I decided to make the March chat thread since it's right around the corner.

I'm leaving for a trip tomorrow morning and I'm searching for a card with $25 that I got for my birthday+ a shirt that I got for my birthday. Now, I keep EVERYTHING. I have cards from my 18th birthday, my graduation, everything. I have clothes that are too big, too small, clothes that I hate, my room is like a cluttered mess. Of course I can't find the shirt or the money, which are the things I NEED the most! (Money for gas/baggage fees and shirt because it's one of the only things I have that isn't too big). I literally tore my room apart searching for both and I can't find either anywhere. I'll probably find the shirt when it's too big and the money when I have no use for it . It's driving me insane!

That aside, I weighed in this morning and was around 222...I can't wait until I'm out of the 220s, the 230s blew by and now the lower 220s won't budge. I ate beans today...oops! I was ravenous and not in the mood to cook so I had some chili with beans...hopefully I didn't do too much damage.

How is everyone doing?

Can I join this thread?

So I've been on Atkins since Friday, and had my major first sugar craving last night. I squashed it with a small bowl of sugar free jello.

Today I got back to the gym. That trainer kicked my booty. Geez! I'm gonna hurt in the morning!

I would love to weigh but the battery went dead in my scale. GRRR.

I'm gonna have to go get one tomorrow.

Linsy - Watch a couple episodes of "Hoarders." It'll cure your impluse to hang on to things! After I saw some of the shows I DREAMED about clutter and was compelled to clean out a bookcase/catch-all that had accumulated at least three years of stuff, like blurry photos I didn't think I could part with and ticket stubs and other momentos. It felt sooooo good getting rid of all that stuff! Hope you have a great trip!

Hello Zumbachica!

Chaneen - Wow! You have a trainer? I've never had a real public gym experience. I have a treadmill at home but it would probably be more effective if someone were to stand behind me with a running chain saw. Yeah, that would likely motivate me to run instead of amble along reading a magazine.

Just wanted to check in here. I have been lurking for a while. I have been a member for a while but up and down on the roller coaster. I've never had any real sticktoitiveness for anything. I started induction on Feb 3rd and so far am down 15 lbs. I am stuck with the number on the scale for the last week, but the inches have definitely been coming off. A total of 6+ inches overall.

My induction has not been clean by any means, and I know I could do better, but I am doing OK right now and have been OK longer than anything else I have tried. So I am justifying it by knowing it's better than being super-clean for a week then giving up. AND! I'm still seeing results...so it's kind of like weaning myself. I have to say now that the cravings for carbs are almost completely gone, and it's a great feeling!

So, anyway. I am planning a trip for July to see some family I haven't seen since I was a kid. I want them to see the real me. My goal is to be a size 10 which would probably put me around 160-170. I don't really care what the number on the scale says, I care what the number on the tag says. I am 5'10, 201 (down from 216) and a size 16. I want to be realistic. I have a larger frame and at my tiniest I was a 7/8 jr before my kids. I don't really care if I am ever that small again. But I feel my best in a 10, which I did successfully get to between my kids.

OK, I think that's enough for a check in, yeah?

Good luck ladies!! And thanks for your support!

firkindness: I should watch that show!! I keep EVERYTHING! In fact, the friend that I'm going to visit has the cleanest room I've ever seen...literally a bed, a desk, a tv, a nightstand, and clothes in the closet. My room is so gross--it never looks clean because of the clutter. Whenever I clean it out I'm always like "no! I can't throw this away! I got it from _______ 5 years ago and it means a lot to me!"...and then I forget about it .

Zumbachica: Of course, join on in!!

dollface: Good luck on your goal! I also have a goal--I want to get to around 160/170 (basically out of the obese weight range or almost out of it) before I go away to college for the fall semester. I think it'd be great to start with some confidence. I've never been good at making friends, probably because I've always been so self conscious and I want to have fun while I'm in school and start building my life . It's great when you have a motivator because it makes you push your hardest!

I'm not having a good eating day or something. I made sausage gravy and biscuits for the family and a sausage/egg scramble for me and I definitely snuck a few too many bites of the gravy...at least it was made with whole wheat flour (look at me trying to justify it! LOL!).

Linsy - Thanks for starting the thread. Have fun on your trip!

Welcome Zumbachica!!!

Channen- WTG on squashing that craving. I ♥ Jello! If you haven't gotten your scale already get one that measures water content too. I want one of those but as long as my scale works I can't justify the cost right now.

Welcome Dollface!! 15 lbs is awesome!!!! And 6 inches?!?! WOW! Congrats! I think you can definitely do a 10. I am only 10 lbs less than you and my 12s are fitting me (tightly) and in another 10 lbs I am sure they will fit perfectly. I know every body is different but 5 months is a good chunk of time to get down a few sizes. Especially if you keep losing those inches.

As for me I cheated one meal Sunday and AF is on her way. I am up a few pounds due to both of those I am sure. I am also reading Wendy Chant's Crack the Fat loss code. It is basically carb cycling. Not sure I am going to jump ship but its an interesting read. She does one week induction like eating then you have carb up and carb down days and carb deplete days (which again is induction like) and high carb days (cheat days basically). You do them in a pattern Like every high carb day is followed by a deplete day and whatnot. Atkins seems way simplier in my mind but I like the principal of cycling so your metabolism doesnt adapt to the new way of eating.

Meanwhile does anyone know if there is a 'fat range' we should be eating? I just noticed I always have over 100 grams which just seems like alot. I know the book says its not a high protien diet its a high fat diet but I dont recall any fat ranges. I will have to check tonight. I know they are good fats though. Like my daily MiM is 19g fat alone (due to flax seed, egg and butter). And some days I have an ounce of raw almonds. So again that is high good fat.

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

I don't have much to say other than it's really good to be back in the habit of checking in here! I may not post much, but I am trying to make sure I get here every day at least to read. It helps me so much to see others' writing and being encouraging.

I am keeping my meals really really simple and just making sure I eat loads and loads of veggies. I read something very interesting yesterday about the whole "12-15 grams of carbs FROM VEGGIES" concept. If you really really stop to think about it, it takes a awful lot of veggies to get to 15 carbs!!

When I first started back on Atkins, I could not get my brain around "only 3 cups of veggies" -- even OFF a diet I ate more veggies than that...

I am eating all the veggies I want...way more than 3 cups! And just thinking about which veggies I eat, and the carb counts for them, I NEED that many in order to reach that 12-15 range.

OK, enough of the "random" thoughts. Happy March to all and let's help each other make it through, on plan!

Phoenix!

pheonixrising- Yeah for veggies! Yeah I definitely eat more veggies than I did before this diet and I actually usually get my 25g+ of fiber a day and I never got that eating high carb without a supplement.

I still don't think I eat enough veggies though. How do you get all yours in? I do best when I have a spinach salad for lunch and seconds of veggies with dinner (i always have a salad but lettuce has such a low carb count).

I changed my flight date to Friday at 6AM--EEK. I'm going to have to wake up at like 3.

I'm broiling some turkey burgers right now. We don't have much food in the house and like NO veggies and NO eggs and the grill doesn't have gas so I don't have a lot to work with .

I'm just starting out with Atkins. I've tried it in the past for 2 weeks and had a great success, 12 lbs lost. I just gave up! I would love to know where I would be with my weight if I would have just hung in there. I have been struggling trying everything including diet pills and eating 1 small meal a day. It is time for me to stick with an actual diet. I had the Atkins book years ago but can't find it. I just ordered one off Ebay and I plan on purchasing the new book also and everything I can get a hold of. I will be receiving a free low carb package from the Atkins website and I am looking forward to that.

I am a sugar addict and this will be the hardest thing to give up. But I know I can do it! I was looking for a thread like this and I will be back often. Thanks for starting this! I really need all the motivation I can get. I have struggled for far to long and this is my year to shine.

Welcome Natoshial!!! I love the Atkins website for information. They have classes and everything. Congrats on the 12 lbs! That is awesome!!! Check out the website www.genaw.com for some great recipes. I have been using them and tweaking them to me and my husband's taste and cooking way more than ever (and better more healthy meals than ever too).

One thing that has helped me with sugar cravings is sugar free gum. I just don't feel 'done' with a meal without having something sweet. I keep several flavors in my desk at work, strawberry, different kinds of mint and cinnamon. That 5 gum that has those weird commercials really is pretty good and interesting gum flavors. If you use the NEW Atkins book you can subtract sugar alcohols from the carb count making it 0 carbs. BUT if you follow OLD Atkins each peice has 2 carbs.

Good luck and keep up the awesome work!

I'd like to join in, too. This is my first day on Atkins--ordered the book and am looking at this website and others for information to get started. I decided to try this after calorie counting for ten days and getting no results even though I was also walking for 30 minutes each day.

This was a difficult day to start, too! I teach 9th graders and they were horrible today. I will not resort to sweets to make me feel better or drink that one beer that's in the fridge. I think that if I can get through these feelings right now, then I'll be okay from now on.

Natoshial - They have a really AWESOME gum out from xtra that comes in mint chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake, and key lime pie. They taste JUST like the dessert. I stocked up big time and pop one everytime I want something sweet. Or I drink a cup of chocolate coffee. Go to the wrigley site to see the products I am talking about.

celticfairy-I have had the strawberry shortcake one! it is delish! I bought some 5 green apple last night too. I haven't tried it yet but it smells wonderful. lol

Welcome Fizzie! Love your kitty picture! I am sure if I taught 9th graders I would be frustrated too at the end of a day!!! Hope you get a chance to relax!