I am switching from a very successful, but restrictive VERY low carb meat fast to a more sensible long-term weight loss plan to hopefully get to goal (120#) by the end of the year. I wanted to have a list of meals that I could cycle through and lose without getting bored.

So far I've had Twice Baked Fauxtatoes (YUMMMM!!!!) which made 4 portions, sausages, BBQ ribs, steaks with veggies, pork chops, lamb chops, you name it! My calories hover at about 2000 to 2500 now, and carbs are 25 to 30. Last weekend I treated myself to "Mockeroni" and Cheese made with tofu...

All so good. I am never hungry, I eat 2 or 3 meals a day, and I feel so satisfied. Almost TOO satisfied. My problem is I am becoming obsessive. I am going over my list of meals 50+ times trying to find the stuff in there that will make me gain, or at best stop losing... After eating a meal I go through it in my head and try to determine if this was 100% legal, or if I messed up. I go through almost a whole pack of Ketostix a day.

I'm hoping as I lose I will get into a groove where I know that my list of meals is "safe" and I can stop obsessing. Anyone else feel sometimes like the food on Atkins is so rich, so satisfying, so good that it cannot POSSIBLY be allowing you to lose weight long term?

When I think about it, I may be eating less total calories on OWL, in addition to impact cals I call them (fattening carbs I used to get from starches and sugars) -- plus I have more energy and health to exercise now. I bike and lift weights, I do get hungry after 8PM but I try to limit snacking. This week I went up 2 and down 3 but I feel a bit thinner.

I read a study last night it takes about 3000 extra calories from carbs= one pound of fat gain. The surprise was if they are calories from fat it takes about 8000!

I've been at or near goal for more than 1 1/2 years, and I'm totally committed to low-carb. I'll never go back to any other strategy for weight management. At last--NO MORE DIETING.

Is this true if the calories are combined?

And, since I have you here another question: what is a good magnesium-calcium supplement? You have made some good suggestions in the past.

Bkloots, I covet your arms! I am trying 1 hour 4 days a week of strength training (alternating upper and lower), and the results have been amazing.

Jenn, I'm also thinking of moving to two meals a day from three. I had to skip breakfast a couple of days this week because of work, and I found I wasn't really hungry anyway until mid-morning.

Hair

Thanks, Hair. I'm turning 60 this year, and "armflaps" are not in my plan. I do upper body weight training 3x/wk. Cardio keeps the fat burning going on. Am I a little obsessed with anti-aging? You bet. I've only got a small window of time left.

I am totally with you except I never bough to ketostix so I never do those.. but I do obess over menu and planning what I (we ) are going to eat... I am just so happy to be in a such a great place I don't want to blow it by not being prepared... I am really really having a hard time beliving that you can lose weight and be FULL... I am so brainwashed that I need to be starving to lose weight...

"Armflaps are not in my plan." That's hilarious. Did you have the decreased cardio endurance when you started Atkins? I keep getting sinking feelings that I'll never be able to run again on low-carb. I know it will be slow-going (it's only been 3 1/2 weeks), but the only thing that would discourage me at this point is not having my mileage go back up.

I'd be interested in knowing your strength training routine. Is it a workout video or something you devised yourself?

BTW, I'm 47, so I'm right behind you, and no, I don't want to ride the "armflap train" either!
Hair

There is hope, I am over 50. Have not run in years. Had knee surgury a few years ago. Have had a lot of ankle problem with tendons tightening up.

Been doing atkins since 3-6-06. I started walking about the same time. The first mile of the day is on the treadmill in my bed room. Some of it is outside. H is SHOCKED that I have started to pick up my treadmill spead to a walk run walk run walk pace. Truthfull I am shocked I am able to do it too.

I have never been a dieter. Honestly, I love food too much. My problem was including bad foods into my loves. Low carb fits the me that I truly am. The higher carb foods are things that I worked at eating until I learned to love them ( if that makes sense ). It is nice to know that the foods that I was trying to cut down on, pre low carb, are actually foods that I should be eating. My blood tests prove that cream, butter, steak, dark meat chicken are foods that promotes a healthy diet and ideal weight. What joy!

Jenn, forgive us for highjacking your thread, but here's a little more discussion about exercise.

I was an exerciser before I started Atkins--longtime veteran of low-fat/lo-cal stuff y'know. Burned a lot of calories with aerobics, step, and running. I don't exactly remember how it was in the first days of Atkins, but I've never backed off on my workouts.

At a lower weight (currently) I've been able to return to running, which is the best fat-burner for me. I also walk regularly, and enjoy step workouts at the gym, and recently added spinning (stationary bike interval workout) once a week. In the winter, I ice skate. I can do all this comfortably on low-carb, although I do believe it takes an adjustment period. Low-carb is fine for normal cardio workouts of less than an hour.

Last Saturday, I ran a 12K race (7 miles) in 85 minutes--that was a challenge. I did it after a vacation during which I ate quite a lot of carby foods, so I was running on carb energy, and I actually think that might have been helpful. IMHO, distance running requires a higher carb component than I normally eat. But I seldom go that distance.

For strength training, I've been using videos for years. Cory Everson's Get Hard Arms and Shoulders is amazing. I also like Gilad's Men of Steel/Arms workout. And I have a bunch of other videos that I use regularly. Low weight/hi rep workouts mostly. You just have to make the commitment to do them regularly, and challenge yourself.

I work in a creative organization with a lot of young people. It isn't in my best interests to look, act, or think like an old person. Turns out, at my age, I can have wisdom, red hair, and fabulous shoulders, too. Just takes a little extra effort.

Best wishes!

I never feel like I am dieting - my mind is so attuned to just looking for the right choices now, and the choices are so good and filling that this is the easiest way of life to stick too. I wish I had known about lowcarb years ago!!

I don't feel like I'm dieting. I believe there are two key reasons;
1. I feel full on low-carb even though I'm eating far less than before LC.
2. I can have a cheat meal or two each week and still lose a pound or two. No deprivation here.
The scale says I'm dieting though. 348 this AM, down 55 from my official LC start, and 60 from my highest weight. I'm looking almost svelte at my height. (OK, not really svelte, my frame will never allow that)

Well, today breakfast is sausages and tomato with mayonnaise... I know everything I'm eating is in accordance with induction. Tomatos are allowed, mayo is allowed, the sausages (which just contain pork and seasoning and are 0g carb) are allowed... Why do I feel so guilty?!

Even my delicious twice-baked potato I obsessed over the carb counts... But cauliflower, cheese, and bacon are allowed. And in the limited quantity I had them Atkins allows sour cream and cream cheese as well... I think I am starting to get braver and trying new recipes as well which REALLY makes me feel like I am not dieting at all.

Looks like its working, at 58 years young I am going to have to work harder to catch up to her

Ill look for that study; its part of a post I found from the "omnivore" website, the link is on one of my other computers.

For Ca, Mg and Zn I just buy Rexall or some other generic brand $2 a bottle-- I think most provide over 30% DV of each. I get some in my diet from spinach, and other greens like kale, mustard and collards.


http://www.empowerfoods.com.au/foru...highlight=colpo

Oh, I never feel like I am dieting at all! Especially since I have just discovered a fabulous LC recipe for strawberry cheesecake "ice cream"! I too wish I had known about low-carb years ago. I will definitely stick with this for life.

Thank you, Dr. Atkins!!