Mandy's 2008 journey

[PalmTreeGal]

Hi girls! I have never done anything like this - mostly because I am afraid of failing. Then I would have to either disappear or come back and admit my screwup, and neither option seemed very palatable. Here's hoping this journal will keep me coming back, even after I make mistakes.

Yesterday when I should have been studying, I wrote out a concrete plan with goals, how to achieve them, and what to do when I stall. Stalling is a major trigger for relapses, as I'm sure it is for others here. I have not actually been very successful losing weight on Atkins, but it seems to work so well for others and I KNOW I'm a sugar-aholic, so I keep believing that with the right tweaks it will work for me.

This is my plan for the first week. I began on Monday. I had posted it in the Main Lobby for advice. I am on day 3 of it. I was super hungry yesterday and ended up adding in a tb of CO and 4 more ounces of pork. I have been in ketosis since yesterday (day 2) but the hunger hasn't slowed down yet. This is pretty typical - the early days are hard, and I don't find ketosis suppresses my appetite much anyway.
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This is my plan for the coming week: re-Induct, while sticking to a preplanned menu of 1600-1800 cals/day. I'm going to do this by eating a fixed menu: two choices for breakfast, two choices for lunch, and the same protein for dinner with varying vegetables. I'm going to put a lot of effort into eating to hunger and not snacking out of boredom/stress/whatever. I think maybe I haven't been super-successful with Atkins in the past because of not eating to hunger.

Breakfast choice #1: decaf with 2 tb heavy cream and Davinci's, 1/2 flax muffin with butter
Breakfast choice #2: coffee as above, one of 2big's egg muffins containing 2 eggs, 1/2 c veggies and 1 oz cheese

Lunch choice #1: 1 cup salad with 3 oz shrimp, 2 strips crumbled bacon, 1/2 avocado, 2 tb Caesar or Annie's Artichoke Parmesan dressing
Lunch choice #2: 1 cup salad with homemade tuna salad, 1/2 artichoke

Dinner: 4 oz pulled pork (nice fatty pork shoulder) with Walden Farm's LC BBQ sauce, 1 cup salad, 1/2-1 cup veggies (green beans or broccoli with butter or spaghetti squash with pesto which is cream based and has no nuts) depending on whether I ate an egg-veggie muffin that morning.

Bedtime snack: another cup decaf with cream and Davinci's

Throughout the day: 64 oz water with max 2 tb lemon juice

I haven't succeeded with LC yet but no one can say I didn't keep trying! This has historically been my weight loss pattern - many, many attempts to reach any kind of success. It's like quitting smoking where they say it takes seven attempts on average to quit. Eventually SOMETHING has got to work, if I keep throwing effort and ingenuity at it. The twin demons are my body's refusal to lose at a rate that keeps me motivated, and my own mental/emotional demons that keep me from sticking to a plan. I'm trying to attack it from both ends.

[PalmTreeGal]

A. Goals:
1.) Lose 57 pounds to goal weight of 120.
2.) Lose 5 pounds during 2-week Induction.
3.) Lose 1 pound per week thereafter for total loss of 57 pounds over 54 weeks. Approx goal date: 2/5/2009.
4.) Maintain calories 1200-2000 per day and eat 3 cups veggies daily.
5.) 30 minutes per day or 3.5 hours per week any type of physical activity.

B. Plan:
1.) Induction until 10% of weight gone (17 pounds to weigh 160).
2.) Then reevaluate and consider whether to climb the carb ladder.
3.) If weight loss stalls, follow stall plan below.
4.) Plan meals weekly as possible. [will be travelling and moving cross-country, plus starting new job, so there will be some flying by the seat of my pants here.]

C. Stall Plan - Stall is defined by: less than 5 pound loss on Induction, less than 7 pound loss after 4 weeks on Induction, less than 1 pound loss per week thereafter. As foods are eliminated, replace the calories lost with CO to prevent dropping below 1200 cals/day.

1.) Drop down the rungs of carb ladder.
2.) Once back on Induction - 1st week, cut out, avocados, onions and tomatoes.
3.) 2nd week: cut out flax.
4.) 3rd week: cut out cheese.
5.) 4th week: cut out all dairy, and use Almond Breeze in coffee
6.) 5th week: Cut out Splenda and consider using stevia.

[PalmTreeGal]

Now I am not ketotic any more. How strange. I know we're not supposed to live and die by the ketostix, but in the past I have gotten into ketosis fast and stayed there solidly. I got as far as the nut rung and 35g net carbs. Of course, I wasn't losing much weight, even after being in ketosis for 6 weeks straight. So maybe I should chill about ketosis.

It's just weird.

[PalmTreeGal]

Huh - SAME EXACT THING as yesterday. I didn't eat lunch until 3:30 because I wasn't hungry. Then lunch failed to fill me up and I just felt like I could eat the whole kitchen. Ate some of the pork shoulder and some more coffee with CO, again. Fat is the answer, right? Now I feel okay. I'm going to do a DVD workout now.

I hate these first few days of Induction!

[PalmTreeGal]

Day 4, here I come!

Yesterday, I stayed perfectly on plan for Atkins Induction. I was very hungry and assuaged it with coconut oil, a ton of fatty roasted pork, and an extra cup of coffee with cream. The thing is, that means I did NOT stick with the plan I started this thread with, and I am kind of frustrated with that. I guess I underestimated the hunger that can dog you early in Induction. I keep telling myself that even if I ate 2000 cals today, there will still be enough lower-calorie days to show me a loss at the end of the two weeks. (I'm going scale-free throughout Induction, did I mention that?)

I'm not even sure that calories are the reason I lost poorly last time. It could be dairy intolerance, not enough veggies, too many nuts, sleep/stress issues (currently improved). Heck, it could even be my antidepressants or birth control pills, but I'm not giving any of those up!

[PalmTreeGal]

Taken in Vegas, Sept 2007, around 170. Yech. Husband looks handsome though.

[Lizbeth927]

Hey, thanks for stopping by my journal! You are a BRAVE girl for fasting from the scale during Induction!! Sometimes I think I need to just throw mine out all together. I noticed that we have pretty similar stats, considering that you're a few inches shorter than me. You mentioned that you haven't had success in the past with Atkins, but rest assured that it really does work!! The weight just comes off at different speeds for different people, and it looks like you have very realistic expectations of how long it will take you to lose the weight. I always try to remind myself that I didn't gain the weight overnight, so I'm not going to lose it overnight either!! One thing that seems to work well for me is to focus for the first few weeks solely on my eating, then add in exercise once I feel like my cravings/eating is completely under control. For some reason, in the past when I have restarted Atkins, trying to return to Induction AND add in lots of exercise has made it really difficult to stick to the program long-term. Anyway, I just wanted to say HI and let you know I'll be rooting for your success! Good luck

[Lizbeth927]

Originally Posted by PalmTreeGal

Heck, it could even be my antidepressants or birth control pills, but I'm not giving any of those up!

Hey again, I was just rereading that entry and I missed this sentence the first time around. If you don't mind me asking, what anti-depressant are you on? I took Celexa for about 6 months when I was just out of college a few years ago and gained over 50 pounds on it. So that could definitely be a culprit!

[PalmTreeGal]

I take Lamictal (actually an anticonvulsant/mood stabilizer) and recently started Cymbalta. Lamictal isn't known to have an effect on weight (might email my MD just to verify that). The Cymbalta has actually made me less hungry so that's a plus. I used to take Effexor, which hits the same neurotransmitters as Cymbalta (had to quit because it send my HR to 120) and I lost weight, slowly but successfully, on LC at that time. If I have to think about changing my meds I will, but I have a 15-year history of severe depression. When I find something that works I am very reluctant to change it. Being severely depressed is worse than being fat. Not a lot worse (which shows you how much I despise myself for letting my weight get out of control) but definitely worse.

[PalmTreeGal]

I am SO HUNGRY today! I made a 5-lb bone-in pork butt roast on Monday. DH had ONE serving, I ate the rest, and I polished it off this afternoon. I can't believe I ate it all. Here's what I've eaten today:

B: 1/2 flax muffin with butter
L: 1 c lettuce, tuna salad (homemade), 1/2 avocado, 1 tb dressing
S: Starbucks Americano with cream, (they put a LOT in), the rest of the pork roast with Walden Farms BBQ sauce (two bowls worth!) and an omelet muffin with cheese, tomato and onion

And I haven't even had dinner yet! Oink oink! Would someone please reassure me that it's okay to eat this much when I am hungry? That I'm not going to GAIN weight from all this meat and fat?

[cdn_gal]

Hi Mandy!! Just wanted to say that 177 IS beautiful!! And you are proof of that!
Good luck with Induction!!!

[PalmTreeGal]

Awww, thanks Lei!

[NewYorkGiants32]

Hi Mandy! Wow...you are so organized w/ your goals. Makes me re think mine! I think your menus look great......Atkins has been very successful for me in the past...I always end up getting pregnant once I loose the weight......just give it atleast the first two weeks and I bet you will have more than your 5 pound weight loss.

[PalmTreeGal]

Jennifer - I wrote out that whole thing when I should have been studying! I probably would never have written something so complex otherwise. But I'm really puzzled about why I didn't lose much last time I tried, and I want to try a bunch of things to see if I can get the weight loss moving faster.

[PalmTreeGal]

Happy Friday to me! I got up late today and have only eaten a cup of coffee and egg/cheese/veggie muffin so far. Yesterday after all that eating I only had some green beans for supper. So I guess my appetite was appropriately sated after all that food. I did a 45 minute workout too (WATP DVD) which kicked my patootie since I am so out of shape.

Hailey (dog) has had diarrhea in the middle of the night two nights in a row. She also threw up yesterday, but she did it on the bed and kind of pulled the comforter over it, so I didn't find it until last night (no the bed wasn't made). So I called the vet and she gets no food today and boiled chicken with rice tomorrow. Lucky girl. We have been letting her sleep in bed lately but after changing the sheets in the middle of the night because she pooped in the bed - tonight she's back in the crate.

I am going to go brine a chicken to roast for tonight, YUM!

[PalmTreeGal]

So I gave the Oopsies a try. Yum. With strawberry Davinci's they bore an uncanny resemblance to pastry. Now I just have to be strong and not eat the whole batch. Oh, heck, I might just eat the whole batch!

[PalmTreeGal]

I ate them all with the strawberry syrup. Now I feel guilty and I have a nasty chemical taste in my mouth. I normally eat it in Fage so I guess that masks the taste. There was only a bit left so I poured it down the sink. Now I only have flavors like Irish Cream that wouldn't give me that "fruit danish" sensation I was getting that led me to eat the whole batch.

Damn. I hate eating out of control. Makes me feel terrible. I am at 15ish carbs for the day, will just have to stick to meat and salad from here on out. I am going to do an aerobics DVD, that will help me feel better.

[cdn_gal]

Originally Posted by PalmTreeGal

I ate them all with the strawberry syrup. Now I feel guilty and I have a nasty chemical taste in my mouth. I normally eat it in Fage so I guess that masks the taste. There was only a bit left so I poured it down the sink. Now I only have flavors like Irish Cream that wouldn't give me that "fruit danish" sensation I was getting that led me to eat the whole batch.

Damn. I hate eating out of control. Makes me feel terrible. I am at 15ish carbs for the day, will just have to stick to meat and salad from here on out. I am going to do an aerobics DVD, that will help me feel better.

Being a binge eater myself, give yourself credit for pouring the rest down the drain...Acknowledgement is the one of the biggest things to achieve! Once you know the certain things that "set" you off, get rid of it and you'll be one step closer to your goal.... You had a light bulb moment, embrace it and carry on chica!!

And just think, it could have been chocolate chip cookies or something like that

[PalmTreeGal]

Thanks Lei. I did a DVD that kicked my tushie, so I don't feel so bad. And I haven't even been hungry for dinner. I think I will make the Oopsies again for things like hamburgers and tacos, but not just to have around, because this would happen again.

[PalmTreeGal]

I am sore today from the DVD (it was mixed Pilates and cardio) but not nearly as bad as I expected. All the squats, lunges and ab work were tough.

Food today:

B: egg muffin (tomato, cheese, onion), americano with heavy cream (I think the barista messed up and did h&h)

S: 2 oz nitrate-free ham

L: 3 oz shrimp, 2 strips crumbled nitrate-free bacon, 1/2 avocado, 1 c romaine, 2 tb dressing

S: Coffee with cream

D: (hasn't happened yet) Roast chicken with lots of crispy skin, roasted broccoli, salad with dressing

It's getting late but still hoping to get in a cardio DVD before bed.

[Cmint]

Hi Mandy,
Thanks for stopping by my page. How are things going for you.?

You know you mentional pilates makes me think of yoga. I think that is csmething that I can try yhat has no impact on my joint. How are pilates? I've never seen it being done.

[PalmTreeGal]

Day 7 dawns! I noticed yesterday that my wedding and engagement rings have been twirling all the way around my finger, of their own accord. That hasn't happened in a while!

Planned menu for today:

B: 1/2 flax muffin with butter
S: Starbucks americano with cream
L: romaine with shrimp, avocado, bacon, dressing
D: roast chicken, broccoli, salad with dressing
S: coffee with cream

30-45 min cardio DVD

[Lizbeth927]

Woo hoo!! Loose rings are always a good sign! When does the scale fast end so you can see how much progress you've made?

[PalmTreeGal]

I'm scale fasting throughout Induction - so I will hit the 2-week mark on Feb 4. I'm kind of scared . . . I've done Induction several times over the last year and I know it gets less effective the more times you attempt to shock your system with it.

However - every time in the past year I've tried to lose weight has been under high stress - I have been in grad school to be a nurse anesthetist and no way around it, my preceptors have been very rough if not abusive. My cortisol levels have been through the roof I'm sure (stress hormone which helps belly fat accumulate), I didn't get enough sleep, I could only do minimal exercise and I just was fighting to not fall apart every single day.

Right now, in contrast, I have no responsibilities besides studying for my certification exam. That is stressful, as is the fact that we are moving in about 6 weeks and don't have a new home yet, but still - I get enough sleep, am exercising at least 30 min a day, and get to set my own schedule. And no one yells at me. I'm hoping the hormonal environment is a lot more favorable for weight loss!

[PalmTreeGal]

Today I made a double batch of the Oopsie rolls because I'm excited about having sandwiches on them. I ate one and a half with butter and sweetener (DH ate the other half) before I put them away. It just reinforced what I had thought - the flax muffin and coffee should be the only sweet things I have right now. I have just had a filling meal of roast chicken and broccoli, and eating that roll made me want to eat the other 10. I drank some coffee with cream and that seems to have calmed down the craving.

New rule: Oopsies are ONLY for savory foods, not sweet!

(Except that I've promised myself that after I stay on plan for 4 weeks, I can try the cream puff recipe Cleo posted.)

[PalmTreeGal]

Day 8! Today I woke up and the first thing I did was NOT to pee on a stick. I guess I'm relaxing a bit and believing that LC will do its magic even if I don't see purple first thing every morning.