300+ Support Group-Peach Blossoms-The month of Of MARCH

[cleochatra]

I'm down 7 more pounds this week!

Des, you look great! I would go for the skirt one showing your legs. You really have come a long way, baby! Own it, hot mama!

amm-- It's not a cheat meal. Cheating implies that omigod! You're doing something very wrong! This is a lifestyle, not a wagon we jump on anfd off of. I always have a calzone (surprise!) every so often as my choice, and you know what? It hasn't hurt me one bit! You exercise, so you're going to be fine. You've come a long way, so you're not going to make one meal into twenty. And definitely stay away from the sugar. The calzone never made me ill, but the time I followed with dessert I was miserable.



Go for it! Have fun! Then hop on the treadmill afterwards on an incline and go for broke.

Good morning, you peachies! I hope you're having a great day so far!

[amm]

You're right Cleo... I have worked hard to get past that whole "cheating" mentality... for the most part I know that it isn't cheating. It's more indulging than anything else.

[DIYninja]

cleo 7 pounds!!!! CONGRATS!

[cleochatra]

amm--I think the whole *grabs my face* cheating thing is just abjectly frustrating. It makes it seem as though rational adults cannot enjoy some of the finer things in life without having committed some errant Cardinal sin.

I refuse to ever use the word 'cheat'.

What is cheating?

Cheating is taking answers to a test that are not yours.

Cheating is infidelity, to a person, a way of life or to a cause (wearing a leather coat when you're not at PETA).

Cheating implies pejorative actions in an underhanded way.

Are we underhanded? Do we undermine what is socially acceptable?

I say hell no. Look at us. Are we bad examples of a low-carb, out of control lifestyle, or are we making measured and conscientious decisions based on our personal lives?

Sorry for the pedestal. I know there are plenty of folks who don't want to deviate and who don't and fare well. I would in no way disrespect those choices. But we don't fall under the term 'cheat' unless we measure ourselves by the yard sticks of others. I refuse to do that.

And it's obviously a lifestyle working for me, if I've lost a pound a day for the last week.

[cleochatra]

Thank you, DIY! I am very excited! I can't wait to weigh in today at TOPS! I am a little bummed, because even though this means I've lost 57 pounds, I joined TOPS after I'd already lost almost 20 pounds. I have to lose more to be where I've lost 50 pounds, according to them! (the 50-pound point for that there is like 274).

[Hot Tamale]

Trust me: If you want to get a menu for a cheat meal, see me...

[Doing this Again]

I got straight through Sunday w/o doing too badly! Not perfect, but I stayed in ketosis. My sister was in town, so there were some nights out. Then easter came w/ candy and it was a day off. Not a blow out – I didn’t have the whole basket full of candy, like I probably would have if I weren’t doing this. I didn’t even have the whole bunny. But I did have some. Plus an entirely normal non low carb holiday meal at a friend’s house, including appetizer, wine, sweet potatoes, coffee w/ real sugar, & desert.

Honestly, I didn’t weigh this morning. And not b/c of denial or not wanting to see how bad it was, but b/c I was running late for work and forgot. By the time I got out of the shower it was already time to leave, and there was a 75 pound rottweiler mutt sitting on my feet trying to keep me home w/ him for the day. Probably dutifully carrying out the orders my own puppy gave him. He’s my roommate’s dog, and he’s a little in love w/ her. It’s adorable! A hero worship middle school type of crush, she’s only sometimes aware of his existence but enjoys harassing him.

I don’t feel horrible; or even head achy. But I am sort of eager to hit the pool, slam lots of water, and un do the damage as quickly as possible. But life is getting in the way! I have to skip my class to meet a friend and return his dog. We were baby sitting that puppy so he could leave town to see his family. And I am soooooooo far behind at work. I’ve just been preoccupied w/ LCing (posting here, journaling what I eat, planning to cook and grocery shop, etc), my classes in the afternoon, my sister coming into town, and finally getting my travel for the year all mapped out. New possibilities keep popping up: a wedding in Germany, a 30th in Vegas, another 30th possibly in Chicago, Labor Day in the keys, sailing to Sox games in Baltimore, tickets for Sox/yankees games at Fenway, Thanksgiving in Chicago, x-mas in Zurich, and trying to find a weekend somewhere for the beach. It’s not a lack of resolve, I’m just feeling stretched a little thin.

[desdemona]

fullbodypics3.jpg

Okay so the only problem is that I don't see any difference at all in the last 30 lbs *laugh*

[**Lola**]

Your travel schedule sounds very exciting Doing This Again....especially "Labor Day in the keys"

I haven't been to the Keys in over 10 years. Maybe it's a trip we can plan for this summer.

[cleochatra]

DoingThisAgain-- those travel opportunities sound like the perfect reasons to start thinking in advance about packing on-plan foods to take along with you. Bags of nuts, jerky from a butcher (you can control the chemicals this way), string cheese. Occasional off-plan choices are never an issue. Life is filled with exciting travel opportunities, so start planning now how you are going to remain in ketosis for most of your exciting events!

Des-- I lost 50 and couldn't tell the difference. You're doing great! no worries.

Lola-- Take us with you to the keys!

[Doing this Again]

A friend's mom just bought a house down there, and we're all planning to crash it often! I am excited about that.

I have a HORRIBLE habit of forgetting stuff in the locker room after I swim at night. I went this weekend to buy a few new speedos since I'm down 2 in the past 3 weeks. I actually bought a cute bathing suit too. I NEVER like cute bathing suits. I swam in High School and just got used to speedos and not caring what they looked like (or the weird tan lines). They're comfortable, and never ride up or give you a wedgie. You don't have to worry where your bathing suit wandered to after you get clobbered by a wave. The cute one is a 14, so I probably won't be able to wear it until Tanzania anyway. It's something to work toward.

Cleo thanks for the advice. I've never actually seen a butcher down here! I'll have to look for one. I will probably be packing snack foods for most of the domestic travel. I don't want to be crashing boarders w/ anything that might attract the customs dogs! My passport is screwed up enough as it is!! It always takes me longer to clear than the friends I travel w/, and I've been through some scary eastern European boarders.

Of all the third world places I've been the scariest thing I've EVER seen was communist eastern Europe. Both pre 80s and after that, really not much had changed the last time I was there in 95. Instead of being nice paperwork type officers who sit at desks w/ a stamp like in the US, communist passport control officers were more heavily armed than any riot police you've ever seen in a movie. You shouldn’t really count Morocco as Africa, but even Africa wasn’t that bad. It’s completely chaotic, and people just rush everything as a mob. No organized queues. Authorities have no control over anything, instead of the authorities being terrifyingly likely to ship you off to a Turkish prison.

Not that I’ll be going back to eastern Europe. It’s an over night in Zurich b/c it takes 3 days to get to the middle of nowhere. And sub Saharan Africa is probably really Africa. I have no idea yet how that will go. I still need to research all the visas and vaccines I’ll need. Usually the more third worldish the country, the more likely you are to be able to fix any problem you might come across w/ a “fee” of some sort.

[Hot Tamale]

I'm just a few hours from the Keys. We all need to meet there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Doing this Again]

That would be great! The house is in Key West, and I might be able to talk everyone into renting a car. Or maybe my friend's mom will even keep one down there. I KNOW I could organize a trip to Marathon b/c most of the group dives. And I don't dive, so that would give me the time to leave my friends for a bit to meet you guys!

I also have a college friend from Miami, it's been AGES since I caught up w/ her, but she also did LC in college. I don't know if she's still in Miami or kept up w/ it. I could try getting in touch w/ her too!

[debkeversole]

happy Monday all!
i got some coconut oil and started out with 1/4 teaspoon not bad, we will see how it goes!

[DIYninja]

Whats for lunch?!


I am thinking Salad.. with grapes but apparently i didnt buy enough( 3 bags!) cause everyone ELSE ate them ... hmpf.

Salad and yogurt then( and i better have yogurt)!

I know that you gave me good advice via lc zer on the potty problems but im counting calories. I really need to change my life and deep down i know i can never live out the LC way. i have to give regular moderation and exercise a shot. So eating more fat kind of isnt an option( not that ti would help since i always ate a lot of fat before i started LOL!)

I hope everyones day is going well! Kids go back to school tomorrow!

[**Lola**]

nm

[Zer]

Originally Posted by desdemona

...the only problem is that I don't see any difference at all in the last 30 lbs.

Interesting. No difference at ALL? No improvement in an ability to move, to cross your legs more easily, to run faster/better/longer? Are you SURE you are not overlooking some achievement from the last 30# loss? Maybe you just FEEL slimmer than you see in a mirror as you critique your image, hoping to see Twiggy looking back at you? Some days even ~I~ feel almost lightweight - and it's dismaying to see that I do not look an ounce lighter than on a day when I feel lumpy and large. Body image. Sometimes when I weigh I am amazed to see a loss, because I feel larger and expect the scales to affirm that I am indeed not an ounce lighter than before.

Body image is a strange perception. Maybe you just need to pick up 30# of something and carry it around for a while, to get back that feeling - then put it down, just to feel the contrast. A gal at OA said she kept a hunting vest in a closet, just to wear as she works around the house. It's loaded with lead to match the weight that she's lost. Birdshot. Lead. In all the little pockets. It might be interesting to wear a vest like that, loaded with birdshot to give you a reminder of how great you feel when you shuck that vest. Just imagine!

[Zer]

DIY, just think of all the sludge you carry in your colon, if it's not MO-O-VING daily to empty. If you cannot work out a way to re-train your body, maybe you can look into a colon cleansing, to wash out what is clinging to your innards. I'm imagining a few pounds of gummy sludge. Want to lose that weight?

Originally Posted by DIYninja

I know that you gave me good advice via lc zer on the potty problems but im counting calories. I really need to change my life and deep down i know i can never live out the LC way. i have to give regular moderation and exercise a shot. So eating more fat kind of isnt an option( not that ti would help since i always ate a lot of fat before i started LOL!)

Maybe this will help you understand the urgency of having a functional colon: The Ultimate Inside Secret of Healthy Weight Loss

[Zer]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

i got some coconut oil and started out with 1/4 teaspoon... not bad, we will see how it goes!

What are you mixing it in with? VCO adds satisfaction to whatever it's added to, as fat satisfies us. Even adding it to coffee or tea works to increase the satisfaction quotient. And do not forget to slather some VCO on hands, face, neck, anywhere, as a treat!

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by Zer

What are you mixing it in with? VCO adds satisfaction to whatever it's added to, as fat satisfies us. Even adding it to coffee or tea works to increase the satisfaction quotient. And do not forget to slather some VCO on hands, face, neck, anywhere, as a treat!

i took it straight! not bad!no oily feel or anything but it was only a quarter teaspoon!i got the extra virgin CO in the vitamin section at walmart... 10 bucks almost couldn't find it smells delicious but i like coconut smell not taste but it wasn't bad...when do you think i should up it to half a teaspoon??? i sure hope it gives me more energy!

[debkeversole]

[Zer]

Deb, if you like VCO, try using it when you scramble eggs into a soft custard of tasty egginess. The VCO adds an interesting taste, as well as adding good fat.

[Zer]

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/be...l#post10097794 is a sweet story of a child's effort to put together pieces of what he knows with bits of new knowledge, new words. Very sharp kid, whatever age he is.

[desdemona]

In terms of how I feel, I can 100% honestly say I feel no difference at all.

I can cross my legs yes...but look at those pics, the black sweater pic to now was 30 lbs.

My body doesn't LOOK any different!

I can jog now but it's not any easier....Though maybe if I went a bit more like I should it would get easier *laugh* I'm just happy that I CAN do it.

I'd like to look in the mirror and see a skinny girl someday....

just plain old me for now.