Baffled - I see you've lost quite a bit of weight and your tall like me so you know how us tall girls can hide our fat. I'm doing 14 min on the eliptical 3-5 times per week right now. Can you please send me a private message with your workout schedule from the beginning (being a smoker and all) and what led you to the weight you are now???? It would help me sooooo much. Thanks....and your right, I ran track for years and smoked and I too am really through...I will quit very very soon. I'm hoping that once I really get into my working out...that'll help me to quit smoking. Joyce

FYI - 137lbs for me would be a size 4...I'm kinda muscular..ya know...beneath the fat!!!!

This isn't the low-carb section of the forum

I'm with the others--broken record, I know, but--more protein and more calories! If you are vegetarian, try nuts/nut butters, tofu products, beans, some whole grains, etc.

I'm guessing you're not a vegetarian, though, since you said you had a lot of meat while on Atkins. So, chicken, fish, lean beef, turkey, lean ham, milk, cheese, eggs...I'm a super picky eater, so my diet consists mostly of chicken and turkey products (by "turkey products," I mean I use turkey instead of other meats--turkey sausage, turkey ham, turkey pepperoni, turkey burgers, etc.). There are SO many places to get protein--when I was successfully losing weight in the past, I had a goal of 100g protein per day. that does NOT mean I was doing low-carb. I still ate plenty of carbs, just healthier ones (whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, brown rice, dairy, fruits, veggies, etc.).

Baffled and bambi, you guys should quit and use your cigarette money to hire personal trainers! I know that has nothing to do with this thread, but I had to share.

Kara

Kara - Thanks...I've never heard that one before! Not to excuse myself or anyone else, but, smoking is not the only thing that can kill ya! All of us here have some vice, whether it be food, cigarettes, etc. The way to overcome these "vices" are to understand and support one another. Obviously, you don't smoke otherwise you would not have posted that statement. Believe me when I tell you...nobody wants the ill effects of cigarettes on their bodies...nobody.

Jill - Ooooops...you are right...I think I landed here by mistake. Although the chatter has been wonderful...perhaps it is I that should move to the low-carb forum (since I'm an Atkinser). Thanks. Joyce

Hi Joyce,

You asked about saddlebags. Sorry, can't spot reduce. We have no control over where the fat will be removed from out bodies. It makes sense, we didn't get to pick the places we put in on either. Just know that with combined cardio, strength training, and really great food choices it will come off. In the meantime, we can work on developing some really awesome muscles in the areas under all of that extra weight that will look incredible as the bodyfat percentage lowers.

Good luck Joyce.

that's another good point...I started out a stickly tall awkward kid with no hips (therefore no fat to go around it), no boobs, no fat whatsoever even as a teen...perhaps with exercise and a great diet...I can go back...except for the awkwardness!