Cuter's Journal on Atkins! (Comments Welcome!)

[cuterlt]

Hi everyone. My name is Lisa, 42 years old, and right now I weigh 230 pounds. I am very happily married to a wonderful man who loves me very much and is supportive of my goals. He is 49 years old and weighs about 155 pounds, so he will probably not be joining me on this journey as much as I would like him to.
Well, I think I've decided. I had already decided I needed to do something. DH and I went to Disneyland and on a cruise in early January and I was *very* unhappy about how tired I became. I used to be able to outgo my darling husband. This time I had to sit and rest and sit and rest. And then I didn't get to ride "california screamin" because I was concerned about the over-the-shoulder restraint. I also saw some of the pictures taken on the cruise by the ship's photographers. I looked HORRIBLE! We did buy one where you can't see too much of me, because I absolutely had to have at least *one* photo of us together. All we really have are our wedding pictures from about 6-1/2 years ago, when I weighed significantly less. I met DH online in a chat room and had spent the months before, and while I was online dating him, working out with a treadmill and dieting, and was able to get down to about 160 pounds. I felt wonderful and would really like to get back to that or lower.
I've never been one to weigh myself (except when dieting, which hasn't happened for the last 6-1/2 years). So I really don't know what my top weight has been, although I imagine I'm at it, or within 10 pounds of it right now. I am wearing the largest size I've ever worn. And I hate it! I find myself trying to find loose fitting clothes just to make me feel like I'm not as fat as I am. Make sense?
Anyway, I've decided to do Atkins, after reading lots of websites and posts and other information, it looks like something I can do.....
Because I have a pretty hectic schedule - working 12 plus hours per day, 5-6 days per week, in a very high stress job, I've decided to start when I KNOW I can do it. And that's after I've done my planning (shopping list), cleared out my fridge and pantry of my problem foods (hopefully not be eating them all), and after I've got the old treadmill cleaned up and moved into the living/dining room so I can see it every day and work out on it. I also want to get through my TOM so that I'm not tempted during that time.
Because I have truly enjoyed reading everyone's success stories (GO WISHers!!), I thought I would keep a journal so I could find support here, and scolding when I need it.
My goal is to do my shopping next Saturday, 2/1 and start my induction on 2/2, groundhog day!
That's my first goal!
My second goal is get down to 160 pounds, at least, and see how I feel at that point.
So thank you all for your warm fuzzies, and your good healthy thoughts coming my way. I *know* I can do this!!! And I am looking very forward to looking better and feeling better (and riding California Screamin') and getting pictures made with my wonderful DH.

 

[marsh0013]

hi lisa! welcome to the wonderful world of journaling! looks like you've got a great plan set out for yourself, and i'm sure you will be able to follow through. keeping a journal will help keep you on track. if you ever need any support, we'll be here for you!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa! My name is also Lisa. There are a few of us floating around here and I'm sure another Lisa will come by any moment now.

This is an important step you're taking and you should be proud that you've finally resigned yourself to doing this. You CAN do this! I started Atkins in August when I was at 224 pounds and now I'm doing to 181. Some weeks I lose more than others, but it's been pretty steady along the way. It's not always easy, especially when under stress. I feel those old habits wanting to return but what's helped is knowing that I'm not the only one on this journey and I'm also more aware of how my eating habits are connected to my emotions. But enough about me, this is your journal. Just a few unsolicited tips:

1. Eat all 3 meals and snack when you need to. I don't always adhere to this rule but I do 95% of the time.

2. Keep legal foods within easy reach at all times. If you don't you'll be more tempted to cheat and just eat what's there, especially when you lead a busy lifestyle.

3. Don't get discouraged if the scale doesn't move when or as much as you want it to.

4. Be careful of carb creep. This is something I'm struggling with. There are certain foods we eat that contain more carbs than we think or have flour or sugar in them.

5. Drink your water. Another area I struggle in.

6. Take a dietary supplement.

7. Exercise. Yet another area I'm trying to improve in. But you seem to have a great plan by getting out that treadmill.

8. Journal, journal, journal. This is a great venue to document your menu, thoughts/feelings (whether positive or negative). You'll get lots of encouragement here and a gentle but kind nudge when you need it.

9. Try not to stay on induction for too long. Of course you should do the obligatory 14 days but I would recommend going on to ongoing weight loss after that simply because induction can become monotonous, thus making some more susceptible to cheating or giving up altogether.

That's all I can think of right now. I wish you well on this journey Lisa. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to post them here or visit my journal. There's lots of great ladies on this forum and I'm sure they'll help you along the way. Take care and welcome to WISH!

 

[cuterlt]

Thanks so much for your comments, and for the tips! I really appreciate it....
Today was a tough day - part of the reason for not starting this week was trying to get a handle on my eating habits and figuring out why I eat how I eat. And today was pretty revealing.
It was a tough day - I had an early, difficult meeting which was stressful, then another meeting after lunch which was depressing, and then a whole day trying to get stuff done that I should have worked on more over the weekend. But I was tired. I think I may be better if I'm not *too* stressed out, which is my usual. Today was an unusual day.
Anyway, I've discovered that I am somewhat of a stress eater/snacker when really stressed. And what I snack on is NOT good - I snacked on a few caramels, a few hard candies (well, more than a few), some chex mix tonight. None of which were good. But what I did realize is that my normal eating, lunch and dinner, wasn't too bad. I don't think I overeat. I just eat too late at night, and don't eat enough good stuff. My lunch was pretty healthy, and except for the bread would probably be a good meal for induction - tuna salad (albacore) with mayo (no carbs!!), egg, onion, tomato, avocado. I had an apple but didn't have time to eat it. Now I wish I had - maybe I wouldn't have gotten into the candy.
And I need to eat breakfast. That's gonna be tough for me.
I get up at about 6 am and am off to the office at 7 or before, just enough time to put together my lunch box, take a shower, get ready, and drive to work. I don't have to be to work til 8 am, but getting there early gets me a good start on the day and leaves me less stressed.
The other positive about today is that I really thought about everything I ate before, during and after I ate it. So I was conscious of what I was doing. I think that's really a good thing.
Thanks so much for reading. And I appreciate any comments. I'm really enjoying the discoveries I'm making, even though they are difficult.
And congrats Lisa on your weight loss! I sure hope I can get there too!!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa, I just got home and decided I'd pop in for a minute. It's good that you're aware of what you're eating and why, that's a great start. The tuna salad is a good idea, just no bread as you mentioned.

I remembered something I should have posted before, another tip. Just bear in mind that a day or two into induction you may feel fatigued. This is completely normal. Some people are caught off guard by that feeling, but just remember that if you give it a few more days, you'll feel much better and have more energy than when you started. When will you be starting?

Well, time for me to visit some other jounals. Good night!

 

[nancyj_pa]

Hi Lisa,
Welcome to WISH! My name is Nancy, I'm 57, and started my weight loss journey at 228 back in August. I'm doing Protein Power ( a modified Atkins) and plan to eat this way for life. I have really slow metabolism (compounded by the fact I hate to exercise) due to past thyroid problems that I now take medication for.

You'll find a lot of support here on WISH. It's like going to Weight Watcher's meetings, but only better. You get the support and don't even have to leave home. Make sure you journal a lot; it's a big help especially in the beginning.

I find it helpful to prepare lunches for the week on Sunday afternoons. I make enough chicken salad and hard boiled eggs to last a week. I also might prepare a roast, turkey, etc. so I have lots of low carb foods around.

Some people on Atkins, South Beach, etc. lose weight amazingly fast. Others like me very slowly. As long as you don't give up, it will happen. It took you over 6 years to gain, so be patient when it comes to losing.

My DH doesn't need to lose weight like I do, but he enjoys the healthy meals and still nibbles on his pretzels and has the occasional baked potato with his meals. He eats the things I no longer prepare when we eat out.

Keep journaling, drink lots of water, and be prepared to change your life style. To keep the weight off, you have to remember that it's not just a diet!

Nancy

 

[cuterlt]

Hi Nancy! Thanks for your post. I really appreciate you guys posting to my journal. I look forward to reading your comments and advice....
Today was a pretty good day -
in the morning, I had my coffee - but no cocoa! My usual routine. I only had one cup instead of two, which is good.... Just non-dairy creamer. No other caffeine today. I still need to figure out a way I'm going to manage breakfast. But I think I may be able to fix something and micro it at work.
Lunch was the same as yesterday, but added half an apple, thinking I wouldn't get tempted by the candy. Then I had a little confrontation (well, not little) with one of my employees which exploded out of control and I was off to the candy dish. My boss is the one with the dish, so I think I'm gonna ask him to move it so it's a little more difficult for me to see when I get to his office. I wonder if he'll do it. He's the one who brought the carmels when I made a comment about them.... lol. I told him today he needed to superglue the jar shut... lol.
DH called me at work tonight and was very upset, rightfully so. His brother-in-law killed himself tonight. He lives 1000plus miles from us and we weren't close to him, but DH was upset for his sister..... He was pretty abusive to DH's sister. Thankfully she shouldn't have money issues, so that's a positive. And hopefully she'll be alright in time. Anyway, I'm sure we'll have a bit of stress for a few days about that. Neither DH nor I can get any time off any time soon so I'm sure we won't go out there. I'm not a big fan of meeting family for the first time at a funeral....
Dinner was spaghetti leftovers and a piece of garlic bread. Easy, made it this weekend. Gonna have to give that up! The spaghetti is gone though so I may try a bunless burger or something to see how I do with that....
Oh well, I'm tired. DH is ready to go to bed, so I'll quit here. Thanks again for all your positive words of encouragement. I actually almost started today - hence the coffee without the cocoa mix....but felt overwhelmed with all the office stuff. I am really gonna have to not let that interfere with my eating and do something else to relieve the stress.
Tomorrow is a NEW DAY!!!!

 

[marsh0013]

wow, i'm really sorry about your brother-in-law . i hope you, dh, and dh's sister will be okay. i know you say you weren't close, but still, things like this can have an affect on us. you seem to have a pretty positive attitude though, and i'm sure you will be able to be there for dh's sister when she needs you.

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's BIL.

It sounds like you are making some positive changes already to the way you think about food. That's a great way to start! There are lots of emotional issues when it comes to weight loss and we all need to face them and overcome them if we want to change the way we relate to food.

I know you're not starting Atkins yet (I also eat low-carb) but the one thing you could start now is drinking lots of water. Also, you may want to start taking a multi-vitamin daily. These are two great habits that will help you immensely on your healthy living journey.

I also get up around 5:30 - 6 AM and leave for the office about 6:45. I bring breakfast with me to the office and eat it while checking my email, etc. in the morning. I've been known to bring egg custard, pumpkin custard, low-carb cheesecake, tuna salad, you name it! I'm not a big fan of eggs so I have to get creative for breakfast. I take my anti-depressant meds and vitamin with my breakfast so I don't forget them.

Best wishes on your healthy living journey - glad you've decided to join us!

 

[Strings]

Welcome to the WISH journals. I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's BIL. Your family will be in my prayers.

You've gotten some great suggestions so far. I'll add a few. For breakfast take some string cheese or eggs to work. It's easy to scramble an egg in the mircowave. Atkins also makes Morning Start bars. I loke the apple crisp and chocolate crisp bars. After induction, these are a great thing. Leftovers are always an option. If you like spaghetti, try soaghetti squash. It's not the same, but a good substitute. It's all about the sauce.

I'm glad you joined us, and I'll keep an eye out for further entries.



Beth

 

[cuterlt]

Well, I never did get started last time, but I've pulled the treadmill out and started thinking about doing this again. Interestingly enough, the same impetus. A trip to Disneyland, where I became worn out. And this time my feet hurt horribly. I'm sure it's because I'm so heavy. I haven't weighed myself yet, but will soon. I'm a bit scared about what I'll find. I'm sure I'm over 240. I need to do this.