Food. Rarely have I been more obsessed with what I eat than the past six weeks. Going cold turkey on carbs (CTOC) wasn’t as horrible as I expected. I guessed that the goal of ‘27‘ would be motivation enough. I just wasn’t prepared for the side effects of no carbs!

My standard meal: fried egg, bacon, apple, spring onion and broccoli on a bed of lettuce and cucumber. Yummy!!!

A night or two after CTOC I didn’t wake up drenched in sweat, which was a relief. This continued for several nights and I was thinking that onco was right – the hot flashes were disappearing! My sleep-deprived brain didn’t really think any further than that. I do not function without enough sleep. When my life was still mine, and I was working, I sometimes had to apologise whilst doing field work because I know I turn into short-tempered bitch if I don’t get enough sleep…

Changing my diet was pretty easy. As I’ve had digestive issues for quite a few years, knowing what I can and can’t eat helps. Main CTOC-foods: lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, spring onion, apple, celery, chanterelles, quark, reikäleipä, moose meat, egg and bacon.

Which gets really boring after a while.

I can also eat cheese, shrimp, olives and pomegranates. Still kinda boring.

Button mushrooms with egg, cheese and freshly ground pepper.

A few days after CTOC my stomach was as good as it gets, and I was off on an exotic, overseas adventure to Sweden. Norwegians tend to go to Sweden to buy cheap booze, fags and meat. I go to get cheap cat food, tooth paste and allergen-free foods. We’re creatures of habit, always going to the same restaurant (Joe’s Diner) and eating delicious food (Joe’s burger or the Schnizel). I had decided that I was going to pig out on burger & chips and not care that I was subjecting my body to loads of carbs. Even on the strictest diet one should sometimes pig out.

The meal itself was a bit of a let-down. I realised that I didn’t really miss the bun or the chips that much, I felt bloated full rather than just full and slightly unwell. Got home, unpacked the car and was making coffee when the first major hot flash hit me. The next 36 hours were bad – really bad – and I realised that my lack of night sweats wasn’t because the side effects were going away, they were a direct result of going COTC. No carbs, no hot flashes.

The ultimate prawn dish. Bread & mayo not necessary. Lettuce, prawns, fresh dill and cilantro with a squeeze of lemon. So delish!!!

Six weeks (and quite a lot of experimentation) later, I have a slightly longer list of yes-food. I can eat small amounts of wheat in battered foods (fish’n’chips, here I come!), sauces and dark chocolate. Wines and white spirits are ok, beer and brown spirits send me into hot flashes faster than I can write this. I try to keep my meals as crunchy as possible (for some reason that works best for me).

And I’m only halfway to 27. Still in sight, still aiming for the stars!