Vi good luck in your journey - no one plan is for everyone for sure...

Well I know I'm doing better because I can go up and down the stairs to do the laundry a lot easier than before - yesterday since I did sweaters (one at a time) I was up and down 5 different times ... Yay

Today is a dark dreary day - I just want to curl up in my chair and read or knit ... Anyone else feel that way on days like this

I do, on those days I don't want to leave the house. I just want to wrap up in a blanket and watch TV or browse online.

Hoping the snow gives up soon and I can start going for walks with the stroller, I get cabin fever being inside with the baby all the time. I love the weekend because my husband and I usually go shopping and I love pushing her stroller around and moving around more.

I'm excited to start Atkins again, it will be Saturday I think. Right now I'm browsing meal ideas and making a grocery list. I'm anxious to start losing.

I am sad this part of the forum isn't very active, it was so much more busier when I was here last. Is this the only forum you guys participate on?

I actually did ok and found it wasn't that tasty to me so I didn't even finish it - and it didn't bother my weight the next few days so all was good. But the soup was like eating old socks. Blech and I threw it out - it was also thickened to within an inch of its life.. :o

ok I wrote a whole post in reply to this and it disappeared - it will probably show up as soon as I hit send on this lol

I will try to post at least in the morning and evening here - I find I do better when I do -- I think it seems to go in spurts and people post more often at night .. I think it is hard to get back into it after the holidays too .. And I know some folks have been having lots of added stress in their lives too lately...

So we can post among ourselves for a bit and I'm sure it will pick up again.

I hope! Being on this forum is what gave me accountability when I lost weight before, I need other people to talk to or else it may be hard to stick to this. Though when I did Atkins in the past I stayed on plan the entire time, no cheating.

I do better when I come here too--even if it's just to read/not post. I do like it better when the forum is active (I'm not on any other online LC groups) . . . it seemed to be really rockin' here around xmas, when I returned in "lurking mode" lol;) . . . I thought New Year would see many wayward Atkinser's returning with Resolutions along with me to what works, but not so.....so far.;) This Thread has got lots of "views" so I'm finding motivation from that, and of course you posting Rho & Steph!:hug:

Hurrah on the steps btw rho . . . they remain my nemesis!:devil:

This week I've had corned beef (on sale) and cabbage and polish sausage and kraut Steph (both keep well and are quick to reheat--I'm thinking of your other Thread on ideas)... I run out of ideas too and historically that's when I flounder, so glad you are planningplanningplanning.

I like "pickled eggs" on the fly . . . just save the pickle juice when done with a jar of pickles . . . fill with shelled hard boiled eggs for about 3 days . . . I like with something crunchy - pork rinds or celery or cauli. Just something different.

Down another pound:carrot: . . . waiting for the whoosh patiently but ok with slow and steady winning the race . . . cya in the Wee, nite shift is calling . .

Besides and along with LC, the ability to think and be like this is my ultimate goal. I've got a lot of "clean my plate" issues, to say the least!

Hey it's Feb 1st . . . 14 days and 6 Challenge pounds to go . . . :carrot:

Those pickled eggs sound good! I love pickles and I love eggs... I might have to try that.

I'm feeling impatient, I want to start but we just don't have the stuff in the house to do that until we go shopping on Friday. The scale also showed a 2 lb increase this morning :(

I did some strength training today while the baby played on the activity mat, it's nice to find ways I can multitask. This way she can watch me and I can do other things without her flipping out about wanting to be held constantly.

Hi all and bye Vi! I'm sorry to see you go, but all the best and come by and say hi some time!

Welcome Stephanie!

I had two not great days earlier this week, ate tacos on Sunday (would've been fine but nooooo had to have the shells) and then some white rice on Monday (out for dinner, we had thai). Of course, for my trouble I have popped up to 182 again, GAH! I have not lost any weight at all in January. I think I need to count calories as well as carbs. Does 1500 sound reasonable for someone 5'6 and 182? It's what I get if I use those tracker websites, though of course they all suggest high carb foods that would make me really hungry. I was reading the Protein Power book last night and it talks about how it is hard losing at first, especially if you've lost before, and you do have to keep an eye on total amounts and I think I need to accept that rather than the more positive message from Atkins because I'm not really Atkins' target group anymore, i.e, I've already been eating pretty low carb and clean for ages now and I just don't get that quick positive feedback through initial weight loss that most people seem to get. Ah well, I'll keep tweaking, keep working at it. I could do more walking too. It's depressing (yet also inspiring) reading about people for whom it just falls off!

Hey Anabee!

The lack of loss may be because of the days you cheated. Cheating always throws me off for a week so I can't do it at all or else the whole week is wasted. Maybe once we're done the V Day Challenge we can do a 30 day Stay on Plan Challenge to help us all learn to be accountable :) I know we could do it if we all supported each other and checked in daily. The thing that motivates me not to cheat is that I lost 14 lbs in a month when I stayed on plan.

1500 sounds fine! I found on Atkins counting calories and carbs made it easier for me because I tended to under eat on calories if I wasn't careful.


I filled out my journal today so I have a list of my commitments to weight loss, a place to fill out my measurements, and an area to log my calories/carbs and weight daily. I'm also making up a shopping list for tomorrow. I'm excited about starting soon! I think I'll lift some weights today because I feel so pumped!

Heyya AnaB!:hug: Haven't ever calorie counted with Atkins - altho I know some over the years did. It's all a blur lol . . . Where do you journal Steph--online or by hand? Sounds like a great idea. After posting here about "floundering" when I don't plan, I promptly did same lol:) . . . not really - but din't have anything on hand that I "wanted" in the Wee so ate some toast . . . it was the super high fiber/low "net carb" kind . . . but took me over Induction levels.

Net carbs always get me in trouble . . . either stalls/gains or a to H-E-L-L with it all line of thinking. I've got some more Induction friendly things ready for 2nite when I get in so not going down that path again.

Hows your tendon rho? Hope you stopped that flare-up in its tracks!

Weight stayed the same . . . packed two shakes for tonight to keep the energy up - have a great evening everyone!

Hey Aud and Stephanie!

I think you're right about the cheating - that water weight is a pain to shift if you don't go really low carb straight after, you basically have to go back to induction again. I really like your idea for the next challenge. Really, keeping on track is more important than the actual weight loss.

I'm going to start planning my meals better ahead of time, it'll make shopping easier and I won't be throwing stuff out like I have been this week. I over think things and then get my self stressed, really I just have to think of a bunch of protein options that are all around 4 oz, add in my carbs (salad veges and veges) at lunch and dinner and then add fat to keep my calories up. It's not hard, but I feel like I've made it more so. That'll keep calories in check and I've already worked out that around 4 oz protein gives me the ratios I want. No more cream/sour cream for me, I eat waaaaaaaaaaay to much of it. I can eat the whole container in one go, and my current weight and exercise levels are not high enough for me to sustain that kind of calorie hit.

Anyway, we'll see. On the plus side, I'm not giving up. And I wouldn't care so much about weight loss but I feel kind of pressured by time lines (knowing I shouldn't try and put dates on weight loss) because I have a wedding to go to in July.

Aud, I journal by hand, I tried doing it online before but then I don't stay as accountable because I hold off on doing it. When I do it by hand I do it right away.

I think I'll do induction for a month and then go from there, I refuse to cheat on induction because I'm desperate as **** to get back to where I was. (What better motivation then to lose all that weight and look great, now I know what I was missing all those years of being obese!)

AnaBee, I made a shopping list today of everything I need to get me through my first week on Atkins. I'm hoping if I do most of my prep at night when my husband is home or in the morning before he leaves for work it will help stay on plan better. Then I can pre fill out my carbs and calories as well.

I'll admit I have trouble keeping my calories up as well, bacon and mayo are my secret trick for that though. Using bacon with my eggs in the morning, or crumbling it in a salad, and using mayo with meat and cheese and wrapping it in lettuce were my tricks before.

I also think it's fair to give yourself a timeline, just don't stress if you don't meet it. I want to look good by summer, that's the main goal I've given myself so far!

May be a few days till I'm back in the groove of posting -- sorry-- I'm sick .. I think a combo of a huge Fibro flare and a bug - I must really look bad cause hubby isn't balking at shopping or cooking ... And this is the man who would do the laundry but bring it to me to fold when I broke my arm really badly a few years ago ...

So the valentines challenge is coming to an end soon - how about the next challenge just being planning our foods and meals out each week and devil vs smilie each day.... We can still track our weights if we want (and I will cause I'm obsessive) but try to place more emphasis on doing what we planned for the week.

I'm planning on doing more of an induction plan during the time period of Lent (just to set a time frame for anyone who doesn't do Lent) - and eating fish once a week minimum. So I will be sitting down and planning shopping better and planning meals and trying to make those more fun and exciting too. And I'm going to make walking a challenge also - I haven't figured how many steps I want to challenge myself to daily yet but I think I will add it too. And Journaling could be part of it if you want.

So maybe we can make it an Easter Challenge (when is Easter exactly this year btw)

What do you think?

Rho, hope you're feeling better soon! That all sounds like a great plan. These challenges really help me, as does posting regularly (Stephanie, I promise I'll post more next week, it'll be less crazy than last week was!) I've just cleaned the house, next will be the fridge and cupboards (just a few teeny things shouldn't be around) and then I'm going to plan out my entire week and I'll just going to have to stick with it! I live alone and have no dependents and gosh I spoil myself with the not eating food I already have and the lying on the sofa the entire evening and not going for a walk (or even just picking up after myself). And then I wonder why I have to spend every saturday morning cleaning up and why I spend so much on groceries. If I had kids or a husband I'd make them eat what I'd planned, there'd be no last minute shopping trips for a menu change!

I always say that life (and weightloss) would be easier if I had a cook (well, amongst other things I'd want!) but even a cook would make me plan a menu for the week. I don't know why the concept of planning - and sticking to! - a menu is so alien to me. But it is suddenly super appealing because it means tracking in advance... yay!

A walking challenge is good too, I have a step thingy somewhere and I've been really lazy with walking lately.