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Abstenuary February, anyone?

Don't do it Pipp!
 
@Pipp it’s so hard when OH has tempting things. Mine has carried on cooking bacon for breakfast every day despite me abstaining from breakfast and the smell drives me mad. I temporarily ditched breakfast around two weeks ago hoping to fast for longer with two or one meal a day and hoping to keep this up this month. Ditching snacking on the nuts is part of this building a temporary spell of longer regular fasting. I try to just drink black tea or coffee until I break my fast at late lunch or teatime. Although I was thrilled that I did a successful third OMAD in a row today I succumbed to some cream in a couple of coffees in my fasting time. Oh well back to black coffee tomorrow. It’s definitely having impact though my fbgs down to low 4s and lost a couple of kgs too so just need to keep it up!
 
Pipp said:
Snag, I have a craving to raid Mr Pipp’s bread supply for a thick doorstep of bread to toast to a crunchy crisp, and slather with butter.
Click to expand...

Step away from the toaster Pipp!
 
I’ve kept to my planned food today, had an even smaller amount of cream with my ‘porridge’ this morning, I actually don’t think I’d struggle to drop the cream completely, I might try it tomorrow!
It was tipping down with rain at my usual walk time, so attempted to ‘walk’ on a stepper I bought years ago, I only managed 15 mins, my balance really isn’t what it used to be! Anyway the rain did stop late afternoon so I walked outdoors too.
 
Thanks for the encouraging posts, @Dr Snoddy , @shelley262 , @Rachox . I confess to having the toast. It was an itch, I scratched. It is soothed now.
I bear no ill will to Mr Pipp. He shouldn’t have to abstain, just because I do, and he tends to eat stuff that I shun, when I am not around.
I do make ‘porridge’ without cream or egg, @Rachox. Use coconut milk Alpro (about 100ml) unsweetened, coconut flour, and ground almonds a tablespoon of each. Mix them together, microwave for about 2 mins, then chuck in some frozen blueberries. I don’t miss the egg or cream, and don’t feel the need to eat again until late afternoon, when I have had that breakfast around 8:30.
 

No worries about the ‘porridge’, cream doesn’t actually appear in the recipe, I just add some on the top with the chopped strawberries!
 
I’ve just added coconut milk to my shopping for tomorrow. Going to have an old favourite again at the weekend.
A tiny bit of choc today and fake wine. (Flattish Soda water and a splash of lime) in a nice wine glass to make it feel like a treat drink still.
 
I’ve stayed away from the loose nuts, and for the last 2 days have stayed away from cream too.
I’m amazed to find that my grumpy innards seem to have calmed down considerably. I’ll stay off it for a full week at least then try again. Don’t know why I didn’t think of cream as the culprit before, the upset tum and dashes to the loo seemed random.
 
Interesting @DJC3 about the cream I’m working on reducing it too problem is I like it so much!
Almost made it to OMAD today but got hungry and a bit bored at work so decided to eat some cheese in the afternoon just about 2oz but helped me avoid adding cream to the coffee! No nut snacks though so sticking at that promise. I chased up my surgery today as my last years annual review which should have happened in May 2020 was postponed and no contact at all since re the review. I did a private hbaca1 last summer to keep an eye but felt that wanted the annual done before we headed to two years! Good news is that they agreed that they could book me in so blood draw in two weeks scheduled, will give me additional incentive to keep at the bg lowering abstinence! Dn phone review a week later so results in about three weeks.
 
Kept to my food plan today, had one very small tsp of cream with breakfast, going for none tomorrow, but will continue a couple of small tsps with my dessert (SF jelly)!
Walked this afternoon, so that’s ticked off for today. I’ve lost around 2.5 kg since cutting back, so happy with that
 
Morning all. I’m wondering how those who are using ‘abstenuary’ as a way to kick-start a permanent change (or two) in their way of eating are getting on?

For me the chocolate has been easy in terms of not eating it, simply because it’s not in the flat. However, it has required a good self talking to on several occasions to avoid waking into shops where the inevitable outcome would be to buy some. The mental cravings/ debates which fuel addiction - ‘just one bar, then I’ll ditch it’ seem to crop up at the most unexpected moments. Anyone else find that?

And another common behaviour (at least for me) seems to have crept in. Replacement issues. So chocolate is off the agenda, but nuts - in the form of Nando’s peri-peri nuts - seem to be firmly on it. They may have to be added to the list, but I’m not quite there mentally.

And then there’s the post-meal ‘wanting’ for something to finish it off! Seem to be cracking that with either a cup of tea with cream, or better still, making sure that the meal is what I really fancy: have started keeping more meaty options in the fridge rather than just having the next day’s planned meal available. Seems to help mentally to have a wider choice.
 

Post meal ‘wanting a little something’ is an issue for me too. The evening meal is the worst. The thing that works for me is to have a cup of peppermint tea after a meal. It’s not usually what I fancy, but if I can make myself have it, I always enjoy it and the mintiness works well to end the meal and stop me wanting more.
I’m managing to swerve the nuts and nut butter but that’s maybe because they aren’t available in the village so there’s no temptation. I’ve no real need to travel to a big supermarket, I can get meat and veg locally. When the town centres open up again it will be harder I know.
 

yes. Definitely.
I’m doing a variation on quite a few of those, with the weirdness that my ‘abstention’ is actually a ‘reintroduction’. Which is very strange.

my 24 hr return to carnivory was bliss. Easy. Simple. And the guts settled down again nicely. But it was also dull on the tastebuds and - after just a week or so of extra tastes - rather limiting.

so yesterday I introduced an onion bhaji again, nothing else. Hmmm. Will try it one different item a day, and see if that works.

And as for the choc abstention... well. I was given some Monty Bojangles truffles and a giant choc cupcake on Wed as a present.
The cake was given to the neighbours within 5 mins. No regret.
the truffles are staying. Ate one after lunch yesterday. OMG. Divine. Looks like I will be eating one at lunchtime on Fri and Sat. Then it won’t matter if they keep me awake on the weekend. The trick will be avoiding them on Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed and Thu.
 
I get the replacement issues and the wanting something to finish off a meal.
I am really struggling mentally at the moment.
I feel that I have "given up" so much to reverse my diabetes that I really can't bring myself to stop the cream. My weight is increasing but my BG readings are OK at the moment. I know that part of my head issues are SAD and part are lockdown related. I am struggling to see any end at all to this situation. How are we ever to get any normal life back again?
I suppose that just 'holding the line' will have to be sufficient for me at the moment. I fear I am unable to make any major or even minor changes. Hopefully the Spring with sunshine and lighter days will arrive soon.
 
Thank you @Goonergal for this thread. I think it is one of the best I have seen on any forum for several reasons.

Firstly, it has reminded me that it is important to be humbled, and put back into the shoes of someone who has just been diagnosed or facing up to their diabetes (or any other condition), where a lifestyle change is required. Habit breaking is hard mentally, especially when the "sweet shop" so to speak is in front of you all of the time....the nuts are still on the same shelf looking at me every time I get the dark chocolate.

Second, filling the gap left by the change is interesting. Should one fill the gap or not. I go by what Mark Sisson says, in that he will only eat things he enjoys, I also add that it has to benefit my organs. The nuts I used for fibre carbs (I do keep on eye on opposing views and weigh the pros and cons), good fats and protein. I have replaced nuts with tinned sardines sauteed with onions, and black pepper in a coconut / cream cheese / psyllium (can now tolerate this) flat bread. When I walk after the meal there are no little belches or mild tummy tightness (I just accepted nuts had this side affect for me).

Third, I have used this shift to re-double my additional challenges on the workout side. At the gym I would do the super-sets of 5 barbell dead lifts, no rest 5 bardell squats, walk up and down the gym as an active rest and repeat x 5 with increasing weights. My workouts at home are mildly tough, but I would spread these out. This kick, has got me back into this giant set at home (modified), and more on the Karate side. I am aiming to use the least amount of time with the most bang for buck.

Back on the nuts, after this month I will have the same mix, but literally 6 of each, rather than accidentally having a few more, maybe with more soaking overnight.

Great thread, a real Game Changer, thanks again.
 

This is so true. I was also thinking that there are so many of us here who have achieved excellent management of our condition, and to the casual glance, apparently effortlessly. While I would hope it gives encouragement and optimism to someone just starting their journey, to it must also be quite intimidating and somewhat daunting.

Yeah, it was so much easier for me to go low carb rather than it ever was to follow low fat, calorie-controlled diets, but it was a hard road with much adjustment to arrive at the happy place I am in now. And it is perhaps good for us all to remember that it’s too easy to be complacent and think that we have cracked it. The struggle is real, as they say, and needs constant vigilance to make sure we address any back-sliding!

I love that cream and nuts seem to be on everyone’s list to things to reduce. They are just. So. Stinkin’. Moreish!
 
We may all be diabetic, but we are also human, with all the foibles that brings.

Human perfectionism is rare, particularly when surrounded by temptation

I'm glad we have this forum for support and encouragement , hopefully, for life
 
I stood outside the local greasy spoon takeaway this morning to catch the smell of toast - they use sourdough for the bacon sandwiches...Arthur our Poodle clearly thought I was off my head but obediently sat staring into space until I had my fix.

After wiping away the drools, I meandered back to the house to find my wife making toast and crunching it in the distance. @MrsA2 - what was that about foibles?!

Therapy. My only hope
 
I kept to my food plan today. I’m pleased to say my breakfast ‘porridge’ is still just as nice with just strawberries, no cream!
I skipped walking today as the weather’s been pants, so my usual day off, Sunday will be a walking day.
 
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