Just keep plugging away! The key is to not get too hung up on what the scale says. What's important is you're exercising and eating right. That's reason enough to be happy!

Well I've been holding steady all week at 234. Just waiting for that whoosh, I can feel the inches melting away just waiting for the scale to catch up!

Congrats Matty! That's so great. I can't get on a scale everyday, I'd be too anxious the rest of the day lol. I also LOOOVEEEE salty foods, and could also say no chocolate any day... I'm actually a popcorn afficionada.

Alice, don't get discouraged. Keep at it, you'll see results soon, don't worry too much about the number on the scale.

__________________
BOOM, BABY!
Start date: 07/01/08
Start weight: 290 (ugh)

Mini goal: 275

Motivation:
1. To have a baby in a couple of years
2. To not be embarrassed to see family
3. To not be embarrassed to see friends
4. To not worry about sitting on a plane
5. To not worry about fitting through turnstiles at Shea Stadium to see the NY Mets!
6. To not have to worry about taking pictures, and to not have to strategically place the camera
7. Most importantly: to be healthy

Popcorn is a huge vice of mine as well.

leslie-based on what you've said elsewhere, i'm betting you're having trouble losing because you're not eating enough. exercising means you should be upping your carb intake from induction levels, not considering a fat fast going down from 15 carbs a day. it doesn't suprise me you feel crummy. it sounds like you're starving yourself. please try following atkins as written and move on to the ongoing weight loss phase right away. you have a much better chance of feeling better and being successful.

if you do not feel good physically, something is not right. most people who follow the plans find they feel very good, because they are giving their body healthy food that it needs.

the more you focus on just the losses, the more this becomes the same as every other diet someone has ever tried. at some point, you have to ask yourself how that's working out for you, you know? if you find you have a lot of anxiety or other issues surrounding food, it may be a good time to consult with a professional about it. this is a multifaceted process and if the only thing that you focus on is the scale, you're missing the biggest gift of low carb: a lifetime free of food obsessions and anxiety. you can have that too, but you gotta move past the whole crash diet thing to get there, ya know? good luck.

__________________

EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Well, I ordered an Atkins Journal and just got it in the mail....Woo-Hoo! That will be helpful. I decided to "Start over" instead of attempting to recall every last thing I have done in the last few weeks! Also, that hunger feeling went away and now I never feel hungry! I am still eating,though! I am going to make a creamy Morel sauce tomorrow and am presently making the chicken stock for it!!! Hmmm...hmmmm....good! They have very little carbs, I believe 10 normal sized ones have about 3 and alternately 5 large ones are the same! It would be difficult to eat 5 big ones, too! Anybody like morels? I will post that recipe if you'd like!
Blessings!

Thank you, Goddess! I am working on it, I really am....that is probably the hidden reason I have not put batteries In my scale, but I did just do my measurements today and am quite psyched!!! I didnt know you could up your carb intake on induction regardless if you exercise...I just joined the Atkins site, since they have revamped it and will check that out! I am getting bloodwork on Thursday, so even though I never had a problem, I am sure all of my levels have improved! Thanks a bunch for all of your support! It means so very much!

Hey....My ketone strips are not really showing but a trace of ketones and I was told it could be the massive quantity of water I am drinking that is diluting it....Is that possible?

yes, if you drink lots of water, your strips will show lighter. ketosis is an either/or thing - we say it's like being pregnant, you can't be kinda preggers, y'kno - so even though it's more satisifying to have the dark purple, it doesn't really mean you're doing better.

if you aren't hungry, have that funny kind of metallic taste in your mouth, and have lots of energy, you're in ketosis, regardless of the strip readouts. consider the strips just another way to encourage yourself that what you're doing is working, and not really any kind of proof of how well your doing.

and glad you don't seem to mind the nagging too much. i'll try to restrain myself...LOL.

__________________

EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Actually, my mouth tastes weird, but I dont know about metallic. Also, I went to the doctor today and she said that I appear fatigued (she wrote that on my paperwork, yet I didnt tell her that!) and I lost 10 lbs. She took my bloodwork and my blood pressure is low, but it always is. I do feel yucky from time to time, a little each day. I have eaten salad, two eggs in the romaine, some pork, saome kraut and I still feel kind of blah. Hmmm...Im frustrated.

not everybody describes the taste as metalic, but some do. if your mouth tastes weird and you're not hungry, probably ketosis. you might want to eat a little more protien, as well. i'm thinking you're just not eating enough to support your activity level and that's leaving you a bit lackluster.

__________________

EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

I feel like I am hiding from food and don't know If I am not hungry, or If I am forcing myself not to be hungry. I do not, however, have hunger pangs at all anymore and I think that is what is making it so difficult to eat...I guess eating by the clock is necessary at times. At the end of tomorrow, I do my measurements....I am excited!!!! Woo-Hoo! Ahhh...and I play Soccer with extremely active children tomorrow again! Love it!!! Children and there ever bounding energy helps also!

your appetite does go down when you low carb. if you're not really hungry, it can be a small snack, but it seems to work better for most folks if they do eat regularly. atkins suggests never going more than 6 waking hours without some kind of food. doesn't have to be a lot, although if you're hungry, eat until you're not. but it's not unusual for people to forget to eat if they don't make a point of it. weird, huh? lol

__________________

EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

Grrr....Arrrrrgh! Just bumped into an old friend and he was like "Holy hell....what happened to you?""...They put you on steroids again? I haven't seen you this big since you were preggers with Alex!" Gee, thanks! I said I had already lost weight and he said that whatever is going on, it isnt doing me any good, but I will get there! Gotta love honest military men! I ended up eating 4 net carbs yesterday and exercising 120 minutes. Wasn't hungry, though, but am sure something in the back of my head was playing a part in that....humph!

I am really unhappy today, guys. I just did my measurments and I lost 1" in bust, lost 1 1/4" in waist, nothing in hips, gained 1/2" in upper arms. gained 1/2 " thighs and lost 1/2 " in calves. The exercising perhaps made me gain, so I will lose again, but I am working so hard and feel so bummed that it was not more. I deleted all pics of me on the digital when I realized how yuck I look. Just bumming, could use positive reinforcement, encouragement. I did drink a couple of beers, (friends bring it in and just do not get why I cant have one), that was my screw up, but I didnt think it would affect the loss...or didnt it? Going hiking tomorrow. Blah! Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!