Yesterday completed one week on low carb for me. So far? So good. I have a few observations, now that the first week is in the history books.
My intention was to do some carb cycling, because that’s what worked for me previously, but I didn’t really do it all that well over the weekend. I didn’t eat enough carbs, believe it or not. In fact, when I used to do this, Monday was a hungry day for me. Today? I didn’t eat lunch. I wasn’t hungry. I’ll be low on all of my food requirements today. I just ate dinner, and I really don’t have any desire to eat anymore. That’s one of the reasons I like low carb: appetite suppression, for the win!
So far, it’s been easy to do. I need some variety for my breakfasts, but this is a minor thing. I need to get started on exercise for this week, and may put some time in late this evening. I really haven’t had any major challenges, except in the support department; more on that in a moment.
I am already feeling better. One of the things I didn’t write down in my “How I Feel” post a few days ago was heart palpitations; I get them on occasion, but for the last week, I think I’ve experienced it once. Excellent. Water retention is going away, which means my joints feel better. Yesterday, I was having an “I feel fat” day, which I found frustrating, but it served more to keep me on task than to derail me. The truth is, everyone has “I feel fat” days. Feeling fat should be more of an incentive to stick with the program than to discard it, right?
As for faking it until you make it, which is what I stated when I started last week, I’m starting to find my motivation. I really want to be successful. That’s easy to say after a week’s time, but I feel like I’m looking forward to this more than just going through the motions. That’s probably the best thing I can say about this week: getting motivated by how I feel is a LOT better than getting motivated because of a good weigh-in. Good weigh-ins motivate me, but bad ones de-motivate me. That’s just the simple truth of it. Until I know my head is solidly in the right place and not likely to be shaken by a bad weigh-in, there will be no weigh-ins.
The downside, this week? It’s that “starter’s anxiety”. People know I’m on low carb. It’s not like I wore a sign or anything, but putting it out there comes with some risks, and some annoyances. First was my husband, who may mean well by wanting to make this a team effort, but his goals and needs are far different from mine; and if I have to listen to him report in about how he lost weight despite snarfing milk duds, it’s going to be a de-motivator.
Another is the female group dynamic that includes my friends discussing their weight loss efforts. Don’t get me wrong; I’m for support, but I really don’t enjoy discussing what my food plan is while I’m eating. I want my social time to be about sharing interests with friends; not about weight loss details. Maybe it’s because weight loss is a much bigger issue for me than for them. No pun intended. I think it goes back to identifiers; I don’t want to be identified by being the fattest person in the room, and as an extension, I also don’t want to be identified as the fattest person in the room who’s on a diet, now, bless her soul, let’s be supportive. In fact, I’d just prefer that the eating and exercise plan I’m on just be part of my life, not the whole thing.
When I successfully lost weight, before, people would ask me how much I lost every single time they saw me. I’ve already had to tell one well-meaning friend that I have no idea what I’ve lost, because I’m not doing weigh-ins just yet. I got a slight WTF? look, like I must be out of my mind. Maybe I am. I’m just trying to find what’s gonna work for me.
Despite those little bumps in the road, things are going well. I bought a couple of tank tops the other day; I look horrible in tanks, but I will be comfortable in the southern heat. I also bought some capris that are the same size and make as some jeans that I have, that are a little tight but wearable; wouldn’t you know it? They don’t fit, yet, but they’re larger than a full size down, so I have something that will be a good indicator of loss to me.