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Lovelyliver

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I would love some help please.

How can I get started on low carb when I am short of time and hungry all the time?

Both my parents have/ had type two diabetes.
I have PCOS and had gestational diabetes in two out of three pregnancies. I have always been about 4st overweight (weighing 13st 7 at 5 ft 6) apart from three years at uni when I got to 10st (basically by not eating)
Pregnancy one was managed through low carb diet alone. Pregnancy two was low carb diet and metformin. I actually lost weight in the second pregnancy and was doing really well continuing with low carb ( not Keto) after baby was born but when baby was 7 weeks old my mum passed away very unexpectedly. My healthy eating and exercise started to unravel.

Baby is now two years old and today I am my heaviest weight ever at 14st 1. I am deeply unhappy with my size and I know I am prediabetic and getting closer to full on type 2 diabetes.

I am 44 and have three kids under the age of 8. I know if I don’t make changes now my health is going to suffer.

I have been reading this forum for years, I have read Jason Fung, Gary taubes, Nina teicholz, pioppi etc. I have tried the 8 week blood sugar diet numerous times and the diet doctor Keto challenge but I always end up bingeing on rubbish once the kids are in bed. I have also tried fasting. I think I have developed unhealthy habits of not eating until I am desperate because I don’t have time to make something low carb and then I give in and eat rubbish anyway.

Can anyone give me any tips on how to get started and stop bingeing. Should I just focus on low carb and not worry about calories until I find I am no longer hungry all the time? I really feel desperate and if you are still reading and can help me I would really appreciate it.
 
Do you have a diagnosis of prediabetes? Are you in contact with your doctor or nurse with respect to your fasting/binging? Trying to keep control by extreme measures is not known to be very successful - but low carb diets are very easy and seem to help with mild responses to stress for some.
I have a large freezer - great for when you see something marked down or on offer. I have two fridges - keeping cooked food and those eaten uncooked away from raw stuff comes from my time in the food industry. I started low carbing when I was in my early 20s - when it was next thing to devil worship.
I have a Halogen oven - I can set the time and temperature and just leave things to cook - also a Tefal Actifry - set the timer and leave it to go - also a temperature controlled grill and a slow cooker - even the oven has a timer - these are so useful.
I have cooked meat, tinned fish, frozen seafood on hand all the time, also prepared salad and other salad stuff in the fridge - For my husband I get tinned potatoes and have parboiled rice in the freezer - something similar to help with the kids meals would be sensible if you are pushed for time, but they can have the same basic meal as yourself, made low carb for you and a simple addition for them.
When diagnosed I was on a low fat high carb diet - total disaster - went low carb and dropped weight straight away. No restriction on calories. I added eggs and cheese to my salads, even had a small amount of high cocoa chocolate from time to time.
 
Lovelyliver said:
I would love some help please.

How can I get started on low carb when I am short of time and hungry all the time?

Both my parents have/ had type two diabetes.
I have PCOS and had gestational diabetes in two out of three pregnancies. I have always been about 4st overweight (weighing 13st 7 at 5 ft 6) apart from three years at uni when I got to 10st (basically by not eating)
Pregnancy one was managed through low carb diet alone. Pregnancy two was low carb diet and metformin. I actually lost weight in the second pregnancy and was doing really well continuing with low carb ( not Keto) after baby was born but when baby was 7 weeks old my mum passed away very unexpectedly. My healthy eating and exercise started to unravel.

Baby is now two years old and today I am my heaviest weight ever at 14st 1. I am deeply unhappy with my size and I know I am prediabetic and getting closer to full on type 2 diabetes.

I am 44 and have three kids under the age of 8. I know if I don’t make changes now my health is going to suffer.

I have been reading this forum for years, I have read Jason Fung, Gary taubes, Nina teicholz, pioppi etc. I have tried the 8 week blood sugar diet numerous times and the diet doctor Keto challenge but I always end up bingeing on rubbish once the kids are in bed. I have also tried fasting. I think I have developed unhealthy habits of not eating until I am desperate because I don’t have time to make something low carb and then I give in and eat rubbish anyway.

Can anyone give me any tips on how to get started and stop bingeing. Should I just focus on low carb and not worry about calories until I find I am no longer hungry all the time? I really feel desperate and if you are still reading and can help me I would really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
I have oodles of time to cook. I just find it hard to spend that much time on myself. With your two kids, I have a feeling that's an issue for you too, besides all the hurt, stress and grief that came with losing your mum. I'm so sorry... Motivation goes out the window when there's just loss occupying your heart. Anyway.. I just toss all sorts of things into a salad and call it good (either tinned tuna, mayo, capers if I can get the **** jar to open, olives, or I go for nuked goat's cheese with apple cider vinegar, sundried tomatoes and olive oil.). Takes about 2 minutes, unless I give up on reluctant jars and tins sooner. Eggs with bacon and cheese take about as much time. Spend more time on dinner because that's the meal we share, usually just meat and veggies. I still get the munchies, but I take care not to have stuff around that'd ruin my bloodsugars, or have them out of sight, where only my husband is tall enough to reach. (He takes most of his goodies to work.). So if you just make sure you have pork scratchings, olives, cheese, extra dark chocolate, that sort of thing when you get the munchies... They won't ruin your bloodsugars. I went straight for carb counting and let calories for what they were, because I had a hard enough time counting one without having to look after the other.

That should get your weight down and keep you in the normal range, bloodsugar wise. It's a start, anyway.
Good luck!
Jo
 
Really fab suggestions there! Something that's helped me is keeping a supply of sparkling spring water chilled in the fridge and when I get a craving I have a tall glassful with ice and a wedge of lemon and in about 20 mins the craving has gone. Maybe thirst sometimes gets mistaken for hunger?
That's just one tip, but also, as women we are conditioned to look after everyone else and put our needs last.
When it comes to your health it's important to make yourself a priority, as if you get ill, you can't look after anyone else.
Batch cooking healthy meals and freezing them so you only have to zap one in the microwave and 10 mins later you're eating it...really helped me too. xx
 
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