Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Auto Pilot

I am finally in auto pilot.  No more crazy hunger, no more starchy cravings.  Things are good on the diet front. 

As far as my body is concerned though, things are not so good.  Had a CT scan and a follow up with the surgeon.  He says I need an L3/L4 fusion.  The pain I have been struggling with for the past year is caused from a cyst that developed because the L3/L4 disc has degenerated to the point of bone on bone joint contact.  According to him, remove the cyst, open up the vertebral level, fuse, and 3-4 months later, I am good to go.  Really?  I am terrified. 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Slowly Losing

I lost 1.2 lbs last week.  That's it.  I'm a little disappointed.  I have been working hard, am nearly always hungry, and am doing as much as I can without my back hurting to the point where I am relegated to the couch.  My only splurge has been the vegan flourless peanut butter cookies, of which I have eaten two every day for the last week.  It would be easy to blame my slow weight loss on the cookies, but that wouldn't be fair to the cookies.  They have about 10 net carbs per cookie and 140 calories.  I have accounted for the calories in my daily log. 

I did go over my 1700 calories allotment 3 or 4 days last week, but according to myfitnesspal.com, I still came in under what I should have eaten given my activity level.  But I suspect their calorie burn per exercise calculations are generous.

I am hungry.  Especially after breakfast/before lunch. Even if I eat a small snack, I am starving for lunch.  Afternoon isn't too bad.  I am often hungry before bed.  Sometimes I eat a little something, sometimes I don't.  I try not too, but if hunger is keeping me awake, I take in about 50 calories and am able to sleep. 

My goal for this week is to cut back on sweeteners...maple syrup, honey, coconut palm sugar.  I will limit myself to one sweetened product per day, be that plain yogurt with honey, a peanut butter cookie sweetened with maple and coconut sugar, or ice cream.  Just one sweet moderately low carb treat per day.