry about the whole thing. It was my son's first birthday party, after all!!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:37 pm

I always love it when people come back and tell us "the rest of the story."

Especially when it's a happy ending.

Sounds as if you made a wise choice, one you will be happy with in both the short run and the long run. Good for you!