Gracie-poo this is great news!! Congratulations! I haven't lost an ounce since April 1, but I have lost inches, so I am really thrilled about that. Clothes are fitting better because I have started light weight lifting and doing the weights is firming up my flabby areas. TeriDoodle is right about this becoming so, so, soooo much harder in once you are in your 40s. This is a 4th or 5th major weight loss for me in 30 years and this time it is even slower and harder than the last one I unsuccessfully went through in my late 30s, only 5 years ago. I wish I would have known about low carb back in the Stone Age when I was in my 20s!!! Anyhow, I love hearing about your great progress and I KNOW you are enjoying wearing those size 8s!

Thank you all!!!!! You guys all ROCK!

I love being in the single digit sizes, I've never been there since I can remember....it feels weird From 190 (my highest) to the 140's!!!!!

I'm never going to give up this WOL, I feel great

Hugs,
Gracie

Oh Gracie Poo!!!! How great, I can't wait to get to where you are! Wayto go

I also WHOOSH!

And it is definitely related to TOM. I have to say, it is great to see the weight go, but I know when a WHOOSH is happening, and it doesn't feel too good to me. It makes me a little bit nervous. I wake up, I put my hands on my stomach, and I say, "Where did it GO?" I know I want it to go - obviously - but there is something shaky and weird about the feeling. I find it to be a little drastic.

I have mixed feeling about it. But I have almost never lost a pound a day. When it goes, it goes in 2 or 3 or 4 pounds at a time. So I guess I am kind of used to it.

Graciepoo Thanks for asking about me no wooshes in about 2 weeks for me but I did cheat 2 weekends in a row on Monday I was up 9 pounds!!!!!! But after going back on induction 7 of those pounds are gone I feel by morning the other two will be gone & Yes I too can feel a swoosh coming.I also get my swooshes in 3-4 pound swooshes I wish it was 1 pnd a day bur hey I'll take what I can get.TOM is due so hopfully like always she will take some weight with her. Thats Great about a size 8 WOW girl you go.Im also 5"8 but am large boned.I will change my goal once I get there to 140 I was that 4 1/2 years ago & it looked & felt great. Im now in a size 12 was a size 20-22.I can't wait to get there we can do it Girls!!!!!!! You can check out my web page for my updated photos...See ya have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!

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I can see that no one has posted here in several weeks, however I find the urge to post my 2 cents.

I too have experienced the whoosh and the cheating. I don't intentionally cheat to lose weight, I have found that if I have a strong urge now and then, I do allow myself to endulge on something that I love, but only a small, small portion. I have found that doing this keeps me strong, gets me past the cravings and fullfills the drive in me that I have control of this NWE. I love it.

As for everyone dropping the pounds and clothes sizes...fantastic. I have been wearing a size 20 for so many years that I can't remember. I was in a size 16 when I met my husband in 1984 and with getting married and having 3 kids 3 years in a row I quickly ballooned to well over 200 pounds (260 at my highest) and have not seen sub-200 in a long, long time. My goal is to get to a 165 pound woman...that may not seem small, but I'm built very solid and can outlift many men that I know through my strength. I do not body build, I always say I was raised on a farm and inherited my father's strength.

Anyway...my first goal is to break past 200 pounds. I am so excited because I am only 6 pounds away. I have to stay focused here because I have seen such a fantastic change in my appearance in such a short time that I find myself getting comfortable here. I don't want that. I want to keep that fire in my belly and continue on the steady course.

My husband and 2 of my children are also on this WOE. We have lost a total of 129 pounds now since May 6th. This will help me stay on course because we only prepare the "good" meals and help each other remain strong and remember our water and vitamins.

Good luck to all of you.

What is TOM?

TOM is time of the month. It's a chick thing!

So now I want to know how this works? When do you do it, on what day? Is it just one day? What do you eat to cheat or splurge on? and then what do you do in regards to water and carb counts? I am still on induction but keep bouncing back and forth on two lousy pounds. I could really use all the help I can get to get over this hill. I would like sorta of a timeline so I know what days to do what on. TIA
Jacque

Wow, what a relief to see these post. My TOM started 2 days ago and I am on the induction. I cheated so bad yesterday w/ oreo cookies and crackers and grapes that I was ready to give up. I feel some hope now that I may be ok. As I am writing this I am guzzling my water. I have never had a whoosh but I am hoping for one after tom is over!

When does it usually happen??

I think that weight loss often occurs when TOM leaves not BECAUSE of the "cheats" but IN SPITE of them. I definitely don't think it's being promoted as a method to lose weight here.... so there really is no "plan" for using it as such.

THERE HAS TO BE A PLAN...! IT CANT BE!
Just joking I didn't really mean bad cheat just about what good foods we could use.

Everyone is talking about TOM and WOE. WHAT DO THEY STAND FOR? Just started 3 weeks ago and last week lost nothing so am checking it out. I am having no problem staying under 20 carbs but consumed more aspartame in the last week and started having white wine. Thought I would stay at 20 and cut out aspartame. Still planning on eating other sugar subs. What do you think?

TOM=time of month... it''s a gal thing,men need not apply and WOE=way of eating, or WOL=way of life...What exactly are you checking out?... aspartame will cause problems in Dr. Atkins opinion... and so will alcohol, these are both covered on his web site http://www.atkinscenter.com... If you are planning on staying at 20 grams of carbs...why not continue with induction? I done it for a month... now have tweaked the plan, to where I am doing a combination Stillman/Atkins plan. As far as other sugar substitutes... Atkins suggests Splenda or Stevia.... why do you think you need all the sugar subs? Got a sweet tooth or something?IMHO-in my humble opinion...., everyone has to find out what is right for them... if you are not losing tho.,.. I wouldn't go too far from induction though... there are reasons for stalls... use a tape measure instead... go by it... I lost 14# in a week, then lost 6 in the last 3 weeks...am I upset? No way... a 20 lb. loss in a month is nothing to dislike! THere are so many reasons for stalls... doa search here, and read some of the posts... you will see what I am talking about.

Edandmill - A little "stall" is quite common in weeks 3-5.... it happened to me, too. If it weren't for this board, where I learned that it happens to almost everyone, I probably would have bailed out of the plan.

We'd all like to lose at a steady 2# a week, but it just doesn't happen that way usually. Just hang in there and stay on the plan.

Yes, I agree that you should switch to Splenda and cut out the aspartame. What are you using it for....? Coffee? How much?

And the wine..... well, Protein Power allows 1 glass a day of dry white, but don't neglect to count the carbs!! They add up quickly!