Carb Counters - Daily Check-In Support Buddies

I am back on the site, and I remember how much I appreciated a place to check in everyday. I hope other poeple out there will join me, so we can establish a great personal motivational network.

Laura

:woohoo:So glad your back!
I'm in an almost insanely good mood today, I think because had such a crap day yesterday. I felt awefull, ate like a pig, mostly OP but consoled myself with a table spoon (or 2) of peanut butter, and didn't exercize.
So today I feel 100 times better and I went on the treadmill for a whole hour! I'm so proud. I'm realy aiming for at least 4 days a week this month.

So I am going to start. I am coming back to dieting at the same weight I was when I left in December - so good for me for staying put. My plan this time around is a little bit strategy from different diets - it will be lo carb, but also calorie counting. I used to have a complete hate on for calorie counting, but I need some organization in my life, so this may be it. I want to keep track of my water, calories, exercise, and my medications.

I can do this, it just involves focussing not so much on every little morsel of food, but focussing on the writing down of each morsel.

1st mini goal - 286 - 50 lbs down in total.

yay me.

Punze - good for you for exercising today. I am so glad to be back, and that you are still here. I really appreciated having a buddy to bounce things of of. Thanks.

Hi gals,
I'd like to join in also. I don't have a ton of time but I think accountability is so very important.

I've been low-carb'in it for about 2 weeks now. It feels good. I felt I needed to change things up a bit as my weight loss was really slow. I had been doing calorie counting at about 150-200 carbs/1600 calories a day and now I'm down to 40 carbs/day but still tracking calories - just not being too anal about the actual number of calories.

I would really like to bag on the exercise today but I didn't go yesterday and I like the rule of not missing 2 days in a row so I will go....but first I have to watch Y&R! Then I promise.....I will change clothes and head into the gym. I promise, I promise, I promise!

:hug: welcome Kris! Did you get your exercise in?

I absolutely blew yesterday out of the water. I ATE! I did really well in the am, but blew it at supper. I did get some exercise in - I did 3km on my elliptical machine. Ok, so it sounds impressive, but really it's only 12 min of exercise. Well, it's 12 min more than I did the day before. I am going to try super hard today = it should be easier this evening because I have to DJ a school dance and there won't be any opportunity to eat while I'm there. If I go to bed as soon as I get home from unloading my equipment, I should be able to avoid the nighttime munchies... I hope!

Punce: hope all is well with you. Are you getting enough water?

Talk to you guys later!

HI I would like to join for the daily motivation.... What plans are you guys following? I was on a low fat high fibre plan but was contantly craving for sweet and stuff. I am currently folllowing the CA plan (Carbohydrate Addicts Diet) which works great for me. Up to date 1kg lost (2.02lb’s) I know it is a bit slow but that is without any exercising. The fact that I have a reward meal everyday which include some carbs make this plan for me something that I can make a way of life and not just a diet to loose the weight

Hi all,
I did get my exercise in. I really didn't want to go but once I got there, I got the 'click' and did 2x20 minute HIIT and 30 minutes of strength training. Felt VERY good when I walked out of the center!

Good job on the elliptical, Laura.

I'm not exactly on a 'plan'....I'm just keeping my 'carbs less fiber' to about 40. My fat consumption is high (60-70%), carbs at or below 10%, and protein the rest. I'll be watching and adjusting as the weeks go by.

Am planning to purchase that book Good Calorie/Bad Calorie by Gary Taubes (I think) today and learn more about low-carb. I've done Atkins before, and although I'm not hungry following this plan, I didn't really follow it as it was outlined. This time I'm willing to make it a life change - not a temporary diet.

Hi Kris and Snoekie!

I'm following Atkins.

Good Calorie/Bad Calorie by Gary Taubes, I want to get this one too.

Way to go Kris! The hardest part of exercising for me is just making my self get started. But I sure feel great when I do.

Laura, even if you went for 12 min, that is great ! Most days I can't even convince myself to step onto the tredmill.

Have fun at the dance! I've always thought that would be a fun job.

I got all my water in yesterday, the exercize makes me thirsty, normaly I realy struggle to get it all down. I'm trying to cut out the coffee but it is so hard, I drink more water if I skipp my coffee in the morning. I think I'll switch to tea, at least tea is better for you and I put way to much cream in my coffee, but I like tea without it.
TTYL.

This time I'm willing to make it a life change - not a temporary diet. Fantastic! Thats how I'm looking at it too!

:welcome: Snoekie!
Don`t worry about slow - just keep doing it. 2.2 lbs (1kg) is a fantastic start. It`s more important to ingrain those healthy changes at the beginning so losing the rest doesn`t seem like so much of a struggle.

I am trying to do Atkins - it works for me because not only do I lose the weight, but my blood sugar stabilizes as well. I say trying, because I have fallen off the wagon, and am finding it extremely hard to get back on - right now I seem to be about 2 km behind, tracking it through the dust, still LOOKING for the darned wagon, never mind jumping back on it! :dizzy:

So, I am trying to limit my carbs, drink my water, exercise, and I am writing down EVERYTHING. Writing it all down is the hardest for me - I hate being held accountable, even if it`s just to myself. I kind of feel like - why should I have to justify what I eat if no one else does (``no one else`` does not apply to the people on this site)

Punce: something I read recently about tea - we all know green tea is good for weight loss, but chamomile also increases metabolism about 3%, without all the caffiene of coffee. But if you really need your coffee, drinking it without sugar after a workout can help keep your metabolism high for longer than exercise alone - free calorie burn!

Kris: good for you for going to the gym - I love it when I get there, so why is it so hard to go ( I would love to be able to insert a question mark after asking a question, but for some reason all I am getting is this character - É - somehow the language or function button on my keyboard is messed up, and I am not sure how to fix it...) Anyways - what is HIIT it sounds interesting.

HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training. 20 minutes of exercise at high intensity. According to some studies, it is more effective than a 'long slow burn' type cardio as you continue burning calories up to 24 hours post exercise. I do 2 minutes of warm up then 4 minutes of increasing intensity (every minute I increase speed or level) then back down for 1 minute then 4 more increasing minutes. You do 4 rounds and then a 2 minute cool down. Does that make sense?

When I started, I would just do 30 second intervals, then I worked up to 60 second intervals and now I do the 4 minute 'climbs'.

As I really don't like cardio, especially being on a machine for an hour, I find it a good way to get my cardio in. And, I typically do 2 sessions back to back - just on different machines so that I actually get 40 minutes in.

Hallo you all! At last it is Friday….. Weekend just around the corner. You guys are really an inspiration with the exercising I am starting to feel left behind – perhaps if I give it a try it will boost the weight loss a bit – the only problem is I stay on a farm and don’t have access to a gym. I also get home a bit late in the afternoon and for safety reasons can’t go on a long walk in the evening. BUT I do have a Fitness flyer at home. In the past it felt like I am wasting my time because it does not feel like you are getting a really good work-out on it at all. But I guess it is better than doing nothing at all!!!!

I am going to meet my sister tomorrow at a restaurant for breakfast (she is on a low fat, high fibre, low proteïen diet – totally the opposite from what I am doing but I guess you do what works best for you. I do think I really have more nice things to eat for breakfast…… beacon, eggs, sausage, cheese etc, etc, etc.

You guys must have a nice weekend. I will report back on Monday about the exercising…….

Kris - thanks for the explanation. Yes it made sense - and it makes sense. I thnk I may try it....
I did really well calorie wise today, but still made horrible choices. Oh well, one battle at a time.
Gotta run, I'll check back in the afternoon.
Hope everyone is doing their best!

Everythings going good so far today, Water, food, exercize, all on track.

Made it through another hour on the treadmill. I do short intervals of running but only 1 or 2 min at a time and only 3 or 4 during an hour. I'm trying to work up to more frequent and longer intervals, focusing on keeping my heart rate above 150 for the hour.

Beautiful day, have a good one.

Hi All! I like this daily "accountability" thingy here. I have a question though. Why is it that so many dieters here on the boards seem to think that coffee is "bad" for you. Is it the caffeine? I agree with you Laura that it will help speed up your metabolism (free calorie burn) and scientists agree that caffeine is good for you (just don't OD on it!). I think coffee gets a bad name...it's not coffee/caffeine that's the enemy, it's the stuff that people usually put in it...i.e. sugar. There are so many benefits to caffeine/coffee. For me...it's gives me an energy boost, it's calming, and gives me an overall sense of well-being. I do know, however, some people have caffeine sensitivies and need to limit there consumption, but I'd google it. You'll find that coffee really isn't the "devil" of diets. Joyce

I lllooooovvvveee coffee. Since I drink so much water now though I typically only have a cup in the morning now and drink cups of water all day long at the office (when I used to drink coffee). I think caffine is like anything else, some people can tolerate it well, some thrive and some are impacted negatively. Look at all those skinny folks out there that can eat junk all the time and not gain an ounce...carbs obviously agree with them!!!I wonder what would happen if they cut down on them or cut them out? Would they wither away to nothing?I say enjoy your coffee guilt free. You are working out like a demon!

ox
SC

Good points SIC!!! I do love my coffee too! Can't live without it (actually don't want to...tee hee!) I guess it's metabolism...gosh..when I was in high school, I seriously ate 5 snicker bars a day...and was as thin as a rail! Let me try that now...and I'll start mooing!:D Oh...and I do enjoy every sip of my aeromatic blend of carefully selected hand picked morsels of hazelnut coffee...ummm...ummm...ummm!:D

I lllooooovvvveee coffee. Since I drink so much water now though I typically only have a cup in the morning now and drink cups of water all day long at the office (when I used to drink coffee). I think caffine is like anything else, some people can tolerate it well, some thrive and some are impacted negatively. Look at all those skinny folks out there that can eat junk all the time and not gain an ounce...carbs obviously agree with them!!!I wonder what would happen if they cut down on them or cut them out? Would they wither away to nothing?I say enjoy your coffee guilt free. You are working out like a demon!

ox
SC

No one on this thread said coffee was bad for you , I said I wanted to cut it out because I use way to much cream.
There aren't a lot of benefits from drinking coffee that aren't psychological. The slight increase in metabolism is very insignificant. It also can dehydrate you, can contribute to calcium deficiency and affects blood sugar levels in some people .
Google is not really a very reliable source of info , any idiot can post something on the net and call it "scientific fact" and that's about half of what you get from Google.
It realy comes down to personal choice what you want to put in your body. nobody is telling you not to drink coffee.

Now back to the topic of the thread . How is everyone doing today? Laura? Kris? Snoekie?

I'm trying hard to resist the chocolate easter eggies I got DH for his birthday, they smell so good. I had some of my dark bitter chocolate so I wouldn't feel the need to sneek any of his.

I hope you are all having a good weekend

Punc - FYI, I said...and I quote, "Why is it that so many dieters here on the boards seem to think that coffee is "bad" for you. Is it the caffeine?"
Key word being "board"..not "thread"!
You say:
"Google is not really a very reliable source of info , any idiot can post something on the net and call it "scientific fact" and that's about half of what you get from Google."

Google is a "search engine" just that..nothing more...it's not the "god" of the internet..."Google" doesn't provide you all the information on the net...it is merely a vehicle towards transporting you there! Just thought you might want to know that...

Here's some valuable info on coffee - http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food This may be helpful to anyone who thinks coffee is the "devil" of all diets! Another newsflash - ANYTHING DONE IN EXCESS...IS BAAAAD, that includes coffee!

Reducing Disease Risk
After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.

Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.

In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.

Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.

There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

Have a good eve all! Joyce

Hello all,
well, today was a challenging day for keeping my carbs reasonable as we had a slow food function. I haven't entered my food into fitday to find out the damages and I actually don't think I'm going to.

I made good choices where available and I had small bites on those more carb-laden choices. I could have totally passed on the carb-heavy options - but I didn't and I'm ok with that decision. I keep reminding myself that I am making changes that I can live with for life....not just until I reach an arbitrary number on the magic box. (I know there are those that don't agree with this philosophy - but we each need to find our own path.)

Puncezilla - I know what you mean about using too much cream with the coffee. I do that with peppermint tea. I limit myself to one cream-filled tea each evening because I just simply can't control it throught-out the day! How did the resisting of the eggs go? I've been promising to make a chocolate cake all week but am just not feeling strong enough to resist so am holding off on that task!

Oh, and I have one deliciously decadent cappo each morning.....It's worth every darn one of the 6 carbs in the milk!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Tomorrow is weigh-in for me. Earlier this week I had a 1kg/2pound loss so we'll see if it holds up after today or not.

I've been promising to make a chocolate cake all week but am just not feeling strong enough to resist so am holding off on that task!


Kris,

You might consider trying one of these....and they are "legal":)http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/3minute_flourless_chocolate_cake.html
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/chocolate_truffle_torte.html

Google is a "search engine" just that..nothing more...it's not the "god" of the internet..."Google"
Thank you, I'm well aware of what Google is and isn't. I was merely pointing out that most of the info you find when you "google" something is biased and inaccurate (even if the website has "MD" in the title). And there is a reason why articles like these say things like "may help" and "could prevent" and "more research is needed". If you look hard enough you can find a "scientific study" that supports any theory no matter how improbable. This does not make it fact.

You said:
"There aren't a lot of benefits from drinking coffee that aren't psychological. The slight increase in metabolism is very insignificant. It also can dehydrate you, can contribute to calcium deficiency and affects blood sugar levels in some people."

Therefore, I felt the need to respond with some scientific research! It's all about deciding for ONESELF the effects on YOU! That's all the scientific research anyone will need. Coffee works great for me...Coffee doesn't work well for you (i.e., self control issues)...okay then...we'll leave it at that!

Ya know...it's okay to "agree to disagree"...and that where it ends.

Okay...on another note...going shopping now...hopefully will find the music weight-training CD's I'm looking for. Any suggestions on some good ones?? Joyce

KrisR, I would say enter the foods in FitDay. Keeping yourself ignorant of what you eat is not helpful. If you enter the foods this time and you are face with the same challenges next time, you can either make a better choice or make the same but informed choice.

(i.e., self control issues)

No need to insult me for posting my opinion.It's all about deciding for ONESELF the effects on YOUthat is what I said in the first place. No one is telling YOU NOT TO DRINK YOUR COFFEE!

Sorry our thread kinda' got hyjacked.

I haven't entered my food into fitday to find out the damages and I actually don't think I'm going to.
Sylvia is probably I right about entering it anyway. When I have a bad day carb-wise I often skip fitday. I don't want to focus on the mistakes, so I just move on.Good luck with the cake baking. Make sure you have something OP handy to help you resist. I'm always tempted when I make cookies for DH. Once they are baked I'm not tempted to eat them, but the raw dough is the worst for me. I could eat the whole batch like that.

I did great resisting the eggies, they are still calling to me from the coffee table but I'm not listening. I don't feel much like eating at all today, so I'm going to try to work up an appetite by spending an hour on the treadmill.

Oh no she didn't just call KrisR "ignorant"!!!:o

Okay folks...before I say something and get myself "banned" from 3FC's for life, I'm gonna depart this thread!

BUT...before I go, let me just leave you with these few parting words:

First, to all of you who are sincerely looking to better your lives/heath, remember, a well-balanced diet (moderate portions), exercise (plenty of it), water (drink at least 1/2 gal/day) will get you where you need to be. You don't have to be bitter, obsessive, angry, hostile towards a cup of coffee, or unable to enjoy food...It's okay to be happy, and part of that is enjoying what you eat, not deprivation, but "SUBSTITUTION"....whatever road you should to take to get you to that point is up to you...JUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES...and best of luck to you all!

NOW...with that said...I'm gonna go have some outrageous s*x with BF, drink 1 or even 2 cups of hot delishous hazelnut coffee, eat an orange (yes...I'm on Atkins and I love fruit...oh yeah...and I stay in Ketosis)...and then, if I'm not totally worn out (tee hee!), I'll fit in another 30 min HIIT cardio session on my elipticle!

Peace out ya'll! I wish all you newcomers and people who (like me) want to be happy, heathy and wise! Joyce;)

KrisR, I would say enter the foods in FitDay. Keeping yourself ignorant of what you eat is not helpful. If you enter the foods this time and you are face with the same challenges next time, you can either make a better choice or make the same but informed choice.

Oh no she didn't just call KrisR "ignorant"!!!:o
I think you have misinterpreted what she said completely.

This will be one of few times I will ever respond to a post by Joyce.

No, I did not call her ignorant. I said she does not want to be ignorant about the foods she eats.

Apparently you don't know what ignorant means. Per Merriam-Webster dictionary = ignorant [adj] unaware, uninformed.

So, I was saying that she wants to be informed, to know, to have knowledge of the things she is eating.

Posted by KrisR:
"I made good choices where available and I had small bites on those more carb-laden choices. I could have totally passed on the carb-heavy options - but I didn't and I'm ok with that decision. I keep reminding myself that I am making changes that I can live with for life....not just until I reach an arbitrary number on the magic box. (I know there are those that don't agree with this philosophy - but we each need to find our own path.)"

What part of this seems "uninformed" or "ignorant" as you put it??? She seems to be quite "informed" of her actions to me!

You see...this is why I must depart as I cannot allow myself to engage with such negative, self-rightous, intollerant, "one-size-fits-all" people such as Punc & Sylvia! It's just a downer!

BTW folks...there are other threads here at 3FC where you can find open-minded folk (like myself), that are not "judgmental" (i.e...read the book...read the book...read the book...) and do not assume that because you are overweight, that you have the mind of an "ant"! Now...I'm going to go have some Sunday Fun..woo hoo!

Enjoy your self-created drama ladies...whilest I enjoy some horizontal mumbo'ing!!!:lol::lol:

Laura G, did you exercise today? I usually exercise on my lunch during the week at least four days. But this past week, my girl said she wanted to do some exercise. So we are walking about 3/4 miles one way to the store.

And 12 minutes is good. Don't worry about the amount of time you are working out. Look at how much you are exerting yourself. Remember, the more weight you lose the more activity you will be able to do. I do interval walking for 20 minutes. Interval walking means you increase your exertion every minute four times, then start over. I went from walking 2.7-2.9-3.1-3.3 [these are MPH on the treadmill] in January to walking 3.5-3.8-4.3-4.5 now. 4.3 is a jog for me and now I can do two straight minutes.

Keep up the good work.

Hey everybody! Welcome to everyone I've missed in the last few days. Looking at the posts, I almost feel sick about what has been happening. This thread was for support, and it seems like there has been quite a bit of negativity. I hope we are all over it and moving on - we're supposed to be feeling good about ourselves.

I'm checking in - for me this time, writing everything down is my big challenge. I'm working on that aspect first and then I will work on food types and portions - accountability is key right now. So, my calories have been all over the place, but I have been exercising - I went for a walk yesterday around the lake. I'm having a hard time getting motivated today, but I do have my swimming class tonight so if that is all I do. I'll still be doing really well. I manage about 1 mile in an hour. I've started doing those ab pulleys - the kind you hook on a door knob and pull your legs up and down - what a great lower ab workout. I do 5 straight min a day, and next week (Tuesday is my weigh in day) I'll start doing them 2 times a day.

How is everyone else doing? Punce - I hope your resistance to the bad foodies is still high. Are they still on your table? I could'nt do that - for me outta sight, outta mind.

Kris: good for you recognizing what you were putting in your mouth at the slow food function. You're right, this is a lifetime journey, and you have to be comfortabe with how you get through it.

Sylvia: Thanks for the encouragement. My elliptical has a speed measuring button, but (obviously) it is up to me to do the intervals and keep the speeds where I need them to be. But I'm going to try it. I can comfortably do 15.5 kmh, so I think I'll put my intervals at 15.5, 15.8, 16.1 and 16.4.

Snoekie: I hope you are having a fantastic weekend.

Stayincalm: good for you on your water intake. How is everything else going? Still OP?

BTW everyone - I got my keyboard fixed - I can make question marks again!
?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????
Yay!

Keep cool everyone - stay OP, stay focussed, and we'll talk again tomorow!
I told my mom about this site, and this thread. She's not a low carber per say, but I hope if she visits we can welcome her.

Hey Laura, Hey All: Gee, I feel disheartened about the negativity and coffee rumpus too. I hope I didn't set it off with my response to Joyce's question. I always appreciate everyone's various viewpoints. I think there is great value in differing opinions. Sort of makes my world go round:). I'm heartsick about the criticism and hurt feelings I'm seeing though.

So, on plan today. Cooked for the week and have my water in. I will check back tomorrow. Don't know if I will post here though. I kinda like to focus on the positive as much as I can. Best to everyone and hope you have a wonderful rest of the day.

SC

Just to clarify, I don't believe I was called ignorant.

I'll never understand why some people feel the need to create disharmony where-ever they go. Rest assured, if I think there is a 'battle' to be fought on my behalf, I will fight it myself.

I have always appreciated opinions that differ from my own. It gives me a chance to evaluate my opinion and rethink it. It doesn't always mean that I change my opinion...sometimes it makes me more committed to my opinion, sometimes it makes me question it, perhaps be open to changing it and sometimes, I do change it. Having said that, I totally know what you meant (was it Sylvia?) about entering the information into fitday. Burying my head in the sand (or the carbs!) is not always the best practice. Point taken.

Jerseygyrl - thanks for the recipes! I'll check them out.


stayincalm- I'm with you. I have hopes for this to remain positive and non-fighting/non-controversial. There is enough stresses in life - let's hope this can stay supportive as Laura set it out to be. Maybe don't give up on it quite yet?

Laura-good job on the exercise. I know my legs were feeling very weak this AM when I arrived at the gym...but I pushed through it and was glad. Enjoy your water class tonight.

I know I've missed replying to a few of you, but I'm afraid if I go back to page two, I'll lose what I've already typed! I'm not a technical wizard, that's for sure.

Have a great day everyone.

Way to go with the exercise Sylvia, I've never tried this type of intervals before. Do you program your treadmill to do it automatically?

Laura, swimming is an excellent workout, and your ab work sounds great! Keep it up !

Kris, Good for you pushing through your workout despite the weak feeling legs!

I had a good day, put in my time on the treadmill and stayed completely OP, even got all my water in. And yes the eggies are still there, I thought I would have a harder time resisting them, but so far so good.

I sincerely apologize if any of my posts offended anyone, that was never my intention.

Have a great night everyone, and a fabulous new day tomorrow.

I wish I could program the treadmill. No, I have to make the speed changes myself. I actually got the program from the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips. My favorite quote from the book is, "Many "fitness experts" recomment that as soon as you can exercise for 30 minutes "comfortably," you should increase to 40 minutes, Then 60. Then 90...What's the objective, to eventually work out all day?"

So, this is the plan. You know your fitness level. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no exertion and 10 being an all out exertion. This is the plan:

Min = Level
1 = 5
2 = 5
3 = 6
4 = 7
5 = 8
6 = 5
7 = 6
8 = 7
9 = 8
10 = 5
11 = 6
12 = 7
13 = 8
14 = 5
15 = 6
16 = 7
17 = 8
18 = 9
19 = 5

After a while, for me it is usually 2 weeks, your new level 5 is your old level 6. Therefore, you don't workout longer than 20 minutes but you increase your endurance.

There is a weight training portion to the book. This is along the same lines as the cardio, you only workout for 30-40 minutes. There is also a diet portion of the book, which, if you eliminate the 'carb' foods [i.e. fruits, potatoes, rice, beans, pasta, cereals] is low carb.

Hi guys!
WHOOO glad I didn’t join in the fun on the thread over the weekend!!!
The day with my sister was great (she turned 35 on the 5th of March). We y had lots of laughs, shopped and only low carb food. Yesterday was a bit difficult I ate far too much, (only low carb though) but like my hubby says I stuffed my face and that is not a good thing, I don’t know why I do it because I feel so bad afterwards…………..
Hope you all have a wonderful week……talk again later.

Sylvia, I'll have to add that book to my list of things to read. I have a few programs for intervals on my treadmill, I just haven't figured out how to use them yet. I'll read the manual and find out if I can use it to do this type of program. I'm sure not into increasing my workouts to 90 min! Much rather increase my intensity! Right now I'm just focusing on keeping my heart rate up above 160 for 30 to 60 min.

Mornin' Snoekie, glad you had a good weekend. Some days I know I eat too much also, and it's hard not to feel guilty, but I also have days where I'm just not very hungry, so I think it averages out in the end. At least you stuck with Lowcarb foods so it shouldn't affect your weight loss.

How was your swim Laura? I'm always envious of swimmers. I hope everything is going well for you today.

I'll be back later to check in after I've done my exercise.

I hope everyone is feeling good about their weekend, and ready to start a brand new week with tons of enthusiasm and determination.

I am completely pumped - not only did I finish the swimming workout our instructor posted, I also snuck in an extra 100m - I swam 1800m total! I've only ever finished the workout twice before last night, so I am just ecstatic! :carrot:

I am a little bummed out because the scale hasn't moved- (well,actually, it dropped a lot the third day in, but has gone back up since...thankfully I only count the weekly weigh ins). However, I can look back at my journal entries and see where I am going wrong. It's just big for me that I have been actually cooking - my DH doesn't know what hit him, I'm keeping on top of my housekeeping, and my journalling. I fight pretty hard with depression, so all of this is a HUGE step forward, out of my old life and into my new.

Snoekie - don't worry too much about stuffing your face for one day - it was a special occasion and you should be proud of yourself for sticking to low carb foods. Pick your battles darling, and soon you will win the war!

Sylvia - Thank you for breaking that down - I sure appreciate it. I'm scheduled for my elliptical tonight after work, so I will try to do the intervals - I may only do 12 or 16 min, and build up gradually. How is your diet going?

Punce - :D good for you for staying OP, and getting your water and exercise in.

Kris - I'm proud of you for pushing thru your weak legs to do your workout. How are the other aspects of your WL going?

Stayincalm - I sure hope you decide to continue to post here. I think I can say for most of us, that we appreciate everyone's input and opinions, and that the more people we have to support us, the stronger our network is, and the stronger we'll be. I really started this thread to be a positive, encouraging, and "safe" one - hence the title support buddies. Congratulations on staying OP and getting all your cooking done. I find the week goes much easier if I have a plan at the beginning of the week. I could never get the cooking done all at once, but I do make lots of each supper meal, and freeze the leftovers for lunches. That way,I can portion control my lunches after dinner because I'm not hungry.

I hope I haven't missed anyone, my apologies if I did. The feel good word of the day is: LOVE.

Keep your chin(s) up everyone (double or not! lol ;) ) and have a fantastic OP day.

To us, and all our successes!

Hello, all - May I join too?

Just getting back into LC after a horrendous year. I hope to lose some weight and gain some friends on 3FC.

Welcome cjones! Happy to have you here!:carrot:

Laura, Awesome job on the swimming! And the cooking & housekeeping! Are you finding you have more energy on LC? It is always a state of creative chaos in my house, Fabric and cat hair everywhere :dizzy:. I need to do some serious cleaning up around here as I'm getting company for the weekend.
I have also struggled with depression most of my life, and been on and off different antidepressants since I was a teen. I'm not currently taking anything and do ok most days, but still have some dark days too. I hope you have found something to help you through the really bad times.
Hang on to that great attitude!:flow2:

I got my exercize in and my water and food where good today too.

Woo hoo, Laura G. You are awesome. Do the time you can. Anything is better than nothing.

I did my treadmill today and drank 12 cups of water. I did okay food wise. Only used olive oil and vinegar. I haven't had any broccoli in a few days and I am actually craving it. Thanks for asking.

Of course you can join CJones. We's love to have you. Just jump on in.

Hey Puncezilla. You can always send me a message if you even think you are about to get sucked into the black hole. You can make the message as long as possible, and ramble about people and things I don't even know about. But it is okay because I will listen. My last go round caused me to stop living low carb. For a while I seemed to live on in-the-shell raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. I just kept a bowl full on my desk and ate them all day. That was in Oct., then I started eating halloween candy [we came home with 2 pillowcases full after 1 hour walking]. Then there was Thanksgiving and all things festive with the cookies and candies at work. Luckily, I caught myself by mid-Dec, 12 pounds heavier, and started living the low carb life again at the beginning of Jan.

So, everyone, keep on plan. See you all tomorrow.

:wave: Welcome cjones! Great to have you here!

Thank you ladies for the encouragement! I am going swimming again tonight, come h*ll or highwater, and I am aiming for 1800 again. I fell off the wagon yesterday (into a deep, dark hole that went 1/2 way thru the earth's crust) and am picking myself up again today.

On the positive side, today was weigh in day - I am down 3 lbs. :yay: I kind of temper my enthusiasm since it wasn't a great "First Week" kind of number, but any loss is worth celebrating.

Sylvia - I know what you mean about craving vegies - I crave brussel sprouts, and they are not really my favorite... Keep up the good work. How is your water intake? I'm proud of you for recognizing your downward spiral and stopping it. Good for you for coming back here.

Punce - Yay you for keeping OP! I keep my sewing stuff all in one room of my basement, otherwise it would take over. I think my energy is coming from from the spring sunshine, as well as eating healthier. Of course, when I get a little bit clean, I want to keep cleaning, so that helps. How do you cope without the antidepressants? I keep hoping weight loss will help with the chemical imbalances.

cjones: tell us about yourself. What made you decide to lo-carb it? What program are you following, and what are the goals you want to reach? How can we help you get there? btw - my maiden name was jones!

Snoekie, Kris, Stayincalm - how are things going for you guys? I hope all is well. Post to us if you are having trouble - we care and want to help you. Take care of yourselves - emotionally and physically.

Today's feel good word is : Sunshine.

:carrot:Woo hoo Laura!! 3lbs is fantastic! Keep it up! :carrot:
Craving veggies is great isn't it?

I was on effexor till fall 2006 then DH and I decided to try and have a baby so I weaned myself off of them. I also started taking a lot more vitamins and started Atkins at around the same time. I also had some acupuncture treatments and reflexology. And the depression just didn’t return as much as I thought it would once I was off the pills. I honestly think that the change in diet and the weight loss have made the biggest improvement for me. Coming here and reading helps get me through the bad days as well, I feel less alone, even if I’m not in the mood to post on those days.

Thank you Sylvia, I may just message you even if I’m feelin’ OK. I was really down over the holidays too, completely off plan. Gained about ten lbs back. I had a lot of company and some stressful things going on with my family and tried to ease the stress with homemade fudge and mashed potatoes. It’s funny how we sometimes fixate on certain foods, like sunflower seeds. There have been times when I practically lived off peanuts and milk, it just seemed like all I wanted to eat at the time.

Well I have absolutely no will to exercise today; I need a good kick in the butt.

Horay for sunshine! I hope everyone else is doing great!

This my evening check-in. I drank my 12 cups of water. My eating was okay but I think I over did it with the bacon this morning. I had bacon for breakfast and then again as a snack. But I got in about 8 cups of spinach.

I did the last half, about 20 minutes, of the kickboxing class today. I get there late because my workout partner doesn't leave until late. I think I'm going to have to go on ahead of her because I really want to be there earlier. Well, the good news is that I got my leg up higher on the back kick. I know that as I lose weight I be able to do better. When I was 148, I used to kick and hold to the side and back. Also, I sweated a lot but it seemed easier.

Well, tomorrows boot camp [a trainer is there and we work with balls and weights as a class]. We'll see how that goes. And Thursdays we have an abs class, which I did last week and that was all I did on Thursday. I felt like I cheated myself. So, this Thursday I plan on getting on the treadmill after doing abs. I'll let you all know how that goes.

Good night and good luck.

Hi everyone,
have been having computer problems....ugh.....think I have them solved. I love my MAC but it might be time for a new one. Then again....it could continue to be a 'little red engine that thought it COULD'!

I am doing well. Exercise and food is good. Will try to write more tomorrow.
Am amazed at how good I feel doing LC. Really do not experience much hunger - probably my biggest problem is that I still like to EAT...even though I'm not hungry. That's a habit though that I can change and that's what I'm working on.

On a fun note.....did some shopping today while waiting for computer guy and got two fab photography books plus some gorgeous fibers for a scarf. Fun day spent with Mr. W!

Talk again soon and keep up the great work everyone.

Kris - Good to hear from you again, and fantastic to hear you are still OP. Keep up the great effort!

Sylvia - I'm pumped to hear that you are doing so well with your water and exercise - don't be bummed about the bacon - it's a very minor stumble. I don't think I could do treadmill after abs, I would probably try to get my treadmill in first, otherwise I'd be too "sore" and be able to justify my way out of the cardio....

Punce - Hope you are smiling today, and being pro-active with your exercise. I hope that little kick in the butt I sent you helped!;)

cjones - How are things over in your neck of the woods? I don't know whereabouts you are in your lo-carb journey (induction, OWL, or whatever) but keep it up. I'm rooting for you!

For me, yesterday wasn't great - I ended up falling asleep about 7pm - completely missed my swimming class, but I guess I needed the rest, since I didn't wake up until this morning. I think I will go to the mixed martial arts class tonight - I used to go a lot, and loved it, but when I fell off the wagon last time I stopped doing everything that was good for me.

Well chickies, here's to us and a bright new future.

Today's feel good word is: Smile (so pass it on!)

Hi Kris! glad your feeling good with the LC. I realy do notice a decrease in appetite too, but it doesn't keep me from wanting to eat out of habbit, especialy in the evening. I hope your computer is fixed and ready to go!

Thanks for the kick Laura! I did get my exersize in yesterday and I'm glad I did, just needed a little push. I'm taking the day off from the treadmill today, I've realy been pushing myself with the running and incline so my legs are sore and I think they need a rest. Still on track with the food and water.

Laura, Don't feel bad about missing your swimm, It's very important to get good sleep! I've even heard it helps with weight loss. I think maybe because people who get more sleep are less stressed. Enjoy your MMA class. :D thats so cool :D.

Sylvia, Mmmmm.. Bacon :hungry:. You're a workout machine! 12 cups of water is awesome! I have a hard time with just 8 cups.

Keep smilin' everyone!

Hey there, everyone. Laura G, if you feel asleep and didn't wake up all night, you really needed that sleep.

KrisR - I am so sorry that I didn't see your post first about the HIIT. That is really similar to what I do, as I explained. But I only do 20 -25 minutes. If I feel like I can't do as much jogging, I do another two set of intervals.

I'm working on my last 3 cups of water for the day. I did okay with food today but had a major upset. I ordered a salad from a different restaurant. I forgot to say dressing on the side! I was so focused on no cheese and light onions, I just totally forgot. I mean they put so much onion on the salad it makes my eyes water and sometimes I can't finish because the onion start upsetting my stomach. It was drench in this BBQ dressing that I know is in no way low carb. What did I do? When I got back to work, I took the salad out hand by hand and rinsed it off. I got at least 99% of the dressing off. It was interesting.

It's late but I'm having some fresh broccoli now.

I did boot camp today. It seems to be getting easier. Last week at this time I could barely move. So, next week I'm going to focus on form and then up my weights. Thanks Laura G for the advice about doing cardio before abs. I have to see if I can get down to the gym earlier. If not, I'll let you know how it goes.

Keep up the good work ladies.

Hello Friends:


Sylvia - that's dedication to be rinsing off your salad - kudos! and how wonderful you are doing so much exercising. WTG!:carrot:

Punce - keep chugging! (reference to being "on track" as well as your water consumption!) You are doing very well. Enjoy your day of rest - you've earned it.

Just a shout out to everyone else - hope all is progressing! If not, get on here and post, maybe we can help.

Today's feel good word: Dedication.

I'm doing good today, got company today from out of town, till tuesday. But I'll try to keep checking in any way. Have a great day!!

hey everyone.....just a quick check in!

All is well here. We have house guests this weekend also so am in a flurry of cleaning activity. It will be birthday celebration for the 28 year old daughter - and I'm making a cake but I'm not eating it. It's not worth it.....I want more scale and non-scale victories!

Am going to take time to go workout on Saturday morning though as I'm sure they will all be sleeping in.

Everyone have a fab weekend!

Sylvia-whatta woman....washing your lettace leaves.....I'm impressed!
Puncezilla - good job on exercise
Laura - did you get to your martial arts class? That sounds like fun.

Laura G - what you been doing girl? Did you get on your eliptical today? How's your eating going?

KrisR/Puncezilla - housecleaning counts toward daily activity. You can make it more challenging by putting weights on your legs or doing one arm shoulder presses why you vacuum or what about jogging behind the vacuum. I might have to try that this weekend to see what my kids say about me.

Today, I got my 12 cups of water. I didn't always drink water. But the key for me, since I like really cold water, is that I have two 3 cup bottles that I alternate. One is in the freezer while I drink the other. I have to get at least 4 bottles by bedtime.

I did half of the abs class, 20 minutes. I am definitely going to have to go down earlier than my friend. Still, something is better than nothing. Then I did 10 minutes on the treadmill. It wasn't so bad doing the cardio after the class. And I am definitely not as sore as last week.

Oh, yeah, yesterday I found out that I wasn't supposed to do boy pushups [chest going all the way down to the ground], I was supposed to do girl pushups [only bending the arms to a 90 degree angle].

No washed salad today, thanks the stars.

Hey all-
How is your weekend starting?
Mine has been good.
Worked out yesterday...30 min strength training and 35 min cardio.
Food has been good this weekend. A bit heavier than normal caloriewise but staying within the range carbwise.
Think I'll do yoga today after the houseguests leave.

Hey everyone.

KrisR good job on the exercise and eating.

My workout buddy didn't workout yesterday. But when she told me that she said that I needed to workout still. And I did. It was really nice to go down and get in my 20 minutes. I am now working on jogging for 3 straight minutes. The eating went okay. I've been staying really strict.

Today I've been baking cupcakes for my DS Cub Scout Blue & Gold dinner. I don't even know whats on the menu. I already told DH that I would take my own food.

Have a great day everyone.

Hello all!

Sorry I went MIA there for a couple days. I've been really struggling. My weight went way up, but I've got it back to my starting weight again... I hate this roller coaster. My house became a disaster, and I am at a rough patch in my job due to my health. In short, I am miserable.

Enough. I'm back on. I am going to restart my journal tomorrow. I did my mile in the pool tonight, and I am looking forward to the next workout.

I don't have the mental energy to do personals, but I do hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you tomorrow.


Today's word - Support.

My weigh day - back to where I started - up 3 lbs. Sigh.

Hope everyone is well, and op.

Today's feel good word: Laughter.

Hi Laura, Sorry you've been feeling so low:hug:. I realy understand the rolier coaster feeling, emotionaly and weight related, hang in there.

All my company left this morning, so time to get back into my regular routine. I did OK over the weekend, but did have icecream one night. I don't even realy like icecream but I feeling down and it had chunks of chocolate in it. It was sickly sweet and made me feel ill :p. At least I avoided all the other junk food. I'm up a few lbs too but think it's just water and TOM so it'll be gone agian soon. I'm also feeling a little depressed but could be PMS, just don't know what to do with myself sometimes :?:.

I'll check back later, have a great day .

Sorry you are struggling Laura-you were missed. Keep plugging along...it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Good job puncezilla on avoiding the junk food.

All is well with me. No weight loss this week on 'weigh day' but for whatever reason, it didn't throw me into a tailspin. I wonder if it is because I'm looking at this as long term lifestyle rather than strictly a diet? It seems I have a more reasonable point of view (at least this week I do).

On a fun note....I tried a boogie board this week in the surf! It was a total blast even though I couldn't actually get UP onto the board and catch waves at the same time. This from a land-locked midwestie girl! The water has been wonderful this week so I'm going to keep practicing....who knows where it will take me.

Hi, hows everyone doing?

Love your attitude Kris! Thinking about this as a long term lifestyle change is great! It is what has kept me going through the ups and downs. I feel so much better when eating Lowcarb, it makes me want to keep going even when I slip up or don't lose .
I have been a little of plan yesterday, but am ready to move on. Got to get back on the treadmill as the exercise helps me stay on track with my eating.

Laura, I hope your doing OK . Miss you when you don't post.

Just wanted to say Hi, and ask if there's room for another? I love daily check-ins and getting feedback!

I've tried everything- low carb, high carb, low fat, vegan, vegetarian, WW, LA Weight Loss, etc. And then I found out I have PCOS so my insulin is all out of whack. Well, I've come to the conclusion that I feel EXCELLENT on low-carb regimens and just have to stick with it long enough to see results. I actually loved being a vegan for almost a year but I gained 15lbs from all the grain! So I'm back on the low-carb wagon and feel wonderful. I'm just trying to buy all my animal products from local farmers to promote the environment and the healthy management of animals.

But anyway, I'd love to post on here! I'm gonna get some of those 'ketosis' strips from the pharmacy to see when I go into ketosis and what foods make me go out of it, because I can feel a difference on some days more than others.

Exercise: I joined Platoon Fitness this week (after many years at a commercial gym) and absolutely love it. It's outside all the time, in rain, sleet and snow even, and they kick your butt military style. I have NEVER worked out this much and this hard in my entire life! No gym class or any machine can work you like this. I used to press 100+lbs on my legs at the gym and my muscles are screaming at the end of Platoon's drills. It's so fun, and I hope to see results soon since I've only done it for 4 days. It's 60-minutes each morning, every day at 6am Mon-Fri then Saturdays at 7am. I also have one of their trainers working with me on Sundays. I hope it's not too much on my body... right now it's sore but feels so good.

So anyway... that's just my little intro :) Hope everyone is having a good day.

Hi Michelle! Always room for one more! I love the way I feel on low carb too! Your exercize program sounds awesome!! There is one poster here, Soulbliss, who is vegan and doing Lowcarb so if you want more ideas for lowcarb vegan foods check out some of her posts.

I did 45 min on the treadmill today, and so far my eating is good. I have to go for dinner with DHs Grandpa at his veterans home tonight so I'll eat something befor I go and hope they serve something I can have. I hate eating out, I have to be very carefull not to eat anything that might have gluten as well as whatching my carbs.

Have a great day !

I see the word "DH' posted on here all the time. I assume it's stands for husband or boyfriend? Can someone translate? lol!

DH = Dear Husband or in my case DBF = Dear BoyFriend

Hi, there everyone. Welcome to the Lowcarb 3FC Forum, Michelle.

This was not a great week exercise-wise for me. I did great Mon-Tues. But Wednesday, 10 minutes into my treadmill routine, I remembered that I needed to go to Office Depot. I got dresses and walked the half mile to Office Depot and then back to work. The next day I went for another mile walk. Then Friday after dropping off DD7 for a play date, my DS and I walked about 3/4 of a mile to Kaiser and then to the bus stop. So, I did a lot of walking but no running. Although I'm sure my kids would have run with me, I can't run with my purse. My eating was okay. I think I've finally given up the cream in my coffee. I am starting to focus on eliminating all dairy. The only things left were a tablespoon of half and half and a sprinkling of cheese on the salad that I order. I used to always ask for no cheese but got out of the habit.

I'm heading out to my guy's little league game now. Go Cubbies!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Have a happy easter everyone!

Walking is good Sylvia. I don't eat much dairy either, now that I've switched to drinking tea, don't know if I'd be able to give it up completely though. Maybe I should, and see if it helps.

I've had a crapy week this week. Trying to get back on track, It always throws me off when I have company. I get a little depressed and go off plan and that makes me get a little more depressed. Need to snap out of it. Only got one day of exercise in this week, food not perfect, not nearly enough water. Tomorow's a new day.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Yeah, the walking was good. The carrying a basket around WalMart for an hour was not so good. I ended up with straining my upper back which caused a migraine, that made me sick to my stomach twice in one day. I only ate one meal. Today I woke up with no headache and no appetite. I had a smaller breakfast and no lunch. For dinner I had one of my usual salads and chicken and broccoli. Now my stomach is cramping. Go figure.

Puncezilla, just get back on the eating plan. I was just having a discussion about how food can effect your moods. Tomorrow is a new day. You can do this.

Hope everyone is doing okay with eating and exercising some.

Just wanna make sure I'm doing this right:
I'm gonna try Atkins and today's breakfast and lunch are as follows:
2 eggs, Earth Balance (carb-free vegan margarine), turkey slices, 2tbsp parmesean cheese (carbs- 5)
half and half, coffee (I know coffee isn't allowed but I can't wake up without it!!! Any suggestions?)
2 cups lettuce, tuna, 2tbsp parm cheese, vinegar (2 carbs)

I pulled an ab muscle at Platoon on Friday and took a rest all weekend. I totally went overboard with carbs this weekend and gained friggin 5lbs. But I should be able to lose that this week with being really strict. And no more of those carb binges for me!

Hey, Michelle. I would suggest adding some more oil to your lunch. Like a Tbl of olive oil or mayonnaise. Are you a vegan? Why don't you eat plain old butter? Because instead of focusing on carb-free vegan margarine, you should look for margarines that are trans fat free. And read the label to see if the margarine has not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Those are the trans fats.

Laura I hear in your voice the same rebellion I always feel toward dieting. WHY is it so hard? WHY is it so "unfair?" Why is it that some people just seem to naturally know what or how to eat or their bodies just take care of themselves and they remain thin without seeming effort? My husband and daughter are like that. Me? I can look at food and gain weight it seems. Of course that isn't really what is happening, obviously I'm eating it too.

Getting back on track is going to be hard for me, I have such a rebellious attitude toward the whole thing. I resent (actively) having to even worry about what or how much I put in my mouth. I feel like my body should automatically know how much to be hungry for and not trigger me to eat more than I should. It doesn't seem to work that way though. I really feel frustrated at even having to think about it at all, why can't we just rely on appetite and hunger? Shouldn't that tell us when we need to eat and when we don't?

Maybe it does. maybe I'm just not listening carefully enough. Anyway I want to get back on Atkins or something close to it, but our finances are really tight and pasta and rice seem to be what the budget is calling for. My husband is supposed to hear today about getting a job, so if it comes through I told him I would be going back on Atkins. In the mean time I guess if I'm going to start to think about doing this I'm going to be looking at a lot of eggs or other cheap protein sources. I need to get serious though I really do.

I've been trying to let go of a rebellious attitude in other aspects of my life, maybe this is just one more that I have to submit to and let it go. After all, who are we submitting to but ourselves when we make better choices about what we are going to eat? For some reason that rebellious child in the inside that wants to say "I'm just not doing it!" thinks it is spiting other people by that attitude, when in reality the person we punish most is ourselves.

I eat Earth Balance because it's trans-fat free and completely organic, so it's good, maybe even better for us than butter? It's like butter but it has no saturated fat.

I have to find a way to wake up without caffeine and also get off the diet soda and low-carb Monster energy drinks. I don't drink alot of it but I'll have 1-2 cans of diet soda per weekend, and about 1/2 can of Monster per day throughout the day (just a few sips gives me a joly of energy). But I'm naturally a lethargic person (I wish I had hyper ADD like my roomie!!) so I turn to 1/2 cups of coffee to keep my brain working. I get enough sleep, too, so I know that's not it.

Hmm, on the Atkins site they recommend staying on Induction phase until you lose half the weight you want to lose. Anyone else on induction right now?

Butter isn't the bad guy:)
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/butter.html

Good article. I agree that organic animal products are the best. But the Earth Balance is different from other margarines and contains the same amount of fat as butter. Still, there's a farmer's market 2 blocks away I should get butter from. I had the Earth Balance around since I was vegan about 6 months ago (wonderful diet but I gained weight from the whole grains). Wasn't someone on here a vegetarian or vegan going low carb??

Hi Sherry, Haven't seen you around in a while, glad your still here. I hope your DH gets his new job. Just do your best with what you have. WHY is it so hard? WHY is it so "unfair?" Why is it that some people just seem to naturally know what or how to eat or their bodies just take care of themselves and they remain thin without seeming effort? I've asked these questions so many times myself, having a DH and sisters who just seem to be naturaly thin, drives me crazy at times. They all eat so much junk food!

Michelle, I'm on induction (well trying anyway) again. Once you have been on induction you will have more energy, I am a naturally lethargic person also, I'm always so sleepy and tired, but after the first few days on induction, without the caffeine, I find I don't need it anymore. There will be some withdrawl headaches though if you give it up. There are some people who are sucessful and still drink coffee. I personaly find caffeine increases my appetite, but everyone is different. Make sure your eating lots of veggies and drinking lots of water. You'll do great!

Mmmmm.... I love real butter. I also use grapeseed oil for roasting veggies and frying . You can also use real mayo, and make your own dressings from oil and vinegar.

:D:D:D

Today's foods for breakfast and lunch:

Salmon omlette:
2 eggs
1tbsp Earth Balance (buying butter today)
1 can salmon
4tbsp Parm cheese

Snack: coffee with 2 half and halfs

Lunch:
2 cups lettuce
1 can crab meat
4 eggs
4tbsp parm cheese

Dinner idea: scallops wrapped in turkey bacon

Total carbs so far today: 10

I'm kinda dizzy today and weak. I think my body is adjusting!

Hi Michelle, Your menu looks good ! I would try to add more veggies. You should try to get 15 to 20 grams of carbs from veggies. That may be partly why you feel dizzy. It's normal to have an adjustment time where you feel crapy it should pass in a few days. Keep it up your doing great!

I'll be back to post later, Have a great day!

I love veggies, but I've been afraid of going over the 20 carbs a day. Like, what happens if I eat 25 grams of carbs?? I still need to buy the strips so I can track ketosis. I haven't been on it even 48 hours yet so technically I wouldn't have reached ketosis yet. :)

Hi Ladies,

I'd love to join you. I'm doing a mix-it-up version of low carb. I have PCOS too and have always felt best eating this way.

I'm doing something along the lines of Perricone, Sonoma, Protein Power, and clean-out-the-freezer-so-I-can-defrost-it. Dave is much more of a pasta/potato/rice person, but I just limit my servings and make sure there are lean protein and lots of vegies at mealtimes.

My biggest problem is after dinner munching. I eat good stuff--nuts and cheese especially--but too much. Bad habit that's hard to break. My other problem is consistency. I do well for awhile, they stop.

Are most of you on Atkins? I have some of his shakes. The cappucino one is pretty good.

Michele, your workouts sound fun! I'm thinking of joining a four mornings a week group that sounds like yours. Not sure if the times will work for me yet. I love the idea of being outside for exercise.

Look forward to getting to know you folks,
Mary

Hi Mary, Wecome to the group.My biggest problem is after dinner munching. I eat good stuff--nuts and cheese especially--but too much. Bad habit that's hard to break. My other problem is consistency. I do well for awhile, they stop.
I have the same problems.

Michelle, you can have 20- 25 gr carbs if most of them come from veggies, also you don't count the fiber in the veg, you deduct it from the total carb count, so you actualy can eat quite a lot of veg and stay below the limit. I eat lots of cucumber, peppers, brocolli, asperagus, radishes, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc. To many veggies never stall me, I only stall when I start eating to much dairy or nuts or other carbs.

Michelle,

Puncezilla is absolutely correct. While doing Atkins Induction, you should be eating 20 carbs per day, 12-15 of those 20 carbs should be coming from veggies & salad from the acceptable foods list: http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/acceptable-foods/
You should also be drinking plenty of water & taking a good multi-vitamin without Iron.

I personally don't feel eating more veggies (5 carbs extra or so worth) is going to cause you any problems. If you think about it, the first rung of the carb ladder when you progress to OWL (On Going Weight Loss) is eating 5 more carbs of veggies:) So, if you eat 25 carbs and most of those carbs are coming from veggies & salad....you're fine:)

I'm not a big believer in the ketosis strips...I lost over 100 lbs and they never turned color at all...but, thats just me. You may have better luck with them.

As for the dizziness...thats what's commonly refered to as the "Induction flu"...its actually pretty common and should pass in a few days. Its actually your body's way of "detoxing"...going through carb withdrawl. It will get better!

You CAN do this!!!:carrot:

welcome Michelle & Mary!

I'm not sure if I'd call my dizziness, but after 3 weeks on Atkins, I'm still feeling very CHARGED up...kinda like I'm running on high octane fuel or something. It usually hits about mid-afternoon. I'd describe it as my insides are vibrating - weird, eh?

I've been keeping my net carbs to 20 but might try to up it 5 or so with an added veggie and see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion Puncezilla & Jersygyrl..

Kris, that's great that you're feeling charged up in late afternoon. That's just when I start feeling low energy!

We had chef salads for dinner last night. We have them in the summer quite often, but it's still cold here. It was just great--reminded me how much I love them. Lots of lean protein, lots of vegies. And I have a no carb caesar salad dressing that's really good.

Dave had garlic bread with it and fruit with his. I was pleasantly full from the salad--definitely a successful dinner.

I'm getting back on the exercise wagon--today is strength training and a few minutes on the exercise bike, plus walk the dog.

Hope your day s going well!
Mary

Really awesome story- so today at Platoon was cardio day, and I've never attended this class before. But staying in the level 1 group seemed okay during arm and leg day so I figured I'd be alright. Well I'm not a runner (but I wanna be) and I have a permenatnly sprained ankle and like NO stamina.

So we start out running and all of the sudden we are out of the field we always workout in and start crossing streets and going into neighborhoods and stuff, and I was losing stamina quick! I started to panick because I couldn't keep up with the group and just thought "well, guess I'll have to turn back once they're out of sight..." But then out of nowhere this other trainer ran up beside me and said, "you ok?" I gave a very huffed "yea... I just have never ran this far before." He realized I was in no shape to talk so he just ran next to me the whole way in silence. I was so slow- about 6 whole minutes behind the group, and he ran beside me the whole time.

There were many moments during that whole run when I thought my lungs or my ankle would give out, but with him running beside me I just couldn't give up... and we made it all the way back to the field! When I could talk I thanked him so much for staying with me, and he said "that's why we're here. Platoon leaves no one behind." And I was like... wow. I wanted to cry b/c I know these people actually care whether I succeed or not!

Then I asked him how long that run was and he said about 2 miles and I almost fainted. I NEVER thought I'd be able to run 2 miles ever! That's almost a 5k!!! Now I know I can do this! I don't know if the trainer (Greg) knows how much of an impact his actions had on me. And he didn't tell me to go faster or 'pick it up.' He knew I was doing my best and he just made sure I got back to the field safely and not alone, or feeling defeated! :)

Way to go Michelle!! Thats fantastic you found a good workout group, it's nice to know some people realy do care. 2 miles of running is awesome!!!

Kris, I get the same thing after the first few weeks, feeling realy charged up, a big change from my usualy low energy, drowsy self. It can be hard to find the right balance, if my carbs are to low I have so much energy I can't sleep properly.

Mary, Low energy in the afternoon is usualy due to low blood sugar, maybe you need to add a snack around that time. Or if you have caffeine in the morning and it starts to wear off around that time, that could cause a drop in energy too. I used to have the same problem, but have had a lot more consistent energy level since being on atkins.

I'm doing OK today, still haven't been on the treadmill. It's my second day back on induction so I'm feeling a little tired.

Hey there everyone!

Michelle, that is so awesome about Boot Camp. You can definitely go farther when there is someone beside you doing the same thing. And now that you have gotten all the grain-and-fruit-contributed-glucose out of your system, you will see results fast because you are burning the fat. Remember, your body is making glucose from your own fat. This is why eating fruits and grains will not help you lose fat. Make sure you are eating enough because on a low-carb diet cutting back on calories will cause weakness and/or a stall. Then looking at your meal for Tuesday, you are definitely not getting enough fat or salad/veggies. Where is the dinner salad and green veggie? Put some peppers or asparagus or broccoli in that omelet.

Come on Puncezilla, let's get back on the treadmill. You can do this.

Although I worked out Monday and Tuesday, after this weekend's migraine, today was the first day that I felt like my old self while on the treadmill. I think I'm going to give up the strength training while I work on upping my cardio endurance on the treadmill. I want to run for the entire 20 minutes. We shall see.

hello everyone! I'm new and I was hoping to join this thread. I love to idea of daily check-ins. I've been doing LC for about three weeks. Lost 6 lbs. Could have probably lost more if I didn't go off plan twice (for two days each, eek!) and if I exercised more. I just started a new routine and ordered two fitness DVDs to work out to at home. I'm amped now.

I'm a bit of a foodie and I cook every day, and I cook really awesome stuff. It's the best part of being Low Carb! I'm obsessed with recipes and cooking.

I'm so proud of you all for your successes and even more proud of you for sharing your setbacks. It's brave.

Nice to meet you all!

:)

Teresa

And now that you have gotten all the grain-and-fruit-contributed-glucose out of your system, you will see results fast because you are burning the fat. Remember, your body is making glucose from your own fat. This is why eating fruits and grains will not help you lose fat. Make sure you are eating enough because on a low-carb diet cutting back on calories will cause weakness and/or a stall.

:bravo: Sylvia!!

Unfortunately, the majority of people have the common misconception Atkins is a high protein eating plan. Atkins is what is referred to as an adequate protein eating plan. What Atkins is...its a high fat eating plan. Its high fat for a specific reason. When you initially begin Atkins (the Induction phase), the sole purpose is to switch your metabolism from carbohydate burning to primarily fat burning. It also curbs cravings by getting your blood sugar stabilized. Addictions to foods...such as sugar, alcohol, caffeine, grain, corn or wheat derivitatives...are totally eliminated during this phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach with it is done correctly as the book instructs.

As Dr. Atkins said "For people addicted to sugary, high-carb or high-glycemic foods...just as for alcoholics...moderation simply does not work."

:wel3fc: Teresa!!

You've come to a great place for advice, support & encouragement!

Are you doing Atkins?

Since you enjoy recipes & cooking, you might want to have a look here: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
There are many delicious recipes on that site & the Induction friendly one's are marked with an *.

You CAN do this!!!

All the best to you!!!:)

Thank you!

I absolutely LOVE that website! I was kind of obsessed with it when I first started.

best,
Teresa

Hello to all the newcomers at 3FC's!!! I came across this wonderful article written by Jane Galt that I would like to share. I have noticed many questions posted on the "do's and don'ts" of low carbing, I thought this might be beneficial and especially helpful to those new to the low carb way of life:

1) Fat can indeed be turned into glucose, and is on a regular basis, by your liver. Whereupon it enters your bloodstream as sugar. Protein can also be turned into sugar with little effort by your body.

2) Your body likes your blood sugar steady. If you stop eating carbohydrates, your body will turn protein and fat into glucose. There is, at least as far as I can tell, no magic about getting your blood sugar from sugar vs. fat or protein, except the blood sugar spikes caused by ingesting large amounts of refined carbohydrates that I discussed below. You do not lower your blood sugar by cutting carbohydrates out of your diet; you just make it steadier.

The pancreas is the primary organ that figures out how much energy you have and how much you need, by monitoring glucose concentrations in the blood. Low blood glucose stimulates the secretion of glucagon (it's like the opposite of insulin: where insulin sweeps extra sugar out of your blood and stores it as fat, glucogen puts extra sugar into your blood from carbohydrate, protein, and fat stores); high blood sugar stimulates the production of insulin. If you eat fewer carbohydrates, the preferred source of blood sugar is protein, either from your diet or your muscles, because it's easier to break down. Your body turns to fat only as a last resort. That's why the protein content of Atkins et al. has to be so high; otherwise your body would start cannibalizing your muscles.

3) Fat does indeed turn into fat quicker than sugar or protein. Why? Because the liver is responsible for turning all your extra food into storable form. Since the fat is, well, already fatty, it's easier for your liver to pass it through to your adipose tissue than to initiate the transformation of carbohydrate or protein into fat for storage. Also, because the fatty acids require less synthesis, turning fat into fat is much more efficient than turning carbohydrate or protein into fat. This isn't based on some sort of sympathetic magic "fat makes you fat" study as some have argued; it's based on what we know about cellular metabolic mechanisms. From what I can see, arguing against this would require overturning current medical understanding of the entire fat metabolism process. Anyone who says they're consuming 4,000 calories a day on Atkins and losing weight either has a **** of a metabolism, a **** of a metabolic disease, or a tapeworm. Your body doesn't just excrete the extra fat you consume; it stores it. The same way it stores extra protein, or extra carbohydrate: as adipose tissue. AKA body fat. Arguing otherwise requires arguing that your body simply excretes the extra fat -- how? There's no organ responsible for excreting it, it doesn't appear in your urine, and it sure doesn't get reabsorbed into your intestines to be eliminated in your feces. Where's all the extra fat going?

4) Your body gets its quick energy from glucose; most of your working muscles use glucose unless you engage in sustained (+10 minutes) activity with one muscle group. Your brain and many cells in muscle tissue can only use sugar. That's why your body keeps your blood sugar steady. Other muscles that are used all the time, like your heart and lungs, prefer ketones or fatty acids, which deliver a longer, steadier kick. But they can get the ketones they need from sugar as well as fat; the only difference is where the ketone bodies are produced; in a high carbohydrate environment, they're synthesized in the cell, while in a low carbohydrate diet, they're synthesized from fat in the liver.

5) The average American gets 40% of their diet from fat. Guess what's way under the FDA recommendations? I'll give you a hint -- it isn't protein. In other words, we haven't been following the dietary recommendations that Taubes says are making us fat.

6) Calorie counts are roughly accurate, and are based on how much weight people gain over the long term from eating given substances. Saying "A fat calorie is different from a carbohydrate calorie" is true but not useful; the calculations are not based on some theoretical idea about how much energy they should provide, but how much energy they in fact do. In other words, a gram of butter causes an average observable weight gain of more than twice that of a gram of sugar. Now, they may have different, significant effects on appetite and satiety (they also may not).

7) Unless you are severely dehydrated, your kidneys don't care how much water you drink. As long as there's enough water in your system to allow you to pee, the stuff from your kidneys passes out of your system just fine. It's overwork that can damage your kidneys, not concentration of metabolites.

8) Eating too much sugar probably makes susceptible people diabetic by causing insulin spikes. But sugar isn't the only culprit. If diabetics go on a high-calorie, low-sugar diet, they don't have as much success as if they go on a low-calorie diet. Because insulin is involved in the fat metabolism process, total body weight also matters. Interestingly, sugar isn't the only thing that triggers insulin production; so does high levels of amino acids, which is the symptom of consuming more protein than you need for cellular repair and muscle-building.

9) The Atkins diet cuts out more fat than people think. While it's true that there's more fat from animal soures, there's less fat from french fries, Cinnabons, and the like. And it's easier to consume an entire bag of potato chips than a 20-oz steak.

10) You need fewer calories than you think. I'm a very tall woman, and my basal metabolism rate (the number of calories you'd consume if you were lying flat on your back all day, and doesn't that sound nice?) is 1500. If you're shorter than me (and a female with an office job), yours is less than that. Most people only need 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day, not the 2,000 the FDA recommends.
Hope you all have found this article helpful. Joyce

Hi Teresa, Welcome! Congrats on your loss so far!! keep it up! I'ts great that you like to cook, There are so many yummy recipes for Lowcarb!

Thanks for the encouragment Sylvia, I got back on and did 40min on the treadmill today. It would be great to be able to run for a full 20 min! You can do it!

How are you doing today Michelle? Kris?

JG, you rock! I just started to reread DANDR, & am trying to do everything by the book, It realy works!! I think I may have to buy Good calories, bad calories, it is taking way to long to get it from the library.
My eating is good and I'm feeling better today:carrot:.

JG, you rock! I just started to reread DANDR, & am trying to do everything by the book, It realy works!! I think I may have to buy Good calories, bad calories, it is taking way to long to get it from the library.


Hey Puncezilla:)

Thank you!! I'm really happy to hear you're re-reading DANDR:carrot: To do Atkins correctly, you must read the book...don't let anyone tell you differently!:) Its unfortunate that people will read parts of the book and then go ahead and attempt to do the plan without the proper knowledge. Before you know it, you hear them saying "Oh yeah, I tried that Atkins diet & that didn't work for me". I've seen it time & time again! I'd like to commend you for taking the time to re-read the book, and do this thing the right way!! The benefits & the rewards are well worth the effort it takes!

My DBF bought me a copy of GCBC at a half price bookstore. You might want to look into something like that. Being that the book only came out in Sept 2007, and with the popularity of low carb eating plans....its in high demand right now so, it may be a while before your library gets it. Check Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com or even Ebay....they all sell good condition used books.

Sounds like you are on the right track with Atkins! Keep up the wonderful work! You CAN do this!!!:hug:

Hi, Teresa. It is great having a daily check-in. Congrats on the weight loss so far and keep up the good work.

Puncezilla, I am so glad to hear you got back on the 'mill. That is too funny that you are re-read DANDR because I just started it again, too. I am also re-reading Living the Low Carb Life because there is some information in there that I need to refamiliarize myself with about how the body converts dietary fats and proteins to glucose when you are eating low carb. More on that later.

JerseyGyrl, I am number 1 on the wait list at the library for GCBC. I just can't wait though. If I didn't work, I would be at the library bugging the assistants there.

Today was an okay day. I was asked, last minute of course, to get lunch for a large meeting. After setting up their lunch and making sure all the receipts were tuned in, my boss decides that he needs a report. There goes my workout. But hey, it's all good. I'll get some walking in tonight going to and from DD's girl scout meeting. And I can always so crunchs at home. The eating has gone extremely well since yesterday. All on plan.

Talk to you ladies later.

Bambifox, I think your posting would be better suited on the Calorie Counter forum, a low-fat diet forum, or any other non-low-carb Forum for the following reasons.

The author of that information, Galt, only tried Atkins for 3.5 days, as shown by her own blog. She didn't need to lose weight and she didn't have any health reasons to be on a low carb diet. She tried the diet as a dare because she was so opposed to the principles of the Atkins/low-carb diet and all that low-carb represents.

http://www.janegalt.net/blog/archives/004093.html

This little post and all her low-carb experiment blogs are part of her page "RIP" from the time when Atkins died. I didn't find any mention of Galt reading the book and from her sample menu, it is apparent that she did not read the book. She was eating what she thought she was supposed to eat on Atkins, i.e. meat, cheese, eggs, bacon, meat with a salad thrown in. I don't see any mention of fats other than those already found in the meats and cheeses that she is eating. That is not low-carb. That is high-protein.

She stopped the diet because she was worried about causing kidney damage. There has never been a reported case of a person who did not have a previous kidney problem developing a kidney problem from following a low-carb diet. If you can find a cite for that kind of evidence, please post it. Also, she kept writing about how hungry she was all the time. Hum, because she wasn't adding any fat to her meals maybe?

Also, I did not find a cite anywhere for the "scientific" information she was providing on how the body metabolizes carbs, fats, and proteins. Maybe you can share those cites with us. I am always willing to read the original literature.

I had a great workout today. 45 minutes ST and then another 30 HIIT. Also went for a nice swim at the beach. I'm still struggling to add Yoga/Pilates into my routine - bought 2 new DVDs last month but just can't quite get interested in them.

GCBC has been ordered and will hopefully arrive next week. I'm really looking forward to reading it as I've heard so much about it. DANDR is on my list to get from Amazon - need to order that next week. Have been downloading and listening to Jimmy Moore's podcasts this week while working out. He's an interesting character and certainly supplies food for thought. Read his book last week - which was interesting.

Low-carbing is going well for me. This is my 3rd week. I upped my veggies a bit and find the afternoon jitters have decreased. Still trying to get my fiber up to the level I PERSONALLY want it to be at.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

I've removed several posts in this thread that were somewhat nasty and argumentative. Please reread the rules of this Forum and play nicely.
End of discussion.

I am closing this thread.

Leenie