rho, I'm sorry to hear that! I hope it turns out to be nothing.

I'm thinking of trying this recipe tomorrow night for dinner: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/bacon_beef_rolls.html

My husband seems into it so that's a plus, haha.

186.0 today. It's probably because an afternoon at the in laws turned into dinner again. It was a texas style chili. I know it had brown sugar and beans in it so that isn't great, and who knows what else.

I'm extra motivated to stay on plan, even on those nights now. I realised my medication I'm on can cause weight gain, and from my extensive reading it seems like Atkins or other low carb diets are best while on this medication as to not gain and to maybe even lose. A lot of people report that they get cravings for carbs on it.

Steph and Gem thanks ... I think if it weren't Monday (local pizza place is closed) I would have fallen into either a pizza, a calzone or ravioli tonight ..

I'm not really worried just concerned worried ya know - I'm more worried about freaking out in the MRI -- I got a script for 2 Valium so I will take one an hour before and bring one with me to take there if needed.

Also not totally thrilled that I have to have blood work done tomorrow to be sure my kidneys are find BEFORE they will do the test - what the heck are they injecting me with?

Well that and money - I need to win the lottery -- but I guess you must buy a ticket to win right..

Steph that is a good recipe - hubs likes it and he doesn't like meatloaf...

rho, valium! That sounds fun. Will you have someone to take you there and pick you up? And I hear ya on the lottery. We need a bit of that too. I watch 'The Lottery Changed My Life' and I like to think about what we would buy with that money.

186.4 today. TOM is just about over it seems, but still here. Not sure why my weight won't go down, unless it is my medication. Everything I read about seroquel and weight gain is so scary. Some people gain 30 or more lbs in a month on it. For some people it causes carb cravings and uncontrollable hunger, for others they eat well and work out but it's twice as hard to lose the weight.

So here's my plan:
-Take vitamin B in the morning so I'm not feeling lazy all day, it'll help me with energy
-Going to watch my calories more than I usually do. I count them but don't set a limit.
-Drink more water! This is something I've slipped on lately.
-Push myself to find a way to work out. I think my daughter might be calm long enough for me to work out if I put her in her swing at the right time.

Steph - yes the hubster will take me and pick me up and I already set it up that he will drop me off at my knitting group in the afternoon and a friend will drop me off on the way home - I figure since I don't take that I will have a plan in case it takes awhile to leave my system :D.

Oh and WHY OH WHY am I stressing about today's blood work to test my kidneys? It's a good thing - I'll know For sure how they are no matter what - maybe I'm afraid they will tell me not to do LC. And I don't know if I could do that anymore ....

Don't stress about the meds - I bet the peole they talk about weren't watching what they were eating at all and you are doing right things - and if it slows the loss down - who cares if you feel better overall - and it is a live-it we are doing - and we know we will always be doing a version of it just a looser version when we get to our personal goals.....

I was thinking maybe you can turn on some really upbeat music and dance around with lots of energy and if your daughter wants to be held you can dance around with her - but if she is in the swing interact with her - sing - dance to her etc. and make it fun!

Let me know how the bacon meatloaf turns out.

Rho: do you have a fear of enclosed spaces? I've had two mri's in the last year and it wasn't too bad, they gave me headphones and turned on music for the most part I just closed my eyes and ignored it as much as I could but I was definitely glad to be done.
Stephanie: I think it helps that you are aware of the risks and one thing I've noticed is most anti-depressants have a side effect of weight gain and I think it's because some people when depressed stop eating so the med brings back their appetite and their body is still in starvation mode so it retains the fat. I think as long as you pay attention to what you eat you'll be fine :)

Air -- I am - I don't even like elevators :o I'm going to ask about the headphones for sure... Fingers crossed ..

So I took my second pair of jeans back and got the next size down :D I still look at the 22 and think they are way too small -- but then I put them on and they fit and within 20 minutes are too big - I still can't imagine wearing size 20 (remember I originally went in with size 28 and went down from that - but trying on 26 thinking that was what I needed). I also hit Walmart and got sweat pants that were on super duper sale at $3 so I got in the size I'm in and the next down - hey for $3 it's good and I wear comfy at night (plus I'm always cold now that I'm losing my insulation :o )

Steph I agree with air -- you will do great because you are aware and are LC'ing it - and also focus on how good you felt on it before .. That is going to help lots too...you will want to do all the right things you need to do..

Rho-congrats on the smaller pants, it will definitely take you some adjusting but I'm sure it's a great feeling. You can always get a pair of thermal pants or leggings and wear them under jeans that are a bit loose, helps keeps the pants on and keeps you warm :) I'm sure you'll be fine in your MRI, hopefully it goes by quick. Both times I got mine, the guy would tell me how long each session was going to be and always asked how I was doing, I'm pretty sure that's standard procedure and even if it wasn't they should if you tell them your fear. I think the valium will definitely help and if you're lucky even put you to sleep (I have Klonapin for anti-anxiety and it makes me sleepy).

Thanks Air...

I finally broke my stuck (too short to call a stall - just since Valentines day). I'm hoping to be in a new decade of numbers in a day or two ... Why will that seem so huge it's only a half a lb away but a half pound seems tiny and a new decade seems huge :dizzy:

And to think I had to force myself to eat MORE to lose is incredible ... :D:D

I've been staying strong despite the fact my weight has been bouncing around, I haven't deviated from plan other than dinners at the in laws on Sundays. I have been feeling down about the fact my weight won't budge and I'm scared it's the pills doing it. What I've read about them is they can't pin point why people gain, some people because it makes them eat in a trance like state and others just gain without changing their eating because it messes with their metabolism.

I woke up this morning sick and thought 'screw it, I'm going to have some toast and neocitran' I've been sticking to this hoping for a drop and it just hadn't come.

But then the scale said 185.6. Almost a full lb from yesterdays weight. I don't know if it's because I've been better with my water, took the vitamin B, or if it's because I kept my calories around 1200. I'm going to look through my book and see what caused most of my drops. I think I might just have to work harder to lose the weight on this medication.

rho, glad your past your mini stall! I hope I can start seeing lower numbers each day again too :) I'd love to be in the 170's! I was 164 when I got pregnant and the 170's are so close to that. Plus being below 175 means I go from obese to just overweight.

airomatic, it's the people saying they didn't change their eating and still gained that scare me. I hope I can fight this!

Hi guys! I'm here!!! I'm so sorry I haven't posted, this week has been really busy at work. Thanks for asking after me Aud and sorry to hear you've stalled but yay for keeping on keeping on.

Steph, I think you're doing great with your plan to handle the possible med -side effects. And staying low carb we know helps us to keep the carb cravings at bay. Those people who gained heaps probably already ate higher carb and if it made them crave more then the poor things were doomed. But you know so much more and are on top of things.

Rho, you'll be fine. I had an MRI last year and I was freaking out (and I didn't even get valium - that sounds great!) and it was all good, and I'm claustrophobic too, I don't even like sleeping bags, lol. My problem was I couldn't keep my foot still enough (it was of my ankle).

Congrats on the losses everyone!!! I started counting calories and for once I've been good at tracking. I've come to accept that I don't lose *just* counting carbs. Anyway, counting but not obsessing which is good because the other day I ate nearly 4000! I got into the whipped cream. But it was such a good example of how eating low carb keeps the insulin down so you don't store fat, because I didn't see any gain from that at all. Luckily! I was higher carb too as I was eating way too much yoghurt. Going to stop that again as yoghurt is something I crave (even plain, unsweetened).

And the other day I was on the bus and I was majorly craving stuff I shouldn't have. It's dangerous because my bus stop is at the supermarket and I have to decide *before I get off* what I'm going to buy. Anyway, I was reading "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson and just as I was having those cravings, I got to these lines (from his friend):

'I know I can't drink. I know I can't have just a couple of beers like a normal person, that pretty soon the number will creep up and up and spin out of control. I know that. But'. (and then he described how he loved it and how he missed going to taverns). And no disrespect intended to people with alcohol problems but in my mind I substituted 'starchy food' and re-read it with that in mind and it really helped me accept the cravings, accept that I wasn't going to feed the craving and to move on. And I bought something on plan. It was weird, but a really powerful feeling acknowledging that I can't eat just a bit of cake, or pizza or whatever, that it would spiral out of control. I used to let the cravings be more powerful than me (and I probably will continue to feel that way) but man, accepting it but still not giving in was great. Of course, I forgot all about it when I had some corn chips the next day and I've been fighting the cravings that induced ever since, but I feel stronger anyhow.

ok, back to work, bye!!

Good to see you back AnaBee!

I really have to watch my calories now, especially if I want to losses to keep going. I'm just one of those people. I bet if you cut your calories down to between 1400-1800 you would lose quite quickly! And also cut out the dairy for a bit (except for maybe a little cheese). Dairy seems to stall a lot of people.

I use LoseIt to track my foods - and it is mainly calorie specific but it does show carbs too. I just have to go to a second page to show the nutritional info on daily carbs ... I like concentrating on the carbs but seeing the calories too - just as a reminder - and you can set limits for the calories and carbs for the day too.

Steph maybe as your body gets used to the meds it will do better .. But you do have an advantage or two over the others - you know it is a possibility and you are doing LC --- I bet most of the people gaining are eating low fat and high fiber trying to diet and that is making it worse for them.

Broke into the next decade today YAY! And last night did roasted cauliflower when I did hubs roasted potatoes - it was GREAT - may do it again today if hubs will stop for more cauliflower today... In fact hubs ate a ton of it too along with his potatoes :)

Congrats on the loss rho!

Tonight we're doing a pot roast with onions and mushrooms in the slow cooker and I think tomorrow we're going to try that bacon beef roll recipe. The only thing that creeps me out is having to touch the raw meat with my hands to form it... yuck! I might have to put my dishwashing gloves on for that.

I'm still sick, feeling worse but stuck to my diet. 185.6 today, the same but that's fine. In the end if I lose 1 lb a week I'll still be happy because it is a lb I didn't have before. I am noticing something about my body looks different though, and I didn't think I would see a difference until at least the 170's like last time. I'm going to have my husband measure me this weekend to see if it's all in my mind.

Another drive-by---still mega OT---still stalled---still working out/walking tho---from one claustro to another thinking of you rho:hug:--you will be fine!

Talk more later . . . :)

I totally forgot to eat today. Whoops! I'm sick and not hungry, baby has diaper rash and just wants to be held, and before I know it it's 3:30. Gonna eat some veggies until my husband gets home in 2 hours and then it will be pot roast time!