First week sucess
Posted 07-24-2008 at 08:02 PM by kiwikid
Wow,
Just finished week 1 and did beyond my expectations. I really didn't know what was realistic and didn't want to set myself up for a fall so I chose 6lbs as my goal. I lost 11 pounds!!
I know that this is a once off blessing of induction week, but I am so pleased that I even made it through the first week.
The Century Club Sistahs added me to their challenge, which was a real boost. It is definately scary to insert yourself into the conversations and relationships that are already formed here at LCF. It is tempting to remain a lurker. I was really encouraged when they added me to their chart.
I want to talk about some difficulties of doing Atkins here in China. But I should follow it up with blessings to be balanced.
Difficulties
1. I always get sick in the first week of induction and cough syrups, and lozenges always derail me, so for the last 6 month, I have failed induction 10 or 12 times. This time I am taking a multi-vitamin, so even though I got a little sick, it wasn't so bad. I also finally managed to find sugarless lozenges in the pharmacy. That was not easy, I am living in China, and I don't know any Chinese.
2. All imported foods have a Chinese label stuck over the ingredients info. I find that I have to try to pick one off in the store to read the label, before buying it, otherwise I accidentally buy naughty stuff and I don't even want it in the house. But it is all subterfuge, I have to pick it off sneakily or the store workers get mad. Apparently they have to have the labels on by law.
3. There are no frankenfood available. I suspect though that this may be a blessing.
4. Cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, cream, ready meat too, are not available in my local shops. I have to order from Shanghai, or drive 45mins to a shop that stocks them, and they are expensive.
5. Vegetables - plenty available, but different variety to what is at home. Quality and cleanliness is an issue. In choosing tomatoes, need to be sure that I do not breath in the cloud of fruit flies that errupts from the stack. Lettuce, is very dificult to get. No romaine or standard lettuce. They have these little floppy leaves that work, but the quality is very questionable, and they are very dirty. I have to wash each leaf individually.
6. There are so few restaurants (to western tastes and standards) in my town that finding a carb friendly restaurant is very difficult.
Blessings
1. The local shop does have plenty of good pork available. It is not in recognisable cuts but I am learning to work with their cuts. Buying something with fat on does not raise eyebrows. Here fat is more prized and more expensive than meat.
2. Chicken wings (middle part with two thin bones) are plentiful in local shop, and I find them a good snack food.
3. Local beef and lamb is relatively cheap here.
4. Eggs are plentiful.
5. The Chinese green vegetables I eat (not in most carb counters) are very high fibre - I can tell, so I happily eat them.
6. I can buy mayonaise at the local shop.
7. Eggplants are everywhere and i have discovered that they will disintegrate in a baked dish or a stew and create a natural carb friendly sauce thickener.
8. There is one fabuluous restaurant: Teppanyaki, which is fantastic and is a total protein feast, all you can eat and drink for only US$25 and that includes sirloin, rib eye, salmon steaks, scallops, lamb chops... incredible.
9. Diet Coke is available localy and even in my local store.
10. I can order the sugar-free jello from Shanghai.
How is that only 6 difficulties and 10 blessings.
Just finished week 1 and did beyond my expectations. I really didn't know what was realistic and didn't want to set myself up for a fall so I chose 6lbs as my goal. I lost 11 pounds!!
I know that this is a once off blessing of induction week, but I am so pleased that I even made it through the first week. The Century Club Sistahs added me to their challenge, which was a real boost. It is definately scary to insert yourself into the conversations and relationships that are already formed here at LCF. It is tempting to remain a lurker. I was really encouraged when they added me to their chart.
I want to talk about some difficulties of doing Atkins here in China. But I should follow it up with blessings to be balanced.
Difficulties
1. I always get sick in the first week of induction and cough syrups, and lozenges always derail me, so for the last 6 month, I have failed induction 10 or 12 times. This time I am taking a multi-vitamin, so even though I got a little sick, it wasn't so bad. I also finally managed to find sugarless lozenges in the pharmacy. That was not easy, I am living in China, and I don't know any Chinese.
2. All imported foods have a Chinese label stuck over the ingredients info. I find that I have to try to pick one off in the store to read the label, before buying it, otherwise I accidentally buy naughty stuff and I don't even want it in the house. But it is all subterfuge, I have to pick it off sneakily or the store workers get mad. Apparently they have to have the labels on by law.
3. There are no frankenfood available. I suspect though that this may be a blessing.
4. Cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, cream, ready meat too, are not available in my local shops. I have to order from Shanghai, or drive 45mins to a shop that stocks them, and they are expensive.
5. Vegetables - plenty available, but different variety to what is at home. Quality and cleanliness is an issue. In choosing tomatoes, need to be sure that I do not breath in the cloud of fruit flies that errupts from the stack. Lettuce, is very dificult to get. No romaine or standard lettuce. They have these little floppy leaves that work, but the quality is very questionable, and they are very dirty. I have to wash each leaf individually.
6. There are so few restaurants (to western tastes and standards) in my town that finding a carb friendly restaurant is very difficult.
Blessings
1. The local shop does have plenty of good pork available. It is not in recognisable cuts but I am learning to work with their cuts. Buying something with fat on does not raise eyebrows. Here fat is more prized and more expensive than meat.
2. Chicken wings (middle part with two thin bones) are plentiful in local shop, and I find them a good snack food.
3. Local beef and lamb is relatively cheap here.
4. Eggs are plentiful.
5. The Chinese green vegetables I eat (not in most carb counters) are very high fibre - I can tell, so I happily eat them.
6. I can buy mayonaise at the local shop.
7. Eggplants are everywhere and i have discovered that they will disintegrate in a baked dish or a stew and create a natural carb friendly sauce thickener.
8. There is one fabuluous restaurant: Teppanyaki, which is fantastic and is a total protein feast, all you can eat and drink for only US$25 and that includes sirloin, rib eye, salmon steaks, scallops, lamb chops... incredible.
9. Diet Coke is available localy and even in my local store.
10. I can order the sugar-free jello from Shanghai.
How is that only 6 difficulties and 10 blessings.
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