Rocknsoul

It is so much fun reading this review! And yes, you are all beautiful people...please tell Nathalie I think she is quite stunning too.

What a blast it would be to cruise 4x with my family. I'm still trying to convince DH to bring the kids on one!

Jean ~ congrats to your daughter! I'm so glad it went so well & I bet you're so glad to move on! :)

txmom ~ it's amazing how our bodies respond when we put the right things into them! Congrats for the 11 pounds & look forward to hearing more about your success!

kiraryker ~ it's been a while since we've seen you! Good to have you back! I do use Atkins shakes as a supplement, or when I just don't have time to eat, but I try to eat as much real food during the day as possible. It actually can slow the metabolism to severely restrict calories. You mentioned a jump start, so if it's a temporary thing maybe it will work for you. :) You definitely want your diet working for you & not against you! Keep us posted! Boy can I relate to needing the exercise...my body is so much different at 42.

dondiane ~ Welcome! Keep with it & you'll soon see a "swoosh" of weight starting to budge! Don't give up & let us know how it's going!

Pink ~ thanks! That sounds like such a great vacation! It's awesome you came home with only 3 extra lbs. - you'll get that off in no time. Nothing like a puppy to make you feel loved! :)

As my 5-yr-old would say..."EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

I hit a milestone today...I'm in the 150's! Woohoo!!! I haven't been here since before I got pregnant with my little one in 2004. Less than 10 pounds to go!!

cerabella ~ lucky you! Bon Voyage!! And it's great that you're heading down there lighter. :) Fresh food, who can beat it? I have 3 weeks before I head down to Miami (for work, but I'd like to venture to the beach at least once).

Jean ~ I second what cerabella said. :)

I was thinking about this thread yesterday. I was so tired & didn't go to the gym, which I really need to do. I have to do something physical today, besides cleaning.

Oops...

Rereading my answer to Pink, I see it sounded like my 90 gram maintenance consisted of lots of bad carbs...

But there were LOTS of veggies & more fruit, usually. Rye or dense breads, potatoes, pasta, etc. were something I indulged in once a week or so, and usually they were in small portions. I would also pick a day a week to have a dessert I really wanted. When I added up the extra carbs for these, and distributed them among the days of the week, my avg was up to 90.

This, along with exercise, kept my weight off between 1999-2005. If I had a bump in weight, which happened a couple of times (both were when I made a major move: from CA to TN, and then from Nashville to Memphis...what is it about moving that made me want comfort food???), I went back to induction & moved on through the phases 'til I got back to my normal weight.

Hope that makes more sense.

It's been a long while since I've been on the boards. We have a short cruise booked for early December and I really want to drop a chunk of chub. I need to lose 50 lbs but don't know if that's realistich in that time period.

I was trying to get a start on calorie counting and Weight Watchers but just couldn't get going. I'm on my second day of Atkins and am feeling very hopeful. Thing is I really believe that low carb is probably the best WOE for me (it's more what I'm not eating rather than what I am) I just need to make it past the first week when I feel kinda psycho ( I know that's not an Atkins approved side effect) also tend to feel a bit nauseated (sp).

Love this thread, can spend hours going back and reading for inspiration.

Hi Cruisin250! Hang in there! You cracked me up about the non-Atkins approved side effect. Been there, done that!:o

Lisa,

 

90 grams of carbs...WHOA... do you remember what a typical daily meal plan at that carb level would have looked like for you?

 

I'm curious as I am creeping towards goal but have TOM issues this week so not expecting too much from my body... I have a feeling my ACE will NEVER be that high. I see weight loss stop on a daily basis at 30-40 net right now so I'm eating more of an OWL level 1 (25 carbs) with the extra veggies everyday and with occasional extra treats like the tofu noodles, blueberries or yogurt some days (2-3x/week). I'm so excited to hit goal and start experimenting with the OWL rungs to see if my body is sensitive to particular food groups at those carb levels or the carb numbers themselves.

 

Pink

 

who has been "rockin" bikinis at least twice every month this summer (thanks for asking!) in a variety of colors as we go hiking and beaching at our local state parks with our pupster-- the blue, green, pink one, the orange and pink wildcat one, the pink jcrew one hasn't made an appearance but I'm sure it will when we get to Canada...

Oh MY GOODNESS that puppy is too cute. Okay, now that I have that out of the way :p...

90 grams, I know, right??? I have a feeling it will be way less this time around; after all, I was in my early 30's & my body reacts differently in my 40's than it did in my 30's (which in turn was different than my 20's...it was way too easy then). BUT...basically what that meant for me was I would eat a "typical" Atkins day, but allow myself up to that 90 grams if I was at something special or felt like having mashed potatoes, bread or pasta. I worked out hard pretty regularly, and trained for and did a triathlon during that time too. Then my last pregnancy shot it all to Hades.:o I'm really interested in knowing what my final maintenance level will be.

Your current carb level is awesome with all those veggies! Please let us know how the experimenting goes & what level ends up working for you.

I'll admit I'm a little green at seeing all those colored bikinis.:D I'm not there yet. I can't seem to find a bikini that can handle my "ahem" assets.:eek::p

Thanks for those links, Lisa - I was getting Atkins emails at one time, don't know what happened there, it's been a while...that was interesting reading...BTW, have you read the new book? I'm still referencing the last book Dr Atkins actually wrote, so I don't know what's new, different, or the same to warrant a 'new' book...

I haven't read the new one, but I read a lot of what they put on the website. I guess my old ones (actually 2...I have the 1992 version & the 2002 one) feel right to me.:) I am curious, though.

Hey Hey Everyone!

Know what will make the weight just melt right off you....buy some new jeans that fit...and in 2 weeks they'll be to big....and you wonder why you spent that money on new jeans!! LOL!... That's what I did...bought 2 new pair of jeans...was a good girl over the last week & weekend, put a pair on today...and I have to keep pulling them up!! Ach!!

Yep...I'm am in the swing of ...will that wedding ever get here, so I can get my life back... mode!! Next weekend...the 4th!

I have things to do every night and there's no way I can do much about this until after next weekend. We get to have family coming...and then the 'new in-laws' who are coming here to meet us before we head to the church for rehersal! Bless the kids though..we're having BBQ - Brisket!! I get to eat!! LOL!!

Lisa and Pink...you'll be able to tell that I am the Middle child when I can say that ....I can actually see both sides of your thoughts on what to eat!! hehe... seriously...!!

For me...I love the veggies and salad...but I better be able to work out! But I've also learned that I have to limit myself to beef...2x's a week for my cholestrol....which is doing really great at my last check up!

Cerabella....you come see me anytime!

I'll try and pop in here again later this week....but if anyone wants to come help me with ribbon and candles...I could use it!

LOL...Jean, there was definitely no argument intended there. I think it's awesome that Atkins can work within different plans & bodies.

I hope you don't go crazy this week & that the wedding is an amazing time for your family!

I got some good little articles in my inbox this weekend...they're quick & easy to read:

http://www.atkins.com/Program/ProgramOverview/HowandWhyAtkinsWorks/ProteinAndFat.aspx?utm_source=NL08172010&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=article4

http://www.atkins.com/Program/ProgramOverview/HowandWhyAtkinsWorks/PROTEINTheMoreVarietytheBetter.aspx?utm_source=NL08172010&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=article2

cerabella ~ woohoo! That's a great feeling, isn't it? I've finally gotten on a workout schedule for Mon, Thurs & Sat, and I'm going to add Tues this week or next, then Friday later on. You must be getting excited!

Cindy ~ 7 lbs. in 2 weeks is fantastic! I got my strips at Kroger. I think I did ask at the pharmacy. They're just called ketosis testing strips. I'm sure Walgreens would have them too. It is more difficult when you don't like veggies!! Are there any at all you like? Hopefully the more you eat them, the more you'll start to like them. :)

I love salads & I'd eat 'em everyday, but I hate making them, so I don't. :p

Lisa-

 

So sorry to hear about your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. It's wonderful to read what a rewarding life he lived...

Thank you so much. Time is really helping, but we all miss him a ton.

I'm technically 3 lbs from the goal I set earlier in the summer!

Fantastic!! That is really great news. I bet that bikini (is it still pink?) is looking really great on you!

I just have a couple of thoughts regarding your plan:

Wanted to let you all know what has worked better for me this time...

 

Vegetables are my centerpiece

Now, don't think I've gone mad. I still love meat. But my meal focuses on vegetables first (and I try to eat those first) and then I supplement with a small portion of meat (the recommended 3-4 oz), eggs, or fish and now that I'm close to goal I include extra carbs of berries and fage greek yogurt or nuts/nut butter daily. I even tried those shirataki noodles last week and thought they were tolerable if I play with them a bit.

 

What I'm trying to say is that I used to have say:

 

ground beef burgers with eggs for breakfast

chicken breasts with the requisite 2 cups salad for lunch

pork chops with an extra cup veggies for dinner

 

and then I'd sneak in oils, butters, and sauces to come to 15-20 carbs daily. I thought by making meat my centerpiece (at 0 carbs) I'd more effectively use my daily limits. But I think as you lose that initial weight and then get closer to goal you gotta cut back on the fats a bit too-{I have to disagree with this...see below} that means not eating meat 3 times/day, not soaking everything in butter (but hey I still butter my broccoli and cauliflower at night) and occasionally even having GASP vegetarian meals. I've found it really helped this time.

The above combined with:

Anyway, that's what's working for me along with tons of exercise. We've gone hiking at least twice/month this summer and taken advantage of our state parks.

...and of course, your age:D has a lot to do with why it's working so well for you. One of the things that Dr. Atkins recommended (and it's stressed even more on the new website) is that the more one exercises, the more carbs should be added in the form of veggies, berries, and with regular, strenuous exercise, even low-glycemic whole grains.

If an Atkins follower significantly increases veggie intake without increasing activity, the weight loss can slow. It doesn't mean that it's bad for us--of course too many vegetables will never be bad for the body, if there even is such a thing as too many vegetables--but if the carbs replace too many fats & proteins, without exercise, weight loss can stall.

The great thing about veggies, of course, especially the low-glycemic ones, is that the fiber reduces the net carb count, making it easier to incorporate more into our eating, especially as we add activity & move through the phases. One thing I love most about Atkins is that I'm...ahem...regular when I'm following the plan (even in a very low-carb phase) because when I'm not, those white carbs stop me up something terrible.

However, decreasing *my* fats, no matter which phase I'm in, slows down my weight loss. Those fats keep me full & happy, & if I'm not having enough, I crave stuff I shouldn't have. After almost 12 years of unlimited fats on Atkins (even with my latest lapse) my triglycerides are a deliciously low 57, even with that extra 10+ lbs I'm still carrying. HDL/LDL is 57/66 with a total cholesterol of 150. And now that I'm in my 40's, those fats fight wrinkles.:p

This is all just based on my experience with this eating plan. When I follow it, it works, when I don't, it doesn't. :)

What I think your plan and your results absolutely prove is that each body is different & different things work better for different people--one of the miracles of the human body. And each of us has to find that happy WOE that we'll be able to stick with for the long haul. The main thing that attracted me to Atkins & continues to make it my WOE of choice is that I don't have to measure, count, think when it comes to calories, proteins, & fats. I just know what works with my body & what doesn't. Maintenance the first time around was surprisingly easy, even with occasional cheats, and my carb intake was a crazy avg 90 grams/day to maintain! I can enjoy a lot of foods within 90 grams. But for loss, it has to be much less for me. More as I exercise more.

From someone surrounded by obesity in my family, and who has experienced firsthand the blow-up that can happen just by eating a "regular" diet due to insulin resistance, I know the battle I will face for the rest of my life. I wish I didn't have to, but there it is.

I implore you to redesign your meal plan for just 3 weeks making low carb veggies your centerpiece and see what that does for your weightloss efforts:

-cauliflower

-broccoli

-red and green peppers

-spinach

-spring greens/salad mixes without carrots

-celery

-cucumbers

-small amounts of stewed tomatos made into homemade sauce and served over chicken (or those shirataki noodles if you ever eat those in your diet)

 

I've been enjoying these in my diet this summer as I've now lost 15 lbs and sometimes just have 2 meals/day that are really substantial with two additional "snacks" of say celery and almond butter in the late p.m. as a pick me up and then steamed cauliflower or broccoli with 1 tbl butter before working out at night (right now eve workouts are better for me!).

 

Hope you guys hang in there and take advantage of our final months of warm weather if you live in an area that gets too cold to exercise in the late fall/winter months.

So may I just add to this to those who want to try Pink's plan...don't forget to ramp up your exercise too if you haven't already. Your body will thank you!

Looking at that list of veggies is so refreshing. Bok choy is my new favorite vegetable. :)

Take care all!

Thank you for taking the time to post what's working for you & it sounds like you & your DH are having a blast! The Wii Fit Plus is fun & I like it better than the plain 'ol Fit.

Jean & cerabella ~ thanks so much for the kind words. Time is helping to ease the pain, but we will always miss him. I learned some things about my DH through this, though--some really great parts of his character came out.

Hello all, checking back into this discussion. I posted way back in April and than could not remember where I posted. DUH!!!! anyway, my cruise is coming up in a month. whoo hoo. I have had a crazy busy summer camping , carting the kids around and just enjoying the wonderful weather we have been having here in the North East. I have continued with my lo carb lifestyle and have to say I have never felt better. I am down 97lbs and hope to make my goal of 100 before we cruise next month. I have not been very consistant with my exercise but I did join an adult softball team. Boy has it been a fun and humbling experience,:rolleyes: I am still reading the thread to catch up on what I have missed and will probably have a comment or two in the coming day. Now that I am within a month of my cruise, I am thinking more about some stratagies to help me stay on tract during my cruise and the best way for me to avoid the white food while on vacation without feeling deprived. any suggestions, tips?

Welcome back & WOW! That is so great & so inspiring. On our last cruise, I gained 1.3 pounds...I decided that if I really wanted something, I would have it, but I also gave myself permission just to have a bite or two. We always took the stairs, and at Paradise Beach in Cozumel I behaved like a kid & wore myself out. :) Like cerabella, I skipped the bread (cause I can have bread anywhere), but again, if DH was having some, and I wanted some, I took a bite. That really helped. It also helped to eat something "legal" every few hourse, and to have plenty of fiber. My biggest concern was not getting back on track after the cruise, and I think it went okay. We would have exercised more on the ship, but that was our rockin' & rollin' hurricane cruise (there's a reason it's green on my siggy:p), so that didn't work out very well after the first sea day. I think it would be great to go in with a plan...you know yourself well & know what will work for you--so my suggestion is you make some decisions ahead of time & if you indulge, don't use it as an excuse to completely throw in the towel. And then go exercise! :)

Something I'm learning this go-around is that it's just food. I live in America, so it's not like that food won't be available for me at another time. I don't HAVE to eat it just because I want it. I'll let you know if that attitude works for me in December!:p

Hi all, I just started adkins on Monday. I did it about 8 years ago for about a month. I am reading everything I can find to help me along. Can anyone help me out with some recipe sites?

 

Cerebella, I think you are right on with the drinking lots of water on a cruise. My feet swell up so much I sometimes soak them in ice water & elevate with ice packs in the morning while having coffee on the balcony. I do not ever have the problem at home. Last cruise I decided I would drink more water than soda and cut the swelling about in half or more! I do not like to drink water but every cruise from now on water will be my main drink. (well, maybe second to my loco coco's, LOL)

 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Hi mamaboss! Welcome! If you haven't yet read the book, that's the first place I'd start. The official Atkins website is another good source. There's a great woman in this thread with a website called sugarfreesheila.com...she's got good recipes & her story is very inspiring and motivating. And there are some great recipes right here in this thread! You gotta read through all our other stuff to find them though.:) SOOO much salt everywhere on a cruise, isn't there??

As of 11:00 Tuesday night, my sweet boy Thunder (the baby in my avatar) is gone.

He bloated last Thursday & made it through, but he bloated again Tuesday and tortioned. The vet was able to get the gas & fluid out before he could be sure that he tortioned, but when he swelled up again a few hours later it was clear.

The two vets that saw him thought with his age & other issues he's been having, that he might not have even made it through surgery. He was, as close as we could tell for a rescue baby, 8 1/2 years old. But still a puppy in his heart.

He was the sweetest baby. So mellow, so calm, so gentle, he drew people to him. The hundreds of people who have been in our home fell immediately in love with him. He helped more than one person overcome a paralyzing fear of dogs. When I thought it was time to fulfill my dream of having a Dane, I kept coming back to his picture on the rescue website, and my husband said, "We're not driving to Little Rock for a dog!" Then he saw his picture & we went. Thunder had his head in my husband's lap the whole drive home to Memphis.

It amazes me that he was the boy nobody wanted: abandoned, 106 pounds (you could see every bone through his skin), had sarcoptic mange, and seemed to be the only one at the rescue who wasn't getting adopted...he was even adopted and returned after a week by someone who got irritated by his muddy paw prints & the fact he made a mess when drinking water (!)...yet his face (and the description of him: a "big 'ol sweety") was the one I kept going back to. He never licked, hardly ever wagged his tail, but boy did he worm his way into every heart he encountered! He was not a standard boy...had a big 'ol knot on top of his head & funny floppy ears...but he was so handsome to us.

I'm thankful for the extra hours we got with him Tuesday, we all got to hug him and surround him with love in his final hours. It's devastating to all of us, especially my 3 kids. We kissed him and hugged him and sent him off to heaven. We talked about him meeting God, and we laughed when we thought of the song that talks about "leaning on the everlasting arms". Only a Dane could do that like it should be done!

Wednesday was horrible, but each day is getting a little better. I don't know how I'll ever not miss him. He always sat behind me here in my office. I so loved my sweet boy.

Hang in there, txmom! :)

It's awesome that you've kept off 40 pounds! It does seem to go a little closer the second time around, but whether that's aging or impatience, I don't know!:p

I looked back at my first loss, in 1999, and it seemed so quick (it was, relatively...28 pounds in about 4 months--and I kept it off for 6 years), but when I look back on the second time I did Atkins, it was about the same in 5 months. I would have not had to do it again if I hadn't had another baby!:p

Anyway, my point is that it just seemed slower the second time because I was expecting it to be fast. I'm learning in this latest journey that Atkins really is for life, especially the way my metabolism works. And the great thing about how slow it is going right now is that I know what it takes to maintain. It looks like you do too!

Remember, your body likes its fat so it's ready for a famine!:D You're burning fat, which is really what matters, anyway. The numbers will follow. :)

Yahoo, got to change my ticker today. I'm on a mission. :)

I've been maintaining in the 160's for almost a year now, and it's time go down again.

I'm ready!

The last couple of weeks I've just done what I know to do. If I've had a temptation, I made sure I ate a very small portion (usually a bite) of what's tempting me. I'm .3 pounds away from the lowest I've been in 3 years, so my goal this week is to blow past it. After that, 150's here I come!!

Good Morning! How was your 4th of July? Did you stay on plan?

I was in Colorado at a Family Reunion and was so active..with staying ..pretty close to plan...I'm feeling very good today! :0)

 

Saw this this morning.......a little more evidence...that Atkins is healthy!

 

http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/video.aspx?vid=87595317-67d4-47b6-b0a2-6d0febdd716e%26tab=today&from=en-us_msnhp&GT1=31036

 

Check it out!

Jean, if only Dr. Atkins could be alive to see this. He knew the studies would catch up eventually, but those food lobbies are so strong, aren't they? If it were up to them, we'd all be eating bread, corn & HCFS all day.:cool:

Woo, we're going slowly on this thread!! How's everyone doing? I'm doing the same, except...

We have a cruise booked! Woohoo!!

So DH & I have a new contest...even though I have 14 pounds to goal, I have 12 for the contest, which ends the week before the cruise. DH has 17. The kicker is he has to maintain his for the whole week before the cruise, because he can drop weight in a snap...which we all know is not good for anyone. ;)

Time to stop maintaining & LOSE!!:)

Yep, summer has started out busy all right!

And it's basically 2 steps forward, 2 steps back. I have done some more experiments with ground flax seed that will work well in maintenance.

Which is what I've been doing since September!! I don't know what is going to motivate me to kick it into gear. My vanity just doesn't work the same these days.:p

Get your Grill out and start using it - the food tastes great - and easy clean up!

Jean ~ Monday, I did get out my grill--turned the fire on--and about 10 wasps flew out.:eek: I found little wasp nesties all over the place inside. This was just between late March & this week. I took it as a sign I need to use it more often.:D

I finally got to change my ticker...one pound, woohoo!! :p

I'm at my lowest since December, but I got tripped up a little this week when DH brought home muffins from Costco. Add that to all the tornado sirens & flooding, and well, the week got away.

I think after reading these inspiring posts, no more excuses. Summer is coming with a trip to San Diego, and I'd like to feel my best on those beaches!

New2Cruising ~ hello and welcome!! It is so inspiring to see people come with their success stories. I am in awe!

What I've found on board is all the things that keep us slim: plenty of proteins, veggies, and wonderful salads. It's the ungodly amounts of carbs that can be unsettling! Especially the desserts.

Breakfast & lunch are usually pretty simple to get through. At dinner, I've always seen a low-sugar option, or fruit offered.

I hope you stick around & keep us posted on your progress!

I am decidedly ON track & have begun to add the exercise my body's been craving for months. Thursday's my weigh-in & I would so love to get that ticker moving downward again! We're taking a trip to San Diego in June, and I could lose 5-10 between now & then if I really focus.

Jean ~ a 5k always counts!! :D

Genie ~ you have far more willpower than I've had in the past few months. Well done making it through all that without a gain! :)

I just realized the two of you together make a David Bowie song title. :D

Becca ~ I hear you. I have a lot of events coming up this week that I have to be very choosy in.

Hi all!

We've been quiet lately. How's everyone doing?

I keep gaining & losing the same 1/2 pound. I really need to ramp up my exercise. I am encouraged that I have found my maintenance level, because I've maintained since January!! Now It's time to crank it up a notch & see if I can get to my GOAL.

I feel pretty good & look okay, but summer is coming & I want to look my best. The question is, do I want it more than I want those carbs??:D

Hi Jean!!

Welcome crazy4buffett! Congratulations on your success so far! That's amazing!

It's great to see this thread up & running again! I'm having a heck of a time keeping on track this week, due to family being in town...but my brother did drag me to the gym yesterday & I'm definitely feeling it this morning!

I'm very encouraged by all your stories. I lost 24 (technically 27, but since my starting weight was TOM week, I left it lower) pounds last year, and this year I'm hoping to bring out the best athlete I can in myself this year...at 41, I'm too young to stop my sports!

My full story is somewhere in this thread.:p

Anyhoo, looking forward to some great victories here!

Hi everyone & welcome to all the new posters!

I'm hanging out in maintenance land...not purposely, but at least I know I will do fine after I finally get motivated enough to lose this last 15. The hard part is that most of my clothes fit because I'm so tall....so it's difficult to find the drive. Even being in a swimsuit this week didn't help.

I'm hoping the warmer weather will get me out & moving more again, and the weight will start to come off. I know going back to induction would do it some, but I'm just not at that point right now.

I know I will never be able to eat "normally" again...thankfully I love the foods I can eat enough to keep me down to a very occasional cheat.

I'm rambling. Hope you all attain your goals!!

Happy Birthday, Lindsey & Jean!!:)