For Real This Time!

[valentine21463]

New start date: May 27th 2012
Weight: 192

Okay so my last attempt was total failure. It's been a whole nother year that has past by that I'm still fat. I gained all that I lost the first time I did Atkins and the first time I came to this forum. The good news it that it took a long time to gain all that back but now I'm way fatter than I was before because I went totally in denial about carbs

I went to my doctor and he told me to start walking and cut my calories. I am now pre-diabetic w/high blood pressure (under control with meds). My butt feels like a big fat chunk of led when I try to get out of bed or roll over or getting off the floor

The last straw was this past Sunday. I put on a pair of jeans I purchased while on Atkins the first time. I got them because they were a little too big and real comfy and roomy and were a size 12 (I was in a size 10 then). After pulling them up there is no way in heaven I'm going to get them to button or zip. There's about a mile distance apart to getting them closed up.

I took a picture of myself in my old jeans and after looking at it, that was that. I started Atkins right then and today is day number 6 with no cheats. My first goal is to get those jeans to button up.

As I said today is number 6 on Induction and today is the first day I feel like crap. I'm weak, out of breath, my stomach doesn't feel right, I'm hungry but just don't feel like eating. Could this be Induction Flu? I don't remember feeling so crummy before and if it is why on day number 6? I also don't remember being so nervous about doing Atikins before. It's like I'm worried about all the fat. What's up with that? I'm weird.

I suppose I need to go eat. it's almost 3pm and I haven't really eaten anything but some sliced turkey roll-ups with cr. cheese and cucumbers for breakfast.

I pray that I can stay on plan like I really want to this time. So far so good. Another great thing for me is I've quit drinking altogether about 1yr ago or so. Life is so much better without alcohol.

I am a Gramma now and Lilly Rose is beautiful. She's 9mos old now and I still have not met her. She was born in TX and then moved to GA. I live in WI. But we do get to video chat online

[valentine21463]

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I felt really crappy, which in turn made me feel anxious. Anxiety never helps when you're trying not to go off plan and don't think I didn't think about. I was blaming the way I felt on LC and was thinking if I eat something with sugar in it or something carby I would feel better. But I stuck to my guns and told myself I was being ridiculous. What helped me the most is the pictures on here about the successes on LC. I made it through the day with no cheats.

Today I'm excited! I'm off for a Special Assembly with my church. It's an all day event. for breakfast we're stopping off at McDonald's where I'll have eggs and sausage or bacon. For lunch I've packed my big salad with lots of veggies. I made mushrooms & baby peppers stuffed with sausage last night for a snack and I also made Turkey roll ups with whipped cream cheese and cucumbers inside. and 1 cheese stick. I am bring my water bottle and 1 D. Coke. I have no clue what I'll be doing for dinner but it will be something easy to cook up.

Have a great day!!

[valentine21463]

Stayed on plan today because I had my meals all planned out...until I came home from our all day Special Assembly. Tired

For dinner I ate 2 chicken thighs and an Atkins bar. I don't think I like the Atkins bar. It made me crave. So I proceeded to eat whatever was at hand. But I stayed faithful! Just a little out of control.

Lesson learned. I need to plan ALL my meals for the day.

I'm going to do Atkins right this time. Instead of staying on Induction for a while like I did before and never getting to OWL, I think I'm going to just go ahead and switch over to OWL after the 2 weeks like it says to do. Induction is just too intense to stay on it for too long. And boring.

Today is 1 week on Phase #1. I have just 7 more days to go. I'll be glad when Inductions is over. I think. lol

[valentine21463]

Today is Sunday and is also my 1st official weigh day. Stepped on the scale this morning to 188!

New Stats 192/188/140

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and 2 egg whites, 1 cup of fried cauliflower (kinda looks like hash brown potatoes) and 1 cup coffee w/Half&Half

Lunch: Big salad w/veggies, cheese, turkey, and LC dressing. D.Coke

Dinner: Sausage, potatoes, and Cabbage, (MINUS THE POTATOES, the hubster ate those).

Snacks: cheese stick

I felt good all day with no cravings. I got some things done around the house today and caught up on laundry. I even sat outside in the back yard with the pups Max & Daisy and read for about 45 mins. All in all it was a good day.

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by valentine21463

Today is Sunday and is also my 1st official weigh day. Stepped on the scale this morning to 188!

New Stats 192/188/140

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and 2 egg whites, 1 cup of fried cauliflower (kinda looks like hash brown potatoes) and 1 cup coffee w/Half&Half

Lunch: Big salad w/veggies, cheese, turkey, and LC dressing. D.Coke

Dinner: Sausage, potatoes, and Cabbage, (MINUS THE POTATOES, the hubster ate those).

Snacks: cheese stick

I felt good all day with no cravings. I got some things done around the house today and caught up on laundry. I even sat outside in the back yard with the pups Max & Daisy and read for about 45 mins. All in all it was a good day.

I'd also like to add that I've noticed a lot of my aches and pains have started to disappear. Strange how that happens. It happened the last time I was on Atkins.

[valentine21463]

For some reason I was hungrier than usual today. I just wanted to eat all day long. But I was okay after dinner.

Breakfast- 3 hard boiled eggs, coffee w/H&H
Lunch- Cabbage & sausage leftovers from last night
Dinner- Hamburgers wrapped in lettuce w/tom, onion, mushrooms. Brussels sprouts.
Snack- 2 cheese sticks, 5 mini bell peppers, hard salami w/cream cheese.

[valentine21463]

Today is going pretty good! No real cravings to speak of. I like that . I guess it pays to just stay on plan and not worry about eating something sweet even tho it has artificial sweeteners in it. I think sweeteners make me crave. So I limit them to 3 a day just like the book says. I'm getting better at planning my meals. So far just planning Breakfast and Lunch til I get use to it.
Going to church tonight so that will get me out of the house and away from the kitchen for a while.

Breakfast: Omelet w/2 eggs, 2 egg whites, chopped leftover Brussels sprouts, onions, mushrooms. Coffee w/H&H

Lunch: Chicken salad on lettuce, cheese stick.

Dinner: Chicken legs, green beans, spaghetti squash (yes I'm trying the spaghetti squash thing even tho it looks so yucky )

[ChristineCQ]

Hey, hey!! Am I your first subscriber?!?! Looks like you're off to a great start. Our stats are so similar! I was down to size 10 as well, only to completely blow it over the course of the past year! So I'm back and ready to get it right this time!

I'm back in induction as well; day two for me. I'm not weighing until four weeks have gone by because I think exercise is screwing with my results at the moment. Anyway, it's nice to see someone else back in the early throes, like me.

Your granddaughter is beautiful!! Such a happy looking baby!

I look forward to following your progress!

[Maximoon]

Hello there! Can I join up too? I read through your journal tonight and enjoyed hearing your story. I understand your frustrations in my own way too. I have gained and lost the same darn 20 plus pounds every year since my hysterectomy almost 8 years ago. It makes me so mad!

I guess all we can do is make a fresh start and try to learn something from our experiences. I wish you all the best, and I look forward to reading about your progress.

Maxi

[valentine21463]

One Minute Muffin.
NOTE: I don't use the splenda. I use stevia to taste.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/4 cup Flax Meal
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 packet Splenda
1 teaspoon Cinamon
1 Egg
1-2 teaspoons Butter
1.5 Carbs

Melt the butter and all other liquid ingredients, including egg & mix well. Add all dry ingredients and mix WELL. Microwave for 50-seconds to 1-minute. Muffin pops right out. Slice in half and spread with cream cheese and/or butter.

Variations: remember to change carb count

1. TRY using almond flour instead. or 1/2 almond and 1/2 flax for a lower carb version.
2. In luie of splenda try using sf flovored syrups.
3. Add pumpkin and 1/2-1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Top with cream cheese frosting OR mix a little pumpkin in with the cream cheese frosting.
4. Try cocoa instead of cinnimon.
5. Add Peanut butter or almond butter.
6. Try using golden flax for different flavor.
7. Make in a square container for "bread" sliced in half.
8. Try using a round container for BUNS.
9. Try olive oil instead of butter and omit cinnimon. Add herbs of garlice for a savory bread.
10. Try sour cream or cream cheese or yogurt instead of OR in addition to the butter.
11. Try NO spices or sweets for an English style muffin.
12. Triple the recipe and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes in a muffin top pan.
13. Add a couple of squirts of Davinci's and an extra egg use as pancake or waffle batter.
14. Add a little SF lemonade powder to cream cheese for a spread??
15. 1 TBSP butter mixed with a bit of Davinci's SF syrup for dipping french toast or as a spread.
16. Omit cinnimon, add cocoa & peanut butter. YUM!

[valentine21463]

Last night was not so good for me. I did pretty good up until about dinner time. We went to the store and picked up pork taco meat already prepared and after eating it I wanted sweet. Of course I didn't have any sweets what so ever. Not even cream cheese to make sweet. So I made jello. I had to wait 4 hours for that jello and was miserable the whole time trying to concoct something sweet up. After the jello was done I ate the whole thing! I don't think I'll be eating that taco meat again and I don't think I'll be eating jello anymore either I felt very out of control last night. I actually considered going out for an ice cream sundae. And to top it all off, I slept horrible.

Breakfast: 3 chicken legs, coffee w/H&H

Lunch: 1 chicken leg, Brussels sprouts

Dinner: Taco salad w/pork taco meat (already prepared), lettuce, tom, onions, cukes, cheese, LC dressing.

Snacks: 2 cheese sticks, 2 cups almond milk unsweetened, JELLO, 2 D. Cokes

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Hey, hey!! Am I your first subscriber?!?! Looks like you're off to a great start. Our stats are so similar! I was down to size 10 as well, only to completely blow it over the course of the past year! So I'm back and ready to get it right this time!

I'm back in induction as well; day two for me. I'm not weighing until four weeks have gone by because I think exercise is screwing with my results at the moment. Anyway, it's nice to see someone else back in the early throes, like me.

Your granddaughter is beautiful!! Such a happy looking baby!

I look forward to following your progress!

Hi Christine! Thank you! I love being a grandma! It's so much better than being a Mom
I wonder about that when it comes to exercise. It seems that the scale doesn't move or it goes up when I do it. What's up with that?

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by Maximoon

Hello there! Can I join up too? I read through your journal tonight and enjoyed hearing your story. I understand your frustrations in my own way too. I have gained and lost the same darn 20 plus pounds every year since my hysterectomy almost 8 years ago. It makes me so mad!

I guess all we can do is make a fresh start and try to learn something from our experiences. I wish you all the best, and I look forward to reading about your progress.

Maxi

Hi Maxi! You sure can! The more the merrier. Or should I say, "The more the more accountable for me."

[valentine21463]

I had this for breakfast this morning. I didn't have flax meal but i did have flax milled. Not sure of the difference but all in all not bad.

Muffin in a Minute (suitable for Induction)


Serving Size: 1

***I leave out the splenda, add 1/4 cup canned pumpkin and nuke it for 3 minutes. You can experiment with herbs and seasonings.....others have suggested mashed cauliflower and feta cheese for example....so good! They aren't kidding about soaking the cooking container right away cause it will turn to concrete.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet splenda packet
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon butter
How To Prepare: Put the dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Or a bowl for a different shape.


Stir.


Then add the egg and the butter. Mix.


Microwave 1 minute (or more). Take out. slice, butter, eat. Set mug to soak immediately.


Cream cheese would go nicely, too.
Number of Servings: 1
Carbs per serving - include all nutritional information if known: Notes: 1.5 net carbs. Per serving: 235 Calories; 18g Fat (63% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 9.5 g. fiber; 223mg Cholesterol; 284mg Sodium
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Effort (Easy, Average, Difficult): Easy

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by valentine21463

I wonder about that when it comes to exercise. It seems that the scale doesn't move or it goes up when I do it. What's up with that?

Right!?!? It's so annoying. Ever since I started running, I'm gaining weight like it's my job. Inflammation, I swear, is the culprit!

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Right!?!? It's so annoying. Ever since I started running, I'm gaining weight like it's my job. Inflammation, I swear, is the culprit!

HAHA! I just posted on your journal about the exact same thing. I don't know much about inflammation. I guess I should read up on it.

[ChristineCQ]

I'm hoping it's temporary.

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

I'm hoping it's temporary.

I believe is. When I did Atkins the very first time I exercised religiously. I kid you not... I didn't lose one ounce for the first 6 weeks of starting. I was just about to give up Atkins and exercise all together until one day I stepped on the scale and saw that I had lost 10 lbs!!! You can only imagine my excitement I continued to exercise everyday for 45mins. 5 days a week at the gym and I also continued to lose weight. I don't know what happened but from that day forward the weight started dropping off.

[valentine21463]

Okay I checked out "My Fitness Pal" and I'm not sure about it. I'm doing everything by the book and it says my carb total is already at 24? I haven't even had dinner yet? What the heck? I know it's not net carbs but still?

[ChristineCQ]

Hmmmm, are the serving amounts correct? You have the option to change them.....

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Hmmmm, are the serving amounts correct? You have the option to change them.....

Oh wait!!! I think I know what it is!!! This morning I ate the 1 minute muffin. I've never had one before. It's the flax! I used 1/4 cup of flax. I have the wrong amount making it say I have used 16 carbs. I fixed it and now it is right. My carb count is still too high because I thought just a little Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce would be nice with my chicken fingers. Well it's NOT! My carb count is 58! I sure do hope my net carb numbers are good enough for me to lose.

I think I do like My Fitness Pal better. Everything I ate today was in the list and I didn't have to add any special food to that list.


Breakfast: One Minute Muffin, coffee w/H&H

Lunch: 2 hamburger patty's on lettuce w/ketchup, mustard, tom, onions.

Dinner: Fried chicken fingers breaded w/pork rinds. BBQ sauce on the side D. Coke.

Snacks: Cheese stick

P.S. This is what it said at the bottom of my "My Fitness Pal" page...
"If every day were like today... You'd weigh 180.8 lbs in 5 weeks" -----BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I don't think so!!!

[Maximoon]

Hello again! Hope you are having a great day!

I wanted to comment on what you said about gaining weight and exercise. That's amazing that you were working out, didn't lose, and then all of a sudden lost 10 pounds. It's inspiring to me, who just started an exercise program as of today. Hopefully that will happen to me.

I will check out "My Fitness Pal" too tonight. I need more analysis of what I am eating and my exercise routine.

Good luck! Talk to you soon!

Hugs, Maxi

[ChristineCQ]

I don't agree with the premise of the program -- calories in/calories out, so I pay no attention to the "you can eat 400 more calories today because you banked them from working out" bit. But I do like that all of my foods are in there, AND you can add recipes....did you see that part? I put the pudding in there so that I can just add it quickly.

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by Maximoon

Hello again! Hope you are having a great day!

I wanted to comment on what you said about gaining weight and exercise. That's amazing that you were working out, didn't lose, and then all of a sudden lost 10 pounds. It's inspiring to me, who just started an exercise program as of today. Hopefully that will happen to me.

I will check out "My Fitness Pal" too tonight. I need more analysis of what I am eating and my exercise routine.

Good luck! Talk to you soon!

Hugs, Maxi

It's funny because when I was doing all that working out and not losing anything all I kept thinking was what the trainer at the gym told me. He said that it takes 6 to 8 weeks before you will start to see results. So that is what kept me going and lo and behold exactly on the 6th week... TADA!!!

Just hang in there

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

I don't agree with the premise of the program -- calories in/calories out, so I pay no attention to the "you can eat 400 more calories today because you banked them from working out" bit. But I do like that all of my foods are in there, AND you can add recipes....did you see that part? I put the pudding in there so that I can just add it quickly.

You and me both. I did WW a few times and it just doesn't work for me. How come I can eat a gazillion calories on LC and lose and eat the bare minimal calories on low fat diet and only lose 5 lbs in two weeks? And then the next week I'd show a gain. For some reason I can only lose 5 lbs on WW.

I did see the recipe adder and I'm going to put in the 1 minute muffin today. I love that muffin!

---------------------------------------------
Last night was a struggle for me. I think the BBQ sauce set me off for cravings. I was fighting all evening with it. I finally broke down and ate 2 tbls of peanut butter. It's not what I wanted but it was better for me. What I really wanted was a Turtle Sunday from Leon's down the street.

Today I got a coupon in the mail for $10 off on anything at Kohl's department store. Woooohooooo! I went there and picked myself out a nice shirt for $14 bucks and only paid $4 dollars for it

Breakfast: 1 minute muffin, coffee w/H&H

Lunch: Salad w/veggies, cheese, chicken br. and LC dressing, D. Coke

Dinner: Pork chops, broccoli, D. Coke

Snacks: pork rinds, 2 cheese sticks

TOTAL: 1,708 (CAL) 33g (CARBS) 98g (FAT) 130g (PROTEIN) 5g (SUGARS) 13g (FIBER)

Crap! I'm over. I'm up to 33 carbs. How does that happen? All I can think of it's the 1 minute muffin, it has a ton of fiber in it.

[valentine21463]

Sugar Cookies
2 1/2 cups almond meal -- (ground almonds)
2 cups Splenda
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz butter -- softened

- Icing-
2 oz cream cheese
2 tsp splenda
1/4 cup Heavy Cream

Take a stick of butter out and let it come to room temperature
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix almond flour with Splenda, whisking until well mixed.
In a separate bowl,
lightly beat egg and then mix well with extracts and softened butter.
Add to dry ingredients and mix really well.(at first it seems impossible, so keep at it)
Form dough into 30 (more or less) small balls and space evenly on a large ungreased
cookie sheet
Press moderately to flatten to a silver-dollar pancake size.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350°F-180°C. They will slide right off the cookie sheet.
Ovens differ. (mine takes 15 minutes)
Cool 5 minutes before eating.

Icing
Beat until thoroughly mixed.

[JCWANNABE]

Hi there! Mind if I join you?

My fitness pal was recommended to me so I joined up. My name on there is Jcwannabe if you want to friend me on there. I'm not sure what exactly it means, but what the heck!

It's funny you got those cravings after having the sweet baby ray's (drool!). When I was reading your journal and I saw that you had some I'm like "oh that would set off cravings for me!" LOL !

So far on my fitness pal I think the pro's out weigh the con's. It's not perfect. You just have to go and make a note of how much fiber is in what you eat and subtract it from the total. But it really helps to show you how much carbs you are REALLY eating! It's like you don't think you are having that much and suddenly you realize that the ketchup is half of your daily carb allowance! It all adds up soooooo quick!

Keep at it!

[ChristineCQ]

Just sent you a request on ***, Melissa!

Great buy at Kohl's, Melanie! I love a good sale.

As for those cookies............WOW. They look delicious!!!

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by JCWANNABE

Hi there! Mind if I join you?

My fitness pal was recommended to me so I joined up. My name on there is Jcwannabe if you want to friend me on there. I'm not sure what exactly it means, but what the heck!

It's funny you got those cravings after having the sweet baby ray's (drool!). When I was reading your journal and I saw that you had some I'm like "oh that would set off cravings for me!" LOL !

So far on my fitness pal I think the pro's out weigh the con's. It's not perfect. You just have to go and make a note of how much fiber is in what you eat and subtract it from the total. But it really helps to show you how much carbs you are REALLY eating! It's like you don't think you are having that much and suddenly you realize that the ketchup is half of your daily carb allowance! It all adds up soooooo quick!

Keep at it!

Not at all! Come on in! I should have looked at the carb count BEFORE I used the BBQ sauce. I can't BELIEVE how many carbs are in that. I will have to find a LC recipe for BBQ sauce, that's just one thing that I love.

Originally Posted by ChristineCQ

Just sent you a request on ***, Melissa!

Great buy at Kohl's, Melanie! I love a good sale.

As for those cookies............WOW. They look delicious!!!

I know right?!?!

[valentine21463]

WHY THE SCALES CAN LIE

A biologist at Berkeley shared something very revealing on the low-carb BBS system about 4 years ago that helps us all through the erratic weight fluctuations you invariably encounter: Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat.

The good news is that this water replacement is temporary. It's a defensive measure to keep your body from changing too rapidly. It allows the fat cell to counter the rapid change in cell composition, allowing for a slow, gradual reduction in cell size. The problem is, most people are frustrated with their apparent lack of success, assume they have lost nothing, and stop dieting.

However, if you give those fat cells some time, like 4-6 months, and ignore the scale weight fluctuations, your real weight/shape will slowly begin to show. The moral of the story - be patient! Your body is changing even if the number on the scale isn't.

PATTERNS OF WEIGHT LOSS

Common patterns of weight loss from tracking a lot of people who become assimilated into the low carb lifestyle, a pattern emerges.... the 2 week induction is pretty heady...weight lost just about every single day, enormous and unbelievable amounts of weight loss are reported. This is often followed by complaints that weight loss "stalls" or that the rate drops to only 1 pound per week.

Many people just don't know that fat-loss ...the actual goal when on a weight-reduction" diet, is rate-limited. In other words, the human body has factors that prevent more than a certain amount of fatty-acid release from storage...and even more factors that prevent those released fatty acids from being used up instead of stored back into the fat cells.

A priority of the human body is survival. Anything that threatens its survival results in the cascade of events to maintain the previous status quo. Water fluctuations are one way the body does this. OK...so you done good on Atkins' during induction...lost 10 pounds the first 2 weeks. Maybe 7 the first week and 3 the second. But, whoa! Weeks 3 and 4 there is NO loss! And weeks 5 and 6 is only 1/2 pound each!

So... what gives? Initially, the body jettisons the water attached to the glycogen stores that we diligently deplete to get into ketosis...this accounts for about 3-5 pounds of water. In addition, muscle stores of glycogen are not being replaced when used...which will account for the rest. All in all...MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized during the first week... and MAYBE 1/2 pound of fat was metabolized the 2nd week. Of that 10 initial pounds, only 1 pound was fat and 9 pounds water...

The body senses this lack and sirens start shrieking: Warning! Warning! Losing water... new thing...got to get back to the status quo! Brain tells body to produce and release that vasopressin anti-diuretic hormone....more water is retained, and no weight loss noticed. Fat loss is still occurring, MAYBE even 2 pounds per week, because ketosis is firmly established and appetite suppression is in effect...but water retention is hiding that continuing fat loss. The body is preventing dehydration with this mechanism, and that's a *good* thing.

From the perspective of the scale, it can be discouraging. Which is why the mantra: Water retention masks fat loss (repeated frequently to oneself) is helpful. Water retention will mask ongoing fat-loss for as long as the body retains the water. We can combat this by drinking more water...but we aren't going to totally overcome this mechanism during the initial water-loss phase of the Atkins diet. By weeks 5 and 6, things start to get back in balance, and the scale will begin to reflect the true fat-loss...which, as mentioned before is rate-limited.

Individuals vary, but max weight loss runs about 2 pounds per week...under extremely optimal conditions... or 1% of body weight (whichever is the lower number). So don't use the scale as an excuse to undermine your progress. Even when the scale is in a stall, fat loss can be occurring.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it's readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it's water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts.

The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates.

As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in.

Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat.

There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride.

It's a matter of mind over scale.
__________________
Cathy
Original start - Feb. 2000 180/125

[JCWANNABE]

Originally Posted by valentine21463

Not at all! Come on in! I should have looked at the carb count BEFORE I used the BBQ sauce. I can't BELIEVE how many carbs are in that. I will have to find a LC recipe for BBQ sauce, that's just one thing that I love.



I know right?!?!

Just don't buy the walden farms bbq sauce. It is NASTY! Taste like maple weirdness.