Hi Everyone

I thought I might just introduce myself to y'all.

My name's Stacie, I'm 22 and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I have only been low-carbing for only a couple of weeks. The main reason I've decided on this WOL is because last year I was diagnoised with PCOS, and one day in a year or so I would like to become pregnant...so losing weight is imporatant to me, hence the low-carbing.

I've decided to go on the Dr Atkin's diet and have just read the book...This week I'm going to try to get heavily into 'ketosis' so I'm going to eat a whole lotta meat and nothing much else (oh, and drink my water )

Hope to talk to you all soon on the message boards!

Stacie

Welcome to the site.

I only joined myself yesterday and have only been low carbing for a couple of days. How much are you hoping to lose, i would like about 50lb, so good luck to us both.

Hi Paula

I'm looking at losing about 124lbs...so I've got a LONG way to go But that's ok, I'd rather lose to slow and steady than to go on some crash diet, lose it fast, but then put it all plus extra back on!!

Are you follow any specific diet plan like Atkins or CAD?

Stacie

I totally agree with you about losing the weight slowly and steadily, it will only make you ill to do it to fast.

I am going to follow the Atkins diet, it hasn't arrived in the post yet but i wanted to get a head start on things. Today has been a bit of a tough day because it is raining and i just want to eat bad things, but I will win the war.

Good luck and keep in touch.

I know everyone says that the cravings for 'bad things' gets less and less as you continue with this WOE...and it's TRUE! I know I've only been on it for a couple or so weeks, but I honestly have noticed it. I cook hot chips for my husband with his dinner and am not even tempted to try one! There's lollies and packets of chips and chocolate in my house...but I have no temptation to eat them! Totally suprising I know, but it's true.... just hang in there!! Being 'good' has it's rewards

Welcome to the forum LadyStacie!

You can be a little more lenient and have some vegetables on induction. They're very important when it comes to preventing constipation. Boredom on this WOE can make you want to stray, and you don't want to do that!

Karen

Hi Karen! Thanks for the welcome

I know I should add some veggies, and usually I eat some broccoli or cauli...but I really want to get myself into the dark purple on my Ketostick...do you think that even if I do eat some veggies, I'll still get in the dark purple? I've only just bought some 4 days ago, even tho' I've been low carbing for a couple of weeks, and it said that I was in trace, then small, and now negative (I had some chinese food, thinking that if I only ate the meat and broccoli I'd be ok, but I later read on this forum that I was VERY wrong, so it bumped me out of ketosis )

But you are right, the last thing I want is to be consitpated!! The dark purple will most likely come soon enough

Welcome to the forum, you'll like it here!

Don't worry about getting into dark purple on the ketosticks, which are actually fairly blunt instruments for measuring ketones. Any shade of pink, from 'trace' on up, shows you are in ketosis. If you are drinking lots of water, the sticks tend to show lighter, because the ketones are more dilute. Dark purple sticks may be an indication that you're not drinking enough.

Also, some people never seem to 'turn' the sticks at all, yet successfully lose weight on low-carb. Go figure!

Happy lowcarbing,
Rachel

Hi Rachel

Thanks heaps for that post, you've made me feel heaps better! I tested tonight and it said I was in trace, which I'm now very happy about I'm drinking lots and lots of water, 3 litres a day! Plus this morning when I jumped on the scales it showed I'd lost another kilo *happy dance*

Thanks ladies for all your input so far...I can tell I'm going to get heaps of help and support from this forum

Stacie

Hi Stacie

Well done on losing that Kilo, it does give you a great boost when you see it coming off. My small goal to myself is to lose 5lb in the next three weeks, that will put me down into the next stone bracket which i haven't been in for the last two years. I find setting myself small goals for each month works better for me than a huge amount over a year. Although i seem to have been putting it on at that rate over the last while

I read what you said about the cravings getting easier and i hope your right . It is quite tough at the moment. I went into work this morning at about 5.30am and all there was to eat was bread, cakes, danish, pasties etc..... but i resisted

Let me know more about yourself. Its good to talk, do you ever go into the chat room. I did but nobody was there

Paula

Hi Stacie,

There are two things not to obsess on: ketostix and the scale!

Rachel is right! I occasionally use them because I think it's fun to watch the way they change colour, but I've never been deep purple, only from negative to moderate. You will soon be able to "feel" when you are in ketosis and not have to use the stix at all.

Karen

hello stacie and welcome aboard! congratulations on your loss of a kilo! good for you, girl!! glad to hear your eating your veggies! just meat would be really boring! i lost 12lbs and my ketosticks never were higher than a trace. i don't bother with them much now! we have a few other aussie friends on the board here. nice to have another!

Thanks for all your replys

Paula, I am very proud of you for resisting those evil, yet very tempting cakes'n'danishs!! In the morning it can be so hard not to go back to your old habits. I never ate breakfast, now I eat bacon and eggs...I used to have to force myself, now I can stomach food as soon as I get up...it's great how your body can adapt to things.

You are so right, I am totally obsessing with the scales and the ketostiks!

Previously, every time I hear my friends say how they jump on the scales every morning I tell them off saying (as we all know) that you should only weigh yourself every 3 or so days, not every day as your weight will go up and down...every week is even better. So what do I do? I go on the first 'diet' in my entire life and every morning there I am on the scales! Talk about not practising what you preach! I even jump on the again after I've had my shower to see if they've gone down!! I know the weight will come off slowly, and I know that's the healthiest way...but these scales....I should get my husband to lock them away and only let them out once a week!

I love my veggies!! So it's not going to be a chore of me to eat them which is good, I just have to remember not to eat too many of them or I'll eat too many carbs!

Hi Stacie

I am just the same as you with the scales, I jump on and of like a yo-yo. The one thing i have found encouraging though is the scales i have got test your body fat also. Women are supposed to be within 27-30 according to the book (which i am waaaaaaay outside!!!), but since starting this diet i have actually seen the fat content come down even if the weight hasn't. Its a great gadget but i am still to obsessed with it

My husband goes away for a couple of months soon as he is in the Royal Air Force, so i would love to have a slimmer new look for when he gets back, even though i won't be any were near my goal.

Speak to you later maybe in the chat room if you want to!

Paula