Law,
Those are good numbers even with some bread and fries. Keep it up and you'll be back to that low point soon.

Today's counts for me:
Calories: 1460
Fat:106 (69%)
Carbs:62-18f=44 (12%)
Protein:69 (19%)

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Okay, I ate very badly today. No time, hearing still going, ate junky foods, really tired, trial still going . . .

BUT, I TRACKED!! Keeping myself honest at least.

Calories: 1740
Fat grams: 82
Carbs: 147 (YIKES!!!)
Fiber: 14
Net carbs: 133
Protein: 47

Law1
Lowcarb since July 2001
296/211/150

Hi you two!
Saw another pound off this morning. Now I'm back to where I was a few weeks ago. Boy, it sure seems harder to take it off the second time around than it was the first time. But, you were right, Judy. It is getting easier now that I am not giving myself permission to cheat at all. I thank you many times during the day for your insight. Thanks again.
Not sure how I am going to take up tracking again. I do Diet Power, and can't load it at work since I share my computer and it is antiquated. I leave early in the am, and often don't get home before 10pm. Have a long commute, so doesn't make sense to come home for dinner even though I can take that time off. When I get home, I'm trying to relax to go to sleep. Been trying to puzzle this out this week. Have any suggestions?
Peg
1/1/03
205/177/165 5'8"
want to be at goal by November 25th (my 60th b'day)

Peg,
Try using Fitday (www.fitday.com). That's what I use---it's free. Since it is web based, you can enter your information anywhere you have internet access. I assume you have it at church. If you don't have internet, do you use a PDA? I think some of them have a program for entering foods, and some even have internet access. Of course there is the low tech notepad method, but that would require time after you get home in the evening to enter info in Diet Power. Maybe one of the ideas above will be helpful. BTW --- congratulations on getting back to where you were. I'm working on that myself after having a 3 lb. spike this week. That's the first time that's happened in quite a while. I keep reminding myself that I could not "really" gain 3lbs -- there is no way I had 10,000 extra calories.

Law -- I'm sending you good vibes to hurry and get through the trial and to calm the stresses. I'm proud of you for tracking, even though what you tracked wasn't great.

And for me --- I didn't track today. I had the tops off pizza for lunch, and I usually just blow pizza days off. I didn't do bad, I'm just too lazy to figure it out.

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Thanks Judy: I had thought about Fitday. Maybe I'll give it a try. I've certainly gotten my money's worth from Diet Power, I can afford to try something for a little while until I can get back to regular computer use here at home.
Back up a pound today, but I think it's lack of water. Today I ate a sandwich for lunch. Everything was legal except the bread. Again, I didn't get in my water. But off now for two days, so it will be a little bit easier.
Peace, Peg
1/1/03
205/178/165 5'8"
(trying to get to goal by my 60th bday on November 25th)

Peg, I hope you make your goal by your birthday. Heck, I hope make my goal by your birthday!

Today's guesstimates:
Calories:1242
Fat: 92 (68%)
Carbs:65- 22f= 43net (14%)
Protein:55 (18%)

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Hi Judy, Peg, Law1 et al... Jusy, thanks for catching me on the challenge forum - I don't think I'll have many (any?) takers there so I am really grateful that you invited me here.

I am down 4 pounds since Tuesday (146 to 142) but I know that's because whenever I gain on vacation and return to re-induct afterwards I lose most of what I've put on.

My real goal is to get to goal (128) before Christmas (not likely)! and I am getting close enough to really need someone to help me bounce stuff off of - the old Spring and Summer challenge groups were great for that but we seem to have drifted.

Anyway... here are my numbers (I use FitDay) for Oct 16:
Cals: 1572
Fat: 111 (66%)
Carbs: 24 (6%)
Protein: 90 (24%)
Water: 72oz.

I am not in true induction (peanuts, red wine, etc.) but I am trying to stay under 30 carbs/day this week and will get the calories under control next week.

Thanks again so much for letting me crash this thread - it is just what I need!

Hugs,
Rachel
165/138/128
Haec trutina errat. (Latin for,"There is something wrong with this scale".)
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Rachel,
You are more than welcome to join us. So..., just how hard is it for you to get LC stuff where you live? I really have no concept of what type markets or stores and goods that you have available. Do you do lots of online shopping? Are you in a city? Is this 20 questions ???

Your numbers look really good.......Peg and I both would like to get to our goals soon, too. I initially wanted to be there by Halloween (one year anniversary). That's not likely unless I cut off my arm. Since I'm fairly attached to it, I keep plugging and get there someday.

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Friday's numbers;

Calories: 1444
Fat:92 (59%)
Carbs:61-11f = 50 net (14%)
Protein: 97 (28%)

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Hi Everyone.

A special welcome to Rachel.

Thanks for the support Judy. I have faith that you will get to your goal soon. Do you think the arm really weighs 4.5 pounds? LOL! I have always thought that if I got that close to goal, it would be easy to get there. Then I realize that this whole journey is 5 pounds at a time. Maybe if I tell myself I only need to lose 5 more pounds, it will be easier. Somehow, I don't think so. I know it's harder to lose the last few pounds, so I am proud of you for hanging in there. You will get to your goal!

Pegster: I just started using FITDAY and I really like it. It's really easy to use and it also gives you reports that you can use to track. I also like that you can set personal goals and then get reports on how you are doing. The other good thing is that you can add custom foods really easily.

My trial is finally over. I have been so exhausted, but I am finally getting back into eating right and tracking.

I stayed home from work today to clean up my living room and den after doing painting and other fix up. I also got my new living room furniture today! Yeah! It looks great. My house has been in chaos for months. I am proud of myself for eating well today in spite of the chaos.

I find I can eat better when I am at home because I have the right foods available and no pressure to eat other things.

My sister started lowcarbing in the middle of the summer. At the time, we weighed the same -- 215. She has really done a great job of eating well and is down to 187. Isn't that great? Unfortunately, I have gone in the opposite direction up into the 220's. I talked to her today and got inspired. I know I can lose this weight if I just stick with it.

I know how to do this, I just have to turn "on" that switch (Isn't that right, Pegster?).

Here are my stats for today. (And I promise I will weigh myself tomorrow . . . I have been afraid to this week).

Calories: 1026
Fat grams: 64
Carbs: 18
Fiber: 5
Net carbs: 13
Protein: 75

Law1
Lowcarb since July 2001
296/211/150

Hi all...

Thanks for the welcome Law1 - glad your trial is over - a very dear (longtime) friend of mine is a lawyer and when she's in the throes of a trial - honestly, I can imagine maintainingany sort of regular eating habits.

And congrats to your sister - it makes life SO much easier to have other family members really support and understand this WOE - good for her, too!

I have used FitDay almost since the beginning of this WOL - it is just something that really works for me.

Judy you are so close to goal!! This is wonderful although it must also be a little frustrating because they say those last few pounds are the toughest to peel off and then to keep off for a while. Hang in there!

in response to your questions about Tbilisi and the availability of food. Strangely, outside of the United States it is much easier to eat lo carb and healthy than inside! In the US the agribusiness monoliths have stocked our supermarket shelves with such garbage (and massive quantities of it - think of an entire aisle devoted to potato chips!) that the temptations to eat unhealthily are MUCH greater.

Overseas - in almost every country I've lived (lots) you can find vegetables, fruits and grains with astounding regularity. What is hard to get are proteins. Here in Tbilisi the quality of meats is fairly bad, they have no idea how to butcher the meat they do have (they just take a cleaver to the beast and most people have to rebutcher when they get back to their own kitchens. The availability of fish and shellfish is almost nil. They have sturgeon which is a tough chewy fish (can you tell we don't eat much here at our house) and you can find frozen mussels, and shrimp for example.

The cheeses here are also very limited - they have about one local cheese - something called Sulguni which they pretend is akin to mozzarella (not!). It has a slightly fermented smell to it that puts me off. We just got back from Italy and we lugged home something like five kilos of various types of pecorino (REAL pecorino) cheese... yummmmmm!

However... we can find lots of great natural yogurt, their sour cream is to die for, they have vegetables limited by seasons but what they do have is fresh and delicious (some of the best tomatoes in the world here).

In the markets I can find gouda and edam and cream cheese - AND we have access to the US Embassy commissary (a tiny store but stocked with occasional delicacies) through which I can order blocks of Irish cheddar cheese. I also get frozen pork tenderloins there (which have saved me on more than one occasion).

That's it in a nutshell - no supermarkets in this country like we know them - the fresh markets (veggies and fruit) are all over the place but you have to buy on the day you'll use or stuff goes bad quickly.

I miss broccoli, spinach and celery - none of which they have here - not even frozen. my husband misses salted butter (no country outside of the US uses salted butter)

Eating out? While most of the restaurants are Georgian (the food is ok but very monotonous - all the same), there are a couple of good non-Georgian restaurants in the city - including a really great Japanese place (they have the sushi flown in every other day from Moscow). It's expensive but we try to get there once a week to get our fish quotient. I can also get tuna fish at the Embassy so I make tuna salads for lunches. Other restaurants where GOOD meat is served save us too.

Lastly, we were told our post would be approximately 4 years so I made sure that I stocked up on the food shipment coming out here - I went to Costco and bought jugs of ranch dressing, huge bags of pine nuts, bottles of capers, jugs of Bertolli's olive oil, Bumblebee canned crab meat, and I also ordered lots of stuff from Shop Natural (we're into organic)... cases of Eden Black Soy Beans, cases of organic chili, 25 pounds of Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed (to grin myself), and a box of Pure DeLite Dark Chocolate bars! And so on... once those run out I'll either cajole short term specialists coming to work on the project or other personal visitors to haul foods out for me.

You can't have anything shipped here because the corruption is bad so things you have snet will end up in someone elses possession. Plus it would be expensive - we aren't exactly on UPS's routes

When we come home for leave next summer I plan to bring little in the way of clothes and pack the suitcases with foodstuffs from home!

Ok, have I gone way beyond answering your very good question? My apologies for babbling on - anywhere we live there are constraints to the foods but we do manage to seek out and find what we want and like - and it makes visits home extra special because we can indulge in foods we miss (broccoli!).

Now after all of that - I am not going to post for yesterday - I did fine until dinner. An old friend of DH's is in from Boise, Idaho (not right off the farm but let me tell you, Tbilisi Georgia is blowing his mind - in a good way, I might add) and I made chili, salad...and drank wine. BUT, I also had a BIG handful of Tortilla Chips AND about 15 Hersey's kisses. Grrrrr.

I'm hungover this morning but I think it's the chocolate, not the wine!!

I'm back on track today and will post my numbers tonight!

Hugs,
Rachel
165/138/128
Haec trutina errat. (Latin for,"There is something wrong with this scale".)
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Rachel!! I'm so glad you are here! Welcome! I've missed hearing from you and talking to you in "Summer Seekers." I went to Eastern Europe for a month (remember, we talked about it?) and then when I came back I started working for the first time in two years. So, I didn't get back to that Forum. It's so good to hear that you are settling in and finding some of the things that you want. You really sound like a very searsoned world traveler with planning ahead for your food like that! I've read many of your posts, and know that you have been all over. I'm grinning at the prospect of "talking" to you again!

Law1: So glad you are done with that trial! You can do this WOL, girl! You have done so well before. It sounds like that "switch" is going on, or ready to! I envy your new living room. My best friend is an interior designer in California. She is coming for Thanksgiving and I've already told her not to expect to sleep. We're going to redesign my living room!

Judy: Thanks for the tip about Fitday. I went in and registered and found it fairly easy. I was down two pounds today! Amazing! Especially so when you see my numbers! But, I did get in a lot of water yesterday. I'm convinced that water is the key for me!

Calories 2922
Fat 71%
Protein 22%
Carbs 53g 7%
Alcohol 5% (white wine for dinner)

Putting off sermon writing!
Peg
1/1/03
205/176/165 5'8"
(hoping to make goal by my 60th bday in November)

I have been on fall break all week, so I went out of town and visited family and friends. I meant to track those days, but I didn't go near a computer. Got back yesterday, and tracked most of my food. The only thing I didn't count was a couple of bites of a lc bar. So, the numbers are very low.

Total: 885
Fat: 52 (54%)
Carbs: 38 (13%)
Fiber: 9
Protein: 73 (33%)

Going to do better at tracking now. And even better on the water now that I am at home.

220/145/135
10 to go!

Glad you had a good week, Elyssa. Those are really low numbers for yesterday. Maybe they will lead to a big drop on weigh in day.

Law and Peg, I'm jealous -- I want new living room furniture. If I could just win the lottery tonight, I'd put that on my list.

Rachel, thanks for the long post. Really, if I had thought about it, I would have realized that junk food is more prevalent here. Too bad that good meat and cheese is so hard to get. I quickly glanced at your web site, but didn't have time to take it all in. What do you and your husband do that takes you to so many unusual places?

My Saturday:
Calories: 1387
Fat:105 (68%)
Carbs:55-17f =38net (11%)
Protein:71 (21%)

Judy

180/142.5/138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Saturday:
Total: 1424
Fat: 98 63%
Carbs: 40 9%
Fiber: 9
Protein: 96 28%

I didn't weigh yesterday morning. Thought I better not after the week off. So, weighed this morning at 148 - that's up 3 pounds. Hoping to lose that quickly.

Seems I have been bouncing around 5 pounds here lately. I wish they go and stay gone.

Elyssa

220/145/135
10 to go!