I'm sad and need motivation from my fellow low carbers!

I went on a 9-day service trip over Spring Break, and I gained 4.5lbs.

I tried to eat low carb, but only had bars and shake mix with me for breakfast and lunch, and ended up the bars for snacks and eating lunch and dinner with everybody so as not to be rude (or be totally hungry!). I had no access to a store. I ate "moderately" compared to my old behavior, but they served spaghetti, mac n cheese, chili, chicken and dumplings, pizza, rice and beans, veggie soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and dinner. There was no salad or "good" veggies, only tomato slices, carrot sticks, potatoes, fruit, and cookies (I avoided the potatoes and cookies) for "sides." I did the best I could picking out the meat and trying to leave beans, potatoes, etc., but we worked 10 to 11-hour days building a porch, renovating a floor, installing a French drain, and building a wheelchair ramp, and I was HUNGRY every night. I also had a really hard time making time to take my supplements other than in the early a.m. or late p.m.

Now, I feel like I have to start all over. I'm out of ketosis and bummed. I know I helped a lot of people, including myself (what an eye-opener the poverty was and I'm soooooo grateful for my life and the gifts I've been given), and I wouldn't have traded the experience or the friendships.

Still, I'm a bit sad because I was so close to 30lbs down. . . .

At least I'm "back" and committed to this WOE, right?

Sue

My goodness, pick yourself up and carry on!!! you did extremly well to only gain 4.5 pounds under those conditions

Just keep your water right up, ditch the bars and shakes, stick to real food, it'll be gone in no time

Cheers Kathy

4.5 pounds, after eating all those carbs for nine days, is remarkably good! I am sure that it is all or almost all water weight that will drop away as soon as you get in ketosis again. Given the type of work you were doing, you may also have put on some muscle (assuming you don't usually do that much physical labor). It does not sound as though you put on any fat and that is what counts.

I'm with Kathy -- you did a good deed for other people and you took care of yourself as best you could while you were doing it. You should feel proud of yourself rather than feeling upset.

Thanks, Liz and Nancy! I am trying to get motivated to start up on Induction again tomorrow, and your words helped.

Maybe some of it is water weight? Or a new muscle or two? Who knows?

Regardless, I have to stick with this WOE. It is the only one I've ever lost any weight on.

Wish me luck with INDUCTION: Round 2! :-)

Sue

And you know what else? Probably some of it is water weight. I had gained TWENTY ONE lbs on a trip last month, and all but four of them came off over the next week and a half. I had just eaten so many carbs that it caused me to really bloat.