Hi all,
I'm hoping some of you can help me. I'm from NY, but I've been living overseas in Portugal for the past few years. I have had good success on Atkins so far (lost 11 lbs during induction) and 3 more during the first week in OWL, but went up a pound last week. I am looking for any tips and tricks on how to make OWL work more for me. A big problem is getting many of the ingredients for a lot of the recipes I see posted online. I have plenty of Splenda thanks to a recent trip home, and lots of LC protein bars to get me through until the next time I get home. I do Tae Bo at home 3 to 6 times a week. I have done Atkins before with great success, but lost my way and regained half of my loss, which was 30 lbs, for not learning how to do OWL properly. This time I am committed and well in the groove with a mindset that sugar is just poison for me. The proof this month was no mood swings around that special time, and no need to nap when I get home from work.
I would love any ideas involving basic food ideas that would help my recipe repertoire grow. I see lots of ideas with 'yogurt', but I can't get LC yogurt here. Any other ideas? I saw something about LC granola, but I definitely can't find that here. More and more things are becoming available, but choices are still scarce. I haunt the LC recipe sites, but you guys seem to know more! Anything unusual or spicy would be great! Thanks!

Hi Momto3boys,
Where in NY did you use to live? Is your husband in the service and that is why you are away?
I think your best bet to success during OWL is to eat REAL foods. Some people stall when eating the bars and such things.
You can make your own low carb seasonings that may spice things up for you. I know there are great TACO Seasonings and such that you can add to your foods.
Here is my favorite recipe site. The gal is wonderful to let us have these recipes. I've made four things so far and they have all been great.
http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/recipes.html
Much success,
Susie

Mom, if you have been eating LC bars during induction and that first week of OWL and still losing weight, all I can say is WOW. You must be one of the lucky people! Up only one pound last week is not uncommon. Many people will have a time period when they lose/gain the same pound over and over and over and over (you get the idea). Perhaps you should try a few days without the bars and see what happens. There are so many LC retail internet sites for a lot of the LC foods . . . or are the shipping costs totally astronomical? Perhaps a LC retail site in the UK? Good luck. I wish I could help you more with recipes . . . but I like bland foods!

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Thanks KCTinter. I am very happy with my progress so far. I am very committed to doing OWL right, so I can move to pre-maintenance in a few weeks (or months?)! I only stockpiled the LC bars, I don't eat them every day. Although I did on induction!!! I keep some in my desk drawer at work for emergencies. Although Britain is European Union, as is Portugal, the prices there are so overblown because of the pound against the Euro, and LC is still catching on there too. A friend of mine told me she ordered about $120 worth of Atkins items from the website, and the customs bill amounted to $100! I usually rely on friends and family traversing back and forth to bring me stuff, which I tend to order in advance to a relative's address. With the dollar low against the Euro I really make out!^

Hi Susie1955, I missed that one! I did a quick check and it looks like I can glean some additional ideas from there. Thanks! No, I married a Portuguese and we decided to come here for a while for him to work, while we raise our family, but we hope to be heading back soon! Every time I come to visit I am amazed at how much easier it is to do LC there! I'm from up the Buffalo way in NY, near Niagara Falls. I agree it's better to eat real foods, but some fun stuff goes a long way to maintaining motivation. With three kids, part-time work and a good dose of homeschooling I am definitely in favor of convenience. Most things over here are in their 'real' form, which makes it easier sometimes, but not convenient. Although, we do have nearby great 'frango churrasco' or barbecued chicken, cooked over charcoal with olive oil, lemon, coentros and salt for seasoning and cheap too!:jump: Thanks again!

Hi again,
Do you have a real name?
I'm telling you if you use some of those recipes from that site you will never be board. Especially try the Coconut Crunch Delight and Lisa's Strawberry Cobbler. Of course be careful as they are SO good you want a big portoin or two or three. :fork:
I'm WAY up north in Saint Lawrence County. I'm about two hours north of Syracuse.
You certainly are a busy girl...................how do you find time to eat???????
Hope you have a 'controlled' carb day,
Susie

Hi Susie! I had just come back to tell you that I've been cruising Linda's LC site and found a great idea! She cuts up an LC bar into 20 small pieces (I'd probably do 10) and she eats a few if she feels a need to nibble. I'm definitely going to do that! I've been using a 'Coconut breakfast squares' recipe which is great, but I'm going to go check out the Coconut crunch delight right now.
I've been up your way a few years back when going to visit relatives in Montreal. You live in beautiful country that's for sure!
May you have a 'carb-controlled' day too!
Michele

Michele,
I cut my portions anyway I feel like. Some have there pies cut in 16 pieces and I may just cut them in 8. Of course I'm maintaining so I can have a few more carbs and calories but I really I am careful.
LindaSue normally freezes what she makes too so she isn't so tempted to keep eating.
I love the fact that LindaSue normally has photos with her recipes and she uses ingriedients that are pretty common to low carbers (at least here).
Michele, can't you shop on line to get some lc carb things you are lacking there?
We are a half hour from the Canadian border and two hours from Vermont. The leaves are already changing here and it is gorgeous. Come on over.
Thanks for wishing me a controlled carb day. I'll do my best.
Susie

Hi, Mom2-3!

I find I do much better, even after a year in maintenance, when I stick mostly with veggies, meat (incl. fish & chicken), nuts, dairy (cheese and cream or half-n-half), and limited amounts of berries.

Yogurt, LC or not, seemed to stall my weight loss. I almost never eat LC shakes or bars, as they trigger monster cravings (and sometimes have other unfortunate effects). I eat LC tortillas and bread, but very sparingly and rarely. Instead of LC candy, I'll eat small amounts of ultra dark (80+% cocoa) chocolate.

Except for sweetners, LC thickeners, and almond meal, there's very little I buy in the way LC specialty products on a regular basis.

I buy:

• Splenda - a dry sweetner aka sucralose (available in most markets here)
• Da Vinci Sugar Free syrups - flavored syrups made from sucralose (netrition.com)
• Thick&Thin/Not Sugar or Thick&Thin/Not Starch- thickeners (netrition.com)
• Erythritol - a sweetner (netrition.com)
• Sweetzfree - a form of liquid sucralose (sweetzfree.com) and
• 0 Carb Syrup Base Concentrate - a form of liquid sucralose (locarber.com)
• almond and hazelnut meal (Trader Joe's, though it's available online - or some folks make it at home by grinding the nuts very fine).

I buy most things from netrition.com because they have lots of product information and very low shipping rates.

I ~never~ buy Atkins products as I find they: 1) are a bad value, and 2) often taste terrible. Mind you, I haven't tried Atkins newer products because even if they've achieved "edible" they are still a very bad value, money-wise.

There are some great recipes in the articles and recipe section here - I particularly recommend Marcie's recipe collection - see her Cauli Mash recipe. DH and I both love it; we make this dish about once a week - sometimes, more often .

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Hi TeelBee!
Another bunch of great recipes I missed, thanks! :cook: On your list of things I don't or can't get, I hear lots about the da Vinci syrups and the thickn'thin, not starch. I confess, I really, really like the protein bars because I truly enjoy the taste, (I buy the Carb Rite bars) it's so convenient to carry when I go out, and it makes me feel connected to back home somehow as it was my brother who introduced me to them. I do exercise a good bit, so I do fill in the blanks so to speak with the protein bars and protein shakes. When I hit a plateau, I will try cutting back on them, but for now, the inches are coming off.
I did a quick check of netrition.com and I have found better prices at advnut.com They have ultra quick delivery (1-2 days) and the shipping rates are really cheap, although it seems netrition has more items. I also have an issue with the credit cards because I need to find companies online that take foreign credit cards, but ship to U.S. addresses. (The source of much frustration for me!!!)
Anyway, thanks so much for your tips!

Hi Susie!
I would LOVE to come see you at this time of year! Over here in Portugal, things just start to get green with the winter rains, although we're having a heat wave right now! I REALLY miss those fall colors I grew up with! The smell of the leaves, the colors . . . :crying: Oh well, maybe we'll be back next year!
I have to say I admire your resolve to cut things up into portions. That's one of my downfalls for certain. I've been doing some really good portion control, for me, but cutting up a 1 serving protein bar into little pieces just never occurred to me! The only thing I portion is my LC ice cream I make, and that's because it freezes faster that way, so I can start eating it quicker!
The good news is, I am definitely committed to the groove. I went to a store here that gets new items every Monday and Thursday. It's a Dutch store called LIDL. This week they sold the chocolate 'Rolos'. (you can't buy them anywhere here). I love them. I bought some for the kids and my husband, but I looked at them and decided I don't really want them. If I do, I can have one when we move back. See, over here, when I see something from home, I tend to buy as a comfort thing, and stock up, because if you don't, the next time you go, they won't have any, most likely not ever again! That, for me, is a BIG victory!
You are all so nice in this forum! It's great connecting with a fellow New Yorker!
Have another great low carb day!
Michele
p.s. I am wearing a dress I haven't been able to get into in over a year!

Good Morning Michele,
I didn't write that I cut things up in small portions. I wrote that I cut the portions anyway I want. If someone has a recipe and says it is 16 servings, I will cut it into 8. :cook: I "DO" have to be careful though.
Congratulations on saying NO to the Rolo's. Who wants to go backwards in this way of eating right and great job on getting into a smaller dress size.
Your doing great.
Susie

Thanks! WOW! Do you get up early! This is me in the morning . . It's almost noon here and I'm getting ready to leave work in an hour.
Yeaaaahhhhh, I sometimes find the portions a bit too small, way more often than I find them too big! But, at least I'm conscious of it! If it keeps me from turning to the non-LC stuff, then I'll tackle that when it becomes more of an issue.
So, you've been maintaining your 118 for a year? That's fantastic! That's my big challenge, losing, and keeping it lost! This time will be different . . .

Hi again Michele,
Well, yes I get up VERY early. Spunky, full of energy and ready to go. I get up between 3 and 4 every morning.
I just receached my goal in June. I'm 115 right now. Thanks!
Yes, this time is YOUR time and it WILL be different.
Have a great day,
Susie

Hey, Michele:

I just want to jump in here and welcome you to this Forum! I love it when we have conversations with folks living in other countries. Good for you for giving your kids the experience of their Dad's culture! Sounds like you are a busy lady!

I admire your ability to eat the bars without bad results. I don't eat anything that isn't real. I have real trouble with sweets cravings if I eat sweets. I try not to eat them. (though I have to admit that I "fall off the wagon more times that I would like") I'm in OWL and have been for over a year. I am a "glacier" loser. ( ) But, there are many factors that go into my loss. I'm cool with it.

Boy, do I understand the feeling of wanting something from the States as comfort food. We travel extensively and I often get that way on a long trip! We spent a long time in Japan this summer and I lost 13 lbs! I just didn't eat much. I also got sick, but that's another story :( Actually that face should be green!

I join Susie in wishing you a good lc day!
Peace, Peg
1/1/03
205/175/165
5'8"
living in New England where they are already talking about snow and winter!