Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

[Joey Link]

I'm curious to know if any of you plan on cheating tomorrow and I'd like to get some information on the downsides of doing so. I imagine if you're willpower is low and you have trouble staying on the diet it could be a problem, but what about for someone who has no problem going by the book? I've been on induction for a little over two weeks and plan to continue on induction until I reach my target weight goal. I will admit though, I plan on eating mashed potatoes, corn, bread, and maybe some pumpkin pie tomorrow at dinner. What's going to happen to me?

The day after I plan on resuming Atkins. I know some of you won't understand but Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays, and I know I have the willpower to resume without a problem.

[floydgirl]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

Hi Joey. I love Thanksgiving, too. It is a wonderful time to spend with loved ones.

No, I don't personally plan on going off plan. There are a lot of delicious low carb items that I plan to eat.

You ask what's going to happen to you? Maybe nothing. A lot of us find, however, that eating higher carb foods, after eating low carb for a time, makes us sick in the stomach. Another common thing, some people find that they don't have the will power to resume lowcarb without a problem.

[cleochatra]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, too! I love it because I don't have to eat off-plan at all to have a great meal.

I think it's all perception.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

You are right I am one of those who doesn't understand. Life is full of events that we celebrate. but the celebration is of the love and friendship we share with friends family and coworkers not the food served at those events. Would it be anyless a day of thanksgiving for all you are grateful for if you didn't have even one biteof turkey?

okay you ask so here it is. Depending on how many total carbs you consume your degree of experieincing all of this will vary. right now beacuse you are low carbing your bodywill have a delayed insulin release in response to the elevating blood sugar levelsso you will in effect be experiencnig all the microscopic damage to your eyes, organs, blood vessels and neurons that a diabetic gets from too high a blood sugar. Your blood pressure will shoot up too. you may get rapid heart rate too. your body will then over react to the high sugar and pump out too much insulin and you will crash your blood sugar back down and you will experience a mild case of insulin shock. this will cause your brain to prescribe more carbs to fix you so cravings will run ramped.
depending on your intestinal absorption rate you may also get cramping and diarehha from the too high sugar concnetration in your gut.

[Joey Link]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

okay you ask so here it is. Depending on how many total carbs you consume your degree of experieincing all of this will vary. right now beacuse you are low carbing your bodywill have a delayed insulin release in response to the elevating blood sugar levelsso you will in effect be experiencnig all the microscopic damage to your eyes, organs, blood vessels and neurons that a diabetic gets from too high a blood sugar. Your blood pressure will shoot up too. you may get rapid heart rate too. your body will then over react to the high sugar and pump out too much insulin and you will crash your blood sugar back down and you will experience a mild case of insulin shock. this will cause your brain to prescribe more carbs to fix you so cravings will run ramped.
depending on your intestinal absorption rate you may also get cramping and diarehha from the too high sugar concnetration in your gut.

Perfect, that's exactly what I wanted to know. That doesn't sound like much fun at all

So say I forget the pumpkin pie (sugar) but eat the potatoes, corn, and bread (carbs) - will it still have the same effect even though they're low sugar?

[2big4mysize]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

corn and taters are high glycemic foods as is white bread

[staziaw]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

There are plenty of ways to have a great Thanksgiving dinner -- I'm having turkey, faux mashed potatoes, salad, green beans, and pumpkin pie (my sugar-free version) and whipped cream. The only thing I'll be missing is stuffing -- I could make a low carb version, but I will have enough on my plate. All that food and still not cheating. Dam*, Atkins is wonderful! Actually, I'm going to a friend's house and her husband has to eat low-carb as well, because of his Crohn's . . . so, we are splitting the menu and will be eating good in the neighborhood!

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

Stacy

[Babs]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

Hi Joey Link, I can't cheat even if I wanted to. I just popped in to ADBB right now, because I am going shopping for my Induction foods for Thanksgiving Day in a few minutes. I'm making sure I have all the ingredients to any "stuffing dishes," "mashed potatoes" made with either cauliflower, which I've had before, and they are filling and delicious. I may go with the turnips for them, I'm not sure yet. I still could pick an Induction friendly low carb dessert, but both my husband and I don't feel we need a sweet with all the turkey. Who knows, we might make an Induction cookie.

I can only say what will happen to my husband and I. I know--we've done it before. Then there are left overs for the next day, and the next day... It's terrible, like what 2 big says. I would have to add sleep problems, unexplained depression and sadness, low energy... Then it would take me minimum of two weeks, maxium of two years, to struggle to get back on Induction while having a foggy feeling. I gain most of my weight back in record time. But that's just me and my hubby, and maybe some don't get as sick as we do, but I can't handle that anymore.

[julirama723]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

Hi Joey--
I'm not cheating tomorrow, or any day for that matter.

My Thanksgiving menu is going to have a ton of stuff on it, all low carb, and my only worry is portion control...I might be the one who's "stuffing." Ha ha just kidding. I'll be careful. There are a lot of friendly foods that you could have. Instead of potatoes, I'm mashing turnips or cauliflower (haven't decided which), and I'm making a chocolate cheesecake that's acceptable...man, with cheesecake, who needs potatoes!?

2big is an expert--she told ya exactly what will happen...true, everyone's bodies react differently, but I'm at the point where I don't even WANT to eat that "bad" stuff--I don't have a taste for it, and even if I did, I know I would be so sick it wouldn't be worth it. Most people who have "cheated" in the past do NOT plan on cheating this year, simply because it took them so long (months in some cases) to get back on the wagon.

Whatever you decide, have a good Turkey day.

[SugarFreeSheila]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

I tend to stay on plan for Thanksgiving because I love getting creative with low-carb versions of all that I'm used to eating. It is actually VERY doable!

However, for Christmas? I let it all hang out. Looking forward to it!

[sallyseachange]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

I would think very, very carefully about going off plan for one day. Apart from the horrid reactions 2big described, there's the fact that "just one day" often becomes "just one week" then month, then... well, dare I say year(s)?

Too many people fall off the wagon completely when going the "just one day" route.

There are some wonderful foods you can eat, so why not try and focus on those?

Good luck, whatever you decide!

[abstractillusions]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

If you think about it, Thanksgiving dinner initially were dishes made with what the people ate and had to eat at that time, they shared their bounty, therefore, if you bring or make and allow for the way you eat now to be integrated with what other people eat, you will be following Thanksgiving dinner as it was originally planned. If that makes sense. So don't be afraid to make your own and bring it along, from what i know, there is never too much food, i have never had anyone upset if i show up with extra food (low carb in this case) but who can tell and whatever they don't eat of yours, well -- bring it home with you. You can simply make extra dishes and don't have to explain what they are just say you decided to help out.

[Pie4me]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

This is a warning....It taught me a lesson!


Last year at Thanksgiving I did get off the Atkins diet because I too
thought I couldn't enjoy the holidays without all the "holiday food."

Well, I thought I was stable enough in the Atkins diet that I could
go off for one day with no problems--WRONG!

I started eating Thanksgiving and it seemed I didn't quit until after
Valentine's Day was over! I mentally said "what the heck" I can just
enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas meals this year-and jump back on the
diet with everyone else Jan 1st! That did not happen--I went straight
through Jan until Feb 14th--4 months of eating NON-STOP.

I hated myself after the holidays for what I had done and that I had
no will power to stop myself. IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN THIS YEAR!
Make sure you have lots of Atkins friendly food to choose from...
You know how delicious the food is because that is what is so wonderful
about this WOE--that and you don't have to go hungry!!!!!!
Have an Atkin's friendly dessert ready...because it is a special holiday
and you CAN have some!

Just plan ahead and that way you don't have to feel "sorry" for yourself
that you missed out on the holiday meal. Its all about being thankful
anyway--and I am THANKFUL I have a diet that I truly enjoy eating by!


Pie4me
49 yoa
5'9
goal 140

[Chasin2Kids]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

I would echo everything that has been said here. When I did go off Atkins last time (a few years ago), my God...the stomach issues. I tell people its a "hard diet" to get on (meaning the detox you go through) but good Lord, getting OFF the diet (at least for me) was worse. I remember going out with hubby for our anniversary and feeling really daring so I was going to have a tiny little chocolate ice cream cone. I kid you not, three bites and I was sick to my stomach. (Some anniversary that was!) Anyhow, it all depends on who you are, but I wouldn't chance it. There are so many good things you can eat...why mess it up now?

[MomToEli]

Re: Anyone 'taking the day off' for Thanksgiving?

I am not going off my program (I usually just lurk around here, but your post has compelled me!). I've planned a wonderful on-plan meal. One that my whole family will enjoy.

The red flag for me in your post was the delusional I have enough will power to jump right back on the next day thinking. I can hear me telling myself that. Then I'd walk by the mirror. Hmmmm. How has that self-control and will power served me up to this point? Oh, but if it was me, I would turn my head and NOT look in the mirror.

Our self-talk can be such a liar - so self serving when we are trying to improve our life. It's that little demon on your shoulder whispering into your ear -- you don't REALLY need any silly old plan. You can do this. That doctor doesn't REALLY know what he's talking about. Besides ... eating this way isn't REALLY healthy! Just listen to all the OTHER experts out there ...
Atkins isn't a DIET, it's a way of eating for the rest of your life with a few friendlier carbs (a FEW, mind you - like, think condiment sized!) added in for maintenance. If we think we can just knock off this weight and go back to our old way of doing things (read that as our convoluted definition of enjoying life like we used to), we will never get off this roller coaster that is costing us our old age health.

Finally, I LOVE the holidays and all that comes with them. I remind myself, though, that if Aunt Martha gets offended because I push away the potatoes, corn and bread she keeps pushing at me, then there is a far bigger issue in our relationship.

Good luck. Sometimes we aren't emotionally ready for a life style change ...