I'm back...for good

[losingforgood]

Hey everyone. It's been a while. I've really been struggling to find the right diet that I can stick to that will actually result in weight loss and getting a handle on controlling what goes into my mouth. I've lost 15-20 lbs in the last year. I said 15-20 because I fluctuate between those numbers. But I can't seem to get below that range. I am exercising. The short story, I exclude all my excuses and reasons, is that I'm insulin resistant (not diabetic...yet), and I've been in denial for quite some time. this means that I do have to watch my carbs, even the good ones. I don't want to count carbs or anything. I just want to learn what my personal limits are when it comes to even fruits, carby veggies and whole grains. I have found that enough fat, protein, veggies and a limited carb or no carb at each meal, tends to satiate me and keep cravings for carby snacks down between meals. And I don't crash either. But if I go beyond a strict limit in carbs (a limit that Ican see on my plate or in my bowl as opposed to a food label with numbers on it), then I get hungry between meals and I crave sugar horribly. So, I thought getting back to the habitcal would be a great way to monitor how well I'm sticking to that limit, especially onmy N days. So here goes another try. I have no choice at this point, but to get myself on board and stay on board.

[Tessytwinkle]

Welcome aboard. It's so hard to mange food and health. But you sound like you have a good night on it. Even though I know just because something is bad for me it has not stopped me putting it in my mouth and eating it good luck, I wish you good health and moderate but enjoyable eating you can do it and we are all her to support you. Tessy

[losingforgood]

Thank you Tess. It feels good to be back. This no snacking thing is the hardest for me to overcome. I think the only exception I'll make is if I'm ravenously hungry. And at that point I'll just grab something that will quiet my stomach with just a tiny amount, particularly a non-starch food. Like, just a few minutes ago, I was ravenously hungry...the type of hungry I know will cause other problems (headaches, brain fog, or others) if I didn't have something. So I went for a spoonful of natural peanut butter because it was a good source of protein and fat. I'm still a little hungry, but that's ok because dinner is in 20 minutes. At least I'm settled. And, I'm not craving potato chips after hearing someone crunching on them in the kitchen . I will not count that spoon of peanut butter as a cheat. It was to prevent a carb binge, which would have gotten out of control. Maybe as I learn what combinations of food keep me satisfied the longest and keep me feeling my best physically, I won't need an exception like I just did.

[eschano]

Welcome back!

It sounds like a challenge to be insulin resistant but I admire your approach and I think of you as lucky - you caught this pre-diabetes. I believe so much in NoS based on historic evidence that I think you're right to come back here but alas, I have no experience with insulin resistance so you tell me.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[losingforgood]

Eschano,

It is a challenge. And I'm by far no expert in the subject. To make a very very long story short, I 'm not under a dr .'s care right now. I have a panic disorder that developed as a result of poor dr. Care. I was already diagnosed with PCOS a few years prior to the incident that shattered my trust in dr.'s. Pcos is associated with insulin resistance. I believe health experts are still trying to figure out which one causes the other. But if you have PCOS, you are automatically insulin resistant. In fact, it was a boarderline normal/high insulin reading that determined my pcos diagnosis, since tests for other conditions were negative. There was a time when calorie counting mixed with balance helped me drop 55 lbs. I was 230 lbs. at my highest. By the time I had my health scare, I was back up to 200 from 175. I've been struggling ever since to figure out a diet that my body will respond to. I went up to 215 a year ago and now I just sit between 195-200. People will advise me to get a dr.'s advice on diet, but all I've heArd was the same old advice about eating less fat, more grains. But that hasn't worked in keeping cravings down or in losing weight. So I read a lot online about what foods help lower blood pressure and anxiety and actually help fill you up and decrease cravings. What I found was foods high in fat have many health benefits. I'm talking, meat, coconut (every part of the coconut) whole eggs, etc. my experience so far has been that those foods have corrects a whole boat load of previous problems and I'm off all meds as a result, and my anxiety and panic are highly manageable. I also found that the one week recently when I severely restricted how much starchy food I are in each meal and was generous in the fats, proteins an veggies, I dropped a few lbs. that week and I didn't 't even want food between meals. But then my birthday came and valentines day and so, even though I didn't ' eat the whole cake in one day, I still had way too many moments of going past my newly discovered "safe " zone with the carbs . So, the only knowledge I really have on the subject is a lot of online research followed by a lot of trial and error. I do believe wholeheartedly that every individual has a personal limit as to how much, if any, starch and carbs is safe for them, whether they are insulin resistant or not. I believe I discovered mine, and now I need to really put it to the test, and the habitcal a and the support in the forums will help keep me accountable to my personal boundaries. I apologize for the long post. I think I 'm trying to catch up on a few years of absence lol.