Well, it's certainly been FOREVER since I've started a morning chat!

Still desperately trying to get back OP. Not totally successful, but giving it my best. I just keep remembering that this time last year it took me a good month of honest daily attempts before I stuck with my plan. Next thing I knew, 40 pounds had disappeared!

So, I stick with it and keep trying my best.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Good Morning Ladies

Hope everyone has a great day at work/home & make it a OP day

Paula: Way to go to keep trying !! When I came back to Atkins this time, it took me about 3 weeks to stabilize myself enough to fully be back on the wagon. Its tough, sometimes it sux, but once your on it, it gets easier. Just keep treading.

I will see everyone else later !!

Dawn & Paula, I'm right there with you I've been trying to get back OP for at least 3 months now and yesterday I finally had a completely OP day!!! Induction even!!!! So, I'm stuggling through today now! Good luck to you both. It can be done!

Good morning all.

I didn't post yesterday because I didn't want to subject you to my FOUL mood. Oh I was in a bad way........
I am so not in the Christmas spirit...haven't even put up my tree. Don't feel like putting wreaths on the door either....and don't get me going on Christmas cards.
Today though I decided that I seem to be doing this to myself. I don't know why. I hope I can snap out of it soon.

My weight is up....oh yeah.....another case of I did it to myself. I am bulging out of my jeans today. Blaming DH for putting them in the dryer! Yeah right!
I just can't seem to eat the right way lately. I definitely eat when I am down...there is no doubt about that. But if I keep eating this way I am going to gain it all back. *sigh* I don't really want to do low carb anymore...I miss too much stuff. I have to decide which way works better for me.......here I go again. Tried something, failed, tried something else.

Everyone.....join me in my pitty party!

Good Morning Ladies!

Paula: Glad to see you back her with us! Keep trying sweetie. I am sure that you can do it!!!

Dawn: Hope that you have a great OP day also!

Lori: Congrats for being OP yesterday! I am sure that it will get easier for you now!

Jane: I hope that you are feeling better soon. I am like you and eat when I am down. I know how you feel about the Christmas spirit also. I usually have all of my house decorated by the weekend after Thanksgiving. I haven't even started this year. DH says he's going to put the tree up tonight. I dont' know if it's that I don't have the energy, or I am not in the spirit. Just really can't get in the mood to anything Christmas this year! Hang in there hun...It will get better!

Well, nothing new here. Still pregnant, and still miserable. Everyone says the last month is the longest, and I so believe them. We have another Ultrasound this Thursday, so hopefully they can tell me when this little one may be here. They are wanting to check her weight to make sure she's big enough. Well, 3 weeks ago she was over 4 lbs, so I am sure that she has passed 5lbs by now. DH is working days this week, and so it's nice to have him here at night. With him here at night I seem to be able to get my butt in bed sooner. Last night at 7 I was telling him I was ready to go to bed. We ended up staying up til 9. But as usually, I slept a couple of hours and was wide awake. Finally did go back to sleep though and I feel much better today. Just seems that I have no energy anymore! Well, time to get some breakfast and head into work! Hoping today will be smoother day than yesterday! Everyone have a great OP day and I will be back later!

Lisa

Sorry ladies! I've got to spout and run. Nothing is working right lately and my mood is getting worse. BAH freakin HUMBUG!!! Ok, enough of that. I've been running around trying to find gifts and it REALLY ticks me off when stores advertise something and then DON'T have it! The sale started Sunday and I was there at 12:45 YESTERDAY! You'd think there'd be ONE left!! Nope. So spend TWO hours searching for the things I needed and came home with NOTHING!!!
Off to work I go then after work more errands--this time for bill paying. Oh joy!

Ahhhhh ladies you all sound like me....I am a day away from TOM and have a BAAADDDDD attitude lately and all i see when i look in the mirror is FAT and Failure! I am trying to stay OP but I am doing a poor job of it and it sucks! I am so worried I will gain back all my weight. I LOVE the holidays but dang it is sooooo hard to stay OP! I wanted to hide in bed today and not even come out, I forced myself to get up and come to work and then i AM going to the gym even if i only stay 20 mins! I am just gonna force myself to do it! I have been crappy since October! ANYWHO sorry to be sucha downer but thats just the way it is today! ahahahahahaha

TG

TG: Yup, we have the same problem I feel like crap and look like crap too. Good for you though going to the gym........

Good Morning everyone.

I will be back this afternoon to chat a bit. Sorry I don’t have much time right now.

Jane, you say you miss lots of stuff. May I ask what?
Here is what has worked for me. I go on a strict, induction level, maximum 5 carbs, for 2-3 days. Then for 2-3 days I eat what I want and don’t even bother counting carbs, just make sure my servings are small so that my calories are still within 1200-1400. And the rest of the time I keep my net-carbs between 50 and 90 grams. There are however some things that I stay away no matter what, for example, anything that has flour in them. I still don’t have them, maybe when I reach goal, but I don’t miss them. I don’t miss bread, rice, pasta, beagles. I love chocolate; I found Lindth Dark chocolate pretty satisfying, I can even get it from CVS. The whole thing is 10 carbs, I eat only half of during the days that I don’t count carbs. I eat all fruits and actually I think I have gone overboard since I stay away from fruits during the summer. But on my relaxed days I eat any fruit that I like. I still don’t eat potato or carrots but any other veggies I eat. I eat ligaments but in very small portions. And the thing is that I still lose weight.
My advice is to stay with LC for couple of days. And give yourself permission without any guilt to eat anything your heart desires on the 2 or 3 days of the week, but still counting calories. I truly think there are too much temptations around and it is too easy to give in to them. Give yourself 4 more weeks, let Jan 1 hit and you will see how easy it is going to be to stick to LC. Hope that you stick around. I sure will miss you if you quit LC and leave this place.

Rachel: Oh I won't leave! I would miss the support from all of you. As for what I miss....Pizza, potatoes, pasta....oh and nacho's! Seriously the only thing that is the hardest is the pasta...it was always a once a week dinner. Now I have to think of what kind of meat I can have tonight.
Don't pay any attention to me....I am just wining.

I don't think I could do that low carb (5)....wow, how is that possible. But I do want some fruit and some whole grain cereal in the morning....as soon as my doc lets me go back to dairy

I have never let myself go above 20 grams a day....except of course when I am not behaving. Maybe I should have increased it as the book said to instead of staying so low.

I just need to get out of this funk so that I can see the light.....I will get back on the wagon again, I promise.

Jane, I truly think that it is a mistake to stay on induction level carbs for more than a few months. I think the reason I was successful and was able to stay on this plan was because my diet evolved. First of all, do you know that I didn’t start induction truly as described in the book? I just couldn’t see myself eat all cheese for snack so I also included nuts. I stayed with this revised induction for, I think, 3 weeks. Then I increased my carbs. Then my weight loss stopped. I was under false impression that I was going to lose 2 to 3 pounds per week. So when after couple of weeks my weight loss slowed down and then came into a halt I decided to do a true induction. I was so surprised when I didn’t actually lose any weight. I was about to get discouraged, but the support I got from here made me stay with the program.

Then I found the “Meat & Egg” version of LCing. Basically I just eat eggs, tuna with mayo, grilled chicken or hamburger. Sometimes I allow myself treats, like coffee with cream. This way I am consuming no more than 5-7 grams of carbs. When I follow this way of eating I lose weight, and then for the rest of the week I increase my carbs and maintain, which was and still is prefect for me.

When I started dating I was very annoyed at first that how come I wasn’t at goal and I had to stress on what to order when we went out. But I learned to watch what I eat when I was on my own and indulge a bit when we went out. I also think that helped me a lot. It got the boredom out of my diet.

My suggestion is that if you want nachos, go for it, but make it special. Like go out to the movies and order nachos. And make a plan with yourself that you only order nachos at the movies. If you want pasta, make LC pasta. I have heard that they are very good. If you want pizza, make it yourself with LC breads, it might not be as good as you remember it but it is a good substitution. You know, I too did miss both real pizza and pasta and I had them during my 3 day binge at the beginning of November. You know what, they were not as good as I remember they were.

I think the best advice someone gave me when I started Atkins was, “the successful person starts with some method of eating, some proven method, and then as they go they modify it to fit their needs.” I don’t think if I had followed Atkins to the T I would have been here. I follow most of the guidelines, like stay away from processed starches and sugar and the rest I make my own rules as I go.

Great advice Rachel.....thank you I decided I am going to add in some fruit (oh how I love clementines!). I may even add a banana or two in there I have done the low carb bread....didn't like the Atkins pasta but I will try the dreamfields stuff and see how that is. I will up the carbs and stay away from the processed stuff and see how I do.

Hi Everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't been around to really read and get involved more but my job is really hairy lately, my new boss is very needy and with my project that is due at the end of the year I'm going mad but its okay, I just don't have time to come here to see you all.

I do get vacation starting december 18th so you'll see me more then, thats for sure. Please Please PLEASE know that I do read but don't have time to comment like I would like to.

Your all in my prayers!!!

Love You ! Leenie