wendys-health-journal

[wcwendy]

Today's weight--might not be accurate since I didn't weigh until 10:30
188

It was nice to see, though!

I'm not going to change my stats unless it's still down tomorrow.

[wcwendy]

Breakfast--at 11:45
5 pieces of bacon
duck egg w/ Tabasco, cooked in bacon grease

I almost typed "bacon oil."

[wcwendy]

Mmm...my tummy feels full, and I feel satisfied. Nice feeling!!

[Lucy]

I wish I could get my mindset to where you are. I had it once, not sure what happened and can't seem to get it back I am SO proud of you though!

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

I wish I could get my mindset to where you are. I had it once, not sure what happened and can't seem to get it back I am SO proud of you though!

Thank you so much!

I know what you mean. I went off LC for sooo very long and it was so difficult for me to get started again. This time...I think that what did it is that I was sick of fiddling w/ my eating so I just jumped into the Atkins '72 plan and decided that I WANT to lose weight, and if I have to eat zero carbs/day so be it! I don't feel any better w/ more carbs and I don't feel any worse w/o any, so I decided, "Why not try it?!" I think that part of my motivation was also the truly odd thought that maybe I could only permanently lose weight in October. Yes, I know that's silly...but last October is when I started low-carb and I lost weight, then for the next 11 months it came off and came back on over and over. Since it was October, again, I wanted to take full advantage of it in case it had something to do w/ hormones being affected by light changes or something! I know, I'm a goof, but really after a year of trying different things most of the time, I was desperate and looking for ANYTHING that might be the answer. I figured if I were only going to lose during one month of the year, then I'd better get off as much as I could!!

Now, here it is past mid-November, and it appears that I'm still going to lose weight. I really want to eat more vegetables, but when I do, my weightloss slows. I keep reminding myself that I can eat more veggies when I'm done losing weight, or when/if what I'm doing quits working or slows down significantly--then I'll need to figure out something else.

So, for now, I eat a ton of fat and remind myself that it's so that the scale will go down in a day or a few days, and so that my fat clothes will start falling off and I can crack open the boxes of thinner fat clothes.

I think that all of that helped me, but I think that ultimately, a person just has to say to herself, "Self, you are not healthy nor are you the size that you should be. It's only food, and you CAN change what foods you are eating." Then do it. I know that sounds extremely simplistic, but sometimes it's the simple, adamant decisions that get us where we need to be.


I didn't mean for that to sound like a lecture; it's not intended to be one. I'm trying to share what I think has helped me, hoping that it will help you. I know how incredibly difficult it is to start, and to stick w/ it sometimes. That's part of the advantage for me from keeping my carbs really low--lack of cravings. When I do have them, they're frequently for fatty things, so it all works out!

[wcwendy]

Landis, I wanted to give you some more hugs. I really do know how incredibly difficult it can be, and I know that just because I'm the one doing it right now doesn't mean that I have more willpower or more of anything else than you do! We each have our moments of success and our moments of feeling defeated.

[Lucy]

Nope not a lecture at all, I want to hear it. I NEED to hear it. And simple maybe but you are absolutely right, it's how bad you want and deciding to just do it. I know my hormones are playing a part but that doesn't mean I CAN'T do it. Other people do it so I KNOW I can. I am actually starting to THINK of doing Atkins again. I did it for years and got off of it, got burned out I think. Please tell me everything you can that will help. I know it all probably but maybe something will strike a chord in me. You know know! Miracles still happen!

[Lucy]

Originally Posted by wcwendy

Landis, I wanted to give you some more hugs. I really do know how incredibly difficult it can be, and I know that just because I'm the one doing it right now doesn't mean that I have more willpower or more of anything else than you do! We each have our moments of success and our moments of feeling defeated.

Oh I didn't take it negatively at ALL and I LOVE hugs!!!

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

Oh I didn't take it negatively at ALL and I LOVE hugs!!!

Yay!!

[Lucy]

Just because I know what to do doesn't mean I didn't forget it or need someone to remind me what motivates them. Also there are things I may never have thought of that could help. I REALLY appreciate it! I have a whole kitchen full of stuff to cook for the holidays and of course that doesn't help. BUT when I was on Atkins the first year I actually LOST weight and was at my lowest weight ever through the holidays so I know I CAN do it if I set my mind to it.

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

I did it for years and got off of it, got burned out I think. Please tell me everything you can that will help. I know it all probably but maybe something will strike a chord in me. You know know! Miracles still happen!

I can think of nothing else to say right now. I'm all tapped out, apparently!

I think for me, the "trick" is to do the original Atkins diet. I am pretty sure that I have finally discovered that I lose easiest on a high-fat, low, low carb WOE.

I avoid sweeteners most of the time because I feel that if I'm consuming sweet things then I'll want more and I don't want to have to deal w/ temptation. When I don't have cravings, which sweets can cause, then I'm not usually tempted, and when I am it's so slight that I usually almost laugh in it's face. I say, "Ha! Is that all you are?!" while waving a piece of bacon in its face.

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

Just because I know what to do doesn't mean I didn't forget it or need someone to remind me what motivates them. Also there are things I may never have thought of that could help. I REALLY appreciate it! I have a whole kitchen full of stuff to cook for the holidays and of course that doesn't help. BUT when I was on Atkins the first year I actually LOST weight and was at my lowest weight ever through the holidays so I know I CAN do it if I set my mind to it.

Yes, you CAN do it!!

[Lucy]

I don't know how to do Atkins 72 although I suspect I may have doing that more than I thought because I did better with very low carbs, say 15 or under. I don't do well eating my veggies either. I may pick up a copy of the Atkins 72. What else is different from the new one?

[wcwendy]

Part of the reason that I am so dedicated to sticking to my WOE over the holidays is because I know how difficult it has been to get back into my WOE! I don't want to quit losing weight again for months or years simply because I wanted some mashed potatoes, Chex Party mix, and chocolate moouse!!!! They are NOT worth doing that to myself!!

Maybe planning to start after the holidays will work for you? Since you are already mentally set on eating "regular" food, it might help to go ahead and do it w/o fighting constantly. I know that last year, I gave in, and it took a while to get back into the groove of things. I was actually scared that it wasn't going to happen!

Things that help me to get started:

1. Making a menu for a least a week, then having things prepared that I can eat--cream cheese, precooked bacon, avocados, coconut oil (if I like the brand...this last brand that I bought has made me almost hate the stuff!), pork rinds, precooked chicken...

2. Throw away or give away things that will tempt me. I know that we've been taught to not waste food, and generally, I agree w/ that. HOWEVER, are chips, candy and ice cream actually food? I'm not so sure! I mean, there are some vitamins or minerals in some of them, but really...it's called junk food for a reason...it's mostly junk. And where does junk belong? In our mouths? NO! In the garbage!!! Don't be afraid to just throw it away. Better in the garbage can than on our hips!

[Lucy]

Those 2 things are definitely 2 things that helped me a LOT, planning and NOT veering off plan no matter what. Some people can have a bite of something? Not me, nope can't do it. I'll slide right off into the miry pit. DH is home so I'll be back later. I LOVE hearing you. Thanks!

[wcwendy]

Have fun w/ your hubby!

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

I don't know how to do Atkins 72 although I suspect I may have doing that more than I thought because I did better with very low carbs, say 15 or under. I don't do well eating my veggies either. I may pick up a copy of the Atkins 72. What else is different from the new one?

Um...let's see...

* Induction is one week, not 2.

* You eat only meats, hard cheeses, and fats for the first week and one salad/day.

* "Fake" foods aren't encouraged (bars, shakes, AS...things that were invented later).

* Some AS were allowed back then, but they're not the same AS that are allowed in the later editions. [I rarely use AS. If I want a sweetener, I use stevia, organic erythritol, organic agave syrup (which some people argue about, but my dad and I haven't noticed problems w/ it), and/or xylitol (from birch...the orignal stuff, not the kind from corn--just because I'm that way!! ).]

* There is a very specific list of criteria to meet to know when to add carbs. (I have to ignore posts on lcf when people say things like, "You NEED to increase your carbs every week..." because I think that Dr. Atkins, who had by that point helped thousands of people lose weight, knew more about it than people here. ) Remind me to post the list for you, if you want, OK?

* The 2nd week, your daily carb intake is increased by 5 grams. You add 5/week until you quit losing (along w/ the other things on the list that I haven't typed ) then back down to the previous week's number of carbs to continue losing weight.

* All carbs count--you don't do net carbs. The concept of net carbs was added to Atkins later. It doesn't work for me, nor does it work for some others.


I haven't been actually counting my carbs. I'm going to start doing that, again, because I want to know my CCL.

[wcwendy]

Off to do housework!

[wcwendy]

Today's weight
189 and lots of water retention. Must remember to drink some water!

[wcwendy]

I didn't drink very much water, again.

[Lucy]

Hey thanks Wendy! The "net carb" thing didn't work for me either. I don't like actually counting carbs either but I can do it in ******. The problem is I LOVE Diet Dr. Pepper and coffee with creamer and AS. I can't have that on that right? It actually didn't seem to slow me before though as long as I used the sugar free creamer so maybe it would work. Thinking...keep talking...

[wcwendy]

Originally Posted by landis

Thinking...keep talking...

Actually, Dr. Atkins allowed AS w/ the original diet, but he didn't allow the ones that end w/ "-ose" or "-tol" I don't remember which, but I can check the book. In a later edition, they were allowed, but a lot of people don't lose as well on them, or at all, or still have cravings and BS problems. From what I know, it appears that he had good reasons to not allow them, but that they got the OK when the bars and things started coming out. I'm not sure why--maybe it was a corporate decision, or maybe it wasn't so sinister, and they really had found that most people still lose weight while using them.

So, anyway...if you can't give them up and they don't stall you, then it's probably better to use them and lose weight than to not try to lose weight but to continue to consume them, KWIM? Might as well start where you can. Then, if you find that you're not losing, you can cut them from your diet and see if they were the problem.

[wcwendy]

Today's weight
188.5

This week's loss:
1 lb


Too little water, too many carbs, probably. Maybe too many SF meringues? I feel that oopsie rolls should have messed me up because they FEEL like they weren't just eggs and cream cheese. I have to keep telling myself that cutting them wouldn't have done any good because I would've eaten eggs and cheese, instead of oopsies. They're the same thing!!

[wcwendy]

Today is the end of week 8. No weight lost. In fact, I weighed 189 today (I had weighed 188 for a couple of days)--lots of water retention (I keep forgetting to drink water). I'm OK w/ it because it's temporary, and I didn't expect to lose weight this past week.

I think that I'd like to give myself some sort of goal, though. Thinking about that...

[wcwendy]

Forgot to think about a goal.

[wcwendy]

Had a late dinner last night. Had spinach artichoke dip w/ celery, a few grape tomatoes w/ bleu cheese dressing, and steak w/ shrimp and Parmesan. I was full before the steak came to the table, but I ate it, anyway.

Today's weight
190

Must drink some water. I'm tired of being poofy.

[wcwendy]

I've been eating too many carbs, I'm pretty sure. I'm not losing, ketostix are barely changing, I want food at night... So, I'm starting at the beginning, going to try to remember to log my foods so that I have carb counts, so that I know for sure how many carbs my body can handle at this point in time.

Today's weight
189

Breakfast
3 pieces of bacon
duck egg cooked in bacon grease


****** isn't working at the moment, so I can't log my food. So much for a great start!

[Lucy]

Yes Wendy I remember about the AS's stalling some but no they really didn't me. Right now I am pretty happy though because I have lost 2.5 pounds this week! YAY! So it's water, I am taking it!

[wcwendy]

Yay!!! I'm so excited for you!!

[Lucy]

Originally Posted by wcwendy

Yay!!! I'm so excited for you!!

I really feel some self-discipline now for the first time in a while! There have been ALL kinds of cakes and things I LOVE on the coffee table here all week and I haven't touched them. It helps too when I start losing does it you? It makes me motivated to lose more, that what I am doing is WORKING.