Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather

[Lisa-Ann]

Day 7 - again obviously logging this a couple of days late. Did I mention that I pickled my own beet root recently I get this organic veg box delivered, its my way of staying out of the supermarket spending more money than sense, anyway it had beet root in it this time so I thought I'd give it a go, would never have thought to do this previously. So Monday food diary is as follows:

B-leftover homemade no pasta lasagne (finally breakfasting like a queen)
L-lettuce wraps including ham, cucumber, baby plum tomatoes and mayonnaise
D-4 fish fingers and salad cream (I know still not on plan)
S-crunchy nut cornflakes and milk eek! Slice of mums birthday cake, peppermint tea, coke zero, black coffee

Was under 1300 calories today and while I know I'm not trying to calorie count when I get my 'its new to me Atkins brain in gear', actually eating less calories is still a little achievement to me especially when that hospital consultant assumed I was eating for 2 women. Little victories!

Also had a bit of a fallout with a stroppy brother (he's a grown man) while at my mums and usually this type of upset could have led to a comfort eating session. So, I feel like I'm starting to look after my body finally. Lisa-Ann xxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

I forgot to mention Monday was also my official weigh in day and I lost 4lbs I was hoping for more but I read something earlier that even half a pound a week is just under 2 stone a year so it's all in the right direction for me. I'll go change my stats in a minute

Day 8 - not sure I should be counting days until I get strict and disciplined with myself again. I ate the following today:

B-2baby bels, 3 olives, small portion cashew nuts
L-left over no pasta lasagna (had a few comments that smells nice from colleagues)
D-slow roasted pork and crackling, cauliflower mash with butter, green beans, sprouts, few carrots, gravy, tsp apple sauce
S-peppermint tea, coke zero, had a bit of boyfriends five minute cake

Still under 1300 calories for today and feeling positive food and diet wise. Boyfriend has been supportive and has made my lunch for tomorrow, salmon with soft cheese and asparagus and side salad. Very nice of him. Brother still being a kn@EUR but nevermind! Hope everyone is well, Lisa-Ann xxx

Ps. I'm not drinking enough water. I need constant reminders and I struggle to get it down, I must be more disciplined lol

 

[Lozzaboo2004]

Re: Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather - Lisa-Ann's Atkins diary

Hey just wanted to say well done. I am restarting again tomorrow. I have the exercise thing sorted now but im terrible diet wise. I only have about 1 and half stone to lose but boy do I need to lose it. Keep going u r doing great xxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Hey just wanted to say well done. I am restarting again tomorrow. I have the exercise thing sorted now but im terrible diet wise. I only have about 1 and half stone to lose but boy do I need to lose it. Keep going u r doing great xxx

Ahhh thank you hun and good luck for restarting again tomorrow. What are you doing exercise wise? I haven't found the motivation to do any exercise apart from walking recently, I'm hoping as the weight starts to come off and stay off I will find it easier. I used to love running but I'm not fit enough to walk up more than a flight of stairs at the moment so would find this hard. We can do this xxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Day 9 - oh how the days of following a low carb plan are flying by! And, while I keep saying I'm aware I'm not quite on plan, I'm still really enjoying the routine of logging my food, putting some planning and preparation into meals, checking labels, looking at nutrition goals for the day, and thinking about healthier snack choices e.g. baby bel rather than a bunch of grapes (sugar bombs). So today's food intake was as follows:

B-2 boiled eggs with mayonnaise (which mayo does everyone use?)
L-salmon fillet, philidelpia soft cheese, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, red pepper, celery, olives, gherkin
D-ribeye steak, cauliflower mash made with butter, small portion sweet potato although this is higher carb than I thought it would be
S-cashew nuts small portion, coke zero, peppermint tea, tea with dash of milk, bite of boyfriends leftover five min cake, hot dog sausage

According to my fitness pal I'm at 1400 calories for today and 11% intake was from carbs. I still need to reign those carbs in and either decide on a date to start induction strictly again for at least two weeks or to just make low carb choices for now. Hope everyone is doing well. Lisa-Ann xxx

 

[Lozzaboo2004]

Re: Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather - Lisa-Ann's Atkins diary

I have been doing classes at gym like circuits, spin, body pump and body step. I do much better in classes than I do trying to do my own exercise. Its just food I struggle with xxx

 

[moonwatcher]

Hi. Popping in to subscrine.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

I have been doing classes at gym like circuits, spin, body pump and body step. I do much better in classes than I do trying to do my own exercise. Its just food I struggle with xxx

Hey just wondering how its going since you've restarted - I must have a look for your diary in a bit and subscribe xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Hi. Popping in to subscrine.

Thank you moonwatcher xxx

 

[Lozzaboo2004]

Re: Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather - Lisa-Ann's Atkins diary

I need to start doing my diary again. Getting on ok. I really need to try and get a bit adventurous im such a boring eater! Just done another two classes shattered xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Day 10 - I'm logging it late again :/ as I got carried away with long hours at work towards the end of this week. So I've still got one foot in Atkins and one foot in the wrong place, which means that for the most part of the day I follow Atkins easily and make the right choices. However, that small part of the day my danger zone could be my downfall and make my weight loss journey that bit slower. As much as I think I've made headway just by keeping a food diary of everything and exposing my old habits of secret eating, because now I am accountable to myself - I still worry that if the carbs are not reduced enough and my percentage of fat and protein has increased for Atkins purposes will I end up gaining weight? By logging everything myfitnesspal has me eating on average between 1300-1500 calories and a lot of weight loss gurus believe the simple calculation of less calories equals more weight loss. I guess I just question everything at the moment because I've not been able to lose weight for a couple of years now and even though Atkins is new to me and something I wouldn't have considered before because of the high fat content it came recommended to me and I'm determined to keep on trying to give it my best shot each day. I have to say though cutting out carbs is harder than giving up smoking. I guess that's what I get for years of feeding my sugar addiction. So today's food intake was as follows:

B-2 boiled eggs, tbsp mayo, smoked salmon slices rolled with soft cheese
L-2 hotdogs sliced in a salad including cucumber, Chinese leaf, spinach, gherkin, olives, celery, red pepper and mayo
D-ribeye steak, 2 tbsp homemade beetroot, fried kohlrabi
S-2 baby bels, peppermint teas, coke zero, sf lime jelly, cashew nuts, 1 biscuit, bowl shreddies and milk (comfort eating!)

I honestly can't believe the carb content for a lot of foods, I didn't expect red pepper to be so high and although Kohlrabi is allowed on Atkins it was also very high. At least I can say I've tried it, I didn't have a clue what it was before Atkins. Anyway, onto logging Day 11 now xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Day 11 - It's my totm which I'm really excited about 1) because my periods did stop for a while and become less frequent and 2) because it explains my comfort eating on day 10. God, I can't believe I've actually had a 33 day cycle, tmi I know! Anyway, back to my food diary which is logged for today as:

B-2 boiled eggs, tbsp mayo, 25g roasted peanuts
L-small salad including chinese leaf, black/green olives, radishes, cucumber, hotdogs and tbsp mayo
Late L-bowl homemade chicken stew including spring greens, broccoli, onions, leak, celery, kohlrabi and chicken oxo cube
D-half lamb balti with fried mushrooms and small piece of naan
S-peppermint teas, coke zero, 1 biscuit, dash alpro soya milk

Calories for today 1700. I'm still not drinking any water and I think this needs to be my priority for the next couple of weeks until I get into a good habit. Lisa-Ann xx

 

[Lozzaboo2004]

Well if it makes u feel any better I agree with u about how hard it is. Boredom and hunger got better of me yesterday and I stupidly had chocolate. I'm my own worst enemy and regretted it straight away xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Well if it makes u feel any better I agree with u about how hard it is. Boredom and hunger got better of me yesterday and I stupidly had chocolate. I'm my own worst enemy and regretted it straight away xx

Orr Lozzaboo I think if we could take ourself out of the equation sometimes we'd lose weight without any problems. I've decided to have a day off plan a treat rather than cheat day. A couple of my colleagues following similar plans have a day off each week and while I don't plan to make it a regular thing, I don't suppose it can hurt too much occasionally xxx

 

[moonwatcher]

Re the water thing. I always find that when I drink more water I lose more weight. It is really important, especially on low, low carb. The first few days I find that drinking more makes me more thirsty,so I want even more, which seems a bit weird but I think it is my body saying at last - here comes some water, get even more in! Then it settles down. I put a squirt of lime juice (from one of the plastic lime shaped bottles) and/or a slice of lemon or lime in mine if I am getting bored with it.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Re the water thing. I always find that when I drink more water I lose more weight. It is really important, especially on low, low carb. The first few days I find that drinking more makes me more thirsty,so I want even more, which seems a bit weird but I think it is my body saying at last - here comes some water, get even more in! Then it settles down. I put a squirt of lime juice (from one of the plastic lime shaped bottles) and/or a slice of lemon or lime in mine if I am getting bored with it.

That's actually good to know moonwatcher, I guess a stupid part of me keeps worrying that the more water I drink the heavier I will be. I think it stems from bad habits picked up on past diets where I would hardly eat or drink on weigh in day. Anyway, I've stuck a reminder on my phone to buy some bottled water for work in the morning then when I get into the habit of drinking it maybe then my glass will find its way to the tap lol xxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

So this weekend was off plan, I've told myself that I've allowed it because it was my totm. Feels very good to say that btw after months of no shows. Anyway, I've decided that as long as I'm focused and losing in the main I can allow the odd treat day maybe no more than once a month. What I've learned this weekend is that as much as I crave carbs my stomach hurts when I eat bread. I've learned that a cooked breakfast would be better made at home than ate in morrisons cafe (part of the treat). That the thought of chocolate is actually nicer than the taste. That mattesons original pork sausage has no carbs I've learned I don't feel quite as good off plan and I'm more critical of my body when I'm not treating it as a temple. I'm flying off on holiday in less than a month and yet again I'm still not bikini ready. Too late again this year, but another incentive to make sure I stick to Atkins/low carbing. I don't really want to be miserable each year at the thought of wearing summer clothes or worrying about getting the seatbelt around me on the plane. I'd love to be present in photos looking sunkissed and comfortable in my own skin and before I get old too. I'd like the clothes in my wardrobe to be one size and not range from a size 10 right up to my current size 18/20 (my wardrobe is a mess) grrrrrr. Anyway, foodwise I've had the following this weekend:

Sat B-2 egg omelette including tomato, green pepper, tbsp cream and side of lettuce, tbsp ketchup - too many carbs in ketchup
Sat L-homemade chicken stew with naughty carrots eek! (See picture)
Sat D-small chicken kebab with salad and mayo (didn't eat much of the bread)
Sat S-piece of homemade cake, 2 biscuits, in total had just under 2000 calories way too much but still under 2000 so that is something

Sun B-morrisons cafe bacon, 2 fried eggs, mushrooms, hash brown and buttered toast (my treat)
Sun D-beef, sweet potato mash, cauliflower and broccoli with gravy
Sun S-ice lollies, half bar of aero with boyfriend, small piece mattesons sausage and olives, lashings of coke zero lol, again calories just under 2000 for today and I can already see on myfitnesspal that I'm slowing my weight loss down by the predicted five weeks weightloss.


I hope everyone is enjoying the last part of the weekend and planning for the coming week. Happy Atkins/low carbing Lisa-Ann xxx

 

[moonlights]

Hi Lisa-Ann, welcome to the board! It looks like you've been struggling a little with keeping to induction levels but you've done well to start lowering your carbs. You asked for tips earlier in your journal so here are mine.

- if you're eating atkins induction then you'll most likely need to eat more calories than MFP recommends for you. Atkins said around 1500 cals for the average woman - between 1500 and 1800 is my sweet spot. However if you're eating cereal, naan etc even a small bit a day then it's unlikely you'll be in ketosis and you will need to watch your calories much more closely.

Do try to cut out the carby slips. I know it's hard especially if someone else in the house has them, but they will destabilize your blood sugar and may stall or slow your losses. If you can manage a week with no slips you'll be in ketosis and it will be easier to stay that way.

Have a look at the sticky on low carb and 'cheating' which will explain why - once you're in ketosis - it's a bad idea to take days off. For me personally, in the year I was in ketosis I took a few days break every 4 months or so - each break put me back a week or two but it was better doing that 4 times a year rather than every month.

Re: veggies - it's best to weigh them rather than go by cups, especially high carb veggies like tomato and red pepper - they weren't allowed at all in the original Atkins diet but new versions have become more lax. If you weigh you'll know exactly what you're eating - though it's far better to overeat a little on veggie carbs than bread/sugar etc! Also bear in mind that we don't count net carbs in England - the book can be confusing on this point. In England net carbs are already worked out on our labels so don't deduct fibre, go for the full carb count.

Well done on your losses so far!

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Hi Lisa-Ann, welcome to the board! It looks like you've been struggling a little with keeping to induction levels but you've done well to start lowering your carbs. You asked for tips earlier in your journal so here are mine.

- if you're eating atkins induction then you'll most likely need to eat more calories than MFP recommends for you. Atkins said around 1500 cals for the average woman - between 1500 and 1800 is my sweet spot. However if you're eating cereal, naan etc even a small bit a day then it's unlikely you'll be in ketosis and you will need to watch your calories much more closely.

Do try to cut out the carby slips. I know it's hard especially if someone else in the house has them, but they will destabilize your blood sugar and may stall or slow your losses. If you can manage a week with no slips you'll be in ketosis and it will be easier to stay that way.

Have a look at the sticky on low carb and 'cheating' which will explain why - once you're in ketosis - it's a bad idea to take days off. For me personally, in the year I was in ketosis I took a few days break every 4 months or so - each break put me back a week or two but it was better doing that 4 times a year rather thang led every month.

Re: veggies - it's best to weigh them rather than go by cups, especially high carb veggies like tomato and red pepper - they weren't allowed at all in the original Atkins diet but new versions have become more lax. If you weigh you'll know exactly what you're eating - though it's far better to overeat a little on veggie carbs than bread/sugar etc! Also bear in mind that we don't count net carbs in England - the book can be confusing on this point. In England net carbs are already worked out on our labels so don't deduct fibre, go for the full carb count.

Well done on your losses so far!

Hi Moonlights and thank you for the nice welcome and the tips yeah you're right I have struggled to keep to induction levels and although I'm pleased to have lowered my carbs, I know I'm making my weight loss journey that bit longer by not sticking to it properly to get into ketosis. I'm definitely going to knock the cereal and bread slip ups on the head, never as nice as I think it's going to be - and I always end up wondering why I set myself back for it.

Good to know re: calories and I did read not to worry about counting them in Atkins book, but I guess I was having trouble believing it. I'll try and be led by my appetite and just use MFP to count my carb allowance. Re: taking days off, it doesn't seem worth it, I guess I just need to plan more and concentrate on managing each situation to stay in ketosis and in control. I'm going on holiday mid June and I'm sure it will be easy to eat the Atkins way, I just need to work out what I can drink.

Thanks for the veggie tip, I probably found this bit the most confusing as I didn't know whether I had to weigh the three portions of salad/veggies or whether I could just eat them and track everything else. I have logged veggie carbs from the start and it was surprising how high in carb content some veggies are like red pepper and kohlrabi. anyway, off to get some beauty sleep ready to tackle another Atkins day and this time armed with a shopping list from one if the threads sweet dreams Lisa-Ann xxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Hey everyone, and happy bank holiday weekend. I'm so pleased I've got tomorrow off work and the weather has been gorgeous finally. It's been a real funny week weather wise, from raining, extremely windy and cold to gorgeous sunshine - not complaining about the latter. Between work, play and an amazing gig (Lana Del Rey) I've not had much time to update my diary this week but have logged it all on MFP so gone are the days of secret eating. The positives for this week are as follows:

1) I've lost 3lbs so 8lbs in total - very pleased about that as I'm in another stone bracket now.
2) I've been drinking more water everyday, not quite 2ltrs but I've made water a part of my daily routine.
3) I'm enjoying eggs now which is good because in the beginning they made me feel a bit sick.
4) I exercised three times this week - Wii fit, dancing and vigorous cleaning.
5) I've cleared my wardrobe huge job I've been putting off, but now I can see what's in there as I go down in size.
6) I've been doing low carb/Atkins for 3wks now and it's starting to click and feel like a lifestyle choice.





Enjoy the rest of the bank holiday weekend everyone Lisa-Ann xxx