: I appreciate everyone's help and
: comments. I see that I have missed
: some complex carbs with some
: meals. I am still easing in to
: this as I am still a bit carb
: phobic (except when binging of
: course Eating them at dinner
: has been a big psychological
: challenge. Kathleen is right, I am
: really pressed (scared) to
: increase my food intake. I feel
: full quite easily and I still
: think it might be better to eat
: 4-5 times a day to get in the
: required protein and complex
: carbs. Right now however, I am
: trying to stick to 3 meals expect
: the days I work out when I have a
: snack. I must admit however, that
: I get hungry between meals. So I
: am not sure what direction to go
: here.

: Kathleen is also right that that I am
: concerned about how I look. Since
: stating step 3 I am up 5 lbs.,
: mostly around the gut. I can only
: attribute that to the extra
: complex carbs. I am willing to put
: up with a few extra lbs. if it
: means my brain is healing and
: blood sugar stabilizing, but there
: is a limit. Yesterday I
: deliberately cut the carb portion
: to 1/2 at lunch because I was
: feeling my pants tightening up.

: Portions are easy for me after 30
: years in 12 step programs. I have
: the butcher cut me meat or fish
: fillets of 6 ounces. Carbs come in
: around 1 cup, salad about 2 cups,
: nuts about 8-10 and a piece of
: fruit is a piece of fruit. I think
: the tuna or sardines are about 6
: oz as well. A potato is 1 medium
: and so on. My protein powder is a
: heaping tbs. (measured with a
: scooper) and the directions say
: that is 12 grams of protein. I
: just eye everything and really
: dread getting out scales and
: measuring spoons

: I have to be careful with dairy as I
: can only do a little goat or sheep
: cheese from time to time and
: gluten will send my stomach into
: hell.

: Does this help to dig deeper?

: Jeffrey

Jeffrey,

It is possible that the extra weight is from muscle from the added protein and is not the carbs

I hear how scared you are...

Somewhere in the Big Book it talks about *we are willing to go to any lengths* so when I hear someone saying *but there is a limit*, I hear the terror that you have battled for all these years.

Many, you are not having much fun with food here.

I am thinking it might be a good idea to just relax and enjoy yourself for a while.

kathleen