Just Saying Hello
 

Hello,
Just signed on and not sure how to proceed. I'm doing low-carb but not Atkins ....I guess you'd call it "Using Your Head Low-Carb Diet" I've lost 22 pounds and have about 30 to go .....problem is will power is weak to non existent ....Would be glad to hear from anyone. :angel:

Welcome and congrats on your success so far! I personally am doing WW and just started... I don't think I have the low carb in me.. I love my breads too much!

Again, welcome, congrats, and good luck!

Hi I'm a newbee too. I tried the low-carb thing too and like you I couldn't do it because of breads and pasta. I really believe that you won't succeed if you have to "give up" things that you normally eat. Plus you need to not think if this as a "diet" it has to be a change of life because if you go back to your old habits you will gain it all back. So think about what you are trying to do, can you do it forever? Will you feel cheated?

I'm 5'5" and started out at 160 and I'm now 115 lbs. and I tried EVERYTHING! The thing that worked best for me was to use a food journal. I started writing down everything I eat and counting calories. I was shocked to see how many times I went to put something in my mouth while cooking. When I had to log the food items and their calorie content I was shocked at how much food I was consuming. It was no wonder I had gained so much weight.

The great thing about what I did is that I didn't have to change what I ate I only had to account for every calorie and then I limited how many calories I could consume. It did take a lot of willpower and determination but I've done it. I'm just now in maintenance phase (its only been 2 months since reaching my goal of 115.) I still log my daily intake but now to ensure that I eat enough.

The first few months were the pits don't let me mislead you but after a while I think my stomach got used to the smaller portions and now I'm satisfied with much less. All this to say make sure you can live with your change and not look at it as short term.

Well Hello and Thank you. It's been a long haul with ups and downs or should I say losses and gains :-) But I'm determined to get there even if takes another 100 years LOL
Linda Lee

welcome newbees. glad to have you all. this site has wonderful support. keep up the good work and post often.

NCLefty,
I agree 100 % . Low Carb is a life style I can live with. Bread and Pasta aren't my problems but cookies and chocolate are and believe me there isn't a diet in the world that will smile on double stuffed oreos and a Whitman Sampler ;-) But I will keep trying .....

I would pass up chocolates in a heart beat.. My downfall would be rice/pasta/bread.. I could make a meal out of some restaurants bread.. Olive Garden is an example.. I could eat salad and breadsticks all day.. :hun:
just thinking about it makes the Health Choice Chicken Margharita I just ate turn my stomach.. yum.. olive garden.. heheh :idea:

Paragoddess,
Hummm ....I'm not talking about food tonight!!!! Another weekend down the tubes. I do great all week. No problems BUT come the weekend .........................This weekend was the worst. Friday night we took my inlaws out to dinner that wasn't too bad but it wasn't great. Saturday my sweet husband says lets go to the movies and I'll take you out to dinner afterwards ...okay I can live with that :-) until he sits down with a big bag of Very Buttered popcorn ....dinner was the diner.... Then Sunday we go visit my Mom!!! "You're getting too skinny, eat you're going to get sick" then the <deep sigh and hurt look> "I don't know what to cook any more ...it's so confusing ....just tell me what you'd eat and I'll make it SPECIALjust for you" Oh well, tomorrow is Monday and a new start ...maybe next weekend will be better <heehee>

Weekends can be really hard. I'll be honest with you, I take weekends off. I still try to be careful with my eating, but not as careful, if you know what I mean. My big thing is that I avoid potatoes, so maybe on a weekend I'll have a little baked potato. Trick is to be moderate even in your cheats. It doesn't work for everyone, but it sure keeps me sane, and keeps me from kicking myself too hard.

I do low-carb a bit. I concentrate more on eating low on the Glycemic Index. This lets me have bread and pasta but in normal servings. I couldn't give up bread. Have no interest in doing so. Whole grain bread is low GI & so is sourdough. The latter is good for me because I eat out fairly often & most places have sourdough but not whole grain bread. :)

Of course, I also know a good many people who have to restrict all carbohydrates in order to avoid the bad ones like sweets. You just have to find what works for you.

Hello :angel:
I'm one of those people who have to restrict most carbs especially sugar. Chocolate is a big NO NO. If I have one peice of chocolate the next thing I know I've eaten the whole candy bar and then I get a migraine ...this is not a good thing. You'd think by the time one has reached my age they would have developed some will power :shrug:
I am working on a plan for weekends. Something has to give. Mondays are always so discouraging it's like starting my diet <life style> all over. I've lost 22 pounds but if you figure out the 1 to 2 pounds I have relose every week I'd probally be at my goal by now ! So as the saying goes today is the first day ......etc. We will see.
:genie:

Linda- This weekend went stright down the toilet.. hehe :doh:

Friday we went to Applebees.. I did good.. I had the WW Tilapia w/ rice.. it was the Tavern Chips .. potatos fried covered w/ cheese and bacon that did me in!

Saturday I had a baby shower brunch I co-hosted so I had a little taste of everything from the cheesy grits casserole to the ham, egg and cheese casserole to the fruit and fruit dip... but like i said. I had a little dip of each.. nothing too major :shrug:
That night my husband was at work so I ordered Domino's.. a thin crust Hawaiian Pizza... well, I ate more than the 1/8th serving.. and I kept taking hits off of the left over fruit dip.. cream cheese and marshmallow fluff dip to be exact!! :cloud9:

Anyway, I stayed within flex points but only lost 1 lb.. So, this is a new week.. Special K for breakfast this morning... a smart ones for lunch, and stir fry for supper... Maybe some popcorn for snack..

Good luck this week..

i think everyone has trouble with the weekends. i, too, go a little lax on the weekends, but not that much. i still write everything i eat down so i keep myself honest. even on the weekends i write down every bite that crosses my lips. you ladies are all doing so well, but you really do have to find what works for you.