Thinking of starting Atkins diet - Page 5

Christiana · 04-08-2008, 06:53 PM

Hey! Sorry it's been awhile since I've been here! Happy belated birthday, Shawna! That's super-exciting! Did you do anything fun other than eat carbs?

hehehe.

I was looking at your ticker.. I am so impressed! Congratulations on how far you've made it so far! I can't wait to get there myself!
I haven't been doing so great with it. I am doing ok eating LOW carb, but I haven't been able to hold to induction for two reasons: 1) It has been a little hard for me to have control over what I've eaten because of weekend retreats I've had to do, and 2) I'm really starting to kind of get sick of meat. I'm kind of at a point where I'm not sure if I should scrap it until I get out of school for summer and go home where I CAN have complete control of what I eat and do induction then. Whatever the case, I still do plan on eating minimal carbs and keeping accountable to that here. So, I guess I'm still doing Atkins, just not induction right now.
Wow.. sorry about all that talking in circles!

Tabby, I hope you're finally feeling better.. it has been a long time now! I can't imagine being sick that long.

Take care you two!

tabby87kat · 04-10-2008, 12:05 AM

I'm feeling much better now. I offically started Atkins back today. So we'll see what happens. I'm hoping for some decent numbers before my friends wedding.

FairLady23 · 04-11-2008, 04:18 PM

Hey Christiana! Thanks for the happy birthday! I had a lot of fun on my birthday. My BF took me to Disneyland which was so much fun b/c there were barely any lines but we were soo tired that we left before it got dark and came home and watched the Lakers! I love bball! And then on my actual b-day i went out and had italian food and had drinks so it was alot of fun. But i must admit that after only having 20g of carbs/day i felt like crap after 4 days of non-Atkins! I was tired and heavy and unmotivated. So when i started back up on Sunday it took a couple days to start feeling back to "normal" again.

And Christiana as far as all the meat make sure you are mixing it up. I think ifrecall you saying before that you were trying to cut out all the carbs and that is very difficult. I still eat plenty of veggies, eggs, cheese, meat, and cream. But i completely understand about not being able to control your meal planning. But i think you are doing great. Stick with low carb and i'm sure you see result and feel them too. I think also if you are trying so hard to cut out everything but meat i'm sure this diet or way of eating will not last. I'm actually looking forward to moving onto the second phase of atkins and adding back nuts and berries! I am really missing fruit right about now! But i'm gonna stick with induction until i've lost more weight.

And Tabby im so glad to hear that you are feeling better now!!! AND that you are back on Atkins. Let us know how you are doing. The newest thing that my mother and i have started eating alot of is Crustless Quiche. We had the spinach and mushroom (- onions b/c of all the carbs) and also this hamburger one. I dont know why that one tastes so good but i could seriously eat the whole 10in pie!!!!

Also on another thread here in the exercise forum Kat Karney started this 90 day bootcamp where you must exercise atleast 60min a day for 5-6x /week (with a certain amount being strength training) and eat atleast 3 servings of veggies a day. And let me tell you i feel so good! I'm really sore but the exercise is great and that Bootcamp is really motivating!

Good Luck to you both!

Christiana · 04-24-2008, 10:00 PM

Hey girls.
I'm still sticking to low carb... this summer is going to be my time to shine. I'm planning on startind induction June 1 and going through the start of the fall school semester, since I will have almost complete control over my meals when I'm home. Right now, I'm just kind of sitting at my weight. I'm ready to see it go down

How are you both doing?

FairLady23 · 04-29-2008, 03:50 AM

Hey Christiana,
I'm still doing low carb kinda. I'm doing fruits veggies whole grains and meat and eggs. I was just way tooo Atkins out! But it's because i stayed on induction the whole time. Plus i'm still living at home and my parents tried Atkins with me and didn't like it so they are back to the diet i mentioned above. And with them purchasing the food i didnt want to make it difficult. But i agree that i will start atkins back up again. Well if you are for sure going to do atkins on June 1st then let me know and i will start back up with you! For now i'm just doing the 90day Bootcamp with Kat and the rest of the girls. Good luck Christiana!
Shawna

Christiana · 05-09-2008, 11:16 PM

Gorgeous Akitas! What are their names? I think June 1 is the day I'm gonna go for it for sure! I don't think I'll run into any problems this summer as far as food goes (except tempations).. and I'll be able to communicate as often as I want (no more school work! + I can now PM!) Sorry about falling off of the face of the earth.. I think I overestimated my options and how much time I'd be able to commit to everything.
I've also decided that I'm going to try and do 10 minutes of ab workout each day after work as my tummy is my problem area.. and then 20 minutes of yoga to fight against flab and tone up! What goes into the 90 day bootcamp? Is there a link to the thread?
That would be awesome if you were able to start around the same time too!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

FairLady23 · 05-12-2008, 07:34 PM

Hey Christiana,

How are you? How is school going? I'm doing well. Just trying to focus on my health and lose this weight! I've been sticking pretty well to the Extreme Fat Smash Diet but after 3 weeks on it and then another 3 until June i know Atkins will be a WELCOME change! I like this diet but everything is just soooo bland. And being an at-home chef with a passion for food that is kinda tough!!! So i'm definately on for starting Atkins in June!
As far as the bootcamp this is the tread:

http://www.soulcysters.net/soulcyste...a-week-245744/

We just started week 6 on Saturday and its yoga week. All the other links for the previous weeks are there in the first post. Kat Carney (the creator of this website) is the one who started up and is running the bootcamp. Shes really great. Very Very knowledgable and very helpful and motivating. Basically we eat atleast 3 servings of veggies a day and then get in atleast 60min of exercise a day (with a certain percent being strength training) and then every week we have a new theme for exercise and we continue to build on them.

I've lost 5lbs since starting but mostly i've noticed it all in inches. Alot of my old clothes are starting to fit again. B/c i do ALOT of strength training now i know i'm building muscle and losing fat. I've progressed from 5 to 8lb dumbells and my strength and endurance is really building. So if you get a chance check out the links and Kat lets anyone join as long as you stick to the guidelines as best you can. Plus everyone there is really nice and motivating. For the days i dont feel like exercising i go on there and figure that if all these people can do it so can i.

oh and akita you see in the front of my pic is Miko he's a 9yr old male (although still acts like he is 2yrs old. he has so much energy and is sooo sweet and loving) and the one in the back is Reyna and she is an 11yr old female with so much attitude. The two of them are like an old married couple! Very cute.

Okay well i'll quit talkin ur ear off. I'll talk to you soon.

Shawna

Christiana · 05-25-2008, 12:45 PM

Hey Shawna!
You are doing so well!! It's SO exciting (and motivating) to hear about your progress

I really admire your determination! Thanks for telling me about your Akitas. Something I terribly miss when I'm at school are animals.. I have a beta that I bring with me, but it's nothing like having a little (or big) furry thing to cuddle. We used to have a really sweet greyhound (who was really great for walking with) but we had to find her a new home when I left a couple years ago since my mom wouldn't have been able to care for her herself. She was such a sweet and gentle girl.. I miss her!

Anyway, school is OVER and I just returned from Florida, so I'm ready to get going with the weight loss and health makeover hehe.
I'm pretty sure I'm back to my starting weight (if not more), despite all the walking at Disney! I ordered some workout tapes online, a yoga video and two ab workouts. I'm starting work on June 2, so I'm going to try to do them all (about 40 minutes altogether) everyday when I get home at 7 pm. I do quite a bit of walking at work, but I might try to go around the block or stop at the track in the morning also. I'm sure it will be a rough and sore start, but I'm looking forward to shaping up! I'll check out this link you provided in a few

All this to say, you're on for June 1!! I'm going to go grocery shopping this week

Tabby, how are things going with you? Are you finding your time with Atkins easy or difficult? Any words of wisdom? hehe

Mariposie · 05-26-2008, 01:04 AM

Did anyone else feel deathly ill on the Atkins diet? I tried it twice, thinking that if I could get past the first little while, I would feel better. Both times I gave up after three days of feeling like I was going to die: shaky, weak, nauseous, head-achy, etc.

I have a question for those of you who are on it now, did you go through a period of being sick before you adjusted to it?

I'm just curious, because I know it's not the best option for me. A couple years after trying the Atkins diet, I became a vegetarian and lost forty pounds and felt better than I had in years. Then I went back to eating meat, and whatever else I wanted, got lazy and gained a great deal of weight. I'm going veg. again, hoping to lose the weight again.

I think all our bodies react differently to different diets. Some people do quite well on Atkins. Some, like me, can't tolerate it.

FairLady23 · 05-27-2008, 06:34 PM

Hey Christiana,
Thanks! Yea i'm trying to work hard and get this weight off. I actually had to take last week off from exercise. I had double ear infections and the stomach flu AND my sinus and allergies were reaking havoc on my head!!! I saw the dr and he was amazed i was still trying to exercise! haha but i'm feeling so much better now! yay! so yesterday was my first day back into the exercise. and kicked my A$$!!! i've been doing Jillian Michael's 30day Shred (the trainer from biggest loser) and even though the moves she does is simple its pretty tough b/c she gives you no breaks or breathers. And then i've been doing about 1/2 strength exercises and 1/2 cardio.
So anyways back to Atkins. Yea i'm pretty excited to do atkins. I've been doing the Extreme Fat Smash Diet with my parents and have lost some more weight but mostly inches. But i'm getting pretty tired of the food (like usual!). So I'm finding that i like switching back and forth between Atkins and the EFSD. I've decided i'm going to do 2 weeks induction for sure and then try and do the diet the right way for several more weeks after. Did you buy the book?
Dont worry too much about the weight you put on. As long as you look forward and we can get it off now! Right? You should think about getting a Pedometer. It's kinda motivating to wear esp if you do a lot of walking at work. Then everyday push yourself to get more and more steps. Experts say to reach for a goal of 10,000 steps a day for weight loss. So that would probably be a good goal for you.
So how was florida? Disneyworld? I want to go there some day. I hear its like 10x bigger than disneyland out here in SoCal. Oh and i'm glad to tell you about my Akitas. They are so cute i love em to death!!! hahaha i'm such a animal lover. I think greyhounds are so cute. I really want to get a beagle, an akita and a st. bernard when i get my own house and property! I used to have a beta too. they are cute but i understand what you mean. they just kinda swim around in circles!
well take care and i'll check back in with you before we start Atkins back up.
shawna

FairLady23 · 05-27-2008, 06:39 PM

[quote=Mariposie;1889223029]Did anyone else feel deathly ill on the Atkins diet?
I have a question for those of you who are on it now, did you go through a period of being sick before you adjusted to it?
quote]

Hi Mariposie,
Usually the first few days i feel a little sluggish but not deathly ill. I do feel a little nausea and if i'm exercising alot then i do feel a little shaky. I agree though that everyone's bodies do react a little differently. I've noticed though that if i consume most of my 20carbs with veggies like it says then i dont feel as bad. It could just be from the sugar let down esp if you are used to consuming alot of processed sugar as i was. Well to each its own. Good luck though!
Shawna

Christiana · 05-28-2008, 02:58 PM

Shawna - Thanks for the suggestions.. I read them last night and started brainstorming up a hurricane! I'll send you a pm about it all

It would be a very long post

Mariposie - I haven't *really* done Atkins since I was a freshman in highschool (I tried earlier this spring but I quit because of circumstances unrelated to sickness) but I don't remember feeling too bad when I did. I'm glad you know what works for you though.. it's probably not worth trying Atkins again (if it makes you feel like you're going to die) if there's an alternative way that gives you the results you want in a healthy way!

Christiana · 05-28-2008, 03:44 PM

Ok.. well, I tried to PM it but it was 4x too long! haha..
I'll post it here I suppose!
Hang with me if you can.. it's a long one!

Alright, last night I was up thinking about things and brainstorming, and I came up with the idea to make a workbook for myself (since my mom will be doing this too.. we'll customize one for her as well). I know there are some out there that you can buy, but I like having something customized with things that will motivate or help me, and things that I specifically want to pay attention to (plus if I spend time to make it, I might actually use it).

Anyway.. I think this may work for me, since I love organizations and plans. However, I'm going to have to be careful because something I have learned about myself is that if I can't do something according to my plan, I have a tendency to just scrap it (similar to what happened this spring the first time around).. I'm just going to pray that I can give forks in the road a bigger break, and find myself back in the plan focusing again on long-term.

Anyway, I think I may make a post of the details about what I'm making in the weightloss thread in case anyone else would find it useful.

To make it somewhat short though.. I'm including a variety of pages:

1) My meds & supplements
2) my goals (I'll state those below just for the record in a bit)
3) a page for weekly weigh-in and measurements
4) inspiration page (pictures of things I want to be able to do: run, bike, ^ fertility, ^ confidence, x diabetes, x heart disease) to help me keep going when I get frustrated or disappointed and wonder why I'm doing this
5) contract page.. i'm debating whether that's helpful, or just cheesy, hehe
6) Exercise routine info, ideas to spice it up
7) Shortcut page of foods that are good and bad to eat (to help remind me when I'm making choices and my brain is asleep) and while we are on the subject.. yes! I do have Dr. Atkin's book!
8) Temptation-beating tricks and tips page and list of ways to substitute (ie. fresh fruit smoothies for icecream)
and then finally....
9) back-to-back daily journals which include:
a) water intake.. boxes to check off for each bottle i drink (i think it's 4-16 oz bottles? does that sound right?)
b) when in the am. and pm. i take my meds
c) when i eat bkfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and what i eat
d) a place to check off that i exercised
e) how many steps I took (I agree with your pedometer suggestion!)
f) place to record sleep (that's important too)
g) if I've had any problems: nausea, headache, bathroom, fatigue, over-emotional, depressed, can't sleep, no appetite, big appetite
h) place for other notes

This I hope will help me to pay more attention to areas I'm struggling in or need improvement, and also to help me make correlations between any physical problems I may be having and what I eat, what time I eat, take meds, etc.

Anyway.. I'm really really excited about this! I've realized that this is my time to get in shape, once and for all. 1 year of hard work vs. many more years of pain and problems.. there's no question which to choose.

One last thing: My goals.

Right now I'm at 200 lbs.. give or take a couple.
I would like to lose an even 60 lbs to put me at 140.
I'm giving myself a year to try and lose it (6/01/09).. which I think is definately reasonable. I understand that it's likely it will come off before then given I push myself and stick to the book (& I don't hit any major plateaus).. but i'm setting the year date anyway to have some sort of goal.
I've divided it up to shoot for 20 lbs every three months: 180 lbs by 10/01/08, 160 lbs by 02/01/08 (which is convenient, because that is when I will leave for Africa.. it will be nice to be in better shape by then) and then 140 lbs by 06/01/08 (I will still be in Africa, but everybody who did the study there last year came back with a lot of weight lost anyway!)

Well, there it is. It's a real blessing to have someone to pen-pal with.. thanks so much for the time you've spent with me! I find it very helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and take suggestions from. I'd like to hear about your secondary diet.. EFSD? sometime!

Take care, and have a good week!

liberty1234 · 05-28-2008, 04:44 PM

Does atkins really work?

liberty1234 · 05-28-2008, 04:44 PM

I thought about trying it...but sometimes I'm worried about what diets can do to my body!!