I've been looking for a diet I can live with, and I'm hoping this one will work. My name is Carol - but couldn't get my name to sign on with so I chose something fun. When you see "Merry Widow", bet you automatically think of a sveldt figure, you know, slinky, well proportioned, etc. NOT!!! But I'm hoping to get somewhere in the vicinity of that by June. Gotta set Goals, right? I started the induction the afternoon of the 16th... but first I had the most delicious restaurant breakfast of potato pancakes with sour cream & applesauce ! and bacon, too. It was like a last meal thing I guess. But then, it was down to business. I'm doing the foods off the induction list rather than the menu's for induction in Atkins latest book as some of the foods don't appeal to me, and it's driving me crazy because I'm not creative. So, I'll be lurking and hoping to find out what other people are doing in this first phase. So far, I've lost 6 1/2 pounds in one week. Hooray!

Don't want to chew your ear off, (are there carbs in that?) so I'd better end this. Anyway, it's awfully nice to meet you!!!

Hi Carol,

Welcome to the forum!

Congratulations on 6.5 pounds already gone!! That's a terrific start. Just keep on keeping on and the cravings for carbs will go away.

Best advice I can give you, you already seem to be following: take advantage of the experience and support on this forum!!

Best of luck to you!

Kypraia

Hello Kypraia,

Thanks for the nice welcome...

I noticed that you and I are similar in our weight and our goals. I'm 190 hoping to go to 140 by July 1st. That's 2.2 lbs a week so that may be do-able. As you can tell, I've been to FitDay.com. The tools there are great, except for the Food one. I couldn't always get the right portion size... exasperating to say the least.

You have been doing very well in losing weight, I applaud you for that. I hope everyone here reaches their goals.

Well, it's 10PM here now, so I'm going to turn in as I have to work tomorrow, and it's up at 5AM for me.

Thanks again for noticing me... please keep in touch and let me know how you're doing. We all need each other.

Carol

Hi Carol,

2.2 pounds a week is do-able, but it's very high. I would hope that you won't be disappointed if it doesn't work out to 2.2 a week. I lose about 1 a week, and like you said, I'm doing well. I have a goal to lose everything by summer too, but I'm starting to realize that the real goal is to lose the weight rather than to do it by a certain day.

This is just so if you don't lose as fast as you want, you will not feel bad about it. It isn't easy to sustain quick weight loss over the long term. And it's MUCH MUCH easier for men to lose 2 pounds a week than for women.

Now that you're here, you should start a journal so people can drop by and give you advice and support.

We're glad to have you, keep in touch!
Best, Kypraia

Hi Merry Widow !

Great to meet you, and I'm sure this site will grow on you, as it does me.
Reading the above about the amount of weight loss per week, brings to mind my sentiment on the subject.......I am just so happy to have the scale go in the downward direction, even if it's a fraction of a pound, that that is enough to make me happy, regardless of the amount. I put my weight on gradually over the past 17 years since I gave up smoking, always the scale crept up, never down. So you can see just halting the gain gives me a feeling of control over my weight......course a little loss adds to it.

When you feel weak and need support, just post here and there is always someone to post back and boulster you and you are back on the right track!!

Well I'll be anxious to read more from you. Happy Low Carbing.

Hello Kypraia and Edie,

Don't worry, I won't be disappointed if I can't keep up 2.2 lbs a week, but that figure includes induction, and after my first 2 weeks are over, I thought I'd do another week - maybe 2 before going on to the next step. We'll see how I feel when the time comes. I can also always slip another induction in somewhere if I decide not to do that extra week right away. Have you tried that? And how did it work for you if you did? This isn't my first diet, so I'm used to hitting plateaus, and not losing as fast as I'd like.

And drat those men for having it easier than us when it comes to losing weight! But who said life is fair?

Got on kind of late tonight and so I'd better turn in because I have to go to work tomorrow. Good luck to you both in your continuing weight loss. I hope I can do as good as you. Carol

Speaking of going back on induction from time to time, made me think of this: I have been low carbing for 3 months now , and hard as it is to believe, no longer crave any of the sweets and starches that seemed so hard to give up in the begining. Consequentially I sometimes have to check that I am eating over the 20 carb level of induction, as I have I have learned some new low carb recipies that I so love. when I make them I am apt to eat too much of them and not include enough other carbs, tee hee , who would have guessed that'd happen! Atkins web site has recipies for "Shortcut Moussaka","Osso Buco"and the like. I make a lowcarb "Italian Wedding Soup" that I have a recipe for that is great, and Atkins has this "Cheese Sauce" that you just heat a cup of heavy cream and when hot stir in 1 cup grated cheese, and whisk around till smooth, I add a little paprika and a generous amount of tarragon and it is great on cauliflower or other veggies and fish, chicken etc. This web site has great recipies you have already found I'm sure. So I doubt going a little lower in carbs from time to time can hurt, as long as you remind yourself to include enough veggies if you've neglected to, also I add berries in heavy cream. I guess the greatest thing about this way of eating is that the longer you are on it, the more you enjoy it. At first on induction it may seem that it's about the foods you Can't have but after it's all about all the great things you Can have.There are so many great recipies out there! Also a crock pot is handy. Yikes...what a windy post!! You must be yawning, tee hee.

Hi Mary,
Nope, haven't found the recipes on this site yet... but I'll look for them cause I need ideas! So thanks for telling me about it. I also have to update my profile I guess because I've lost 2 more lbs from when I first signed on the site. And that makes me a happy girl!

I try to exercise some each morning because I know that will help to lose the weight too. Don't laugh, but I do my exercises in bed the first thing each morning rather than on the floor like they say you should. But if I laid on the floor, my body would be so out of alignment I would ache... so doing it in bed is a good thing.

Well, here it is late in the evening again, so I will sign off for now and will try to come back tomorrow.

Have a good evening, everyone!

Carol

What a dip I am... Sorry, but I meant Edie, not Mary. Where did that come from anyway? Must be because my phone rang and when I got off of it my mind went south...

Hi Everybody

I'm a newie from Australia. I have tried to lose weight many times with no success. I have yoyo'd that many times I have lost count. I have just found the Dr Atkins diet and because I love all the food that you can eat and am not a great lover of fruit have decided to give it a try, but I need the support of someone else as I get none here at home. I hope that you can be that support


Take care,

AshenPond/Jenye

Ashen, you have already lost weight I see.........good going!! I am the only one on Atkins here so not getting help at home is not new to me either. That's probably why I am on this web site so much. It does the trick. It makes me feel like I am with a group of people that are ahead of the rest, tee hee, on their way of thinking about eating. There is so much support here to be found, people are so caring. If you have a question and post it someone answers before long and you are never alone for long. This is the only way of eating that drops any weight for me. I even went vegeterian one whole winter, and still the weight kept creeping up....So I figure for me, at least, the carbs are what must put weight on. So write when ever you want to chat, we're (and me) are here for you. Have fun and good luck!!!



MerryWidow, you can call me Mary if you like.......teehee!! You're one up on me here.......you got a phone call in the middle of your post, I can't My internet connection is w/ phone, so I can only do one or the other, be online or have my phone free. I am actually the worst person remembering names, it's almost a joke in my family, my kids feel special if I call them by there right name on the first shot, it's that bad. I'm good here as I copy. Hey that's it, people should wear name tags ROFL. How ya doing finding things to eat? There is alot you can eat without changing much, like last night I made meatballs, just left out breadcrumbs, works great, just hamburger, egg, chopped scallion and garlic and seasoning if you like. Can do the same with your regular meatloaf recipe, just leave off the bread crumbs. If you are out of eggs, I use 3Tablespoons of sour cream in place of an egg, works perfect. If I want a little crunch I grate walnuts and sprinkle them in........good. A batch of that can last a few meals or freeze some for the future. Oh, I rolled my meatballs real small, bitesize, and baked in preheated 400degree oven and in 15 minutes they were aready totally done...Walla. Well I guess my writing took up enough room for now........

Hello Ashen,
Glad to have you with us! I know how it is to not get support at home... I don't think too many of us get it because our spouses don't think! And of course now that I'm widowed and have a serious relationship with someone, he supports me in what I'm doing although he thought I should go on weight watchers because his cousin did and she's having success with it. And of course he still eats goodies in front of me which doesn't help as I could live on goodies. My salvation is that he's in Florida right now and I'm in Illinois so I'm getting a good start on losing weight. I'll be going out to see him at the end of Feb. for two weeks and I'm hoping my weight loss will really be noticeable. And that I can stay on my diet, too. So I guess we're all in the same boat. We really need each other to lean on. So I'm here for anyone that needs it, and I know you all will be here for me too. I must admit one thing though, that my cravings are not as intense as they used to be. I get them once in a while, and I'm the most surprised person because I didn't think that would ever happen.

Hi MaryEdie (yuk yuk!)
I used to have only one phone line like you, and my family didn't like it because they couldn't get through when they'd call. So when AT&T digital offered two lines for 28.95 a month I thought that was great. Except with all the other charges, it really turned out to be 48.95 a month. I won't get into that story. But I didn't want to give the second line up so I just keep on paying the bill. I know where you're coming from when you say you never call your kids by their right names. I used to do that to, and to this day my youngest son reminds me how I even called him not only by his sister and brothers name, but by the two dogs names before I could come up with his name. Is that hilarious or what??

I still have a pretty boring menu that I'm eating. I don't seem to have the time to sit down and find or figure out what I could eat that would be more palatable. And that reminds me of the joke that just went around between some of my friends on the internet. It suits me to a tee. I'm going to try and attach it if I can because I think it's so funny!

In the meantime, thanks for telling us about the meatballs... I'm going to try that. I'm out of ground beef right now but will pick more up at the store when I go. The only good thing I knew to make (because I ordered the sandwich in a restaurant minus the bun) is to broil or grill chicken breast put a slice of swiss cheese on top, two strips of bacon and top with slices of tomato. Oh that tastes so good! I'm going to hopefully find where the recipes are on this site and look for the ones you suggested in your first post on this thread. Maybe tomorrow. OK, I'm going to see if I can put that joke up here now. I hope that's an ok thing to do here.

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.- Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests: I decided to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the bottle of coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye they need to be watered. I set the coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, we will be looking for the remote, but nobody will remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm bottle of coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

What a riot, I guess others have had days like that too...heehee. Also got a big charge out of calling the kids everybody elses name, even the DOG .....rofl. I haven't any pets but am sure I would have done that too, had I had one!!! Keep the fun coming......keeps me sane!!

MaryEdie!!!

Have to tell you that today I tried on a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to get into for a few months. And I did squeeze into them!!! Of course it was a struggle to get them up over my hips, but I did it! And it didn't look like they were going to button as there was a big wide open V where the jeans should zipper closed... So I did a trick my daughter taught me and laid across the bed on my back. I really worked hard to close that zipper all the while sucking my stomach in, but I did it!!! Then I tried to get up. Well, THAT was a struggle, but I did it!!! Then I looked in the mirror and all my flab hung over my belt.... Not a pretty picture, but I got those tight uncomfortable jeans on anyway. And I can say "I did it!!!!!" And now, today I'll lose a little more weight so my tummy won't hang over my belt the next time I put these jeans on. Awesome! That took my breath away... I can hardly breathe.