Tips for starting out

[jesslive]

I know there are quite a few success stories in here and a few people who are well on their way. I am curious as to what plans people started on, what plans you switched to, and what prompted the switch.

Also, how many are exercising, and what type of exercising did you do when you had the most weight to lose?

I am doing Atkins because it has worked in the past, but I would like to read up on some of the other plans that have made people successful.

Also, my joints can't seem to take jumping right into lunges and squats and more complicated exercise. Right now, I am walking. Anyone have any tips on how they got motivated and got strong enough to move into more advanced exercise? My quads, knees, and back are not as strong as they used to be. ;)

I am just polling for info, and I will look around for past threads as well.

[costello22]

I started with Atkins, and I'm still with Atkins.

I don't exercise.

[GeeWee]

Hi there. I just looked at your stats and found that not only are the same height and very close in starting weight, but our birthdays are only 20 days apart. So helllloooo. Just wanted to say hi. I get giddy when I find other people my age, my size, my weight starting out on the same journey I'm on.

As for what I'm doing, I'm essentially following atkins, but am not charting everything obessively. Maybe I should be, but I find that tends to turn me off. I am very careful about what I eat, though, and am sticking pretty much to under 20 carbs or just over on a daily basis. I'm eating pretty simply - eggs for breakfast, "taco" salad for lunch, and usually a simple meat and mushrooms or zuchini for dinner. Snack is usually some fried queso blanco (or mexican frying cheese) and desert is a little bit of whipped cream/cream cheese combo flavored with da vinci's sf white chocolate syrup.

The only things I've added in are a handful of dry roasted almonds from time to time and a little bit of flax bread every week or so. For instance, this morning I made a two egg omelet, nuked some lower carb sausage patties and made my husband and I breakfast sandwhiches with the flax bread.

The one thing I've found recently that seems to help us is the addition of even more fat than we were originally consuming. I had been eating the whipped cream/cream cheese combo from time to time, and I noticed that I was losing more weight on the days that I ate it. I've just started cooking with more butter and things of that nature to add more fat to the diet and both the husband and I have been down the past two days. I'm hoping it continues in the same way!

I haven't been excercising a whole lot yet, but have been walking some and using a cheap elliptical machine (given to us by my mother in law, who found it to be too difficult for herself) for about 10 minutes once a day. I had ankle surgery last year and seem to not have the same strength in my legs that I had once upon a time, so I've got to build up my stamina.

Anyway... best of luck to you! I can tell you it was fabulous to enter my 30's NOT in the 300's, and it looks like you'll be doing the same. Congrats!

[2cute4u_04]

I started with Atkins, and I'm still with Atkins.

I don't exercise.



I second that!!!

but i pretty much just drink water and tea...coffee on occasions....very seldom drink diet soda...think that has helped a lot too....

[jschwab]

First, remember to be patient with yourself. Low-carbing is like horse-riding: it takes a long time to master but once you learn you don't forget. I lost 60 pounds without exercising (caveat: I don't drive and I live in the city so I walk alot just in everyday life) because I have a hard time doing both. I started exercising, even ran a ten-mile race and stalled out for that entire time. Recently, I cut back on the intense exercise (I swim and run a bit in the pool) and have lost twenty more pounds. I'm about five pounds down from the weight I was when I first gained back and then stalled, but my body looks tiny compared to then.

Anyway, that is my story - exercise is not crucial to weight loss and sometimes can hinder it, but if you enjoy it, keep it up. I started at 285 so not far off from where you are.

Janine

[jesslive]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't like to exercise now, but I remember a time when I did. Something tells me, if I try at it, I will again. I don't know. We will have to see.

Geewee- I appreciate the menu details especially the flax bread. I guess I haven't been looking around enough because I had never heard of it. It sounds like a great addition for variety. I looked up the recipe just now. A good tip from someone I have a lot in common with.

Also-2 cute- I like seeing your posts around here. I will avoid diet soda. I am sure the aspertame isn't good for me. This will be a challenge though. I have tended to lean on diet soda as a sweet crutch.

Janine- A fellow Philly person. I am out in the burbs past KOP.

I like Atkins because it isn't that complicated. I figure its best to start simple, right?

[2cute4u_04]

Thanks for the replies.

Also-2 cute- I like seeing your posts around here. I will avoid diet soda. I am sure the aspertame isn't good for me. This will be a challenge though. I have tended to lean on diet soda as a sweet crutch.

I like Atkins because it isn't that complicated. I figure its best to start simple, right?

Thanks sweetie... Yeah the soda isnt good for your body....if you do drink it i would put a limit on how much... i do drink a diet soda from time to time but maybe like once or twice a month and 20 oz is about all i can take...drinking water has made it too sweet for me...even the crystal light packages are too sweet for me now lol... what i did to cute drinking the soda was i forced myself to drink 64 oz of water before i let myself drink anything else...IT WORKS!! and i believe it has sped up my weight loss..

[NoWhammies]

I actually started with low calorie - a traditional diet - in January of 2007. I lost fairly easily - though not quickly - because I had begun taking thryoid medication for a 15 year undiagnosed thyroid condition. I lost probably my first 40 -50 pounds that way, and then stopped losing. So I switched to a low glycemic, mostly low carb diet in November of 2007. I lost about 20 lbs on that through November and December and stalled out in January. I switched to Atkins induction in January of 2008 - and dropped another 15 lbs quickly, and then slowly trickled to about 3 pounds ago. I stalled out several months ago and have been stalled since then. I have since switched over to Protein Power Life Plan - which works better for my lifestyle and I feel healtheir and more energetic with than I did with Atkins. I also feel I can sustain PPLP for the rest of my life - something I wasn't sure I could do with Atkins.

Along the way, I've discovered a lot of food sensitivities that have caused me to need to eat in a paleo manner as well - I have allergies or sensitivities to soy, dairy, gluten, artificial sweeteners and a few other foods as well.

I do exercise, and always have, although I didn't start formal training until about two months ago. Before that, it was weekend warrior exercise - recreational hiking, bicyling, golfing, tennis, etc. Now I am strength training twice a week, doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) once or twice a week, and also doing recreational exercise on weekends and probably once midweek.

[rightnow]

I just do whatever I feel like doing at a given time that does not exceed the number of carbs I set (usually 20-50) and that has at least almost enough protein for my body size. I avoid gluten, so no LC bread, tortillas, bake mixes, etc. I tend to avoid hard core doses of caseine too, so no LC slimfast, though I do eat dairy. Pretty much I eat what I want as long as it's fairly lowcarb.

I only sometimes exercise. I mow and weed the lawn, I go to the walking park, I do housework, rarely I lift weights. It doesn't take much to be exercise for me. Yard work nearly kills me LOL. But I don't do it regularly at least at this point.

Lately I'm working on being more healthy and eating well, not just eating lowcarb. So I'm eating a little more blueberries and strawberries, I'm taking some supplements, I'm making a point to have some veggie at least now and then, and I'm eating several times a day.

It changes for me. What I'm doing right now, I feel good, but whether I lose weight, I don't really know yet, I'll give it a couple of weeks. If I'm not losing any, I'll adjust something. That's just the way of it. I don't seem to do well on restrictive plans. Unless they're some insanely restrictive far-out thing lol.

[jschwab]

"Janine- A fellow Philly person. I am out in the burbs past KOP."

I'm in West Philly, near Penn. Good to meet you!

[jesslive]

I
I only sometimes exercise. I mow and weed the lawn, I go to the walking park, I do housework, rarely I lift weights. It doesn't take much to be exercise for me. Yard work nearly kills me LOL. But I don't do it regularly at least at this point.


Yard work really kills me, too. I am so bad at anything that involves bending and lifting at this point. Also, I hate the combination of hot, dirty, and sweaty. It doesn't really work for me. :p

Also, I am glad you brought up supplements. I took a lot of them the last time I lost weight, and I think I might need them again. I will have to try to purchase the ones I can afford and at least get back to the basics.

[NoWhammies]

Oh yes - I supplement, too. :) Lots of supplements. Here's what I take:

L-carnitine
Carlson's Lemon Cod Liver Oil
Magnesium
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
CoQ10
Vitamin E
Chromium
Potassium (with folic acid)
sublingual B12
C with bioflavanoids
Selenium

[MizKitty]

Hi Jess, welcome :wave:

I never did induction, I started out doing what I still do: Keeping net carbs to under 30 a day.

I don't exercise, but my energy and activity level rose as I got my insulin levels under control and dropped weight.

My biggest tip for someone starting out would be: don't do anything to lose the weight that you are not willing to make into a permanent lifestyle change.

[jesslive]

That's great advice. I think that is part of why people find LC so restricting.

I had a rough day today because I work in an office where all the food is free. This is normally great; however, that also means chips, candy, soda, desserts, and any other high carb food you can dream of are also free.

The brownies looked so good, but I resisted. I am however going to have to learn to bring things for myself so I don't feel like I am missing something.

Also, its interesting to hear that you never did induction. I didn't really intend on it as I do like a handful of almonds here and there. I will review that choice later when I look at my weight loss to see if that is an issue.

I don't want to miss that 2 week period of purifying my body of the carbs; however, I find it difficult to not have any nuts and such for two weeks. The substitute products are not for me, but I need to have a tablespoon of almond butter and some whipped cream here and there.

[Shorty987]

Hi Jess, welcome :wave:

I never did induction, I started out doing what I still do: Keeping net carbs to under 30 a day.

I don't exercise, but my energy and activity level rose as I got my insulin levels under control and dropped weight.

My biggest tip for someone starting out would be: don't do anything to lose the weight that you are not willing to make into a permanent lifestyle change.
I second this, this is another big key to grasp!!!
My biggest tip for someone starting out would be: don't do anything to lose the weight that you are not willing to make into a permanent lifestyle change

[pennink]

I'm on Atkins 72. A bit stricter than the newer versions. I count real carbs, not net, and keep it under 20 a day.

I did different versions of Atkins over the years. I first did it in 72. Then a few times with the net carb ideas and the products. Lost a bit, then stalled out for years. Frustrated, I quit.

So, this time I started Atkins and did really really well. Then I got impatient. I tried something stupid (kimkins). Oh, yes it worked, but I got sicker and sicker and it triggered a lot of my anorexic tendencies from when I was younger.

Then I heard of Lyle MacDonald's program and tried that. I stalled out worse than before.

So, I am back on Atkins after farting around too much

I do, do IF (intermittent fasting) and it really really helps.


anyway, good luck, you're at the right place.

[GeeWee]

[QUOTE=pennink]

I do, do IF (intermittent fasting) and it really really helps.

QUOTE]


Hi pennink. Can you tell me a little bit more about how IF works for you? I'd never really heard of the idea before, but just went and googled it out of curiosit. My immediate thought is that it might somehow mess with my metabolism, but maybe I'm just uninformed.

[pennink]

Nope. It has 'cured' my metabolism after being junked on stupid diets (aka, Kimkins).

I only eat dinner through the weekdays. I have a big meal and some yummy snacks. I feel better than eating three meals (which is, really, a cultural thing and not a necessity). My doctor is pro IF. She explained that this way the body is not continually digesting. You actually get a chance to use and burn what you have eaten. That cavemen did not eat three squares. They would fill up on the kill of the day (or the week... who knows), but there was less consistency.

I lose very very well when I stick to it. I do not get too low in calories, but sometimes it happens. No worries, I make up for it the next day! I watch the carbs though. 20 or less.

[GeeWee]

Thanks for the info! I'm totally intrigued by the idea of it... and it would be so simple just NOT to eat anything during the day. I'm going to do some more research, but may very well give it a try! Thanks again :)

[jesslive]

I am intrigued by IF too. I wil have to read up and see if it is something I could try.