Doublepointgirl's journal

[doublepointgirl]

Hi - I'm Sarah, aka Doublepointgirl.

I weigh over 200 lbs...probably around 220 to 230 lbs. To be honest - I don't want to weigh myself. I am totally phobic about the scale and measurements. I will say that I am wearing a snug size 22 jeans from Layne Bryant.

This is the biggest I've ever been. I hit the 200 lb mark about 3 years ago. Each year I've gained a bit more. I've tried dieting and exercising. I've broken so many promises to myself that starting a diet almost seems like a joke.

I don't believe in myself.

I would like this to be different. I would like to write a noble journal entry saying that I am going to "really do it this time" and by such-and-such date I will lose this much weight.

But that's just not very realistic given my track record.

I will do my best. I guess that's all I can say.

I mean...I am tired of being fat. My husband easily lost 30 pounds this year. He has inspired me to look at how I deal with food and my eating habits. My daughter, she is 8, has started to get a belly and I am worried about her health. We need to make some changes.

So yesterday I started induction on the Atkins diet. This is my 2nd try at this plan. The first time I tried it, I really overdid it with the whole "eat as much as you like" concept. My addiction to food didn't end just because I was low carbing. I found certain foods that were really high in fat that satisfied me and I ate them often.

This time...I am really focusing on watching my portions, avoiding snacking between meals and trying to cut down on my addiction to diet coke.

Here was my first day of meals:

Saturday, Jan. 13
B - 2 Hard boiled eggs, 1 oz. cream cheese, coffee
L - 1 boneless chicken breast sauted with butter, rosemary, kosher salt and pepper and 1 c. green beans
D - Beef pot roast, 1 c. pot roast juice w/ onion, salad with iceburg lettuce, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, cheddar cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
S - Diet ginger ale
Water - 6 cups
Plus 2 cough drops

No matter what - I know I ate less than usual and ate healthier. I have been on a huge sugar-carbs spree since the holidays began.

I did get a headache last night, I am sure a sugar withdrawl thing. I told my husband I was certain it would pass though these first few days may be rough.

Given my first experience with Atkins, I am going to assume I have a somewhat resistent metablolism so I'll prob need to really watch the cheese, eggs and other dairy as well as my fat intake overall.

Like I said...I'll just do my best.

[doublepointgirl]

Day 2 -

I'm done with food for the day.

B - 1 hard boiled egg, 1 oz. Cabot cheddar cheese, coffee
L - 5 spears asparagus, Chicken Breast sauteed in butter
D - Bowl of salad (lettuce, cucumber, sprouts, shredded cheddar cheese and brocolli) w/ oil and vinegar, shrimp, glass of ginger ale
Water - 2 large glasses so far - need to drink more tonight

I have to say...tonight I was bored and was thinking about food a lot.

I bought some ketone strips and I am happy to say after not even 48 hours I am showing "trace" amounts of keytones (light pink).

Since the other time I tried Atkins I never even got trace amounts w/ the keytones...I was really happy to see that.

[doublepointgirl]

Day 3 Begins!
After day 1 of having some headaches...day 2 being fairly tired...day 3 has begun and I feel pretty good. Unmotivated to get to work - there is a lot of snow and ice outside. My dog fell on the ice this morning and hurt his leg. My DH had to take him to the vet and I've just decided to stay IN.

Started the AM with 2 sausage patties and 2 fried eggs. It's 11 a.m. and I am really not hungry yet. That is just amazing to me. Limiting the carbs and sticking with the induction foods - I do not feel deprived or hungry in the slightest bit - YET. I still don't trust myself. Or Atkins. I just know there is no miracle cure for my obesity. But I will say that I am really OK with eating these foods.

For lunch I will be eating pot roast (leftovers), pot roast broth and some cauliflower with butter.

For dinner, I'll be having chicken breast and salad.

I need to get some recipes and try them out so I don't get bored - which I can see happening easily.

This is new and exciting right now so I am spending a great deal of time perusing the boards here at LCF. Would like to meet some friends and start motivating one another. However...it's hard to develope a friendship based on weight loss goals only. And I am sort of odd...really into left-wing politics, wacky movies, knitting, celeb-reality television...I probably would scare away a lot of people!

[doublepointgirl]

Genuinely had my first real hunger pangs today. Not so much hunger pangs...kind of like cravings I guess. I had a piece of string cheese.

I had followed my menu and then I was trying to wait until 5 to get dinner started. Well...I went ahead and had the cheese, drank several glasses of H2O, tried to keep myself busy.

By the time I had dinner I was starved. Had my chicken breast, pan sauteed in butter (2 tbsp) and small salad w/ lettuce, sprouts, 1 hb egg, 1/4 c. grated cheese.

Had 1 glass of ginger ale...I am going to give that up once I drink the rest. I am worried that w. my resistent metabolism, I may be shooting myself and my good efforts in the foot taking in the aspartame. I'll pick up some diet coke w/ Splenda instead.

I also have a bit of a headache again tonight and feel a little frazzled/grouchy. It may be work stress though.

[doublepointgirl]

Got up this morning so early...3:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays are super early days for me because I have to work from home for a few hours and then get in the office bright and shiny. I have to have an hour of sipping coffee and waking up before I can do anything though.

So this morning I got up, made my joe, packed up some leftover pot roast and green beans to enjoy for lunch later at the office. I guess I should pack along some green beans too.

Today's menu will be...
B - 2 slices bacon, 2 fried eggs...and coffee of course!
L - Leftover pot roast, 1 c. green beans, 1 oz. cheese
D - I'm going to try the Wendy's chicken sand and salad from the value menu (no bun of course). I will be out and about and won't have time to come home and cook...don't think I can stand having pot roast twice in one day.

I'm trying to follow some guidelines from other diets w/ my Atkins plan...Trying not to eat after 7 p.m. for starters. I am working to drink more water but with my daily coffee intake and my 1 glass of diet ginger ale...I can't drink 8 glasses on top of that. Ugh. Too much. I have 3 mugs of coffee per day generally. Maybe 4. Then I am trying to get in 3 glasses of water. Then my glass of ginger ale. It's more than 10 cups of liquids. If it starts causing me issues I will reconsider the coffee and try to cut back. But it is an absolute pleasure of mine.

While drinking my morning cup, I watched the series finale of Dawson's Creek. I've been TiVoing it and I just cried like a baby watching Jen slip away...Joey making the ultimate choice in her tragic love triangle with Dawson and Pacey. I loved it. Though I can't believe she ended up with Pacey...I guess I get it.

It doesn't matter really...OK...must get to work.

[doublepointgirl]

Hey - good day! YAY.

I was so tired...forgot to bring the lunch I made so I went to Wendy's for lunch instead of dinner and tried their side caesar salad. Hey - wow - that was good! I didn't like the faux bacon bits. I scooched them off.
Then - I had heard about these great value meal chicken sandwiches - they didn't have them. Poo. SO I ordered 2 jr. bacon cheeseburgers and tossed the bun. It was all really good. I might have gone a little overboard on the lettuce but I don't think a little lettuce ever killed anyone...nor made them gain weight.

Yeah...it was a good day.

Oh - and I finished off the evening with a stick of string cheese. LOVE that stuff!

[silversunfire]

Hi Sarah!
I was looking over your menus and you MAY want to add some more veggies in there. Most of your 20 carbs are supposed to be from them. Between 12 & 15. Don't worry about having too much lettuce on a burger. Even if you have 3 medium leaves each on 2 burgers, thats only 1 carb. Check the link at the bottom for the Acceptable foods list from Atkins.
It also doesn't look like you are eating enough in general. Are you able to add in some snacks between your meals? I saw at the top you want to avoid doing that, but dont. That would be a good time to get those veggies in. Don't worry about fat and calories right now!! Just concentrate on getting 20 grams of good carbs in. Believe it or not, the fat is actually helping you right now.
Also, more water. Only water is water. Coffee and diet pop can't be counted toward your water intake. It's hard at first if you aren't used to drinking it. I always had water with me at work so it's easy for me to drink around 100 oz a day.You don't have to get that high. Just try to aim for the reccomended 68 oz.
Are you taking any kind of multi vitamin?

You don't have to listen to anything I say either. Just have been thru induction 3 times now and I read a LOT.


http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkin...ceptable-foods

PS. Have you tried FitDay.com? You enter your food in and it's keeps track of carbs, fat, protein, calories, etc...

[doublepointgirl]

Thanks for the helpful info! I had been being so careful to measure out my veggies and trying not to overdo... I can always eat more veggies. I crave extra salad and stuff but I didn't want to go over. I am also waiting on my copy of the Atkins book I ordered off of Ebay so I am sort of flying blind right now.

So...today...I woke up HUNGRY! I started off the day with 2 sausage patties, scrambled eggs, 1 oz. Cabot cheddar and a pinch of shredded cheese on my eggs. Now...I'm just hanging, drinking coffee...need to get to work.

It's day FIVE - YAHOO! And really...each day I get a little more confident that I can DO this thing!!!

What's amazing...is that when I did Weight Watchers or other plans...all I did was think about food. All I wanted to do was eat the MOST MOST MOST I could. I read labels and pondered "points" incessently and never felt satisfied. 1 portion of a muffin or 1/2 a sandwich or whatever...just NEVER felt like enough. With this lowcarb WOE...food in general isn't the highlight of my day. I mean, don't get me wrong, what I am eating tastes really good. Green beans with a pat of butter is like heaven to me!

So...with confidence comes cockiness - and I don't want to go there either. But I do want to do this right...and be healthy...and do it the RIGHT way.

I appreciate and WELCOME advice!

[silversunfire]

Till your book comes in........
http://www.atkins.com/articles/nutritional-approach

It has the same stuff as the book.

[doublepointgirl]

Wow - I really do need to eat more veggies to get those carbs in! Holy cow! I can't believe what I saw when I entered the info on Fit Day!

[doublepointgirl]

Yesterday I had another on track day. Things are going really well and I can't be happier. I am sort of euphoric right now. Even though I am not sure if I've even lost a single pound, I feel like I have. My keytones are in the moderate range, 40s. YAY. That is very reassuring. Because the last time I did Atkins (when I failed at it) I never got my keytones above trace levels.

My menu yesterday -
B: 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties, 1 oz. cheese
L: Chicken breast sauteed in butter, 2 cups lettuce, 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts with oil and vinegar dressing
D: Leftover pot roast (1 cup), frozen green beans (1 cup) w/ 1/2 tbsp butter
Coffee - 4 cups, Diet coke - 1 cup, Water - 4 or 5 glasses

I really do need to work on taking in more water but it's hard! I am just not used to it.

[doublepointgirl]

Fit day totals from yesterday;
Calories Eaten Today
grams cals %total
Total: 2000
Fat: 148 1330 68%
Sat: 49 445 23%
Poly: 8 75 4%
Mono: 52 467 24%
Carbs: 19 60 3%

I got my Atkins book in the mail so I can start reading it. I am feeling OK right now. Yesterday was tough. I got the hiccups four times - NOT pleasant. Also, had HORRIBLE heartburn. I am wondering if it was the bacon and eggs. Bacon is so high in fat and then there isn't much actual food to fill you up. I just felt wretched. But amazingly - not hungry really.

I went to a chamber of commerce lunch and the menu was chicken fettucini alfredo, salad and peach cobler plus garlic bread. I ate a few bites of salad and like 5 olives. It was enough to satisfy me but I knew I needed to eat soon so I went to a nearby bar and grill and had a double cheeseburger, no bun.

For dinner, I met my husband and we bought a queen size bed. YAY! I can finally get a decent night's sleep. So before we did that we ate at Burger King and I just got a tendergrill salad. It was good and I was happy I could eat their ranch - 2 g. of carbs.

I am in the purple range on my keytones sticks so I am really hoping to see something positive on the scale when I weigh in. I feel like I am losing weight, truly.

[doublepointgirl]

Fitday totals:

Total: 1400
Fat: 100 901 64%
Sat: 29 262 19%
Poly: 6 51 4%
Mono: 22 202 14%
Carbs: 19 45 3%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 114 455 32%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

B - 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties
L - leftover pot roast, frozen cauliflower
D - Turkey Tenderloin, chevre, spinach, mushrooms, onion, tbsp butter
3 cups of coffee, 1 glass diet coke w/ splenda, 6 cups of water...maybe more

AND -

I lost 8 lbs! WAHOOO! I can't quite believe it! How is that possible to lose 8 lbs in a week? Crazy but SO encouraging. I am getting purple readings on my ketosis strips. I am beyond thrilled. Just need to KEEP IT UP.

[amandajean]

Hi Sarah,

Congrats on a great first week! You will be under the 200 mark before you know it.

[BellaHMB]

You are doing so well! I think I want to start a journal too.....!

Bella aka Victoria

[doublepointgirl]

Today was a good day. I am down to 218.8. Can't quite believe my eyes. I am experiencing the weird breath odor thing which kind of sucks. My husband does NOT like it.

I could not face eggs another morning so I woke up today and got the inspiration to try having some chevre on cucumbers. That was delicious! BUT - I need to not make a habit it of it. The dairy really hurt me the last time I tried Atkins. I love it so much. Real whipped cream...even with a touch of Splenda is so beyond delicious...and I really have to remember to keep track of that...and how much I am taking in.

So...here goes for today so far:
B - Chevre and Cucumbers
L - Salmon cakes (made w/ canned salmon, 1 egg, fried in a tbsp butter and canola oil)
D - Turkey tenderloin strips (cooked in butter/canola), salad w/ leaf lettuce, mushrooms, 2 tbsp grated cheddar, olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing
S - SF Jello (1/2 box) and 1/4 heavy cream (whipped and 1 packet of splenda added)
3 c. coffee, 1 herbal tea, 4 glasses of water (need to get more in before bed)

Fit day totals:
Total Calories: 1784
Fat: 133 1196 68%
Sat: 59 535 30%
Poly: 18 159 9%
Mono: 42 379 21%
Carbs: 15 50 3%
Fiber: 3 0 0%
Protein: 130 518 29%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

I am really under on my carbs so I may have a little more veggies before bed or I may just skip it. I'm not hungry...so I don't think I need it.

We rented "Prairie Home Companion" so I'm off to watch that.

[doublepointgirl]

Well - I am thrilled to say I've lost another 2 lbs! I am down to 216.4 today. This is an incredible weight loss for me. I am just wondering where the weight is going? How does it "dissapear?" LOL.

I tried a really tasty item I can see myself enjoying often...salmon patties made with simply a can of salmon, 1 egg and curry powder. Oh wow - they were delicious. I topped them with a little bit of sour cream. So tasty!

It snowed here last night...so beautiful this morning. My DD is begging to go out and sled so I may get a little exercize today. I busied myself yesterday doing a good deal of laundry and cleaning the kitchen. Trying just to get off my butt.

I have several knitting projects in the works too...a pair of socks, a poncho (my 1st one), a valentines dishcloth, a pair of legwarmers for DD. Days like today are PERFECT for knitting!

[doublepointgirl]

Down almost 1 lb. today. I weighed in at 215.8 this a.m.

Yesterday was one of my lower calorie days.
I ate:
B - Faux pancakes made with 1 egg, 1/2 oz. cream cheese + 4 slices bacon
L - 6 oz. tuna, 2 tbsp mayo served as roll ups on lettuce w/ cucumber sticks
D - (At Old County Buffet) Pork chop, little roast beef (disgusting), 3 brussel sprouts, mushrooms, taste of collard greens (yuck), fresh broccoli
S - 2 string cheese

Fit Day totals:
Total: 1313
Fat: 80 723 57%
Sat: 25 224 18%
Poly: 17 152 12%
Mono: 26 236 18%
Carbs: 26 71 6%
Fiber: 8 0 0%
Protein: 121 485 38%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

I was genuinely starving last night and I think I should have had my cheese earlier in the day instead of trying to have it right before bed. That was no good.

The food at Old Country Buffet was wretched.

I also got the "low carb diet" advice from my FIL. He went on some type of Atkins a few years ago and dropped 40+ lbs. Yeah...but it was the type of diet where he didn't read the book and just ate nothing but eggs, cheese, steak and bacon.

So he poo poos the diet now because he gained all that back and then some when he went off it for whatever reason. He was trying to tell me I could eat whatever I want if I stay below 60 grams of carbs per day. Whatever. I just wanted to say, "have you ever even CONSIDERED reading the Atkins book?"...or ANY book for that matter, LOL...

Oh well - I know opinions are like a--holes. Everyone has one.

[BellaHMB]

You go girl!!



Look at those stats! Keep it up!

Bella aka Victoria

[doublepointgirl]

OK - Yesterday was so crazy and today is shaping up to be equally so. I am forcing myself to come here and take 5 minutes to record my stats.

Didn't get on the scale this morning...too rushed! I'm drinking my coffee and gotta finish a few stories. I overslept! My new bed is TOO comfortable!!!

Fit Day totals from yesterday:
Total: 1605
Fat: 118 1065 66%
Sat: 37 333 21%
Poly: 4 38 2%
Mono: 32 287 18%
Carbs: 22 59 4%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 121 483 30%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Still doing good. Yesterday I ate:
B - 2 eggs w/ spinach, 2 sausage patties
L - Beef stew (1 cup beef with 1 cup of mixed veggies - green beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions in broth). It was homemade in the crock pot and DELICIOUS!
D - 1 c. beef from the beef stew. I was going to have something different and then ran out of time.
S - 1/2 c. cucumber w/ 1/4 c. chevre
Did NOT drink enough water...I just kept forgetting.
I DID have 3-4 cups of coffee.

I am STARVED right now and I've got to work but hopefully I'll have time to cook up a few of the sausage patties and some scrambled eggs really fast. If not...I might eat my phone at work this morning!

[BellaHMB]

Hey, good for you for taking the time to post even when in a rush! I am fortunate that I work at home (mostly, I do have an office in town also)
so I can get up, drink my coffee and read the posts

BTW, what kind of a job do you have Sarah? I work as a counselor.

Have a great low carb day!!

Bella aka Victoria

ps I still dont have private messaging and thought I could give you my email here in case you want to stay in touch- jvmarinatompkins@aol.com

[doublepointgirl]

Today is a new day! I feel good - need to get going though.

I had a late start with breakfast. I had 2 eggs, 1/2 cup shredded chicken, 1/2 cup frozen spinach cooked as an omellete - oh I added 1 tbsp cream to it. YUMMY. Made it rich! I topped it with a few crumbles of Chevre. Very good!

I am planning to make a pork chop for dinner. Since bfast was so late I might skip lunch and just do a snack of some cheese and cucumber or sprouts or something.

Feel good...energy is good. Heartburn symptoms were not so bad yesterday. I need to drink more water though!

[BellaHMB]

You go girl! I think I am 10 pounds down, or so. Waiting for my dh to get up and I can weigh in! Have a great day Sarah.

Victoria

[doublepointgirl]

Good morning journal. I am so proud to have kept up with you for 12 days now. I can't believe I have pushed through almost 2 weeks without cheating. What's more amazing is doing two weeks without the DESIRE to cheat.

I am in ***LOVE*** with this WOE now. I feel good. My skin is so soft! I can tell I am making progress.

Having said that...I am up 1 lb today. I guess I should follow my own advice and not weigh in every day! So....today I am at 215.4.

Yesterday's fitday:
Total: 1590
Fat: 104 940 60%
Sat: 39 350 23%
Poly: 19 170 11%
Mono: 30 272 18%
Carbs: 25 64 4%
Fiber: 9 0 0%
Protein: 138 550 35%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Foods:
B - 2 eggs, 1/2 c. shredded chicken, 1/2 c. frozen spinach, chevre crumbles (few tablespoons)
L - Tuna salad on bed of lettuce and sprouts
D - Thick baked pork chop and mushrooms with sour cream
NO snack
4 cups coffee, 1 glass diet coke w/ Splenda and 6-7 glasses water

[doublepointgirl]

Total: 1778
Fat: 119 1071 62%
Sat: 38 340 20%
Poly: 26 231 13%
Mono: 38 338 20%
Carbs: 23 66 4%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 144 577 34%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

B - Yogurt (Carb Freedom)
S - Mozz stick and turkey
L - 2 dbl bacon cheeseburgers and caesar salad
D - Broccoli chicken casserole

Yesterday was a hard day. I felt hungry after I ate my snack around 10:30 and just had awful cravings. I didn't consider cheating and doing carbs...but I just was not in a good mindset. I took a nap and felt better though.

I am thinking about giving up the coffee or limiting myself to just 1 cup per day. It will free up a couple of carb grams for one thing.

I had fluctated in my weight going from 214.6 to 215.4 to 215. I am thinking I may be getting bloated w/ PMS coming on. I definately feel smaller except I have that ache in my gut.