Pandemic reboot advice please!

[Bec in Brighton]

Hi, I've struggled with stress during the pandemic and during lock down got into some bad comfort eating - icecream is the latest evil- it's just so hot!! . We also have a glut of fruit in the garden and have been eating much more than I am used to as I've been on a low carb diet for a couple of years now. Not yet on any medication but fear that my recent lapses may lead to this. I've put some weight back on too.

I think I need to start fasting but as I'm a comfort eater I find the concept quite scary and seem to always put it off. It also seems quite anti-social as much of my socialising is around eating. As work is really stressful at the moment I'm struggling to exercise enough though I have managed to up this in the last two weeks and I do feel better for it.

To all those veterans out there what's the best way to reboot and get the numbers back down, in your experience? I need a kick up the bum or maybe just some kindly support. Thanks

 

[TeddyTottie]

Instead of ice cream, how about something home-made? I have taken to iced coffee lately - a double espresso shot blitzed up with some ice cubes, some double cream and some water. You could add a low-carb sweetener if you like. This makes a coffee slushy which you can eat with a spoon. I have some frozen coffee shots in the freezer right now, ready to blend into espresso granita. With whipped cream on top! If you wanted, you could also blend cream with a few frozen berries and get an ice-cream of sorts - or freeze the cream in ice-cube trays and blitz with fresh berries, raspberries off strawberries would be good.

And how bout intermittent fasting, one meal a day? That would give you at least one good mealtime to share with others. Or just restrict the time window in which you eat - all fasting is good and reduces insulin production, so try a few variants and see what works for you. It really isn’t scary, make sure you eat enough fat and protein to feel full at mealtimes, and it should carry you on into a break from eating with no growling tum. You may feel a little hungry from time to time but I find it isn’t horrible, and it goes away within an hour or so if I am fasting.

 

[Resurgam]

Real ice cream is wonderful. It is a custard of eggs and cream - then you add whatever flavouring and if necessary sweetening, or just freeze it and eat it with fruit and sugar free jelly.

 

[MrsA2]

Hi Bec
I was a comfort eater and a constant snacker but I have found the lchf (low carb higher healthy fats) way of eating to be so satisfying that i really don't need to comfort eat or snack any more. I have naturally and easily gone from 3 meals plus snacks to 2 meals, sometimes one, without feeling hungry! I would never have thought it possible but it is and so easy
At first between meals i would have a tablespoon or 2 of full fat creamy yogurt or double cream or no added sugar peanut or almond butter and the richness was enough to get me to my next meal.
It felt really weird eating fats like this but they were so satisfying and the rest has followed quite naturally.
I do keep to no sugar, no bread, pasta rice or potatoes but I dont miss them and am not hungry. My monitor tells me as soon as I have eaten something that harms my body and becuase I can now see how much harm it is doing i find it easier to say no.
I still have treats, dark chocolate and wine have been my saviours. My first rapid weight loss has slowed, but I am so pleased I am out of bad habits now and I know I can do this.
You can too... its so lovely to be not hungry. My last dress I bought was an 18. Today I slipped into a 12!!!!!
If I can do this, so can anyone

 

[Brunneria]

Low carb icecream is available. Or you can make your own, if you have a blender that can crunch up ice without burning out.

I am of the opinion that LC is only hard if we feel deprived on it, and wistfully mourn old foods, while feeling that our current eating is less pleasant.

So I urge you to put some time/effort into setting up a selection of LC food choices which are delicious, and actually more appetising than carby snacks and treats. That probably sounds crazy, if your idea of heaven is a Cornetto, or a pack of crunch creams in front of the telly, but there ARE delicious snacks and treats and indulgences that can replace the carbs and hit all sorts of buttons.

Frozen raspberries, dropped into a bowl and smothered with double cream (the cream freezes solid and you have instant icecream)
Squares of dark (70%) choc with a teasp of peanut butter dolloped onto them.
Some low carb mug cakes (done in 2 mins in the microwave)
and those are just the sweet treats. There are many more savoury ones... chunks of cheese with a teensy smear of mango chutney is a favourite of mine!

Most low carbers eventually lose the desire for all these things, but the transition can be hard, so until you make the switch, please don't feel miserable, or a failure, or deprived, because that just makes it harder to stay low carb. There are a lot of options out there.

 

[Bec in Brighton]

Instead of ice cream, how about something home-made? I have taken to iced coffee lately - a double espresso shot blitzed up with some ice cubes, some double cream and some water. You could add a low-carb sweetener if you like. This makes a coffee slushy which you can eat with a spoon. I have some frozen coffee shots in the freezer right now, ready to blend into espresso granita. With whipped cream on top! If you wanted, you could also blend cream with a few frozen berries and get an ice-cream of sorts - or freeze the cream in ice-cube trays and blitz with fresh berries, raspberries off strawberries would be good.

And how bout intermittent fasting, one meal a day? That would give you at least one good mealtime to share with others. Or just restrict the time window in which you eat - all fasting is good and reduces insulin production, so try a few variants and see what works for you. It really isn’t scary, make sure you eat enough fat and protein to feel full at mealtimes, and it should carry you on into a break from eating with no growling tum. You may feel a little hungry from time to time but I find it isn’t horrible, and it goes away within an hour or so if I am fasting.

Thanks TeddyTottie, that's a great encouragement and a good reminder about homemade frozen cream with fruit. I even have frozen raspberries in my freezer. No excuses, must get back on that wagon and really test out the fasting business. Time for a concerted effort now. Thanks for the support.

 

[Goonergal]

Real ice cream is wonderful. It is a custard of eggs and cream - then you add whatever flavouring and if necessary sweetening, or just freeze it and eat it with fruit and sugar free jelly.

Do you have a recipe, even a rough one? Thanks.

 

[Bec in Brighton]

Real ice cream is wonderful. It is a custard of eggs and cream - then you add whatever flavouring and if necessary sweetening, or just freeze it and eat it with fruit and sugar free jelly.

Thanks, I'll look up the recipe.
Much appreciated!

 

[Bec in Brighton]

Low carb icecream is available. Or you can make your own, if you have a blender that can crunch up ice without burning out.

I am of the opinion that LC is only hard if we feel deprived on it, and wistfully mourn old foods, while feeling that our current eating is less pleasant.

So I urge you to put some time/effort into setting up a selection of LC food choices which are delicious, and actually more appetising than carby snacks and treats. That probably sounds crazy, if your idea of heaven is a Cornetto, or a pack of crunch creams in front of the telly, but there ARE delicious snacks and treats and indulgences that can replace the carbs and hit all sorts of buttons.

Frozen raspberries, dropped into a bowl and smothered with double cream (the cream freezes solid and you have instant icecream)
Squares of dark (70%) choc with a teasp of peanut butter dolloped onto them.
Some low carb mug cakes (done in 2 mins in the microwave)
and those are just the sweet treats. There are many more savoury ones... chunks of cheese with a teensy smear of mango chutney is a favourite of mine!

Most low carbers eventually lose the desire for all these things, but the transition can be hard, so until you make the switch, please don't feel miserable, or a failure, or deprived, because that just makes it harder to stay low carb. There are a lot of options out there.

Thanks Brunneria. I know you are right. And I have really discovered so much good stuff on low carb, really very rarely feel deprived. Have just slipped into bad habits during lock down. I guess I let myself off the hook. But it doesn't feel right. I've got to the stage now where I actually really WANT to go for a run and eat good food. When I don't, the gain is very short term. But ice cream in hot weather, well it's just hard to resist and I just need to be more organised and make sure I have cream always in the fridge for those moments of craving and take healthy treats out with me if I'm going to the beach. I've never tried dark choc with peanut butter! It sounds dangerous. Don't suppose you have a low carb recipe for plums do you? I have a tree full of them and will make jam for others and freeze some for me.

 

[Bec in Brighton]

Hi Bec
I was a comfort eater and a constant snacker but I have found the lchf (low carb higher healthy fats) way of eating to be so satisfying that i really don't need to comfort eat or snack any more. I have naturally and easily gone from 3 meals plus snacks to 2 meals, sometimes one, without feeling hungry! I would never have thought it possible but it is and so easy
At first between meals i would have a tablespoon or 2 of full fat creamy yogurt or double cream or no added sugar peanut or almond butter and the richness was enough to get me to my next meal.
It felt really weird eating fats like this but they were so satisfying and the rest has followed quite naturally.
I do keep to no sugar, no bread, pasta rice or potatoes but I dont miss them and am not hungry. My monitor tells me as soon as I have eaten something that harms my body and becuase I can now see how much harm it is doing i find it easier to say no.
I still have treats, dark chocolate and wine have been my saviours. My first rapid weight loss has slowed, but I am so pleased I am out of bad habits now and I know I can do this.
You can too... its so lovely to be not hungry. My last dress I bought was an 18. Today I slipped into a 12!!!!!
If I can do this, so can anyone

Thanks Mrs A2. You are an inspiration. I've done pretty well on low carb but I haven't had much weight loss. I have dropped a dress size and feel better for it but still could do with losing a few stone. I just really like eating. I halved my HbA1c last year but it's going back up again and I need to get a grip. I fell off being on it all the time, with all the recent stress. I am wondering if a Freestyle Libre might help or actually doing the Low Carb programme. What worked for you?

Thanks BinB

 

[MrsA2]

Thanks Mrs A2. You are an inspiration. I've done pretty well on low carb but I haven't had much weight loss. I have dropped a dress size and feel better for it but still could do with losing a few stone. I just really like eating. I halved my HbA1c last year but it's going back up again and I need to get a grip. I fell off being on it all the time, with all the recent stress. I am wondering if a Freestyle Libre might help or actually doing the Low Carb programme. What worked for you?

Thanks BinB

Just an ordinary person, not inspiration, but thanks!
Being diagnosed worked for me. I don't want to lose a foot or my eyesight. At first I thought I'd miss the foods I can't have, but now I know they are dangerous to me they lose their appeal. Eating fat is really filling and I am amazed I'm not hungry. Its only been 4 months but I think its sustainable. I may have 30 years yet so I'd better get used to it now. I like cooking and eating which helps.
You can do this.

 

[Resurgam]

Do you have a recipe, even a rough one? Thanks.

I usually do a big carton of cream and half a dozen eggs, whisk together and warm slowly and gently, with stirring, until it thickens.
Some people separate the eggs and just use the yolks, but it seems to work just as well with whole eggs.
Allow the custard to cool to just warm, then whisk and cool in the freezer, whisk again a couple of times as it starts to go solid to incorporate air. You can add a little alcohol to soften the set, flavouring and sweetener can go in before cooling, but wait until later to add such things as fruit puree, or do two separate batches and combine with a single gentle turn of the spoon if you want to make - for instance, grated chocolate in vanilla with a mint flavoured green swirl.

 

[Goonergal]

I usually do a big carton of cream and half a dozen eggs, whisk together and warm slowly and gently, with stirring, until it thickens.
Some people separate the eggs and just use the yolks, but it seems to work just as well with whole eggs.
Allow the custard to cool to just warm, then whisk and cool in the freezer, whisk again a couple of times as it starts to go solid to incorporate air. You can add a little alcohol to soften the set, flavouring and sweetener can go in before cooling, but wait until later to add such things as fruit puree, or do two separate batches and combine with a single gentle turn of the spoon if you want to make - for instance, grated chocolate in vanilla with a mint flavoured green swirl.

Great, thanks.