[CourtneyDaisey]

Hey folks! I know I've been gone for about a month. But I am recommitting to my weight loss in 2011 but am making some changes. Although it did work, I really can't afford to take the Healthy Trim anymore so I am working on finding a plan that will still allow me to lose weight without feeling the hunger and I won't be taking Healthy Trim anymore.

In short, my goals for 2011 are...

1. Reach my goal by the end of the year 2011.
2. Stop drinking sodas of any type.
3. Lower my blood pressure enough so that my doctor doesn't put me on meds.
4. Go vegan completely.

Here's to a healthy and happy New Year! A new year...a new me!

[JillyM]

I am re-committing too! Saying goodbye to a very rough year. Onward to a new year of new possibilities!! Good luck on your goals, if you need a partner give me a shout.

[srmb60]

Happy New Year!

Are you familiar with the Vegetarian/Vegan threads here?
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/vegetarian-chicks-121/

[Deena52]

Hey Courtney!

Just want you to know I follow your blog and want you to know that if you run into problems, please come over and see me in the Atkins forum here.

I have some ideas for you but first want to see how you make out with this whole vegan diet plan. It may work out very well for you....time will tell.

I can't seem to be able to comment on your blog....not sure why....or otherwise, I would write these things to you over there. But I worry about you.

I think one of the main reasons is that you seem highly suggestible...based on the Healthy Trim and the Eat to Live book. Listen, I could show you books on low-carbing or on the paleo diet or on the Mediterranean diet....and the health rationale would be just as convincing in those books too, believe me.
There are more than a few healthy eating plans....each one with its whole reasonable health rationale and explanations. The trick is to find which one works for YOU.

What I would like to see is you on an eating plan that not only works really well for you....but also works for the long haul. I suspect you are a carb addict like me.....but I am going to wait to see how you do on a vegan plan.

If you are on a plan that you can't do for the long haul....you will have a great deal of difficulty not gaining the weight back. And maintaining can be hard enough as it is....usually more difficult than actually losing the weight in the first place.

You're young and you have a busy, stressful life, and you need a plan that can fit in with your job, your family, your finances, etc.

Well, just wanted you to know that you can always find me over on the Atkins forum here. I check the threads and posts there regularly. Or you can PM me....though I'll have to figure out how the PM system works here.

deena

[BunnyD]

Best wishes for the new year and progress on your goals. My goals are similar, including getting off my blood pressure medication and leaving behind the soda. Soda is my nemesis. I can't seem to reign that craving in. After all these years, it's like water to me, and it's a hard habit to break. But, it is time to make that change. Keep us posted on your progress! It will be worth it when we hit those goals.

[CourtneyDaisey]

Thanks folks!

Deena, in order to comment on the blog you have to have an account with Google. If you have a Gmail e-mail address or any other account with Goggle, you should be able to post a comment there. I'm sorry you've having some issues with replying to my blog posts but I am extremely glad that you're following the blog and offering your tips and advice here! Keep them coming!

I also am definitely a carb addict, which is reason #1 why I know I could never be successful on Atkins. I fully admit that the Atkins diet scares the poo out of me since the creator of it died of a heart attack, presumably caused by years of following his own diet plan and eating so many fat-filled foods. I can certainly understand how it works for weight loss, but as for a long term thing, I just don't believe I could handle that one. But like you said, everyone has to find what's going to work for them.

[Deena52]

Courtney~

Dr. Atkins, the founder of the Atkins diet, did NOT die of a heart attack or from anything even remotely related to his diet. He slipped on ice and hit his head and died as a consequence of that.

From an article by Laura Dolson:

"On April 8, 2003, at age 72, Dr. Atkins slipped on the ice while walking to work, hitting his head and causing bleeding around his brain. He lost consciousness on the way to the hospital, where he spent two weeks in intensive care. His body deteriorated rapidly and he suffered massive organ failure. During this time, his body apparently retained an enormous amount of fluid, and his weight at death was recorded at 258 pounds. His death certificate states that the cause of death was "blunt impact injury of head with epidural hematoma"."

In fact, he was a cardiologist and when he tried a low-carb diet, he not only lost weight but all his cardiovascular lab values improved. He initially used the diet for his patients who had cardiac problems and problems with labs. (They all improved, btw....you can research this for yourself). Eventually, he began to promote and wrote books on the diet for weight loss (and for improved health) but initially, it was only for his own patients.

Many endocrinologists are now using versions of the Atkins diet for their patients who are diabetic or insulin resistant....as low-carb works much better for them than the previous 1200 cal. ADA diet did (that they had used for many, many years).

And a carb addict is not simply one who loves carbs. I think at least 90% of us all love carbs.

A carb addict is one who displays addictive behavior when eating simple carbs, much like an alcoholic or drug addict......obsessed with, cannot stop, binges, hides behavior, etc.
And like a drug or alcohol abuser, the carb addict pretty much has to stop eating simple carbs or the obsession kicks back in and the addict cannot stop and and will begin to obsess about them and to binge on them again.

And like drug and alcohol addiction, when the behavior is completely stopped (eating simple carbs) the obsession gradually recedes and the addictive behavior recedes along with it.

The benefits of eating a low-carb diet are particularly helpful for true carb addicts.

deena

PS I have a yahoo acct. and not being computer-savvy at all, will have to wait til one of my sons comes over to make me a google acct. One of my sons set up the yahoo acct. for me several years ago.