[aleka]

nikki, how awful for you. Has the bleeding let up any? Maybe the stress you've been under could be a contributing factor too? I am sooo glad I'm all through that and don't have to worry about it anymore. That's one of the good things about a hysterectomy The ages of a woman that you posted is so true. I'll buy a red hat too and join you!

ANNE, hope your day went well at work and that you weren't too tired. Our rain has stopped too, but like your area, it's a bit raw out. It's in the 50's today, but cloudy, and with the wind it feels much colder.

StarPrincess, thank you for the atkins site. I will print out some pages and read it through. It will save me some money. What did you have for breakfast while on induction? I know the pancakes are a no-no, and I'm happy to see that you can have the french toast. I find that I can only eat eggs a few times a week, then I start feeling sick to my stomach That's why I'm a little hesitant to do Atkins. Any input would be helpful.

Have a good afternoon.
Aleka

[StarPrincess]

Bacon and sausage were my saving grace. And string cheese. How I love the sting cheese! I'm an unconventional eater anyway, so sometimes I'd have leftovers from the night before. One of the things I did when starting was eat about 6 times a day, then I could have smaller amounts of food. A typical day for me during the first two weeks would look something like this:

Breakfast -
3 sausage links (0 carbs)
Slice of cheddar cheese (1 carb)

Snack -
3 celery stalks with cream cheese (4 carbs)

Lunch -
Chef Salad w/blue cheese dressing (7 carbs)

Snack -
cucumber slices w/ranch (3 carbs)

Dinner -
Rotisserie chicken (0 carbs)
Steamed cauliflower w/cheese (3 carbs)

Snack -
Flavored pork rinds (0 carbs)

Total = 13 grams of carbs

With the many "feedings", I was able to eat less and keep my carb levels down. It also kept me more than satisfied. Hope this helps

[ANNE D]

Hi Again All:
Nikki, man oh man do I know where you are coming from with this
bleeding business. Years ago I went to the doctor in tears because I was convinced I had cancer it was so bad. I was
given an ultrasound etc. and was assured it was typical peri
menopause symptoms made worse because of my twin pregnancy and the stretching that had gone on with my uterus. It is still enlarged, the doctor prescribed a drug called anaprox. It
is fabulous. On the bright side, you and I are the same age and
I use to be regular at 28 days since I was 12. I am now missing
the odd cycle and I couldn't be more thrilled, lets hope the end
is in sight for both of us I remember last year the stupid
thing went on once for three weeks, like a tap. That only
happened once thank God, but when I went on a menopause
board I learned just how typical all this bleeding is. I couldn't
beleive it!!
Anne.

[aleka]

It finally stopped raining and we did see the sun for about 5 seconds yesterday morning then it clouded over and the wind started, so it felt raw. A typical Nov. day. It's supposed to get colder over the weekend.

Sunday DH & I are going down to visit my cousin. He'll go do his thing, then she & I will go shopping. Her b'day is towards the end of the month and this weekend is good for us to have a little celebration.

ANNE, it is scary when heavy bleeding like that happens. It happened to me when I first got married. I had never bled like that before and it scared me. So, went to the Dr. and thankfully everything was ok, he told me I had some form of miscarriage. I don't think I was pregnant because it came right on time. I have no idea what it could have been. It is so nice when it finally stops. I went into a forced menopause when I had a hysterectomy. It's total freedom!

StarPrincess, thank you for posting a sample menu of what you eat. I am still thinking about it because I really do like my carb in the morning. The rest of the day is mostly protein & veggies. I sort of do Suzanne Somers WOE, where I have some fruit in the morning, on an empty stomach, then wait 20 min. and have some Shredded Wheat 'n' Bran w/skim milk. Lunch is usually a salad with f/f dressing. Dinner is some sort of meat with 2 kinds of veggies. The only thing I don't like about SS WOE is the food combining. I like the fact on Atkins you don't have to do that. I guess I have some thinking to do. You have been a great help.

nikki, hope your bleeding has let up some. I will be thinking of you today.

Enjoy your weekend!
Aleka

[StarPrincess]

Good morning!

Aleka - I totally understand. There's so many different ways of going about this whole weight loss thing and we're all different, so no one way is going to work for all of us. I'm happy to answer any questions I can and give support no matter what. After all, it's not about the path we take, it's about supporting each other on the trip.

I had an eye opening moment last night. My DH took a picture of me in my brand new coat that I'm so proud of. I put it next to a picture of me right before I started this woe and holy cow! When I look in the mirror, I don't see the difference, but looking at the pictures, I sure did. I was so excited, that I posted them on the Atkins thread (if you'd like to take a look).

Gotta get working. Have a great day! Nikki, even though you won't read this today, you're in my thoughts.

[aleka]

StarPrincess,
I popped in over to the Atkins thread and saw your picture. You look FABULOUS!!!! You should be so proud of yourself!!! I really love your coat too!

Aleka

[StarPrincess]

Thanks, Aleka - I'm really pretty excited and feeling much more encouraged than I was a few days ago.

[nikkic]

Good morning,
Well, I never did go. I figured I'd have to stop every 1/2 hour and DH understood. He drove down there went to the funeral and came home. It was a long day for him, he left at 330 am and got home at 1230am the next morning. He's glad he's home now, but he's pretty tired.
I'm ok now, maybe it was stress and/or hormonal changes from menopause. Anne, I remember last year and wondered how things were going for you now. Thanks you guys for the emotional support.
I got a lot done yesterday. I figured it would be better to stay busy, plus, there were all kinds of things I could do without DH supervising He is like I am, a perfectionist and bossy. He likes to tell me how to do a job better, and I'm the same with him. Maybe that's why we don't get much done I took out the caulking around the tub/shower and late last night, recaulked it, put plastic up on the rest of the windows, put a new phone jack in the wall and replastered around it and nailed on some trim. It was a productive day for me.
Star, thanks for the sample menu. I've done Atkins before, once when it was brand new, 20 some years ago and then last year. But last year, I could only stay on induction for a week. I am going to give it another try this coming week and see how it goes. My goodness, you look fabulous. I have a picture of myself when I started to lose weight (274 lbs) taped on a full length mirror that I pass all the time. I want to always remember where I was and where I am. Still, a current picture is somehow even more revealing. You are an inspiration, thank you for posting your pictures.
Take care, Nikki

[aleka]

It is very chilly here this morning. We even had snow flurries which was more like a squall rather than flurries. We got a dusting, which quickly melted.

nikki, sorry you weren't able to make the trip, I wouldn't have wanted to go either if I had to stop that many times. It's times like that you need to be home. Glad that your DH made it to the funeral and back. That is a long drive and I hope he's getting plenty of rest. You sound like you were a busy little bee while he was gone. That's wonderful you can do those kinds of jobs, I honestly wouldn't know where to start. Of course if I did do anything like that, it would've been done wrong I'm in the same boat as you with DH telling me how to do things. But, I don't do it to him. When he does that with me I get "thick", swear at him, walk away, and tell him to do it himself. MEN!!!!

StarPrincess, I forgot to as you yesterday how long it took you to lose that much weight.

ANNE, hope you're having a good Sat.

Take care
Aleka

[nikkic]

A new week, so I'll start a new thread, see you there.