As expected I gained weight back after my 7-day fast. However, I think I could have minimized the weight gain if I didn’t miserably fail at my other monthly challenge – giving up alcohol for 30 days. I broke my fast with a birthday dinner and that included wine. OK, not a biggie. I made it to my birthday. So why not celebrate, right?
Well, it didn’t stop with the birthday. The next day we met up with friends we haven’t seen in ages. And the wine flowed.
The next day I didn’t have time to go grocery shopping so we went out for dinner…and I ordered a glass of wine. Soon we’re going out to dinner nearly every night for the last two weeks, which means a glass or two with dinner. Ugh!
Go out for dinner. Enjoy a glass of wine. Normally I wouldn’t care about that, however going out to dinner seems to be the norm rather than the exception for nearly seven months.
The last few days we’ve been home bodies. Our bank account (and my liver) is quite happy about that.
Before I lost the weight, eating out was my default mode. It was just convenient after a long day at work and a horrible commute. Well that was four years ago. Once I stopped eating out and making real food at home, the weight fell off.
No More Excuses
Now women gain weight once menopause hits. And eating out and having a glass of wine has become the rule rather than the exception since my surgery (which triggered surgical menopause) in June. Lo and behold, I’ve gained weight. Something tells me it ain’t just the menopause.
When I don’t control the food, I run the risk of eating foods I no longer eat (sugar, fructose, processed foods). Even if I order low carb foods, eating out has problems when it comes to weight:
- You eat 35% more food (yes, you can have too much protein eating LCHF)
- Incorrect nutrition info on websites (happens a lot!) and a lot of carbs can sneak in
- Wine…lots of wine
So it seems I have a new challenge – no more eating out until the end of February (yes, including Valentine’s Day). Besides saving money, I’d also be giving up alcohol to boot.
Sweet!