Low Carb Support

[kwormann]

Mornin' all!

WHEW what a week last week! Open House is finally over, so we can get into the swing of things at school now!!!

Ive been maintaining for several weeks now and decided I was ready to get back on the weight loss wagon. Well, in my maintinance mode, I have been having the carbs that I am addicted to....so in starting to "re-induct", I feel like CRAP!!!! I am like an alcoholic....Ive had the carbs my body uses like alcohol and now I am going thru withdrawl. Hope it will teach me NOT to add them back when I am all done losing!
The "induction flu" ruined a romantic evening we had planned for last night! WWHHHAAAWWWW!!!
How bout the rest of you???

[tbb113]

I'm still here and still plugging along. I really think I need to add some carbs back in...but I don't want to mess with my success and I have found when I add too many in one day...I feel HORRIBLE the next day. Who knew you could get hungover from carbs

I keep wondering how this way of eating will be in the fall/winter when you start craving those comfort foods. I started in February but since your self control is usually better in the beginning its hard to tell what this fall/winter will be like.

Tyra

[kwormann]

I made the "faux"tatoes last night to go with the stuffed pork chops (which of course I couldnt HAVE any since I was sick) and they had a feel of mashed potatoes. They didnt TASTE like them, but they had the mouth feel and were pretty good!

My biggest comfort food will be autumn squash...but it is a veggie and as long as it doesnt cause cravings, I will have it once in awhile.....

[Melman]

I am VERY VERY pleased to say I'm still here and that I've finally had some success!! I finally have made it past the 10 pounds mark. I've been aiming for that goal for months (starting with Weight Watchers back in the early spring.) I started sort of using SBD in July(?). I did the 2 weeks of agony...tried to add back some carbs and hit one of those times when "life interrupts the best intentions", did another week of agony, and have been relatively good since then. I've almost cut out totally bread (only if it's one of the good kinds), pasta (only low-carb varieties), and I don't know the last time I had potatoes or rice.

I've been eating salads for most of my lunches and usually some recipe from CL. For breakfasts, I've been trying to find quiches that can be made on Sunday night and then bring wedges to work with me each day. I stumbled across a good one in one of the older CL cookbooks (15 minutes???). It was tomato, basil, mozzarella...I added some ham and left off the crust. Pretty darn good.

There's a happy girl here. FINALLY! Progress!!!!!

[kwormann]

WAHOOOOO Melman!! Dontcha LOVE progress????

[Melman]

I'm excited. I weighed today. I've lost a good 2 pounds since last Thursday. Another happy week. I still have at least 10 pounds to go, but this is the lowest I've been in probably 3 years or so. I love the little conversations I'm having with myself each morning in the mirror. A couple of months ago, I'd check out the situation and sort of snarl at myself and mumble things like "fat girl! when are you going to get serious and get rid of some of this poundage!!". Now, it's along the lines of, "yo chickie...way to GOOOO!!!"

I'm guessing I'm down between 12 and 13 pounds. I had people this week tell me they could tell I've lost weight. Now, THAT is something I've been waiting to hear for a very long time!

[tbb113]

CONGRATULATIONS Doesn't it feel great when people start noticing the weight loss.

Personally, I'm having a tough week. I've been giving in to the chocolate cravings a little to often and I really need to stop before it gets out of control again. One or two M&Ms are fine, 6 isn't (and the Frango mint I stole from my son, for sure isn't okay). I also have been munching on dried apples...all bad choices.

I need to buy some fresh fruit that is lower in carbs again.....

Tyra

[d_ferrero]

Checking in to congratulate Melman and report a bit on my own progress. After a week or two (it felt like ten, but my Excel chart doesn't read that way) of plateu, I'm happy to see a 3 pound loss this week. I've now lost all the weight I gained when I started working at Siebel. Yeah! (Still lots more to go though, so I'll be with you folks for a while). I've also started back exercising in earnest. I'd been making halfhearted attempts to get the gym for the last two weeks... but this week I've made exercise a priority and I'm really pleased with the results in my energy level and endurance.

[kwormann]

YEA Dolores!

I have FINALLY lost 1/2 lb after WEEKS of maintainance! I think the key for me will be to start in on the exercise now. AND< now that it is getting cooler outside and school stuff is settling in, I feel ready to do that....even a 30 min walk or bike ride might help get me out of this slump!

[burgemc]

Hi all! I have a question for all low carb dieters. I haven't been seeing as much success with this low carb thing as my friends have, and I am wondering if it's because I can't kick the caffeine habit like you're supposed to. Have any of you all lost weight while still using caffeine? I would be interested to see it that's it, or if it's just my body type or some other factor.

[Melman]

I've never consumed huge quantities of caffeine drinks. I used to drink one cup of coffee each morning at work and sometimes a cup on weekend mornings. I switched to hot tea about 6 months ago. I still just drink one cup each morning. I honestly can't tell you if it has caffeine in it or not.

BUT...I do enjoy a nice cold soft drink most afternoons that contains tons of caffeine. Ok, true confession time...my soda of choice is Cherry Diet Mtn. Dew. I don't do it for the caffeine buzz...I just enjoy the refreshing taste especially on a HOT Carolina summer day. I don't have one every day though...probably 4 a week. I never stopped drinking my one power-packed drink though. In other words, even through I never have consumed tons of caffeine drinks in a day's time, I didn't change anything when I started working with the SBD.

It's taken me a LONG time to finally lose some weight. This has been an ongoing effort of 4 or 5 years. Instead of losing, I seemed to just keep creeping upward. I can't say for certain that the SBD has been the main reason it's finally happening (or other things in my life including being so busy that my head seems to spin sometimes), but it makes so much sense that all those "white" foods really aren't HELPING you but just giving extra calories. "White" - meaning bread, rice, potatoes, etc. I've BARELY had a taste of any of those items in the past 4 or 5 months. Once I got that through my brain, so far, so good.

I'm sure someone else will have much more information. This is definitely just my experience.

Good luck!!

[kwormann]

I cant answer the caffene question as I dont drink much...maybe 1 D coke a day.

Want to share a breakfast I had....cut up a chicken breast (already cooked)...crumbled in a bit of bacon (also already cooked), put in a small spoon of alluete tomato basil cheese spread and a small spoon of cream cheese. Zapped in the micro for 20 sec and mixed. Two days worth of food YUMMMMYYY!!!

[CindyF]

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I am a little over half way to my weight loss goal now. I am down 13 pounds and have around 9 to go. With the arrival of fall weather I thought I would have a hard time with comfort food cravings. I have been able to make smarter choices and make soups or chili and leave out the hunk of bread or cornbread I would normally eat with them.

I am considering buying a breadmaker however, and I am wondering if anyone in the support group has had any luck making their own high fiber/whole grain breads? When I get to maintenance I would like to be able to know what goes into the bread I hope to add back in.

Caffiene wise......I never quit during induction. My headaches were related to sugar withdrawls! I have one cup in the morning and depending on the day I will have a diet soda or another cup of coffee in the afternnon. Not a lot of caffiene but I couldn't give up sugar and caffiene at the same time. My weight loss has been slow after induction but not too bad. The scale will not move forever and than it will go down 1 to 2 pounds. I don't know if that is caffiene related or just the pace that my body wants to lose at. I'm not gonna give up my coffee to find out! I gave myself until January to get to my goal when I started so I am not feeling like I have to hurry and drop the pounds. Slow and steady works for me and I want to be able to change my diet in a way that I can maintain as a lifestyle.

Way to go Melman!! I am jealous I have still not gotten the question....."Have you lost weight?" LOL

d_ferrero 3 pounds is great!

[tbb113]

I also am no help when it comes to caffeine since I don't drink coffee and only drink herb teas. I do have 1 diet coke a day (preferably no-caffeine) but I'll drink the other if its all that there is. I'm down 34 pounds since Feb 22, so it hasn't affected me I know that some people are affected by aspartame so you might look at that as well.

I lost another pound this week, which really surprised me. I thought I would have gained or stayed stable since I know I'm increasing my carbs...1 more till goal of 135 at 5'3", 6 more if I really want to weigh 130. I might actually make it by my birthday on the 29th (which is my new goal, original was 144 at 44...passed that one up in early July and kept on going )

Tyra

[TamiKnight]

Hi, everybody! I feel like I've been away forever. Work is an absolute nightmare. I've been working 15 hour days, plus weekends. I'm on complete meltdown right now; I've spent my day restoring myself by shopping at Whole Foods and AJs (a local gourmet grocery store) and stocking up on wonderful, exotic produce. I'm up 5 pounds this week, my stomach is a wreck (inside), and I feel terrible. I think it's a combination of stress and simply not having any food in the house, making it too easy to eat the wrong things. I am so mad at myself. I've eaten junky breakfast sandwiches every day this week because it's the only thing I can grab on the way to work and eat in the car. Could I BE a bigger idiot?

So, my goal this week is to make time for myself. There is no way that any job is worth my health, which is a trade-off I've been making. So there's food in the house, and I'm going to try to check back here more often for accountability. So far this week, I haven't even had time to peek at the boards. Please feel free, my friends, to e-yell at me if I need it!