Cleveland OH? Northeast OH?

[vavcon]

Hi,

I'm in Geauga County and wondered who else on this board is from the cleveland area. It would be great to have a support group, or even a "low carb picnic get together" this summer. I have ~70 pounds to lose, and I'll be 35 in July. Drop me a line!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey im from cleveland...i would love to participate in a meet up :)

[vavcon]

Hi there!

I was about to give up on this thread! Did you go see Hillary last night? I didn't but wish I could've... How long have you been on the board? I started back here around 1/28 or so, I was on two years ago and it really helped.

Let's keep this thread going and maybe we'll get some "joiners" whaddaya say? Are you east or west side? I'm an east sider, work at Progressive tho', which brings me half the way downtown during the workdays...
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey chris! im new to atkins, but not new to low carb...i lost 40lb b4 i got pregnant. im a 23 y/o west sider and a stay at home mom. i can't believe there are only 2 of us! do you have any children? if i may ask, how old are you? do you workout? i do about 7 days a week...30min cardio and 25min strength training. i look forward to getting to know you :)

[thinkthin7]

oh and i almost forgot...I DIDN'T GET TO SEE HILLARY, im soo bummed. can you tell by my blinkie i am a dem haha...i have a hillary blinkie too, but for some reason it won't show up on here :(

[vavcon]

hey thinkthin,

There must be more of us, we just have to keep this thread on the first page. What other low carb WOEs have you tried besides atkins? How long have you been on this one? That's a TON of exercise you're getting, good for you!!! I work out on the elliptical 3-5 times per week for 20-30 minutes and take a 45 minute ballroom dancing class once per week. I'm married but no kids (I don't count the two meow meows), 34 years old. I didn't see Hillary either but a couple people in my office went. I'm beginning my 4th week on Atkins now...
Chris

[thinkthin7]

i started dieting a little before the first of the year and weighed 295, but i was doing slim fast. on 1/15/08 i switched to atkins and was weighing 284. you are doing really well with your workouts too! i HAVE to workout daily in order to loose weight unfortanately :( i really wish it wasn't like this, but i guess it motivates me. oh and you have had amazing results in 3 weeks...you go girl! so what do you eat regularly? i always like getting new ideas :)

[vavcon]

hey again!

Nice to actually have a conversation with someone on the board! Go to my journal - I've been putting in my daily menus. I have never lost this fast, and I attribute it to super-clean eating and cutting down on drinking. I think the exercise helps with toning and "losing inches," I've always found that I need to exercise to lose weight too, but I wonder if it was more a way to counteract less-than-clean eating and drinking.

You have done an amazing job in 08! 30 pounds already this year???? That totally rocks! I'm thrilled with 2-3 pounds per week, like I said, I never lose that fast. I'm eating a lot of eggs with mayo - I was allergic to eggs for several years, and it seems to have "just cleared up" which I am eternally grateful for. Check out my journal and leave me a post! I feel so alone this time!

So what inspired you to go from slim-fast to lowcarb? I used to do slimfast, "back in the day." I was constantly either nauseated (right after drinking a shake) or starving (within an hour).

What else do you do for fun? What do you do for a living?
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey chris! i know it is really nice to get to know another board member...to be honest i feel like i don't "know" anyone here.
i am very pleased with my results so far...i am much heavier than you and i know once i get closer and closer to ONEderland it will slow down quite a bit. i also know i will have some cheat days occasionally so that will slow it down a bit. and 2-3lb *IS* fast girl...way to go!
oh man thankfully that allergy went away...could you imagine doing low carb w/o eggs? i think i would do weight watchers if that was the case LOL.
ahh slimfast...why am i so thankful to leave you in the past? hehe man on that plan i was ALWAYS hungry! seriously, i was DREAMING about food! i thought the shakes were really good (i always drank the creamy chocolate one), but i did get sick of them after a while. i actually did loose on the plan though WITHOUT exercise which was nice. it's just not a plan i can stick to forever..kwim? k off to check you journal...

[vavcon]

Hey!

Thanks for stopping by my journal, really cool! I did lowcarb 2 years ago without eggs and it was difficult and painful (and hard to stick to). I also didn't pay as much attention to cooking good food, this time I'm all over that. Been having some calf cramps the last couple days so I've stayed off the ellptical, but tonight is our ballroom dancing lesson - that's one thing I do in my spare time with the hubby for fun. I'm also working on a novel, here at my job I do data analysis for financial things. We have a pool (came with the house) so this summer I plan to swim a lot for exercise (we don't have air conditioning and it gets HOT out in Chardon in the summer). I also am pretty focused on the diet thing these days. It's *keeping* the focus that's difficult for me.

Hmm, we aren't getting any joiners yet - there HAVE to be more NE OH people on this board... Wouldn't it be great to have a "low carb club" or something like that? That's the one thing i miss from WW - the weekly support meetings. Maybe I'm a wimp, but it always made me feel better. When I stopped going to the meetings, I stopped eating on plan. With low carb I've always "gone it alone."

Have a good one!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

omg how cool is ballroom dancing...i have ALWAYS wanted to do that! dh would never go for it and since he is always working i doubt we would have time. how long have you been doing it it's a great workout!
are the cramps from the exercise or possibly for a certain nutrient you aren't getting? if you not already i would go on a multivitamin and see if that does the trick.
i wish we had a pool...i guess i could join a gym, but i really like the idea of being in the comfort of my own home, kwim?
well i guess it's just us from ohio...maybe others aren't speaking up? i really wish there was something like ww for low carb...i was just talking about this with my mom the other day. she is doing weight watchers though.
do you work? i can't remember if i asked this yet and was curious :)

[vavcon]

Good morning thinkthin (although it'll be evening when you read, I'm guessing),

NEW LOW TODAY FOR ME!!!! I'm kinda excited, can you tell? Yep, I am a worker bee in the corporate world. I'm a data analyst at the insurance company with bad commercials, you know the one...

I just love ballroom dancing. I've always loved dancing (shaking my sizeable booty to 80's tunes is my favorite part of weddings). Me and DH (Brian) took lessons before our wedding in 02 and danced waltz to "Time in a Bottle" for our wedding song. Then last Feb. I decided we should start up again, so we've been doing it about a year. It's VERY expensive and slow going since we're learning together, but we're doing alright. Last night he had to work late, impromptu (he's an IT mgr) so I had class alone with our instructor, who's quite the character (23 yo woman, Russian immigrant, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet). I keep telling her I'm having trouble with balancing and she keeps asking why. Finally last night I made a V with my hands (like look at my little feet, everything just gets bigger from there) and I think she finally got it, but she's too nice to say anything. It is great exercise - I'm always dripping when I'm done.

Have you heard of TOPS? It's some sort of non-denominational diet support group. There's actually one that meets in Chardon square, and I was thinking of checking it out. It *is* too bad that we're not getting any joiners here, maybe we just have to be patient.

So what does your DH do? Sounds like he works alot. Do you have any mini weight loss goals that you're currently shooting for? Mine is onderland by 3/15 (need to add that to my sig). We'll see...

Keep posting, it's really nice to have something of a "connection" to someone on this board!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

LOL we seem to get on at VERY different times :) i've always been a night owl, although dh would prefer me to be in bed sleeping.
you're getting really close to ONEderland...oh man i would LOVE to be in your shoes...ahhh one day.
i was looking at your journal last night and i noticed you are a scaleaholic woman! i was like that too, but i had to break the habit...it was killing me! why don't you weigh in on mondays with me? pretty please i could use a buddy anyway.
my mini goal is ONEderland as well. you know, i can't even remember seeing that on the scale, then again i didn't weigh myself while i gained all this weight. tops...hmm i have never heard of it, but i will google after im finished...i would be interested in one on the west side, do you know if one exists?
dh and i own a sub shop so he is there from 9am-11pm 6 days a week. i never see him!
i hope you don't mind me asking, but do you plan on having any kids? im really trying to get this weight off asap bc we want to ttc our second. it took soooo long with my son so im really hoping it will happen quicker this time. dh wants to ttc now, but honestly i am just too heavy. i would like to try to get in onederland and then ttc.
ok look forward to hearing from ya!
ali

[vavcon]

hey again!

Sorry I didn't get to you yesterday, it was kinda hectic. Yes, I am a scale-a-holic, but I "officially" weigh in on Monday morning, so you're on! We can post our stats here too, and follow our progress together.

No problem - no kids for us (except the four footed, furry variety). We're DINKS instead - I do have a lovely godson and he fills my need for little ones. Hoping to travel, which is hard with kids. Need to actually *do it* though. Have a nice 3 week trip to Europe all planned out - France and Italy - but have to wait to save up the $$$ (and hopefully for the economy to improve and the presidential elections to be over). So next fall (not this one coming) is when we're planning to go.

I got a new low today, and I'm pretty happy about it, although I'm still .8 pounds from my Monday goal. We'll see, nothing I can do about it but eat clean and work out today and tomorrow. I want onederland!!! Last year my low weight was 185 - god, I thought I was so fat, what I'd give to be back there - so surpassing that is my longer-term goal (hopefully by my bday July 9).

Have a great weekend!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girl! yay you're weighing in with me on mondays! can i skip tomorrow though and weigh next monday? i hosted a baby shower and had the intention to stay on plan, but decided to just have a cheat day instead :( im not going to beat myself up about it though bc then it's a loose loose situation then...not only did i cheat but im pissed off about it as well. SO i enjoyed my carbs and tomorrow i will be back on plan, but won't be headed to the scale LOL. meat and egg fast for me the next couple days.
yay for getting to a new low...doesn't it feel great?
ok gotta go...dh is bugging me to get off...i'll try to write more tomorrow.

[vavcon]

happy (????) monday, thinkthin!

Well, I'm posting my weight because I MADE MY 2 POUND GOAL FOR THE WEEK :yay: :hyper: :yay: :hyper:

2/25/08: 205

You might want to weigh today after all - usually the carb fest takes a day or two to catch up with you, and that way we can have start weights together - or put your weight in from Saturday or Sunday morning :-)

I get to work from home tomorrow because we're getting new carpet in our living room and hall. Sounds like the weather is going to be pretty bad, so it'll work out well.

That's all I got for today (happiness is losing a pound :agree: ).
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey chris woohoo on the 2lb weight loss. wtg!!! ok so i weighed out of curiousity and i gained 2lbs from last weeks monday weigh in. i probably gained more than that, but since i only weigh once a week i have no clue what my low was for the week :( oh well! anyway im at 267 and started meat and egg fast today.
working from home sounds lovely especially in this nasty weather! i can not wait for warmer temps!

[vavcon]

Hey, would you post your menu's for the meat and egg fast? that was one thing I was considering trying (or IF or both, sheesh) but only once I get to a less-than-two-pound week. The big thing is that I really like to cook, find it quite theraputic, and with only meat and eggs to work with, it's a limited menu.

Don't sweat the 2 pounds, btb - fluctuations are normal, and you're back on track now, right-o?
Chris

[thinkthin7]

ok so i know i said i wasn't going to do meat and eggs, but then i decided not to. i wasn't prepared basically and when i do it i eat a lot of hard boiled eggs and i hadn't made any the night b4. i also had only 2 eggs left, soooo i just did regular old low carb today. but i have done it in the past and really good results...this is what i usually eat
b-bacon
l-buger
d-chix/steak and eggs
s-hard boiled eggs when hungry and only water
to be honest it's really gross, but works very well. let me know when you do it how much weight you loose. i did it for 1 day and lost 2lbs!! im still not sure if i will do it tomorrow...i'll let you know.
how's it going??

[vavcon]

hi thinkthin!

I lost another .4 pound! Tomorrow must be "bounce up" day - I tend to be very bouncy on the scale. Still, it's a good sign that my 2 pounds for last week are kosher :-)

I'm doing pretty good. I'm working from home today because we're getting new carpet installed this afternoon and I CAN'T WAIT. Since we moved out here (it'll be 3 yrs at the end of May), we've been re-making this house to suit our needs. It was built in the early 70's and they never updated - the carpet in the living room was this cheap loop in dark blue and it really made things look icky. We got plush polished brass to go with the ceramic tile Brian put in the kitchen (then he just put some in front of the fireplace and the front "door" - it's a slider, we have an A frame, it's a really unique place). Anyway, I think it's going to improve the look of the main floor 100x over. I'm feeling really good about the diet at this point, despite a conversation with my mom about it on Sunday (she's always been thin and has always resented having a fat daughter and doesn't believe in low carb). But I'm living proof that it works - 13.4 pounds down in just 5 weeks!

I've got this thing I make that might be useful to you. I call it eggchickensalad, and if you like mayo, it could be the M&E staple you've been looking for.

I take a chicken breast and run it through the food processor with anywhere from 5-7 hard boiled eggs, then add as much mayo as I like. This time I stirred in chopped bacon at the end. It's kind of mousse-y and creamy and yummy, and also very filling. No carbs at all (although you can add celery and anything else you might like for texture). This is the second week I've been eating it for lunch and it sure does the trick. I'm going to hold off on M&E until I fail to make goal for a week (2 pounds per week is my goal). Also, I post all my menus in my journal if you want to take a peek. I've been doing awful with working out this week, but it doesn't seem to make a difference at this point. I think the colon cleanse is helping too - it must be with all the awful stuff that's coming out of me!

Well, off to pay some bills and do some work. Have a good one!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey chris!! your renovations sound awesome...you should take some pics and put them up in your gallery so i could see them :) i can't wait to purchase a home and fix it all up! isn't nice working from home in this snow we have outside? it is so nice being a sahm now...i just remember DREADING going to work in this yuck. now, if it's nasty out i don't go out at all.
your chicken salad sounds soooo good. im going to make it after i pick up some chix breast up at the store im going to try it out! and next time im doing m&e that WILL be my staple! speaking up staples, right now i am living off of bunless burgers and cabbage...i dont' know, but i want it everyday! do you do that? im going to have a peak in your journal to see what you have been eating :)
my son is crying...time for napy

[vavcon]

Yum yum - had my first batch of fried cabbage last night and it's a KEEPER! It was awesome fried in bacon fat and olive oil with bacon and a little onion. Had it with the best-est LC meatloaf EVER. Having the meatloaf again tonight, yummy!!!

(yes, I totally get in a rut and will eat the several thing days and days running - look at my journal, you'll see!)
Chris

[thinkthin7]

omg i eat cabbage everyday...you are making my mouth water now LOL. i need to throw away these sf russel stoufers candy...i overeat them!

[vavcon]

Eat more fried cabbage instead!!! It's awsome with a little sour cream. How are you feeling this week? I'm feeling pretty good, looking to our wine tasting party on Sunday afternoon. We got our new carpet in and vacuumed up the bits last night and it looks incredible. Tonight we have to get all of the old carpet and scraps down to the curb for pickup tomorrow. So, more leftovers tonight, but tomorrow night it's braised short ribs in zinfandel and cauli mashed "potatoes." Saturday night I'm trying out the cauli pizza crust and if it works out there'll be gourmet pizza as part of the sunday menu. It's kind of fun putting together low carb apps for a party - I can't wait to try the sushi!

[vavcon]

Thinkthin, where are you???

[thinkthin7]

your party sounds like so much fun! let me know how the pizza turns out...i want to try this recipe myself :)
i was really busy today...had a dr's appt that lasted 2hrs (see my thread about bariatric surgery) and then i was rushing to workout, get dinner ready and chase after my toddler :)
omg tonight i tried the fried cabbage and sour cream...to die for! did i ever mention my love for sc?
how are you my dear?

[vavcon]

Hey you!

I was hoping you didn't disappear! Thinking about Bariatric, eh? Did you go to St Vincents? I've thought and thought about it myself but haven't been quite overweight enough to be considered (how messed up is that???).

I'm making the pizza tonite to see if it's a go for tomorrow. I'll definitely let you know, looking forward to it. Sour cream is almost as good as bacon in my book!

I can't wait for the party, but I've got lots of cleaning and cooking and more cleaning to do before then. I've made sure to include a ton of low carb stuff on the menu, so I won't be tempted to stray. I've got the old TOM around the corner, so I'm not looking forward to our Monday weigh-in, though. Grrr...it so much helps to have a "buddy" for this, to keep me on track and reasonable.

Need to hop back up on that elliptical today, and no wine for me today (the last few days I've been, well, over imbibing - I'm sure it doesn't help the water retention).

have a great weekend, I'll post tomorrow.
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girl! how did the pizza and party turn out? did you ever get on the ellipticle?
sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. i made the cauliflower lasagna tonight and it was yummy. i have tried the zuccini lasagna and i think the cauliflower one tastes a bit more like the real thing, but they are both good. im going to try the pizza next week probably.
so i don't know what's wrong with me. today i ate a lot of nuts...going well over the daily serving. i also ate the last 3 pieces of that sf russel stoufers candy. it is out of the house now and im not buying it again. i know these kind of "cheats" aren't as bad as eating potatoes or pasta, but i still feel like my eating today was shity, kwim? do you want to do a 4 week no cheat challenge? no BITES of anything illegal. this may help me a bit.

[vavcon]

Yes, I'm up for a no-cheat challenge, for sure. Today is day 1 of the 2 day M&E challenge, which I'm hoping to do weekly for a while. I'm up to 207 today (GAINED 2 this week instead of losing) but my TOM is finally here, so I'm hoping to drop some water weight in the next few days (I'd BETTER, grr...). So, 4 weeks no cheats, starts today! This morning all I've had is coffee and it'll be a burger for lunch, that's the tall and short of things for me. The party was great, the pizza went over with non-low carbers like a charm. I made homemade pizza (with smoked salmon) and that was fun and went over well. Now I'm on the straight and narrow - probably no way I'll get to onederland by the 15th, but surely NOT for lack of trying!
c

[thinkthin7]

im glad the party and food went over so well!! yay!
im sure your gain is due to tom...i wouldn't worry about it, it'll come off after af leaves :)
ok so 4 weeks no cheat starts TODAY...do you want to do a mandatory 5 day exercise plan too? whoever looses the most weight at the end is the winner and i'll get a blinkie for them. our start weight will be what we weighed in at this morning. sound good? so after last night's bingefest i am at 265...at least it's not a gain. down 2lbs this week yay!
so i will be fasting some days this week bc i missed ramadan last year due to nursing (im a muslim). i have 29 days to make up for so i will do a few each week...i need to get it done b4 this year's ramadan is here...i have been such a slacker. usually during this time i only eat 1 meal a day so im hoping to loose more weight too. no eating or drinking ANYTHING from sunrise till sunset. wish me luck im hungry already!

[vavcon]

Hey, sounds good to me. I'm at 207 today and starting 3 days of M&E. Can we do 4 days a week of working out, minimum? Good luck with the fasting, that's tough for sure (especially with the days getting longer!). When does Ramadan start? Hopefully you can do a few days a week and not constant to get caught up. Check out the IF threads, you might get some good ideas...

[thinkthin7]

hey girl! 4 days sounds good to me :) i can't wait to hear about your results with m&e...i would like to do this again on a day i am not fasting.
what did you wind up eating today?

[vavcon]

Check out my journal for the daily menus - in short, I ate meat :-) Down 1.5 pounds this morning (now keep in mind some of this is water retention from TOM). Of course I fantasized about losing 1.5 per day for each of the 3 days, but back to reality, it'd be great to be back to 204.4 (dare I hope for a new low?) by Thursday morning. Today, more meat, and hoping to wait until noon or later to break my fast (yesterday it was a little before noon). I haven't been sleeping well, but I'm gonna get on that ellip tonight or I won't be able to get all my work outs in for the week!

How are you doing? How's the fasting going?

[thinkthin7]

woohoo on the 1.5lb weight loss...you go girl!! you are going to be in onederland b4 you know it! sorry i keep forgetting about the journal thingy, but i looked at your menu :) how do you like m&e? i find it quite nasty, but it's a good stall breaker or when you are trying to get to a goal by a certain date (my goal is always 10lbs a month, and if i don't think i will make it i will do a few days of m&e). you know, it is quite possible to loose 1lb a day and this may continue on.
fast was good, but man i was thirsty and hungry by 1pm and i couldn't eat till 6:22pm. in 5 days it goes back to 7:22pm!! im not fasting today bc tomorrow i go get blood work done and the dr. says not to fast the day prior (may through off my sugar levels). yesterday i ate the rest of the cauliflower lasagna and had 6 pieces of bacon. i got on the scale to see is fasting effected my weight loss and i lost another lb in one day woohoo! so in 2 days i will continue my fast (can't fast when you are getting blood taken out of your body either).
how's me today? did you get on your elliptical? i have to work out at some point today too...hopefully when ds is napping :)

[vavcon]

hey girl!

So far so good with M&E. I would say that I miss sour cream the most - it makes a great sauce, but since I can still have butter and mayo, I'm making out alright. I'm making the cauli lasagna this Saturday, what did you think of it? I'm also cooking up some bacon tonight, just because bacon is divine. I guess I should have some eggs and some point before tomorrow night though, or it will just be the 3 day "M& more M" challenge, lol

[thinkthin7]

have you ever tried sour cream with bacon...yummy
i thought the cauliflower lasagna was really good. it's something you only have every so often just bc i think you have to be in the mood for it. i had leftovers the second day and wasn't really feelin it, but otherwise it was very tasty. did you wind up working out today? i did 30min cardio and 25min strength training :)

[vavcon]

Whup butt! :-) I did not work out, I felt really awful yesterday (TOM and no sleep). I slept better today so I'm planning, again to get on tonight. You did two days workouts in one! Good for you!! How about this weather. It took me an hour to get to work (double time) and I don't even go on the freeway - I heard that is a nightmare! I have yet to try the sour cream/bacon combo, but it's on the list of things to do this weekend :-) I will also be making the lasagna for guests on Saturday - so would you prefer the cauli layers or spaghetti squash? I have both veggies, as well as TONS of dreamfields but I hesitate to use that...Maybe I will, and maybe I'll make a small lowcarb lasagna for myself. That might be the best way to make everyone happy.

Should be quiet today at work, hopefully I'll get a lot done!
Chris

[vavcon]

hey girl!

This M&E thing is working so well it's spooky - I'm down to 201.8 today!!!! I think I'm going to win this week's weight challenge, although I'm going to lose the workout challenge big time. How're things with you?

[thinkthin7]

geez girl from 204 to 201!!! i need to start doing this again!! i am sure you will win this week's weigh-in, but maybe all the working out will help me a wee bit...i doubt it though. i haven't gotten on the scale so we shall see come monday...i would really like to be in the 250's this month :)
omg the weather was HORRIBLE! i went out and voted still, but it was so nasty. on wed i had an appt and it took me 45min to get my car all scraped off from all the ice. i hear tomorrow is supposed to get bad again...great...
hope all is well with you, hopefully it won't take me that long to respond again i've been pretty busy the last couple days and i haven't been able to get on the computer

[vavcon]

Happy Friday!

I am up a pound today, but not concerned. The weather is supposed to get godawful this afternoon, might leave work a little early, we'll see...

Any more exercising for you? I did an hour of ballroom dancing last night and I can sure feel it today!

Work's busy, so I'm outta here, I'll try to post tomorrow morning during my "coffee wake up time."

:-)
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girl! don't worry about the lb...it'll come back off :) well i wound up not exercising yesterday due to getting home at 10pm from an outing with a girlfriend. today i will do 30min cardio and 25min stregth training. i almost always do the same workouts haha. '
omg the weather is awful and i am so glad i don't have to go out in it!! how was your drive home? how is me going for ya...gotta go check out your journal for your menu :)

[thinkthin7]

woohoo i have a steak now!!!

[vavcon]

Hope you enjoyed your steak! We are SO snowed in today - reminds me of easter weekend last year, the stuff is just COMING DOWN. I'm getting on the ellip today and tomorrow, but that's still only 3 workouts for the week :-( The week of M&E went better than I could've hoped and I plan to do it a few days a week going forward. Got to clean up my menu for yesterday and make a plan for today and tomorrow as I think we're pretty much homebound...
Chris

[vavcon]

Well, I'm beginning to think we really ARE the only Clevelanders on this dang site! So be it! Weigh day tomorrow, so far so good for me. I'm doing M&E only 3 days this week, Tues-Thursday. We'll see how that goes. I'm at a six hour eating window with the IF thing - gonna see if I can cut it down to 5. My only concern is calories - getting enough. Weird problem :-)
Chris

[thinkthin7]

we can't be the only ones!!!??? come out, come out wherever you are ;)
so if i may ask why are you doing me and if regularly now? you seemed to be having good results w/o it so im just a lil curious that's all...no judging or anything like that ;)
i just cannot believe the snow we had!!!! dh and i just shoveled our cars out of it...well more like dh did and i played with ds in the snow haha.
have you hit 199 yet? how's everything your way? exercise?
i splurged a little yesterday (but didn't cheat or go over carb count) and had a quesidilla with those 3 carb tortillas. i usually only have one per day (for lunch), but obviously had 2 for the quesidilla so im really hoping it won't stall me. we'll see... i've done really well with working out though. i know you prolly will beat me in this week's weigh in, but you deserve it :)

[vavcon]

Hey!

Glad you guys got to have some fun in the snow - we're just snowed under here and we both have the flu :-(

I'm gonna try to do the 3 day M&E thing to ensure that I get my 2 pounds per week - I am really a slow loser and expect things to even out any time now. Also, it wasn't so bad last week, the only thing I *really* missed was sour cream! No onederland yet, but I'm within spitting distance, hoping for tomorrow...

I have been miserable this week at working out, dancing was it for me - so you're the winner in that regard for sure :-) :-)

So, do you have any "goal events" or timeframe type goals? I've got two weddings to go to this year, one in mid May, one in mid July. Also turning 35 in July (so weird!) which seems like some kind of milestone or something, I dunno. If I can keep going at my 2 pounds/10 per month, I'll be near goal by the end of the summer! I'm sure that there will be pitfalls, stalls and slow downs along the way though, and that's okay (has to be). Besides it gives me more time to think about maintenance, which really will be the hardest part for me.

Yuch, I hope I feel better tomorrow! Going for a massage with my mom this Friday, can't wait!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

oh man the flu sucks!!! i hope you start feeling better soon...maybe this could be a good thing for more weight loss tho?? it always works like a charm for me ;0)
so my goals are always to loose 10lbs a month and in october i MAY be going to egypt and would like to be under 200. if i keep it going at this rate i will make that goal. the next time my in-laws see me i want to be much thinner than b4. it's funny how i see people on here who are 170 or 180 and they think they are fat when i am DREAMING of being that size LOL.
i think your goals are def attainable to be honest. the key is sticking to plan and if you can do it i really don't see anything blocking you.
do does your dh do atkins with you? is he overweight/average or underweight? my dh doesn't need to diet at all and he eats whatever he wants...god i hate him!
i've been meaning to ask you...where do you find your spagetti squash at? i have checked marc's and giant eagle with no luck!
hope you are feeling better tomorrow...if not take the day off work ;0)

[vavcon]

morning, girl!

Monday weigh in, I'm at 201. Net of 6 pounds from last week, but average for the month is 2 lbs per week :-) Maybe I can change that average this week, who knows.

Egypt, how totally awesome! Have you been there before? We're going to vegas this fall (my first time) and of course I'd LOVE to look fabulous, but we'll see. In any event, I'll be much lighter than I am now!

I know, it's so funny to listen to the people with 10-20 pounds to lose moan about how slow it's going. I'd probably chop a finger off my left hand to be within 20 pounds of goal! :lol: j/k of course.

Well, I'm hanging in here at work for now, may go home in the afternoon if things don't improve. Being sick really makes one think of comfort foods, but last night for dinner I had a bowl of totally from-scratch chicken/veg soup, and it totally hit the spot, even without crackers. I suspect I'll see a nice loss tomorrow since I didn't eat much yesterday...

Have a great day, post your stats and tell me, how many times did you work out? My total is a miserable ONCE...
Chris

PS. Oh yeah, Brian (my DH). He's about 5'7" and 133 - well he was before I started low carbing, he may be back to 125-ish. Yes, he can eat anything he wants, but he pretty much sticks to my diet, adding in some crackers, occasional biscuits and the like. I'm cool with that - I told him this weekend I have to figure out how to do 3 days of M&E without making HIM do it!!!

[vavcon]

Okay, dealing with an uptick in the old weight, need a little support. 202.2 today - I KNEW last week was too good to be true! Still, back on day 1 of M&E for the week...
GRRR

[thinkthin7]

oh sweetie im so sorry! maybe it was your body getting used to you adding back in veggies and condiments or eating more regularly?? i so know how you feel as this has happened to me many times. the best advice i can give you is probably working out a bit more bc i know when i do i don't get those fluctuations like that. i seems to be more of a steady weight loss instead of those jumps now. i hope you are feeling a bit better now and chris it WILL come off eventually...you are doing EVERYTHING right. is af coming?? that could be another factor...
im so jealous of your vegas trip....can i join you haha. i have never been b4 either!
so i weighed yesterday, but was extremely busy (sorry! i kept thinking of you all day) and am at 272 which is a 3lb weight loss. you won! woohoo! i worked out like 5-6 times (can't remember exactly but know it was at least 5). i didn't work out yesterday due to time constraints so today i will do it.
how are you doing otherwise? im doing me with you today ;) i need to be down to 255 by the 25th so it looks like i will have to do a few days of it :(

[vavcon]

Thanks for the optimisim! Yes, this is probably a sign I should really start working out. Every week, sooner or later I get the bounce up. And then it bounces down lower. It's hard to be patient sitting on the border of onederland. I ate such a huge salad last night, I'm probably retaining some water. Feeling good today though, waited until 1 to break fast, which is good for me when I'm at work (the weekends are no problem, I just don't get it). Drinking TONS of water today too. 255 by 3/25? Now *that's* a lofty goal! What do you eat on M&E days?
Chris

[thinkthin7]

i know...do you think it is unattainable?? my weighins with dh is on the 25th of every month (that is the date i started dieting) and my goals are always 10lbs a month. i think with me i should be able to accomplish it...we'll see ;) i had that set back at my sister's shower so that is why im on a time crunch this month (i was busy reloosing weight).
so i have never even researched me and do my own version that i made up haha. just meat and egg and i due allow myself crystal light, mustard and mayo. no pop, dairy, veggies, flax or nuts. oh and i do eat deli meat. i really hate eating this way bc i enjoy my salads/veggies and flaxmeal muffins almost daily. what is your staple? i also don't fast so i will be curious who looses faster...do you want to weigh in tomorrow as well? just to see if the fasting makes much of a difference.

[vavcon]

Sure, I weigh daily anyhow so I can post stats. Earlier today I read you said you were at 272, that's why I was questioning 255 by 3/25 - maybe you meant 262????

My staple is meat or eggs and mayo. Either eggsalad or chickensalad, or eggchickensalad, sometimes throw in a little bacon. I miss the veggies, but also the sour cream! I have two cups of coffe with about 1 TB of cream each day as well, even on M&E. I've never eaten a flax muffin - but even though I found the oopsies delightful, when I make them, most of them get moldy in the fridge. Makes no sense to me as I'm a total starch-fiend (oh, but oopsies have no starch!). My vice is the alcohol, which also slows losing. I really like dry red wine and vodka martinis. Ah well, we each have our issues. yes, let's weigh daily this week, that way we can see the fluctuations for what they are - TEMPORARY!!!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

so i was thinking about weighing in tomorrow and just remembered i didn't weigh myself today, so it's not going to be an accurate number bc it will include tuesday as well!! duhh! so anyway i will still weigh in, but let's do another weigh in the following day as well so we can see the difference in number between our me ;)
oh and btw i am 262, NOT 272 thank god...i never want to see that number in my life again!
have fun at work tomorrow!!!

[vavcon]

Okay, that clears up my confusion! 200.4 today, ate clean yesterday but had some red wine, grrr... Water not wine tonite, pork roast for dinner and tomorrow....pleasepleaseplease ONEDERLAND!!!! I hope I'm not jinxing myself :-)

[thinkthin7]

im weighing in at 261 so a 1lb loss!!! i think i could have done a bit better w/o all that deli meat and bacon yesterday, but oh well. im really not an egg person at all which makes this harder. wtg on your loss!!

[vavcon]

Awesome, congratulations!!!! When I was allergic to eggs (earlier lowcarb attempts) things were very difficult. Now I love 'em :-)

[thinkthin7]

well i was really craving something sweet and i gave in to my sweet tooth!!! i had some ricotta w/ cocoa powder and sf davinci syrup and a diet pop....SORRY!! i HATE, i mean hate with a passion me and am not very good at it as you can see. i'll still weigh in tomorrow with you though and i plan on following me for the rest of the night so we will see. i was originally only going to do it for 2 days, but since i had that treat im going to do it again tomorrow...are you doing it as well?
where do you find your spagetti squash btw?

[vavcon]

Hey, no apologies, seriously! Sounds like you did a very good thing with a legal treat, and good for you. Yep, I'm on for tomorrow (and until dinner Friday, not sure if that counts or not), and weigh whenever you like! I do it every day (can't help it) but it sounds like maybe once per week works better for you, so either way is cool with me. Wish me luck, going OUT to dinner with my dad, that will be fun. "Waiter, bring me a steak with no sides and no topping. Thanks"

[thinkthin7]

im loling over here about the steak with um...nothing hahahahah. the waiter prolly will look at you like you are crazy. if your going somewhere casual you can get steak and eggs.
so i had to use the rest of the cauliflower bc it was going bad so i made the pizza i had a little tiny taste of it and it is GOOD. i was quite surprised. im doing me tomorrow so i will eat it the following day. im really getting concerned with meeting my deadline...do you think 255 by the 25th is attainable? the thing is my dh will impregnate me if i don't. he REALLY wants another baby and i told him i want to knock some of this weight off me first and he said ok as long as i am loosing 10lbs a month. he said if i slip up then we will start ttc again and i DON'T want to do that right now. i mean i really want another one too, but it's just not healthy to conceive at the weight i am at, kwim? i go on the 20th to my gynecologist to see about birth control...keep dh away from me hahah.
so i was thinking it would be fun to meet up sometime...

[vavcon]

I'd love to meet up sometime, for sure! Last night I ate totally clean, all seafood, and the waitress was nice to me. Whew. On the downside, I'm only back to 200.2 - GRRRR.

What's ttc??? Sorry, I'm pretty bad with acronyms. I think you should wait until you're ready to get pregnant. How old is your little one? Does your DH ask after your weight often? That line made me laugh "my DH will impregnate me if I don't." Me tarzan, you jane, all that stuff :lol:

The thing about weight loss is, it's impossible to predict what your body will do in a given time period. We can set (arbitrary) goals, but no matter what we do, or how clean we eat, sometimes the old bod says "nope, sorry, can't do it, not this (week/month), try again next time for more fun and prizes." Ugh. So be it. I have to say that I FEEl fabulous, though, which is really helping me stay on track. My winter acne is gone, my hip feels really good (long story), and I'm sleeping much better. I have been fatigued, but I still think that might be flu related.

So, ideas of where and when to meet? Thinking lunch somewhere, or drinks maybe?
Chris

[thinkthin7]

i see your still right on the verge of breaking into onederland :) your dinner sounded absolutely wonderful and good for you sticking on plan! what restaurant did you go to?
so i didn't weigh myself and tomorrow i am trying another one of my versions of meat and egg. just grilled chix breast and eggs...i'll let you know how i do...hopefully i remember to weigh myself in the am.
i like the idea of lunch...some place casual as this sahm is on a budget..i would have to bring the lil booger along with me too if you don't mind. dh works from 9am till 11pm 6 days a week so he can't watch him ever so i can get out which sucks!
oh and ttc=try to conceive
where do you buy your spag squash? i can't find it!

[vavcon]

You almost got me with sahm :-) I went with my dad to Bass Lake Tavern in Chardon (our own acronym, the BLT). We try to go out together at least once per month, twice if we can.

OK, so now the question is, weekday or weekend? We're closer together during the week, as I'm working by cedar and 271. Of course I'd love to meet your little guy! What does your husband do? Wow, I could NEVER work that much (I'm too lazy).

I'm really bummed, weight is up to 201.2 this morning. I made a roast pork butt on Wed, and had some for lunch on Thurs and it made me feel like crap! I used a store bought marinade that had carbs in it, thinking that not much of the marinade would get IN to the meat - I guess I was wrong and lesson learned. Rough way to go, though, since I've been eating so clean and sticking to plan. But, even a net 0 loss this week is a 3 lb average over the last two. Still makes me mad, tho'.

So, if you let me know what city you live in, I can mapquest the route from work and maybe we can find a place. I'm looking forward to meeting you!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

259 baby!!!!!!!!!! broke into the 250's FINALLY! WOOTWOOT! k sorry im just really happy right now. i def think my goal is very attainable now. so weird that yesterday i just did regular atkins, not me and i lost MORE than days i do me??? hmmm maybe i will just screw meat and egg and see what happens in the next couple of days.
weekdays or weekends are fine with me just no sundays (that's the day dh is off and it's "family day"). you are the working woman so you can pick the day. would you like to do it once it warms up a bit more? i know next week is going to be crazy with 4 dr's appts, but any other week is fine by me. i live in north olmsted...maybe we can pick a place in betweeen us??
my hubby and i own a sub shop, but he is the one that always works there since we had our son. it's nice being a business owner, but the hrs just suck!
ya those marinades have carbs AND sugar usually. it may be the sugar that got you feeling yucky. i usually make my own marinades with red wine vinegar, lemon and whatever seasoning. i think it tastes really good!
how are you doing otherwise?? exercise??

[vavcon]

Congrats!!!! That's wonderful!!! Yes, let's plan to wait a bit for warmer weather. We could do lunch on a weekday, I'm lucky enough to have "flex time" and work through most of my lunches.

I'm kinda depressed today. My weight is moving in the wrong direction, as it sometimes does. I want onederland NOW. I'm going to try strict accountability this week to see what turns up. I'm going to shoot for high fat, VLC, around 1500 cal per day - should be enough to keep me out of starvation mode, but low enough for losing. Funny, m&e worked like a charm for me in week 1, but sucked this past week. I still think the IF thing has value, my body's just a stubborn little (hah hah) sucker!

Have a great weekend!
Chris

[jessica78]

hello! im a clevelander too!! well, i actually live on the painesville/concord boarder. I am new to atkins and this board. i just started on wednesday, but i swear i see my love handles getting a little bit smaller!! so about me. Im a 29 year old stay at home mom, as of a week ago. i decided to quit my job and do a little more monitoring of my 12 yr old. I am so excited because i have gained so much weight sitting behind a desk all day. Just yesteday i bought the ab lounge, so we'll see how that works. btw... i hope you dont mind me barging in!! :wave:

[vavcon]

Jessica, hi!!! Nope, we're excited - we thought we were the only two in Cleveland doing low carb! Welcome welcome - I'm in hambden, so pretty close to you. Unfortunately, I still DO sit behind a desk all day, but this WOE is flexible in terms of exercise. It's a good thing, because here's another day I won't get any :-( Just had to trade in BOTH our cars for new ones, talk about a financial damper! And this morning, one of our alpacas died, costing us just over 10k. Bummer. Finally, my weight is doing the bounce-up thing, just as I'm on the edge of onederland. Grrrr. All that said, WELCOME!
Chris

[jessica78]

thanks for the welcome vavcon!! you are going to be in the 100's by tuesday... probably sooner!! im sorry to hear about your alpaca (is that a dog or like a lama?) but yay on the new car!! i just got a new honda pilot in the end of january. we got it because i got pregnant and needed a family car. unfortunatly i miscarried on valentines day. it was very sad because we were trying for over a year. but there is always a plus side to all outcomes. it prompted me and my boyfriend to FINALLY quit smoking!! tomorrow will be 5 weeks no ciggies! but i'll tell you what, it is so hard to diet and quit smoking at the same time! todya i was so clost to buying a pack, had my coat on and everything. but my sons voice kept ringing in my head .."im so proud of you mom"..... so i didnt go. instead i had a peice of cheese. lol. now, seeing as im new to this whole diet, or new way of eating, during the induction phase am i aloud to eat as much cheese as i want? cause i have. and also, last night bill ( my bf) took me to pickel bill's for crab legs. i ate soo much. i thought i did really good with not eating the bread and potato. but i did have half of cup of cole slaw. now i am freaking out because i didnt realize there were that many carbs in it. does this mean i need to start the whole induction phase over? are the past few days wasted?

[vavcon]

Hey Jessica,

Nothing's ever wasted :-) I had crab legs myself last wednesday at the BLT (Bass Lake) and they were good! I do avoid coleslaw, but half of one of those sides shouldn't kill ya :-) Pickle Bill's makes the BEST coleslaw!

Thinkthin - weekly weigh in day. I am UP 2.4 pounds to 203.4 - I'm pretty upset about it, but trying to be philisophical (boy, that's going to get old fast)....
GRRR...
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey gals...yay i can say galS!!
chris sorry about the gain...are you planning on doing more me?? maybe just try a week with no fasting or if??? more exercise?? are you getting all your water in? im just trying to think of some possible things...how's life otherwise my dear?
welcome jessica :) i am a stay at home mama too! good for you for not giving into temptation and having that ciggy. i was a smoker too b4 i got pregnant and i still do have the occasional cigerette (maybe one every couple months) if i am with a smoker or something. i still really do enjoy it, but working out and life in general is so much easier (and less expensive!) wo the habit! i wouldn't worry about the cole slaw and it probably won't even effect the scale. jessica we weigh in on mondays and are currently doing a no cheat challenge which includes exercising at least 3 times a week and no bites of illegal food...feel free to join in!
as for me i am 259 this morning still, but that's still a 3lb weight loss for the week. that seems to be my average nowadays, but i must say i am very happy with it :) i did very well with my exercise too!
i was at the grocery store today and decided i wanted to try those soy crisps...omg DON'T get them!!! they are too good and resemble a chip entirely too well and i could easily consume the whole bag! i ate about 6-7 or them and put them away though...

[jessica78]

HAPPY ST.PATRICKS DAY!! How are you ladies doing? I just got finished making/eating my corned beef. mmmnn..... well kinda. i guess i really dont know how to cook it! lol.either its too salty or too bland... no happy medium. I also made a little green bean cassorole ( green beans, heavy cream, parm cheese and swiss chesse baked) and potatoes for the family. You know what?! i didnt even want any of the potatoes. its weird, its only been 5 days since on this diet and i already have lost my carb cravings. except for the sweets. ive been eating alot of cream cheese and splenda a redi whip. atkins isnt that bad. as far as Monday weigh in goes.... i was at 146 this morning!! wahoo!!! so three pounds in 5 days... cant beat that. how much did you ladies lose on your induciton?

[vavcon]

hey Jessica,

Congratulations! I love cheetahs, great avatar!

thinkthink, where are you????

[thinkthin7]

hey chris im here :) i posted at around 1;30pm today...can everyone see my post? i was kinda mia for a couple days, but im back now

[vavcon]

Good morning! Hey, thinkthin, can I ask your first name?

I'm down 2 today. I'm doing high fatting this week. I was wondering if I should try rotating my diet - m&e, high fat, a little if here and there, try to trick the old body into giving up the weight. 3 pounds a week is AWESOME, btb!!!! My friend, who's also doing lowcarb, suggested that maybe IF wasn't the way to go for me, as in the past I would tend to starve myself, it might put my body into starvation mode. So, I'm going back to 3 meals per day, so long as I'm hungry. I split my lunch into two and eat part of it before noon and the rest after.

Had dance class last night and did lots of fun SWING dancing (my favorite) and some rhumba. Good exercise, I'm kinda sore today.

Everyone have a great day!!!
Chris

[jessica78]

hey ladies! congrats chris on the 2 lbs!! it feels so good to see the scale move. so, i went to the library and got 2 books... the atkins revolution, and atkins essentials. i am trying to get my bf to jump on the band wagon. today i decided to start a food and exercise log and write the number of carbs im eating instead of going thru the day blindly. hmm... im already up to 3.3! oh yeah, i was trying to put up a pic where my avatar is but i couldnt get it to up load. i did end up posting a before pic tho. and.. the last motivating kick in the butt i did was go to tj maxx and bought a bathing suit, that I MUST fit into by july 9 ( my 30th b-day ) well, i guess that is good for now, believe me, i coud write a book if i dont stop myself

ps... chris, i love dancing!! its so good for you. i bought a few weeks ago these core dancing videos that basically got you to do latin dance moves but tighten your tummy at the same time. love it.. doesnt even feel like im working out :agree:

[vavcon]

Jessica, we share a birthday - I will be 35 on July 9th of this year!

[thinkthin7]

thanks chris!! my name's alia...sometimes hard for people to pronounce so you can call me ali if you like ;)
i think i agree with your friend about if...what about if you just do regular old atkins for a week and see what happens?? i'll tell ya the last time i did me i didn't do as well as expected and lost more when i just did the regular diet...and it was much more yummy too haha!
jessica i don't even remember what i lost during induction...i still am doing induction and will continue until i get this weight off. i have added a few things back into my diet, but don't go over 20 carbs a day.
so af (aunt flo chris LOL)reared her ugly head today and i am just miserable!! it's weird, since having my son my periods have gotten easier, but this one is TERRIBLE! the cramps are killing me and i just feel so bloated BLAH!
bbl (be back later)

[jessica78]

Thats soo cool chris! Cancers are great people, but i guess im bias! so i was reading thru your guys past posts, well a few. Alia, i totally get your abbrieviations! i belonged to this pregnancy forum for about a year and learned all kinds of cute ones: ttc, af, bfp, bfn, cm, ewcm... lol... i was really obsessed with getting prego! but now its all about atkins. what is if and me??i just made the best lunch! i sauted garlic in butter, added shrimp and crab and cream and parm cheese! oh my word! alia, how old is your son? i have a 12 yr old. chris any kids? well, gotta get back to my reality tv...

[thinkthin7]

i belonged to a pregnancy board too that is now a playgroup...that's where i learned all the abbreviations too ;)
if=intermittent fasting
me=meat and egg which usually you will see m&e, however, i abbreviated it to just me :)
my son just turned 15mo and we will start ttc at the end of summer...ideally i would like to be at or around goal weight b4 we ttc, but hubby really wants another and i would like my kids close in age. so hopefully by the end of summer i will be under 200 and we will start...i am not very fertile (took me 2yrs to conceive my son) so maybe that will buy me some more time to loose weight.
ds's up...gotta run!

[vavcon]

OMG (yeah, I know that one), you guys are chock full o' acronyms! I'm going to need an interpreter!!! No kids for us except two furry black meow meows :-) I've done some M&E and some IFing, so when you hit a stall and want to know more, lemme know :-)
Chris

[vavcon]

Morning, ladies! I am down to 200.8, and hoping to hit onederland by the weekend (didn't I say something just like this last week????). Wish me luck!

[jessica78]

thats great chris!! so today is my official one week on atkins! i made it thru the hard part (i think) as im sitting here i realize that my stomach is making some crazy noises!!! i have noticed that it has been doing that alot more lately, like i can hear my bacon and eggs being digested!

[thinkthin7]

hey girls!
chris wtg on reaching 200lb again!! you are GOIN DOWN woohoo!
jessica congrats on you first week of atkins...you will be at your goal b4 u know it :)
nothing new to report...had kind of a blah day of eating. i was craving SOMETHING...but i just wasn't sure exactly what haha. i also didn't do any cooking today (very rare that i ever do this) so my diet lacked veggies and was high in processed meats (bacon, deli meat and beef hot dogs). no cheats though...tomorrow is a new day...i did manage to work out tho :)

[vavcon]

Alia, congrats on working out on a tough day. My elliptical is still gathering dust.

This morning I reached the fabled, mythical place we call... [drum roll please]: ONEDERLAND!!!! Of course my next fear is a bounce up tomorrow, lol.

Jessica, congrats on finishing up a week. How do you feel? The digestion noises go away after a bit :-)

I just wanna do the happy dance all day!!!!

[thinkthin7]

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU CHRIS!!!!!!!! you are doing such a wonderful job and i am really proud of you ;)

[jessica78]

wahoo!! i told you it was going to come soon! i think it was mind over matter.... the mind is such a powerful thing. its going to start to melt off now!
i am going to mansfield in a few. im taking my son to his gramma's for the weekend. Bills b-day is friday, so we might be going out tonight to celebrate ( hes off fri but has to work sat) i think i am aloud to drink vodka and diet pop right? anyhoo hope you girls are doing good!

[vavcon]

hey gals, thanks so much [let me take a bow]. I'm down a touch more today, woo hoo!!!!!

Jessica, how's induction treating you?

Alia, how are things going for you?

Now that I'm doing the high fat thing, I've pretty much stopped trying to narrow my IF window. Eating when I'm hungry, seems to be working pretty well.

Boy, I'm SO glad it's Friday...

[jessica78]

Happy Saturday Gals! How is everyone doing? I did a pretty intese work out this morning. I also got Bill doing the treadmill in the mornings before work. All day yesterday he kept askng me questions about the diet. Then at dinner he told me that he wanted to do the diet with me! He said he wants to start either Sunday or Monday! Another one convinced! What kind of dishes are you planning for easter? The only one i know for sure is my green bean casserole. and ham.

[vavcon]

hey gals,

We're having dinner at my parent's today, I'm bringing green beans, I'm sure there will be meat of some sort, so I'll be fine. Need to get some major FAT in early in the day though. I'm back down to 199.8 after a bit of a bounce up yesterday.

Alia - Tuesday is your moment of truth, right? Think you'll get to 255? Stay the course, okay? Drop a post here if you need encouragement.
chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girlies! how's everyone doing??
im feeling pretty crappy actually. not sure if any of you have read my other thread, but i found out my blood pressure is too high and my good cholesteral is too low. my dr doesn't want me to do this diet anymore, but i have decided to stick with it...modified a bit. more lean meats, no sodium and have decided to add some beans (dr. seems to think this is important). i also started taking birth control 2 days ago and have a CONSTANT headache and am soooo tired. to be honest i don't even know if i will make my goal this month due to the BC. i did weigh myself b4 taking it and i was at 256 so i was soooooo close. i haven't gotten on the scale since so i will check tomorrow. if i have gained i will know it was from the BC.
hope everyone is having a fun easter!

[vavcon]

Hey Alia - Don't give up! Sometimes it takes several months for your blood pressure and cholesterol to come into alignment, but it WILL happen. Doesn't your dr. notice that you've lost 25 pounds???? Stay strong!

Jess, that's great! It's so much easier to do *anything* when your DH is doing it too (e.g., smoking, quitting, etc.). Mine needs to lose weight like a hole in the head, but he eats what I make and I'm hoping that will affect his general health for the better. There are so many benefits to low carb aside from weight loss. Having a good day, I'm solidly at 199, so starting to work towards my next goal!!!
Chris

[jessica78]

HOLY CRAP! i efing gained 5 pounds!~ the scale this morning said 149. I dont understand wtf! i am so mad!!! i have done some kind of exercise everyday for the past 2 weeks and i havent put a single piece of bread, pasta, potato in my mouth! i definatly feel toner. I seriously could cry.

[vavcon]

Jess - DO NOT PANIC. Repeat, DO NOT PANIC.

Are you PMS'ing? Are you eating too few calories? Would you commit to posting your menu's this week? You can't gain 5 pounds in a weekend, it's water weight. Hang in there, girl - seriously!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

jess sorry about the 5lb gain...like chris said IT IS water weight! hopefully in the next couple days you will have it taken off again :)
weigh in-255 this morning...met my goal woohoo! that makes a 4lb weight loss this week, but only 4 days of working out (i sucked this week!).
chris how are YOU doing? haven't heard much from ya...

[vavcon]

Hey Alia - I'm hanging in there. Been busy at work and stuff, nothing major going on. CONGRATULATIONS for making your goal, one day early!!!! Awesome!!!! I'm still working on being fitday faithful and trying to keep my fat % up. And lie around thinking about exercising...
:-)
Chris

[vavcon]

hey gals, what's happenin?
:wave:

[thinkthin7]

im LOL at the thought of you laying around thinking about exercise. hahaha! i have been pretty good so far this week since last week i only did 4 days.
so i have switched to south beach. i figured since i was only going to eat lean meats then i might as well switch plans. i have had success with sb in the past so im really hoping to get the same results. im giving it a little under 3 weeks (which is when i go to my next dr's appt to check blood pressure) and if the blood pressure hasn't changed and i haven't lost and weight on sb i will switch back to atkins. i must say i am really enjoying drinking my skim milk and eating my beans again.

[jessica78]

Good Morning! So i am sorry about my little temper tantrum. Bill and i went out to eat last night. We ate whatever we wanted. Amazingly i didnt wake up this morning wanting to kick my own ass. hahhahah but now we are so head strong about doing this diet right. I am starting over from scratch so this is day one of induciton. so alia, you doc issnt too supportive of the atkins diet?

a little off topic... i have been having dreams the past two nights that i am pregnant.hmmmmmmmmmm?

hey chris! well i guess im off.
ciao bellas

[vavcon]

Alia, good luck with South Beach! From the reading I've done, sounds like avoiding grains and starches is still an issue. What kind of beans are you eating? I hope this works out well for you, keep us posted!

Jessica, good for you, recommitting. It can be difficult at times to stay on track, especially when the scale is stubborn. I went a little carb overboard last night with my chicken curry - luckily today I'm not very hungry and feeling good (I was still under 30 carbs for the day, but over 20, which I avoid). *Still* contemplating that old elliptical. Maybe this evening???? Hah hah.
Chris

[thinkthin7]

jessica i think it's really good that you gave your system a "reboot"...i have had cheats in the past and try not to beat myself up about it (then it's a loose-loose situation)
chris i have been eating black beans and ff refried beans...yum! i have been making a lot of quesidillas with the beans and cheese and they are really good. i haven't lost anything in 3 days (still at 255) so i may be switching back to atkins b4 the 3 weeks...still need to think more about this tho. im so confused...
i see your still hovering at 199...i really do think it is from not exercising enough. if i don't workout daily i just maintain my weight. how have you been doing this week?

[jessica78]

hey girls. i really dont have anything new to report. the scale isnt budging.... Alia i am a little jelous of your quesidillas! sounds pretty tasty! chris i am totally with you on only "thinking" about working out. i did go on my treadmill today for about 18 minuts but i stayed at such a slow stride i didnt even break a sweat. i am hungry. today i had some bacon.... few peices of cheese.... 2 hamburger patties..... some chicken salad. i am getting sick of meat. and i am havingreally gross burps!! hahaha sorry tmi!

[vavcon]

Hi ladies,

Yoo, hoo, anyone still around? Alia, thanks for the post in my journal :-)
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girl im still here ;)
my sis had her baby yesterday and i officially derailed. she was in labor all day yesterday and the first thing i was able to put into my mouth (AT 9PM!!!) was a burger and french fries and a shake. ahhhh! then today i had a sandwich and some nachos from another fast food places!!!!!!!!! im back on plan tomorrow, but too scared to get on the scale...
i want to blame the fact that we had NO time and have been eating out for every single meal, but in the end i could have picked healthier options and didn't.

[vavcon]

Hang in there, Alia - it's not the de-railing that's important, it's the ability to get back on track! Truly :-)
Chris

[vavcon]

Yoo hoo??? Alia??? Jessica??? Where did everyone go???

[jessica78]

hi ladies! sorry ive been mia latey... by the looks of this thread so have you two! well i just finished off my first fast. by the end of it i wasnt even really hungry but i felt loopy so i decided i need to put some fuel in my body. I ended up gaining all the way back up to 147 ish... i didnt wnat to change it on here so i just waited. i woke up this morning at 142. i am happy. how are you two? hey chris you are making some great progress! it is almost a full month into this diet. i think i may get off of it because i really was expecting more. maybe i was expecting too much, but im my opinion, if i am going to deprive myself some of my faves..... then i need to see some drastic results. also, i just dont think its healty to be able to eat bacon, but not a banana. i am going to do a low cal diet. i just feel better about it.

[vavcon]

Jessica,

I wish you'd reconsider - you'll be missed here. Have you read "Good Calories, Bad Calories?" You might want to do that before you go to low cal. But good luck in whatever you choose, and if you decide to come back, I'll be here!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

jessica we will miss you! just know though bc you don't have much weight to loose it's going to come of slower than if you had a lot to loose. feel free to stop in and let us know how you are doing on which ever plan you decide to follow tho ;)
chris how are you my dear??? it has been FOREVER girl! i am back on track today with some new recipes i will try out this week and am feeling a bit better. i was just disgusted with the low carb choices i had and took a bit of a break from the diet and board. im back tho and thankfully i didn't gain from the lousy week. u should try those protein pancakes, they are GOOD! i see you are a few lbs below from your weight b4...WAY TO GO! i doubt you will see the 200's again :)

[thinkthin7]

hello...lo...lo...

[vavcon]

Hi there Alia,

I'm glad you're hanging in. I am, barely. Can't get consistently into the 190's. I'm finally starting to add some exercise, mostly toning. I've got THREE dance classes this week, that'll be good for both aerobic and muscle work. I'm doing 3 days of M&E this week (mostly meat, need to order some cod liver oil to up my omega 3's, the eggs are making me sick, grrr). Still no cheats, and feeling pissy/cranky that my weight is stuck between 199 and 201. Hopefully more exercise by working around the house (getting the pool open, digging and weeding and planting) will help. I have a feeling my TOM is around the corner too, so I'm sure that effects things. Still, over a month and no real loss...
Chris

[thinkthin7]

aww im sorry chris you aren't having very good weight loss on this plan. it seems to take you FOREVER to loose and you don't even cheat like i do! i've told you this b4 and i'll tell ya again when i don't exercise i just maintain my weight despite being on plan and all. i KNOW i have to workout so i just push myself to do it no matter how tired i am. now that the weather has warmed up i take my son out power walking in his stroller to try to switch things up a bit. i still haven't gotten on the scale fo a few days because aunt flo is in town and don't want to disapoint myself, kwim? have you thought about tweaking your plan a bit? maybe trying south beach or one of the other low carb plans??

[thinkthin7]

MS. CHRIS!!! why don't you post on this thread anymore???

[vavcon]

Hi Alia!

I'm sorry I've been remiss. Here I am! Still struggling, but enjoying the lifestyle of lowcarb very much. I've been mostly just doing the journal thing and reading threads. Still trying to get back to my low of 197.6 and then beyond. Getting some exercise from spring-type stuff - working on the pool, gardening, etc., as well as dancing (ramped up to twice per week the next couple at least, we have a "test" on 5/10). How are things with you? Are you "back on the wagon?"
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey chris! sorry it has taken me a few days to respond...my sis was in town for the weekend and we were visiting a lot. o we went to muchacho (i think that was the name??!!) in tremont and boy was it GOOD. u must go when you have a chance.
i see you have been getting a lot of exercise WOOHOO! you make me want to have a yard! how's the diet going??
im back on track (finally!), but have been stuck at 250 the past couple days. i was supposed to be 245 on the 25th so i didn't make my goal this month :( dh hasn't asked yet, hopefully he wont try to get me pregnant and will cut me a little slack since i experimented (with no luck) with south beach for a little while per the dr's orders. kinda bummed about that, but what can you expect when you take a week off dieting completely AND switch plans twice. o well.

[vavcon]

Hey Alia,

250 is awesome - you're down 45 pounds!!! You rock!!! I had too many low carb tortillas over the weekend, so I'm still working back to my low weight. AND I'm going to a weekend bachelorette party thing this weekend, will need to be really careful. But I'm pretty happy and feeling thinner and looking forward to more good weather. I can't wait until my pool is warm enough to swim laps!
Chris

[thinkthin7]

hey girl! we live in an apt so our pool will be opening up soon too! how are the dance classes going??
ug still stuck at 250 this morning :( i was EXTREMELY hungry yesterday and ate 3 LARGE meals with snacks and all (all on plan tho). i was hoping to see a weight loss this morning bc of being so hungry, but nope. i want to see the 240's damn it!

[thinkthin7]

hey chris! broke into the 240's woohoo...248 this morning. how's everything going your way?
do you make the oopsies or rev rolls? i was making the oopsies for the longest and tried the rev rolls today and i actually liked them better! they have less cheese in them too so that's a good thing as i LOVE my cheese and sometimes overdue it. i have been eating veggie burgers with them. i was buying so many of the veggie burgers i decided to order a case from the company that serves our store and they all have rice in them ARRG! im going to try and return them on monday...hopefully they will take them back...they were $50!!!
my son's been sick, so we haven't been able to get out for our walks. it's been raining so much here for the past 2 days anyway...i've just been working out inside the house instead.
how are you and the hubby doing?

[thinkthin7]

*sigh* i guess there are no other people from c-town :(
chris if you ever want to chat again feel free to send me a message

[jessica78]

hey ladies!! how are you!!!! i miss this place!! i need to come home!!! i have gained allll my weight back!!!! i hope you girls still check in from time to time! hope to hear from ya~

[drsharonw]

Hello, I am looking for some in-person support. I live in Geauga County in Ohio, which is about 20 miles east of Cleveland. Anyone interested in forming an in-person group of some sort?

Thanks a lot!

Sharon