Bruun's Titting UP

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

DG, you are such a champion for all of us, I keep meaning to thank you for being so supportive to me and to everyone you have a chance to help. There are several people on this site that I admire and feel very grateful for, and you are definitely one of them.

Lost 10lbs now, if you include the 2lbs I gained at the start of the program. I did cheat yesterday - check this out, the coolest. Low carb chocolate bar sweetened with manitol. You constipated bac'sters should eat one of these, it will have you even steven in no time. You may even praise the beautiful toilet! Also, blood pressure down lower than it's been in about six months, 117/75. Zowee! Beats the 170/125 a few weeks ago on 80mg bac and ten more lbs. I'd sure like to reduce the three hypertension drugs to two this year! Those have SEs too...

What I learned from buying this chocolate bar was my self control is not that great. I don't mean at the store, I mean at home. I ate 2/3 of the thing within a couple of hours of being home despite my "diet". Kept saying to myself, 'it has fiber, and no sugar, it's very low carb and it's actually a decent/good bar!' I had a square this AM. It's 3/4 gone now, but I feel like I had an intelligent cheat (at least it wasn't pizza and beer!) and I didn't screw up my weight loss. But I satisfied a monster that was growling and is now calmer. I'm up for the next diet week, #3. Bring it!
:bat

I was thinking, if this was a wine bottle, and I thought I could moderate at one glass a night, I'm sorely mistaken. I know I'd have had the whole thing and completely blown the diet due to the sugars. Being alcoholic, I'm worse with wine than chocolate, so I consider this a warning shot across the bow to self. Do not overestimate my ability to discipline myself with the beast AL!! This is where I really would envy the switchers on bac if I was allowing myself to envy ... this is why I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky people that NAL helps. That's my next step after the diet or if I falter on AF.

[bleep]

Bruun's Titting UP

How convenient is it to have that genetic marker test done for naltrexone? That could save a lot of time, and is quite a surefire method of determining success, if I'm not mistaken?

Bruun, you must be visibly shrinking from minute to minute. I realised that what happened with my "diet" is that I just started eating healthier, but no less, so no results as yet. Shocking stuff. Still, I feel much healthier than before. Now the trick is to, again, reduce consumption. Story of my life!

I have eaten more fruit in the past week than I have cumulatively eaten in my entire life! That's what I wanted to ask - that must surely be considered "cheating?" Just not very good, it turns out, at being hungry. No surprises there!

Well done on the BP, that's a pretty enviable BP to have.

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

Update: Visited with my GP for an annual exam today. I told him about MWO and he's going to visit here and then decide to send his patients here. I told him my story about struggling a couple months ago and about going AF finally. Also told him about my bac experience briefly, and that I'm still taking 25mg bac. He's such a good guy. No judgement.

Thanks bleep.
Haven't yet looked into the genetic market testing but Coalfire just posted a link to a lab that does it. I'll do it.

Yes, the BP is low but note I'm on three BP meds. But I'm happy that being AF and eating no carbs except vegetables and two fruits a day is helping. Watch the fruit, it can make you fat. It's SUGAR. Google low glycemic fruit and you should come back with ideas of what fruit to avoid. I know bananas are no no's. Apples, pears are good. Try toasting/roasting an apple for 10 minutes (cut it up first), makes it a whole different treat.

If you and others here feel like posting your success (or semi-success, as the case may be) on a general thread, I started one for the newbies. https://www.mywayout.org/community/f9...ies-49029.html

[Isolde]

Bruun's Titting UP

It really is too bad about fruit, I love it so much. I could live on it, I'm pretty sure. There are all kinds of different schools of thought on it, as well. There's a low fat branch of raw foodism called 80/10/10 and people doing that get the majority of their calories from fruit. I gave it a try for a few days but it was TOUGH! I don't think it was the way for me anyway.

I actually did a fruit experiment recently. I was taking in more calories daily than I am now (bac still has me on a lower than normal calorie diet, because for the most part I can't be bothered to eat unless I'm absolutely starving). And I had a feeling that all of the fruit I was eating was keeping me from losing any weight. So I tried eating less of it for a few days and noticed a difference.
It's so hard though. Fruit is easy and it's delicious. Most days I'm probably under the amount of calories I should be eating anyway, so I don't really worry about how much fruit I'm eating. I've tried to throw more protein into the mix at least. I'm continuing to play with my ratios more as I'm adding some more intensity to my workouts.

It's just so hard to fathom that fruit could be anything but good for me. :upset:

As an aside, but still within the diet realm - turns out the Glutamine has the opposite effect on me than it's supposed to have. I started reading up on it again after someone linked to the benefits thread in the Holistic Healing forum, and I still had some left so I figured I'd give it a shot. All of the goodness that bac had done for me on the diet front (no more compulsion/obsession over food, only desiring fresh whole food, etc.), glutamine completely undid. I was supplementing with about 15 grams for a week, and during that week, my cravings returned with a vengeance!! I started craving really junky processed food, I started obsessing about the next time/thing I would eat, I didn't stop when I was full, etc. And this past Saturday I got the idea that it would be nice to have a beer with dinner. No biggie there, that idea pops up on occasion. Most of the time I make myself eat dinner first, and then I no longer want the drink. Sometimes I'll pour myself something, take a sip, and then pour it out after making a disgusted face. But this time it tasted REALLY good! And when it was gone, I wanted to keep going. I actually had the thought that I really wanted to get messed up. I wanted something sweet, so made myself a sweet drink. It was actually pretty yucky, so I did end up dumping that, and didn't decide to drink any more AL, but my sugar cravings didn't go away. I had a little chocolate and a little ice cream before forcing myself to stop. Had there BEEN any more ice cream, however, I would've been in big trouble. I was feeling very obsessive and out of control, it was so uncomfortable, especially after having been free from it for the past few months. The very next day I stopped taking glutamine and all of the cravings went right away again. WEIRD stuff!
I am convinced. I am Backwards Girl.

Anyway, just wanted to share that bit and wasn't sure where to do it. Seemed to fit right in with your diet/discipline talk here though, Bruun! :l
Congrats on doing so well with it!! And a BIG :goodjob: on 10 days AF AND the 10 lbs lost!! Your BP is looking awesome too, so much better than it was doing before. That reminds me, I haven't checked mine in awhile... ! It feels fine though, so I'm pretty sure it's alright.

Do you feel that the 25mgs bac is helping you? I know that Sunny says her low dose at least helps her sleep really well!

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

Hey Is,

Interesting post! Especially the L-glut, Backwards Girl. I have a weird reaction to it if I have more than 2-3grams a day, it's like taking a big dose of laxative. But then, I think my gut is messed up from AL. I bet I need probiotics big time. I've been doing them on and off for years, but recently saw that we need them daily. I'm off dairy/carbs right now otherwise I'd go right out and get some yogurt. I wish they hadn't take acidophilus milk out of the grocery. And what a weird concept: Cook the milk (pasteurize it) so you kill the good (and bad) bacteria then add completely different good bacteria into it. I guess it's better thinking than what we end up with in the US though. Raw milk is hard to come by. I think for low-carbing you can buy cream, and add water and sweetener and it seems like milk, might have to do that and test it out. Raw cream would have all the good stuff in it but $$$$$$. I need a cow-share.

Per your Q, I don't know if bac helps me sleep anymore, it's been a while and I have gone up and down on xanax plus the HCG diet has a sleep effect. Hard to pin this one down. I do know I want to quit using all these drugs even in low dose. The xanax may have to stay for the panic attacks but maybe I can ditch the low dose bac for a while and see if it impact me. I def still have cravings, five minutes ago I was WISHING I could pour myself a drink, any drink with AL. Can't go down that thought path. Going to make dinner now and stop the blood sugar from screaming AL.

[bleep]

Bruun's Titting UP

Indeed Is, that truly is bad news about the fruit. Baclofen has completely changed my taste buds, suddenly I'm finding fruit to be delicious for the first time ever, and then my mentor says to watch out! Bummer. I looked around based on what you said Bruun, and the only two low GI fruits I found are rhubarb, which I thought was something you sprinkled on custard, and cantaloupes. Never seen one of those.

The light is, as Ne would say, shining on all sorts of strange foodstuffs. I no longer pick all the strange green things out of my food, but wolf them down without even knowing what they are, which for me is breaking the habit of a lifetime. And they're tasty, whatever they are.

The L-glut thing that you had Is, I seem to have with baclofen. I can eat more than I have ever been able to eat, without seeming to get full. Previously, I was full on a slice of pizza, now I can eat the whole bloody thing. Maybe I should try taking L-glut!

I can begin to see why people moan so much about diets!

Well done on sticking to yours so well Bruun, and especially well done on the AF front!

[Isolde]

Bruun's Titting UP

Funny you mention probiotics Bruun. I recently just started another round of them. I've read different things about when we're supposed to take them. Definitely after a round of antibiotics!! But I've also heard taking them daily and also cycling off and on them. I already take (and buy!!) enough vitamins, so I just take them sporadically.

Yeah, it is odd what they do to milk!! It's absolutely wonderful for you just the way that it comes out, and then they have to go and muck it up. Ridiculous. Thanks, Louis Pasteur.

Funny thing about the L-Glut, I had just placed an order for a 2 lb. tub of the stuff in order to qualify for a free shipping deal that Vitacoast currently has going! Ha, and the day before I received it I swore myself off of the stuff. Well, that will be going back! :H

Good on you bleep for finding that produce sings to you now!! Whatever kind of GI ratings they have, I'm pretty sure that a load of fruit is better for you than what your diet was before!! I don't know, the way I look at it, it's all natural, it grows on a plant or a tree, etc. - how bad for you can it really be? Lately I've been eating clementines, blackberries, grapes, apples, bananas, kiwis, Ugli fruit (they're from Jamaica and they're awesome), with some dates and dried figs on occasion (those 2 are DEFINITELY high in sugar, I have em for dessert!), and I've been enjoying the heck out of all of them. :h

[Doggygirl]

Bruun's Titting UP

Bruun, congrats on your continued progress! I too am a Great Explorer on the dietary front. Still exploring too. Have not set up a permanent camp anywhere yet.

Malitol/sorbitol???? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Poo Explosion. That is all.

The BEST sugar free chocolate EVAH: Chocoperfection. Expensive but worth it. That is all. I get mine through Netrition.com.

I should not be thinking about or posting about chocolate in any form.

I am up and down with the sugar monster. I never gave a rusty hoot about sugar until I stopped the AL. I have gone for long stretches without sugar and I've been fine. But then I'll think "one piece of candy is OK.." And BLAMMO. Sound familiar? LOL - sometimes I can't even believe I'm talking about sugar and not AL with this one.

Anyway...I've decided that today will be sugar free and AL free. That is all.

Have a good one Bruun!

DG

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

You all are right on the money. Bleep -Fruit is great for you in moderation, it has tons of benefits healthwise but it also has fructose - probably it's fermented fructose in wine, I don't know, but it's just one sugar or another for us. That's the GB link too, I'm sure, once you can't eat all the carbs, you seek a way to replace them and AL is the rocket fuel carb and delivers a satisfying sugar punch. Once we reduce the AL, we seek the sugar. I've an AA friend who swears everyone there has the same problem she does, I bring her candy instead of wine when I visit now.

In fact, when I was working on reducing my intake, I bought Ben & Jerry's (ice cream with cookies and candy in it) feeling like ANYTHING would be better for me than the AL. Even if I had 1000 calories of B&J, it wouldn't be worse for me than AL, it would actually be better. Both make you fat because it's sugar that makes you fat more than actual fat content. Of course that's no news because it's part of the premise behind many diets like Atkins.

DG -Thanks for the chocolate recommendation. I'm a big fan of Scharffenbergers, used to live by their factory. YUM. Yes, the other chocolate I have has a built-in ability to prevent over-consumption! Manitol! I find it helpful in small amounts. :H

Is, I use that method of eating when I have a hard craving for AL, it's HUGE. Helps immensely. I used to love that first drink burn on an empty stomach (still would) but this is a great way to avoid drinking at all.

And speaking of internal flora, I wonder if Apple Cider Vinegar kills the good bacteria? It's so acidic, I think its supposed to help PH balance our acidic systems but it's so strong, and I'm taking it to hurry up my diet. Skin tightening recipe and ketosis helper nasty cocktail = MSM powder + ACV in a shot glass (have a few of those!) and down the hatch. My gut feels a little violated after. But my gut is not normal, it's all screwed up, I get all sorts of issues that no one else does. Hopefully after being AF, it will heal.

I'm down 12lbs!

Have a great day, y'all!

[Doggygirl]

Bruun's Titting UP

Does Scharffenbergers make sugar free chocolate? With something other than Malitol? If so, I'll google that!!!

You are right about sugar / AA. Although enlightenment is happening for some (besides me :H) The sugar monster has bit me in the ass once again. It's a buggar just like AL. I'm really sick of addiction.

Congrats on your weight loss!!! You are motivating me to get my ass back in gear on the sugar front. I have found myself wondering if bac works for that.

I was just reading a post you made on another thread (the one about happiness on bac) and HOLY CRAP you are smart!!!!! If I was still working for my old boss, I would elicit your help writing really smart sounding memos that would totally intimidate him. That would be so much fun! Well, just kidding. Sort of.

Hope you are having a good day.

DG

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

Hey DG,

I think bac works as appetite suppressant for some and an accelerator for others.

You are always way too generous, but I do love that about you! :l

Not sure if Scharfs makes sugar free but they do have an unsweetened cocoa powder and nibs too. The powder can be sweetened with stevia and be low cal. And put it in cream, low carb.

[Doggygirl]

Bruun's Titting UP

I definitely don't need any appetite acceleration. At all. I would explode.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

DG

[Bruunhilde]

Bruun's Titting UP

:HDG!

Okay, I have been AF for a while, I guess since March 14 -ish? So I'm almost done with my month of AF with one exception, I cheated last Wednesday. Had a diet setback - bad reaction to HCG - not in my head - and it upset me quite a bit. Anyways, it got me thinking again about how many calories I'm saving by not drinking my wine/martini/beer:

So here's what I figure (and I'm being conservative with the AL amount):

1 bottle of chardonnay/night = 800kcals x 365 days = 292,000kcals/year divided by 3500 which is how many calories a pound of bodyfat requires to be eliminated or created = 83lbs worth of bodyfat. So if that's right (a big IF, I'm not inclined mathematically), then by going AF I should lose 83lbs this year by not drinking. Which would make me pretty sick looking! Bring it on! Skeleton Woman cometh.

Anyways, thought it was interesting enough to share.

EDIT: This does not mean I drank 1 bottle of chard /night. Some night I drank half a liter of vodka or gin, uncontrollably night after night as you'll see if you read back a couple months. Also, I am on 25mg baclofen, 1-2mg xanax, 20mg lithium orotate, 3 grams fish oil, blood pressure drugs and other supplements. Just for the record.

ps. I am planning to be AF for the next week and on this diet too.

[bleep]

Bruun's Titting UP

Well done on both fronts Bruun, stout effort. I have noticed that booze seems to absolutely no effect on my weight. When I stopped drinking for 6 months, from about 20 beers a day, there was no change at all, and looking back, I don't recall increasing my eating at the time. It seems to bypass all other systems, and just go to my brain.

Do you plan on drinking once your month is over?

[Doggygirl]

Bruun's Titting UP

Hi again Bruun! Congrats again on all your progress!

I thought weight would just melt off me when I stopped drinking - a result of the math you mentioned, and I also was following a low carb diet (ala the MWO book suggestion) which should have melted some weight off. But NOOOOO. For me, it turned out I am hypothyroid. Not extremely so (at least not then) but enough to make it very very difficult to lose weight, and extremely easy to gain weight. Once I got the thyroid medicated, the playing field leveled for me.

Bottom line I guess is that for me, I recognize how complex our body machines really are. I know one thing is for sure - AL is nothing but trouble for me in all areas of life. So no matter what is going on with weight goals, work goals, etc. - AL will never be a positive force in any of it for me.

Hope you have a rockin' good day Bruun!

DG