Howdy! From a Newbie!

[Chiromama]

Hi Guys,

I am a reluctant low-carber, but after losing 7 lbs in less than a week, I can't complain. I sat and read Atkin's book today and it wasn't bad!

My dad and brothers lost 50 each about 8 years ago and have kept it off.

I have a goal of losing 10 lbs in a month. I am going on my first vacation in 10 years on Christmas.

I thank you all for letting me join and good luck to all of you!
:D

[Kisal]

Welcome! It's nice to have you here with us! :)

[Chiromama]

Thanks for the nice welcome!!!

It is nice to have a place to chat!

What is your key to success?

[lcgrrl2006]

Hi Welcome Chiromama!
What's helped me this go around is that I live this plan as a Way Of Life no longer a "diet".
I was a slow loser..... came to accept that and kept trudging ahead. Didn't really let that discourage me because I could see the big picture ahead. Hope this helps, Denise

[SunDrop]

Welcome :) *raises her hand* confessed carb junkie. I know what you mean about reluctant and for me that reluctance comes from knowing this has to be a change to my LIFE not just now. I let myself waste more than a month whilst 'saying goodbye' to my favourite carbs. In the end, I realised (having tried once before) that my breakfast had been low-carb and that I had a stack of low-carb appropriate foods for induction so about 1 hour after breakfast just went 'ok, today's start day'. That was 2 weeks ago today, lost 11lbs so far and SO glad I finally committed. :)

[WH1968]

Howdy and welcome to the forums.... This is a great place to get the support needed as you choose to create yourself slimmer and healthier..

Keep coming back... read much and post often.

T-man

[Chiromama]

I did well today, or what I thought was well. I just did the journal thing. Holy crap, Batman! I had 50 carbs there! What killed me was I ate an avocado. I thought it was on the plan but is was 14 grams!

I need to stop eating so many cheeses and nuts too!! They add up. I did not lose weight today for the first time, but I need to make some tweaks.

I also drink 3 cups of coffee per day with cream now. I guess I hate to change that too! :help:

I am not a perfectionist, ok, so I am...but I need to get much more weight off before Christmas and my big trip.

I know this is a lifestyle, but I am disgusted that I waited this long to do something. I coach my patients that moderation is key, but all I have done is been addicted to coffee and carbs.

Ugh. Thanks for the welcomes! :wave: I need to read up more on the plan!

Have a great night!

[SunDrop]

Avocados are on plan, if you're following the 2002 edition DANDR, but half a day is what's quoted for induction.

How far into the plan are you?

[Chiromama]

I am trying to stick as close to induction as possible although as I said - I love cheese and nuts.

I am in my second week. Today is strange, I feel dead tired, like someone drained all the blood out of my body. Up until today I have felt filled with energy.

Is that normal?

[SunDrop]

Hmmm, normally the other way around. Really lethargic and then bursting with energy. If you've reduced your carbs again to where they should be on induction (20g) you might be re-setting your blood sugars same as if you'd just started on induction.

Maybe you're not eating enough - can you post a sample menu for us to help better?

If you're following induction to the letter, you shouldn't be eating any nuts for the first 2 weeks and then if you decide to come off induction and move onto OWL, you can add nuts back as your additional 5g of carbs a day. This is likely to slow your loss down a little, so consider whether you want to do that so early on. And cheese does stall some people, so sorry to say you might want to see what happens if you cut back on that.

[Chiromama]

Well, shoot!!

I need to stock up on other things or check out others journals. Like right now, I am trapped at the office eating a few almonds and a piece of carbless sting cheese and a cup of coffee with heavy cream.

Planning is key, I guess. Tonight I am going to pick up a salad on the way to class with chicken on it.

I wish there was a cheese and nut diet! I need to eat more meat!

[Chiromama]

I am still on it....however; my weight loss has kinda stalled in my eyes. I started a week before Turkey Day....so that would be two weeks and two days....and I've lost 9 lbs....which is not bad....but mostly hit that the first week.

I was in NYC seeing the Rockettes. I did not eat the popcorn and ate string cheese (less than a carb) and almonds. For lunch I had a grilled chicken breast and salad with just a little dressing that was 4 carbs for the whole packet. For dinner we had to go to a place in a hurry....I split a burger with my husband and just ate the burger with mustard.

I must have ate like a pound of almonds. I actually had a quick thought of "Holy S(*)(, my intestines are probably wedged full of nuts! I wonder if I can die from that?" Totally gross!!! (Sorry for the visual)

I have 24 days before my trip. I need to stop eating so many nuts. I have tried looking for Pork Rinds. Where I live they don't have them and look at me like i'm crazy. My parents live in the country and they have them there.

I have been incredibly thirsty and have dry mouth. At night my breath reeks!

My main foods are: almonds, coffee with cream, and cheese. I need more variety. Maybe that is why i'm not losing! :help:

[Chiromama]

Today so far:

Two string cheeses (less than a carb each)
3 cups of coffee - one black and two with heavy cream

20 almonds

Huge hotdog
A piece of quiche that I made with no crust no flour
Water

May I say I feel like I look better. My clothes are a bit looser and my face is not a "swollen." I feel more awake. So there are positives. I wonder if I need to totally cut out the nuts and cheese. Then I think I wouldn't eat.
:lol:

[SunDrop]

The nuts, yeah. You really need to do induction as the book says. It's a pain, but it works. If you need help getting your head around why induction is good, then just ask on the forum.

Cheese is ok, as long as it's limited. Where are your veggies? Those should really be your main source of carbs. Caffeine slows some people's weight loss, so maybe try switching to decaf? And yeah, so can cheese.

Be careful with store prepared hotdogs, because a lot are cheapo cheap brands and are stuffed with carb-high 'fillers', since meat is the most expensive ingredient in a sausage...

Have you tried using My Plan or Fitday? That's a great way of seeing what the nutritional balance of your diet is and where you need to add or remove food types..

[Chiromama]

SunDrop, congrats on the weight loss!!

I found out why I have not lost weight today. Started out with cottage cheese and sour cream with walnuts. Made it in a cereal bowl type...Holy Moly - it was like 10 carbs right there for the whole bowl, so I ate a third of it with my coffee.

I rechecked the back of my almonds and they are 6 carbs per oz. No wonder I am not losing anymore!

I am so frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!!! :help: I know I am being a big baby, but the whole reason I went on Atkins was a. to lose weight FAST (temporarily) and stay on it and B. Not to journal or chart. I guess I need to put on my big girl pants and grow up but I am just plain sad. If it is this close and I am really trying and not eating anything off of the "eat moderately or sparingly chart - WHY?!?!?!? I do not feel like I am in Ketosis although mostly at night is when I get the horrid breath. I have strips in my office that I will test tomorrow. Maybe I need to exercise? I don't really have time right now. I just want to get another 10 off by Christmas. I might have to bite the bullet and follow it INDUCTION style. I wish I had a little more leeway that it would be bearable - Sorry about the rant! :( Tonight, I made a broccoli casserole with cheese and heavy cream and ate it with pot roast and almost became violently ill. I mentioned above, I hate meat. I fed the rest to my dogs.

Today I ate:

B- 1/3 bowl of cottage cheese, sour cream, and walnuts (3.5 carbs)
Coffee black

S-5 almonds
Piece of string cheese (less than 1 carb)

L - 10 buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing and a diet coke with lemon watching the Eagles get their butts kicked

S- two pieces of cheese (less than a carb each)
Sugar-free Diet Hot Cocoa (4 carbs)

D- Pot roast 0 carbs with cheesy broccoli (2 carbs for cheese)

Snack - another third of my cottage cheese mixture (3.5 carbs)
Sleepytime Tea - no carbs.

How did I do?

[Chiromama]

So I am still here....haven't posted in awhile. My weight loss has kind of stalled. I am now at 218.5. I have slipped up twice....once I had 2 Christmas cookies. I felt like hell the next day.

This past weekend I went to my friend's daughter's party. They had Wawa hoagies and birthday cake. I ate one slice of the hoagie (about 1/3 what I would have normally ate) and took 4 bites of the cake. I was sick. It was like sugar overload.

I am basically maintaining. My trip is in 5 days that I started this 5 weeks ago to get to. During the trip, I am going to start exercising (it is in Cali) and when I get back I will join a gym.

I am guessing that my carb threshhold is very low as I have been eating about 50 carbs a day and have just been status quo. :help:

It was inspirational to read others journals...especially T-man. My sister is in Willow Street which is weird! Small world! :D

Anyway....I will keep chugging along!

[swingdance]

Thanks for the nice welcome!!!

It is nice to have a place to chat!

What is your key to success?

Not cheating, or thinking I can have 'just this one bite'..because I CAN'T!

But, even if I were tempted to cheat, the one time I had a cookie in the last week, after not eating them for so long, it was HORRIBLE. I had to CHOKE it down. What a letdown.

Now I won't be tempted anymore.

You will get to the point where your success outweighs your 'desire' for sweets!

Trust us! You can DO it!