Snow White's Journal

Here is my story:

I have not always been fat! After having 3 children I got withing 10 pounds of my goal weight and then began to have complications with my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). The complications reeked havoc on my metabolism and hunger and full signals. I gained a ton of weight. In August of 2011 I topped out at my heaviest weight ever: 225 pounds!!!! I'm only 5'3" and weight more than 6' tall husband. This was just plain old embarrassing!!! My doctor put me on a low carb diet and I will have to remain on this diet in order to control the symptoms of my PCOS. I have lost 24 pounds just low carbing since August. I restarted the 5BD on Saturday, January 7th. I will weigh in again on Monday, January 16th after being on the combined diet for 9 days (two of these days counted on my last weigh-in, so I don't have an exact starting weight for the 5BD.) I am hoping to see at least a 5 pound loss from last Monday (Jan. 9). If I don't, I'm not giving up...I just need to eat smaller bites.

For the first 6 days I was having a protein shake from breakfast, 5 bites for lunch, 5 bites for dinner, and a low carb evening cocktail (vodka, club soda, & a splash of diet cranberry juice). On Friday (Jan. 13), I gave up the protein shake and replaced it with a diet Arizona tea (zero calorie). When I was on the Slimming Station subscription site, Dr. Alwin said I could have my evening cocktail if it was going to keep me on the diet. I really have a lot of trouble sleeping and it just helps me wind down and relax so I can sleep at night. I did not have this problem when I was younger.

On this journal, I will post what I ate the previous day and I will post my weekly weigh ins on Mondays.

I think that the low carb diet and the five bite diet are both effective, so you should do very well combining both. I have lost on both. I wish you lots of luck Snow White!

Thanks, Misunderstood! I appreciate your support! Let me know how you are doing too, so we can support each other. : )

b- zero calorie diet Arizona tea
l- 5 bites of Chik Fil A chicken tenders, water
d- 5 bites of Pollo Adovado (grilled chicken w/cheese sauce & spinach), water

nightcap

wow Snow White i meant to say on the other journal that you are seriously like my body twin because I also have PCOS and I am also insulin resistant. I thought that perhaps with just 5 bites, counting carbs wouldnt really be necessary but maybe trying this protein only thing would be better. Idk if it has anything to do with my PCOS but i fell off the 5BD wagon recently because I just feel terrible in the mornings and i dont feel better until i eat something for lunch. I wondering if I should eat 5 bites for bfast as well....perhaps switching to only protein like you are, would help me keep the cals low and still allow me 5 bites for bfast. lots to think about. its a long journey anyway

eveangel22, I would really try going on 5 bites of protein only for a few days before you start adding in breakfast. Remember, Dr. Lewis says breakfast can stimulate your appetite and we don't want that! On the 5 bites of protein I did not feel hungry. However, I have been a little snappy, but I think that is somewhat to be expected. Let me know how it goes and what you feel is working or not working for you, since you are my body double we can definitely help each other get this weight off!

b- a few sips of Starbucks white chocolate mocha (I won't do this again, just a few sips made me terribly sick to my stomach!)
l- 5 bites of black jack chicken club sandwich with NO BUN (from Back Yard Burger)
d- 4 bites sushi, 1 bite peanut butter

nightcap

b-diet Snapple peach tea (zero calorie)
l- 4 bites boneless fried chicken, 1 bite mac n cheese
d- 3 bites boneless fried chicken, 1/2 bite mac n cheese, 1/2 bite mashed potatoes, 1 bite chocolate cake

nightcap

This was not a low carb day! But most of my bites were protein which is what my body needs.

After dinner tonight I took out a 2.07 oz. Snickers bar and traced its outline onto a paper plate. I cut out the tracing and I'm going to laminate it and use it as a template to measure my food on from now on. Just from doing this, I can admit that my bites are way too big! Then I cut the Snickers bar into 5 bites and just looked at it. Those bites are SMALL! I have been cheating myself and I'm not cheating myself anymore! (I put the Snickers bar into a baggie and put it in the freezer.) A big triumph for me is that I didn't eat the little bits of chocolate that were left on the cutting board. I just washed them down the drain! : )))))

Great idea tracing the Snickers and good job not eating it your doing great

Hi Dmac,
Thanks, it took strength to not eat those crumbs of chocolate!!!!! ; ))))))))))) I think using the Snickers template will be like starting over in a way, but I'm ready for it b/c I'm ready to be skinny again! : ))))))) How are you doing????

Doing good now it took a wile to get back in the five bite grove after the holidays but I feel like I'm in it now

Hi Dmac,
I know the holidays are tough! But thank God they are over! Here is a tip for parties: Always have a drink in your hand, put a couple of things on your plate (things you don't like) and then move around to a few people then sit down somewhere and lay a napkin over your plate. It will look like you ate. Most people are too consumed with their own plate stuffing their faces to notice if you really ate or not. You know we are always put in these situations where we feel like we have to eat. Many times food looks really good, but once you taste it it isn't as good as you wanted it to be. Try this trick sometime and see how it goes.

I like what Dr. Lewis said in his book about not remembering the food and that food is only memorable for the few minutes we sit in front of it. I have been doing my food journal for the previous day and I can't even remember what I ate...I have had to ask my husband what did we eat for dinner yesterday. The food seems like a big deal while we are eating it, but tomorrow it is forgotten. But your body remembers if you were perfect with your bites.

I also remember listening to Dr. Lewis on the Greg Mantel Show, him saying how we do not have to continuously take bite after bite, to try to reaffirm the current bite was better than the previous bite. I really need to keep this in mind starting at my next meal.

Yes! I do not need to keep taking bites to reaffirm that the next bite will taste as good! Repeat like a mantra! : ))))) I should be thinking, this bite tastes really good, I'm going to savor it as long as I can instead of shoveling more and more food into my mouth!

b- diet cranberry juice (5 calories)
l- pollo adovado (grilled chicken with cheese sauce & spinach)
d- 2 bites chicken parmesan, 2 bites angel hair pasta, 1 bite chocolate cake

nightcap

For l & d today I used the Snickers template that I made yesterday. I can tell this really decreased my food intake. So, I'm hoping that I can show a big loss by next week (if I can sustain this). I weigh in tomorrow, but since I just started using the template I won't know if the results of using the template until next week.

I had to edit this post b/c after I posted this I had a moment of weakness and here is what I ate:
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese
1 handful of mixed nuts
1 chocolate chip cookie

This is the first time that I have cheated on this diet and I felt really bad about it, but I think I learned my lesson b/c the next morning I had the most horrible diarrhea attack! Clearly, my body did not want that food. I think I felt hungry b/c it was my first night to use the Snickers template and my body needed to adjust to the lower amount of food.

what is this snickers template? sounds right up my alley, can you share it?

What I did was take a Snickers bar and trace it onto a paper plate, then I cut it out. I'm going to laminate it and use it to measure my portions. Since I haven't laminated it yet I laid it on my plate, then laid plastic wrap over the top of it and measured my food on top of the plastic wrap. Then I removed the template and dumped the food on the plate. At lunch this portion size was much easier than at dinner.

1/17/12- 196


I have lost a total of 29 pounds since I started my weight loss journey in August. I have been low carbing for most of it and have now been on the 5BD for 10 days. But I have gone from losing 1-2 pounds per week to a whopping 5 pound loss this last week! I am very excited and so happy to be down below 200!!!!!!!!!!! : ))))))))))))

That is fantastic keep it up

thats amazing!!!

That's fantastic!!!!

Last night, I cheated for the first time. Here is what I ate:
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese
1 handful of mixed nuts
1 chocolate chip cookie

This is the first time that I have cheated on this diet and I felt really bad about it, but I think I learned my lesson b/c the next morning I had the most horrible diarrhea attack! Clearly, my body did not want that food. I think I felt hungry b/c it was my first night to use the Snickers template and my body needed to adjust to the lower amount of food.

I am not going to beat myself up over this b/c I still lost 5 pound for the week and I am very proud of that! I am back on track and determined to get this weight OFF!!!!

b-water
l- 4 bites boneless fried chicken, 1 bite mac n cheese
d- 3 bites coconut shrimp, 1 bite green peas, 1 bite white shells and cheese

nightcap

Notes:
I used the Snickers template to measure my food. At about 9:00pm I started having some burning in my stomach, so I drank some zero calorie Snapple diet peach tea and then it went away and I felt fine.

I wouldn't worry too much about that cheat day, its still way under calories so you'll still see a loss I'm sure. and you did the best thing, get right back on plan! I don't think we can ever be perfect dieters, maybe for awhile, a few weeks, maybe even a few months but eventually we all go off plan for a meal, or a day, or two days but as long as we get back on we'll still make it to our goals