Hi!

I'm just about to start at a new college this fall, and I was wondering if anyone else is in the same boat--talk about something to stress over and make you lose your focus! I'm so worried about doing well at school that I'm afraid I might be losing my LC momentum.

I'd like to hear from others who are dealing with this kind of icky stress right now, maybe we can help each other out!

Best of luck!!!
Kyp.

Hi,

I'm kind of in the same situation, I am going into my seventh year of college. I am there after all of this time because I had to work a lot of hours at first and didn't put school first and I have two majors, a minor and a program to complete. Anyhow I would love to keep in touch and offer you some support. I tried atkins in April and after two excruciating periods I stopped but now I have had enough of being overweight and I'm trying it again. It's honestly not that difficult to keep up at school, I have lots of omelettes and lots of salads, may be boring but it keeps me on track.

Heidi

Hi Heidi!
It feels weird typing that, because in fact my name is Heidi too. Well, that explains why I didn't get Heidi as a username

I understand about all the years of college, since this is my fifth year. I graduated in May and immediately started in on a grad program which means I have another....five....six...who knows how many more years. Sigh.

I mostly eat eggs, chicken, and veggies. My main problem is that I'm a horrible cook. I spent my 3rd year of college eating pasta and nothing else because it was cheap and I liked it and I could cook it, and it left me in a pretty bad state. So now that I moved to a new city and I'm starting over essentially, I wanted to get my weight under control. Also I'm so tired of not being in shape, not being able to do the things I want to do because I don't have the strength.

I start my new school on Monday, wish me luck!!
When does your fall semester start? Are you living on your own with a kitchen? I have my own apt for the first time and it's such a relief to be in control of what I eat (I had cafeteria food for three years!)

Heidi #2

I can't believe your name is Heidi too, what a small world!!

anyhow I do live on my own with my boyfriend, the only problem with this was that he is a great cook and I pretty much gained my weight because of it. He is being extremely understanding toward this diet and what I cannot eat and is cooking things for both of us without the carbs. He is tall and thin and can't gain an ounce, he had to eat five meals a day to reach 200 pounds but he's changing his lifestyle for me, at least while he is home.

In the meantime school hasn't really ever stopped for me this year, since I took a break from working I took summer classes and they finally ended today. My fall semester begins I believe around the 3rd of Sept and I should be graduating soon, if I don't take on any more majors. I hope to go immediately to graduate school or a phd program as well. Where do you go, what are you taking up? I go to UMass Boston right now because it is affordable and that was very attractive in a school because I knew I wanted to further my education and accumulating over 100 k in loans in undergrad just wasn't worth it.

anyways going back to this different way of life, it works. My parents both tried it immediately after my first attempt back in April and my mother lost 30 so far and my father lost 40, they both look great. It took them months but what I keep saying to myself it the time is going to pass anyways and eventually I'll look the way I did in high school. I wish I realized back then that I looked good, maybe I wouldn't have been so miserable always trying to get smaller.

well hope you have a good weekend
and
good luck
Heidi

Hi Heidi,
That's so cool that you're in Boston--I'm in Providence I'm starting this PhD program in Classics at Brown, and it all starts next week, so I am VERY nervous. What's your field? Two majors, a minor, and a program. Sheesh.

I totally understand about the boyfriend. Mine doesn't live with me, (he lives in NYC) but he visits every weekend. He's also a good cook, and he's from Greece and cooks delicious and very high-carb Greek food. I had to put a stop to that recently, (I only started LC-ing three weeks ago) and I miss it. He's very supportive, especially since he didn't see me for two weeks, and when he finally saw me, I weighed 10 lbs less, and he said he could tell. I can't tell, of course! but it was great when he said "Wow!"

The hardest thing for me is staying with my exercise program. I've never worked out seriously before in my life! I'm doing cardio and weights, and I definitely prefer the weights. I hate the icky sweaty breathless cardio feeling.

The thing that made me do this was 1) I realized I've never weighed this much in my life and it scared me 2) I was worried about my health because diabetes runs in my family and 3) next summer Brown is letting me spend the summer traveling around Greece--which includes the beach!!! and I want to lose my weight by the time I go there, which should be end of May, 2003. So that gives me like nine more months to lose...gasp... seventy pounds. Yikes. If I can lose about eight a month, I can do it. That's a lot, but even if I can't , as long as I stick with it, I'll be lighter than I am now.

When did you start Atkins this time? I've only been doing Protein Power for three weeks, but it's starting to get a little boring. And--this is a good question for a fellow student: Did you notice when you started LC-ing that your grocery bills went up a lot? I used to spend like $50/month on food, now it's $50/week. Aaaahhh!

hmmm I've rambled a bit. Well I hope you have a good weekend too!

Heidi

Hi,

Currenly my majors are psychology and political science with a minor in economics and a program in public policy. I hope to go to either a graduate or phd program in clinical psychology, looking at BU, Suffolk and a few others right now because I really don't want to move, I guess I've limited myself but it's what you make of it, right! I give you credit for getting a phd in classics, I dated a Greek man for a while and he decided to take Greek, was convinced that since he was fluent it would be a piece of cake, instead he was lost after only a couple of weeks. What do you hope to do?

I don't blame you for wanting to lose weight too, I went to Greece, actually with the Greek boyfriend, and it was incredible. I completely recommend it. I would love to go back but it is just so expensive. He had a lot of family there but we still spent a lot and of course, he liked to show off like most Greek men do and spent a lot because of that as well. We visited the Cyclades islands, not sure if I spelled that correctly, been a long time, but we went to Santorini, Mykonos, Ios, Paros, Antiparos and some others and I can't think of the one that is the archaelogical site off of Mykonos which is absolutely incredible. You will have an incredible time and losing weight will help because I did for it and had so much more fun because of it. The Greek food helped me gain the weight then I lost it for the trip then I gained it again when we broke up and then I gained more when I met my new bf.

Sorry I'm rambling, been on my computer all day and it is so nice to do something other than medical ethics issues.

anyways I just started atkins last thursday, was not doing it completely correctly because I have a sore spot for those expensive carbolite bars that have nuts in them that you can't have on induction. So as a result I have started induction again. My grocery bills have definitely increased, prior to the diet I could get by on cheap stuff but now I have to purchase steaks and between my boyfriend and I we go through a lot of them each week.

I also wanted to say that my boyfriend's cousin is attending Brown for his second year. He is around 26 and just got out of the special forces a couple of years ago and is going there for I believe marine anthropology or something similar.

well have a good night
Heidi

want a good laugh, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and because I feel so self conscious I decided to go for a body wrap which guarantees one to lose inches. I was so excited but it was honestly the stupidest thing I have ever done. I not only wasted over a hundred dollars but I only lost supposedly 7 inches which we are convinced was simply perspired away. I swear as soon as you become properly hydrated again the inches reappear. So word of advice, stick to Atkins, don't do any body wraps. Plus I looked absolutely hideous wrapped up!

Hey Heidi!
That is so coincidental that you also had a Greek boyfriend! I am SO excited to go to Greece. I've actually been there before, twice, and I cannot wait to go back. I was so surprised when you said you went to Antiparos, because I stayed there last summer in this tiny little "village" (i.e., 4 houses, 2 churches) called Soros--well the reason I was there was because I was on a team of excavators at another island close to Antiparos called Despotiko. It was the first and only time I've done an excavation but it was AMAZING. (Incidentally, after the dig I had never been in better shape in my whole life, so it was especially disappointing when I lost that!)

I've been to a bunch of islands, but not enough for me. I spent my spring semester of my junior year studying in Athens, and spent the entire summer of 2001 traveling around to the islands (plus all the weekends all semester long). And in the summer of 1999 I took two classes, one in Athens and one in Paros. I haven't been to Delos, which I think is the archaeological island you saw, or Ios, isn't that the crazy party island? I went to Mykonos with some Greek-American girls (they are way into partying!) and that was SO fun! OK can't you tell what a great time I am having reminiscing about the islands!!!

As far as being expensive, yeah I know. Especially because they have such nice clothes (not to worry-they don't come in my size ) and because I'm always in the mood to travel--the best way is definitely to stay w/ someone you know, or to do the study abroad thing which is actually a very good value--it was less expensive than tuition at my college, and I got a far better experience out of Greece than I ever got out of Washington, DC. (I did u-grad at Georgetown).

My boyfriend is Greek but he's actually from Cyprus and I visited his island and let me tell you it is nothing like Greece. It is very beautiful though.

To answer your question, what I hope to do with my classics degree. I'd love to be a classics professor at a college. I know that's tough to accomplish in a field that graduates 20 times as many PhDs as there are jobs, but I never give up hope!!

If you're looking at grad/PhD programs you can probably afford to be more picky about location than I could, since there just aren't that many grad schools that have Classics departments.

Well since we are both just starting out with the diet, I hope we can stick to it. I am really determined to do this, I am NOT going to quit.

My parents both did the Atkins diet too--my dad has diabetes so he really had no choice. He lost 60 pounds, and my mom lost like 15. So I know it works, I have the same kind of proof you have. So that means we can do this!!!

Are you doing exercise? Like I said, that's the toughest for me. Ok, time to get off the computer! Talk to you soon!
Heidi

this is absolutely amazing how much we have in common, thank you for remembering what island that was too, Delos was incredible, so interesting and amazing to think and realize what they were capable of creating thousands of years ago. It sounds like you have experienced so much too, sounds like you really are doing what you want to do and that was always tough for me to do because I have always been so concerned about what everyone else thought because I have always been so self-conscious. I am beginning to realize how much I have missed out on because of my weight.

anyhow I will start exercising soon, hopefully, I planned on doing it from the start because I own a treadmill, the ab doer, an exercise back and an array of tapes but I have to get motivated and I can't be motivated until I finish these damn papers. I'm so sick of papers!


well once again sorry for rambling, it's late and I'm trying to finish these papers and I having a difficult time concentrating thinking about the fun I had in Greece. That party island was a lot of fun too, we went there for a couple of days and hit all of the clubs and literally stumbled back to our hotel. I remember getting so drunk at the Hard Rock there and then trying to get ready for the next day was absolute torture because check out was bright and early. I'd love to go back, so many great memories (and some not so great ones, my boyfriend wasn't the best, kind of controlling)

well if it is easier you can email me at the following
heidi.conneely~att.net

have a good night
Heidi

Hi Heidi,
Okay I promise after this I will get off the computer and go to sleep. But I just have to agree--we have a ton in common!! When you're ready to start exercising, let's try to motivate each other. I have tons of equipment (if you want a run-down, check out my journal under K-L) and of course it doesn't do a whole lot if you don't use it. I put my exercise stuff in my bedroom for two reasons: 1) it's the only room with air conditioning, and I cannot live without AC, and 2) if it's in front of my face, I'm more likely to do it. It does make my bedroom a little cramped, and my boyfriend made a comment about how it doesn't look very romantic, but hey, it's all for the best.

One thing about exercising that seems to hold true for me is that if I stop doing it for one day, I'll never start again. When I started working out, one of the things I did every day was go for a walk. Well that was fine for about 10 days, and then it was very hot outside, so I didn't go. And guess what? It's cooled down, but I haven't walked since then! So I am extremely careful not to skip a day. Most people say working out 7 days a week is too much, and I completely understand their point, but if I don't work out every day, I'll never pick up after a day off. I just know it. So I've worked out every doggone day for the past 30 days (although I do have light days that are just cardio) and that is officially the longest time in my whole life (if you don't count mandatory gym class) that I have been active! I'm not sure it helps with weight loss, because you build muscle, but it does help with fat loss, which is all that really matters.

And as for papers...no...I don't want to think about papers!! But if you are suffering, I should tell you that when my brother and I were in high school we had this thing we called The Theory of Infinite Procrastination, which says that "No matter how much you put something off, you'll still get it done by the time it's due." It is absolutely true and never fails.

Ok, bedtime. I'm staying up too late and getting up too late, and I need to change my sleeping habits. It's like I'm jet-lagged!

If you want to email me it's heidifbr~hotmail.com, or AIM me at Heidi20002 (with three zeroes). I am sure I'll be on this forum too because I am becoming addicted to it!

Night-night,
Heidi

good morning,


the procrastination theory is completely true, the assignment always gets done but I have to admit, I think I'm burnt out, I haven't worked in over 8 months but I have been taking classes without a break since last summer and I don't think I can take it anymore, I have a short break until the fall semester begins and I think I really need it. In the meantime I will be preparing for another course today by going to training for it. After a while, I don't know about you, but college becomes a game, who can have the best recommendations by the most prestigious professors and who can have the most and best internships. I wasn't able to compete in the past because I didn't get any substantial financial aid and because I'm finally considered independent I am getting some good money and able to play catch-up. I'm just so sick of it already, I guess it'll be worth it when I have my own practice, right.

anyhow I totally agree with the exercise theory, I have to also do it every day, no matter what time it is, or I'll never do it again. I was making myself do the treadmill for at least 40" a day but then it also got too hot and the ac couldn't even help that in my house.

well I will try you tonight on aim, I'll probably be home since boyfriend worked last night installing a network for a client and he's exhausted.

I also wanted to see if you had ever been to Naxos? I completely forgot to mention that island for some reason. We predominantly stayed there because his father had a house there, it had absolutely beautiful beaches but then again most of the Greek islands had beautiful beaches!!

I should get going, I need to get ready and motivated for this thing today. talk to you tonight.

also motivating eachother sounds great, I really need to stick to this, not only for my relationship but for me as well.

have a good day
Heidi

Hi Heidi,

I have been to Naxos (!!!), although only for three or four days. I went there last spring when my mom came to visit me in Greece. She loved Naxos, in fact it was her favorite island! I loved it too, and I think that is where I officially got my tan last summer. I definitely would have liked to spend more time there. I remember that they have the most delicious olives there, I don't know if they're famous but they should be. We left Naxos and took the little ferry to Amorgos, which is far less popular and SO beautiful. I think the only way to get to Amorgos is from Athens or from Naxos. Oh---I just remembered my favorite thing about Naxos--strolling along that strip by the port with all the restaurants and cafes, all the way out to the Apollo Gate and back! Also the first time I ever ate goat! You guessed it--tastes like chicken. And the Naxos Archeological Museum is amazing, if you walk the 15 miles straight uphill to get to it!

I know what you mean about school. I've been lucky to study abroad for two semesters (did I mention I was in Italy in the fall of 2000--I might have forgotten that) but that was good because it gave me time away from the department and also new professors who were having fun in Italy/Greece and were much more laid back. At Georgetown, it's Prof. So-and-so, but in Italy our professors were "Harry" and "Gary" and "Valentina" so it was definitely a more relaxed way to study. We even went to bars w/ our professors, which would never happen at Georgetown, at least not w/ me. I'm kind of intimidated by them. As for the other students, I consider myself lucky that there were only 10 classics majors in my year. On the other hand, some of the kids were brutal in class, trying to show how smart they were, and asking those annoying questions that are really just a way to prove they know something. I don't do that, so I used to worry that the profs wouldn't notice me. Of course in the end they hated the cocky kids.

About financial aid, I totally know what you mean. As soon as I could check "grad student/independent" I no longer had to worry about falling into that category of "your parents make too much money, even though it's clearly not enough to pay your tuition ha ha ha ha ha" . Brown is paying for everything, provided I am "making good progress." That's another little piece of pressure!

Ok, I'm off to make a delicious and healthy LC lunch--tuna fish and salad! I'm always online so I'm sure I'll see you on IM.

Ciao,
Heidi

I think we went to Amorgos too, Naxos was great though, I loved the beaches and the strip, I remember feeding the fish on the pier too with that circular bread (can't remember the name and you probably think it's a little strange to feed fish!) but it was a trip to remember. As for school I am in the exact same boat, couldn't bother my parents for money because they had other mouths to feed but couldn't get substantial financial aid because my expected family contribution was around 50 thousand a year! It felt great when I got enough in loans to pay for school and myself this year, of course I will have to live on almost nothing but it builds character, right!

In the meantime the graduate school process is killing me, there are some really interesting programs at Suffolk and BU and it would also be great to go there because with a great reputation if one did well in either of them they would almost be guaranteed acceptance to either of their phd programs, which is constantly on my mind. I am just always worrying about something.

Anyways sorry I didn't get on AIM last night, fell asleep almost immediately when I got home and then honestly just wanted to watch tv and relax.
Hope you have a good day
Heidi

I feel your pain about grad school. I think the application process was the worst four months of my life. Other stresses were involved but even by itself it's the worst. Is there any way you can just apply for a PhD program without applying for the master's program? At Brown, e.g., I applied for the combined MA/PhD program (5-6 yrs) and I don't have to worry about applying to another school in one year, after my first year of MA. I don't know if this works for all majors, but I'm pretty sure it works for most of the humanities and social sciences. Any school that has a PhD program probably would let you do that. Of course, I could be talking through my hat, since I didn't research anything except my own major. But if you didn't notice (how could you not!) I am one of those people who is always and forever giving unsolicited advice. So just ignore it if you want!!!

I totally ate too much today! I don't think I overdid the carbs, just the calories. And it's only 2:45!

I definitely agree that feeding the fish is an enjoyable activity. However, in Greece anyway, eating the fish can be an equally enjoyable activity!! The best fish I've ever had would be Greek swordfish, or maybe crunchy kalamarakia right out of the sea.....mmmm.....there's a Whole Foods supermarket in town, and they sell fresh calamari and it occurred to me that I could learn how to make it. I went to look at it and it was so gross...well, I'll just keep getting it at the Greek restaurant. I wish I could get over my distaste for raw meat. I really don't like fishing things out of chickens. I'm much happier with a safe can of tuna fish

Oh well, I suppose my culinary habits will mature with practice and time.

Have a lovely afternoon, Heidi!
Heidi (heehee, I love that)

Hi,

there are a few phd programs in clinical psych that give you a masters after i believe a year or two max but i have to admit they are extremely competitive, i've even spoken to professors that teach at Harvard now that had to obtain a master's first to gain admission to phd program.

in the meantime i wouldn't worry about your calories too much, I have found that when I cheat a little I actually don't gain and sometimes actually lose more, some people on the forum actually use this as a method to get out of a stall. Today I just have had another one of my omelettes, getting kind of tired of them, and some tea. We have to help move some furniture later so I'll probably eat then as well. I have to admit though I'm dying for something sweet, I can see myself cheating today but I'm realy going to try not to.

well I'm actually on AIM right now if you get this and I should be around for a little while, my name is HeidiDv, my boyfriend and I both used it for a while so that's why he is kind of included in the name, and if you can't go on tonight I should also be around later on tonight.

talk to you soon
Heidi

have you been able to get a good stifado where you are? I miss some of the greek food so much but it is honestly so expensive around here.

Hi Heidi!

I haven't seen you around in a while so I'm writing a little note to say I hope you're doing well and staying with the program

I am doing my best...I wish I could speed up this progress though. I bought some Ketostix, and I tested very positive, so that is VERY GOOD. But my clothes aren't any looser, no weight loss, and no change in measurements.

Check out my journal for a great recipe that I made up for delicious spinach pies that might remind you of good times in Greece, I hope They're very low-carb, by the way!

I hope all is well!! Tomorrow is my Orientation, which is good, because I'm a little disoriented heehee

Ciao,
Heidi