After a few months away I am planning to begin visiting this site daily again. It is VERY helpful and supportive!
Today I talked my significant other out of making pancakes for us. Whew! It is hard to say no to him. Feeding me is a sign of love for him, as it was for his mother, who was quite heavy.
I'd like to take off 20 pounds this summer. Is that realistic? 5 pounds in June, maybe 5-8 in July and August, another 5 in September?
I know what works, except for the part about getting a good start and STICKING to it. Oh well, one day at a time. Here we go!
It sounds like a good attainable goal. For a very active group please visit Sarge's Boot Camp. Everyone has different goals and styles.
Thanks! I had to go to the store and resisted picking up any kind of treat. Hurray, small victories!
I had a salad and a small slice of very thin crust leftover pizza for lunch.
I know that pizza is not low carb, even with a thin crust. However, it is homemade and covered with veggies and I do not want to waste it. My partner made it for a dinner with my parents the other night. That is the kind of thing that is hard to say NO to!
Lunch is over, and now I am having NOT MORE FOOD but an unsweetened iced coffee. After this - a big glass f water if I think I need to keep going.
I am new to the forum, but I too did a low carb non atkins diet and had great success. I was working out, felt great, and slim and I was even eating some fruits as well. I just kept my crabs under 20g everyday but i would eat whatever i wanted (except for bread, starch, cookies) and I was down to a size 4!
I agree that it seems like we should be able to include some fruit - it seems to offer too many other potential health benefits to completely avoid it.
I'm also doing a sort of low carbish thing type situation! It's been successful for me in the past - although I've been knocked sideways by things like getting pregnant, natural disasters, a major cross country move - this has always felt like the most sustainable and healthy (for me) way to eat.
Right now I'm doing the following -
no bread, rice, sugar, pasta, etc
lots of seasonal fruits and vegetables
lean meats
limited nuts and cheese
limiting salt
avoiding processed stuff
being mindful of fullness/portion size
using my own good sense
trying to swap out some of the Diet Coke for water
exercise (WATP DVDs)
I am sure there are other things but these are the loose guidelines that have worked for me before.
In the past few years I've watched myself go from "sort of overweight" to "kind of a big girl" to "really, just fat" to "Oh my gosh, what have I done" and I'd like to reverse that process. I hate how hard it is to shop for clothes, I hate pictures of myself, I hate that I'm such a rotten role model for my daughter, and I hate how heavy I FEEL. I've had enough. There is just no reason for me to live like this anymore.
Right now I'm working on my list of reasons I want to lose weight and that sucker is LONG.
Hello! this is, I think, my first post on this site, but I've lurked for a long time.
Some great advice and friendship around here.
I wanted to post today just to break the ice and to say I'm also following a undefined low-carb plan of my own. Or, I'm developing one. I've been maintaining a 35-lb loss for four years now, (well, now it's at 30), and I'm convinced I need flexibility to keep it off.
On the other hand, too much flexibility with the carbs is putting it back on. So, here I am!
I'm also a Taubes fan, though I lost my weight before I ever tried low carb. (I was counting calories and eating along the lines in Walter Willet's book, "Eat, Drink, and Lose Weight.) This is why I'm so ambivalent about sticking to hard-core Atkins or Protein Power - I didn't keep off any of the small amount of weight I lost on them, but I did with more carbs.
Who knows. We're all walking science experiments. Reducing sugar and starch might not make me lose any more weight, but I'm convinced it's best for my overall health, which is all I really cared about anyway. (Well, mostly. I like shopping in regular stores.)
A rambling first post! I hope to talk to you all more soon.
Hi! Anyone still around? There seemed to be a lot of people interested in this. I'd hope we could support each other, and learn what people are doing. I know that would help me.
I've been struggling with my weight -- and which plan to use -- for years. I've tried low carb in the past and never been able to stick with it. I read Gary Taubes' and Barry Groves' books in June and they convinced me that low carb, high fat is the way to go, so I'm trying that. I also signed up for the Diet to Go local service, because one of my excuses in the past has been the "too busy to cook" and another is that I live alone, and get tired of leftovers.
I get the first pickup Tuesday afternoon. Until then I'll be eating bacon and eggs for breakfast, chicken or tuna salad for lunch, and steaks or salmon, plus vegetables with butter, for dinner. I'll also be eating fruit. I'm aiming for 60 carbs a day. I'm not looking to lose fast, just get healthy.
Hi Xan. I'm still here. Although I don't focus on high fats, fat is not something I worry about, which is always a bit of a struggle because I feel like I'm bucking "conventional" wisdom. To bolster your new resolve, I'd suggest you also watch the movie "Fat Head." You can watch it for free on Hulu.com. It's the answer to "Super Size Me" of a few years ago that touted low fat. Fat Head is entertaining and eye-opening.
I include fruits, usually 2 a day, sometimes 3, and very little grain and sugar. I'll perhaps have a bowl of oat bran or old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast sometimes. I've found a very satisfying breakfast, quick and no hunger all morning, is cottage cheese and fruit with some sliced almonds. Or perhaps yogurt with protein powder and fruit with some All Bran sprinkled on top to add a little crunch.
Hi Sharon. Glad you're still here. I think we're doing about the same thing. I hit around 60 carbs yesterday, and feel fine. No "carb flu." I'm not emphasizing high fat in the sense that I'm adding fat, but, like you, I'm not afraid of it, and will add it to meats and vegetables. It's funny, but when I'm on WW I seldom eat vegetables because I don't like them dry. But I love them with butter!
I wish I liked cottage cheese -- I can imagiune it would make a great breakfast. I'm doing Atkins shakes on weekdays and bacon and eggs on weekends, with the goal of making some of Linda's wonderful quiche recipes.
I've tried some of Linda's recipes and have liked every one. I usually make one and freeze the leftovers in individual portions so I can grab one for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The weight comes off me very slo-o-owly these days, and after a couple of months I start sliding and gain a couple pounds back. Then I start over again. I wish I didn't take the one step back because I'd be so much further ahead, but the overall trend is still in the right direction. It's a long process for me.
I haven't stuck to anything long enough to slow down
One of my challenges has been cooking. When I get busy, I don't. I'll be working from home in August and hope/intend to dive into Linda's recipes again. For the rest of July, I'm using a local low carb delivery service. It's low carb, but not too low -- so it fits with what I'm doing now. Lunches and dinners together are 30 to 45 carbs. The food is good, and filling, and I think I can stick with it. I'm adding fruit (the meals all come with at last two servings of vegetables).
Xan...did you receive the Diet to Go meals...how is it going?
how many carbs do you use in a day. I wish this thread was in the forefront...I found it by accident, but agree with the OP, and everyone esle.
Wow! I am so motivated by reading this thread! about 10 years ago I did weight watchers and lost 80 lbs....but lately I have just had a heck of a time losing anything. I mean, it wouldn't be as bothersome if I was _losing_ but I'm not...
When I started to explore low carb, I felt I had failed and this was a last resort and I wouldn't enjoy it... but that's not the case. I picked up the south beach and atkins books from goodwill for a dollar each, just reading them for information.
I also felt like this would be so restrictive but I love the idea of not having to count anything! I can choose smart and not have to count!
I had weight loss surgery almost 2 years ago and have lost about 115 pounds, but I still have a good 40+ more pounds I'd like to lose. I find I do best when I am eating low in carbs and high in fat, but I'm not following any certain plan from a book, just tracking my macronutrient intake. I'm having a hard time finding a very active online community for this and don't want to join a group for a specific diet that I'm not really following that just happens to be similar (such as Atkins) because there are always weird rules associated with different plans that I do not follow. The weight loss surgery community is full of folks who eat way less fat and way smaller portions than me, so that doesn't really work for me, either.
I'd like to have a place to post my daily menus and share with others for ideas. Anyone else?
I do, i just do my own thing s other the years ive learnt what works for me & what i cant do long term.
I dont eat bread/potatoes/rice/pasta
I do eat fruit & veg
I do eat yoghurts
& i do eat cereal for breakfast
Im not snacking (or if i do its a yoghurt) & im trying to do a IF day a week
Started in on low-carb last week. I was eating 4-5 small meals per day plus drinking lots of water. I felt awesome last week! Did a great job but today (Monday) I had lots of carbs, only ate twice (well, 3 times if you consider dessert... darnit) and very little water. I realized that I was cranky and tired all day. HMMM!!! Going straight back to low carb tomorrow!!!!!
I read up a lot on Atkins and other "named" low carb diets, but for me I think it doesn't have to have a name, I just need to remember to decrease carbs, increase fruits and veggies, and drink plenty of water. And allow myself a "cheat" day once every two weeks! I think that is the gist of the low carb diets, and also what they all have in common!
