Anyone on Atkins?

[donnerpumpkin]

Ok guys I really need you now...2 weeks on induction, I've been really,really good and I got on the scale today and I have lost NOTHING! I am the same as I was last Sunday! I am soooo disappointed and frustrated! I went on Atkins because I really needed that jump start to prove to me I could lose. Now after being good, no cheats, and I even have gone of my diet soda for the past 3 days....Why?

 

I guess this bugs me so much is when you are feeling like you're doing it right and I helped my daughter get food together for a bridal shower this AM and did'nt touch a bit of it (coconut cream pie bars) and then to get on the scale and 0!

 

No I'm not exercising...but I am not sedintary. My job involves walking, I play actively with my grandsons almost daily. I don't sit and watch TV. I know at my age (53) I will lose slower, I know all my yo-yo dieting makes it more resistive to come off, but still...very frustrating like I said.

 

I want to stay on Atkins, I'm thinking of doing induction again. But can anyone offer any suggestions?

 

Thanks, Donna

[Kreeb]

Donna, don't give up. The following forum link has tons of information for those doing Atkins. Take time to go to this website because it will be helpful. http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/?

 

Are you drinking enough water? Watching the sodium/nitrates (bacon, sausage, cold cuts)? Keeping cheese to 3 to 4 ounces per day? Have you cut out caffeine? Are you only eating until full? Are you eating the required amount of vegetables per day? Are you eating enough fat? Do you use fitday to track your food intake? Are you in ketosis? You should be consuming approximately 30% protein, 65% fat, and 5% carbohydrates.

 

Have you measured yourself? Sometimes on Atkins you will lose inches, but not weight. The scales can be deceiving.

[swansonia]

Lost 3 more pounds this week...And a lot less swelling in my feet and lower legs. I think maybe the exercise has helped with the loss of weight and fluid. Thats a 40 pound loss for me since June 4th.

Donna, I left you a reply on the 10% thread...I forgot that you were Atkins also. If you want an e-mail buddy, I'd love to encourage you, and heaven knows there are days I need encouragement.... swansonia@aol.com if you want a buddy. Don't let this week get you down!!! Hang in there!!!! And Kreeb has given you lots of things to ponder. And we are almost the same age, so I know what you are talking about there, too.:eek:

Tom, your new picture is great. Love a man in a tux. ;)

Mountaingurl, you only want to add about 5 grams of carbs per day for a week. If you are still losing, you can add 5 more per day for the next week. I never have gotten beyond the 30 grams per day level. I start craving things at that level....aaaarrrrrgggg....

Kreeb, have a great cruise.

Everyone have a good week...

Karen

[donnerpumpkin]

Thank you guys for talking me off the ledge! It just seem so pointless if you're not losing, but I don't want to back slide. Just have to keep moving ahead one day at a time. Supper here at work came and I stayed good. I'm only having caffeine in the AM, and beginning tomorrow it will be half decaf/half reg. Almost got all 8 glasses of water in. Will cut back on the sodium and have'nt really kept track of the cheese, but I think I'm ok but will keep a food diary this week.

 

Kreeb-thank you for the link. And your attention, especially since your'e getting ready to cruise. Have a great time.

 

Swansonia- thank you for the email and the postings! One can always use a good buddy system!

[NMCruzzin]

Happy Monday everyone! I'm down 1 pound for the week, but as some of you know....the last 3 weeks have been the pits for me - but I think I'm back on track and I really need to get rid of these other 12 lbs to hit a personal goal! I know I'm eating the right things, it's the exercise that I've slacked a bit off from. Knowing that a Busy Life - doesn't cut it for needing exercise! I work on the 2nd floor of this building and it's all stairs baby! :o

 

Donna!! Don't give up! I have been swapping the same 3 lbs for 3 weeks now! It can be frustrating! But, I finally started down hill again! Some times our bodies just stall a bit, and I think the older I'm getting it is wondering now just when will I start feeding it the carbs that got me so heavy to begin with - and I'm not going to list them, because we all know what they are! :eek: (As you can tell I'm not big into torture!LOL) Well, here's the wake up call - I will not be feeding on the carbs of the past again - unless it is a very special occasion - and then I'm back to my veggies and protein! My digestion, sleeping and energy levels are all effected by what goes past my lips! This is life changing for me, not just a few weeks or months. We don't even go down the cereal, bread, baking, detergent (Just kidding! was checking to see if you've fell asleep yet! he he) isles in the stores anymore! No need.

 

Kreeb - A Last Minute Cruise - HOW AWESOME!! Good for you! Yep, I'm a bit jealous...but very happy for you! Be sure to come back and tell us how it was!

 

Swansonia - You are doing soooo great! Good for you! I also notice that my ankles don't swell near like they used to! And I noticed yesterday ... I'm getting knee caps!! Now, this is pretty big for me! I haven't had them since around Jr High! My waist down has always been my storage area for extra weight - just in case we ever had a famine - I would out live most of you!

 

mountaingurl - Your getting the hand of low carb cooking - that's great! If you haven't already, read through some of the past pages... more good cooking ideas!

On Saturday, I was looking for something to jazz up some wings for the coming week and saw that Emeril's wing sauce - no carbs, no sugar!

 

Annie - I'm sure glad you posted...I missed your pink conversations with us!

 

Pinkbikini - How was your weekend?

 

Ok, that's it for now!

[Annie3468]

Thanks Jean, as you know, pink IS my signature color:D

Congrats on your loss for the week. I didn't weight this morning since I am having the biggest bloat week of the century:rolleyes: I do plan to get my head in the game this week though. We took my neighbor (69) out tonight for her Birthday, "she is a widow this year" we went to the local mexican joint for dinner. i was a bad girl:( I plan to do better the rest of the week.

You guys do inspire me:D

Annie:)

[Kreeb]

Nothing to report on the weightloss this week...just stayed the same.

 

I had such big plans for today. Went to Curves, did grocery shopping, and was supposed to start getting clothes ready for the cruise this Saturday. Well, while grocery shopping I put a case of bottled water in the cart and my back went caflooie. Mind you, I have had back problems for years, have had surgery, physical therapy, chiropractor, injections, drugs, etc. My back has been really good for the past few months until today. Needless to say, I didn't get any clothes ready for the cruise because I was down flat on my back this afternoon after taking anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers. I hope these drugs don't affect the diet too much, but I have no choice. Our cruise is Saturday and I have to be ready.

 

Last night I threw together an eggplant lasagna without following a recipe. Just layered the sliced eggplant with meat sauce and ricotta cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese on top. It turned out too soupy because of the eggplant, but I ate some of it anyway. The next time I will cook the eggplant first. My husband said my dinner looked like a bowl of vomit...appetizing, huh? How else do you prepare eggplant?

 

Well, it's time for another muscle relaxer and drifting off to Lala Land. Good night!

[NMCruzzin]

Hi Kreeb,

I'm so sorry to hear of your back going out - I have back issues too - so I know you are just not up to your usual self! Ugh......and just before your Cruise! Where are you going and with who? I see your from FL - so will you just drive to the port? That is fantastic!

Hmm Eggplant, I know that it leans towards the zucchini type family and usually has a lot of it's own moisture. Maybe SFS can come in here are give us a few tips!? I would like to find a low carb lasagna type dish - boy would my DH be excited - but would have to keep his comments hushed until I can get it to looking good! LOL! :D Happy nap time!

Pink Annie: Hey there! How sweet of you to take your neighbor to dinner! Those times end up being such a blessing and I'm sure you made her day! You'll get back on track. My Mom has asked to come down for the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta that is here every year - I'm going to have to give her specific cooking requests or we'll come home from work to fresh pie and sweets :eek: . But I'm looking forward to her visit - maybe I can point her into low carb eating with us while she's here ;) !

How's everyone else doing? Don't be shy - are there some new lurkers out there that want to post with us?

Lisa.......I know your back by now! :p How did the Cruise go?

[mountaingurl]

I have not lost anymore, but my jeans were very loose today. I think I have a lost a little around my waist. I'm hanging in there, but I cheated just a tiny bit today. I had a small bite of sushi (only one piece and I knocked part of the rice off. I also had an extra slice of low carb bread, but I really think I am doing good. I am terribly afraid of the cruise this Saturday though. I plan on really eating, BUT I have learned how much better I physically feel doing low carb, so I will not over do it. My goal is to taste my desserts and then push the plate back. I have not had that sickening feeling of a sugar crash in a long time. I don't want to ever feel that way again. My stomach problems (IBS) is so much better. I did find that I can't have salad every day, so I am working with that, but I feel better, my skin looks better, and my clothes are starting to fit again. I do not want to blow it all on a 5 day cruise, but I still want to enjoy myself. Ya'll think of me this Fri-Thurs. Oh, and I wanted to say something else. I have gotten over my craving for potatoes. No more dreams of potato chips for me. I finally figured out it was salt craving that was leaning me toward the chips and baked potatoes(one of the few things I ever add salt to). Hang in there everybody. By the way, Breyers low carb vanilla ice cream is awesome. I only have about less than 1/4 cup, but it really helps my sweet tooth once a week.

[NMCruzzin]

Mountaingurl,

Have a great time on your cruise! You can cruise - stay pretty close on track and come back and tell us how you did! Just try and think about your wise choices as your going to the dining room and you will still eat well and have such fun! Use the stairs!

Enjoy!

[gooselace]

My DH just loves eggplant in any form, but yes, you should pan fry it lightly in olive or Enova oil before layering it. Some recipes suggest salting the slices and letting them drain first, but haven't found that necessary. You didn't mention pasta, but Dreamfields makes a very good lasanga (also spaghetti, linguini, elbows etc.) with onky 5 digestable carbs per serving. If its not in any supermarket near you, search online for one of the sites that sell it.

Have you tried ratatouille - the dish, not the movie? Lots of recipes, but basically garlic, eggplant, zucchini, green peppers, tomatoes, and onions (skimp on those), chopped or wedged, layered in that order and cooked up together.

I'm off to Chicago for a wedding and then time to get ready or Caribbean cruise on the Westerdam. November will mark 7-year anniversary of my 120 lb. weight loss on Atkins.

[Pinkbikini]

Hello All.

 

Vacation was very difficult. My MIL pressured me to keep eating off plan. I only slipped twice but as we know, slips, are deadly. It's not like ooh, I just had a nibble of a low carb bar. 1 fried and breaded fish lunch sets you back 2 days minimum. 1 alcoholic drink 2 days later with dinner sets you back another 2 days. Those were my only 2 big slips.

 

However, I found I had a very difficult time eating on plan. I know I will manage eventually if I can get up to 60 carbs/day or something on maintenance but less than 30 on vacation... no way. For example, we would go out to eat. I would avoid bread, mashed potatoes or rice, etc but I would get a steak, salmon, or chicken...it easily came with 2-3 cups/veggies each time. Same with the omelettes. I made the healthiest choices I could and avoided the stuff I knew I should not have as often as possible. But you never know how much cheese is on a caesar or in an omelette. And I desperately wanted to try some local things but only ate what I was supposed to. But the times I did cheat I realized after that it wasn't worth it.

 

And I had diet coke and several cups of coffee/day. I haven't drank soda since early August. It was disappointing but I needed the caffeine to keep going. At least I drank my coffee black.

 

MIL told me she is surprising us with an anniversary cake on our cruise in December. She asked "You aren't going to still be on this no sugar, no cake kick are you? You will have a slice won't you?" I assured her I would but now I'm having second thoughts. My skin is completely broken out. I'm up 2 lbs instead of down any...

 

I did my best but... yuck! Hope everyone else had a better weekend. Back to induction eating for me for a few days to get into ketosis and then I plan to advance to dairy this weekend.

[adoptmom]

Hey, it comes down to the point where you have to do what is best for you. What would you do about the cake if you were allergic to wheat? No! You wouldn't let her pressure you into eating it then. Think of this lifestyle in the same way. You are doing what is best for your body and your long term health.

 

Tami

[NMCruzzin]

Wow Gooselace!!!! What a huge accomplishment! That is fantastic that you were able to take so much off - - and keep it off! Thanks for sharing - it gives me hope that once I hit my goal - to KEEP IT OFF for the rest of my life! :) I'll have to give eggplant another try!

 

Pinkbikini - Isn't is crazy that as long as we are in our 'daily routines' we stay strong, smart and go on - but we get out of town and Wheeew eee it's a "whole nuther ball game!?" " I made the healthiest choices I could and avoided the stuff I knew I should not have as often as possible. " I think that you did your best on vacation and now that your home, just get back on track, that's what will shake off your yucky feeling and clear everything up! You can do it!

 

Tami - Good point, I avoid things I'm allergic to because I hate the after effects!

 

Stay Focused!:)

[gooselace]

NMCruzzin - Yes, keeping it off is harder than losing it, and I weigh about 8-10 lbs. more than at my lowest point seven years ago, but keeping the BMI within normal range. The only way, I keep from gaining more is to treat all the white carby stuff (even when chocolate covered) as if I were allergic, which in a sense I am. Even the whole wheat products have a lot of carbs, and not as much fiber as some people assume.

And maybe I'm lucky, because fats - and I eat a lot of bacon, ham and well-marbeled steaks - haven't hurt my cholesterol counts and no signs of plaque in arteries. Because of my age - 72 - my doctor has put me through a lot of tests.

On cruises, it's been hard to get actual carb counts and I'm wary of some of the no-sugar-added desserts, especially baked goods. Has anyone been able to get actual carb counts from a cruise kitchen?

[madge57]

I did the Atkins diet about 4 years ago!! i loset 40lbs but it all came back because I couldn't handle the sugar dumping!! I hated being in the bathrooom. enough said on that. Now I am on the 6 wks body makeover!!

if our county fair wouldn't of been in those 6 weeks I would of lost more weight but right now I have taken off 20lbs. And its eating the right food for my body type. No breads but thats ok because it all turns to sugar in your body anyways. More fruits and veggies and fish and chicken and good carbs. I need to lose 50 more and then I need to maintain it. Its great trust me and its not really that hard once your know what foods you can eat. And the best thing is you don't need special foods for this.:)

[donnerpumpkin]

Hi everyone,

 

I still sticking with it guys! I am totally off my Coke Zero's, and now my coffee is half decaf & half reg. I'm getting all my water in too. I went off the bacon and salty stuff too. I want to go jump on a scale, but will wait till Sunday. But I feel like I'm OK, and I'm not cheating a bit!! So I think I will see a loss come Sunday. Either way, two weeks in never enought to really begin a diet/life style change. You guys are really awesome, thanks

 

Oh Kreeb, I am sooo sorry about your back.:( Ice, Ice, and more Ice! It'll really help with the inflammation. I so can relate as I suffer from a disc problem in mine also.

 

Mountiangurl: stick with it. Hit the gym, use stairs, walk the track up above! Drink your water! Fill up on "good" things first and then you feel deprived at dessert time! But remember to have fun!

 

Exercise still eludes me. But I've purchased an exercise video I think will be fun to do. So am arranging my tiny place so that all 6' 1" of me can dance around!:)

 

It is beautiful here in Maine, fall is a glorious month. So I try to get out everyday with my twin 3 year old grandsons to play. (I live in an efficency apartment below their home.) Hope everyone is having a good week, hang in there and I will too!

Donna

[mountaingurl]

Hubby broke down and had a brownie and a candy bard today. I hate him and he stinks! Well..... actually I hate that I ate that stinkin salad while he GOT my brownie. Did I mention it is my time of the month and chocolate is my weakness. On a side note, Russell Stovers sugar free toffee is amazing. I fugured if I had to have something I would do it as close to carb free as possible. I am down one more pound too, so I am doing something right. I have upped to about 25-30 carbs. The weight is not dropping off like crazy, but I am not gaining and still loosing a little bit, but my clothes are fitting so much better. I've found that just one slice of low carb bread helps me feel less desperate:) Supper tonight was roasted chicken and mixed veggies. Thanks for all the support guys! I'm really nervous about this cruise. I don't want to feel like I am starving myself on the cruise. I want to be able to treat myself. I can't wait till I can have some (ANY) kind of fruit. What would be the best type if I had to have some?

[gooselace]

Thanks for all the support guys! I'm really nervous about this cruise. I don't want to feel like I am starving myself on the cruise. I want to be able to treat myself. I can't wait till I can have some (ANY) kind of fruit. What would be the best type if I had to have some?

 

Berries are your best bet for fruit. At home, if you get some nice strawberries, you can also have your chocolate fix with this recipe for dipping them:

 

2 Tbsp better

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa (I use Hershey's Dutch Process)

Melt in microwave for about 1 min. at 70% power.

Stir - then add:

1/4 tsp vanilla

6-8 packets of Splenda (I use 6)

Stir until smooth.

Dip strawberries. Coating will harden quickly, but best kept in refrigerator if not eaten immediately.

 

This covers a lot of stawberries, but I've never had much luck dividing it.

 

As to sticking with low-carb on a cruise, haven't found it a problem, because on the major lines there are always plenty of meat, fish, and chicken choices, salads and veggies, and even no-sugar-added desserts. Have to be careful with the latter, because some of them will contain carbs from flour or other starches. No-sugar-added ice cream, mousses, and cheesecake are usually fairly safe - and portions are small - but still a nice treat.

[NMCruzzin]

gooselace - thanks for the chocolate coating recipe! I think it will come in handy for some party ideas that I have! ooohhh and I can even have a few! :D

[mountaingurl]

Berries are your best bet for fruit. At home, if you get some nice strawberries, you can also have your chocolate fix with this recipe for dipping them:

 

2 Tbsp better

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa (I use Hershey's Dutch Process)

Melt in microwave for about 1 min. at 70% power.

Stir - then add:

1/4 tsp vanilla

6-8 packets of Splenda (I use 6)

Stir until smooth.

Dip strawberries. Coating will harden quickly, but best kept in refrigerator if not eaten immediately.

 

This covers a lot of stawberries, but I've never had much luck dividing it.

 

As to sticking with low-carb on a cruise, haven't found it a problem, because on the major lines there are always plenty of meat, fish, and chicken choices, salads and veggies, and even no-sugar-added desserts. Have to be careful with the latter, because some of them will contain carbs from flour or other starches. No-sugar-added ice cream, mousses, and cheesecake are usually fairly safe - and portions are small - but still a nice treat.

 

Thank so much for the recipe. You are awesome! I've never had so much encouragement from people as this board. Chocolate covered strawberries are my complete favorite. I think this would easily do the trick.

[jayesouthworth]

I just found out I'm Diabetic Type 2, so I'm going to do Atkins much to the dislike of my dietician. DH and I did Atkins a couple years ago and lost weight big time. We're going on the Carnival Spirit Nov.30, so I want to lose some weight and get to feeling better. I just bought Atkins for Life today, it has meal plans, etc., so it will be easy to follow and stick to it. Finding out I was diabetic was a shock, but I intend to have these meds eliminated if not get cut back severally in a few months. Eating low carb on cruises is easy....except for the fresh bread and butter is a bummer for me. There's these wraps I get called "Light Flat Out Wraps," which have 6 net carbs and 90 calories per piece. They have 9 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar. They make the best wraps for turkey, roast beef, etc. Even my DH likes them. I thinking about spreading some cheese on them and sprinkle with garlic powder for a grilled cheese wrap.

 

I enjoyed reading some of your thoughts and experiences here on Atkins, it has me enthused.

[Kreeb]

gooselace - Thanks for the eggplant and chocolate covered strawberries recipes.

 

Thankfully after much rest and meds, my back is on the mend and I was able to get our cruise clothes layed out today. I still have to iron and pack everything, but I have all day tomorrow to get things done. We will be leaving bright and early Saturday morning for our Carnival Glory cruise. I'm going to try and stick as close to low carb as possible, but will definitely have a few cocktails. It is a vacation!!! Like my mother used to say, "If you can't be good, be careful!"

 

Stay focused fellow Atkineers, and I'll check back in when I return.

[Rocknsoul]

HI Gang!!!

 

Y'all have been busy...as have I, which is why I haven't posted before today. We had a great time on our cruise! Of course, how could we not? We were on the bottom deck & used the stairs for everything...I only used the elevator 3 times, and 2 of those because I was in my "formal" dress. We went gang-busters with activity, but never went to the gym! We hiked, snorkeled, climbed, swam...it was awesome & I left the cruise with sore muscles. Food-wise, I did what I said & ate what I wanted...but the cool thing was we both skipped the bread at dinner & basically limited the no-nos to dessert & the chips & guac in Cozumel. We also had a few BLTs from room service that were really good. Okay, enough about that...I don't want to make anyone struggle!!

 

Here's a couple of pics...I'm loving that guacamole!! I felt like we were from the land of the giants...I was taller than everyone except my DH, of course!!).:p

 

Sooo....after coming home & going through TOM & bloat & I just had my surgery Wednesday, the final verdict is I have 6 pounds to lose to get to pre-cruise weight. My clothes still fit fine & I can't exercise for a couple of weeks, but I'm back on track with WOE. I'm excited to see all the motivation going on here & look forward to jumping back in!

 

If anyone's interested, I posted my review at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=32703.

 

Happy Friday, everyone!!

[NMCruzzin]

Welcome Jayesouthworth!

I think you'll find that if you can stick with low-carb eating, your going to start feeling a lot better! My MIL was diabetic and she used to say that she always felt so good after being at our house and was just sure it was because I was a good cook - - when really, she didn't get any white flour, high carb veggies and sweets were not around to snack on as in her home - but I had other good food for her and her numbers were very stable. It can be done. - And I had her walking with me too.

Lisa Girl!! Hey - Welcome back! We missed you! But, I read your review and I think you had a great time! Yiippee! And you look soo good in your dress! You and DH make a really cute couple! Gotta love that Guac!! I hope you recover quickly from your surgery! yuck! But! Take it easy! You need to let your body recover nicely so there's no set backs! We did room service in Alaska - it's so great - wings and cheesecake - they must have thought we were having a party! Ha!

I loved snorkeling in the Caribbean - it's an amazing world down there! Glad you didn't have to much hurricane problems! We've got some newbies on here and it's great :D - how far back on pages do you have to go?:confused:

Kreeb - We'll be watching for your Cruise report when you get back! Take care! But have fun!

LOOK !!!:eek: Here comes the weekend! Yiippee!! :D