July Challenge - 72 Atkins

[verbqueen]

Man, that all sounds delicious! May I ask what is Smart Carb? Is it bread? Where do you buy it?

I went to Henry's today for a few things, and while I was there I looked around in the bakery department for some things for later down the road. I saw that they had a house brand low-carb bread, 8 net carbs per slice. They also had some low carb flatbreads and pitas. I was happy to see those, since most stores no longer have any low carb bread items.

Alas, I can't have them yet. 8 grams is all the carb I'm having in a whole day right now. But I'll remember where I can get them when I'm ready!

P.S. Waving hello to Erica! Hope you'll post some menus, too. I'm very nosy about what other people eat--haha.

[DivineHealth]

Smart Carb is the BEST low carb bread ever.... very high on protein, so it is very filling. 1 net carb. I know Atkins 72 is not about net carbs, but this one is so good and hasn't seemed to harm me. I haven't had it alot recently, but the first 30 days, when I lost 17#, I had a piece every day. I only eat it toasted because it is quite heavy.

I buy it at the local Albertsons. It is made locally in Julian and can be ordered on the website (tho a bit pricey). I keep it in the freezer. LOW CARB BREAD - Smart Carb Bread High Protein Low Carb Bread



There was a thread about it on here somewhere awhile back.

[verbqueen]

Thank you so much for sharing! My Albertson's does not carry this, but I might be able to get them to if I nag them. And if not, I'll just order some!

[DivineHealth]

The local Jimbo's carries it, too. Do you have Jimbos in Orange County?

[Erica L. Butler]

My menu for today:

Breakfast: Coffee, Cream, Splenda
Snack: Diet Hansen's Ginger Ale
Lunch: Leftover Pork Roast/Ham Rollups
Snack: Easy Strawberry Pie
Dinner: Leftover Pork Roast with Salsa, Sour Cream and Mexi-Cheese.
Snack: Diet Coke (I'm going out tonight.)

[DivineHealth]

Erica.... don't you get hungry in the morning?

I would faint by 9am if I didn't have some sort of protein shortly after I wake up.

[verbqueen]

When I was young, I couldn't face breakfast, either. My mom would get up very early every morning and cook eggs and bacon, or pancakes and sausages, or hot cereal and muffins--you get the idea, big country breakfast. (Can you tell she grew up on a farm?)

Our whole family had to go sit at the table together to eat before we could go get ready for school. I remember sitting there and reeling with queasiness. It's probably why I still can't stand eggs. I would scrape them onto the napkin in my lap and hide them in the pocket of my robe! I just could NOT eat!

Now I wake up starving!

[verbqueen]

Today's menu:

B: 1.5 oz slice cheddar, decaf with 1 T. coconut oil
L: 5 oz. sliced brisket, iced tea
D: leftovers from last night--1 c. stewed chicken w/ 1/4 c. rotel tomatoes, 1 c. lettuce, 2 oz cheese, 1 oz sour cream, iced tea

no snack today. maybe a mug of tea with CO later

my calories came in around 1600, F 69%, P 29%, C 2%. I wanted a few more calories today, but I can't really think of anything else to eat, so I guess I'm done.

[Erica L. Butler]

Originally Posted by DivineHealth

Erica.... don't you get hungry in the morning?

I would faint by 9am if I didn't have some sort of protein shortly after I wake up.

Not a whole lot. Though I really am trying to have breakfast in the morning... It's a bit odd for me, though.

[dbglasgow]

I eat opposite of Erica... I like to eat big for b'fast and find that it keeps me satisfied all day...I never really get hungry.. my lunch is much lighter and lately, I've been almost forcing myself to have dinner... last night I could only stomach about 2 oz of chicken cooked in butter.

I started reading about the Fast-5 plan... where you eat everything in a 5 hour window and fast the other 19 hours... which is actually almost what I do some days.. I eat b'fast between 7 - 8... lunch between 12 - 1 and then make myself have dinner around 5... but I could skip the dinner.

Does anyone know anything about the fasting plans?

[verbqueen]

I don't know a thing about the fasting plans, Darlene. Sounds like that might suit you really well, though.

I am EXACTLY, down to the 10th of a pound, the same as yesterday and the day before. I think that's weird. With all that's going in and, er, out, how can things stay that much the same?

Because I had slightly higher calories yesterday, I'm going to go for lower ones today.

Have a great day, friends!

[DivineHealth]

I really thought I was going to have a nice drop today.... no such luck

30 days to my daughter's wedding..... at this rate, I will way the same after 30 more days of eating on plan...

[verbqueen]

Even if you DID weigh the same, you'd be smaller! I did something that someone suggested on another thread--I got a piece of yarn out of my daughters knitting basket, blackened one end with a Sharpie (so I'd know which was the end to start with!) then put it around my waist and marked my waist measurement with the Sharpie. I liked this idea--no numbers, no stress, just a simple way to keep track.

I did that maybe five days ago. Today I took out the yarn and wrapped it around again. Looks like I've lost an inch around the waist! Amazing!

Even if your body keeps some fluid in your fat cells as a "place marker," Atkins is burning your fat, and you are getting smaller! It's a good thing to remember.

[DivineHealth]

Saddest part is I am down 24 pounds.... and I have not even dropped a pant size yet..... they are a touch looser, but I am still in the same size. My girlfriend is also on this plan... she has lost 30, and is down THREE pant sizes...


Never mind me .... just feeling bummed today. Seems so much work and sacrifice, doing it right and still not getting the reward. Good girls are supposed to get the prize.

[verbqueen]

My pant size is the same, too, after nearly 20 pounds. My waist gets smaller and smaller, so the waistbands get too big but the other parts fit just the same. It's quite possible I could lose 40 pounds and not lost a pants size. My hip bones are just what they are....

But I can live with that. I still want to lose the fat!

You'll get there, Divine. You just hang in and don't give up.

[Erica L. Butler]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

My pant size is the same, too, after nearly 20 pounds. My waist gets smaller and smaller, so the waistbands get too big but the other parts fit just the same. It's quite possible I could lose 40 pounds and not lost a pants size. My hip bones are just what they are....

But I can live with that. I still want to lose the fat!

You'll get there, Divine. You just hang in and don't give up.

What's happening with me is that everything gets smaller--except my bust-- and the waistline is the last thing to shrink. So, I have pants that won't stay up because I'm apparently built like a boy with breasts.

[verbqueen]

Originally Posted by Erica L. Butler

What's happening with me is that everything gets smaller--except my bust-- and the waistline is the last thing to shrink. So, I have pants that won't stay up because I'm apparently built like a boy with breasts.

Sounds like you and I have EXACTLY the opposite body types!

[Erica L. Butler]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

Sounds like you and I have EXACTLY the opposite body types!

Don't suppose you'd want to trade?

[verbqueen]

I would LOVE with all my soul to trade! All my life I've dreamed of what it would be like to have narrow hips and thighs! To be able to wear straight skirts is something I have never experienced...

What we need is an evil scientist with a secret laboratory!

Barring that, I guess we'd better just stick with low carb.

[dbglasgow]

Hello everyone... I haven't taken my measurements in a few days but I plan to do that on Monday.. I want to complete a full week. I did notice this morning that a pair of shorts that were tight last Friday, fit just right today.

Divine, hang in there.... listen to Jessica!

Speaking of how we lose... I wish my breast were the last place that I lost because that's one of the few places that I don't need to lose (not much there in the first place) but it's the first place that I notice loss. It also takes a lot of weight for me to go up or down in sizes.. in a way this has been a good thing.. even though I had put on 20 lbs.. I still wore my size 10... just didn't like the way they look. I wore a size 10 145 lbs and I wore size 10 at 170 lbs... I'm 5'8" so I can carry a few extra pounds. I'm actually hoping to lose enough this time to go down a size... but I will be happy to wear a size 10 and look like a 6 or an 8.... by the way, after 4 days, no change.. I'm down .8 of a pound today.

[verbqueen]

I'm that way, too, Darlene. It takes a miracle to move me out of my size 14 clothes--what changes is how they look on me. But I am 5'10" and hour-glass/pear shaped, and that makes you gain weight pretty evenly and thus makes it hard to change clothing sizes.

It gets kind of disheartening to see people talk about losing three sizes having lost the same amount of weight I have, but we're just all different, and that's all there is to it.

It sounds like you are really focused, congrats on your pound loss!

[DivineHealth]

Five years ago I was a size 4...I was in 4s and 6s for many years. It was very discouraging to have to keep buying bigger sizes and now that I am being so good it hurts to not see it going down.

Today I did notice I feel thinner in the rib cage area (whoopie) .... I can feel and *almost* see my ribs! My arms and upper rib cage area were the last places I gained.... so maybe it is leaving there first, albeit very slowly.

I went to water aerobics again today and picked up a different set of weight than I usually do... they all feel the same out of the water. Man, those suckers were heavy in the water... I got a humongous workout and am soooo sore in my arms... advil is calling.. yet it is a "good" ache.

I also realized I somehow went three days without taking my supplements, thyroid and bio-identicals (not sure how I forgot for that many days) so NO WONDER I am down and grumpy.... duh God gives me wonderful natural remedies and I forget to take them....

[dbglasgow]

Way to go Divine on the workout.. I really need to be more active. I can handle the "diet" part.. it's the exercise that I am not consistant with.

Jessica.. I am thankful for my height.. hated being tall as a teen.. taller than all the guys but it's a blessing now.. others don't notice weight gain on me.. but I notice every pound. At 5'10'.. I would think you would look great in a size 14.

Well, it's time for me to spend some time with the hubby and turn in for the night. We have a mission team arriving on Sunday and still have lots to do to prepare for them. Good night all.

[verbqueen]

Today's menu

B: stewed chicken, 1 oz cheddar, decaf with CO
L: homemade "chili" (ground beef with seasonings and a tiny amount of tomato sauce, plus beef broth) with sour cream
D: salad with grilled chicken thigh and grilled shrimp
S: 1 oz cheddar cheese

Had some difficulties at dinner--went to a Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) restaurant. It's a little neighborhood place and the family that runs it is very friendly and nice. I sort of had them custom create a salad for me, with grilled chicken and grilled shrimp on on lettuce. There was a bit of a language gap, but I convinced them no rice noodles, no chopped peanuts, etc. However, the salad came out dressed in kind of a watery, hot but definitely sweet tasting dressing. So I ate the meat and kind of wiped off some of the lettuce leaves before I ate them.

However, I'm sure I consumed a tiny bit of sugar. I got home and ate a hunk of cheese to help counteract any insulin response. I'm sure it'll be fine--not gonna agonize over it, but next time we go there, I'll simply order the salad dressing on the side (assuming I can manage to communicate that to the Vietnamese staff!)

Even factoring that in, my calories and carbs both came out quite low today. I'll shoot for a bit higher tomorrow.

Goodnight, Darlene and Divine and Erica. I'll see you tomorrow here in our little neck of the woods! You're all doing great--keep after it.

[dbglasgow]

It seems that I'm bouncing back and forth with this .8 of a lb. That is the only change that the scales have shown since Monday. I know that I am sticking to a VLC plan. I feel great and I'm noticing small changes... hard to explain but you know how you can just tell when your body feels different... so I've been surprised when the scales don't show any loss.

This next week will be very busy for us... we will have a group of 15 people here... we have two large buildings to paint.. our house and our bunkhouse as well as doing sports camps and Bible studies out in one of the Villages so maybe getting back to my regular activity level will help.

Menu:
B: 3 sl of bacon, 2 eggs cooked in butter
L: 8 oz humburger pattie
D: Salad with lettuce, cucumber, boiled egg, cheese, mayo
(Calories: 1625; 74% fat;24% protein; 2% carbs)

I'm changing calorie intake dailey also.. yesterday calories were 1445.

Have a great Saturday everyone... it's raining here.. hope you all are getting lots of sunshine.

[verbqueen]

Good news for me this morning! Down a full pound from yesterday! I am very, very happy!

(Guess my little salad dressing crisis yesterday didn't hurt me after all!)

Another thing I've been meaning to note--my skin is doing wonderfully! My legs and arms, which are ordinarily dry, scaly and lizard-like in this desert climate I live in, have been soft and almost dewy for the last few weeks. I really think it's the coconut oil (which I eat, but do not use externally), or maybe just the high fat diet. What a nice side benefit to losing weight!

Gonna try to up the cals and carbs a bit today, just to keep things shaken up.

Have a great day!

[dbglasgow]

That's great Jessica... I think 19 lbs in a little over a month is great!! I bought coconut oil yesterday but still not sure how to use it... to you pretty much cook everything in it or do you just add some to certain items? I did buy the local Belize Ex. Virgin Coconut Oil.. not sure what the difference is from others. I've found that eating higher fat seems to make up for not eating a high fiber diet.

[verbqueen]

Darlene, I add a tablespoon to my first mug of decaf in the morning. I worked my way up to that starting with a half teaspoon the first day. (Yes, a tablespoon is a lot, and makes for a greasy cup of coffee, but I have the sense that it sort of fuels my furnace for the day.)

If I saute anything or brown any hamburger, I use CO for that, too. I do plug it into my day's calories on Fitday. It's great for getting that fat % up higher.

The jar I'm using now, which I have nearly finished, is refined coconut oil. It has no flavor at all. My next jar is extra virgin, which I understand has coconut taste. We'll see if I like that.

[Erica L. Butler]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

I would LOVE with all my soul to trade! All my life I've dreamed of what it would be like to have narrow hips and thighs! To be able to wear straight skirts is something I have never experienced...

What we need is an evil scientist with a secret laboratory!

Barring that, I guess we'd better just stick with low carb.

Hmmmmn. Let me check on that, I'll get back to you!

[verbqueen]

Ladies (and any gents who might be loitering in the area ), I have started a new thread for August! Join me there!

Any mods who might stumble by, maybe you can close this thread?