Globe, that's really interesting that you weigh less in the evening. I'm usually lightest in the morning. However, I do notice if I don't drink much water during the day I can be lighter on those evenings. Do you drink enough do you think? But I guess also everyone's body is different, digestion etc might be on a different schedule.

Rho, I can relate to prices in your area and it's so weird when you compare to other places isn't it? Like there seem to be some gorgeous houses in the midwest that are super crazy cheap, but I guess there are probably problems along with that (i.e, no work!) Steph, the rankings of affordability I was referring to had Vancouver in the number 1 most unaffordable for housing spot, Hong Kong second and Sydney third. So I can relate!

Also lol about the granola bar. I am a fainter so I can relate to their desire to have people eat high carb before/after procedures like that. When I lived in London we used to get a free paper called Metro and it seemed like it always had some horrifically gory freak accident story and the boys in my team would discuss it in great detail even though they knew I would keel over listening to it (I am a hands over my ears lalalalala type of person the moment accident stories verge beyond what you'd describe to a kindergarten child). One time I came really close to fainting and so I snatched the can of coke on one of my coworkers desks and drank it and while they hadn't noticed that I'd gone grey/white, they did see the difference when the sugar made the colour come back into my face. Between the shock of losing the coke, the dramatic difference in how I looked and the big telling off my friend gave them, they stopped telling gory stories in front of me I have to have a blood test on Saturday morning and I think I'll take a little mini cream cheese to eat straight after because the combo of fasting and blood test is never good. At least the path lab staff know me, I've sobbed in front of everyone there at one time or another, lol. It's hard though because sugar for shock is such accepted practice but the cravings you get afterwards are brutal.

And Rho, 80 pounds is awesome! You are an inspiration. The 25 ish that I've lost so far has taken me about 2 years (well, I've mostly been either maintaining or losing and regaining the next 10 pounds).

Ana I drink A LOT of water and I mean A LOT.. I guess it is my digestion..every one's body is different


@ Ana funny story

You sound like me Globe - they almost staged an intervention at work, they were worried I was drinking too much water (it was super embarrassing but they noticed because when I was away for a month, they barely had to replace l the water cooler bottles while when I was around, we went through heaps of them!) Whenever doctors give me the 'make sure you get 8 glasses!' talk I just roll my eyes

Annabee an intervention but to think about it can you drink too much water.. I drink and I kid you not I drink at least 3/4 milk gallon of water.. I do run back and forth to bathroom.. I'm not too sure about this 8 glasses of water a day.. I think you and I are in overdrive on drinking water I think that plays a lot with why my weigh goes up and down from morning to the evening..

I have lost my 7 that I was aiming for the memorial day challenge but was going for 10 but with TOM around the corner I'm not sure if the results will show up until after memorial day weekend..

have a good one everyone

I haven't weighed at night but I try to drink a glass of water minimum an hour during the day so I don't think I would weigh less - although I do run to the bathroom quite a bit also - and I know when I slack off on the water it slows my weight loss and effects other bathroom habits to the negative 😱 I find summer it is so much easier to drink enough water - winter can be a struggle to the point that I have an alarm on my iPhone for it

Thanks all - I just keep plugging away ... I lose slowly but I try to convince myself that it will make it more of a habit and I will keep it off. Remember though I had January and February that were slooooow losses .. This month has been good (I could go for a few more months like this ) I think one difference this times is that I have given myself permission to not be perfect ... And by doing that I have been pretty close to perfect lol ... But I find I am really fussy about what I have that isn't on plan. It has to be totally worth it and not much passes my muster for that - I will be doing this for life and it has to be livable for me ... And occasionally there will be something I want off plan... I figure I'm learning a way of life not just a way to lose. I had 4 drinks on vacation but generally I don't drink - more because I lose my judgement and want to eat everything in sight and do than to any objections to drinking and it's carbs ....

Anything lost on a challenge is a win - and meeting the challenge is just a bonus - try making the next one more achievable and you can always add to it if you reach the goal or you can just let it show more of a loss - I actually did both this time - I knew I was vacationing and made a lower goal than normal and when I reached that I upped it then after I met that I just let it show more loss

3 hours sleep last night - lots of running to do today and not nearly enough caffeine yet - hope some of that made sense

Have a great day everyone!

rho I love your way of thinking.. you hit so many things on the head especially when you said you are learning a way to live not a way to lose weight so very true.. my weight loss wasn't fast as well and I'm glad it has been kindof steady. I'm not looking at a way to sustain my weight loss as well and I've been doing the GI Diet and a combo of calorie counting and it has been working for me..

I agree with the perfect thing.. being perfect is over rated

I had a couple emotionally rough days last week and lost my Atkins mojo. I gained back four pounds and my blood sugar levels is back way up. I have not gone over 80 net gm of carbs, and I kept calories below 1800, but I still gained.

I'm back to induction levels today. Actually, I'm taking some time out to fast from food completely. That usually helps me clear my head of cravings. I also cleaned the kitchen really well and am staying out of there as much as possible today. I'm not know for my fastidious nature, but a clean kitchen helps me focus on non-food things.

I feel very sad that my blood sugar levels are back to being too high again, especially in the mornings. I was really hoping to control them with diet and exercise. I really don't want to go on medication.

Geo don't feel sad.. try and think positive.. Also the 4 pounds probably are water because if you ate under 1800 there is no way you gained 4 pounds. people tend to forget calories in verus calories out as well..

Glad you are back on plan which is the important thing and look forward

Man, I typed a whole post yesterday and today I come on here and realise I never even posted it! Doi!

I was 178 yesterday and 179 today. Went to in laws for dinner last night, made my own dinner but my MIL actually made the chicken teriyaki stir fry with no sauce or rice for me and then added it later for everyone else (Poor woman has to make it meatless for one daughter, low carb for me, then make sure there are no weird veggies in my nieces or else she won't eat it haha)

I'm pretty sure the pound up is from water, there were a lot of veggies in it and water chestnuts which I'm guessing would not be low carb.

I swear, once my husband stops working out of town this will get a lot easier. It's hard not having easy access to a store and in laws that invite you over constantly but make food you can't eat. They won't do this as much once he's home and he's coming home for good this weekend.

He's also good at keeping me on track if I ask him too. Took awhile to train him to do this though, haha.

Globe, I got told off by the doctor for drinking too much water. If I drink too much I start getting spacey and *really* thirsty and it just escalates and I drink more and more. When I told the doc he freaked out at me and said I could kill myself through depleting my electrolyte levels too much. I don't remember the specifics but it scared me! So I keep an eye on how much I have, more than about 4 litres without good reason (i.e, it's not hot and I haven't been exercising) and I make myself sit with the thirst for a while. I'd never had a good answer for my thirst before that because if I ever mentioned it they just sent me off for another diabetes test. Interesting, going gluten free made my thirst go back to normal people levels, I haven't felt like that since). So, drink lots of water but it is possible to have too much and if you have heaps and feel spacey, stop!

Geo, sorry about the emotionally rough days. You'll have just put on some water weight, it'll come off fast. Have you ever looked at Dr Bernstein's book about diabetes? I found it really interesting (I'm not diabetic, just insulin resistant)

Steph, your MIL is so sweet :-) Sorry about the pound though.

I've been maintaining for about a month (ha, maintaining a 5 pound gain actually, I would change my ticker but it would depress me to do so) and on Sunday I'm going back on induction level carbs and clean eating. I've had a rough few weeks and lacked the motivation to do so but the jig is up. I have a wedding to go to in 2 months!

Wow Ana see I didn't know that drinking a lot of water is not healthy.. I'll keep a watch out on how much a drink and leave it at 4 liters as well or try to..

I think it's probably pretty unusual for people to drink too much water so it probably doesn't come up very often. I was drinking maybe 6 litres a day when I was going so spacey, and I think that'd be pretty rare. I try to read up about it but doing so makes me really queasy, I can't bear the details!

I went out tonight and drank vodka and soda which I'd read was a pretty low carb option. I really enjoyed it (usually I have a sweet mixer) so yay for finding something low carb to drink (lets not talk about the rice crackers I ate, nor the half bottle of riesling. Sigh).

TOM is definitely around the corner.. due on Sunday and today I've eaten 4 turkey hotdogs and a salad which is not normal for me but sometimes when TOM is around I eat more, have no idea why.. Anyway I will be doing my final weigh in for the memorial day challenge on Memorial Day which I think is a Monday May 28th.. I'm going to try and give it my all but I will say when TOM is around I'm lazy and don't exercise as much.. but I plan on getting a workout in later today and saturday as well..

good luck to everyone and hopefully will have some weigh losses posted over the weekends.. reading the posts are motivation for me.. and as Serenity stated before even if no one losses we still rock staying on plan etc.. is work.. I would kick myself in the butt to have been working since February to stop and undo my bad work.. I won't be beaten by cake..

Ana I was really not aware because all your hear is how you should be drinking a lot of water etc...

I haven't had an alcoholic drink in so long I probably would be but vodka and soda sounds great right about now..

I knew about the over drinking water thing, I used to do ecstasy and people always warned that you'll want to drink a lot but don't over do it so we always made sure we had enough but not too much (because another cause of death while taking ecstasy is overheating)

AnaBee, I think alcohol is our downfall! I'll plan a glass of wine into my carbs but it's like it triggers something in me and I fall off the wagon. I try to stick to hard liquor and diet coke, which has little to no carbs.

177.2 today! A new low Nice to see that number and me being good is paying off already. 10 more days and 2 more lbs to go!