Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather

[Lisa-Ann]

Hi everyone, just a quick one to say that I'm still around and still low carb/Atkins. I've been in Tunisia for a couple of wks and went slightly off plan in respect I had a drink and lots of water melon. Only put on 2lbs which I was amazed with. On Monday I'm going to start Atkins induction and go for it. In last few wks I've taught myself a few Atkins tricks: I know what a MIM is, I have made flaxmeal bread and chocolate bark. I accidentally bought the most expensive coconut oil from holland and Barrett it was £15. Does anyone know if why flax meal has less carbs than flax seed is there any way of calculating this? Looking forward to catching up with you all again soon. Lisa-Ann xxxx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

Wow, I can't believe how many people are now posting in the Atkins forum - I'm so pleased, especially as it was a bit sparse here a couple of months ago. Atkins is definitely one of those plans that no one in the real world talks about, they've heard about it but they couldn't tell you anything worth knowing about it, so without forums like this most of us would be on our own. Anyway, I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's diaries and subscribing. In the meantime, I'm going to inspire myself and list ten reasons I want to be slim, writing in the present tense trying to imagine exactly how I will feel obviously in comparison to how I feel now - law of attraction and all that, enjoy! Lisa-Ann Xx

1. I love walking no matter the distance my feet can take me there. No more anxiety over walking and talking, picking up the pace or normal breathing. I like to explore beautiful cities the architectural work and any hidden secrets. Take me up winding flights of stairs, castle turrets and up coastal hills with the wind in my hair and my eyes to the view with ease.
2. I love fashion trends and can spend hours shopping for clothes with my girlfriends. I like to experiment with vibrant colours, fabrics and shapes. I can usually find my size and have a clear idea of what suits my body shape. When I can, I enjoy attending swishing parties as it’s a fabulous way to recycle those one off pieces I’ve fallen out of love with.
3. My body feels light, strong and flexible. I look forward to teaching my children how to cartwheel along the beach and play leapfrog in the park. I still like to climb and cannot resist doing mini somersaults when I come across a beam. By practising yoga techniques I keep my heart healthy, breath from my diaphragm and develop stamina and good posture.
4. The only time I acknowledge my age is when I have to produce my birth certificate. Otherwise, I feel no aches or pains. I bend gracefully; get up from sitting with ease and I will always paint my own toe nails. I am a healthy weight for my height. I sit in narrow seats, take romantic bubble baths, get on rollercoaster rides and go horse riding. I have no fear of flying and can sit comfortably with my seat belt fastened and drop down table in use.
5. I have so much energy and every day is a blessing. I enjoy the change of season particularly the lighter and longer days. Plus when the sun comes out I like to top up my vitamin D by heading outdoors wearing my shorts and shades. I find it is a great way to top up those feel good chemicals and well, any colour I get to my legs is a bonus.
6. Getting ready for a good night out is a favourable pastime of mine. From buying a new dress to choosing which heels to wear. I simply love spending time with those positive people I choose to surround myself with. There is no better feeling than laughing from deep down from the core, dancing the small hours away or getting merry and putting the world to rights.
7. I might not be on the TV but I feel less than ordinary. I walk around with my head held high and a feeling of anticipation that something wonderful is just about to happen. Each day I learn to love myself that little bit more and like a black and white movie star, I walk quietly confident oozing beauty from a bygone era. Those that pass me ask themselves, ‘who’s that girl’.
8. I feel comfortable in my own skin and I know this because I don’t question it. I live in the now and I’m not haunted by my past. I love bumping into old friends and finding out what is new with them. It’s nice to reminisce about the past, feel nostalgic and share common ground and memories. Embrace the old and move forward to make some fantastic new memories.
9. People often ask me how I can just stand up there and speak. They tell me I’m a natural, I’m funny and that others are drawn to me. I tell them they can have this too, there’s nothing too it. By getting up there and finding my voice and sharing my opinion, life has become so much easier, my job is so much better and my relationships have improved.
10. I like to travel, soak up different cultures and explore new places. I also like to indulge and layflatonmybackonasunloungerbythepool for at least a week, devouring books and sipping cocktails. I wear bikinis because I’m comfortable with my body. I smile and pose when someone takes a photograph and I’m present in those family snapshots. I’m in great shape. As I type this, I’m sitting elegantly like a lady with one svelte silky smooth leg bent at the knee and crossed over the other.

 

[Goldilukes]

Hi Lisa, that sounds fab, I think I'd like a bit of that welcome back to your diary are you staying? And how have you been doing since your last post?

 

[Kat1e]

Hi
Nice to meet you and look forward to hearing how your low carb journey is progressing!

 

[ladyfelsham]

Hi Lisa-Ann

Great to see you posting again, welcome back

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Hi Lisa, that sounds fab, I think I'd like a bit of that welcome back to your diary are you staying? And how have you been doing since your last post?

Hi Lauren, if only we could fast forward to feeling fabulous eh I definitely need to keep reminding myself of why I'm here and why I'm doing this, I get too sidetracked thinking about the bigger picture and worrying about failure. Yes, I'm here to stay this time, never really left, just haven't been able to post for a while. I guess not posting made me less accountable to myself in some way and as such I've not made much progress and have just messed around losing and maintaining the last 13lbs. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome back, and I will be sure to pop by your diary in a bit too. Lisa x

Hi
Nice to meet you and look forward to hearing how your low carb journey is progressing!

Hi Katie, thanks so much for stopping by and so nice to meet you too. I'm like a kid in a candy shop at the moment, so many diaries to catch up on and new like minded friends to meet. Happy reading lol! Lisa x

Hi Lisa-Ann

Great to see you posting again, welcome back

Thanks Susie I missed it, found it quite therapeutic and convinced it keeps me on track. Heres to future success posts Lisa x

 

[Jonsgirl80]

Hi and welcome back x

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

Hi and welcome back x

Hi Jonsgirl thanks for stopping by and the warm welcome x

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

So today has been a bit of a strange one. I had a home visit this morning from one of my managers to discuss my sickness and to plan my return to work as I've been off with stress and anxiety. The meeting went well and she was understanding. The trouble is now all I can think about was whether my house was clean and presentable enough. I keep noticing daft things to be embarrassed about, like plastic bowls of water left on the floors all round my house to encourage my cat to drink, I'm so used to seeing them that I forgot to tidy them away in case they look odd. I've got a table lamp just left standing on the floor by the telly because I've not found a place to put it yet. I know I'm probably being irrational and I should just let people take me as they find me, dust and all. It's funny how are minds get consumed sometimes by the stuff that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Hope everyone has had a lovely day, definite chill in the air now. Lisa-Ann xxx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Don't worry - your manager won't have noticed Glad the meeting went well.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

Thanks Susie, hope so xx

 

[kimmi1982]

Hello Lisa-Ann, I don't know how I haven't come across your diary, I thought I read them all when I first started!! Welcome back!! Looking forward to hearing about your losses

Ps: I bet your boss didn't notice anything!!! I go into homes daily and am oblivious to things like that!!! Xx

 

[Jonsgirl80]

Awww don't worry, she won't have noticed - we're always more critical of our own homes than other people are.

glad your meeting went well xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

aww thank you Kim and Jonsgirl

So today's been a bit of a waste, I've spent most of it feeling really rundown like I'm coming down with something and I've just wanted to get my head down all day, which I have to be careful with during the day because I suffer a lot with insomnia and can go two days on one nights sleep if I'm not careful. On a plus, I think my menu has been fine for today and I haven't wanted to chew my arm off.

B: 2 fried eggs, 3 rashers bacon.
L/D: Chicken breast, cabbage, cauliflower mash.
S: 3 x baby bels, chorizo, olives
Litre of water so far (need to up this I know) tea with soya milk (can we use goats milk?) coffee with double cream and a Pepsi max 250ml (I know this should be coke zero but boyfriend picked up what was on offer)

Decided I want a food processor after watching Jamie Oliver make cauliflower rice. It looked so much more rice like and tasty than my bland grated version, I'm going to look online to see what's on offer at the end of the week, although I don't really have the cupboard space for more appliances :/ I mean I have only just talked myself out of investing in an actifry or deep fat fry version (the things our mothers lived without lol).

Just catching up on "Who do you think you are?" now and it's the lovely Sarah Millican this week I could do with the WDYTYA team to help me trace my own family tree. I've done quite well on my mums side as generations of her family resided in Manchester, but tracing my dads family in Dublin is proving much harder as apparently a central office holding decades worth of records burned to the ground oh well I think it means a trip to the national archives in Dublin is in order.

I'm going to catch up on everyone else's diaries now

Lisa-Ann x

 

[meg38]

Just come across your diary x welcome back, was loving the pics you posted of food!! X yep if you have Irish ancestors its very difficult, but much more fun having to go to Dublin to find out!! X

 

[Kat1e]

Hi LA, hope you are feeling better and get a good night's sleep

If possible, i recommend you cut down/out the diet drinks. They can stall some people so it's really worth doing induction avoiding all sweeteners if possible

 

[Goldilukes]

Mornings Lisa, just catching up on diaries and I've enjoyed reding yours, glad you are back. Menus look good and yes if you have to drink pop coke zero over any of the others any day. Something to do with citric acid in the others which can stall as far as I know.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Just come across your diary x welcome back, was loving the pics you posted of food!! X yep if you have Irish ancestors its very difficult, but much more fun having to go to Dublin to find out!! X

Hi Meg and happy belated Friday! Yes, I think a little trip to Dublin would be fab all in the name of research maybe I will plan for early next year. I hope you've got something nice planned for the weekend xxx

Hi LA, hope you are feeling better and get a good night's sleep

If possible, i recommend you cut down/out the diet drinks. They can stall some people so it's really worth doing induction avoiding all sweeteners if possible

Thanks Katie, and how are you? I'm still not tip top but I blame Met-bloody-formin medication, I've been trying to increase (double) my dose and it's like I've been hit with the nausea stick - but I will not be beaten lol.

Yeah I do need to cut out the cans of fizz, I mainly just have one a day as I see it as a little pick me up during afternoon slump time. Although one of my colleagues keeps trying to persuade me to stop, she believes that aside from the lack of calories the body cannot tell the difference between sugar and sweeteners and processes both in the same manner causing highs in blood sugars etc.

Mornings Lisa, just catching up on diaries and I've enjoyed reding yours, glad you are back. Menus look good and yes if you have to drink pop coke zero over any of the others any day. Something to do with citric acid in the others which can stall as far as I know.

Thanks Lauren and how are you? yeah I have heard that about citric acid before, I guess I just need to be more disciplined and drink more water - less room for fizz then haha x

 

[Lisa-Ann]

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

I can't tell you how rough I've felt over the last couple of days, initially I thought I was either rundown due to lack of sleep or just coming down with something and now I realise that my body is just working doubly hard to get used to my medication. I've been on Metformin since January and I've been advised recently to increase my dosage to six tablets 3000mg - I just hope these awful side affects stop as quickly as they've started and I get into a routine with this. I have been told they can help some people to lose weight and if that is the case there could be a silver lining.

So today I picked up my portfolio of work from College for the Level 4 PTTLS (preparing to teach in the life long learning sector) course I completed late last year. It made me wish I'd just bitten the bullet and applied to do my PGCE (teaching) part time around work over the next two years instead of just becoming miserable and work stressed. I guess my nose also feels slightly out of joint because I was so inspired to apply to do my PGCE that I must have talked one of my colleagues who had no interest at the time into doing it and well now she's enrolled and excited and I've been left with nothing to shout about. God, I sound like a right jealous cow. In hindsight I actually want to do my masters but feel I have no hope in hell of financing it and well the PGCE was a compromise with myself as it can be converted to a masters later.

After college I had an appointment with the practise nurse at my medical centre. She wanted to talk to me about my recent blood tests. She explained that they show I have diabetes. This has confused me no end because the GP I spoke to recently said that based on my results they could neither confirm nor rule out diabetes and that it was borderline, he said the only way to know for sure would be to take me off Metformin that I take for PCOS but which also treats diabetes and test again. However, the nurse was adamant I have it and she proceeded to give me lots of printed out information (good job I can read). She made me an appointment with a foot specialist, said I would get a PIN number in the post to get my eyes tested yearly, said she wasn't sure Atkins was the best diet but to continue if the hospital had advised me to do so, she informed me about statin medication (never heard of it) and cholesterol. Of course I've come away feeling like WTF not really taken it in nor do I believe it if I'm perfectly honest. Excuse the constant droning on lol, I'm just getting my thoughts out here.

So back to why I'm here - my menu for today was as follows:

B: egg mayonnaise made with two boiled eggs, some mattesons sausage
L: flaxmeal bread, soft cheese, peppers and olives
D: god I can't tell a lie - lamb balti from the take away with a side of fried mushrooms
S: none
D: tea with soya, 2 coke zeros, 1.5ltrs water

On a plus, I nipped into my local boots and they'd restocked the Colgate max white one toothpaste, so I picked up two and got the free gifts - a full size Nails inc nail varnish in luminous red gloss and metallic, bargain! Can't wait to put one of them on tomorrow, so even if I'm miserable and slobbing around my house in a onesie without even so much as a brush through my hair at least I'll have white teeth and red nails.

Hope you're all doing something fab this weekend, broomsticks!

Lisa-Ann Xxxx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Morning love

Gosh what a strange meeting with the nurse! Why not ask to see your doctor and talk through it, they have to be clear with you on whether you do actually have diabetes or not But at least low carb is an excellent woe to follow if you do or are borderline (despite what the nurse says, she knows nowt!) - as Katie said on another thread, low carb definitely helps as it reduces the insulin spikes - and there's even evidence to show that it can even reverse diabetes in some cases. Have a good google and ask lots of questions here too!

And I get you on your colleague stealing the limelight - cow! Especially when you've worked so hard to get your diploma. Why not investigate scholarships for your Masters?

Don't worry re the balti, sounds like you needed it - and you avoided all the naughty naan