The Java Room-Protein Power Daily Hangout

[alpdiver]

Bawdy,

In response to your ‘early’ post today I would like to add my 2 cents worth. I have been impressed with your postings and writing style. Your enthusiasm and support of others is commendable and obviously appreciated by the may ‘kudos’ you receive. I was sorry to read about your recent misunderstanding with someone on another forum and your apparent frustration with current progress or lack thereof.

I’ve been ‘lurking' on this site for about a month, but as I am a ‘shy guy’ haven’t introduced myself. However, as you can see from my profile I have been successful in meeting my body weight goals following, primarily, the Protein Power LifePlan mantra. However, it took me 2 years to reach my goal and there was a lot of ‘stall time’ during those 2 years. But extensive web surfing and reading helped me find ways to break the stalls, reach my desired weight and meet my new lifestyle goals. Perhaps some of the resources I found may be of help to you.

For me, some very useful information came from a fitness guru, Tom Venuto, who has written an e-book called “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”. Another excellent resource is the e-book “Fit Over 40” by Jon Benson. The Venuto book is more technical oriented while the Benson book is more inspiration/motivation oriented. From these two books I learned the importance of establishing ‘appropriate’ written goals, ways to boost metabolism and many useful tips on exercising and eating. Another major issue for me was changing my eating habits. I read the book “The OverFed Head” by Rob Stevens and tried his online program at thintuition.com. This program helped me to understand my hunger and to change my eating such that I now only eat when I’m hungry and only consume food until I no longer feel hunger. Needless to say this is a very difficult lifestyle change to implement, but for me I believe it was the most important one of all.

That’s all I’m going to bore you with for now. Will be happy to answer any questions you or others might have.

All the best in your quest,

Andy

[Songberrie]

Bawdy - hmm, interesting diet she's on, lots of fruit! 3 cups of grapes is alot! Whew! I'd rather have the veggies. I did a low, low fat diet and lost 100 pounds once. I felt like crap all the time too, I worked out a lot and had no energy. I workout a lot now and I have plenty of energy. I have low thyroid and I eat lots of cauliflower and broccoli, cooked and raw, I've never noticed a difference.

I did my race course run this morning, and I did really well coming up main street, I wasn't near as tired as I've been in the past. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a little tomorrow and having a day off from exercising.

My dh and I stopped at the fruit stand and bought bunches of veggies, mmm, I can't wait to cook them!

[Songberrie]

Andy - hey, great to have you here! I've really thought a lot lately about eating habits. I've had a lot of stress lately and have had lots of thoughts about snacking because I'm stressed, and I've had to talk myself out of it. So far so good, but it's made me think about why I want to do it. (I usually go for peanutbutter or nuts for snack, nothing that I shouldn't have, just more than I need) This week has been an interesting week hunger wise, because I haven't had much, so I haven't eaten much. I decided if I'm not real hungry, then why eat a whole meal, I guess what I'm saying is it's been a habit to eat a whole meal even if I'm not that hungry. I was in a group one time that tried to eat until they were at a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 being hungry and 10 being Thanksgiving stuffed. I thought it was an interesting way to do it.

[BawdyWench]

Hi, Andy. I'll be interested in reading your posts. I bought the online version of Venuto's book. He had some interesting ideas. I might drag it out again tomorrow and scan through it again.

Gotta run. I'll post more tomorrow. Thanks, everyone, for all the support. It means a lot.

[gitfiddle]

Hi, Janet, Larry, & Judy! I'll be checking in here from time to time. I'm quite happy on the Yahoo site as well, but I just love the smilies here! :wave: My problem is going to be having enough time to visit all the threads on my lunch hour (which is supposed to be only a half-hour!) :rolleyes:

[acipenser]

hey pals!!

Carol, i have that same problem, only the new boss has decided that even on your lunch break you can't use the computer for personal use....

Bawdy, i have recently upped my carbs a bit mostly with fruit. I seem to be of the attitude of good carbs can't be bad for you. i don't worry about fruit, veggies, and the once in a while slice of grain bread (about 10 ECC per slice). i should use fitday and see where my numbers are falling, but i can't seem to find the time.

so far so good, i am still on the downward trend. this week was a stall week for me, but it was my own fault. i ate chineese food one night and that always makes me retain water and it takes a couple of days to get rid of it.

thanks Andy for the tips and e-book ideas. i will have to check those out.

have a great sunday everybody!

[Gailew]

Andy, Your post was not boring at all, in fact, if you wanted to list some of those pointers for boosting metabolism, I'd be really interested in learning any. I haven't down loaded any e-books yet, because my time at the computer is limited. ~Gail

[BawdyWench]

Andy, I've now read Venuto's book again (BFFM), and I'm going for it. It's pretty scary, but hey, what I've BEEN doing isn't working at all.

I'll be cycling 3 days and 1 day:

3 days: 1550 calories, 40% protein (150 grams), 30% carbs (116 grams -- YIKES!), and 30% fat (51 grams)
1 day: 2000 calories, 30% protein (still 150 grams), 40% carbs (200 grams -- DOUBLE YIKES!!!!!!!!), and 30% fat (67 grams)
I can't tell you how scary this is for me. I've been aiming at around 30 grams of carbs for about 6 years now. Even 50 or 60 grams is scary. But 200 grams scares the bejeebers out of me!!!

I'll also be doing cardio probably 5 days a week and lifting 3 times a week. I've either been overtraining or undereating or a combination of the two. I was planning on taking 2 weeks off training completely, but I think if I up my eating, it will be ok to train.

Thoughts?

[alpdiver]

Bawdy, you are definitely a bold person! :) Personally, I wouldn't incresase the carbs that far that fast.

Also, how did you arrive at the calorie values of 1550 and 2000? Based on the data in your profile I calculate (see pg 121 in the BFFM book) your BMR to be 1398 cal and your TDEE to be 2412 cal (using the 'very active' activity level). 85% of your TDEE is 2050 cal which should be your target daily intake for fat loss. Now that probably really scares you!

Based on the info in BFFM, Chapter 6, we endomorphs have a tough road to follow to lose fat, especially those of us who are insulin sensitive. Just be careful!

Andy

[yenny58]

Bawdy, you are so inspiring to me. I love your will and determination to experiment with others suggestions. Keep up the great work, and it WILL pay off for you!! Trying something new is scary, but you obviously have the brains about you to know if things don't work this way to go and try anew. I enjoy this board for all the wonderful advice. I am interested to see how things go for you. I guess you can say that Bawdy is the "lab rat" for the board JUST KIDDING LOL :D Best of luck to ya!!

I have been falling off the wagon some the last couple days... I have planned out my meals for the week though, so I am sure to stick to it... I always do as long as I write it out!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful OP day!!

[MeBLady]

I'll be cycling 3 days and 1 day:

3 days: 1550 calories, 40% protein (150 grams), 30% carbs (116 grams -- YIKES!), and 30% fat (51 grams)
1 day: 2000 calories, 30% protein (still 150 grams), 40% carbs (200 grams -- DOUBLE YIKES!!!!!!!!), and 30% fat (67 grams)
I can't tell you how scary this is for me. I've been aiming at around 30 grams of carbs for about 6 years now. Even 50 or 60 grams is scary. But 200 grams scares the bejeebers out of me!!!

I'll also be doing cardio probably 5 days a week and lifting 3 times a week. I've either been overtraining or undereating or a combination of the two. I was planning on taking 2 weeks off training completely, but I think if I up my eating, it will be ok to train.

Thoughts?

I know its been quite a while since I stopped in here....I've been keeping mostly to my journal lately and my life has been hectic -- but I wanted to add my thoughts here.

I've only been LCing for 10 months v. many of you who have been doing it for years -- but one thing I have found is that when I reach a point when I am obsessing over numbers, and attempting to control the scale by those numbers DOES NOT WORK.

What HAS worked for me is flat out listening to my body, and eating what it tells me it needs. Sometimes, that is higher carbs (still LC), higher fat, higher cals, and sometimes it is lower portions, lower carbs, lower cals, etc., and the scale has consistantly moved. Its moved slower since I bypassed my first goal, but I think that is pretty normal and my bod is preparing for full blown maintainence.

IMO, Bawdy, stop the percentages, don't worry about cals -- make sure you get your minimum protein for your current weight, and just eat what you are actually hungry for within the LC healthy food list. If you are eating what you body is telling you it needs, you don't have to worry that you are overeating/undereating.....let your own body call the shots and do the work for you ;-).

Lori

[BawdyWench]

You guys are all so great! YOu give me the support I need.

I can't post right now, but will try to catch up tomorrow night. LOOONNNNNGGG day at work.

I'm "trying" to follow the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle plan. I'll explain my numbers, etc. soon. Maybe tomorrow.

I really do appreciate everyone rallying around me. It means more than you think.

I did yesterday and today on around 1550 calories (will post exact numbers and percentages later) and really do think I feel better. I was close to 100 grams of carbs. No sugar. No white flour. More veggies and fruit.

Tomorrow. I'll tell all tomorrow.

You guys are great!!!!!!!!!!!

:bhug: :bhug: :bhug: :bhug: :bhug: :bhug: :bhug: :bhug:

[Aetheana]

Hello to all and everyone!

Bawdy, I know what you mean about 'hoping' you have a thyroid condition. I go through phases of that as well as I'm pretty sure I'm hypoT or at least will become so later in life. My mom is REALLY bad hypothyroid and I'm sure I'll get it. Keep working the program though and you'll reach your goals.

MY WEDDING WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

Everything was so beautiful and everyone had such a great time. Nothing at ALL went wrong. It was raining, but you can't complain about something you can't change. I have to say that I looked fabulous. I'll work on getting some pictures up later. I don't know how so it might take some time.

Now, I'm back on plan, no excuses. I want to lose about 40 more pounds getting me to 180. PP will work, I know it will, I just have to do it. I already started off today well with a dance cardio video and tuna fish for breakfast.

Life is good. I hope all goes well for everyone else.

[BawdyWench]

Congratulations, Mrs. Aetheana! Now all we need is PICTURES!!!!!! Show us the gorgeous you (and blushing groom!).

You are embarking on the next stage in your life. Make it everything you want it to be. Don't settle. Make it yours. I remember how I felt right after I married the love of my life. It was magical, and yet down to earth. It just felt so right. I know you feel the same. My only advice to you is to never take each other for granted. It's special that you're together. Always be together in mind, body, and spirit. Don't let the everyday grind wear you down. Be together at the end of the day and reconnect. Don't ever lose the magic. The magid will transform in time, but only into something better, if you both work at it. Despite the problems I've had in the past year, it's only because we both worked at it (ok, me a little more!) that we're still together.

Cherish each other and you'll do well. Find something every day to compliment him on, to be happy about. Dwell on the good things, not the bad things. Look for things that are good, and surround yourselves with love. Don't forget the small things. Please and thank you. Can I get something for you while I"m up. The little things. They mean a lot.

I couldn't be happier for you!

[acipenser]

Aetheana-- congrats!!! i am glad your day went well!! now it is my turn to stress about pre-wedding planning!! hehe.

Lori-- i am with you. i very rarly coun't anyting. only when things slow down and i am starting to wonder why. then i might use fitday and see where i am. although when i have time i try to use fitday cause i think it is good to be able to look back and see what worked.

i am pretty busy with work these days. i don't get much evening time on the computer!! i hope everybody is doing well!!

[yenny58]

Aetheana,

Congrats to you!!! I am glad everything went well for you! My sister is getting married next Saturday the 5th. She is doing ok... she says she is not all worried yet, and she is trying to remember that it is not about all the preparations, but about there commitment to God.... I know how one can get so wrapped up in the moment, that they forget the real purpose to the event.

Congrats again!!!! And Gods blessings to you and your new hubby ;)

Aci- It will be nice when we can talk about yours in past tense as well :D


My weigh in went crapy, I am getting my TOM in 2 days so I am starting to retain water... I am up 2.5 pounds.. darn TOM!!!! Oh well, I will try and kick butt next week :)

[BawdyWench]

Just popping in to say that things are still wacky with me. I've cut out all lifting this week, and just doing cardio (steady-state) a couple times. I'm still trying to follow the BFFM guidelines, but don't feel like I want to bump up to my "high" day quite yet. Heck, it was enough of a jolt to my body to get up to 1550 calories and close to 100 carbs a day. I think I'll stay at this level at least through the weekend and then see if I want to do the high day. It's really supposed to help, though it's hard to trust that it will.

My doctor called with the test results today. Too bad I was still on my way home and by the time I got home the office was closed. So, tomorrow I'll find out.

Cross your fingers!

[BawdyWench]

Bawdy, how did you arrive at the calorie values of 1550 and 2000? Based on the data in your profile I calculate (see pg 121 in the BFFM book) your BMR to be 1398 cal and your TDEE to be 2412 cal (using the 'very active' activity level). 85% of your TDEE is 2050 cal which should be your target daily intake for fat loss. Now that probably really scares you!

Based on the info in BFFM, Chapter 6, we endomorphs have a tough road to follow to lose fat, especially those of us who are insulin sensitive. Just be careful!

Andy

Andy, here are my numbers. On page 107, he has you calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Harris Benedict formula. Currently I'm 166 pounds (you may have used my posted weight, which I don't want to change for purely selfish reasons). And, I'm 5'6". So, My BMR turns out to be 1432.

Then I chose "moderately active" and came up with an average of 2219 for my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Then took a 20% reduction in calories to 1775. Hey, wait! Now I can't figure out where I came up with the 1550, other than 1775 sounded way too high.

Well, anyway, I'm going with 1550 and 2000. I'm scared enough as it is!

I'm definitely an endo. Very hourglass. I should have done the high day today, but felt that I'm already increasing carbs a lot and maybe I should mosey along at this rate for about a week before bumping it up to 2000 and 200 carbs.

Yenny, gee thanks for that crack about my being a "lab rat." Sheesh!

[acipenser]

hey guys!!

Aci- It will be nice when we can talk about yours in past tense as well
hey jenny, does that mean shut up already about your stinkin wedding, or that you will join me in the wedding-planning-stress-reduction, once it is over?

bawdy-- what have you been eating to up your carbs? good luck with the test results tomorrow.

as for me, i have not been able to go to the gym this week yet and it is showing. i have a feeling it will be a no loss week unless i get to the gym this weekend. i am planning on fri and sat for sure. but i have missed my normal tues and wed.

i am eating well though. i am haveing no problems with cravings or anything lately. thank goodness!!

[BawdyWench]

Here's a typical day:

Breakfast: protein shake with 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1 slice toast (12 carbs) with pat butter

Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Lunch: 5 ounces pork tenderloin, 1 1/2 cups spaghetti squash

Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 small banana

Dinner: 6 ounces chicken, 2 cups green beans, 1 pat butter

I know, not many veggies, but not terribly bad either.

Gotta run. Slept in (4:30) so now I don't have time to work out. Darn it! Be back tonight!

I'll be calling the doctor as soon as they open at 9:00.

[yenny58]

hey guys!!


hey jenny, does that mean shut up already about your stinkin wedding, or that you will join me in the wedding-planning-stress-reduction, once it is over?

Definitely will join you in the wedding-planning-stress-reduction, once it is over :D It is sooo fun to plan, but it is a lot of hard work....

[yenny58]

Yenny, gee thanks for that crack about my being a "lab rat." Sheesh!

Hope you did not take that offensively... meant no harm by it, just a wise crack it’s my horrible sense of humor I was blessed with from my dad ;)

[Aetheana]

Thanks for all the well wishes!

I hope you figure out whats going on with you Bawdy, it sucks to be so stuck. And Aci, let me tell you... the post wedding stress relief is so fantastic! I'm so happy right now!

I'm not quite as back on track as I'd like to be... still eating a bunch of candy and pastries left over from the wedding... and hubby and i are so confused as to what shape our finances are in that we haven't gone food shopping yet... and I'm back to work hardcore and having time remembering how to do chemistry and eat lunch! I don't do the whole snacking throughout the day thing so I'm vaguely worried I'm not eating enough, but I'm too lazy to go to fitday!

But thankfully, the shockingly high 220.5 I was just the other day is down to a much more managable 216.5. I'm still working out in the mornings as well. Next week I'll try to add going to the gym here at school and throwing in some weights.

And for today, I will get me to a fitday! I will also eat NONE of the damn chocolate kisses in my group office. I just can't resist freaking chocolate!

[alpdiver]

Andy, Your post was not boring at all, in fact, if you wanted to list some of those pointers for boosting metabolism, I'd be really interested in learning any. I haven't down loaded any e-books yet, because my time at the computer is limited. ~Gail

Gail,

Sorry for the delay in responding. Here, according to various fitness gurus, are some actions to increase metabolism:

Consume daily food intake in 5 or 6 meals, eating about every 3 hours; majority of calories should come from protein and complex carbohydrates; caloric intake should be tapered throughout the day, starting with the highest intake in the morning.

Drink plenty of water - at least a quart for every 50lbs of body weight; the colder, the better.

Limit alcohol consumption as it take priority over food metabolism.

Andy

[alpdiver]

Andy, here are my numbers. On page 107, he has you calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Harris Benedict formula. Currently I'm 166 pounds (you may have used my posted weight, which I don't want to change for purely selfish reasons). And, I'm 5'6". So, My BMR turns out to be 1432.

Then I chose "moderately active" and came up with an average of 2219 for my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Then took a 20% reduction in calories to 1775. Hey, wait! Now I can't figure out where I came up with the 1550, other than 1775 sounded way too high.

Well, anyway, I'm going with 1550 and 2000. I'm scared enough as it is!.......

Bawdy,

Thanks for sharing the above info....all is clear. And from seeing your 'typical day' menu I believe you are optimizing your metabolism. Can you handle 3 to 4 quarts of water a day? :) Might be helpful.

Andy

[BawdyWench]

Andy, I have trouble with drinking a lot of water. Whenever I do, I get bloated and feel lousy. I do keep myself hydrated, but find it uncomfortable to drink the 64 to 80 ounces a day. I probably drink more like 48 ounces.

Gotta run! DH is taking me out to dinner. I love going out to dinner on a "school night" so that I don't have to worry about cooking!

[Gailew]

Thanks, Andy, I appreciate it. ~Gail

[BawdyWench]

Hello? Anybody home?

Well, after a week of BFFM (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle), I can honestly say, I FEEL WORSE THAN BEFORE! And I feel like I've gained EVEN MORE!

I've been eating 5 meals a day (this is fine, and what I've pretty much always done). Protein is around 150, which is good. Fat was lower than I'm accustomed to, and carbs were way up there (around 100 grams per day). I was supposed to cycle 3 days low and 3 days high, but the high day was supposed to be 200 carbs! I couldn't bring myself to do that.

By yesterday, I was so bloated my abdomen hurt, and my jeans were so tight I felt like I was waddling, not walking. And sitting down, GEEZ! Uncomfortable to the point where I was in pain.

Some people will say that I'm giving up too soon, but I need to try to go back to my roots, to what works better for me. No, not back to exactly where I was before BFFM, way back to when I was completely successful.

I need to keep the calories low. Carbs WAY low. Fat and protein high, with fat a little higher than protein.

I'm going to cycle from 1300 to 1600 calories, with 50% fat, 45% protein, and 5% carbs. I'm still going to lift, but scaling back. I'll be ramping up my cardio. I'll do 30 to 40 minutes of cardio at my target heart rate (138) at least 4 times a week. Maybe sneak in a couple HIIT cardio workouts.

So that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

How's everyone else doing?

By the way, I'm still waiting to get the formal results on my thyroid. The nurse gave me some numbers over the phone, but I'm told I need the ranges used by the lab. Apparently not all labs use standard scales. Huh?

The results should come in the mail today.

[meldan111]

Well, I tried doing things a bit differently the last 2 days, like frying my eggs in the LouAna coconut oil and having 2 slices of turkey bacon instead of regular bacon with 3 eggs and 1 slice of SaraLee LC bread (5 carbs) with a bit of butter for B and eating moderately well with about 10 carbs per L & D and 1 oz. of nuked pepperoni slices (the big ones) with 1 small (5 carb. yogurt) for snack at nite, and this am, the scale finally dropped 1 lb. (Over the past week (NO CHEATING), I went up 1 1/2 lbs., then staying the same for about a week. I don't know how much the coconut oil played in this change. I also have my butter and olive oil throughout the day. I'm on the 27 g. per meal, but I know I'm having more than the 4 oz., more like 6. I really don't measure or count my proteins or fats, just the carbs. I was driving myself crazy, counting this and that. IT WAS GETTING TO BE MORE LIKE A JOB. Shouldn't be that frustrating to be able to eat a meal. Right? :agree: Actually, I really focused in on FATNEWMOM'S theory,(Wed. Oct. 19th post) except for my having 1 slice of LC bread. Lots of low GI veggies with my meals which doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Lots of fiber. What I'm trying to do is build up my muscle mass which was destroyed DOING A LOW FAT DIET. Just trying to rebuild my body.
So, now I'm 135.5. Need 3-4 more lbs. to reach my goal. So, I'm not in any hurry, because I'm trying to make this WOE AND WOL. I know I'm loosing inches.

I've been taking a good multi vitamin as well as the below for about 1 1/2 years now:
6 extra tabs of pottasium through day
chromium picolinate
gymnema sylvestre
B-12
magnesium
calcium
Vit. C

Some of the extra stuff is supposed to be "for stimulating metobolism".

Found some great main meal recipes in the kitchen section that I made yesterday, that I probably will be eating for a week or more :lol: .

[BawdyWench]

Hi, Mel! Glad you stopped by. I tried the coconut oil thing, but felt it was too expensive and bothersome (having to get it online), and it didn't seem to be doing anything for me.

I'm not familiar with the post you mentioned. I will offer this, in response to your "it's too much like a job" comment. The first time I did Protein Power back in 1999, all I did was count carbs and spread them out during the day. Somewhere in this long thread (or in the other sticky in the PP forum) I posted some daily charts for tracking 7 to 10 carbs per meal (with a couple snacks). That's all I used. I didn't bother counting protein (other than to make sure I got enough, which wasn't a problem since I like meat) or fat. Fat not at all. I just ate what I wanted.

The weight practically fell off me. I lost 15 pounds in no time and got down to 160. Wow, was that heady! And then of course I got a little cocky and set aside the charts. I could wing it, I thought. Well, the weight started coming back on.

That's when I started getting into Fitday and percentages and you name it. In short, I started obsessing . . . something I'm still doing.

Good luck to you. It's been quiet for the past couple days here, but should pick up again. We just got a lot of new posters from another board that is down at the moment. Maybe the other board is back up, and those people have moved on. Whatever. Those of us who are here will provide all the support and advice a person could want.

[meldan111]

Bawdy:
I bought the LouAna Coconut oil brand at Walmart. It was only $2.79ish. It says its pure. If you could provide that link to your DAILY CHART post, (WHEN YOU HAVE TIME), I would appreciate it. I tried searching for those daily posts of yours, unsuccessful. I have no way of finding them. Maybe some day when you least expect it, you'll run across them. I could use some variety in my meals and snacks.
Mel

[Parisfox]

I'm back....was out of town visiting my sister who is a GOOD cook and scoffs at our WOE. Need I mention that she is way overweight and can't figure out why she is always unsatisfied even after just finishing a great meal (high-carb, of course). Doesn't want to hear about this WOE though. :help: :bash:

I was there for 10 days and gained 7.5 pounds. Have been home for 2 days and have dropped 4 of those pounds. :clap: :dazzle: :wiggle:

Now to get serious and get my water intake back up too. :agree:

Bawdy....the "other" board is still down. Maybe the ones who aren't here at the moment are just too busy at the moment or out of town like I was. Hopefully, postings will pick up again as the weather gets colder.

Mel....I found it really helps to have your own computer program for keeping track of your counts. I tried the free edition of LifeForm www.lifeform.com and liked it so well I bought it. When I bought it, I got the CD version (for a little more than the download) because they will let you put it on any computer you use, not just one computer. I housesit for my kids and was still working then, so I had it on my own computer, my computer at work, and my kid's computer. It is a very helpful tool when seriously sticking to this WOE.

[BawdyWench]

Here's the link to a daily tracking tool I used when I first started Protein Power in 1999. It helped me keep track of things without obsessing.

Let me know what you think.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=146540&page=4

After you click the link, scroll down to post #54 (look for my pic) to see the post containing the attachment for the daily tracking tool (I think I called it a food chart).

[meldan111]

USEFUL HERB AND SPICE CHART - NET CARBS & SPLENDA CONVERSION CHART

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/spice_chart.html

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/spl...sion_chart.html

Mel

[Parisfox]

Mel...the spice chart link worked great. But, the splenda one seems to be missing something between spl and sion. It doesn't work. Hope you can fix.

[Mitra]

Bawdy....the "other" board is still down. Maybe the ones who aren't here at the moment are just too busy at the moment or out of town like I was. Hopefully, postings will pick up again as the weather gets colder.

I'm still hanging around here, but not really posting much while I get to know how things work here, and who's who.

[meldan111]

LOOKING FOR LOW CARB MENU IDEAS. 3RD ONE DOWN IN FORUM. MY POST.

OR I'LL INCLUDE HERE. LOOK UNDER "ODDS AND ENDS". IT'S A GREAT SITE.
Have fun. Let me know if you still have a problem. That page is large. So, the best thing to do would be to print those "odd and end pages" for easier references. Bookmark the whole site.

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/index.html

Mel

[Parisfox]

Hi, Mitra.... :wave:

[Songberrie]

:hyper: :hyper: WooHoo! I'm doing the Happy Dance this morning! I got on the scale and found out the Whoosh Fairy had come! I weigh, (drum roll here) 160 pounds! Wow! I can't believe I weigh ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUNDS! Yippee! :hyper: :hyper: I'm down 14 more pounds. I have been really good the last month, no peanutbutter or nuts. Well, I'm off to change my stats!

[BawdyWench]

Song, I'm so happy for you! You've proved that it can be done! So what's your next goal? Are you going to go lower?

Me, I'm still struggling with whether I'm hypothyroid or whether it's something else. Some people are saying it sounds like I have an adrenal problem.

:confused:

[Songberrie]

Bawdy - I'm really thinking I'd like to get down to 135. I've never been there before, but it's in the weight range for my height. Hopefully they'll figure out what's going on with you soon. Waiting for answers isn't fun. Hang in there!

[Parisfox]

Song....doin' the happy dance for you!! :hyper: :yay: :hyper:

You have certainly earned it!!

You have proven it CAN be done....

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

[Claudette2]

Hi, Parisfox and Mitra,
Are you from the "other" PP board that is currently down?
Thought I'd jump in and say hello.
Claudette

[Mitra]

Hello, Claudette :wave: . Yes, we're "from the other place."

I've been lurking around here a bit, and posted once or twice. Maybe it's time to do a bit of an intro.

I'm 44 and live in England. I started LC in March 2003. I started out sort of doing Atkins, but fairly soon came across PP. I really liked the science behind it, and the clear explanations, so I changed. We'd been mostly veggie before, and never really thought about protein. I don't like eggs very much or soy, so I wasn't eating much protein as a veggie, and the PP emphasis on getting enough protein actually changed my eating quite a lot.

I lost just over 30 lb, have been maintaining for 18 months, and am currently around 112, just over 20% BF. I sort of expected that when I reached my goal weight the work would be over, but after a few months of "maintenance," I'd drifted up 5 lb, so I've spent a lot of time over the last year journalling everything. Counting protein, carbs, calories, plotting graphs... much more record keeping than I ever did while I was losing weight! I'm now reducing the counting again, going back to just counting carbs. I hope that in a few more months I'll be able to stop that too.

I've ended up eating about 60g carb per day. If I go much below that I feel nervy, don't sleep, can't concentrate (that's how I felt while I was losing weight and eating Intervention carb levels - I kept tweaking potassium, magnesium but nothing really helped). If I go much higher I start to get puffy ankles, feel stuffed and sleepy after meals. So 50-70g is the range where I feel "in focus," and my weight stays under control as long as I stick to eating cream by the Tbsp rather than by the cup ;) .

[acipenser]

hay there,

i have been super busy these past two weeks and have exausted myself. my future MIL and i went shopping friday and said "wow you look tired, when did you get those dark circles under your eyes?" so i took most of the weekend off and caught up on sleep and vegg time.

song, way to go!!!

bawdy, you will get it down. listen to your body!

mitra, welcome. glad to get to know you. i know what you mean about too low carbs and feeling off. i am that same way.

claudette, welcome to you also!!

i am staying in The Dalles, OR this week so i should have some time to hang around here. i am in a motel that has a wireless internet access.

[Mitra]

i know what you mean about too low carbs and feeling off. i am that same way.

That's nice to hear. Most people don't seem to find it a problem, so sometimes I start to wonder if I'm imagining it, but it happens consistently if my carbs drop too low.

Songberrie - :cool: it sounds as if what you're doing is really working for you! Well done.

Bawdy - it sounds really frustrating chasing all these ideas and theories around. I hope you find some answers soon.

[Aetheana]

I'm doing terribly. :(

I just can't get the carbs out. And yesterday was halloween, one of my totally favorite holidays and i was told there would be trick or treating in my apartment complex, but there wasnt. so we had this big bowl o candy and i ate so much my tummy hurt. my shirts are slightly uncomfortable and im up to 218 today!

i figured out that i cant eat panera at all because it leaves me hungry. i figured out that eating some cheese during the day is good cuz it satiates me. i figured out that i have to eat the protein part of my lunch or i wont do well. i figured out that homemade lc ice cream is pretty good cuz i really do only eat a serving cuz its so damn rich.

now i have a cold and im praying i make it through today carb free.

hope everyone else (SONG, IM SO IN AWE OF YOU) has good carb free days.

[Aetheana]

Check out My Gallery for two wedding posts and finally what I look like. :)

Everyone said i was the happiest bride they had ever seen. Let me know if you agree. :)

[Songberrie]

Aetheana - wow, you look gorgeous! And very happy! I love your dress!

[Parisfox]

Yeah, Claudette....I'm from "that other place" too. :lol:

Although, I was here a long time ago and then kind of fell down on coming around. Now that Aaron has started a good substitute board for the old one, I am at both places. Some days I spend too much time on the computer. :help: But, it helps keep me in line.

Are you from the old board too? If so, join us at Aaron's at: http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi if you have time. :agree: Or, even if you aren't. The more the merrier. :wave:

[Parisfox]

Aetheana...when I posted my last post, I missed your last post. Just checked your gallery.

You certainly look like a VERY happy bride....and a BEAUTIFUL one too!!
What a gorgeous dress.....pretty nice looking guy you are kissing too. Hubby? Better be. LOL

[acipenser]

Athena, very nice!!! Yes, you look verry happy, and verry beautiful!! i am glad you had a great wedding. now i just have to get through mine.

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, you are positively beaming! Yes, you look very happy. And beautiful. I'm glad it all worked out so well for you.

-----------------

I just got back from doing blood tests again. Geez, I was actually starting to maybe feel a little better yesterday and today, and then I was getting out of my work clothes and felt something weird. OK, stay with me here. Put your right hand "backwards" on your right hip (thumb pointing down in the front, fingers facing back). Now slide your hand up so it's resting at your waist. Now come up just a little higher and slide it around back a little.

WHAT'S THAT ROLL DOING THERE?

It wasn't there last week. And it's all puffy sort of. Larger than my hand. And my left side isn't like that.

Hang on. I'm going to the mirror to see if there's a difference you can see.

Bad news. It's the same on both sides. Where the heck did it come from? I swear it wasn't there a couple weeks ago.

I feel like I should cut out carbs altogether, do the protein-only thing, drink lots of water, and maybe lose the fluid. That's what it's like. Fluid retention, not fat.

Unless someone can talk me out of it . . . fast . . . that's exactly what I'm going to do.

If this is what carbs do to me (and I've been up around 60 carbs per day for about 10 days now), no thanks.

:bash:

(this is me bashing carbs . . . where the heck is that "I'm really pissed off now" smilie? or the "Watch out, I've got my cranky pants on now" smilie?)

[Aetheana]

I'm in a good mood today and just wanted to share. :) I thought I had lost a bunch of weight last night, but didn't, so its a bit sad, but I'm still in a good mood. Maybe its cuz i slept in and didnt work out this morning, which would be bad, but im still in a good mood. had a good morning with DH. (hehe, i have a DH now!)

Bawdy, I have to say, that I do in fact recommend the protein only for a couple days... Its advice you have given to me before when Ive been having a hard time. I really hope you figure it out. Did they tell you your tsh number for the thyroid? NancyLC can interpret it for you pretty well over on one of the other boards. shes really nice. you could talk to her about her protein sparing modified fast. I could NEVER do it, it seems really really restrictive, but she had a really hard time losing weight, has thyroid issues and is now doing pretty well. im borderline hypothyroid and with a doctor that wont medicate and not a lot of options to change doctors (grad student, remember) it sucks, but just keep on keepin' on.

all right, ramble over, back to work and thanks for the compliments all! my plan is to get down to 170ish, get my wedding dress resized, take some more pictures in it and then pass the dress on. i thought it would be neat to have pics in my wedding dress at both weights.

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, thanks for the support. I've had oodles of people (including Nancy) interpret my initial results. Everyone seems to think I'm definitely hypoT or have adrenal fatigue (which is causing my thyroid to act as if it has a problem when in fact it's only trying to compensate).

For the time being, I'm letting things ride until I get the next set of results back. Then I'll ask for an appointment. Something's wrong. I've lived in this body for 50 years now, and I know when something's not right.

Blah, blah, blah.

----------------

Hey, I think it would be great to get down to 170 (or wherever you want to be), get a picture taking in your wedding dress but without altering it, and then getting another picture taken after the alteration. That would really show it off!

[BawdyWench]

After only one day (yesterday) on just protein and fat, I'm down 2 pounds and already not feeling as bloated. Today was the second day of protein and fat, and tomorrow will be day 3. Then I'll start adding in carbs, but ever so slowly. I'll probably start with one salad a day or one veggie a day for several days or even a week, and go up from there.

I know you can't really tell anything in two days, but I can hope!

[Mitra]

I think two days is long enough to see that you're probably losing some of the retained water - it's not long enough to see if you're losing fat. I'm glad this one seems to be going the right way. It's so hard when you don't know what to eat - it's not as if you can avoid it!

[Songberrie]

Bawdy - I'm glad it's working for you. Good luck on your test results!

[BawdyWench]

Thanks, Mitra and Song, but it's way too early to tell if it's "working." I think I feel better, but again, too soon to tell.

Tomorrow I'll start adding in either a salad or a serving of veggies or a few blackberries (very few), and do that for a week or so before maybe adding in something else.

Song, you may be jealous, but dinner tonight is a hunk of kielbasa! :yum:

And no alcohol all week! Can't even say I wanted any. DH is coming home tonight, so it will be harder to resist. We both enjoy a drink or two before/during dinner. But, I promised myself that I wouldn't. I've already asked him to help support me. He knows how I've been struggling lately, so I'm sure he will help.

[Songberrie]

Hmm, kielbasa, yum!

[acipenser]

hey there

bawdy, glad things are feeling better for you.

i spent my last week out of town for a while last week. now it is office time untill next spring. (with a possible trip here and there). i do so much better with a regular schedule. i can now plan lunches around a microwave and not what i can eat with one hand on a boat.

i bought my wedding dress yesterday (boy spending that much $$ was stressful!!). i went with this one:http://www.maggiesottero.com/catalog/window.php?186

it was more $$ than i wanted to spend, but no other dress compared in my mind after i tried this one on so i just got it.

have a great weekend

[BawdyWench]

Aci, the dress is beautiful! Did you get white? With my coloring I'd opt for the ivory, but I'm sure either would look beautiful on you. You must be so excited!

Things are still ok with me. I like not feeling hungry all the time, the way I am when I'm eating carbs. So far this today I've had 3 eggs scrambled with cheese, 3 slices of bacon, and 3 ounces of cream cheese with SF orange marmalade. Pretty decadant! For dinner I'm making a pork tenderloin with a cream/tarragon/wine sauce, with French-style green beans with slivered almonds. That will be my carbs for the day. I might splurge and have a glass of wine with dinner, but I'm really trying to have no alcohol. I guess one glass wouldn't be bad with dinner. But no more than one. I promise.

It's a beautiful, sunny day here. DH is still sick. When he gets sick he just sleeps. Best thing for him, really. We went to bed at 9:00 last night, and he slept right through until 6:30 this morning. Then he fell asleep on the couch around 10:00 to 11:00. Then this afternoon he again fell asleep on the couch for over an hour. It's the way he heals, so it's ok.

I just hooked up an all-in-one fax/scanner/printer/copier. I need to get it on our wireless network, but it's not working for some reason. I have a few ideas yet. Geez, I hate technology!

[Songberrie]

Aci - wow, that's one gorgeous dress! I like the ivory too.

[BawdyWench]

Aci, with your coloring, I'm sure you can pull of either color. Some people (ME!) don't look good in pure white. But then again, I've NEVER known a Bawdy Wench to look good in white!

:lol:

[alpdiver]

Bawdy...in case you haven't already read this post.....more hypoT info for you. :D

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=238349

Andy

[acipenser]

i actually got Diamond White. it is inbetween white and ivory. when you look at it next to ivory it looks white, when you look at it next to white, it looks slightly ivory, when you see it by itself it looks white.

bawdy--sf orange marmolade and cream cheese. do you just mix the two together?

technology!!! ugh!!! i actually am getting lost in cyber land. i have a wedding website. if you want to take a peek i will PM or e-mail you guys the link, i just dont want to put it out there in cybe land for ALL to see!!! hehe.

[BawdyWench]

Andy, yup, been there, read that! Thanks, though. They say you can't ever have too much information, but I'm almost to the point where I'll fight you on that opinion!

I was so upset and frustrated last weekend I couldn't see straight. Monday morning, for some reason, I woke up in a calmer state of mind and decided not to get all riled up before I know the facts. I had my re-tests done last week, and they should be in early this week. Then I'll decide on the next step.

Aci, of COURSE I want to see your site. I'm a little disappointed you didn't just send it to me. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE may I see it? :lol:

And yes, mix maybe 3 ounces of cream cheese with 1 Tablespoon of SF orange marmalade (a little seems to go a long way), and maybe a teaspoon or two of cream, just to get the consistency you like. This is definitely better really cold, so make it up ahead of time, and enjoy it right from the fridge later.

I made the Eades' muffins again today, this time with a can of pumpkin thrown in and a half cup of walnuts. Quite good, but I didn't bake them quite long enough. A little wet in the middle. The dog (blast her!) ate the top off one while it was cooling in the pan on the counter!

I think I might get some old-fashioned spring-loaded mouse traps for the counter. Don't worry. You set them and then very carefully put them upside down on the counter and cover them with a dish towel. When the dog jumps up, she gets a big surprise, but not hurt. It just might work.

I want a glass of wine.

There. I said it. DH had 2 glasses of wine last night with dinner, but I held firm. The half bottle is still in the fridge. My favorite chardonnay. Chateau Ste. Michelle. It's from Washington State. I absolutely LOVE their cabernet AND their chardonnay. A couple weekends ago I went to a New Hampshire liquor store (famous in the Northeast -- no taxes, so the liquor is quite a bit cheaper) and bought a case of the cabernet. They had 20% off all wines from Washington, and then you get an additional 15% off when you buy a case. I should have gone back this weekend and gotten a case of the chardonnay.

But then again, I said I wasn't going to have any liquor for a while. I might just cave this afternoon.

[Aetheana]

Aci, i love the dress! my good friend also had a maggie sotero in diamond white for her wedding and it was gorgeous. does it have the lace up the back? thats SO sexy (not for me, though, but still!) id also love to see the wedding website. i didnt do one cuz i thought it would be too much of a pain.

im not doing so great. dont know whats wrong with me. i eat healthily and gain weight, i eat not so healthily i gain weight, i eat the same i ate before the wedding when i was maintaining and i gain weight... im all the way up to 221.5. im really really upset about it and am close to just shucking the whole thing and eating whatever, whenever... I wont do that, I WONT let myself get above 220 for two weeks in a row cuz thats ridiculous.

im pretty sure i have a candida infection and low lying hypothyroid. doctor wont medicate on either so im all about natural therapies. im trying the coconut oil. last time i did that i did get the DIE OFF effects, so thats another sign of the candida... im on all protein and fat today and im not weighing til next monday. i also ran today. im on the right track, just feeling sick of the whole weight battle. im only 24 years old and some days i feel like im 102.

my goal this week: FIND KETOSIS!

off and running.

[Songberrie]

Aci - ooh, I'd love to see your website too!

[Laura W]

Aci I'd like to see your website as well-

Aetheana~don't loose the faith-work your plan and it'll work for you. You've had a lot of stresses lately-good or bad, your body reacts the same-I think yogurt with active cultures is supposed to be good for candida, not positive, but maybe, if you like it, you could work it into your plan. Or, if you have access to a health food store, maybe buy some acidophilus suplements or check with them of a product that might help.
Best of luck to you. You can do this....
Laura

[bkseler]

Well,after lurking around for the last few days I am finally posting. I don't know why but I was almost embarassed to start posting again. I went through some tough times in September and October, finally sold (felt like gave away) our home and paid off all credit cards. Sure does feel good. My dh took a job here at home, no more driving back and forth from Seattle which is about a three hour drive. But when I started back in August looking for a place to live after we sold our house, I was shopping for a place to rent for just my 2 boys and myself. So we went from a 2400 sf home and 3 people to a 1400 sf home and 4 people.

Anyway, so I'm back hopefully in the right frame of mind and just taking it hour by hour. Trying to just keep up my protein and cutting out my late night eating. I have gotten into some really bad habits, especially late night eating. I'm spending plenty of time unpacking boxes, so that helps.

Bawdy---first of all sure did miss your intelligent and positive remarks. Living here in the heart of Washington wine country I thought I might give you a few labels to watch for. Winentasting rooms are popping up like wildflowers in our downtown area and the Yakima valley is a great place to visit if your into small wineries. One of my favorites is Yakima River Winery however they only produce red wines. Their Cab-Merlot is yummy. Another is Apex Cellars. A little expensive but worth it. Kestrel Vinters and Silver Lake at Roza Hill are also wonderful. A great fun summer, fruity wine comes from Bonair Winery. Be sure and also watch for anything bottled in Walla Walla. They have really developed their wines.

So wish me luck and I'll check in again---

[BawdyWench]

One of my favorites is Yakima River Winery however they only produce red wines.
Not a darned thing wrong with that! I prefer red wines, especially cabernets.

Just wanted to quickly post that you might not be seeing me much this week, at least until Saturday or Sunday. My boss is on vacation this week, so all his responsibilities fall to me. The email he sent me to summarize the hot items going on was actually titled, "Ben's Vacation -- Bawdy's Hell" (ok, he used my real name, but you get the idea). And after Day 1 of his vacation, I can surely testify to "Bawdy's Hell."

Miss me! I'll be back soon!

[acipenser]

Hi everybody,

athena-- i can totally relate to how you are feeling. i went through that exact thing this summer. i finally had enough and did strict atkins induction for 2 weeks. that really seemed to help me get going.

bkseler-- welcome back!! we all have had those times, heck just look at my signature. good luck!!

bawdy-- hang in there! we will still be here when you get time....

i had a good clean day today, i had a bit of a slip up this past week with halloween candy. ugh.

[Songberrie]

I wore my size 11 jeans yesterday! Yippee!

[unitydkn]

ok computer is fixed...did you miss me? I missed you all.On halloween all I ate all day long was kids candy,by 5pm I was so tense and agitated with know other reason I wanted to rip someone apart...every time I have been tempted by there candy I remember that feeling...it gives chills just remembering feeling... anyhow I am mostly back to eating right,I did drink a breve yesterday thinking if I took a lactade pill I would be allright...nope I had pains all night from the lactose..bummer
the good news is the lower the carb count in cheese and such the less lactose.
now does anyone have good ways of using bri? Does anyone know of other MILD cheeses with no carbs and ways of useing it?

[BawdyWench]

A good way to use Brie? Yup. First, buy the best double-cream Brie you can find (double-cream is the best), then cut off a hunk, pop it in your mouth, and just savor.

Heavenly!

[unitydkn]

okay.......

[bkseler]

Well, I'm starting day 4 of sticking straight to plan and I'm doing super well. I'm down 7 pounds (know most of it's water).

Yesterday a gal in our office commented after hitting our snack box on how she needed "just a little something sweet". Out of habit I agreed with her and then thought to myself I hadn't needed "just a little" of anything sweet. It's funny how that can become a habit and like any stimulant you need a little more each time to satisify the craving.

Trying to shake the last of a cold and hope to get in some orgainzed exercise. Still unpacking boxes, so that helps keep my hands busy and lifting is involved.

Hope things are well with all and thanks for all the support.

[bkseler]

Okay, now I'm totally paranoid. I check in after being gone for a few months, list a few posts and then you're all gone. HELLOOOOOOanybody out there---

Heading into what is always my hardest time--the weekends. Nothing is structured mealwise like during the week. My goal is to just maintain. Had a great week, hope everyone else did.

[BawdyWench]

Hello, I'm here! Back from the land of Carbs. Went to visit my best friend in Massachusetts, and even though her husband eats low-carb, it seemed like everything in the house was high carb. No lunch meat, only a little cheese. And she's a bit odd when it comes to house guests. You're totally on your own. I had to scrounge for my own food. She doesn't even mention that there's this in the fridge and that in the cupboard. So the past two days I've had a couple slices of Italian bread with butter and jam for breakfast.

But I'm home now and ready to get serious again. I've taken a couple weeks off working out (lots of people advised me that I was overtraining), but am ready to jump right in again. BUT, this time I'm swapping cardio for lifting. Before I was lifting 4 days a week and cardio 2 times a week. Now I'm going to try cardio 4 to 5 times a week (maybe more) and lifting only twice a week.

I have an appointment to see my doctor about all my symptoms on Thursday. So I have from now until then to gather all my research together and decide how I want to approach the whole thing.

I'll check back in later today or definitely tomorrow.

Nola, it's not you. It's been quiet around here lately.

[skeeweeaka]

Hey all, I have a question about fatique... I have been following PP for about 4 days and I am extremely fatigued.. Does anyone know what that could be...

[BawdyWench]

Some people experience this, others experience almost a euphoric feeling and like "the fog has lifted." Have you tried potassium? When you first start LCing and eating more meat (and far fewer carbs), it has a very diuretic effect and you pee a lot. When you pee a lot, you tend to lose minerals such as potassium. Try taking 2 potassium tablets each morning and another 2 at night. If this is the problem, you'll feel better quickly -- sometimes almost immediately.

Do you have muscle cramps, restless legs, or soreness in your calves? This is another sign that you need potassium. Have you read either Protein Power or Protein Power Lifeplan? If not, I encourage you to do so, and if you have, I encourage you to read up again about the supplements that are recommended.

Also, are you getting enough protein? Did you figure out your minimum? Are you spreading your carbs throughout the day?

Congrats on joining the best plan there is, in my humble opinion!

[acipenser]

Hey guys,

i am recovering from a slip up with some sugar. i have found i am so so so addicted to it that it is scary. i got into some halloween candy and then it snowballed. i had a good beginning to last week, but then blew it thurs-fri-sat. I am on plan today, and am taking it one hour at a time. at least i am not letting it go completely like i did last year. last year i went out of controll from halloween through new years. i refuse to do that again!!!

if anybody has any insight to sugar addiction i would love to hear about it.

skeeweeaka, fatigue is very common during the first few weeks of following the plan. i feelt it really bad. if you stick with it, it does get better. it took me about 2 weeks of really bad fatigue and then it slowly went away from there. i never did feel the sudden burst of energy people talk about. it was slow onset for me. hang in there.

[BawdyWench]

Aci, the only thing I know works is to avoid it at all costs. The first 3 to 5 days will be hell, but then the cravings disappear. It's tough. There are some supplements that some claim help with cravings, but I would need to look them up. If you have the PP book around, you could check there. Or the Atkins book.

Oops! Timer just went off. Porterhouse steaks for dinner. I hate this WOE!

[skeeweeaka]

Thanks for the response... I have been taking the potassium supplements, but I will up it to twice a day. Protein, I haven't been getting in the full amounts... I am thinking about supplements because it is difficult to consume that much protein... I noticed today that I did feel a little better...

I can tell you that my sugar addiction does me in every time... Sugar is just toxic and once consumed by sugar addicts it takes control over everything. Mine spun out of control three weeks ago and I end up regaining 10 pounds...on the road to losing it now :)...

I actually had to go through and get rid of everything that contained sugar last winter because it was triggering such binges... Never realized there was so much added sugar in condiments, yogurt, and other things that I consumed regularly. I even have a hard time with sugar substitutes so I just use Stevia...occasionally. I notice now that things that I used to eat regularly are extremely sweet now, so much so that a small taste will do...except during Halloween of course lol...:(...

Hope this helps somewhat...

[acipenser]

thanks guys. i took it one hour at a time today. some friends came ofer and one of them brought homeade chocolate chip cookies. i did not eat any!!! but it was hard!!!

[skeeweeaka]

Grams of Carbs per day....I was just wondering how many grams of carbs per day are you all consuming. I was trying to do about 80 per day, but I forgot that vegetables contain carbs and I haven't been counting them... So now I am going back to how I am averaging them for each meal to include veggies... I know that PP recommends about 50 but that is just too low for me to follow... It is hard to get in some of the things I like... But, I guess I will try the 50 this week and see how it goes...

[Aetheana]

I hear ya on the sugar addiction Aci. It sucks a lot.

But getting in the minimum protein? that doesnt suck! I love eating chicken breasts and sometimes i find i went OVER the minimum for dinner! (which i realize is ok, but sometimes its hard to deal with going over by 20grams or so) sometimes lunch is hard to get the minimum in, but if you come prepared with already made chicken breasts, or leftover taco salad, you're good to go. I find that for breakfasts, its a little hard, but i just bought more protein powder. some people don't like the powders and think they are franken foods, but I love a shake in the morning. not EVERY morning, alternate with eggs and sausage, but its good. Oh and TUNA FISH is a fantastic easy way to get protein in. I oftentime have a can for lunch with mayo. Though, again, not EVERY day cuz of the mercury.

I'm doing all right, guys. Not so great. I bounced back up to 222 the other day due to just bad eating habits. i got a king sized candy bar from the vending machine. what the heck??? Me, a candy bar! I'm back on and already back down to 217.5. I did my 'once a month' cooking thing this weekend so my fridge is stocked with delicious on plan low carb meals. i probably will have to cook again in about two weeks, but I cant complain! I'm also trying desperately hard to go to the gym here at school. its getting too cold to run outside in the morning. i just hate not taking a shower after i work out and i will not take a shower in the gym. so... i'm still figuring out how i will work it out.

any word on those tests bawdy? i'd like to know how they went.

mary

[bkseler]

Aci--so how are you doing? I find doing the taking hour by hour is the only way to go. Take it hour by hour and the next thing you know the day is over and you've made one day. Take the next day hour by hour and then day two is over and you don't dare screw up all that hard work.

You know it's amazing how better any of these plans work when you follow them the way they were intended. I had forgotten that eating every 3 hours or so was important. I was always getting hungry around 11:30am after eating a filling breakfast at 7:30, and I don't go to lunch until 1pm. Wednesday last week I found Hickory Farms Beef Sausage Party Bites (less that 1g carb and 5g protein per 7 pieces). They're actually just beef sticks precut into bitesize pieces. I'm sure I'm paying for the convenience but they're satisfying. Any input? Since my move I can't lay my hands on my book and I'm trying to follow plan by memory. Seem to be doing well, last week down 7 pounds; didn't have the dreaded weekend weight gain, maintained. Dying to find out what Friday brings.

Hope everything is well with everyone---PMA (positive mental attitude) Okay don't all gag at once :lol: :lol: :lol:

[BawdyWench]

Oh and TUNA FISH is a fantastic easy way to get protein in. I oftentime have a can for lunch with mayo. Though, again, not EVERY day cuz of the mercury.

. . . any word on those tests bawdy? i'd like to know how they went.

Mary, just wanted to mention that if you like tuna (which I do!), the chunk LIGHT (not white) contains the least amount of mercury because it's from much smaller (younger) tuna -- and I think even a different kind of tuna.

And regarding my tests, they all came back "normal." Trouble is, I've been living in this body for 50 years, and know something's out of whack. I have an appointment with the doctor on Thursday.

At the moment, I think I have a problem with adrenal fatigue/burnout, which is causing a problem with my thyroid. Also, I'm afraid that menopause is rearing its ugly head. I was doing some reading over the weekend regarding menopause, and found that if you're around "that certain age" and stop taking birth control pills cold-turkey, you can set yourself up for some pretty major symptoms. So, I thought back and much of my problem started around the time I stopped cold-turkey in order to have a period.

So, we'll see.

Gotta run. Maybe I'll check back later tonight.

[greannmhar]

Bawdy, I'm interested in that research regarding BC pills and the effects of an abrupt cessation - I'm having somewhat similar experiences to you, especially regarding weight gain coupled with (for me) tiredness and joint pains.
I am also at 'that certain age' and having problems with my thyroid (though being told I'm normal). I am having no joy getting a trial of thyroid hormones as my doc is completely against giving me something for a disease I don't have, despite my symptoms.
Like you, I know something isn't right and it's frustrating finding yourself between a rock and a hard place - I just feel like picking up that rock and throwing it some days :D
Babs

[skeeweeaka]

Hey guys can I get an answer on the amount of carbs that everyone is consuming or is there another thread. Also I entered my stats into Fitday today and my fats were 63%, my carbs, 9%, and my protein was 28%..... Looking at these numbers I'm thinking that I'm doing good on CARBS, but fat that kinda scares me... I can do better, since I did have a burger from Wendy's which is filled with cholesterol and sodium... Any suggestions, etc... :) http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/DayFoodsTab.asp

[BawdyWench]

Skee, I do best when I keep my carbs low -- 20 or so a day. Others like it higher. The Eades recommend 30 to 50 to start. It's all very individual. (Sorry, by the way, I only realized now that you had asked that question before and no one had answered it.)

Babs, try reading some of the articles at womentowomen.com. I'd give you some more to go on, but I came home early from work today and am feeling really lousy. I must have looked bad, because my boss told me to either take tomorrow off or work from home. Thursday I see my doctor, and will be working from home that day, too.

Also check out the health forums on this board. Tons of good info there.

Now I've started getting nosebleeds every couple days. It's probably just the dryness of the air, but today my stomach was queasy all day and it felt like I was tasting blood all day. I know. Drama queen. It wasn't blood, but I felt like it was.

I'll definitely stay home tomorrow and will work if I feel better.

It's probably just a combination of a bunch of things, but I know I've felt better (what an understatement!).

[skeeweeaka]

Thanks for your response... Yes I just reread my PP book...:)...guess I should have before but couldn't find it. I will try the 30...difficult to get that in. I am not used to all this protein and I feel like it is too much for me... Think I will lower it today...and try to get in some healthier oils, llike flax seed...

[acipenser]

skee, i haven't used fitday or counted in a long time, but i usually fall between 40-70 carbs a day.

[Songberrie]

Speaking of carbs, I keep mine under 20 and the weight comes off real good. I eat mainly meat, dairy and veggies.

I bought some size 10 jeans and cords yesterday, and I'm looking good!

My daughter is expecting another baby in July. She has an 8 month old so they'll be 15 months apart.

[Aetheana]

I'll confess and hopefully I can move on from it.

I ate a chocolate glazed donut with some peanut butter stuff on top. Then i had like 5 mini sized (little squares, not rectangles) of snickers and milky ways.

What the hell was I thinking?????

Argh, stupid skinny friend wanting me to pick her up donuts and then thinking i could eat one myself. and then getting one that i THOUGHT had maple on it and having it be peanut butter (my ultimate crave combination is chocolate and peanut butter).. i think if it was maple i wouldnt have eaten the snickers!

and i gained a half pound today. i know its not a GAIN its not anything more than fluctuation, but i CANT think i can eat whatever i want now!

i had a great breakfast, though, and i have stuff for a very healthy lunch. and i am going out for dinner but i already know im getting fajitas with no rice or tortillas, so thats great.

i really do feel better. im going to drink some water and stop feeling stupid.

[kerriscard]

Good evening, I am new here and would like to join your group..I have been on and off this WOE for years and I realy need to get back on and need help and support :help: hoping to find a couple of threads to join and get that support... :thup:
thanks :heart: :heart:

[BawdyWench]

Hi, Kerri! Of course you can join our little group! We're very friendly and definitely full of it . . . SUPPORT, that is!

:lol:

[LarryAJ]

Good morning all. I see some names here that have registered on my "home" board. May I extend an invitation for you to "visit" and post some, just as I plan to do here as my time allows. This board has a lot more to offer but "my" board is small enough to be easier to navigate and keep from getting lost. I like to think of it as the difference between a big city and a small village. Lots to do and see in the city, but some people get lost in it. In a little village, not much to do, but everyone knows everybody else and when someone needs help they all rally 'round. :D

As Bawdy has "tagged" me, I tend to the obsessive side, so now I am going chide y’al a bit. You MUST simply read BOTH books by the Drs. Eades, PP AND PPLP. While the diet is essentially the same, there are some changes in the second book that come from the newer research done in the five years between when they were written. For example, in PPLP there is a WHOLE chapter just on magnesium. But the PP book is, for some people easier to follow. And there are some case examples from the Eades clinical practice that are eye opening that did not get into PPLP. Also the fat section has a little different approach which I missed the first read and was not told in the same way in PPLP, so I missed a subtitle issue on AA fats. They also review their view on flax seed oil in PP and modify it some in PPLP.

Regards,
Larry

[bkseler]

Boy do I need some advice. Last week, after sticking strictly to plan I lost almost 7 pounds. I know not expect that this week but since Monday I've gained 2 pounds.

Because I did so well last week I stuck exactly to last weeks' menu (plus I'm still unpacking from a move). Exactly;almost bite for bite. I try to keep my meals simple so there's less room for error. Average day looks like--

4 eggs scrambled in 1T butter
1 20oz coffee w/sf vanilla and 1/3 c 1/2&1/2
1 c pepperoni bites spread out over the day
4-5oz of turkey meat w/cream cheese and cucumber sticks
4-6 oz of some sort of protein for dinner with salad and dressing or some sort of veggie

You know, now that I write it out, it dosen't look like much but I'm seem to be satisfied. Why can I lose one week and start gaining the next? I am getting really discouraged. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :help:

[LarryAJ]

bkseler, I have wandered in here from the board I usually frequent. Your problems sound a lot like ones that some of the ladies over there have. I'll try, but this is second hand, and you might do better to get guidance "from the horses mouth" over at http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/ But I only want you to visit use not leave this board. I think that it is good to check in else where, as I am doing now, to help and get help where ever you can.

Boy do I need some advice. Last week, after sticking strictly to plan I lost almost 7 pounds. I know not expect that this week but since Monday I've gained 2 pounds. This is very common from what I can tell. Things like TOM, stress, preimenopause (what ever that is, have NO IDEA, just hear it mentioned) and a host of other things can cause flucations in your weigh, even during the day.

You know, now that I write it out, it dosen't look like much but I'm seem to be satisfied. Why can I lose one week and start gaining the next? I am getting really discouraged. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :help:
It doesn't look that bad to me either. I do wonder if you are eating enough GOOD fat? Have you determined the amount of protein your LBM (Lean Body Mass) needs on a daily basis? What is the carb count for the meal you described? Are you getting the RIGHT supplements, if you are taking any at all? Are you drinking enough water?

I started to say, "This is not rocket science." BUT that is not quite right. Human metabolism is just as complacated, it is just that normally we do not need to take it to the highly complex level. But when something is not the way it should be - over weight and have stopped losing, even gaining - the answers can sometimes only be found in the complex. Not to dispair, this is why you are posting and active on a board such as this, to get help.

I REALLY wish you would invest the twenty dollars to buy the two Eades books, Protein Power and PPLifeplan. Not that the books by Dr. Atkins are not good, it is just that I have not read them so I cannot attest to the qualityof the science in his books. But I can for the Eades books, the last book PPLP has over 400 citations from quality research journals. I guess since you posted on the PP section this is sort of the biasis that you should expect ;) :)

Larry

[bkseler]

Hey Larry--I was so happy to see a response from you. I'm heading into the weekend and they've always been harder for me, it's easier to stay structured during the week.

I briefly touched on the fact that I'm unpacking from a move. 2400 sf home to a 1400 sf home and somewhere in the boxes in the garage is my copy of the PP book, so I'm trying to follow this from not only memory but just from logic. So my first priority this weekend is to unearth my copy. But sometimes the clinical stuff just makes my eyes glaze over. :daze:

I try so hard to make this a way of life not a diet.

Again, thank you and I'll also check out the other forum you suggested--

[LarryAJ]

I briefly touched on the fact that I'm unpacking from a move. 2400 sf home to a 1400 sf homeWOW! You have my TOTAL sympathy! :bhug: I moved some thirty years ago in to a bigger house, and that was still a problem. Boxes in the basement still from that move, unpacked. :rolleyes:

Again, thank you and I'll also check out the other forum you suggested--
I was just there and this thread may be of interest to you. REMEMBER, this is a forum for people who have gotten to their goal, but as you can read it still takes work. AND your body can "play games" with you that get very frustrating as you can read in this thread. That is why a support group is so important, even if they are far far away, as long as you can "talk to and interact with" they can be just as real as your next door neighbor/friend/coworker. Here is thread;
http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=maintain&num=1131958140&action=display&start=45
Hope this go the right place.

Oh, and don't bother to try to find the book if it is PP. Just get the newer PPLP from Amazon.com if you can't get it locally. Here is a link to help you http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-7363992-6051963

Larry

[BawdyWench]

Hey, Nola! Great job on the 7 pounds. Stinks about the 2 pounds back, but sometimes the body works in mysterious ways.

Here's my take on the situation, which may be TOTALLY off base.

You started eating exactly on plan. No excess carbs, enough protein, etc. You'll always drop pounds when you first start this again because the carbs in your system hang on to that water. This is why you lost 7 pounds in one week (probably all water, but who cares, huh?).

THEN, after the first week your body had no more (or very little) excess fluid because it had all been purged. Now here comes the total conjecture on my part. Maybe the salt in all the pepperoni is NOW causing you to hang on to a little more fluid, hence the 2 pound gain.

Why don't you try substituting something else for the pepperoni for a week or two and see what happens? Even deli ham (though salty) has less salt than the pepperoni. You could always try ham and cheese rollups. I take a 1-ounce slice of cheddar cheese and cut it into 4 lengths. Then I roll up one length of cheese into one slice of ham so you end up with 4 roll-ups. One or two rollups as a snack is the perfect hunger-chaser.

Just a thought!

[kerriscard]

Hi everyone, the new one here..... :wave: ..Such great ideas thanks to you all...
Bkseler..you could get the books at the library untill you deside if you want to order them or it.... :agree:

Bawdy..you are so right it could very well be the salt...

Larry support is the key alright..without it most of us would fail... :D

[BawdyWench]

Just wanted to pop in to wish everyone a great day. Last night DH and I went out to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. I was agonizing over what to wear -- I was afraid my standard little-black-dress would be a bit snug at this point, and anyway DH has seen me in it a zillion times. So, I was looking through my closet. Way in the back was a stretch velvet dress I haven't worn or thought about in probably 5 or 6 years. I tried it on, knowing all the while it would look awful -- since it's stretch, it looks very small on the hanger, meaning it hugs every curve.

And it did! It hugged all the good curves and glided over all the not-so-good curves! It's a wonderful chocolate brown, a little on the reddish-brown side. Turtleneck and long sleeves, and it falls to just above the ankle. I wore black boots with 4" heels, so my ankles looked even smaller. I looked pretty darn good, if I say so myself!

At dinner I started with a lobster bisque that was excellent. Then came a salad -- mixed greens with a bit of goat cheese, walnuts, halved grapes, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. DH hates dressing, so I got his salad, too! The bread they served were yeast muffins, and he loved those -- I didn't, so he had mine.

For the main course, I had a filet mignon with bernaise sauce and a lobster tail. The plate also had skin-on mashed red potatoes and a vegetable mixture of peppers, carrots, summer and zucchini squash. The steak was excellent, and the lobster was even more so. And all that drawn butter. Is it considered uncouth to dip your mashed potatoes in the drawn butter? Well, so what if it is! It was good! (And no dessert for me.)

DH had a "roast sirloin." We'd never heard of that before, and actually didn't find out it was a ROAST sirloin until it was served. It looked more like a prime rib. Very rare (he likes it medium, but won't return it to the kitchen), grisly, and fatty. He said it was the worst steak he's ever had! I don't know why he doesn't say something, but never does. I guess he figures that the meat is fine, it's just that he doesn't care for the cut.

So today I'm back on the straight and narrow. I'm going to eat cleanly now and try to break through this barrier I've hit.

Oh, and some bad news. As we were sitting in the living room having a glass of wine before leaving for the restaurant, DH's sister called to say his mother had fallen and broken her hip (she's 88, but feisty). She's in the hospital and will have surgery this morning. He's waiting until after the surgery to decide whether to fly back to Michigan. We don't even know if he would be able to get a flight during Thanksgiving week. We should know more by around 11:00.

I'll check back in later.

[kerriscard]

Bawdy my mouth is drooling all over my keyboard....yum :yum: :yum: :yum: Congrats on getting into that OLD dress.....
Sure hope your MIL will be fine.....
Have a wonderful Sunday everyonehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/Julie61/5.gif

[BawdyWench]

I went ahead and changed my profile to my current stats, and changed my signature to add my new resolve. Trouble is, the new stats show up, but the signature doesn't! I contacted the admins in another thread, and darned if the signature DOES show up there, just not anywhere else.

Weird.

Where is everyone lately?

I just finished a full upper-body workout followed by a 20-minute HIIT cardio workout. Feels really good to work out again. On the advice of about a zillion people, I took 2 (ok, 3) weeks off exercise. They thought I was overtraining.

Anyway, it felt good. My new plan is to do cardio (alternating 20-minute HIIT and 30- to 45-minute sustained) 4 or 5 or even 6 times a week, and lift only twice a week. That will mean one upper-body workout a week and one lower-body workout a week.

And I'm going back to what works for me -- 20 grams or less ECC, around 100 grams protein, and the rest fat, all in about 1300 calories. I might cycle a bit, too, with one day around 1800 and the others around 1300.

My physical is scheduled for November 30, and I'd really like to lose a few pounds. I'm 164 now, and if I follow my plan, I can easily get to 160 by then.

Wish me luck! Cheer me on!

[BawdyWench]

OK, you can stop panicking now. My signature shows up. Phew. Sorry to have caused mass pandemonium.

:lol:

[LarryAJ]

There seem to me to be some other possible other reasons for some of the "problems" that you have, especially you ladies, other than "that time of life!" I have no idea what supplements you take, if you do at all. The Eades recommend several because we just do not get enough in our diet - for many reasons. Here are two that seem to have potential as a factor in your problems.

In their book Protein Power Lifeplan the Drs. Eades have a whole chapter on magnesium. In fact they even go so far as to say if they were asked, "What ONE supplement would you recomend?", they answered unequivically, "Magnesium." Check out that chapter for the details.

Then do you know about
Vitamin D deficiency in Americans (http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&num=1132423057),
if not click the link to read about it.
I think that if the Eades would have had the research articles that have just been published, they would have written more about Vitamin D, beyond what they did in the chapter Sunshine Superman .

Larry

[BawdyWench]

Supplements. In the past I've done the whole shebang recommended by the Eades several times. Never felt any different, except that my wallet was lighter. I do take a super-duper multi-vitamin, a super-duper B-complex, magnesium, and potassium. That's about all I want at the moment. I used to take a dozen or more tablets morning and night, and felt that was obsessing a bit.

But I agree. I can't stand it when people say, "Don't worry, it's just menopause." That's like a pat on the head. I don't care if it IS flippin' menopause, no one should have to feel like this or go through this!

Well, have a nice day! :lol:

[bkseler]

Oh wise and wonderful Bawdy; your knowledge is vast and amazing. :lol:

Okay enough bs. I ran out of the pepperoni bites on Friday and never had a chance to go and get some more. Weekends are always hard enough for me but as of this morning I'm down a half pound. I have to agree with you about the sodium. I usually judge my water retention by the way my rings fit but I think because it's been so cold they were loose. I'll really watch the sodium this week and keep up the water.

I read your journal and man are you serious. You put the fear of god in me!

Thanks again for all your sincere advice and Happy Belated Anniversary!

LarryAJ--Thanks for the advice of the PPLP book. Found one at a used book store here in town for 2 bucks! I must admit my eyes are glazing over. I'm one of those who jumps to the "This Is How to Eat" sections in books. I'll hang in there and I'm sure I'll have a few questions--- :agree:

[BawdyWench]

Oh wise and wonderful Bawdy; your knowledge is vast and amazing. :lol:
You may worship at my feet and kiss my ring. ;)

[LarryAJ]

LarryAJ--Thanks for the advice of the PPLP book. Found one at a used book store here in town for 2 bucks! I must admit my eyes are glazing over. I'm one of those who jumps to the "This Is How to Eat" sections in books. I'll hang in there and I'm sure I'll have a few questions--- :agree:OH! :nono: Now I am going to have to scold you, good naturedly of course, since the ladies on my home board will tell that I am an old softie. :rose: :agree: :D

Now how can you possibly skip over a chapter (the first one) that starts, In our living room on the coffee table sits one of our most prized possessions, the skull of a cave Bear (paraphrased by me). They then tell about how big it is, how big the canine teeth are and how big, size of small child's hand, the attachment point for the muscle that closed the jaw. It is about a dime in size for a dog and a man. And the rest of that chapter is really more about anthropology than anything else.

Now not many people are as interested in all things scientific as I am, so anthropology may seem like a dry subject, BUT to arrive at why we should eat what we should, you MUST look back in to the homo sapiens anthropology. I usually tell people, when I am telling them about the PPLP book, just to read the book as an interesting book to read and ignore that it has anything to do with diet.

Then skipping the introduction means you do not know the foundation for the diet and how it was arrived at. The rigor with which the Eades examined and selected the research they used is how you come to believe that what they are telling you in the rest of the book has sound science backing it up, at least I did.

Then if you have not read the other chapters, how are you to understand just how powerful insulin is and why it is critical to your health to keep it from spiking up to high. And then there is fat and cholesterol, unless you have read those chapters, how are you going to counteract all the very wrong things the media parrots from the poor, and usually very biased, research and medical industry. Then there is the issue of auto-immune diseases and fructose. Magnesium and sunshine (Vitamin D) both could have books written about just them and how they affect health.

Well, I will get down off my soap box now. But PLEASE, I implore you, read, no study! the whole book. Think of it as the master plan for good health that you need to know all about. You WILL BE tested on your knowledge, unfortunately the test can be fatal if you fail. :skull: That is not something I would find acceptable. :eek:

To your good health,
Larry

[jonzsie]

I thought I would try energy drinks a few months ago and I got hooked on them. I didn't just have 1 I had to have 3 and then I would be up all night. Plus I started getting headaches when I hadn't had one for 24hours. They are addictive and are loaded with caffeine so drink them with caution. But they sure are nice.

[BawdyWench]

Now how can you possibly skip over a chapter (the first one) that starts, In our living room on the coffee table sits one of our most prized possessions, the skull of a cave Bear (paraphrased by me).
Larry, I must admit, this is one thing that endeared the Eades to me! I, too, have not the skull of a cave bear, but the skull of a saber-toothed tiger on my coffee table!

DH gave it to me a couple Christmases ago. I literally cried when I opened the box! Strangely enough, I've always wanted one! As a child, my favorite "dinosaur" (ok, I was a kid and didn't know any better!) was the saber-toothed tiger. AND, as an adult, I've been studying human paleontology (study of human bones, etc.) and evolution for years and years.

It ranks up there with my favorite Christmas gifts!

:lol:

[bkseler]

Okay you people are totally freaking me out!!! I have dust bunnies under my couch--does that count? :)

[BawdyWench]

Only if you've named them!

[acipenser]

i have various fish bones laying about. am i in the club??

[BawdyWench]

I'm sure that counts, Aci. I also keep the wishbones from all our Thanksgiving turkeys. Well, maybe not EVERY year, but I have probably a dozen or more in a crystal bowl in the china hutch!

[bebamom]

hi - I am new here and I tried posting this ? on a different thread - I thought I would get an answer here after I found you - How is PP differnet from Atkins? and Anyone have any advice to get started until I can get the PPLP book? ty in advance

[BawdyWench]

Here's a good place to start: http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/index.html

When you have specific questions, feel free to post them here and we'll jump in to help!

See you soon!

[acipenser]

hi bebamom, welcome. i think the number one piece of advice almost everybody will tell you is to read the book. then ask questions to clarify.

have a great turkey day tomorrow everybody!!!

[Songberrie]

I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving! I found this cute poem and thought I'd share it -

Thanksgiving Day Poem

These passed twelve months were quite a year.
They added inches to my rear.
Such calories, the girth they leave,
From Turkey day to New Year's Eve.
And so, this year, I did avow
To sit, and look, and just say "WOW!"
While passing on the yummy stuff
That makes my bod go puffPUFFPUFFF.

"I will control myself today.
To over eat just doesn't pay"

I'll bring some port that I'd been saving.
That should sate my sugar craving.
Maybe just ONE homemade platter.
(what could help me not get fatter?)

EUREKA!

I'll make and bring a jello bowl
And promise from my heart and soul
That it will be my ONE dessert
A little jello cannot hurt...

I made my resolutions clear.
I would not backtrack, would not veer...
I'd start with salad, set the mood...
I'd pass on all the fattening food.

"Veggies, Oh, yes, veggies please!
(I'm doing fine) No thanks, no cheese"
"Oh, wait, ...did you say Camembert
To compliment this festive fare?
Well, just a little slice on top.
I'll taste a smidge, and then, I'll stop"
"Just look at that nice onion dip..
Ya, I guess I can have ONE chip..."
"Good! Broccoli! Just a drop of sauce
I'll taste your hollandaise, of course!!"
"A little corn...awash in butter..."
("It's only vegetables", I mutter)

Festive platters on parade.
I've lost my grip ...I'm SO afraid.
"Potatoes? Yams? Well, just a dab
And turkey? Yes, I'll take a slab."
"Is that a honey roasted ham
With marmalade and sweet peach jam?"
"I'll just have a teensy bite"
...And so I nibbled through the night.

Green bean casserole, tradition...
Cream of mushroom. Deep contrition.

"Your dressing's very, very good
Um, Seconds? I don't think I should...
Aww, I cannot insult the cook"
(and so I took, and took, and took)

A spoonful here, a spoonful there...
A taste test, so I could compare...
"No butter, olive oil instead
...A drop to moisten this great bread"

"Please hold the gravy. Oh, HOMEMADE?"
(I felt my resolution fade)
"Cranberry compote? Just a drop"
Oh, my gosh...I couldn't stop!!

"Now, where the heck'd my napkin go?"
I think I ATE it!!!! Oh, my...NO!!!

"You sure no one wants more of these?...
Just pass them here. I'll take them, please"
"You made this pie YOURSELF? How NICE!
Well, maybe just a tiny slice...
An itsy bitsy taste of that,
And that, and that..." (that's why I'm fat...)

Turkey stuffed, and so was I
On seven different kinds of pie
...And dang, there was that jello too...
"Whipped cream?...I'll have some, won't you?"

Nibble, nibble, nibble, bite
Indulgence loosed, the pants got tight
I gobble-gobbled it alllll up
And there I was, a stuff-ed pup.

Alas, here goes another year
Of added inches to my rear.
But it was worth it.. Yes indeed
A splendorous Thanksgiving feed...
And I'll have ALL the coming year
To get my pudgy bod in gear.
I'll diet, and I'll exercise
And trim my belly, butt, and thighs.

"Yes, things next year will be just dandy
Till then, please pass the Christmas candy."

~Doggypaddler2005

Bawdy - your anniversary dinner sounded lovely!

My dh gave me a wonderful complement the other day, he said he saw this pretty lady walking down the sidewalk in town, then realized it was me! Wow, I can still turn his head!

[Parisfox]

Song....cool poem....VERY cool husband!!

[Songberrie]

Thanks Paris!

[BawdyWench]

I'm the perfect model of perfect health. My cholesterol and all the chemical and blood work are all to die for (bad pun . . . they're as perfect as perfect gets).

So, he says that "chemically" there are no problems. That does not address my symptoms, however. (Those were his words, so at least he's willing to work with me.)

He thinks it might all be wrapped up around that stupid menopause thing. There's a specialist right in town here who centers her practice around perimenopause and menopause, and he got her on the phone. She's agreed to fit me in sometime within a week. He said they talked briefly, and that she doesn't have a problem with leaving me on birth control pills (hooray! I hate having periods!) AND that she might treat me for the thyroid issues. I'm just over the top of normal, on the hypo side, and sometimes doctors treat their menopause patients with natural thyroid meds for the short term.

All in all I guess it's good news, but geezum crow I was hoping there would be something amiss so that I could start feeling better. At least he got me in to see a specialist quickly (apparently most people have to wait months to see her), he wants to follow up with me in 4 months, and he ordered physical therapy for me. My first appointment is next Wednesday.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the T-shirt shop to order a bunch of shirts that say, "Warning: I'm out of estrogen and I have a gun."

[Aetheana]

Bawdy, Im really glad you are getting to go see a specialist! thats really great. i hope she puts you on some thyroid stuff to help you out. but i have nothing to say about menopause. ;)

Im doing terribly. Im completely and utterly stuck at 220 and I cant break the scale. I'm exercising a hell of a lot, in my opinion and eating well. Not perfectly on plan but really and truly not far off of it! I guess I need to stick to it hardcore, though, but I'm really miserable that I'm so stuck. My pants are getting snug and I refuse to buy more. I have a ten pound to christmas personal challenge and I dont think I'm going to make it, which is all right, but come ON! I SHOULD NOT BE STUCK AT 220! Its not as if im eating 2000 calories a day! Im eating around 1300, exercising 45 minutes a day and i CANT LOSE WEIGHT! I dont understand. i think i might read up a bit more on south beach and maybe try that. maybe ive been eating too much protein. maybe i cant stop eating a handful of chocolate chips at night because im craving fruit. maybe if i got it through my head that fruit was ok i could stop with the chocolate. maybe im underestimating how much i eat. maybemaybemaybe.

i'm going to the store tonight. spinach, broccoli, salad, strawberries and maybe bananas are on the list. Maybe some brown rice.

i need some encouragement.

[Parisfox]

Aetheana...bananas are the highest carb fruit available. :agree: Skip them if you can.

Sorry to hear about your stall. Have you checked out the Meat & Egg diet thread? If you did that for 3-4 days it would probably break the stall AND get rid of your cravings, or at least help with them. Would be worth a try. Good luck.

Bawdy....get me a t-shirt while you're at it!! :lol:

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, the protein-only thing is good for what you're going through. Absolutely NO cheats, no treats. Just protein protein protein. It will be hard, but it's only 3 days and you can do it. It will most likely stop those cravings, too.

Nobody knows better than me these days how frustrating it is to eat "mostly" on plan and work out and still not lose. Sometimes you have to shock your system. Also, have you been using Fitday or another tool to be SURE of how much you're eating? Not accusing you, it's just that when you sit down to add it all up, sometimes it's surprising how much you're actually eating.

If you think South Beach is a better plan for you (and it certainly is for some people), then go for it. But don't go in with the attitude that you'll "try" it. Go in there and follow the rules to a T. Don't tweak.

Paris, I'll be sure to put an order in for a T-shirt for you, too!

[Songberrie]

Paris - where is the meat and egg diet thread? I couldn't find it.

[Aetheana]

I ... know that this is going to sound whiny. I just don't think I can just do only protein for a few days. I am NOT binging on carbs or being really incredibly cravy like i was before i started doing lc. i think im just sick of thinking about grams of protein. I think im tired of eating mostly meat and fish, which is really what ive been doing a lot of lately, not enough vegetables, i know that is a big problem. i was eating mostly protein to try to get water weight off, and then i just stuck at eating mostly protein cuz i cant move the scale. i think i need a shake up in the other direction, a LOT more vegetables (i havent had a salad in quite some time) and i think more healthy carbs as fruit would really help me out of the rut i'm in. i think i got into this mindset where ANY carbs were bad and i'd judge a day to be good if i ate as little carbs as possible. yea, i might have a handful of chocolate chips at the end of the day, and that is sugar, but all in all, i still be that my carbs were below 20. thats so atkins. ;) and then worrying about making sure i was eating enough fat? that was atkins too. i also think i am eating way too much sugar free jello. two of those little serving cups a day? maybe aspartame is stalling me cuz i sure didnt eat that much before i got married.
BLAHBLAHBLAH!
I just think that if i eat more veggies and some fruit that i wont be as tempted by pizza and chocolate and jello. (Not that im having THAT hard of a time resisting, but...) Also for some reason i am absolutely DYING for fresh tomatoes. i think my body is mad at me for not giving it the proper nutrition for right now.
i don't know, im tired and so mad at my family. i just wish i could get back down to where i was when i got married. 10 pounds seems like such a lot.

[Parisfox]

Song....the Meat & Egg thread is in the Triple Digits Club.

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, only you know what's best for you. Maybe it's time to try a new plan, maybe like South Beach. That plan allows fruit and some starchy veggies. I have a good friend who is on it, and it's working extremely well for her. Lord knows we've all tried other plans from time to time.

Maybe try lurking a bit over on the South Beach forum (not that we want to lose you, we don't!). There's usually a sticky that explains the plan in a nutshell.

And what's up with your family? Have you mentioned this before and I'm just losing my mind? Possible, of course!

What's going on?

[acipenser]

Hey everybody.

Bawdy-- glad the Dr.s are listening to you and you are moving towards fixing some of your simptoms.

Athena-- i hope things will streighten out for you also. I am trying also to break free of the 220's (yes i went back up from 216 to 224i just haven't changed my stats cause i was hopeing it wouldn't stick around). I need to get in gear also!!

[alpdiver]

Aetheana....sorry to read of your weight loss "stall". The following link provides some useful info regarding "stalls". I hope you quickly find a solution.

http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=ppwol&action=display&num=1133352589

Andy

[Aetheana]

Thanks so much for the reply and the link.

I think theres a lot of reasons for my stall, and right now the number one is: deficient in vitamins. I need to eat more vegetables and finally my fridge is stocked. I need to eat slightly less protein than I've been eating. I need to shake up the exercise routine. How often do you do that? Once every other week? Once a month? Opinions?

Do you guys really and truly believe in BMR? I don't recall what my BMR is but it's a WHOLE LOT HIGHER than what I have been eating and still maintaining. It might be close to 1800 or so... I canNOT eat that much and still hope to lose. What's your opinions?

I also need to push the water. 32 oz just isn't enough. I am also giving up the aspartame jello to see if that helps.

I ate out last night and decided to eat badly. I had a bacon cheeseburger with bun, fries (though I gave about a quarter to husband) and chocolate cake with ice cream. I did not gain anything this morning. Body craving carbs? Body craving calories? Body not going to retain water? Any thoughts?

[BawdyWench]

I ate out last night and decided to eat badly. I had a bacon cheeseburger with bun, fries (though I gave about a quarter to husband) and chocolate cake with ice cream. I did not gain anything this morning. Body craving carbs? Body craving calories? Body not going to retain water? Any thoughts?
Here's some tough love, so prepare yourself.

You're rationalizing. You can't tell anything by one meal. Do you honestly think your body was craving fries, chocolate cake, and ice cream? Don't fool yourself.

Read through your last few posts. Surely it can't be the handful of chocolate chips that's stalling you. Surely it can't be the chocolate cake and the other sugary junk food. I know! It must be the SF jello! Or too much protein! Or not enough vitamins! I'm only eating the chocolate chips because my body is craving fruit!

Think about what you're saying. Does this make sense?

Are you using Fitday or another tool? Are you weighing and measuring everything, and I mean EVERYTHING? It's really easy to fool yourself into thinking you're not really eating all that much. I know. I've been there. I know I've had days where I would swear I'm eating around 1000 calories and feeling fairly smug. Then I enter it into Fitday, and it's more like 2000.

This is not easy. The only way I can lose weight -- and most other people, by the way -- is not to "cheat" ever ever ever. I can't give you the scientific reason, I just know it's true.

You can't just "be good" for 3 days in a row and expect results. You have to be good 3 weeks in a row . . . 3 MONTHS in a row to see results.

And here's a thought about "good" and "bad." You said you decided to be "bad" and eat off plan. In other words, you CHOSE to fail. I'm sorry, but that's the reality. You could just as easily have CHOSEN to succeed and eaten that bacon cheeseburger without the bun, accompanied by a side salad. Not only would that have been better for your body, think of how great you would have felt afterward, KNOWING you chose to succeed!

This ain't easy. Nothing worthwhile in life is easy. You have to work at it. Don't blame it on "my body is craving more calories" or "I'm not losing weight because I'm deficient in vitamins." How many vitamins do you think were in the bun, the fries, the cake, and the ice cream?

Aetheana, I'm sorry if this sounds really harsh, but you need to face facts. Granted, the PP plan might not be the one for you (even though you CAN have brown rice and fruit on this plan). If you can't keep the carbs down to 30 (the Intervention level), try keeping them down to 50 or 60, which is also a recommendation from the Eades. You CAN have brown rice. You CAN have fruit. It's not the plan that's isn't working, it's you. You're not serious and you're not working at it.

And that's fine.

When you're ready, you will have success. It's only when I've been dead-on serious about losing the fat and not rationalizing chocolate cake and ice cream that I have success.

You're also blaming your family -- the stress. Those things don't matter. You are the one who controls what goes into your mouth. Your new husband, your mother, your siblings, whoever . . . THEY don't MAKE you eat those things. You rationalize that you're stressed and that your body needs these things. It doesn't.

Sometimes you just have to get mad. Get angry. Get pissed. Then DO IT! Don't let others get to you. PROVE to them -- and to yourself -- that you can do this. Let nothing stop you.

Believe me. I'm going through the same thing right now. NOTHING seems to be working. And I haven't been TOTALLY honest either, to myself or to others. Up until last weekend, I was still having a glass or two (or three) of wine or Irish whiskey each night. That's not on plan. And maybe I was slipping in a miniature candy here and there. AND MAYBE THAT WAS ENOUGH TO KEEP ME FROM LOSING THE POUNDS! (Obviously, it was.)

So now I'm serious again. For the past week I've had no starchy vegetables, no grains, no sugar in any form, and NO ALCOHOL. I'm eating full healthy meals. Lots of protein, lots of fat (yes, lots of fat is good), and having veggies at virtually every meal. If I have a snack, it's a LC snack, not "just one little piece of chocolate."

What it comes down to is you. No one can do this except you. If you don't like one plan, try another. But ultimately NO plan will work for you unless you give it your all. And I mean your ALL. You can only expect good results if you do the work. Kind of like "garbage in, garbage out." If you give it a half-assed attempt, you'll get half-assed results. Or no results.

Look at Songberrie. She's lost a whole lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time. Why? Because she's totally focused. She works out every day, always pushing herself to do more. Does she have chocolate cake and ice cream when she feels stressed? No. Does she have a handful of chocolate chips at night when she feels stressed? No. She has her eye on the prize, and nothing is going to stop her.

That's how you have to be (and me and everyone else) if you expect to have the same kind of success.

I'm not saying all this to be mean, just to open your eyes. I want you to succeed. I want ALL of us to succeed. But it's not going to be easy. If it were, there would be no need for this board.

Think about it. Then make a plan. Then work your plan. Let nothing and no one deter you from your plan. I don't care how much stress you're under. I don't care how much this person or that person tempts you with food you know is not good for you. YOU ARE IN CONTROL.

Now act like it.

[Parisfox]

Bawdy...it couldn't have been said better. I hope Aetheana takes this is the spirit you intended and really considers what you have said. You are SO right.

BTW....I am going to copy and post this to another board (without anyone's name, of course...except yours to give you credit).

You are such a supportive person and put things so clearly. Sometimes "tough love" is the only thing that works...and we all need to learn how to give ourselves some of that when we are tempted, or we will never win.

[BawdyWench]

Gosh, I'm going to be quoted on another board! I feel like a celebrity! Let me know where so I can see what people think about what I wrote.

I hope everyone understands that I was writing that to myself just as much as I was writing it to Aetheana. We all need a good dose of reality from time to time.

[Mitra]

Aetheana....sorry to read of your weight loss "stall". The following link provides some useful info regarding "stalls". I hope you quickly find a solution.

http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=ppwol&action=display&num=1133352589

Andy

Wow - that's my stall thread - I'm being quoted across boards too :cool: . Bawdy, does that make me a celebrity too (not as much of a star as you, of course, because I just got a link, not cut and paste ;) )?

[Parisfox]

Bawdy.... :wave:

It's on the PPWOL board on the Boot Camp forum titled Tough Love.

http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=bootcamp&action=display&num=1133626387

[BawdyWench]

Mitra, in my eyes, we're ALL stars! :agree:

[Aetheana]

Bawdy,

I really appreciate everything that you have had to say. I'm going to reread it later and really let it sink in.

I don't think I have been really hardcore working the plan, exactly as you suggest. I really think the problem has been the lack of veggies. I do think I am trying to rationalize things away. I agree completely. I know I have to get it back together and everything.

I've been fitdaying most of the time, but not all, I have to get into that more and more. I know I need to reread the book and remember why I have to eat some carbs. I let myself get into a mindset where all carbs were evil and I think that lead to lack of variety in food and then eating bad food.

I do think I will see some success now if I work the plan and eat some more veggies and fruit. And I DO know that PP allows for brown rice and fruit. I think I suggested I was doing things a little Atkins-y and I think that's part of the problem too.

Give me a week. We'll see what happens between now and then.

I hope you all don't get frustrated with me. I am trying. I'm sorry if I'm a pain.

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, we're all in this together. If one of us stumbles, it's up to the rest of us to help that person up and get them on their way again.

No need to apologize. Next you guys will all be rallying around me when I stumble!

:bhug:

[acipenser]

hey guys,

bawdy-- great post, it is just what i needed as well!! and so true!!

sory i have no time to hang out and post more, it is time to go hunting for that perfect christmas tree. (well, ours is never "perfect" just perfect for us).

[Aetheana]

All right, off I go.

I did some reading the PP book, some thinking and whatnot, and this is what I've got for a menu for tomorrow. Keep in mind I'm NOT trying to do zero carbs.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with sausage on a slice of light toast with butter

Lunch: 1/2 a pita stuffed with tuna and mayo, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato

Snack: 1/2 apple with peanut butter

Dinner: 4 oz chicken breats sauteed with mushrooms, peppers, and some onions, wilted spinach with cheese

How is that? I wrote out a couple more menu ideas for the rest of the week and we'll see how it goes.

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, no one said you have to do no carbs. "No carbs" is neither Atkins nor Protein Power.

Your menu does look a little high in carbs to me, but then I do better at lower levels. Have you put this menu into Fitday? I'd be curious to see the results. Remember to weigh/measure everything. Onions are strangely high in carbs, for example.

Gotta run. Off to work! I'll check back in tonight. See ya!

[Aetheana]

All right,

After meticulous fitdaying, the menu (with a minor change of carrots and dip for the snack instead of apple and peanut butter) the totals are:

Calories: 1416
Carbs: 55
Fiber: 13
Protein: 125

To be honest, if this fills me up and I'm happy with it, then I am incredibly pleased. It might be slightly low on the calorie side, so maybe I'll have a bit of cream cheese with splenda for dessert. I definately think this is a menu I can live with a lot better than how I was trying to eat before.

Off to get ready for work!

[Songberrie]

Hello!

Just thought I'd check in. The reason I've lost so much weight in such a short amount of time is - no carbs! I eat meat, dairy and green veggies. Once in a while I'll have a few berries. My body seems to loose weight real easily this way.

[Parisfox]

Song...I know what you mean about no (or very low) carbs. My daughter did the M & E for 14 days and lost 15 lbs. Since that was all she was overweight, it was more amazing than if she had 50 or more to lose 'cause the last 20 or so are the hard ones.

I've been doing what you are doing (without the dairy) for about a month and have lost 14 lbs. It's slower going at my age....but still pretty dang good. :agree:

When I get back from my 2 vacations (and in between the two) ...Arizona this month and Florida in February, I am going to do the M & E myself. I'm pretty close to doing it now anyway.

[BawdyWench]

The reason I've lost so much weight in such a short amount of time is - no carbs! I eat meat, dairy and green veggies. Once in a while I'll have a few berries. My body seems to loose weight real easily this way.
I just wanted to clarify that when Song says "no carbs" she means no grains, sugar, etc. Veggies definitely have carbs, just not that many.

[Parisfox]

Bawdy...I realize that veggies have carbs.....as do dairy products. That's why I prefaced it with:

Song...I know what you mean about no (or very low) carbs.
:agree:

[BawdyWench]

Paris, I know YOU know. Just reinforcing the message.

By the way, Aetheana, the nutrition counts look good. See how you do at those levels for a couple weeks. Whatever works for YOU is what you should do.

[Aetheana]

Thanks for the support Bawdy!

Yesterday went really really well! It's probably one of the best on plan days I've had in a long while. Just the addition of the light toast and pita were enough to make me feel, finally, like I could do this for life. I put too much stock in the whole 'avoid all carbs' thing.

Today is looking good too:

Breakfast: protein shake: .5 cup whole milk, .5 cup water, 4 frozen strawberries (unsweetened, of course), 1/2 scoop protein powder (i was going to have some veggie sausage, had it all microwaved up, but promptly forgot about it while making lunch and had already brushed my teeth by the time I remembered)

Lunch: Big salad, dollop of sour cream, 1/3 pound ground beef with taco seasonings, sprinkle of cheese

Snack: Peanut butter and celery

Dinner: half a 2/3 pound steak, broccoli with butter, maybe a piece of light toast or .5 an orange for dessert

This menu is looking like:
1466 calories
103 grams fat
42 carbs with 11 being fiber
100 grams protein

[Songberrie]

Paris - wow, that was really neat that your daughter did so well on the M&E diet! Hmm, inspiring! I did nothing but protein for 5 days, so I know I could do the M&E for that. I'll have to try it. I have to do it when I'm out of veggies, otherwise they'll go to waste.

[halomancer]

Thank you, Bawdywench, for your long post to Aetheana. I printed it out to carry in my purse for regular referral. It was just what I needed to hear.

Halomancer

[bkseler]

Just a little interesting (I think) statistic. I'm lucky and really enjoy having eggs every morning. So I just figured that since starting LC'ing September '03 I've had approximately 3,300 eggs! That doesn't count the ones I've had for dinner, deviled or just hard boiled. I sometimes feel I should be out scratching gravel.

After having my mother here for Thanksgiving I'm trying to try a few days of just pure protein. Yesterday great until dinner with only about a 1/2 c green beans. My belly and hips don't feel so puffy and I've dropped 1 1/2 pounds.

Do any of you get discouraged that this will be a lifelong struggle? I know this has been a common rant of mine but sometimes I wonder if I'll ever weigh even under 200. Sigh-----

Okay somebody write something---I am soooooooooo bored :o :help: :help: :o

[Parisfox]

Living is a lifelong struggle. :lol:

I'd rather struggle to stay on plan until I get to maintenance (which has a plan of its own) and then struggle with maintenance the rest of my life, than give up and struggle with my weight the rest of my life. :agree:

Don't get bored....sometimes that's when people have the most trouble with this. Get up and do something. If you can't/don't exercise, clean something...using both hands.

Or if you don't want to do that, get immersed in a good book. But, don't just sit there bored. :wave:

[Aetheana]

I tried to post a reply earlier, but my computer at home had issues.

I totally agree, though, about it being a constant struggle. Sometimes it just feels so unfair, especially when I feel I've been doing really well, but no reward on the scale. You just gotta keep on holding on, I suppose.

Yesterday went really well for me, though I had some pie at a friend's party. Not on plan at all, I know, but I still feel healthier than I have in a long while.

Today is shaping up to be pretty good as well.

breakfast: 2 eggs + 2 egg whites, cup of whole milk, slice of light toast with butter
lunch: big ceasar salad
snack: pepperoni and cheese stick
dinner: steak i was supposed to eat yesterday with broccoli and butter
dessert: half an orange

breakdown: 1511 calories
Fat: 90g 55%
Carbs: 55g 12%
Fiber: 10g 0%
Protein: 120g 33%

[Songberrie]

I agree Paris. My new motto is - I eat to live, I don't live to eat!

I find that when my food gets monotonous, kind of eating the same things over and over, that's when I really forget about food and the weight just falls off. Does that make sense? I guess what I'm saying is, I get busy with life and I just grill some meat and steam some veggies, nothing fancy just something to take away the hunger. I keep seeing recipes for green bean casserole, which I use to love, and now I think, I'd rather just have the green beans! Keep it simple!

My parents went up to my dd's in Seattle for Thanksgiving and brought me home 45 bottles of different kinds of DeVinci Syrups! They called me from the store and read off all the different kinds and I told them how mant of each. They're like $3.99 a bottle. My new favorite is a spice blend. I use them in a hot cocoa type drink I make.

[Parisfox]

Eating to live, not living to eat is my motto too. :agree:

$3.99 a bottle!! What a bargain. I buy mine by the case (12 bottles) online at www.netrition.com and I pay $7.19 a bottle because I buy so many. That's the cheapest I have found for the Sugar Free. I can get the regular much cheaper, but who wants all that sugar. I love their SF syrups. I use them primarily in shakes and my homemade Hot Chocolate which consists of:

6 oz boiling water
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened--the kind used for baking)
2 Tbsp Cool Whip
A splash of DaVinci's SF syrup

Yummmm.....especially now that COLD weather is here. And the counts are good.

Calories: 58
Fats: 3 g
Carbs: 6 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugars: 2 g
Protein: 1 g

[Songberrie]

Paris - my hot chocolate drink is -
1/4 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp creamora
2 T DeVinci Syrup
Hot water
Dollop of canned light whipped cream
Yum!

My favorite right now is Spice, Coconut and Eggnog

[Aetheana]

Question for Bawdy,

When you went to your doctor with you 3.04 TSH, they did in fact say that it was a little high? Would they treat you?

My TSH was 3.09. If the new levels are saying 2.75 or something and up...

I've been totally miserable the last couple of days. I've been so exhausted I can barely get out of bed. I got up yesterday and started crying at breakfast because I was absolutely too tired to think about hitting the whole day at work.

I tried to give blood the other day and I got rejected because my iron level was too low. I don't know how that is seeing as I eat red meat and spinach and what not. I don't know.

I slept all day yesterday and I'm still really tired today. Some days I feel twenty years older than I really am.

I made an appointment with my doctor for monday.

[Glo1232810]

I've learned so much here and I'm thankful for all who post. I've come back to LC (PP in particular) because I've had wonderful success with it. I was actually at goal weight for 7 years from 1996-2003. I strayed with other plans (WW, etc) because I was craving carbs. Lot of the weight came back.

I've registered with fitday...know my daily protein and carb allowance and am ready to go. With my 53 year old metabolism, I can't play around with the food.

I love the accountability on this board and the real progress. Thank you!

Gloria

I'll get a picture and everything. I'm excited to be starting before the holidays when I could easily gain 12 pounds--and I'm NOT kidding!!

[Glo1232810]

I'm hypothyroid. When first checked, my TSH was 26! I take thyroid hormone daily and feel best when it is around 1.75. I was diagnosed in 1996.

The outer portion of my eyebrows fell out and I was cold all of the time. I also had a constipation "issue."

I thought it was peri-menopause (I'm 53 now, but was in my 40's at diagnosis)

My doctor believes that people are hypothyroid long before it shows up on a blood test.

[BawdyWench]

Welcome, Glo!

You're a woman after my own heart -- you can gain 12 pounds overnight, you started having trouble with the "M" word (can't bring myself to say it!), and you can't play around with your food. Are you sure we weren't separated at birth?

Wow, 26! That's amazing. I was just tested and the TSH came out at 3.04, the free T3 was on the very low edge and the free T4 was on the very high edge (or vice versa, I'm too lazy to go look up the numbers at the moment). My regular doctor doesn't want to treat me for it, but I have an appointment (finally) with a super gynocologist who has no problem treating hypo at this level. My appointment is January 3, so I'll know more then.

I'm also getting the full dose of allergy testing in January. My physical therapist mentioned it as something I should rule out. He also mentioned Candida. Does the allergist test for that? I'll mention it at my gyno appointment and see what she says.

Gotta run. I'll check back more over the weekend. I just got home after a 2-hour drive through blinding snow. I'm having a glass of wine (or two) and NOBODY is going to stop me.

Step away from the wine and no one gets hurt! ;)

[Glo1232810]

You are on the same path I was about 5 years ago. Allergy testing is good...I think with all of the dieting I had overdone it with some foods. I tested postive to chicken and cheese. I stayed away from them for 2 years and can now have them once a week or so. Candida is a possibility if you've taken lots of rounds of antibiotics in a short time. This LC way of eating is a great cure for Candida if it ever happens.

Believe it or not, my doctor highly recommends the Carlson Lemon Flavored Cod Liver Oil.

I wish you the best with your appointments this week. I've been feeling so much better in the past year.

I had a faithful day yesterday...I'm ready to PP. (oops)

Glo

[LarryAJ]

I tried to give blood the other day and I got rejected because my iron level was too low. I don't know how that is seeing as I eat red meat and spinach and what not. I don't know.Aetheana,
You should read the chapter The Modern Iron Age in PPLP. There is a section titled The Myth of Iron-Poor Blood and much more than I can tell you in a post like this. The one thing I remember is that it is almost impossible to have too little iron in your system. Only if you have a lot of blood loss that you are not aware of, is it likely that you have too little iron. Iron is a very potent free radical in the body and can do lots of damage if it is not carefully handled by the body. If a Doctor wanted me to take added iron, especially in light of what you are eating, I would want him to prove, with not just one test, that I really was iron deficient.

The chapter talks about how the body will "hide" iron during certian conditions such as when you have an infection. The reason is simple, all organisms need iron to live and grow, they steal it from your blood if they can, as when you have an infection. "Hiding" away the bodies iron supply is a defensive measure, along with all the other ones we are more familiar with such as anti bodies. Some sort of "low-grade" infectin could be what is making you feel tired.

You just HAVE to get PPLP and READ that chapter. Or reread it if you have PPLP.

Larry

PS, Hi Songberries. Thanks for posting your success over on "my home board (http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/) ". Your success is truely amazing.

[Aetheana]

Thanks for the info LarryAJ. PPLP is on my christmas list. :)

Do you think a thyroid problem could mimic this low grade infection in my body though? I've also heard about how being hypothyroid and being colder than normal most of the time makes you hypothermic so you're cold and that stops the body from using the iron correctly or something to that effect.

I just got a thermometer so I'm going to start monitoring my body temperature.

I have a family history of auto immune diseases. I have physical markers that I will get or have an auto immune disease. I think I'm hypothyroid. I'm going to the doctor on monday. If they don't help me I'm going to an endo. Something is wrong with me and has gotten way wronger in the last month.

We'll see on monday.

[Aeowyn]

Hello, are new-comers welcome her :wave:

I’m just beginning this WOE and I’d love to clarify: should we avoid such carbs as fructose (i.e. stay away from berries and fruit) like in other low-carb diets at the induction phase and take in carbs from veggies only? Or it doesn’t matter where healthy (low GI) carbs come from:?

[BawdyWench]

Yes, Aeowyn, ALL are welcome! I only have a second, but I'll come back this afternoon. Have you read either/both of the Protein Power books? If not, I strongly suggest you do so. You can also look at a couple of the stickies in this forum on PP.

Long story short, it's best to get all your carbs from veggies (and the trace carbs in eggs, dairy, etc.). But, some people do fine even having grains and berries, just be sure to count the carbs.

More later.

Aetheana, it's common for women to "flunk" the hemoglobin test at blood drives, especially around their periods. Don't worry about it. Try again next time and chances are you'll be fine. Every once in a while I flunk, too, but then the next time it's "normal" again.

Don't feel you need to take iron supplements. As Larry said, most people don't need supplemental iron.

Gotta run. Be back this afternoon sometime! :wave:

[Aetheana]

It's not close to my period at all. Nor have I ever flunked the test before. That's what is making me nervous.

[Aeowyn]

BawdyWench, I haven’t read either of the books unfortunately. We don’t have it in Russia so I have to rely solely on web info and Atkins books.
Wanted to buy it via some net-shop but only credit cards required. P
Perhaps, you are aware of some net-shops where payment can be made via, say, bankers’ transfer? :/

As for eating for the 1st 2 weeks I’ve made up my mind to eat protein with nothing but veggies. Then I’ll gradually incorporate berries and “cheap” fruit :yum:

And can you pls decode: what is M&E?

Thank for your reply and welcoming :agree:

[BawdyWench]

Aeowyn, don't worry. We'll help you along since you can't get the book where you are.

M&E probably refers to meat and egg, as in the "meat and egg fast." This is NOT something you need to concern yourself with at the moment.

Stick with eating meat and veggies for a while, and maybe add in a few berries from time to time.

Here are some links you might want to look at:

A brief summary: http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/protein-power.html

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=23997

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=146540

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=244975

That will get you started. Feel free to ask more questions as you learn more. And, if you like, you can post some daily menus and we can point you in the right direction (that is, if you're not already doing it right!).

PS: The cornerstone of PP is to eat AT LEAST the MINIMUM amount of protein per day, based on your current height and weight. For 5'4" (if my conversion of 1.62 meters is correct) and 150 pounds, you should eat AT LEAST 27 grams of protein at each meal, or a total of 81 grams a day. That works out to be about 4 ounces per meal. But remember, you can (and probably should) have more than this. You could probably easily go up to 100 grams a day.

[BawdyWench]

It's not close to my period at all. Nor have I ever flunked the test before. That's what is making me nervous.
Don't worry. It's probably a fluke. Don't give it another thought.

[Aeowyn]

BawdyWench truly appreciate your input. Support helps me march further:)
Sad to say but my friends don’t approve of this WOE, warning me all the time of its adverse effects (without having a faintest idea of its principles:/). Gosh, fed up with their moaning, seeming care, ill office.

As for menu – don’t think I will post it here, as my meals are quite typical - fish, some dairy, among veggies - broccoli, cucumbers, radish and sauerkraut within 30g limit.
But in case of any doubts, I will certainly ask you.

Thank you again.

BTW I do like the way you communicate – in a candid and straightforward manner. This is what some people lack, but only console, flatter each other like cuckoo and a rooster.

[BawdyWench]

BawdyWench ... BTW I do like the way you communicate – in a candid and straightforward manner. This is what some people lack, but only console, flatter each other like cuckoo and a rooster.
Candid and straightforward, huh? Is that a nice way of saying I get in people's faces? :lol:

People HAVE told me I'm "direct" in my writing. Well, I should be. I've been a technical writer/communicator for about 25 years now! I've written and edited all types of books and communications, including college textbooks, how-to books, financial software (current), fishing guides, and a whole slew of other things.

Don't post your menus if you don't want to. That's fine. If you have a question, just post it and someone will wander over with an answer.

As for me, I'm trying an experiment. Someone recently noted that my symptoms could be related to a yeast overgrowth in my digestive tract. So I did some research. There's even a simple test to determine in you have this (called Candida albicans). First thing in the morning you fill a small clear glass with water. Then you spit in it. Then you watch it over the course of an hour (I know, GET A LIFE!). If it drops to the bottom or just floats on the surface, you're ok. If it stays on the surface but little strings form and reach for the bottom of the glass, you have a yeast overgrowth.

Well, I had a bunch of little strings. In Eades's second book (Lifeplan), they have a remedy for what they term "leaky gut," which is related. For a couple days (I plan to do 3), you drink 4 to 5 protein shakes supplemented by 10 grams of glutamine each. The protein should be whey protein, not sweetened at all. Today was the first day. I took 4 baggies of the concoction to work along with a sippy cup.

I had my first shake at 8:00. I didn't think I could make it through the day, because I was pretty darned hungry both before AND after the shake. I stuck with it, though, and had the second shake at 11:00. Then I didn't think about it again until 3:00! So I had my third shake then. Now I'm home and it's 7:30 and I'm finally having the fourth shake. I was sure this morning that I'd definitely need that 5th shake, but I guess not.

Definitely not very many calories. Four shakes turn out to be 720 calories. BUT, it's all pure easily digestible protein AND I'm taking a mega super vitamin (no iron) along with magnesium and potassium. AND, each shake is 34 grams of protein, so I've had 136 grams for the day -- well more than my recommended minimum of 102 grams.

I'm thinking this is fine for 3 days.

AND . . . I know it's too soon to tell . . . but I'm more wide awake now than I have been in a very long time, ESPECIALLY this late at night.

After the three days, I need to stay away from all grains, sugar, cheese (except mozzarella and cream cheese), vinegar, soy sauce, and other fermented condiments, mushrooms, sour cream, peanuts, cashews, and pistachios, smoked or cured foods, and anything containing yeast.

OK, well, yes. You're right. The list of foods to avoid also includes beer, wine, and spirits, but I think that's only for the TRUE fanatics! :lol:

Yes, I'll avoid those for a while, too. Please don't judge me too harshly for what I'm about to say, but it's going to be much harder giving up the wine and spirits than it is the bread and cheese.

I'm sure I'll rationalize that if I cut out ALL bread, surely that means I can have wine and spirits from time to time.

I'll keep you posted on my little experiment. I expect to drop some water weight fairly quickly. I was 166 this morning. We'll see if there's a difference tomorrow morning.

Nighty night!

[deirdra]

Is the glutamine just to curb hunger or is it supposed to reduce yeast?

[BawdyWench]

According to the Eades, the glutamine (it's an amino acid your body needs) helps heal the digestive tract. It's also supposed to be extremely good for helping in the repair of muscle tissue if you lift really heavy weights.

If you have the Protein Power Lifeplan book, read the chapter on "Leaky Gut." Mostly it's for people with IBS and Crohn's disease, but I also read (elsewhere) that the same rules apply to yeast overgrowth. All the Atkins books cover yeast overgrowth also, so I'm combining the the research from one book with the research from the other.

Last night I slept more soundly than I have in a long time. I still woke up from time to time, but not nearly as much.

Hmmmm. There may be something to this. I must be in pretty heavy ketosis.

Day 2 begins! :wave:

[Glo1232810]

Keep us posted on the whey shakes! Sounds like you are having good results already, Bawdy. It's hard to know what to do around menopause because all the symptoms of menopause, thyroid, candida (and even leaky gut, adrenal burnout, or chronic fatigue) sound so similar. I've had a great doctor and have felt so much better for the last 12 months.

It sounds like you put in very long days and have lots of responsibility. I can relate. Sleep and rest as well as you can (I know that gets interrupted too).

I'm pulling for you. As I look through this website as a new member, I see all of the information, encouragement, and care you've demonstrated here. You're just great.

I've lost 5 pounds and am really high on that.

I'm trying to turn my back on the "food pornography" that's all around me.

Glo

[BawdyWench]

"Food pornography" ... I love that! Yes, some of those pictures in the cookbooks and magazines look positively erotic!

The shakes and glutamine are working amazingly well for me. It's got to be the glutamine, because I've done protein-only before, though granted not the whey protein shakes.

This afternoon I suddenly felt queasy. I think I had a die-off of the yeast buggies. They're gone now! :lol: Then I laid down on the couch and promptly dozed off for more than an hour. That's not like me. I can NEVER sleep during the day.

Maybe my body has been fighting this for a while, and now that I'm actually give it some weopons to fight with, it's making headway!

I'll be posting something on glutamine in the Supplements forum soon. Maybe tonight, maybe not until the weekend. That stuff is really something.

More later!

[BawdyWench]

OK, I posted regarding the glutamine: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?p=5792000#post5792000

I'm hooked.

[Aeowyn]

BawdyWench, congrats on ur germs battle! Such a daring endeavor ;) No doubts who the winner is bound to be:)

Glo, 5 pounds is quite a substantial loss. Keep them shedding;)


Well, as for me – nothing to boast about - weighed today and found out that I’m 2 pounds bigger. Not that I get despaired as I’ve been anticipating such an outcome. Since I’d been following lo-fat, low-cal diet before, my metabolism appears to be in a rut now:/

Can you pls tell how long it takes me to restore it and start losing again? Has anyone had similar experience?

[Aeowyn]

This afternoon I suddenly felt queasy. I think I had a die-off of the yeast buggies. They're gone now! Then I laid down on the couch and promptly dozed off for more than an hour. That's not like me. I can NEVER sleep during the day.
I agree with you here, - your queasiness, sleepiness are a sure sign of deyeastification:) This period will pass soon and you will incredible refreshed. Btw some ppl begin losing weight quicker after such a cleanse.
There are two helpful 2 websites:
www.wholeapproach.com
http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com
You find much help here on the board.
And once again, I am sure you will win!

[Glo1232810]

I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow so today is the big liquid day and clean out :) I'm doing broths and water and diet drinks--I'm wondering if it will affect my PP program in any way. We'll see. This is the first time I've had this procedure.

I'll look forward to the "first meal" after it's over.

Take care everyone.

[Glo1232810]

I'm in the 170's now. I'm not sure how to change the stats...but I'll figure it out.

[ShayKNJ]

Glo-You're prep today and procedure tomorrow will not affect your plan at all. I have had this procedure a few times now and the prep is the worse. Even if you do drop any weight from just being on a liquid diet today tomorrow once you begin eating again it the weight will come back. Tomorrow enjoy eating after the procedure because you are very weak and need to get your vitamins and energy back. Good luck with your results.

[Glo1232810]

Thanks ShayKNJ! I'm really hungry! Maybe a big egg omelette. Were you put to sleep? That part surprised me!

Congratulations!! I see you are almost at goal. That must feel GREAT!

[deirdra]

Glo - click on User CP (next to FAQ on the green menu bar above) then click on Edit Profile to modify your current weight.

[LarryAJ]

Well, as for me ? nothing to boast about - weighed today and found out that I'm 2 pounds bigger. Not that I get despaired as I?ve been anticipating such an outcome. Since I'd been following lo-fat, low-cal diet before, my metabolism appears to be in a rut now:/

Can you pls tell how long it takes me to restore it and start losing again? Has anyone had similar experience?Aeowyn,

I am not sure this is exactly what you are asking for but go here and read the thread - note who wrote the initial post. ;)
http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=bootcamp&action=display&num=1133626387
There are also a number of "veterans" there that have stalled like you. You might ask your question there and see if they can help too. I don't think you can get too much advice. ;D

Larry

[BawdyWench]

I want to spend some time getting to know all of the new comers, but I'm really tired tonight. I had my first solid food since last Sunday -- maybe 4 ounces of salmon, maybe 1/3 cup of mixed sauted veggies, and a few bits of salad. I was pretty queasy afterward, but it may be have the tons of garlic the restaurant put on everything. Had a shake for dinner.

I think I might take it even slower coming back to solid food. Small, small amounts.

I promise I'll check in with everyone and try to answer some of the questions people have been raising. This weekend. Right now, my pillow is calling my name.

Nighty-night!

PS: You guys can stay up as long as you like. Just keep it a little quiet and let the cat in again before you go to bed.

[ShayKNJ]

Thanks ShayKNJ! I'm really hungry! Maybe a big egg omelette. Were you put to sleep? That part surprised me!

Congratulations!! I see you are almost at goal. That must feel GREAT!

Glo-I am hoping you didn't eat an omelette or you can not get the test done today. I remember being so hungry I ate about 4 jellos in a row several times during the day. The first time I told my doctor I wanted to be asleep and I was awake but groggy and watched the entire thing on the computer screen and this last time I was asleep. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

I am so close to goal and have been since June but I bounce back up to 132 and 131.5 and got as low as 130.5 but I never give up.

[Glo1232810]

The colonoscopy is over and the doctor removed a polyp. I'm grateful for this kind of intervention. I guess it will be each year from here on out.

AFTER the test, I had an omelette!

I got PPLP about a week ago and am reading it slowly and carefully. I see that I can have so many more vegetables at each meal than I had thought...even though I had low-carbed with Atkins for several years.

I think my continued success will depend upon my willingness to accept that carbohydrates (you know the ones) just set up a craving for me and just continue to leave them alone. I tried the moderate use of them in the last couple of years and really gained weight.

I have the kind of body that PPLP talks about. My husband has the kind that 25% of people have--he eats cereal by the Jethro-bowl full.

Anyway, I've written it out for another day and am getting ready for a walk.

TGIF!
GLo

[Glo1232810]

One other question--do items like DaVinci sugar free syrup seem to work okay and not impede weight loss?

[BawdyWench]

I am so close to goal and have been since June but I bounce back up to 132 and 131.5 and got as low as 130.5 but I never give up.
Ummm, ever think to call it "goal" and ease into maintenance? I mean, you'll be in maintenance the rest of your life. What's one little pound?

Here, let's try it out.

SHAY MET HER GOAL!!!!!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

:hyper: :Party: :cheer: :hyper: :Party: :cheer: :hyper: :Party: :cheer: :hyper: :Party: :cheer:

There. Now didn't that feel good?

[BawdyWench]

One other question--do items like DaVinci sugar free syrup seem to work okay and not impede weight loss?
I suppose it depends on how much you have. For some people, having ANYTHING that's sweetened, even with Splenda, can trigger cravings.

Also, some studies suggest that your body interprets even Splenda as a type of sugar and raises the insulin levels. I'm sure Larry can provide some details here.

If you're using just a bit of it each day, like to sweeten a cup of coffee, don't worry about it. If, however, you're taking in a LOT of it, it might just affect you and you might want to think twice about it.

The greatest thing about LC that I've ever found is that after a very short amount of time, even, you lose your taste for sweets. I can't drink even diet sodas anymore because they're too sweet to me.

[LarryAJ]

I suppose it depends on how much you have. For some people, having ANYTHING that's sweetened, even with Splenda, can trigger cravings.

Also, some studies suggest that your body interprets even Splenda as a type of sugar and raises the insulin levels. I'm sure Larry can provide some details here. Well.....
I am trying to wrap my head around a paper my buddy Wes sent me. The title is What Makes Food Fattening? A Pavlovian Theory of Weight Control. by Seth Roberts. Now he is a psychologist, so I am "on guard" right to start, since I am not sure he is "up to speed" on human physiology.

He makes a case for a connection between the flavor of foods and the caloric content. Foods that have a pleasing taste (sweet maybe??) and have lots of calories cause fat storage to occur. There is some discussion of how sensory conditioning plays a part in this, which I have not fully digested, hence the usage of Pavlov in the title. This then could well be the way cravings are stimulated.

My advice would be to "wean" yourself off of the sweetners as fast as you can, practically. I know from reading posts about the effect of sweetness, that some people just HAVE to go "cold turkey!" I do know that there is GOOD research that shows that sugar stimulates the opiate receptors in the brain. While some of the artifical sweetners may NEVER enter the blood since they cannot pass thru the gut wall, it is also possible that they could trigger this "Pavlov effect" described in the paper.

I go back to the fundimental principle of the Drs. Eades. We evolved to eat a particular "set" of foods some million years ago. Now we are being given "frankinfoods" like transfats, yellow die #3, red die #6, aritfical sweetners, etc. all of which are not likely to be good for us. May not be bad, or may be VERY bad, but highly unlikely that they are good for us.

My $02.00
Larry

Here is a link to the abstract for a paper on;
Opiate-like effects of sugar on gene expression in reward areas of the rat brain.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15135221&query_hl=3

[BawdyWench]

Told ya Larry would provide details! :lol:

[Mitra]

Ummm, ever think to call it "goal" and ease into maintenance? I mean, you'll be in maintenance the rest of your life. What's one little pound?

I'd forgotten, but that's pretty much what I did. It's been nearly two years now, and I've gone down another 5 lb in that time (I went up a bit first). But deciding to accept that the desire for that extra pound was just about numbers, and not about health, or even appearance was very liberating.

[Glo1232810]

Hooray for Shay! I think 131 sounds absolutely fabulous, you slinky thing.

I really need the nudge about the diet drinks. I love them and I'm weaning away. I just have one a day now. I don't even want to tell you how many I had some days last year. You just don't want to know :) (can you say 6-pack?)

Glo

[BawdyWench]

6-pack!


:lol:

[BawdyWench]

Glo, you know what's a great drink to have rather than sodas? Try sparkling water with a slice of lime. Very refreshing, cool, and it somehow feels a bit decadant if you have it in a fancy glass.

[Parisfox]

DaVinci SF Syrups have no calories and no carbs because they are sweetened with liquid Splenda. So, unless this triggers you into wanting "other" sweet things....go for it.

My daughter has diabetes and the DaVinci SF syrups have no effect on her blood sugar.

If you want soda but want to avoid aspartame, drink the Diet-Rite brand. They are sweetened with Splenda and are quite good...especially the Raspberry.

[Aeowyn]

Hello, everybody!
At last, my patience has been rewarded – I’ve lost 2 pounds over a week :cool: I’m beaming!

Honestly, I’ve been somewhat apprehensive about further weight gain on this WOE as far as I’d been eating way too little calories before this WOE.

BawdyWench, Larry, thanx for info and support :wave:

[ShayKNJ]

Well I didn't realize there was a party for me in here while I was gone. Thanks all! Well, I know it is just a pound and many times instead of feeling like I failed I was going to just settle for 131. I always wanted to win and be able to achieve my goal and figured just as Bawdy said, this is a WOL and I have forever.

This morning I got on the scale as I always do but this time it read 130.0!!!!!! So, I am a winner and even if it fluctuates up from here I have reached my goal and I am happy!!!!

I started to lose weight on Dec. 5, 2004 and lost 14.5 pounds in 6 months, then it took me 6 more months for the last 2 pounds. I have considered myself in maintenance since June. I never will give up.

[Songberrie]

Way to go Shay!

[Aeowyn]

100% progress!!! :cool: Wow, Shay! You are our role model :)
Keep it up!
We are following you :p

[ShayKNJ]

Happy Holidays everyone!

[BawdyWench]

Where is everyone? At least I have the excuse that I was out of town with no access to a computer for a week, and then came back to tons of work.

We had a nice time in Michigan visiting DH's family. Unfortunately, his favorite aunt (godmother) passed away two days before Christmas. She has had Alzheimer's for more than 10 years, and has been living in a nursing home. It's been years and years (almost the whole time) since she's recognized anyone. It was a long haul for her and the family. In a way it was a relief. We did the visitation on Monday, and then the service on Tuesday.

One good thing that happened during the trip is that DH got to see his whole family and how terribly out of shape they are. He has 3 sisters and 2 brothers. One of the sisters has always been obese, even as a small child. The other two have been more average in their weight, at least until recently. The oldest sister is now far more obese than the other one, and the third sister is obese and well on her way to competing with the other two. They're all about 5'6" to 5'8", and the smallest one (who is also the shortest) must weigh well over 220. I worry about them.

The oldest (and largest now) can't even walk up the stairs carrying a basket of laundry. She takes one step, puts the basket down, and catches her breath. Then she picks up the basket, takes another step, puts it down again, and catches her breath. It's just so sad.

And yet they have donuts and coffee cakes for breakfast, sandwiches made with a sliver of meat along with cookies for lunch, snacks are soda crackers or more cookies, and dinners are a little bit of meat, potatoes, corn, and bread.

When we first got there, I went to Panera's and bought a double chocolate torte for the house. Neither DH or I had a piece, because it seemed a bit stale, even the first day. By the end of the week, there was only one piece left. The only person who ate it (and ate several pieces a day) was the oldest, most obese, sister.

Halfway through the week, DH said to me that as soon as we get home, we're going to eat better and work out more. We worked out every other day at the gym at the hotel (my new love is the elliptical . . . and I have a birthday coming up . . . hint, hint!). Since coming home Wednesday night, I've worked out every day, and he's only missed one day.

He had a physical on Friday, and he said the doctor hinted that he was fat. He's 6' and weighs 240. Yes, that's high. And he carries it all in his belly. He's muscular, though. His chest, arms, and legs are visibly muscular. It's his torso. The doc said he's "trending in the wrong direction." He was around 200 when he first started seeing this doc around 7 or 8 years ago.

I'm going to try to sneak in some better foods for him. He doesn't like too many veggies, so it will be a bit difficult to do. I'll figure out something.

Thursday I had an appointment with an allergist. He doesn't believe any of my symptoms relate to allergies, but he STRONGLY believes I'm hypothyroid. He's even writing this in his report to my primary care physician.

And Tuesday I'll be seeing a gynocologist. I'll be talking with her about the hypothyroid. Hopefully, she'll treat me for it. I have to do more research on the Armour meds. I know everyone says it's far better than synthroid, but I have to re-read everything I printed out about it.

So, how's everyone else doing?

[Aetheana]

I havent posted in forever, but i'll bite.

im not doing well weight wise, but...

i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and my thyroid levels went up even higher to 4.5. again, most people feel good with TSH at 1, but my doctor wont treat me til i'm up around 7.

i have an appointment with a specialist on march 1 who will treat me with the armour thyroid meds.

ive been depressed about it, to say the least. i'm 24 and most days lately i feel like im 82. my bones hurt and i just am exhausted all the time. nothing i do with my eating gets me anywhere.

we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

[BawdyWench]

Aetheana, I feel for you. My appointment is tomorrow, and I'm really hoping she'll treat me with Armour. I've now done a little re-reading, and the Armour sounds much better than synthroid. It's natural not synthetic, and it contains other hormones as well, including T2, which is supposed to be vital.

Good luck! I'll let you know how things turn out for me after my appointment.

[Glo1232810]

Hello everyone! About the thyroid "thread"--I've been diagnosed hypothyroid since 1996. I've been on Armour for a few years, unithroid, Cytomel (T3) + Synthroid, and synthroid alone. My doctor believes in switching around so that I don't build up a tolerance to any one thyroid replacement. But for the two lovely ladies who have posted...I KNOW how being untreated can feel...cold, bloated, dry skin, and the weeps!

I have a mixed report about my program over the holidays. I exercised every single day--long walks outside because the weather was beautiful and some exercise classes at the Y. I ate carbs several times and they just set off such a craving. I'm back on track as of yesterday...7-10 carbs at every meal. I haven't weighed because I don't have the heart...I'm just going to wait until I have a week back on track.

Bawdy, I so related to your post about seeing family members gain so much weight as we get older. I know I cannot "fix" anyone else, but I really want to fix myself (the only person I have the power to fix).

I have to travel a few days this week for my job. This morning I have already called the hotel and told them I have some health issues and will need a small refrigerator in my room. Short 3-day trips like this can really throw me off--those buffets...everything deep fried and tons of pasta and potato salads.

I want to see the 140's in 2006. Thanks for posting and just letting me see that there are others who struggle with carbs. I know in a couple of days I will be past the cravings...I'm just mad at myself for plunging into that stuff after I was clean and clear before the holidays. It's in the past and I'm picking myself up.

Glo

[BawdyWench]

Glo, sounds like you have an excellent attitude. No sense beating yourself up over the past. All you can do is work today's plan.

DH travels a lot on business, and usually stays at Marriott's Residence Inn or Courtyard. Both, I believe, have small fridges. When he gets a room with a fridge (which he prefers), he'll go out and buy a number of frozen dinners and has those. Still not the best choices in my book, but WAY better than delivery pizza or chinese food!

[Aetheana]

I really appreciate the support about the thyroid issues. Ive just been so miserable and freezing cold. I gained three pounds last night alone. I hate the scale going up for really and truly no reason. I also hate that i think my eye lashes are falling out and I'm so spacey and keep forgetting words for things (like eye lashes, to be honest).

I did today really hardcore, only meat and veggies. I've had a ton of water and tea and feel like maybe I'll get some water weight off tomorrow. I want to see onederland this year. I really cant afford to go up in weight anymore as my pants are snug. I just hate feeling yucky about my body.

Good luck to you Glo!

[BawdyWench]

Had my appointment with the gyno today.
Good news. She says my weight gain is due to not exercising enough. I told her I’m currently eating an average of 1500 calories a day, I’m lifting weights 2 times a week, and doing cardio 5 times a week. I also told her that through much of this gain I was eating LESS THAN 1500 calories a day, lifting 4 times a week (strenuous), and doing cardio 3 to 4 times a week.

Not good enough. She says I need to do cardio 45 to 60 minutes every day.

So, looks like it’s my own fault, huh?

Oh, and as of today, I’ve gained 24 pounds in 6 months.

I got home from the appointment and promptly did 60 minutes on the treadmill.

(I’m too angry to write now. I’ll write again after I’ve cooled off.)

[Aetheana]

i freaking hate doctors when they say that what you do is not enough.

im angry for you bawdy.

i hope you get this all cleared up.

hardcore meat and veggies resulted in a two pound water loss. Cant shake a stick at that, but im still exhausted and cold.

how many more days til i see the specialist?

[CindySue48]

Not good enough. She says I need to do cardio 45 to 60 minutes every day.Standard response. If you gain weight, you must be a slug!

Wish I could help! Do you know why you're gaining? Think your meds are messed up?

[acipenser]

Hello to all. I am back. Time to stop with the holiday cheer and time to get back in gear!!

I don't even want to step on the scale right now. the pant-0-meter is telling me enough.

the BBQ is fired up right now burning off all the gross stuff and ready to cook that chicken. bbq chicken and veggies for dinner tonight!!

i am sory to hear about all the feeling bad, i hope things turn around here soon!!

[Mrs. Hein]

After reading MeBlady's success story, where she was using the Protein Power 30 day diet plan, I got the book and Mr. Hein and I started it Jan. 1. I haven't cheated at all in three days, which is amazing!

I just baked a pound of bacon, and a dozen breakfast sausage/egg/cheese "muffins", boiled some eggs, and gotten everything ready for packing quick breakfasts and lunches for work and school this week. Our house smells like IHOP without the syrup. My mother, who lives with us, must be wondering what in the world I'm doing down here at 10:30 PM cooking up breakfast meats...

Over the past four years, I've been a full-time university student, and those late nights studying and sitting on the arse have not been good for me physically. I just graduated 12/9/05 cum laude with my BBA in accounting, and am finishing up the last educational hours this spring semester in order to sit for the Florida CPA exam this summer.

So, to get ready for entering the job market (at 50), I've decided to buckle down and get rid of this excess weight. I've lurked on this bbs for several years, and I think PP will be the best fit for us.

Best wishes for continued success to everyone here. It seems like the holidays were rough for everyone for different reasons. Hang in there!

[Aeowyn]

Hello! Glad you all are back to the thread after lengthy holidays.
Patience, persistence to all of us in this year and new accomplishments will certainly follow :thup:

Mrs. Hein, You are heartily welcome :wave: There’s a great support here - not just emotion-wise but info-wise, which I find more essential.

I’m also a new-comer but feel already significant changes in my mood and food attitude – no more eternal thinking about what I’m going to eat next and when this "next" eventually comes. To me this is the best benefit of the programme :cool: . And weight loss is just a pleasing side effect.
Tho I don’t lose weight quickly due to some of my health problems I’m not going to drop this plan as far as I’m finally getting in tune with myself. Success to you as well.

Aetheana, what is your blood type? There are specific programs designed by D’Adamo to help sluggish thyroid. The plans consist mostly of herbs so anyway it won’t harm, rather facilitate, I believe.

[ShayKNJ]

Good morning everyone! I am back after being off work for 10 days. I have gained over the holidays and am going to work that much harder to get it off again. I will exercise more in 2006. Over the holidays I did not drink enough water either. I don't do as well at home as I do at work drinking the water.

[Songberrie]

Hello Everyone!

Mrs Heins - it's good to have you here. It sounds like you are off to a good start.

Aci - mmm, barbecue chicken sounds good!

Bawdy - I'm not suprised by what your dr said about exercise. If you look at the US guidelines, they have upped the amount of exercise, and thats just to maintain. Good job jumping right on the treadmill, it sounds like you are off to a good start!

I stuck to my plan and am still at the same weight. I didn't gain, so that's good. It's time to buckle down and see the numbers go down. It was fun having my kids for Christmas. They were amazed at how much weight I've lost!

[Glo1232810]

Bawdy, my doctor told me the same thing after I hit 50--cardio for 50-75 minutes 6 out of the 7 days.

My sister gave me the Fat Resistance book for a gift because she knows I'm low carbing. The author, a doctor, said that cardio gets the weight off faster than weights (although both are important)--I guess this is a difference from the Eades.

However, we all know on this board that we can power-walk, treadmill, and even jog and if our food isn't clean, we won't lose the weight!

I guess it's all about acceptance...this is the way our body works.

Shay, that 3 pounds will probably come off in a week!!

Glo

[Glo1232810]

One more thing...Songberrie--I just went back and read your numbers!!! Oh my...you have really done well. Congratulations!

[ShayKNJ]

Considering it took 6 months to lose the last two I think these three will take me a lot longer than the week it took to put it on. I am also doing a month long cleanse and that in itself might make me lose.

[Songberrie]

Glo - thanks!

Did anyone watch the Biggest Looser last night? They had two families compete. I thought it was so inspiring. They had them at the ranch for 11 days and tought them the basics, and they lost from 15 to 25 pounds there, then they sent them home to loose more over 5 months. Wow, they were so committed and lost so much!

[ShayKNJ]

I watched the first show and taped the second. I can't stay up much later than 9:00 since I get up at 5:30 am. I love that show it motivates me.

[Mrs. Hein]

I watched the first show and taped the second. I can't stay up much later than 9:00 since I get up at 5:30 am. I love that show it motivates me.
For some reason, I couldn't get into the show. I need more time to get to know the participants, over a period of time. It's interesting to see the personalities develop. Plus, I had only recorded the first hour, and then another show started to record on a different channel.

I understand that Matt and Suzy from the last BL competition were dating for a while. Not sure if they're still together or not.

[Mrs. Hein]

I only lost 7/10ths of a pound this morning. :( We had prime rib last night, and I ordered it rare, then blackened and grilled. I think the seasonings might have caused a little water retention. It tasted a bit salty, and this morning, I woke up dying of thirst.

Oh well... I've been very good for six days straight! Yay for me. Really, I shouldn't complain; I'm down 6.2 pounds since 1/1. There's still a long way to go, but step-by-step.

Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying continued success. Here in south Florida, we are expecting our first deep freeze of the season. It's expected to be in the upper 30s where I am (about 20 miles inland), plus a 10-15 mph wind. Early Sunday morning may see near freezing, but a few hours later in the afternoon, it will be in the low 70s. We have our reputation to maintain, after all!

[ShayKNJ]

For some reason, I couldn't get into the show. I need more time to get to know the participants, over a period of time. It's interesting to see the personalities develop. Plus, I had only recorded the first hour, and then another show started to record on a different channel.

I understand that Matt and Suzy from the last BL competition were dating for a while. Not sure if they're still together or not.

This show was only the two hours. You can't get attached to these people in two hours. I saw the end and how amazing!!! These people looked like different people. However, when the season starts I seem to get so emotional when it is the last show like I know these people personally.

Yes, Matt & Suzy are an item, not sure if they still are. He fell in love with her when she cut his hair.

[Mrs. Hein]

This show was only the two hours. You can't get attached to these people in two hours. I saw the end and how amazing!!! These people looked like different people. However, when the season starts I seem to get so emotional when it is the last show like I know these people personally.

I agree. I bet one of the cable channels will re-run the 2 hour special. I think Bravo? One of them did a New Years Day marathon of all the BL episodes.

Yes, Matt & Suzy are an item, not sure if they still are. He fell in love with her when she cut his hair.
Can you imagine the two of them when he gets emotional and she starts crying with that squeaky voice of hers? Actually, I would think it might work out, since they both have struggled with major health and image issues over the years, and then losing all this weight. They are both just as adorable as a couple could be.

[BawdyWench]

Hello, all. I've been absent most of the week. My schedule has changed and I don't have much personal time to post.

Instead of working out in the morning, I've begun working out after I get home from work. DH is doing it with me, which is great. I still get up around 4:00, but then I try to get home by 5:30, get changed and be in our workout room by 6:00. Then we both work out for an hour, and I try to have dinner ready by 7:30. That's my goal. We eat no later than 7:30.

So far, so good.

On the advice of my new gyno, I'm doing cardio for a full 60 minutes 7 days a week at 75% maximum heart rate. Details are in my journal. I was shooting for 1500 calories per day, but this week averaged only 1358. Next week I'll get it up there more. I guess I should be getting more food since I'm working out so much.

I'll check in later. See ya! :wave:

[Mrs. Hein]

Good morning, Bawdy. I admire your motivation and dedication to exercise.

Regarding getting enough calories, I've noticed my own appetite has decreased somewhat. I have to remember to eat something during the morning and afternoon so that I'm not ravenously hungry at lunch and dinner. For some reason, I just don't feel hungry at breakfast, but if I don't have something by about 11AM, then I'm STARVING by lunch. It's annoying. My appetite used to be predictable three times a day plus a snack at night.

We went out to dinner last night at one of our favorite restaurants, and most of the dinners come with some sort of starchy potato or pasta. Used to be, they didn't like doing substitutions because of "quality control" or some such nonsense. I think with LC, though, they are much more lenient.

Mr. Hein had a nice filet that usually comes with garlic smashed, but they gave him extra julienne veggies instead. I stepped outside my usual restaurant fare and ordered pan seared grouper. It was very good, and was the only item that doesn't normally come with a starchy potato or pasta side. It was done with tomatoes, asparagus, artichokes, green beans, portabellos (sp?) and spices. It was DEE-LISH!

Later, when we came home to watch the usual Friday night TV show lineup, we enjoyed Breyers Carb Smart Almond Bars, (Net: 5 carbs). They are tasty, and just the right size for a little guilt-free pleasure!

That was OUR Friday night, what did the rest of you do?

[bkseler]

Funny you should ask what we all did last night. I spent 4 hours on the phone with Microsoft trying to get rid of a very nasty spyware virus on my computer. The gal, who thank god was very patient with me said this virus wouldn't have been stopped by the anitvirus protection we have on our computer. So just giving you all a heads upto watch out. By the time I was through it was after midnight and almost in tears I was so gald to be done.

On the weight loss front, I stuck 99.9% to plan this last week (the two cookies and the two snack size candy bars make up for the .1% ;) ) I don't plan on weighing until Monday morning, but the ring test (how well my rings slide off my fingers) show that I've lost a major amount of water.

Hope things are well with everyone and watch out for those ghosts in your computer.

[Mrs. Hein]

Funny you should ask what we all did last night. I spent 4 hours on the phone with Microsoft trying to get rid of a very nasty spyware virus on my computer. The gal, who thank god was very patient with me said this virus wouldn't have been stopped by the anitvirus protection we have on our computer. So just giving you all a heads upto watch out. By the time I was through it was after midnight and almost in tears I was so gald to be done.

Does the virus have a name? Or any characteristics that we would notice, such as slower performance or odd behaviors? So sorry to hear about the annoying evening. I wish virus and spam people would put their energies into something useful like ending world hunger or curing cancer...

[bkseler]

I'm so parinoid to even type in the name like calling it will bring it forth. Like some mythical beast. Anyway, it came up as an ad for spyware blockers and trying to x out of the ad only brought it back up again. The gal at Microsoft said the one we had which of course was the worst was spy axe. Beware all :lol: :lol:

[BawdyWench]

I wish virus and spam people would put their energies into something useful like ending world hunger or curing cancer...
... or maybe just giving the virus to those people who continue to bash low-carb eating! :agree:

[acipenser]

hey guys!!

i was gung ho about haveing a good week, but then sickness got me. at first i thought it was carb withdral, headache and crampy stomach, but then it lasted all week. finally friday i called the advice nurse and she said there was a virus going around that was crampy gut and headache, nothing more. she said i needed to eat bland food, no fat, no fiber. ugh how do you do that and stay lc?? she said i should eat banannas, rice, oatmeal, chicken, soup, crackers, white bread. very bland easy to digest food. i decided to take the advice and ate that stuff yesterday. today i feel slightly better. i have an app at the dr. on monday. well see how i feel then.

for all of you doing so well, keep up all the good work.

[ShayKNJ]

Hi everyone-

Just finding time to update my journal and check in. I have been so busy getting all my cleaning, laundry and cooking for next weeks meal done that tomorrow I can take it easy and relax.

I have been pretty good with exercising so far this year and hope to keep it up. It is amazing how great you feel afterwards. That is probably why I got so much done today, much more energy.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[Aetheana]

Hi all!

My specialist called and is moving up my appointment to January 17! I'm excited! The original appointment was for March 1, so this is a pretty big deal. I'm really thinking that she'll help me out with my thyroid issues.

But, the real reason I wanted to check in. I don't know if anyone who reads this forum is tired a lot and worn out a lot, but...

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a little bit ago and read up on it a bit. It says that one of the main problems of people with fibro is that they can't absorb the nutrients in their food which leads to a malnurished state which leads to unbearable fatigue. To alleviate this fatigue, they recommend taking supplements.

The most easily affordable for me this past trip to the drug store was a B complex and Magnesium. I took both this morning and... I don't know if I'm just having a good energy day or what, but I feel FANTASTIC! I have more energy, my back hurts less, and I'm in a much better mood. Apparently the B's are supposed to help turn food into energy or something to that effect. I'm taking the magnesium to help with chocolate cravings, but maybe its what my body's been missing the whole time. I also take a generic multi, calcium, and D.

Oh, if you do start taking a B complex... your pee will turn fluorescent yellow. No lie. Its a bit unnerving at first, but completely normal.

And its Day 1 for me to try to be perfectly on plan until i take my honeymoon cruise on march 11. here's hoping for a smaller size bathing suit!

[ShayKNJ]

Aetheana-That is great news about your appointment. The waiting is always the hardest. Its the anticipation that drives me crazy.

It's great that you found out about the B vitamins and magnesium. Keep us posted as to how it is working for you. I am curious.

How is everyone else? It's very quite around here.

[BawdyWench]

Yes, very quiet. I'm glad they moved up the appointment, Aetheana. Hopefully you can get some answers.

I take a high-potency multi-vitamin (no iron), magnesium, and potassium, and have started taking a yeast-raider. You take 5 capsules a day. I've been doing it for about 10 days now, and I don't see any change. So, I may or may not continue it through the month (I have enough for January).

I've been doing 60 minutes of cardio at 75% maximum heart rate since January 1. Every day. I'm eating around 1400 calories per day. Details in my journal.

[Aeowyn]

Hello, ladies :wave:
Though I tend to write not that often still I follow PP WOE exactly, without any cheats. Actually it’s so rich in foodstuff we can eat :thup: that I don’t even think about fattening carbs.

Apart from weight loss I’ve noticed visible changes in my skin texture – firmer and moister, due to protein and healthy oils.

BTW I’d love to ask you – is there anything specific in Eades’ books about cellulite prevention and fighting (as I told you we don’t have the books on sale here in far east of Russia, so I just have to do with on-line info, which is quite abundant).

[ShayKNJ]

Bawdy-You are a trooper. Reading about all that exercise is making me exhausted sitting here. I am hoping I can get in 3-4 times per week. I have to give you a lot of creadit you are determined!

Aeowyn-I am not sure about anything meantioned in PP or PPLP books about cellulite. I do not own the books I have borrowed them many times from the libray so I can not check it for you. Hopefully someone else can.

[ShayKNJ]

Bawdy-You are a trooper. Reading about all that exercise is making me exhausted sitting here. I am hoping I can get in 3-4 times per week. I have to give you a lot of credit you are determined!

[BawdyWench]

Bawdy-You are a trooper. Reading about all that exercise is making me exhausted sitting here. I am hoping I can get in 3-4 times per week. I have to give you a lot of credit you are determined!
Gee, I must be! You even posted it twice!!!

Actually, I'm just trying to see some results. I've checked out tons of sites, and not one says to do cardio 7 days a week for an hour a day. But, that's what the new gyno says, and by gawd I'm going to follow that advice so that the next time I see her I can tell her it's either not working or it is (though it's about killing me!).

Last week my weekly average for calories was 1452. This week I'm trying to keep it around 1600. We'll see. After losing 5 pounds after the first couple days, I gained 2 back and have been stuck there since. I'll keep all my stats posted in my journal so as not to monopolize the discussion here.

Aeowyn, I just checked both of Eades' books, and cellulite is not in the index of either one, nor do I remember ever reading about it.

If you're interested in reading about cellulite, do a search on something called "dry brushing." I think it's discussed in the Lean for Life plan. There's no specific forum here for that plan, but if you just do a search, you'll find tons of info.

Gotta run! See you all tomorrow night!

[Aetheana]

'gotta run' literally bawdy with the exercise and all. hehe.

[BawdyWench]

Yup, literally!