Atkins - FEBRUARY Induction Thread...

Welcome to February's Induction thread!!!

I wanted to at least get this thread started; but I also wanted to let you all know that due to some life issues that have to take precedence over internet time, I have end my time here. Hence the "closed" under my title.

I wish you all well in your journey. My time here has been fantastic, but real life needs to come first for me right now. Have no fear, I WILL be staying on plan -- gotta earn those beads! I am up to 3 now...woo hoo!

Peace to all!

~ flamanette ~

Is this thread only for those who strictly follow the Atkins induction phase? I am eating "induction-like" except that I eat more veggies than are allowed. I believe the carbs from veggies are to be at around 12 or so? I eat several cups of salad and one or two 10oz boxes of frozen veggies per day. I am not fat from eating too many veggies so I figure that if eating more than what induction actually allows helps keep me rooted in plan, so be it.

The rest of my eating is fish, chicken/turkey, ground beef, and eggs, very limited cheese. I am kind of looking for a "home" here on 3FC, and therefore the question about the strictness of this thread.

Thanks!

Phoenix

Sorry to see you go but best wishes for your ongoing plan with life!

I am starting Induction (again) today. I realized I didnt do it like I should have before and was way out of line. Hoping that it fills in with what I need this time and I see some progress on the scale.

Hope everything goes well for you, Flamanette. Thanks for starting the February thread.

Phoenix, it's sort of up in the air as to the "strictness" of this thread. Flamanette started a January Induction thread with the intention of bringing together Atkins Chicks on continuing Induction. But she's signed off and won't be back for a while, I guess. Before she left, she started a February Induction thread.

Bottom line: Where this thread goes is up to those who have been posting here. How do you want the thread to continue? Or does someone want to start a new one? Phoenix, welcome to our board. Hope you find a "home" with us.

I am on Induction still. I have been on it for three weeks now and have lost 10 pounds. For some reason I am struggling the past couple of days though. I want something sweet really bad. I thought the cravings were supposed to stop. I have not had any up until now. Trying to keep busy by reading what is going on here with others.

Hope to lose another 10 pounds in Feb. :)

Sorry to see you go, Flamanette! Do check in with us from time to time!

Sandy - I think we should just keep on keepin' on with this thread as it is. No big deal for one of us to start the new one every month.

Phoenix - Welcome! I also eat more veggies than the book says. But only because eating so many heavy foods for every meal and snack is getting to me. I guess time will tell if it's going to throw me out of ketosis or not.

Thanks for the advice on lunches. Sometimes I just overthink things, and that made me forget about the simple salad. :crazy:

Sooo...today was my first weigh in for my community's biggest loser contest. Their scale read 2 lbs lower than my own. But either way, I've already lost 3 lbs since I started induction on Friday. I've even messed up a few times just trying to get it all straightened out. But yay! anyway.

Does anyone make homemade shakes for breakfast? I need something a little more portable and little less eggy. lol I don't want to use the atkins shakes or bars right now (or maybe ever) though.

I know what you mean by the heavy meals getting to you. I've been loving stir-fry lately because I need the lightness of the vegetables. I ate the white castle cheeseburger pie a few months ago but I don't think I could eat it again because it's way too rich.

I eat between 2-4 cups of veggies a day...Today it was 2 cups of squash/broccoli/zucchini for lunch and dinner was 2 cups of romaine. I actually enjoy the veggie part of my meals which is a big change from pre-Atkins!

I know what you mean by the heavy meals getting to you. I've been loving stir-fry lately because I need the lightness of the vegetables. I ate the white castle cheeseburger pie a few months ago but I don't think I could eat it again because it's way too rich.

I eat between 2-4 cups of veggies a day...Today it was 2 cups of squash/broccoli/zucchini for lunch and dinner was 2 cups of romaine. I actually enjoy the veggie part of my meals which is a big change from pre-Atkins!

Yes, yes yes! I LIKE the veggies! Now that the starchy carbs are banished (gosh I have not had bread/pasta/rice/cereals, etc. in so long...), I really look forward to my veggies, and lots of them, seasoned all sorts of ways. For dinner tonight I threw 3 handfuls of bagged salad into a big bowl, dumped some hot ground beef and blue cheese dressing on top, and I was in heaven!!!

For lunch I had a box of frozen spinach, with my own butter and garlic and fresh mushrooms, all cooked in the microwave -- it was so so yummy.

Bring on the veggies, I have no fear of getting fat on those!

Phoenix

Glad you all are doing well. I'm on day 3 of induction and down around 4 lbs already. I have a work function to go to February 16-18 and then my kid's birthday party on February 26. I'm hoping to stay strong!

We had a discussion of egg shakes going several weeks ago. If you're interested, just google "egg cream recipes" or "egg shakes." You'll come up with an Atkins link and many egg cream recipes; lots of sites call them "egg creams." Not a fan, but there are lots of ideas on those sites.

I'm on extended Induction but have a serious problem with eating breakfast. So far it hasn't seemed to slow my weight loss, but I think it would be better if I did it anyway.

I'm thinking of adding in yogurt. Maybe some Fage greek yogurt sweetened with a little bit of Torani. I think 1/2 cup has 3 or so carbs. Ever since I broke my stall, though, I'm so hesitant to add in ANYTHING that isn't strictly on the Induction list (except my stir-fry seasoning and soy sauce). Any thoughts? Should I try it but follow the 3 a week rule for a while to see if I stall?

Yogurt would be perfect. I love it, and I would be MUCH more likely to scoop some yogurt into a cup and add a little bit of sweetener rather than fry bacon, drain it, rinse the pan, melt the butter, fry the eggs, eat, and then clean up the pan and the grease. It's such a pain!

Linsy...
The 3 days I've been on induction I've had an omelet for breakfast. I chop up a small tomato and fresh spinach (a big handful of leaves) and I add that to cheese in the omelet. It takes no more than 10 minutes and I really love it. I usually add some bacon. However, I have the pre-cooked Hormel bacon that takes 45 seconds. It does say cured with sugar (it's down on the ingredient list, but still) but says zero carbs. It hasn't hurt so far and there's no way I could fry bacon every day. What a mess! You could probably even make a few omelets and then reheat them (you'd just have to be careful in the microwave b/c eggs explode easy)..I HAVE reheated them before though (esp scrambled). Oh, do you eat/drink any soy products? The kit I got says that soy milk (no sugar added, plain) is okay to have. So I drank a 1/2 cup of soy milk tonight for a little snack. It has 4 carbs per cup, so I figure that's better than the cream that I was drinking!


I'm on extended Induction but have a serious problem with eating breakfast. So far it hasn't seemed to slow my weight loss, but I think it would be better if I did it anyway.

I'm thinking of adding in yogurt. Maybe some Fage greek yogurt sweetened with a little bit of Torani. I think 1/2 cup has 3 or so carbs. Ever since I broke my stall, though, I'm so hesitant to add in ANYTHING that isn't strictly on the Induction list (except my stir-fry seasoning and soy sauce). Any thoughts? Should I try it but follow the 3 a week rule for a while to see if I stall?

Yogurt would be perfect. I love it, and I would be MUCH more likely to scoop some yogurt into a cup and add a little bit of sweetener rather than fry bacon, drain it, rinse the pan, melt the butter, fry the eggs, eat, and then clean up the pan and the grease. It's such a pain!

How to Manage Bacon: Bake your bacon. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Use a long shallow baking pan - as long as you can get. Line it with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick. Put as many pieces of bacon as you can fit in a single layer. It's okay to lay them very close together; they'll shrink.

Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil and seal edges around pan. Bake it for 10 minutes, check it...you may or may not want to turn it. Seal it back up and bake until it's as done as you like. Watch it carefully once it starts to crisp - don't wander off. It'll cook very quickly at this stage.

Remove bacon, drain on a paper-towel or napkin lined plate. Use what you want and pop the rest into a zip lock bag and refrigerate. Let the pan cool, as soon as the grease hardens, gather it up and throw it away.

You want bacon? Into the microwave for 30 seconds. I like a boiled egg and my own pre-cooked bacon for a quick, no mess breakfast. It's so much less expensive than pre-cooked packages; you get a few ounces for the same price you can get a pound. It's worth trying.

I've cooked bacon this way for years when I had to make breakfast for more than two people. Enjoy!

Thanks Sandy. I just got a pound of bacon so I might try that. Does it taste the same after it's been refrigerated? I'm really picky about tastes...I can hardly eat hamburgers or chicken after it's been in the fridge and reheated. It tastes weird to me.

The pre-cooked bag @ Sam's is about $9 for 72 slices of bacon (that's less than a pound, but it's cooked already). My local store has 2-1lb pkgs for $7. I'll have to see how many slices you get out of that. Do you know how many you get in the packages you buy? Pre-cooked and uncooked weights are way different, so it's a bit hard to compare cost b/c it's not really apples to apples. I'll definitely use this baking idea though if I buy uncooked. Thank you!

Hi there! Just checking in since I been busy for a few days. My pseudo-induction plan is going well. I love my food very simple, I eat alot of the same meals and it's working fine at the moment.

Interesting thoughts on bacon: I've wanted to add bacon to breakfast, but I sure don't want the mess that goes with it. Never thought about putting it in the microwave...must try this.

So glad it's Friday and so looking forward to the weekend! Been super busy at work and I am looking forward to a do-nothing weekend. :carrot:

Have a great OP weekend everyone!


Phoenix!

I don't know, Linsy, if you'd like the bacon after it's been refrigerated. I don't think it's as good as it is right off the stove or out of the oven, but nothing is that's been cooked and refrigerated...except our delicious Greek seasoned pot roast - that thing just gets better and better.

It's worth it to me to have bacon for salads, quick breakfasts, etc. without the messy clean-up.

Phoenix, I love making bacon in the microwave. Put it on a plate between two paper towels in one layer, and then cook it until it looks "right" (like cooked bacon). It will seem floppy and soggy at first, but let it sit out for a few minutes and it crisps right up. It's so much easier than making it on the stove, and with less of a mess.

Be careful though because I think I broke a plate doing this before. I'd suggest using a plate you don't really care about, or a paper one. :lol:

About the bacon.. I checked my local grocery store today (had to be there twice anyway) and the 1lb packs of bacon have 15-17 slices. My store had Oscar Mayer (regular, not thick-cut) for $6.19 per pack. I figure buying the Hormel pre-cooked for close to $9 is a better deal for me. I'm getting 72 pieces for $9. If I bought the pound uncooked bacon it would take 4 packs to equal up. I think the pre-cooked might be thinner, but that's okay with me.

Just food for thought !:) I cook it in the microwave for 45 - 50 seconds and voila!

Ok, so I came to post in order to avoid going off-plan. I'm snowed in unexpectedly without the foods I want in the house. Also TOM is making me really, really crave things I don't need. I've already had 2 mugs of tea in an effort to lose the cravings. I came here to tell you all that I'm struggling so that if I give in, I'll have to come back here and 'fess up. :) I don't think I'm really hungry. I'm just crampy and bored and lonely. So I'll try to keep that in mind and drink a bottle of water.

Sending lots of strength your way! I have been in your situation before, being snowed in unexpectedly. It was all fun and games for the first day or two, after that it was just annoying. Now I keep lots of coffee, canned tuna and chicken, etc just for those occasions. Get creative and see what you can find that is legal, you never know, you might create a wonderful new favorite snack!

For all of us who are struggling, snowed in, stuck at home, and keeping out of our windy, cold night...

:dust:

Hang in there, Elvish...I'm making one minute muffins tonight and watching trashy television. We're thinking of you! :)

Stay strong ladies! I can't imagine (I'm in FL and it's warm and sunny, sorry)...I could never live up north.

You've come this far..try to drink lots of water (and of course coffee and tea to stay warm). Maybe eggs and some tuna or canned chicken or something.. Try to stay full on veggies if you can't get more meat. Not sure what else to suggest. I'm sure it must be hard. I have a hard time even when I CAN go out and get more food! :)

Hello everyone: I have popped into the Atkins thread periodically. I am having trouble sticking to my woe. I don't always plan well enough, and sometime have to eat off plan, and then have bad carb cravings for a while afterward.
I also haven't really been able to lose weight except on induction. OWL doesn't work for me at all. So I do induction with extra veggies.
Lately I haven't been very excited about meal times, so will have to get out some recipes to get inspired.

Hello! This is my formal introduction to the forum :) I have been doing a low carb eating plan similar to induction for a little over a month and am down about 20 lbs! I was sort of making it up based on what I knew about Atkins from reading online and also knowing my body as I have been a yo-yo dieter for years. But I recently decided to purchase the book, because my health and *sexiness* lol, is worth the $11 I paid for it. So I have decided to stay on induction for a while longer to break through this mini stall i seem to be experiencing. 2 weeks at the same weight is so frustrating! Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. Happy Saturday everyone!

I said a month above... But I meant 2! I wish it was 20lbs a month!

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm happy to say that I made it through the night with minimal damage. I probably ate too much portion-wise, but at least they were "legal" foods.
Today, I made myself a BLT sandwich using the minute muffin. It was pretty good. But I'm a little confused about the muffin. Can we eat a whole muffin on induction? or just half?

Hi all. I plan on starting the induction Monday/Tuesday of this upcoming week. I have been planning on it awhile now but as it comes closer I am getting more hesitant. My husband lost over 130 lbs on it and went off of it for several months and is getting back on it after his big superbowl party. Besides superbowl party stuff we didn't buy anything carby for next week. I don't know what i'm so worried about. I keep telling myself I can do anything for two weeks and then move onto adding carbs after that. I know its slow but just having that to look forward to is great. I still haven't read the new book yet either and I really wanted to do that first too. But that's just another excuse I know the rules my husband did Atkins most of last year and the Atkins website has all the information I really need, I've even taken some of their 'classes'.

Rocki- Does Sam's have lots of good deals like that bacon for Atkins people? Like on chicken breasts and veggies? How is their produce? lettuce? Do they sell the Atkins bars there too? I've been debating on getting a Sam's card but its just my hubby and I so I thought stuff would go bad. He is currently unemployed and trying to get on disability so we are just on my income for now so anything that will help with groceries would be great!

I hope to post again soon with my progress!

Thanks!

Elizabeth, I'm the only consistent veggie eater in the house and rely almost completely on frozen vegetables. They're less of a hassle and you don't have to worry about them going bad.

I buy pretty much all my big meat and veggie purchases @ Sam's. They have huge frozen bags of any vegetable you need. Chicken is usually around $2/lb here and there are tons of lunch meats, bacon, sausages, etc. The produce is great and I buy lettuce, spinach, fruit (for kids, not eating it on induction), tomatoes, celery, everything. You can tell them you want to check the club out and they'll give you a day pass to check prices. Do that and see what you'd buy and decide if it's worth the cost of membership.
Also, I cut coupons for everything..I can't use them at Sam's, but just an added tip on saving money. If you don't use coupons, use them when you can! :)

Hi all. I plan on starting the induction Monday/Tuesday of this upcoming week. I have been planning on it awhile now but as it comes closer I am getting more hesitant. My husband lost over 130 lbs on it and went off of it for several months and is getting back on it after his big superbowl party. Besides superbowl party stuff we didn't buy anything carby for next week. I don't know what i'm so worried about. I keep telling myself I can do anything for two weeks and then move onto adding carbs after that. I know its slow but just having that to look forward to is great. I still haven't read the new book yet either and I really wanted to do that first too. But that's just another excuse I know the rules my husband did Atkins most of last year and the Atkins website has all the information I really need, I've even taken some of their 'classes'.

Rocki- Does Sam's have lots of good deals like that bacon for Atkins people? Like on chicken breasts and veggies? How is their produce? lettuce? Do they sell the Atkins bars there too? I've been debating on getting a Sam's card but its just my hubby and I so I thought stuff would go bad. He is currently unemployed and trying to get on disability so we are just on my income for now so anything that will help with groceries would be great!

I hope to post again soon with my progress!

Thanks!

I'm officially a stir-fry addict. I eat it every day. Chicken, mixed veggies, and soy sauce. What could be more delicious?

Linsy, those veggies are working for you! You're consistently losing and seem to be a happy girl with what you're eating. I've been eating more frozen veggies too because they're not a hassle and they're less expensive than fresh (depending on what you buy, of course).

Elvish, if you want the whole muffin, EAT IT UP! You're getting the protein you need from the egg, the fiber and good antioxidants from the flaxseed, the cinnamon's good for you, and minimal carbs. What's not to love? If you're using almond flour, half is probably a good idea. It may stall you. But if you're using flaxseed, eat all of your muffin if you like.

Fatmad, it's good to hear from you. I've been struggling through January and February too. Gained a little (or the awful scale switch showed me a higher weight) and lost a little...sort of see-saw, sort of stalled. Planning, as you know, is KEY on Atkins. I get really tired of thinking about it, planning it, shopping, prepping and cooking, but it's worth it. I shop on the weekend and cook on Sunday nights (chicken salad, a roast, a casserole, a big salad) so I have ready lunches and dinners until Wednesday or Thursday. That helps so much, even though I don't always want to do it.

I try to keep my goal in mind: to stop being fat, to wear the beautiful clothes I already own, to lower my blood pressure...the list is long. You can do it. Start posting with us again. I miss you. Take the time for yourself...you deserve the best.

Elizabeth, you've already made lots of progress. Give yourself credit for a great work in progress. Thinking about giving up carbs is like thinking about giving up your best friend. Remember that carbs are what created your situation and carbs will keep you there...you know that when you cut your carbs to Induction levels, you just won't want them anymore, except for the occasional devil on your shoulder. You can do it! :flame: (that's our fat burning on Atkins!)

Someone was looking for protein shake information and recipes. I found this thread on "Low Carb Friends." I'm thinking about trying some. I'm tired of cooking!

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lowcarb-recipe-help-suggestions/602914-great-american-low-carb-protein-shake-taste-test-thread.html

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I have had a ton of work to do (both homework and housework :)), and I've gotten some of it done. Sometimes you just have to prioritize and let things slide a bit. BUT, that being said, I have not let myself slide. I've been on induction for 9 days, I've lost a few pounds, and I'm taking care of my body.

Now that I've gotten the hang out things, I've got 2 new goals for the coming week. The first one is to get back in the gym at least 3 times this week. I've been out for I guess about 3 weeks now after hurting my back playing with my monster dog. My second goal is to pay more attention to how much I'm eating of the limited foods, such as cheese, cream, and splenda. In fact, I'm going to re-read the Induction section of the book to refresh my memory.

Have a fantastic week everyone, and keep up the good work!!

Sandi - LoL thanks for the welcome. I've been stuck between 195 and 199 since October but I've been crappy at calorie counting and hubby has been off atkins since this I kinda went off low carb then. I used to eat normal breakfast and lunch but dinner was always low carb.

Linsy - Yeah frozen veggies are the best! I love the steam bags but they are more expensive. Broccoli is my all time favorite veggie! :broc:

Rocky-Hrmm sounds like it could be a good investment. They had a really awesome coupon before Christmas, you would basically get a gift card for the price of your membership. But i didn't get around to doing it. :P I canceled my paper but there is an awesome site called coupon mom where she researches all the ads each week and crosses them with all the coupons and has links to the online coupon sites. I try to use them when I can. But things like meat and veggies don't usually have coupons that's why I am trying to find a good deal somewhere. Aldi's is probably my best bet but my hubby doesn't really like a lot of their food. I think its fine, but he's picky.

Superbowl party today! Then we are going to finish up leftovers and get back on induction! Yay!

Here's hoping I can BURN those last 50 some pounds! :flame:

I had one little chip with some onion dip...that is my superbowl indulgence :lol:. I have some chicken on the stove and I had some pepperoni and string cheese. I hope I can see 225 soon!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have some questions. You can stall if you don't eat ENOUGH, right? I think that's my problem. I'm not hungry. Because I can't have the treats I'm used to having, I have no desire to eat most of the time. I like the food I'm eating, but I'm not excited about it and I just don't really feel hungry. We had a Superbowl party and I had 3 chips and a few nuts. That is the only (off induction) bad stuff I had. I had my normal omelet in the AM and then nothing all day until the Superbowl party where I had some chicken wings (zero carb sauce), a few cashew, 3 chips and some cheese/tomato sauce (like 5 carbs). I had a ton of raw veggies in Ranch dressing and diet tea. That's it. I was up 1/2 a pound over the weekend and I barely went off plan and didn't eat much at all. What do you all think?

Also, the water makes a big difference, right? I KNOW I'm not drinking enough water. It's always been a diet downfall for me. That can cause you to not lose weight like you should ???

Any advice is greatly appreciated..One last thing..Constipation is always a problem for me dieting. I have taken fiber pills, internal cleansers and milk of magnesia..Nothing really works that great. It took me 3 days to "go" after I started the plan and I'm still not really "regular". Took fiber pills last night and still nothing..Any thoughts on that? Sorry TMI! :)

Hi Rocki, I am by no means an expert but I have done a lot of research over the years and found this information: If you don't eat enough, your body goes in to starvation mode and hangs on to fat to protect itself so it's important to eat regularily. If you increase your water intake and add higher fibre veggies in, it should help with constipation. I hope this helps :)

Yesterday, I had to force myself to eat lunch because I was not hungry as well as this morning, I forced myself to eat eggs.

I am on day 4 of induction but day 6 of eating 'healthy' and lost 9lbs. I plan to stay on induction for a while as I have a lot of weight to lose and I find it easy to follow.

We didn't have a superbowl party so I didn't have anything tempting around :D I think if we did, I would have fell off the wagon pretty quick :P it's too soon for me to have carbs in front of me and not be tempted to eat it even though I don't have sugar cravings anymore. I am one to eat it if it's there in front of me. Out of sight, out of mind.

Rocki - maybe its just cyclical water weight gain. or maybe the salt from the chips and nuts did the damage. as for needing to go, the one minute muffins do the job for me! lol

Dragonfly - great job on the 9 lbs!

Where is the recipe for the muffins??

Rocki - maybe its just cyclical water weight gain. or maybe the salt from the chips and nuts did the damage. as for needing to go, the one minute muffins do the job for me! lol

Dragonfly - great job on the 9 lbs!

Rocki- I have found that stool softener works best for me. I used to do fiber gummies alot (still do sometimes) but sometimes that would make it worse. Its usually then I take the stool softeners and within a day or two I can go (and its normal not runny or anything, I thought it would be when i first tried it) and then I continue to take them for a week just to 'make sure' then I seem to be back to normal. :) I haven't tried them with induction constipation, but I am hoping they do the trick then too.

Seems like we have tons of left overs from yesterday but I am out of carby breakfasts and lunches so I may be forced to start induction tomorrow. lol We shall see.

Rocki, flaxseed one minute muffins have improved my life! There are a couple of recipes on my "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread on this board. Low Carb Friends has a long thread devoted to OMM's.

They were a bit of an acquired taste for me, but the pumpkin-spiced ones spread with cream cheese were a revelation. I also really like the savory muffins.

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lowcarb-recipe-help-suggestions/497336-thank-you-4-1-minute-muffin-recipe.html

Going to PF Changs tonight for dinner (not my choice, sil in town and she picked the restaurant to meet at). So..I just printed the menu so I could see what has the fewest carbs...Not much there that's low in carbs that's for sure :(..a bit scared.

So excited.. Just bought my flaxmeal! WOOHOO..Question..It says 4 carbs for 2 tblsp..How do you count one of these muffins and how many do you have a day/week, etc..??

Rocki, flaxseed one minute muffins have improved my life! There are a couple of recipes on my "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread on this board. Low Carb Friends has a long thread devoted to OMM's.

They were a bit of an acquired taste for me, but the pumpkin-spiced ones spread with cream cheese were a revelation. I also really like the savory muffins.

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lowcarb-recipe-help-suggestions/497336-thank-you-4-1-minute-muffin-recipe.html

There's 4 carbs and 4 grams of fiber, which comes out to 0 net carbs. There's a little bit more than 0, though...I count the 1/4c of flax as 1 and the egg as 1 but there's probably less than that. I like to be on the safe side. They're not a specifically Induction friendly food by the book because of the large amount of flax, but many people eat them often without problems. I wouldn't eat more than 3 per week at first to see if they affect your weight loss.

Well, weight loss isn't as great as I hoped, so I'm not really sure what's affecting it right now anyway. I'll start easy and just make one later for a snack.

If you're not sure, you could always eat half (they're really big and filling) and then save half for the next day.

Ok, so I mentioned before that I'm participating in a community biggest loser contest. Well today was the week 1 weigh-in. I lost 6.6 lbs this week! I started Atkins 3 days before the contest started, so that brings me to a total of 8.6 lbs lost in ten days. I know that its mostly water and all, but 8 lbs is 8 lbs as far as my back and feet are concerned. And the psychological benefit of being out of the 300's is immense. And I also needed the confirmation that this plan is working. Its hard to convince myself that eating so much fat can be good for me.

Rocki - IMO the texture of the muffins is best when baked in the oven. Over the weekend, I made up batter for 3 muffins, and poured that into 6 cupcake cups. Baked at 350 for 15 minutes or so. I eat one of those a day, so it's actually half of one. Also, I picked up a tip from someone on the low carb friends board: They used 1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar in place of baking powder in order to avoid the extra carbs in the baking powder. Yes, the carbs are minimal in this recipe, but I say every little bit counts, ya know? Anyway, I just wanted to mention that if you do this, don't add the salt that the recipe calls for, bc the baking soda covers it, and that first batch I made with the salt was inedible. LOL

So does anyone know if the revolution rolls are induction friendly? I think I want to try those next, now that I've got the muffins memorized.

If you make those, don't try the rev rolls, try the oopsie rolls. They're supposedly an improved version of the rev roll. Yes, they're Induction friendly! I'd say they're even more Induction friendly than the one minute muffin.

http://blog.yourlighterside.com/2008/01/sailor-scouts-make-my-revol-oopsie.html

Man the headache is killing me. But I am loosing that craving for Carbs.

I am having trouble with what to eat for Snacks - any suggestions or do you mind sharing your FAVORITE snack?

When I want a snack, I usually go for a hard-boiled egg or two. Other ideas:

An ounce or two of fresh mozzarella with fresh basil, olive oil, and sea salt.

Tuna or chicken salad, scooped up with a celery stick

Nitrite free turkey lunchmeat, rolled up with a little goat cheese

Well, I am starting induction TODAY!!! I got a start weight but it is my time of the month so I am naturally up several pounds so I am unsure I should even count it. It would make my induction loss more impressive if i used it as my start weight though. lol

Anyway, here is what I've had so far and what I am planning for lunch and dinner:
Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled with real bacon bits and a sprinkle of shredded cheese (2.5 carbs if u count the egg carbs and a half a carb for the shredded cheese, i had less than a serving and serving says <1g)
snack - cheese stick (0 carbs)
Lunch - chunk light tuna in water (big can) with 2 tbsp light mayo (we are out of regular, so 2 carbs for the mayo)
Dinner - spinach salad with real bacon bits and ranch dressing (2.5 carbs) and chicken breasts and brocolli (3 carbs)

Total 10 carbs but i don't know how i will prepare things just yet and my serving sizes are estimates. Also I chew sugar free gum which if you subtract sugar alcohols its 0 carbs but if you dont it has carbs so I am unsure what to do there.

Thoughts on my menu?

Thank you!

Thanks, Linsy.

Summer - My current snack faves are a mozzarella stick with a few crisped pepperoni slices, and deviled eggs.

I feel kinda sick. Could that be just from breakfast and lunch being low carb or is this just a coincidental illness? My stomach feels kinda sick and I feel a bit dizzy. I have some nuts in my desk but I know nuts are induction safe. Hrmm.

I felt a little queasy and light-headed my first couple of days on induction, also. I think it was what I have seen termed "induction flu".

You might feel sick for a while. It should go away within a few days.

Well i still feel sick. Like I want to throw up but I'm a bit better.

I didn't follow my plan exactly. I had an atkins bar when I got home from work which i know is controversial but I still feel sick so i don't think it did too much damage to my adjustment. lol I also had boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts and lots of extra broccoli in an attempt to feel better. and I didn't have a salad just because the spinach looked bad.

I am still under 20 carbs even if I don't subtract sugar alcohols from my atkins bars at 19 total net carbs for the day. If I don't count the sugar alcohols I am at 9 net carbs. wowzers!

I just hope i feel better tomorrow. I put aside a chicken thigh and some broccoli for lunch tomorrow so hopefully that will be more satisfying than tuna and mayo. lol

I think I will use my weight from today as my start weight of 199.8, just know that I am naturally up during my time of the month, so a 4-5lb loss won't surprise me, if I get under 195 then I will start paying attention. :)

Thanks for the comments. I hope my "flu" goes away soon!

Hope everyone is doing well today. I'm so so. Finally was able to go to the potty (I know, TMI, but it has been 3 days). UGH! I didn't do good last night or dinner b/c I had 3 cookies and LoMein leftovers from PF Changs, along with a chocolate yogurt popsicle. I was up in weight this AM but that was expected.

I really feel like I should be losing more and it's frustrating. I get frustrated and quit really easily, so I'm struggling to keep going. I lost 6 pounds really quick and now have been waffling back and forth the same 2 lbs since last Friday. I have a 2-day work meeting next week and I had hoped to lose 10 lbs before that, but at the rate I'm going, that won't happen! :(

I'm on plan today. I had 1 egg, 4 pcs bacon, coffee w/cream and stevia and 1/2 a OMM w/cream cheese.

Keep up the good work ladies.

Well last night it was hard to sleep because i kept feeling like I was going to throw up. This morning I woke up feeling sick still but starving. The thought of eggs made me want to throw up even more though. So I had some bacon and a slice of cheese. I still felt sick but then I brushed my teeth and I am feeling somewhat better. It is just unnatural for me to eat this kind of stuff when I feel queasy. I am used to toast or crackers or something when my stomach is upset. Meanwhile, I am down to 197.6 which is somewhat surprising since generally my weight doesn't go down until AFTER aunt flow leaves and she's still here. But I know that's mainly water. I did drink alot of water last night. That seemed to help too.

Oh well. Here is hoping for a better day today!

I too have been feeling nauseated the past few days. It passes as the day goes on but my stomach turns when I think about eating eggs. I thought maybe it was my vitamins but it starts before I take them. I had 1 boiled egg this morning and it didn't go down very well. I meant to make scrambled eggs because I enjoy them more but forgot to.

I think my period is coming after 6.5 months because I have some spotting and I feel bloated :( I am in for a terrible weekend if thats the case. I am happy to have it but not after 6 months. Hopefully it will stay regular after this one. I am known to have extremely bad periods and have been hospitalized in the past so I am a little worried. At least I have a doctors appointment next Friday and he can get me back on the pill to keep it under control. (I have PCOS in case I forgot to mention it in my introduction)

13lbs lost in 8 days. I expect the weight loss to be slow in the coming days if my period starts.

Dragonfly-I have PCOS too. I am on metformin for it. I didn't take it today in case that was what was making me sick since the metformin is supposed to regulate insulin or something and if i wasn't eating carbs i might not need it.

I kind of cheated today. I was just feeling so sick i thought I'd try some almonds. I have raw almonds in my desk at work. I had 10 which is only one net carb but I know nuts aren't allowed in induction. That made me feel better for an hr or so but then I felt awful again. I had a cheese stick and my stomach complained. I'm now trying to eat my lunch (which is dinner leftovers). I am really trying to get through this but I don't know if i can do it. I constantly feel like I want to throw up and I'm hungry but all foods I can eat make me sick just thinking about them. i don't know what my problem is. I used to LOVE eggs, cheese, broccoli, chicken, bacon, etc. Now they are all hard to swallow. I thought Atkins would be perfect. :(

I just hope this passes soon.

Well last night it was hard to sleep because i kept feeling like I was going to throw up. This morning I woke up feeling sick still but starving. The thought of eggs made me want to throw up even more though. So I had some bacon and a slice of cheese. I still felt sick but then I brushed my teeth and I am feeling somewhat better. It is just unnatural for me to eat this kind of stuff when I feel queasy. I am used to toast or crackers or something when my stomach is upset. Meanwhile, I am down to 197.6 which is somewhat surprising since generally my weight doesn't go down until AFTER aunt flow leaves and she's still here. But I know that's mainly water. I did drink alot of water last night. That seemed to help too.

Oh well. Here is hoping for a better day today!


I went through the wanting to throw up phase too. Just stick with it, it gets better on day 3 or 4. I equated it to the withdrawals a drug addict might go through. It is a whole body experience to withdraw from carbs but once it is done you feel amazing! Don't cheat. The Atkins book says to have a small serving of berries if it is truly unbearable. Or makes sure your are getting enough salt.

Well, I am starting induction TODAY!!! I got a start weight but it is my time of the month so I am naturally up several pounds so I am unsure I should even count it. It would make my induction loss more impressive if i used it as my start weight though. lol

Anyway, here is what I've had so far and what I am planning for lunch and dinner:
Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled with real bacon bits and a sprinkle of shredded cheese (2.5 carbs if u count the egg carbs and a half a carb for the shredded cheese, i had less than a serving and serving says <1g)
snack - cheese stick (0 carbs)
Lunch - chunk light tuna in water (big can) with 2 tbsp light mayo (we are out of regular, so 2 carbs for the mayo)
Dinner - spinach salad with real bacon bits and ranch dressing (2.5 carbs) and chicken breasts and brocolli (3 carbs)

Total 10 carbs but i don't know how i will prepare things just yet and my serving sizes are estimates. Also I chew sugar free gum which if you subtract sugar alcohols its 0 carbs but if you dont it has carbs so I am unsure what to do there.

Thoughts on my menu?

Thank you!

I think you need more fat. Read the fat is your friend chapter again. It was hard for me to accept but slowly I am. Fat is your friend :)

I have been back on Induction since Monday. I feel great. Today I made turkey taco salad ... it was amazing!!! :) I started Atkins in 2008, lost 1/2 my weight, and am now back on Induction to lose the rest. :) Today in the mail I got the New Atkins book that was just published at the 2011 Calorie King carb and fat counter book (if you don't have one IT IS AWESOME!) So I am going to look over those tonight. I already feel like I have shed some weight... things are already looser. I was only doing about 120 carbs a day (unless it was football Sundays, because I had beer those days :) But then I watched it the rest of the week. I have fluctuated about 6-10 lbs in both directions, but never gained my weight back :) I can't weight for my first weigh in!

Have any of you tried the new atkins bars/shakes that say they are okay for induction? I talked to a friend who had success with them. The book says to limit them to two or less a day in induction. I got two free ones in the mail. I was craving some sugar yesterday and had the carmel nougat one. SO GOOD! Today I tried the peanut butter one, but ended up throwing it away. So gross. I bought some shakes today they were on sale at walmart. I bought the Royale and the Milk Chocolate (the milk chocolate actually is 6 shakes- 2 free and on sale for 5.46). We will see how those go. I am thinking that here and there, they will be good.

Just an idea, if you haven't looked into them. I know some warn against them, but I am going to trust atkins because it says they are induction friendly.

As for the nuts, I actually saw that the reason they are limited in the first two weeks is because many people can't control their portions in that first period. That's why after two weeks you can introduce them. I think that if you can get the 100 cal packs (the ones I have a 2 carbs) and limit yourself, you can probably do it. But to be safe, I am waiting till week 3!

Today:
Breakfast: turkey with cream cheese rolled up in it (i love the chive cream cheese)
Lunch: cheese stick and 1/2 portion of beef jerky
Dinner: Turkey taco salad (sooooooo good)

Snack will probably be sugar free jello... :)

Btw, if you haven't bought the latest book, it has GREAT recipes. It is also way more up to date with like soy and tofu stuff. I am going to purchase some almond milk and am pretty excited about it. The old book doesn't list any of this!

Happy low carbin!
kristin

I like the atkins bars....too much. They give me cravings so I'm not doing them. I do feel it is more important to eat real food instead of processed food even if it is low carb. For my sweet tooth I just discovered the recipe in the new book for the chocolate pudding like dessert. Super yummy!

I just got my new book and I want to try that! :) Good to know it's good. I have had a bar a day, and it helps my sweet tooth. Which I don't remember having before, lol.

I am not on metformin right now but I used to take it a few years ago. I am having a physical next week so I will probably be sent for a glucose tolerance test. I will be hesitant to start it now because I am losing weight and I no longer get the shakes and feel weak in between meals. I get bad side effects with it even when on a low carb diet. If my doctor wants me to take it, I will make a deal with him to stay off it for a few months then get retested to see where I am at.

Does anyone have any remedies for water retention besides drinking more water? I thought about green tea but the kind we have here at work has caffiene in it and I already had my one coffee this morning. I am up to 10 cups of water and I am barely going to the washroom :( I can feel my fingers swelling, scale hasn't moved either but I am on plan 100% besides my 1 cup of coffee.

CAMom-Which book are you referring too? I read one of the older ones at the library last year and I haven't read the new one yet. I have the first 20 pages or so 'previewed' on my nook but I haven't read it. I need to download all of it and read it. I do use butter alot at dinner.

CAMom - Yes totally drug withdrawals, that's how i have been trying to think of it too. I just hate my tummy feeling bad. It really makes me not want to cheat because I don't want to go back through this again and besides the 10 almonds I haven't cheated (Granted this is day 3...)

Chubbywifey-I too have been having an atkins bar per day which I know is bad and I need to stop not just because its processed but because those things are expensive! Congrats on your loss so far and for maintaining so well! That is awesome! The new book lists almond milk as okay?? I may have to try some of that. I will definitely be downloading the new book and reading it soon. :)

My queasy feeling has finally ended! Yay! I just have a headache today. I am not eating enough for breakfast and lunch so I'm just starving during the day at work. I need to add something more. I will figure that out this weekend i hope.

Last night I made the best dinner in forever! The chicken parmesan II recipe on genaw's site. SO YUMMY!!! I have leftovers today for lunch. I can't wait!

Net carbs for the Thursday = 11

I am down another 2.2 lbs putting me at 195.4 which is impressive because usually it takes a week or more to get back to 195-197 range and then it starts raising again (i have a stupid short cycle). I hope I get to move my ticker tomorrow! I didn't get any start measurements but I have my last measurements from a few months ago that I will compare to.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Dragon - drinking that much water and not using the restroom much make me worry about kidney problems. it could be caused from too much salt, though, too. caffeine is a diuretic and works for me. especially iced tea. :) You might also try soaking in the tub with bath salts and let osmosis pull some of the water out. I have never tried this myself for water retention, mind you, but it seems like it should work. Good luck!

ElizabethG, I'm glad you are feeling better. That "flu" is not fun!

Dragonfly, I know I really have to watch my salt intake. If I have too much I start swelling up like a balloon. When I started Atkins I was eating a lot of nitrite free hotdogs and canadian bacon. I had to stop eating that stuff altogether because there was just too much salt.

I have been watching my salt intake and I don't add salt to anything. I have not had any bacon or anything with high sodium in a few days. I will try the green tea to see if that opens the flood gates LOL! I feel fine other than bloating.

I may see if I can find some bath salts and try that too. If anything, it may relieve some cramps from my TOM.

Thanks for your help ladies!

I may see if I can find some bath salts and try that too. If anything, it may relieve some cramps from my TOM.


TOM, lol. Well there's the culprit. I feel like a sponge around that time. It's like I can feel my face blowing up like a marshmallow. Well, at least if the other remedies don't help, a couple of days should deflate you!

Wow, about the salt. I have to add salt to my diet or I get bad leg cramps. Our bodies are all so amazingly different.

So today's my birthday. Not that I like celebrating them anymore but the kids and husband want too. We are going to do it on Sunday since tomorrow is my 8 year olds first dance competition of the year and it will be a long long long did I mention long day. So anyway I have had a planned cheat meal for Sunday, I have been 100% on plan for 13 days and honestly I'm not so sure I want to do it now. We were going to have Chinese and some chocolate cake but I'm not feeling it at the moment. I weigh in on Monday's so I was planning to weigh in on Sunday instead, before the cheat meal. Normally I'd be dying to have a cheat but I so much enjoy how great I feel on induction that I don't want to lose that feeling.

Elizabeth - I read the new book. I know some people think only the books written by Dr. Atkins are good, but I really liked the book. It let's you have coffee :). And you can add nuts after the first 2 weeks. I added them after a few days because I don't have problems with them, I can eat my 22 almonds and be fine. They dont give me cravings and they keep things moving for me. I also really like finding your carb level. I haven't started that yet, am going to do another week or two in induction because I feel safe here. But it all makes sense that my carb threshold might be different than yours or someone elses.

Anyhow, get the book and read it. I downloaded it on my kindle and it was cheaper than the print book.

Very frustrated with no weight loss this week. No TOM or anything (that was last week) and I've been on plan. I cheated yesterday and today b/c I was frustrated. I was doing so well, but not losing. I don't know what to do. Ugh.

I made a couple of oopsie roll pizzas. They're divine! The oopsies got a little bit soggy but I'm not complaining. It reminds me of the sogginess of french bread pizza a little bit.

Induction, how I loathe thee. Potty issues, headache, generally tired. I can't wait for you to be done, and I'm only on day three. However, I need to clear all the lovely wheat products out of my system and get back on track. I will not miss you.

Rocki - have you used the ketone sticks to see if you're in ketosis?

Rocki - have you used the ketone sticks to see if you're in ketosis?

That's a good idea. Also are you measuring inches? At least measure your waist. Don't let a little water weight get you down....

I have been itching to make this post all day, and now I will. Today completed my first two weeks of induction. I've lost 10 lbs even, and a total of 4". I couldn't be more pleased. I just tried on a few pair of jeans that I couldn't wear last week. One pair fits perfect, and the other is too tight for public wear, but I can get them zipped now when I couldn't before. I just wanted to share, and I hope this is encouraging to anyone who is just starting out. This is the difference two weeks can make. :D

:broc:WTG Elvish!!!!!!Congrats!!!!:broc:
That is totally awesome!!! I hope I can say the same when I am done with my induction! Thank you for sharing!!! It's very encouraging!

Rocki- I agree with CAMom, Are you measuring yourself? Maybe you're losing inches instead of seeing the scale move. Plateaus can suck, don't let it take you off track or make you give up.

Linsy - What is an oopsie pizza???

I made hamburger broccoli alfredo tonight from the genaw site. It was pretty good it reminded me of hamburger helper beef stroganoff. lol I didn't have an atkins bar today but i did have a sugar free jello with a bit of whipped cream on top! yum! I am sitting at 18 carbs for the day according to daily plate, but Genaw's totals are lower than what daily plate come up with when i entered the ingredients so it might be less. Regardless I am not over 20 so that's good. And besides indigestion I'm feeling pretty good. :)

3 days done 11 to go! :goodvibes

Oopsie rolls are an Induction friendly bread replacement. I made a batch a few months ago and they didn't turn out because I didn't whip the whites enough. I decided to try again today and they turned out great! Here's the recipe: http://blog.yourlighterside.com/2008/01/sailor-scouts-make-my-revol-oopsie.html.
They'd be great as hamburger buns. You could even take two along to a fast food restaurant, order your favorite burger and use the oopsie rolls instead of the bun.

I made the pizzas by preparing the oopsies, and then topping them with pizza sauce (I make mine homemade using no-sugar added tomato sauce and seasonings), mozzarella, and pepperoni. I then put them under the broiler until the cheese was melted. Be careful, because the oopsies burn easily. I burnt mine a little bit around the edges doing this. You may be better off just baking them instead of putting them under the broiler. They're kinda hard to pick up with your hands so you'll probably have to eat them with a fork.

Linsy! Those sound awesome! I may try them tomorrow. I think I have some cream of tarter....hrmm. Thank you!!!!

Elizabeth you are doing great. Three days in, you will be down more before you know it! :) It isn't really bad to have the Atkins bars.... they are low carb and they do curb cravings. I think the issue is when people start eating them all the time. Yesterday I was in a big hurry and had a shake for the first time. They are sooooo good! And yes, almond and soy milk are in the new book! :) I am going to try it I think...have you had it before? And there are just waaaaaaaay more things listed than in the old book. There is some good induction deserts I really want to try them soon!

So today I weighed myself, I start induction monday... and now I am officially at the over 50 lbs lost. I am down to 165. So that 7 lbs lost since Monday. WAHOOOO! :)

I found a Paula Deen recipe for scrambled eggs with sour cream in them. I am going to try that and have some bacon here in a few ... we will see. If they are good, I will post them for you all.

Seems everyone is doing well! Congrats! :)

chubbywifey- Yeah I try to limit myself to one a day mainly because they are too darn expensive. I love the shakes too. We bought some for my hubby last year and he hated them but I adored them. They are better than Slim fast shakes and I'm weird I liked those too when I did that in the past. :) I think I will definitely download that book today on my nook and read it!

I GOT TO MOVE MY TICKER!!!!!
For the first time in 3-4 months I was able to move my ticker below 195! I weighed in at precisely 194 today! Yay! I also did my measurements and I had a few that were lower than my last ones I did in November at the 195.2 weight. I slept the morning away so I just had rollups for brunch. I bought some deluxe american cheese because its lower carb and it is so yummy! Better than plain old american cheese. I guess that's why its deluxe. I couldn't help but think what an awesome grilled cheese it would make. lol Oh well maybe later. :)

Hope everyone has a great day!

My scale moved today!! I am down a total of 15lbs since February 2 :D I am drinking green tea to help with water retention. It seems to be working :)

I looked at the bars a while ago and I believe it said on the back of the package that it had something like 15g of sugar even though the front of the package said 1 or 2g of carbs. I might be wrong though. I read somewhere that the bars are not good for induction even though the newer books says they are. But if they are working for you then great :)

I tried a batch of oopsie rolls last week, but mine didn't turn out either, and I also suspect my egg whites weren't stiff enough. I am an awful cook, but I watch the food network constantly, trying to improve my skills. And I know I've heard more than once that when baking with cream cheese it should be at room temp in order to mix well, so I'm going to try that too. My last batch tasted a little too "eggy" for me. So I'm going to try them again tonight or tomorrow. I've made myself a couple of pizzas using the flax muffins and they were sturdy enough to handle it. But I've been eating flax as a hot cereal replacement, and I don't want to overdo it on the flax.

Elizabeth - that broccoli alfredo sounds good. I can't believe this, but i've been coveting the box of hamburger helper in my cabinet. I mean, really? of all the foods I could crave, it's the helper. lol And you're past the 3 day hump now! That's great! It got a lot easier for me after that.

chubbywifey - that's such a great achievement! I can't wait for that 50 lb milestone! I'm glad to see soy and almond milk is allowed by the new book. I only have an older book, and soy milk opens up a lot of options for me. yay!

Dragonfly: the Atkins bars have sugar alcohols and I guess the new book doesn't count sugar alcohols. So they take carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols = net carbs Stuff with artificial sugars has sugar alcohol at least that's what I've found. I see it listed on my sugar free gum too.

Chubbywifey- I forgot to say CONGRATS for those 50 lbs!!! That is so awesome! I am 4 lbs away from my 50 lb mark too! Hopefully by the end of induction I can be there!

Elvish-I've been craving weird things too. Like a grilled cheese or saltines. :) I know once summer starts ice cream will be the hard thing for me. I adore ice cream and I tasted some of the hubby's low carb stuff last summer and it was disgusting to say the least so I am not looking forward to that, maybe i can find something real and yummy and work it into my carb count, by then I will be on phase 2 or maybe even 3! But yeah that alfredo thing reminded me of hamburger helper stroganoff more than alfredo. I hope its easier from here. It hasn't been too bad except the tummy issues.

Dragonfly - that is phenomenal! Congrats! I just looked at my box of bars I have stashed in the kitchen. It says that they are not suitable for phase 1. Those are the coconut ones. Don't know about the rest. I will say this though - I went crazy and ate 2 in one day when I first started induction, and they have a laxative effect. They are yummy though.

Elizabeth - I made myself some vanilla ice cream last week that was not perfectly induction friendly, but still low carb. It tasted like homemade ice cream to me, which I prefer over store bought stuff anytime. It was just heavy cream, splenda and vanilla. I used the ziploc bag method to make it. I had 1/2 cup of it (the 2002 book allows only 3 oz of cream and only 3 packets of splenda a day. that's why I say it's not induction friendly, unless you only eat 3 oz. but I have to admit I have probably not stayed below that on any day so far :() If you do find something that's better than that, please let us know!

Congratulations, February Induction, ladies! You've done so well. I've been reading the posts and have gotten lots of great ideas. You can make the best ice cream in America, Induction-friendly if you don't eat too much, if you get yourself a counter-top ice cream maker. Mine's from Williams Sonoma; I use the recipe from Atkins 2002 edition. It's delicious! I had to stop making it because I ate too much of it. Fortunately, I lost my craving for it.

I know what the book says, but I just cannot have sugar alcohols on induction at all, and have to limit splenda. If not I just stall, and have even gained with sugar alcohols. I am envious of those who can have that. I rarely spill even slight ketones even at strict induction levels. BUT, my blood sugars stay stable, and I have slowly lost weight over the last year, and I can stick to plan for the most part and eat well and healthy, and what the heck, its working overall.

It's great that the bars work for some. I am hesitant to have them because I know I will get the sugar cravings back. I have 1 packet of splenda a day in my morning coffee/tea.

Fantastic work everyone!! I am so happy to come here and have others who are doing the same thing as me. :D

Day 5 and its the first day my weight hasn't gone down, but i also haven't gone to the bathroom in a few days so i'm hoping that's why and besides I think I was getting spoiled with losing everyday.

Last night I really surprised myself. My hubby went off plan (he's still really sick i probably shouldn't have started this now but I was anxious to get started) and I wasn't tempted at all and it was chocolate and peanut butter! Two of my favorites. The thought of it didn't even sound appealing to me. I thought when i went to go buy it for him I'd be more tempted by the smell or whatever but surprisingly I had no desire for it! I would still love some cereal for breakfast but other than that I'm doing pretty good cravings wise.

I also read the first 51 pages of the new book yesterday. It's very interesting. I am a bit of a dork so I love all the research information. When the author wrote about how they have one chapter in the book for your doctor or if you feel like reading boring scientific journals I thought 'i do!' lol Also they keep talking about insulin resistance which I was diagnosed with last year (PCOS with IR).

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

I had a planned off-plan meal this morning. It was my valentine's day breakfast. I ate a biscuit with jam, carby coffee creamer, and a few bites of a pancake. It was fantastic, and I'm prepared for the stall. But I'm getting right back to it, and moving on. My next special occasion (special enough for me to plan to be off-plan) is not until June. I do consider this kind of a scientific experiment. I'm going to use the ketone strips every time I go potty to see exactly how much and how long that splurge is going to effect me. I'm also a dork. lol

Elizabeth - I have pcos, too, and this is the first plan that I've found to really work with me. It's like a dream come true!

I am so glad everyone is doing well!! :)

Today I made those scrambled eggs with sour cream for dinner and they were AMAZING! I really think you should try it :)

Going to sleep so I can get up and work out.

BTW, I am not missing sugar... I am missing alcohol though. And it's valentines.... great reason to drink, lol.

Hello induction peeps! This week has already been one of ups and downs (literally!)
I haven't seen the scale move very much at all lately. I have been retaining lots of water, and I haven't been good at drinking my water.

However, I've been on plan other than that, and I'm trying not to obsess over the scale, because I know for a fact my clothes fit better.

The good news is that my good cholesterol is up and my bad cholesterol is down! Yay! I credit this WOE completely. The last time I had it checked, I was on Nutrisystem (ugh.)

Well I went over carbs *i think* for the first time yesterday since starting induction. I say I think because I decided to make taco salad for dinner and I did not realize the taco seasoning had carbs! I am used to most of my other seasonings not having any carbs (mrs dash, seasoning salt, etc) So when I saw that afterwards I was surprised and I'm unsure how much of it I actually ate. If I ate 2 or less servings I am okay but if I ate more than that, I am over. I have already looked up lower carb homemade alternatives for next time. :)

I read the new Atkins book through phase 1 and then skipped ahead to eating out and recipes but it was making me too hungry so I had to quit. :)

The one 'problem' I saw is I am not eating enough veggie carbs. I mean I eat veggies I just eat low carb ones. Like 2-4 cups of romaine lettuce and then at least a cup (sometimes 2) of broccoli and/or cauliflower with dinner every night and sometimes some celery during the day. That just dosn't equal 12-15 g of carbs.

My weight is also up a little today, probably from those extra carbs. But again I learned in the book they say if you weigh everyday to average past few weights with current weight for a more accurate weight. So given that I am still down overall I guess. My hope is to reach 190 by the end of Induction. :)

Eggs didn't sound awful this morning so I ate them and they made me feel sick again. I don't know whats wrong with me. I used to love eggs.

After reading the book I think my plan is going to be to stay on induction but to add in nuts and seeds after the first two weeks. It says to do so at the end of the chapter on induction if you stay on it past 2 weeks.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!!

I had my planned off day for my birthday. It wasn't really an off day, just an off meal with birthday cake for dessert. It was really good but I jumped back on plan the next day. A few cravings and some terrible gas pains and a 1 lb gain that I all expected. Today I still have the 1 lb gain and I am out of ketosis, but I will be back soon. What was weird was strange was it took me a day and a half after that huge carb meal to be kicked out of ketosis. I thought it was quicker than that. Oh well. I know this pound won't go anywhere until I'm back in ketosis. .8 lb loss for the week. Would have bee 2 if not for that gain.

I'm officially at less than 100lbs to go until goal! :yay:
Happy Valentine's Day!

Glad everyone is doing well. I'm not totally off yet. I haven't been eating on plan, but I do have a house full of food that is good for me and ready for me to eat! :) I will be out of town 2 days this week and next and I know I'm not going to stay on program. My girl's birthday party is February 26. I know I shouldn't wait, but I also know myself and that I won't be good while I'm out of town or at the b-day party. I plan on eating sensibly until the end of the month and getting back on induction on March 1 or 2. The bday party is 2/26, family in town 2/27, hubby's bday 2/28 and oldest daughter's bday 3/1. Ugh..after all that I have no plans for anything special until the end of April (Spring Break and don't think we're even doing anything, but might have some day trips to Sea World or Busch Gardens).

I'll keep checking in here to stay motivated and get more recipes and tips for the program. I have the new book I need to take back to the library soon so I might just try to find one in a used book store this week. I am running 3 days per week, doing the Couch to 5K program and it's going really well. I ran for a total of 16 minutes today (walking in between 3 and 5 minute runs). If I can keep that up I should be able to at least maintain through all the parties and stuff.. I wish I knew where my will power went to! I lost almost 50 lbs 3 years ago and kept it off for over 2 years. I just can't figure out how to stick to anything anymore.

Happy belated birthday CAMom!

Congrats on under 100 lbs left to lose and those first 56 lbs gone!!! Wow! Great job!

Meanwhile, I think the MIM saved my diet. lol Yesterday I was having such problems. At work I am just so hungry all the time because people are constantly making popcorn, garlic bread, yummy lunches, etc. Not to mention Quaker Oats has a factory in my town and on the days they make Crunch Berries the entire town smells of crunch berries and it did yesterday. ugh. Such a heavenly smell, but makes me want them bad. I wanted to cheat but i luckily didn't really have anything to cheat with, though I did probably eat more cheese than i should have since it was the only thing that looked remotely good to me. Had rotel chicken for dinner so that wasn't bad. Anyway, I've tried various breakfasts and all leave me feeling sick or still hungry. I am used to stuff like a few cups of cheerios, pb toast or real oatmeal. So today I was looking in my cabinets and found some oatmeal and I was so tempted but then I thought, no i will try a MiM. I tried one last year when hubby was on the diet and i thought they were blah. But I don't know if its because I haven't had bread in a week or my slight tweak on the recipe (more cinnamon and butter..i remembered it sticking before too). But it was divine. Best breakfast in a long time and I just had it plain (i was never much for spreads on my bread, as i've said before my diet before was very bland lol).

Weight is still in 198s, kind of frustrating but since I've been teetering at my plan the past couple days I guess its understandable. The first 5 lbs were all just water now its real fat loss so its going to be slower.

Meanwhile how do you know you are in ketosis without having those sticks? lol :)

Yay for MiMs!

Happy Birthday, CAMom! I had an off meal for v-day, and I experienced the same gas pains afterward, only I was NOT expecting it. Wow! That was enough to keep me honest for a while. lol it took me about 9 hours or so to be kicked out of ketosis. and i was back in again at a lower level about 12 hours later. its been 2 days now though, and i haven't reached the high level of ketones that i was at before that meal.

Great job, Linsy!!

Rocki - Great job on the C25K!

Elizabeth - in ketosis I feel very, very thirsty, and I urinate more than usual. according to the book you will get a sickly sweet breath. i haven't noticed that, and my BF hasn't either. as far as the sticks, if you can get them, i think its worth it. i got mine at walmart. they had 50 for $6.59 and 100 for $10.99. if you only use one a day, they works out to be pretty cheap. I didn't use them for the first 2 weeks, but now I find the validation they give to be very encouraging. Especially since right now, i'm retaining water and showing no loss. but i know the sticks are turning and that keeps me sane. :) those MiM are gold! I have tried to make the oopsie rolls over and over, and I just can't get them to turn out. but the MiM are there for me every time!

Elvish-I will have to look for those sticks. I didnt know they were so cheap. Meanwhile I have been urinating alot more (it even wakes me up that has never happened to me before) than usual. I haven't noticed any breath things but i chew gum at work alot to keep me from partaking in all the yummy things.

Speaking of which a vendor brought lunch today and I didn't take any and said no thank you but when it was over she brought me a plate and told me to take it home! I said no thank you again, but I guess I will take it to my husband. It is a jimmy johns sub, chips and a huge cookie. The cookie is the only thing that looks remotely good to me but i doubt it would be worth it so its sitting in my lunch box ready to go home.

I had a fabulously yummy spinach/cheese/bacon bits/hard boiled egg/ranch salad ever for lunch! Good thing too because had it sucked I might have given in to the cookie or sandwich or all of the above. :)

its been 2 days now though, and i haven't reached the high level of ketones that i was at before that meal.

Elvish, do you see a correlation between how high your keytone levels are and your losses?

I ask because I've seen my ketone levels go up and down for no apparent reason. I read somewhere that the levels don't really matter; even trace ketones mean ketosis.

I've also read that really high levels of ketones indicates dehydration.

I had an Atkins bar and a few pieces of sugar-free candy last night, it seems to have brought on cravings! I don't usually get cravings so that's strange. I'm limiting myself to 1 treat per week and I since I already had my treat last night I'm resisting the urge.

Hello all,
From all the posts it seems like most are doing really well! CONGRATS! :)

I am baking a low carb pizza! The crust is made with heavy whipping cream, eggs, cream cheese and parm cheese. we will see how this goes. If it is good, I will send you guys the recipe. I am pretty excited!

This is my 8th day back on induction. So far, so good. I am trying lots more recipes this time. I am excited, as I have said, to finish the goal I started years ago. It was fine moving into maintenance then because I felt good where I was. So far 9.5 lbs down in 8 days. It's been hard to work out though, because I have been sick :( Which sucks. I can't wait to finish this goal AAAAAH I would really like to be down 12-15 more by March 17, that is my 29th birthday :)

As far as the breathe... I have noticed that. Especially because I am a college professor, and when I lecture and my mouth gets dry its even worse! I have noticed if I am drinking a lot, I don't notice it .. but if not yikes, it's weird. I forgot about this from last time!

As far as the bars/shakes... again, I think that if you have a sweet tooth, they are a bad idea. But I didn't really have much of a sweet tooth (aside from gummy worms) before ... so having one bar or shake a day isn't hurting me at all. It's strange because they were NOT okay last time I did induction. But, again, so far so good.

I am really playing with recipes more this time, and loving it. :)

Hope everyone is doing great!

I've never really had a sweet tooth, so I have no idea why the candy caused me to crave. It didn't really make me crave other things, it just made me want more candy/a bar because it tasted so good. I ended up eating the bar and it was delicious.

I have 2 left, and I want to save them for my flight in 2 weeks so I can eat them on the plane. I hate dealing with food at airports. I get so paranoid that I'll miss my flight (even if my layover is like an hour) that I find my gate and just stay there, lol.

OMG Low Carb PIZZA! :)

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=925417

There is the recipe. SO amazing. You must try :)

I get the bad breath. Thank goodness for sugar free gum! I second buying the sticks and testing for ketosis, but I'm a pee on a stick kind of. Girl I guess, should have seen me when I was trying to get pregnant! Lol.

I had to get some Atkins bars today. I have to have another choice for breakfast than eggs. I like eggs but every day is too much. Also some mornings I need it to be really quick. I made some almond flour crackers to put peanut butter on and. I am going to try a flax meal flat bread recipe today too. This might work for quick breakfasts. I will be fine too when I add yogurt back in and maybe some berries but I am doing another week of induction (plus nuts) because of my cheat birthday meal. Next week I am going to add a few more carbs and see how I do.

One thing I think I have discovered is I am sensitive or allergic or something to wheat. Who knew? I have IBS and for the first time in 20 years it isn't bothering me. I also had bleeding gums which are now completely gone. I am not going to be eating wheat products again for a long time.

CAMom, I used to have very loud stomach noises before I ate low carb. Another poster who used to come around here mentioned that I could be sensitive to wheat. I seem to be okay when I eat low carb tortillas and whole wheat bread, though, so maybe the loud stomach was just a result of years of overstuffing myself. Eating low carb does great things!

I'm glad you found a solution to your problem, It's almost my birthday as well, and I'm having a very small "cheat"...a homemade sugar-free carrot cake made with fresh carrots and cream cheese frosting. It's still on-plan, but the cake is more of an OWL or maintenance food so I'm planning on going over my carbs a little bit. I can't wait!

Elvish, do you see a correlation between how high your keytone levels are and your losses?

I ask because I've seen my ketone levels go up and down for no apparent reason. I read somewhere that the levels don't really matter; even trace ketones mean ketosis.

I've also read that really high levels of ketones indicates dehydration.

I haven't been using the strips long enough to see a correlation yet. You are absolutely correct about high levels sometimes being a sign of dehydration. My understanding is that if you have been drinking a lot, then your urine is diluted so you might show lower levels of ketones throughout the day than you would first thing in the morning. I think of it like a pregnancy test, and consider the first thing in the morning the most accurate time to check.

That being said, even when I turned the stick as dark as it would go, I was (and still am) drinking between 10-12 cups of water a day, so I'm trusting that in that instance it was truly a high reading.

I do wonder though if there might be a correlation between weight and the level of ketones. For example, since I am at a very high weight, it makes sense to me that I might be burning fat and throwing off ketones at a faster rate than someone who is only slightly or moderately overweight. In any case, I am satisfied to have any reading at all. :)

I baked a batch of the flax muffins (6 muffins, 3 servings) and they gold moldy fast. Pretty disappointed, but I thought I'd mention it b/c I thought they were safe in my container. I guess I should have kept them in the fridge..oops~! Running my 2nd day of week 4 in my couch to 5K tomorrow. Woohoo.. Unfortunately I am right back where I was 2.5 weeks ago weight wise. 159 again. Quite upset at myself and really wondering why I am having such a hard time this go round. I gain super fast and don't lose fast at all. I've gained 20 pounds since October. I have been up and down the same 20 pounds over and over again since May of last year! :(

I baked a batch of the flax muffins (6 muffins, 3 servings) and they gold moldy fast. Pretty disappointed, but I thought I'd mention it b/c I thought they were safe in my container. I guess I should have kept them in the fridge..oops~! Running my 2nd day of week 4 in my couch to 5K tomorrow. Woohoo.. Unfortunately I am right back where I was 2.5 weeks ago weight wise. 159 again. Quite upset at myself and really wondering why I am having such a hard time this go round. I gain super fast and don't lose fast at all. I've gained 20 pounds since October. I have been up and down the same 20 pounds over and over again since May of last year! :(

Yeah, you have to refrigerate these guys since they don't have all the fun preservatives that are in packaged food. I know exactly how you feel about dealing with the same pounds over and over. I'm up 5 whole pounds just since Friday. :( I know it must be water weight, but its disheartening nonetheless.

I know it may not seem like it from your perspective, but from mine, 159 is not a bad place to start over from. Just hang in there! You'll make it!

Thank you! I know you're right..159 isn't bad. BUT I started @ 172, got down to 124 and now am back up to 159. Just disheartening to do it over again. I can't imagine how hard it is to lose the weight you're losing, so I commend you for your efforts and your perseverance!! :) Thank you for the reality check. Just difficult knowing I've done it already and have to do it again b/c I got lazy! :(


Yeah, you have to refrigerate these guys since they don't have all the fun preservatives that are in packaged food. I know exactly how you feel about dealing with the same pounds over and over. I'm up 5 whole pounds just since Friday. :( I know it must be water weight, but its disheartening nonetheless.

I know it may not seem like it from your perspective, but from mine, 159 is not a bad place to start over from. Just hang in there! You'll make it!

CAMom- I know what you mean about being a pee on a stick, my hubby and I have been TTC for almost 3 years now, we will surely need some sort of fertility treatment to get pregnant but with his health issues its kind of 'on hold' for now (i've only ever seen one positive opk and never a positive hpt). I got some atkins bars last night too I have them for an 'after work' snack but I haven't had them the past few days so I guess that's a good sign. My favorite are the chocolate peanut butter ones but they were out last night so i am going to try the chocolate chip cookie dough ones. :) Meanwhile I find it interesting that your IBS is better. I have found I have MORE stomach issues so far on atkins but I think I'm finally adjusting. I used to just eat very bland or sweet and high carb before and that seemed to help. My stomach doesnt like me when i just eat meat i need veggies or something with it to make it not hurt it seems.

Rocki - Congrats on the C25k! I know what you mean on being disheartened about regaining weight. I've lost and gained weight my entire life. I am hoping this will be the last time I have to lose this much! I never want to see over 200 again!!! (and yes I would take 159 myself but i remember being that weight in college and thinking about how fat i was but now i'd take it, its still overweight for my height but closer to a healthy weight than i am now!) Meanwhile how did you bake the muffins? were they just the mim recipe? I like my mims nice and warm though so I don't know if i'd like them refridgerated but that would save me a few minutes in the morning if I made them a few days in advance.

I think I found a good food 'routine' that agrees with my tummy. I love my mims and they only take a few minutes to make so I make that for breakfast, then for lunch a spinach salad (that was sooo good yesterday) and then for dinner something yummy and homemade i never had issues with dinner. I actually make better dinners now than when I ate high carb. I used to use pre-packaged stuff most nights then once or twice a week I would make something 'from scratch' so to speak and now I do it nightly. I know i need to come up with some faster stuff though for nights when i have 0 desire to cook. My husband can cook very well but with his health issues he can't do anything right now. :(

Meanwhile, I seriously need a haircut. My last one was in October. I can't really afford to go to my stylist though, she's not insanely expensive (~30 bucks) but enough where its been detering me and I dont really want to go to a cheaper place just because she always does such an awesome job and I have great hair for a month or so and then I start to need a cut again but put it off until it gets unmangeable. I am thinking of setting a goal so i can 'earn' the hair cut. What do you girls think the goal should be? Completing induction or getting weight to 189 or something (out of 190s type of deal) or something else? I would love to wait til my 174 goal but I'd be living in pony tails if i did that. lol Thanks!

I just tried a muffin in a minute and they are incredible! The options for me know are endless... Use them for sandwhiches, toast, muffins, garlic bread. Breakfast!! Much better than Atkins bar, much fewer ingredients and no strange chemicals!!!

I cannot turn my ketosticks dark purple anymore :(. I know it doesn't really matter and as long as you turn them any color you are in ketosis. But ever since my bday treat, I have not been purple, only pink. Oh well.

Elizabeth, set a goal that you can achieve but not too hard that you get frustrated. I just got my haircut and colored today. At 42 it is not an option for me not to get it done... Haha... Too many Norwegian blondes in there. I'm not good about setting goals, I should set some though. I would really like to not wear plus sizes. That is my goal :)

Elizabeth, set a goal that you can achieve but not too hard that you get frustrated. I just got my haircut and colored today. At 42 it is not an option for me not to get it done... Haha... Too many Norwegian blondes in there. I'm not good about setting goals, I should set some though. I would really like to not wear plus sizes. That is my goal :)

Ha! I color my hair too but i do it myself. I've had white (not grey) hair since high school, it used to be just a little now its a lot. I'm only 30 and I'm probably close to 50% white and my natural hair color is black so it really shows. I use Revlon ColorSilk to cover it once a month it's only 2.50 on sale, has no immonia and is the only thing that covers that WHITE completely and doesn't fade. I used to get stuff at Sally's and that works well too but Color silk is cheaper i just use my own brush and have my own gloves on hand bc theirs suck. My stylist is like over 100 if I get my hair cut colored and styled. Looks great but too pricey for me!

Not wearing plus is a great goal. I'm in between myself now. I can wear a 14/16 and an XL for the most part but 1x still fit so I can kinda shop in both sections which is kind of nice for selection lol Not that I need to shop. I have a lot of clothes left that are in decent condition in the 10-12 range (and a few 8s). I really want to get to that size just because i have some really cute clothes that size. lol

Checking in from my business trip to south FL. Of course I was off plan today, but I DID do my running. I actually ran outside today which was totally new for me (usually do treadmill at the gym) and I made it without stopping. It was hard, but I did it. I can't wait to be running in a thinner body. I know it would be SO much better!

Elizabeth..sorry to hear about your problems TTC and your hubby's health issues. I hope things get better soon. I understand needing to get your hair done! I get mine permanently straightened and highlighted. I haven't had the highlights done since July and I haven't had the straightening since December 2009! UGH! It's getting totally unbearable at times and the color is just yuck. I have a lot of gray, but it blends well with the highlights. Now that my roots are all brown the gray is coming out more and it just looks drab. But, like you, I can't spend that kind of money right now. The straightening is insanely expensive and the coloring isn't cheap either!
Oh, as for the muffins..I mixed up enough for 3 muffins and put them in a 6 muffin pan so I made 6 smaller portions. Bake at 250 for 13-15 minutes. Someone else here posted that a few pages back. It worked out great. I just need to refrigerate them next time. What a waste that was. Luckily I bought a 2lb bag of flax meal, so I have plenty still! :)
Keep up the great work ladies!

horrible.day.

I feel sick again. I awoke at 4:30 from my husband pushing at me saying he thought he broke his hand. I said 'can u move ur fingers?' he said yes, i said its not broken then. But he said he hadnt been able to sleep. Apparently when pushing himself up out of a chair last night it started hurting badly. And for him to say something hurts badly it must really hurt because with his psoriatic arthritis he averages like a 10 or 12 out of a 10 point scale on a daily basis. So I said well do u want to try some medicine to see if that helps, but then he had me feel it and it did feel like something was poking up out of his hand so I said okay i will get up. Upon standing I immediately felt sick like i was going to throw up and/or faint at once I had to go down to the floor (i am an easy fainter so I know what to do). I know i went white and clammy but i dont think I went out. Dressed myself and him in a daze and got us out the door forgetting to grab a diet coke or an atkins bar or anything. So at ER I kept almost fainting too so i went to the cafeteria for a drink and something to eat and it wasnt open so i just got a soda and was trying to find something okay in the vending machine. Finding nothing I got a nutragrain bar, but I didnt eat it. By the time I got back to the room the xrays had gotten back and he did NOT have a broken bone the doctor wasn't sure what it was, possibly a ligament and told him to follow up with his rheumatologist.

So I went home and made my mim. Still feeling sick. I felt like calling into work or at least a half day I was so tired but I went in anyway. I have now had lunch (leftovers) and still feel sick. I'm out of it and indigestion and stomach issues are just going to be the end of me on this diet. I know its supposed to go away but ugh. Also my weight is staying about the same. A few days ago at night it said i was 193.4 but then by morning it was 194.something then today it was 195.6! I know its just water but its frustrating to be so sick and weighing the same as what I did calorie counting. I am thinking of going to the doctor to see what he has to say. I have to see him anyway before getting a refill for one of my prescriptions. I can ask if Atkins is what is causing my stomach issues or not. I really just want some milk or saltines or something. :P I hope I stay on plan tonight.

Okay. that was probably all TMI but i had to vent. back to work with me.

hope everyone else is having a good day!

Ok you all keep talking about these mims... i am going to get some baking powder and try these asap pronto!

Mims rock. Dh and I had this morning and it kept me full til lunch. However I would like some sf jam on them but not ready to add that yet.

Elizabeth, could you have gall stones? This diet will aggravate gout and gall stones if you have either. If I were you, I would raise my carbs to between 50 and 100 grams and see if you feel better. If that works then slowly try lowering them from that point. If you can't get below a level then count calories and carbs. Also, the usual - are you drinking enough water and eating enough salt? I get dizzy if I don't get enough of either and feel faint. Three things you need plenty of on Atkins are calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Doing good on plan! Love that I rarely feel hungry and have zero cravings :)

CAMom - I don't have gout or gallstones that I know of, I will look that up. As for sodium according to daily plate i always go over (they want me to have like 2200mg per day) though the majority of it is from the evening. As for drinking water I am heavy on the diet coke side (which I know isnt technically atkins friendly but its my one vice lol and I know this could cause stomach issues too, i really need to cut back. i have 2-3 cans per day at work only 1 per day on weekends) during the day but I drink water all night at home. Also i take a daily vitamin but I dont always take it. I get sick when I take vitamins, I have to have it at night after dinner or I want to throw it up, actually it makes me feel kinda like what I do now. I sometimes forget to take it at night. So I could be low on vitamins too. Also I have been using alot more spices in my food. I ate very bland before now i am seasoning everything because I am following a recipe or am just trying to make something more flavorful. Maybe i will make something bland tonight but still on plan to see if that helps. Also it could be beef. I always feel worse after eating ground beef (dinner last night was beef as were the leftovers today at lunch). Chicken days I don't usually feel as sick if at all. I was never a big beef eater before either. I always preferred chicken/turkey/pork. So lots of changes for me, could be lots of things I guess. Thanks for the reply!

It's my 19th birthday! I'm having a bit of a splurge...gluten-free pizza from an Italian restaurant, a diet coke and a slice of sugar-free carrot cake for dessert. The carrot cake isn't really on plan because it has raisins and applesauce, but it's much healthier than a cake made with flour and real sugar. I'm also not sure about the pizza crust because it might have been made with rice flour or something which isn't on plan either. I'm definitely going to be far over Induction level carbs today but that's okay. Birthdays only come once a year.

Hi everyone! Still plugging along on my third week of induction. I am down 17lbs so the weight loss has slowed but I am fine with it, I am still in ketosis. I am getting a little bored so I am searching for more ideas before I 'fall off the wagon' lol. I am not hungry in between meals, just finding I am in a rut and fear that I may want to eat something I'm not supposed to. I've added olives and an occasional half of an avocado.

I am trying the low carb pizza recipe tomorrow night, it looks delicious! And I will make the heroin wings on the weekend.

Dragonfly, are you trying the one I sent out? Here is a tip--- do not try to reheat it, it's gross, lol.

And I made MIMS for the first time. OMG so good! I am thinking, take away cinnamon and add some garlic powder or some cheese? what variations do ya'll use?


And dragonfly 17 is great!
Linsy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :)
Elizabeth, get to feeling better!

Besides MIMs i made turkey meatballs (sooo good, i ate these on all phases before) and I made this low carb "cheesecake" no crust. Here is the recipe. SO YUM :)

12 oz cream cheese, soft
4 packets of splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Heavy cream

Combine cream cheese, splenda and vanilla in a bowl and mix well
beat the cream until it has soft peaks
fold the cream into the cheese mixture
but in a class bowl and chill for 25 minutes
can be refrigerated for 2 days.

serves 6- each a 3 carb serving. more if you add berries.


Ok, well off to watch idol and crash. my mono is just killing me!!! i need sleep.

Happy Birthday, Linsy!

Awesome on the 17 lbs, Dragon!

Tomorrow will complete my 3rd full week on Induction, and I can't tell what my weight is at all. My weight has changed daily by several lbs. I can't tell if I've lost or gained! I hope it works itself out by Tuesday ,though, because that is my weigh in day for the biggest loser contest I'm in. I'm not sure if this is due to mid-cycle hormones, or the fact that I ate a biscuit on Sunday and I ate a small serving of potato salad last night. I ate it because it was served to me, and I was just talking and eating without thinking. I ate half before I remembered that I shouldn't eat it. Next time, I'm going to remove all contraband from my plate before I even begin my meal. :)

I had a lot of problems this week, mostly due to a lack of planning. I went to bed way too late Sunday night, and without preparing things for the week. Every time I do that, I feel off the entire week. This weekend I'm going to try and prepare some food for the week. My schedule is just really starting to stress me out, and I need to make things as easy as possible on myself food-wise, so I don't fall off the wagon.

Yes I am trying the recipe posted here :) I am not sure if I should make 1 or 2....my DH fell off the wagon so he may eat lots lol. He is struggling because he never followed the induction rules so he didn't get in to ketosis. He's been eating what he wants at work and eating what I eat at home. He has lost weight but is very hungry. I told him I would help him this weekend to get the basics down so he will be in ketosis by Monday, then he will feel better.

I have disc degenerative disease and the past few months have been painful. It wasn't caused by my weight but I know my weight doesn't help. I now have minimal pain in my back :) it's amazing how Atkins relieves other issues. I am sleeping way better too.

Happy Belated Birthday Linsy! :goodvibes

Dragonfly-17 lbs in 3 weeks is awesome! Congrats!

I am here to confess. I cheated last night. big time. I got a milkshake after work and it made me feel sooo much better. I know a glass of milk would have probably done the same thing to settle my stomach and throat but that wouldn't have been as yummy. lol Anyway I immediately felt better. I also had a grilled cheese for dinner but it was kinda nasty because the only bread I had was white because that's what my husband likes and I hate white bread. bleh. I'm a multi-grain wheat bread girl. lol I feel alot better today though. No stomach issues at all.

I am back on plan with a Mim for breakfast and a spinach salad for lunch and i'm planning on pork chops for dinner. I'm going to keep tracking when I feel bad. So far eggs, beef and spices seem to be the biggest culprits. And perhaps diet coke on a low carb diet in general (i think it might just make it worse when the above items are bothering me). I am going to try and cut down my diet coke habit. That should save money too since I only like Diet Coke not diet pepsi or diet generic soda of any type. I only brought 2 with me to work today so the third isnt even an option (not that I always get to it).

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Here's to staying on track this weekend! :D

ElizabethG, great job with getting right back on the horse! That certainly isn't easy to do.

I wonder if it is carbs or something else about the milkshake that made you feel so much better so quickly? If you feel better because the milk coats your stomach, I wonder if drinking a couple of tablespoons of cream mixed with some water might help? Just a thought.

I hope you continue to feel well. :)

Hi all :)

So i guess i will join in now and introduce myself too :D I have been trying to lose weight starting January-I was going to gym 5 days in a week & eating super healthy. But there was literally NO weight change!!
Then i decided to start atkins-my cousin lost a lot of weight on that & she is my inspiration!! So I must be eating something I wasn't supposed to, because thats why I had no weight change-even after burning about 600 calories per day :(

But then i decided to follow a strict plan, rather than my "own version of healthy food".
Today is my third day on induction!! (no cheating yet, *phew* boy thats hard). Day one went ok, yesterday was HORRIBLE!! My mom cooks AMAZING FOOD! n no its not low carb friendly at all. If I wasn't living at home--i wouldn't worry about it. But her cooking so much good food & me sticking to Atkins was super hard yesterday :(
I'm not gonna tell her not to cook that food bcz its still healthy and other ppl at home can still eat that :)

But anyways, I did complete yesterday too-with major headaches and dizziness. Could be because after breakfast & snacks I went to gym and burned 650 calories without eating that much =/ Eh, it wasn't all that bad i guess! lol I know i need to stick to the plan No matter what!! :)

One food that makes me extremely happy is WINGS!! I got Foster Farms, Hot & spicy wings (frozen one)! They only have 1g carb in about 3 pieces of wings! *I hope they are acceptable??* I add about 1 wing to my dinner-won't go over 3 wings per day!

Also, I haven't had any diet soda in past 2 days. Actually Soda is the main reason for my weight gain-I dislike diet sodas, love regular soda.. so i used to drink it ALOT daily. n VOILA.. lol.
But i know if i can add 1 glass of diet pepsi (no carb one), i will feel ALOT better. Do you guys think would it go against the atkins (it said its acceptable in induction phase) or it won't have any affect on me?

Thank you!! <3

P.s.: the mint chocolate chip sugar free gum from EXTRA is AMAZING!! :)

Feelingthin-welcome!! are you feeling better today? I usually feel much better on day 3 of induction. Diet soft drinks can stall weight loss so I would recommend not drinking it but that's up to you. The book states that aspartame is not recommended. There are a few here who drink it and are doing fine. Time will tell if it affects you :)

The scale was teetering between 271-270lbs this morning so I will wait for tomorrow's weight to change it :) I can't wait for my ticker!! Should be sometime next week. Almost at my first goal!! :D

I cant wait for my ticker either! I am still doing good except leg cramps - ouch! I need to take more potassium. I plug my food into fitday and every day I'm short on potassium by 50 %. It just upsets my stomach so I'll have to take it at night along with my multivit.

I can't keep my carbs under 20 so I am keeping them under 30. I guess that means I ve moved into OWL? I still have not moved up any wrungs, except adding nuts though. Not ready to add fruit or yogurt yet, but maybe in a week or two. I don't like beans much so I may skip that wrung. There are only two things I am missing, not craving, just missing... Hot chocolate and fruit, specifically bananas ( but that could be because I need more potassium). As soon as I add milk and yogurt back I'm making a sugar free hot cocoa from scratch.

No big plans this weekend so staying OP should be easy. DH is doing it too although he eats fruit and oatmeal. He doesn't need to lose weight but he is doing it because it is more heart friendly than low fat.

Oh, does any one count calories and carbs? I am doing both in fitday just because I really can't buy calories dont count. I know Atkins said "I didn't say calories don't count, I said dont count calories.". I just want to double check that I stay within range on calories. So far I stay about 1500-1600 a day with very little hunger. Hungry days I am up around 1800.

I don't count calories, but I prefer to stay at around 1400-1500. Usually when I put my plans into fitday I end up at around that amount.

I do pay attention to calories. I try to keep under 1800 and it usually isn't even an issue. If I have a "hungry day" I might go up to 2000, but that is rare.

During my last go round on Atkins ten years ago, I tons of whatever I wanted(and I drank quite a few martinis too) and the weight just melted off. Alas, it seems those days are over.:D

CAmom, make yourself some sugar-free, induction legal cocoa right now! Check Jerseygyrl's recipe on the "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread on this forum...I like mine with Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, 1 T. Splenda, 2 capfulls of Torani's sugar-free chocolate or raspberry syrup, a little cream to mix it up in the mug...add boiling water, stir, and top it off with 2 T. heavy cream. Maybe you don't need the recipe now? If I'm feeling extra indulgent, top it with whipped cream.

Dragonfly33: thank you!! yes i'm doing much better today.. feeling normal :). About diet sodas, I guess i will just stay away for as long as i can-since soda is the reason for weight gain for me. I cannot see why it wont be possible when i see the scale numbers going down!! :)

I do calorie count. I try to stay at about 1200, I know for my age, height & weight it says about 1800. But i dont think eating 500 less calories with about 20g of carb will go against me.

So at the gym today, i couldn't stop myself from weighing. I'm not sure what it is, it cannot be water weight because i have been drinking water 8+ glass per day for 2-3 months! But it read 189.1!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I'm sure its gonna fluctuate, so Nxt time i guess I'm gonna do it is on March 2, 2011!! :) This gave me alot of motivation to stop my craving for junk food!

CAMom-I use the Daily Plate to count calories/carbs. Some days are pretty low (1300) and others are rather high (2100), usually my beef meals. But I am trying to just look at the carb count. :)

I am thinking of upping my carb count too. I really wanted to do induction but how sick i was and how much better I feel after 'cheating' makes me think I should up things a bit. I am going to read the rest of the book this weekend and make a plan. Pork chops tonight even though hubby wanted Chinese! lol

CAmom, make yourself some sugar-free, induction legal cocoa right now! Check Jerseygyrl's recipe on the "Recipes from 'What's for Dinner?'" thread on this forum...I like mine with Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, 1 T. Splenda, 2 capfulls of Torani's sugar-free chocolate or raspberry syrup, a little cream to mix it up in the mug...add boiling water, stir, and top it off with 2 T. heavy cream. Maybe you don't need the recipe now? If I'm feeling extra indulgent, top it with whipped cream.

That sounds great! So making that tomorrow.

Good for you CAMom, I don't believe in unnecessary suffering. I had a cup of hot chocolate nearly every night this past week; it takes care of my evening sweet tooth and feels so cozy.

You might want to cut the amount of Splenda to start, depending on how sweet you like your hot chocolate. I like mine very sweet, and since I use the dark cocoa, it takes a lot of sweetener to suit me. You can always taste it and add more Splenda if you start with a teaspoon. (I don't want to ruin your cocoa with too much.) Enjoy!

I must say the low carb pizza was delicious!! Even my husband and daughter loved it :) It didn't agree with my tummy so well, at least I think it was that, could have been a fluke.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

Jennifer

just curious how many of you are doing induction "with nuts." and does that include soy?

I don't use nuts on Induction with the exception of using almond flour. I found that using the almond flour consistently is a "stall" for me, as is eating almonds and peanuts. That said, when you're on Atkins for the long haul, almond flour pancakes from Lowcarbdude's site are such a treat when it's cold and nasty outside and I'm craving "comfort carbs."

I tried adding in some nuts, sweetener and some other OWL foods and as a result I have been struggling to lose 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks. So I am soooo careful about what I am eating because everything other than protien and lettuce seems to make me stall :( ... I have also been slacking on my excercise lately so I need to get motivated again. Summer is coming waaay to fast and I am determined to rock a bikini this year! I haven't worn one in 8 years! Since I was 18 and an exercise junkie. Does anyone have any advice about treats I might be able to have that won't cause a stall? I dont have much of a sweet tooth but I love salty crunchie things, which is why I am so sad that nuts are a no no for me! Thanks!

I eat 1 oz of almonds a day for afternoon snack. They fill me up and keep me regular. I count out 25 of them and that's it. I dont have a nut problem, I can stop at 25. But I only eat almonds. Cashews start some carb cravings for me.

Kimzle, the book says if you stall make sure you aren't eating too much protein and to make sure you are in the middle of your protein range. Too much protein can trigger insulin. Good luck, I hope you can work through the stall ok.

Kimzle, I made these last weekend. It sounds weird, but they're salty, crispy and delicious. I suggest you make them with kale because of the thicker, more substantial leaf. I used baby spinach 'cause I had some I needed to use. They were delicious, but dehydrated down to teeny tiny. I sprinkled a little kosher coarse salt on them before baking. They might do the trick for your craving, and it's good for you!

http://www.salon.com/food/eyewitness_cook/index.html?story=/food/francis_lam/2011/02/11/how_to_make_kale_spinach_chips

I've been craving a hot dog, but I found an easy fix. Hebrew National brand, no fillers, no sugar, all beef, kosher even. Broil hot dog; mix mayonnaise with a little mustard. Stir in sugar-free pickle relish and little chopped onion. Dip that dog!

just curious how many of you are doing induction "with nuts." and does that include soy?



I started eating nuts on week 4, but I limit them to no more than 1 oz a day. I have almonds and macadamias. They don't seem to stall me or affect ketosis.

Are you asking about soy in general or soy nuts? I don't eat soy nuts but I do eat a fair amount of tofu.

CAMom, I use the fitday app on my phone to track everything and as far as it is telling me, I am in the mid-range for my protein. I had to actually go back and look though since I didn't even think of that! Seems I have just been fluking. Thanks for the reminder! :)
I have sort of just chalked it up to just being super carb sensitive. I should also correct that I don't just eat lettuce... sometimes it just feels that way! Haha
SandyFanny, those sound perfect! I tried pork rinds and as much as I want to like them I just don't, so these might be the perfect crispy snack :)

Some challenge chickies are tracking protein...sounds like a good plan. How do you know how much protein is "your range," please. I'd like a range too! :hug:

Is this something that's in the new Atkins book? I don't have one and haven't read it. Should I invest?

So glad you loved the low carb pizza! Gross reheated but totally yummy :) Even got my roommate to eat it, maybe I will get her over to the low carb lifestyle! I am glad to see you are all doing well.

Friday I was diagnosed with a sinus infection/chest infection... ON TOP of this stupid mono. UGH. I just feel like garbage. I have been trying to eat, but it's hard cause I feel so sick. I finally gave in and bought myself low sugar popsicle... a pack with creamsicles, regular and fudgesicles... kinda had no choice because the cold was the only thing helping my throat. they are low in carbs, i know they aren't on induction... but i had no idea what else to do. sigh. I have been on induction 2 weeks, so at this point, though not good... it's what i gotta do i guess. i am down 11 in induction. gonna just hit it hard still... it's all i can do. i want the rest of this weight gone, but cooking or even eating being sick is too hard. i hate this because i feel like i am making excuses :( i just want to lose the rest of this.

anyone tried the cheesecake stuff yet?

the pizza is amazing, glad people are trying it.

i wanna go back to working out, but my body is just so hurt.

i wanted a milkshake or something for this sore throat, but it did seem the popsicles were a good substitute.

ugh. i hate being sick. esp with no one to take care of me :(

Some challenge chickies are tracking protein...sounds like a good plan. How do you know how much protein is "your range," please. I'd like a range too! :hug:

Is this something that's in the new Atkins book? I don't have one and haven't read it. Should I invest?

Yep its in the new book. I tend to go over most days I think I need to eat less. Here are the ranges:

Recommended Protein Range in Grams for Women
4’9” 63-125
4’10” 64-130
4’11” 65-135
5’0” 66-138
5’1” 68-142
5’2” 70-145
5’3” 71-149
5’4” 73-152
5’5” 75-156
5’6” 76-159
5’7” 78-162
5’8” 80-166
5’9” 81-169
5’10” 83-173
5’11” 85-176

Typical Protein Food Intake in Ounces for Women
4’9” to 5’0” 14 ounces
5’1” to 5’2” 15 ounces
5’3” to 5’5” 16 ounces
5’6” to 5’7” 17 ounces
5’8” to 5’11” 18 ounces

I like the new book, I have the electronic version so it wasn't very expensive (9.99). They also have a 3 dollar off mail in coupon from the official atkins site if you do buy it. :)

Are you asking about soy in general or soy nuts? I don't eat soy nuts but I do eat a fair amount of tofu.

I'm wondering mostly about soy milk. I am lactose intolerant, so soy milk has always been my "milk" and it would be nice to have that little bit of normal back in my diet. I guess though, that it would count as my nut serving for the day, so I couldn't use and soy or almond flour if I had had the soy milk.

unsweetened soy and almond milk are in the new book and okay for induction. I was going to buy some last week but its sooo expensive I didn't. Unsweetened almond milk had less carbs if I remember correctly.

I am trying to avoid soy except in the occasional Atkins bar. I'm not too crazy about what I've read about soy. :(.

I don't eat soy much but I do like it. I have some soy flour that I plan on breading some chicken with one of these days.

Omg, I started Atkins on Friday and was laid out all day friday and saturday with what felt like the worst hangover ever. Felt worse than when I was pregnant with morning sickness, headaches, fatigue, ect! Makes sense though, its like withdrawals.

Now that all of the sugar/carbs are out of my system I feel MUCH better. I havent gotten on the scale yet, as it has only been 3 days. But I plan to check out my progress on Friday.

I have been on the Atkins before and was really successful. When I got pregnant last time, I went crazy food wise and lost almost all my progress. Wont make that mistake again!

I have been avoiding the atkins shakes (though yummy), soft cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese, lunch meats/hot dogs, and all of the iffy "frankenfoods" so far because I want the MOST out of this induction. May incorporate them in soon, but last time I had a hard time with plateaus and this time I think I will take a more systematic approach to try to discover what stalls me.

Anyone else doing a "clean" induction and found success, or anyone adding in atkins products and not experiencing a stall? I would really love to add in the shakes, but I dont love them enough to effect the overall weightloss.

celticfairy-Firstly, I love your name. :) Secondly, I am not doing a clean induction though I probably should. :) I lost over 5 lbs in my first week and since then I've been going up and down between 194something and 195something. But I was having really bad stomach issues and I cheated on Thursday and Saturday so that is probably why. I'm eating a max of one atkins product per day and some days not at all. I say if it helps keep you on track they are good but if they make you crave other stuff they are bad. I haven't had any bad cravings since I started other than not feeling well and wanting something like crackers to calm my stomach. And when silly coworkers cook pizza in the toaster oven. ugh. lol

Meanwhile I am back on track despite cheating 2x last week. I've decided to stick with induction and maybe add some nuts if I must and to get some cream and maybe some of those Atkins shakes in case my tummy acts up. It's being pretty good today. :D

I don't stall with atkins foods but I also dont eat them that much. I'll grab a shake in the afternoon if I'm hungry and on the go. I'll have a bar at night fr dessert if I'm in the mood or hungry. But in general I am sticking to real food and no low carb products. I'm also not looking for super fast weight loss. 2 lbs a week s good with me.

Till now nothing has stalled my weight i think, i m having about half or sometimes 1 bar per day. Thats only because I couldn't do eggs all the time. So i need something filling before going to gym! Bars definitely fill me up --but i found a substitute today i think :)

I made a chocolate MIM today! OMG, first bready thing in 6 days *awesome* half of it definitely filled me up!! Can't believe I didnt try it on day 1! I can't wait to mix the flavor up, I want to try the one with 1 table spoon orange sugar free Jello powder. (alot people tried it and liked it on their facebook group). Have any of you tried it?

I will attempt to make the low carb pizza today too :) Thanks chubbywifeyIN for the recipe! :carrot:

*sigh* I haven't lost anything in the past two weeks. And I know why. I've been letting things creep up on me. Way too much cheese, splenda and cream, and atkins bars are unfortunately a no-no for me. I've also been eating very few vegetables. I'm going back to using well thought out and balanced meal plans, like I did the first two weeks. I don't like my eating to be so structured, but it's clear that I'm going to need much more time to get used to the way I should be eating. Oh well, live and learn!

celticfairy-Firstly, I love your name. :)

Aww thanks :)

So... I am firmly sticking to my rule of clean induction and not checking the scale but once a week, but I got to say its driving me crazy not being able to weigh in. LOL. ESPECIALLY because I wont reach my first week until Friday. I know its best to get in this habit now, rather than becoming obsessed with the scale.. but its temptation, lol. I dont know how the people on the Biggest Loser do it!? I had to hide the scale under the vanity so that I didnt see it every time I went in the bathroom!

So far though, everything feels right. My only issue is slipping back into the "forgetting to eat" thing. I need to set myself a timer that reminds me to eat.

Anyone else having issues with forgetting to eat?

Aww thanks :)

So... I am firmly sticking to my rule of clean induction and not checking the scale but once a week, but I got to say its driving me crazy not being able to weigh in. LOL. ESPECIALLY because I wont reach my first week until Friday. I know its best to get in this habit now, rather than becoming obsessed with the scale.. but its temptation, lol. I dont know how the people on the Biggest Loser do it!? I had to hide the scale under the vanity so that I didnt see it every time I went in the bathroom!

So far though, everything feels right. My only issue is slipping back into the "forgetting to eat" thing. I need to set myself a timer that reminds me to eat.

Anyone else having issues with forgetting to eat?

I can't say I have issues with forgetting to eat. My memory is amazingly sharp when it comes to that. ;)

I do hear what you are saying about the scale though. I try my hardest to only weigh once every week (or two if I can make it) but I haven't done very well with that lately. I freak myself out with every little fluctuation.

Hi everyone!! Sorry I haven't been checking in as often, it's been busy at home and work :) glad to see some new people joining!

I am down 19lbs since February 2 :D almost time for my pedicure! ;)

I started making mim's and I love them!! So filling! I was starting to gag on eggs so I needed an alternative. I am having cinnamon burps this morning lol but that's ok. I am also planning on making low carb pizza again this week.

As for the Atkins products, I bought some of the shakes as a backup. I don't plan on buying the bars anytime soon. I will see if the shakes stall me.

I can't say I have forgotten to eat but I can go almost the full 6hrs in between meals. I am sleeping like I've never slept before which I absolutely love because I always had very broken sleep and never felt rested during the day. I am not 'napping' in the afternoons anymore, I used to crash before dinner which I'm sure was caused by my lack of sleep and consuming lots of bad carbs.

I tried on my pair of jeans that I didn't fit in to last fall and the fit!! But the material wore out between the legs so of course, I can't wear them now lol. I will wait a few more weeks and go clothes shopping.

Have a great day everyone!

I haven't had issues with cravings during the past few weeks but last night I had a dream about being in some high end cafeteria and there were so many yummy choices I couldn't decide what I wanted and it seemed to be all carby foods. lol

I've been debating on moving to higher carb count (still Atkins) or a different low carb diet because I wasn't sure Atkins was 'working' for me since my weight was still right around where it was when I was just calorie counting (kept losing and gaining same 2 lbs just like I did when I was calorie counting). So this morning I said to myself 'If I haven't lost weight again I think I am going to give diet x a try.' and you know what? I weighed 193.4! I got that weight once last week but then it jumped back up. But I told myself today, so Atkins wins. lol

Tomorrow will be my 2 week mark and I was off two days but assuming my weight stays at 193.5 that means a 6 lb difference in 2 weeks which is pretty great in my opinion. Had I not gone off Thursday and Saturday I am sure the weight would be much better.

Hope everyone has a great day!

ElizabethG-Way to go about no more cravings! lol :) I understand the dream thing.. I usually still look at pizza and cake pics/ad like "yummy" but I dont feel like putting it in my mouth! But I'm glad for your another pound lost!! :carrot::carrot:

Dragonfly33-wow!! congrats on 19 pounds!! :carrot: Thats amazing!! in 20 dayss :carrot:


I am on Day 8 of induction!! :smug: I cannot wait to step on the scale on friday!! But i have started my TOM so I dont know what I'm expecting, but I am definitely expecting something lower than 189! lol.
I'm not even hungry anymore & I haven't been to gym in 3 dayssss :mad:
Well technically just 1 bcz I go every 5 days & then take 2 days break. But today bcz of TOM i dont feel like going.. I guess I will consider this one of the 2 days gym break I take! eh

Well I am sick again today. Blah. I am trying to figure out why. I wasn't feeling well after lunch which was just chicken broccoli and a little tomato sauce and mozerella. But it got really bad after dinner tonight which is my 'famous' low carb meatloaf (along with cauliflower mash and a salad). I made up the recipe last year for my hubby and he said its the best thing I had ever made (up to that point). lol And breakfast was a MiM. :)

Looking at what I ate today my only guesses are too much fat(~173g really? stupid dinner, using cheap 85/15 beef though i think alot of that cooks out the meat loaf sits in a little pool of fat that I do not eat) or too much protein (176g). Both are usually high when I eat beef because i use 85/15 because that's the percentage that is most affordable (well i could get worse for less, my husband prefers 80/20 so 85/15 is sort of my compromise with him). So either could be the main culprit.

Its mainly indigestion which the only thing I can link to that is fatty foods. But what is worrisome is the sharp stabbing pains i got after eating the meatloaf. I only had one slice the pain was so bad. I bought some of those Atkins milk shakes in case this happened again but that didn't seem to help. I guess I really need to talk to a dr.

Sorry for the rambles just trying to figure this out.

Hope everyone is doing well, the thread has been less active the past few days.

Dragonfly-Congrats on the 19lbs! That is impressive! Mim's are awesome. I made some in advance this weekend but they aren't nearly as good as they are fresh. :) Yay to the fitting into jeans too! I have a size 12 pair of jeans that I routinely try on. I am wearing 14s now so I'm close! Keep up the awesome work!

Elizabeth - I'm so sorry you don't feel well. I had sharp, stabbing pains and terrible nausea like that for almost 4 months, and I never got any real answers. I had ultrasounds to check out my gallbladder and lots of different barium tests to check my insides and to look for ulcers. I was really miserable. My doctor finally put me on reglan because my stomach wouldn't empty after meals. I was checked for diabetes (which can cause that), but I'm not diabetic. The reglan fixed it though. I took it for 2 weeks and the pain never came back. I still don't really know what caused it in the first place, so I'm always worried it will happen again. Do talk to your dr. Hope you feel better soon!

A couple of months ago I got these really sharp stabbing pains in my lower left stomach (like where my ovary is). The pain was so bad I couldn't even move. I had to go to the ER where they gave me a shot of pain medicine and the pain went away and never came back. They did blood tests but never figured out what it was. Everything was totally normal. I'm thinking it might have just been really bad TOM pains (which I never get, so that would be weird).

Elvish-That's frustrating that you never knew what caused it. I definitely need to get it checked out. I just thought its this diet or stress or something too and that it will just 'go away'.

Linsy - I have had very painful cramps my entire life. When I was 16 and working at Target as a cashier I once had cramps so bad I fainted while taking someone's money. They rushed me to ER and the doctor there would NOT believe that it was just cramps she was just sure i was having a miscarriage (which was impossible unless I was carrying the next messiah lol). Anyway I went to an obgyn and they put me on birth control which didn't so much help but let me know when to expect it to drug up. I was never diagnosed with anything until last year. Found out after quitting birth control (trying to get prengnant) that I had PCOS but I think its 'better' now. Still very painful periods and now I sometimes even get OVULATION cramps too (which are just one sided but still hurt badly) and my cycles are super short which I guess is better than being nonexistant which is what they were off birth control. It really sucks. Just keep going to your annual exam and telling them your symptoms and maybe one day a doctor can help. But the pain last night is totally different from cramps it was higher up in my stomach. It was like as the food entered the stomach it was stabbing me. Then just indigestion the rest of the night.

Meanwhile I am feeling better today and I am down another pound! Being 100% on track sure pays off. lol I have added raw almonds as an afternoon work snack (just one ounce). I have had them twice this week and it hasn't affected me so I think I am going to keep them in.

Thanks for the comments!

Glad you feel better Elizabeth!

The scale finally moved for me yesterday. It took about two days of being really strict with myself and something finally happened. Atkins works, IF you do it right! :)

Oh, does anyone know a good flax or almond meal tortilla recipe? I'm looking for something to wrap my bacon and eggs in so I can grab it and go.

My weight was up this morning :( so I am looking at everything I am eating to make sure I am not messing something up. I tried the Atkins shakes so I am thinking that could be the culprit so I am not having it anymore. I am cutting my cheese to 2oz per day and reducing protein a little bit. I thought that maybe the mims might be affecting me but I am following the recipe exactly and the flax I bought has 4g of fibre and 0 sugar. I have a max of 2 packets of splenda a day, I have 2 cups of salad veggies for lunch and a cup of either cooked asparagus or broccoli/cauliflower for dinner. I am still in ketosis according to my ketostix and the stick is dark. It was light pink a few days ago but now it's dark again.

So I am not changing my ticker until a few days have passed. It could just be an off day and my weight will be back down tomorrow. The good part is I am not giving up! :)

dragonfly-Don't be discouraged. The scale does wacky things. According to the latest book they say if you weight daily to average the last 3 days. It could be something you did a few days ago affecting your weight today. Also is your time of the month arriving? or did you have alot of sodium? or are you working out more/different than usual? All of those things cause water retention and would be my biggest suspects before certian foods as long as you are under 20 net carbs!

I personally don't have stalls from the bars, shakes or artificial sweetners (to my knowledge i've only been on this diet a few weeks). Are you using something to track food/weight? I use the daily plate that way I can watch what my weight does according to what I ate easily if I want to go back and look. Oh and I don't change my ticker UP unless I've had 3 days in a row of the same weight. But if I get a down weight I put it on here immediately. lol

Keep up the good work and check again tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend!

:broc:Happy Happy Joy Joy:broc:

Just for the heck of it I tried on my size 12 jeans...and they FIT!!! They are probably still too 'form fitting' to wear in public but they EASILY zipped and buttoned. I can sit in them, I can breathe. lol When I started at 240 I couldn't get them up my legs. Then I finally got them up my legs but the button and zipper would not even come close. Then I finally got them to almost close awhile ago but i was doing all those tricks and it still was hard. So I was amazed when they easily slid up and on! I had 2 other pairs and some khakis and some shorts in this size (i was a 12 for several years) and everything else fit too! But again it was all too form fitting to wear in public. I even had a pair of 10s mixed in and they must be really stretched out or something because they fit better than a few of the 12s. :lol I am washing them all so they will be ready to wear in hopefully just a few weeks! I am hoping they dont just fit because I've been trying them on while I was bigger. Though I never tried on the other stuff. But I could have also wore them when I was on my way up too long too because again I was a 12 for so long and hated having to go up in size. None of my size large tops fit still, but my husband is okay with that (mainly because my chest is still the same size my bra size hasn't gone down much since I was 240, i went down in number but not cup size).

What a wonderful start to the weekend!!! I hope everyone else has a great weekend too!!!

:goodvibes

:broc::broc::broc:

That's great, Elizabeth! Very exciting and motivating!

So I just found out my work is sending me to Jamaica in 2 months. I am so excited but a little bummed. I'm about 100 pounds over weight. Right now I'm in a tight 18/20.

So the minute I found out today. I made my decision. To lose some weight. I would love to lose 50 pounds by them but that isn't a realistic goal and I'm not on the biggest loser. Plus, I don't want to set myself up to fail.

I have a goal to be back into my size 14s. I figure that is doable if I kick off my work out routine as well and exercise every day.

So I know I can find folks who are supportive here because I know it's gonna be tough to find support at home. My hubby is a non-intentional saboteur.

So I bought my Atkins friendly Induction Phase food this afternoon and I'm grilling chicken for a grilled chicken salad as I type.

So Jamaica here I come...I know I will still be overweight when I meet you but I'll be on the road to skinny me.

channen-Jamacia!!! That sounds awesome! No matter what your weigh is enjoy the warmth and fun! I am impressed by anyone who can stick to their diet while their family is not eating healthy. It is sooo much harder for me when my husband was not eating healthy with me. See if you can get your hubby to join you for the next few months. Regardless, you can do it!!! Welcome!

channeen-Welcome here! :) I'm sure you can do it!! :carrot:

Elizabeth-*Wooooooohooo* size 12!! thats amazingg :)

I finally checked my weight today after 1 week!!!! 184!!! :D 5 more lost :D :D I dont think I have lost 10 pounds in 10 days this fast!! And all this while still being on the TOM!! OMGG AMAZING!! I wasn't expecting much difference because of TOM. BUT :D
Day 11 of induction, here i comeeeeeeee :carrot:

Wow!!! Congrats feelingthin!!! Great job!!!!