Beth's Real Life Journey to Success

[Low Carb Mommy]

OK, new myspace slideshows are up...check them out!

[Edwards20]

Headed to your myspace right now. You look AWESOME !!!! What a beautiful family.

[Edwards20]

Something isn't working right, maybe it's on my end. All I can view are your friends and the slideshow from the b-day party and Christmas. I can't see anything on the left of your profile ??

[Low Carb Mommy]

I just tried it.....I could see it....hmmm!

[Low Carb Mommy]

We had a wonderful Easter! New slide shows are up. I am sure there will be more pictures when my brother emails me the ones on his camera. It was so cold that my flowers I had planted died. I was so sad. I am still hoping maybe they might bloom again when it warms up.

So, I was up a full pound today. 140.2. I fully expected it. We went and ate Thai food yesterday. I had a duck stir fry and some coconut milk soup. I can't imagine what the carb count was in it! I just let it go. I am not even going to post a menu. I am regretting eating the chocolates now. I woke up a sweet tooth that had been stagnant. I made chocolate chip cookies last night for my family and I really wanted one. I didn't eat one but I am really tempted. Also, I have been really hungry today. I was still in good ketosis this morning. I wonder how much hydration has to do with it? I haven't been drinking my water like I should. I guess I just wonder if it is a true reading. I read somewhere you should test at night. I test both. The evening ones are usually lighter than the morning.

I am very tired today. I am going to try to rest as much as I can. I have found that is so important with weight loss. I lose more when I have had a full night's sleep.

Well, here's to a day of staying on plan and eating much better. It really got me a little scared this weekend... of thinking about after I lose the weight. I want to have control. I already know that I have a high metabolic resistance, and I will not likely be able to eat all the carbs most people can eat. I just don't want to let there be a little slip here and a little slip there. I don't want to gain the weight back. Will it be hard to eat like this the rest of my life? Will I have as much discipline and motivation when I have lost the weight? It all seems a little overwhelming to me right now! Maybe I am just having a down day......

[seb]

Beth~I know from experience that maintenance is much harder than weight-loss. That is why I am wanting to do this right, even if it takes a long time. I will learn so much in the process. I KNOW that I will not be able to eat sugar or any sort of junk food. It will just set me off.

Think about how much better you feel right now after losing 35 pounds and that will help you through maintaining your loss. Don't get discouraged about your cheat. You can learn a good lesson from it - how it brought back cravings that had been wiped out. It's all a learning process, my dear. You're doing so wonderfully on this journey, and I know you will get to the finish line and stay there!

I love your new pic. You are a beautiful lady. Will check out your slide show.

[Low Carb Mommy]

Thanks Sue for the encouragement. I guess I need to plan to be on here until I am old and gray...no until I die....won't our avatars look funny then...but we will still be pretty!

My Easter pictures are at the end of page 5 if anyone missed them. Sometimes when you hit the button that lets you see what you haven't read, it doesn't go back a page...just didn't want anyone to miss the pictures.

[Edwards20]

Beth, I wish I knew what to tell you. I too am having a down day and I didn't even eat on plan I wasn't even in ketosis this morning. You have lost more than me and I think they are dong great. We will figure this out .... we will do it.

[seb]

We'll be old skinny ladies, not old fat ladies

[Edwards20]

Yeah

[KrystaLyn]

BETH! I'm gone for a couple of days and you catch up to me! (I TOLD YOU!!!)
139! Awesome job! I can just tell how happy you are by reading your words. I'm so glad you had a wonderful Easter. I wouldn't worry about your little cheats...You are starting to experiment with your WAY OF LIFE, and that is the most important part of this whole plan! Its EASY to lose the weight...I mean everything is spelled out for you~What you can eat and what you can't. But maintenance is a whole different beast. I think you did a great job. That small amount of weight you put on will fall right back off.

You look FANTASTIC in your pictures...beautiful, happy and GLOWING! KUTGREATW, my friend!

[seb]

Beth, how are you feeling today? Better, I hope.

[Low Carb Mommy]

Krysta~you are such an encourager...and as I said in your journal, I really needed that today!

Sue~thanks for checking on me. I woke up this morning feeling really bad physically and emotionally. As the day has gone on, I am feeling better.

Candy~I really hope this depression lifts soon...it is no fun. I will pray for both of us!

Well, I was up again this morning. I don't know if it was still going up from the cheat or from the LC snacks I made last night. I think I may have gotten the sweet tooth out of my system...I hope. I made some of those chocolate/pb treats last night. I licked a lot of the batter and then ate two after they were harden. Before I went to bed, I had a terrible head ache! I felt sick this morning when I woke up. The scales read 140.8 this morning. Then it said error...got back on....read the same. I don't know if it was right or not...guess I will find out tomorrow. My ketone stick on the other hand was as dark as it can get....what the heck?! Could it be from all the fat? Am I dehydrated? It is hard to believe.

Menu from yesterday:

B~2 eggs w/ cheese & turkey pepp.=2.2
L~Chicken strips made w/ parm. cheese, 1 cup of salad w/ O. Garden dressing=3.3
S~2 slices of cheese microwaved into crackers=.6
D~Hamburger Cabbage skillet topped with sour cream/cream cheese mixture & sprinkle parm=5
D~choc/pb treats=4

Total: 18.1 plus batter


I went and got some B-Complex vitamins today. I read a thread on them and the lady said that she had loads of energy. I figured that it couldn't hurt. We will see if they can get me out of this funk.

I am also disturbed because this morning my hair seemed to be falling out again. It had stopped for a while. I need to start taking my Biotin again. I think I will start a thread to see what everyone says about it.

[Edwards20]

Hey Beth, today has progressively gotten better. Not sure what the pb/choc treats are. Did they have sugar ? Are you thinking that caused the headache ?

The scales and the ketones not matching freak me out. I can understand a false NEGATIVE, but I didn't think there was a false POSITIVE.

Did your cabbage stuff have soy sauce ? I have often found the my water retention can show up as late as 2 days later. So I have to look back a day for what could have caused it sometimes.

I started taking some Biotin as well. The bottle says 1000mcg per day, is that what you were taking ? Was there a reason you quick ? Only been taking it 3 days ... so just curious.

[Low Carb Mommy]

Candy~the treats were made with unsweetened chocolate, butter, splenda, and low carb peanut butter. It was just the fact that I went berserk on them.

I tested a strip this afternoon and got only a small reading...I know that it is much stronger in the morning. I guess I need to be satisfied that it read positive. If you eat a lot of fat, does that mean your body is just burning the fat you ate and maybe not your body fat?

My cabbage dish had 1/2 head cabbage, hamburger meat, little onion, few mushrooms, salt and pepper. The I put a dollop of cream mixture...sour cream, melted cream cheese, and sprinkle of parm. cheese. In my Atkins book it has 1.1 net carbs for 1/2 cup of cabbage. I figured up the rest and went with 5 carbs to be safe. I don't think that it made me hold water..??

I have just gotten lazy with the Biotin. But I will start taking it again since my hair is starting to fall out again. I started a thread and that is what everyone said to take.

[KrystaLyn]

Beth, you can read what I wrote about the hair loss in your other post about it. I had a similar thing happen last time I started Atkins. Don't worry...if it's just weight loss related, it will grow right back.

Sorry you were up again, but it will all even out. If you're in Ketosis, you are buring fat. The Ketone sticks don't turn color just for dietary fat. You have to be burning fat to produce the ketones, so obviously you are in fat burning mode. That's all that matters. If you are burning fat, the scales will eventually go DOWN!

I know what you mean about the headaches...I got one yesterday afternoon, but I killed it with some Advil before it got too bad. I know it was from the sugar I had on Sunday. Today I was fine, though.

Well, I will hope and pray that you have a better day tomorrow. And remember to treat yourself KINDLY. You have done, and ARE doing, an awesome job! Here's to a better tomorrow! Until then...

[Edwards20]

Originally Posted by Low Carb Mommy

carb peanut butter. It was just the fact that I went berserk on them.

I am sorry That, nor the cabbage wouldn't make you hold water IMHO ...

Originally Posted by Low Carb Mommy

I tested a strip this afternoon and got only a small reading...I know that it is much stronger in the morning. I guess I need to be satisfied that it read positive. If you eat a lot of fat, does that mean your body is just burning the fat you ate and maybe not your body fat?

I am glad you cleared this up Krysta, because I have struggled with the same thing. And the scaled FINALLY moved.

I will check out your thread on Biotin, so I can find out how much to take.

Originally Posted by KrystaLyn

Well, I will hope and pray that you have a better day tomorrow. And remember to treat yourself KINDLY. You have done, and ARE doing, an awesome job! Here's to a better tomorrow! Until then...

Yes, what Krysta said

[seb]

Good morning Beth. for you that you get to feeling better, physically and emotionally.

The weight-loss journey can be so frustrating at times, and exhilirating at other times. I have to keep remembering that I am not in a race. My body, for whatever reasons, doesn't drop the weight on the scale like I would like. Have you ever read Cartbabe's story. It took her 2 years to lose about 125 pounds. She never cheated once (she's my hero), but would go for weeks/months at a time without ever losing. Then all the sudden, the scale would begin to drop. If you've seen her before/after pics, she has had an amazing transformation. So, just a little inspirtation to keep you going, my dear friend.

[Low Carb Mommy]

Good morning. I came down a little this morning. I was 140.6. At least it is going in the right direction now. Thank God for Ketosis! Thanks also to Krysta for clearing up the questions that were haunting my mind!

We had a scare this morning. One of our close friends grand-daughter was at a school were the student had a bomb strapped to him. She was in the room. We had lots of people praying. The update as 25 min. ago was all the students had been gotten out safely except for the student with the bomb. It was a scary time but God is faithful to take care of His people!

I tried to eat more meat yesterday. I still had a choc. treat. I am going to try to go the rest of the week without eating anything chocolate (except for a Atkins shake).

Menu for yesterday:

B~Egg salad=1.5
L~2 hamburger patties w/ cheese(1), side salad w/o carrots(5), ranch(2)=8
D~one choc/pb treat=2
S~2 slices of cheese microwaved, 2 large strawberries=2.4
D~3 eggs scrambled, sirloin steak=1.8
D~cup of CC milk=4

Total: 19.7

I woke up about 4am this morning with a bad leg cramp. I am going to try to up my water today. Anyone got any suggestions on leg cramps?

[KrystaLyn]

Seriously, the only thing I know to do for leg cramps is more water and potassium. My dad gets them all the time, so he makes sure to drink a lot of water before bed.

I'm glad you went down this morning Remember, after I saw 139 for the first time, it probably took me another week to see it again! You will get there. But I know the waiting stinks! Sigh...

[Edwards20]

Beth, you know how down I get at times. You can do this !! I am doing good now, but I know as soon as the scale doesn't do what I want it to, I will be right back on my emotional roller coaster. We just have to learn from this and learn what carbs are poison to us and what carbs are not. (I mentioned an excerpt from DANDR in Krysta's journal). I am glad your friend's grandchild is OK. That must have been really scary.

You know I am not a food guru so, I don't know what else to say except I love you

[Low Carb Mommy]

Whew! I am feeling better today. I woke up feeling much better...energized and happy! Last night I went to bed ill. I even provoked a fight with DH. Poor baby! I am glad I am starting to feel more like myself.

I discovered some things through the thread I started yesterday. I still think that hormones were in play. I had been ill before the depression symptoms started. I think the weekend had some things to do with it too. The cheats, the celebration with family, then everyone leaving. As my brother and I get older, we are not able to get together as much anymore. I also know that one day when he gets married and has a family that things will change too. My friend Fawn said that we mourn food as we go through this LC journey. I thought that was crazy when I heard it but I think that she may be right. My whole life food has been a celebration. Even now I still like celebrating with it (only it is LC). It is still hard when you have to omit some of those items that were really big treats for your family....ours is homemade ice cream. It represents a great time and fun celebration for us. My brother this weekend wanted to make some. My mom and dad are both diabetics and now Mark and I are LC. Making the ice cream was not an option. I am really glad that they didn't' make it. I don't think that I couldve had that much control....but maybe I would have been surprised at myself. I would've had least tasted it and then fixed me the LC ice cream. Anyway, it is a big change in mindsets and habits. It is hard and no fun! And when you start thinking about it long term sometimes it can be real overwhelming!!

The scales finally went down this morning to the 130's....barely but there....139.8! I still have .6 to go to get down to where I started the week out. I have until Sunday. I am hopeful.

I fixed the Alfredo sauce that Krysta gave me last night. We put it over spaghetti squash. It was soo good! It was definitely a hard one to portion control. I could have eaten tons!! I wish Spaghetti squash didnt' have as so many carbs. It has 11 net carbs per cup! If you want the recipe, she has it posted in her journal.

Menu from yesterday:

B~Atkins Shake=1
L~Pizza Skillet=6
S~yogurt with can whipped cream=4
D~Spaghetti squash(3/4 cup-8) w/ Alfredo sauce(1/4 cup-3)=11
5 olives=.7
Coffee w/ SF vanilla creamer(2)=2

Total: 24.7


DH (Mark) has been having trouble with gout. His leg has been swollen with fluid. I haven't been reporting on him much with his diet because of it. He has stayed on plan but because of the fluid the scales haven't been moving. He has been on his meds since Monday. This morning he finally saw a drop. I had really prayed that he would see some loss because he was getting very discouraged. He had definitely been losing inches because he has taken his belt up all the way. I think that is why he was sticking with it. I am just glad the scales are finally showing it!

[seb]

Beth~I have definately found that changing the way I eat leads to a mourning of the lifestyle that was a double-edged sword. It brought so much fun into my life by enjoying food with others, but it was also a source of guilt and weight-gain. I went through a christian-based weight loss program years ago that dealt a lot with the mourning aspect of changing the way you eat. The wonderful thing about low-carb is that you can have so many delicious foods, and a great variety at that.

Glad that your DH has seen a loss on the scale. It always helps, even though the inches may be dropping. Hope his gout gets better soon.