Today is day 14 and 14 pounds have gone. That is just incredible. Now that I am totally caffeine, alcohol, and sugar free for the first time in my life...(not an alcoholic, but an occ glass of wine)....I am ready for the next step. Will add 5 gms daily for the next two weeks and see how I do.

I have actually enjoyed the past two weeks minus the first three days of course. They were especially rough as my body went through withdrawal, but I hung in there and had faith in myself and it paid off.

I feel wonderful and have only 46 pounds to goal weight. Two years ago I weighed 240 pounds, so that seems so completely doable and in sight to me.

For anyone out there just starting and struggling and thinking you can't do it....please listen to your body and hang in there.

The weight is most defnitely an insidious killer. It robs you of so much and predispositions you to so many diseases and health problems too numerous to mention.

The diet at first may seem extreme because in my opinion, it is. But so is weighing 240 pounds.

Someone said to me the other day about ketosis being hard on the kidneys. Well, so is diabetes and I was certainly headed there. I think my kidneys are doing just fine. I am not symptomatic. If I were, I would most definitely stop and adjust my weight loss efforts.

I have heard comments the past two weeks of "Oh, I could never give up this or give up that." I just say "Read the book, understand the plan, and then make your judgement."

I don't feel I have given up anything. I feel like I am gaining my life back and much of the enjoyment the weight deprived me of.

Leaving for Paris in two weeks, and while still overweight ....I am not over 200 pounds anymore.

That is a very good thing!!

Congrats Heartrock! This is awsome.

Welcome to the world of 100's

Make sure you update your stats so our weight-loss counter keeps getting bigger

Wa'il

That is soo excellent hr7!



It may be a typo, but you add 5 grams weekly, not daily.



Absolutely. I feel the same way too. When I see people eating sweets and bread, I feel like I have come from another planet where these things are considered poisonous.

Karen

wow...i will have to get the book...not to doubt you, but I don't see how you can add 5 gms 'weekly'. i thought the count during induction was 20 gms per day and then after induction you increase at 5 gm increments per day for two weeks at a time.

i will go back and read....

Wow, congrats ... 14 lbs in 14 days is awesome. Give yerself a pat on the back for a job well done.

Um, ketosis is not hard on the kidneys. There's no study to show that this is true. Ketones are produced in the liver to provide fuel for the body in the absence of glucose. They are normal. Most people who aren't even dieting .. have some ketones in their systems every morning after 10 hrs of not eating anything .. You can mention that to folks the next time they try to tell you your kidneys are going to rot.

Oh, and according to my copy of Atkins, you do indeed increase your carb intake by 5g per day for one week, then another 5g per day for a week and so on till you reach your CCL. It sounds like you are choosing to add 5g per day for TWO weeks at a time, instead of one. A lot of folks do that to be cautious.

Enjoy Paris! and continued low-carb success to you

Doreen

Sorry hr7! That's what I meant. I thought you meant that you were going to increase your carbs by 5 grams every day.

Karen

WTG Heart! I know exactly how you feel. And isnt it great? Keep up the great work!!

Nat

I went back and read the whole chapter again...so my plan is to go to 25 gms of carbs per day for the next two weeks. I will evaluate my weight loss during that time and then increase to 30 gms per day and so on until I find my own personal CCL. If I stop losing weight totally...I will back down some on the gms each day until the weight loss picks up and finally when I am at goal I will increase again to find the maintenance level.

That seems to be the plan man...LOL.

Thanks for the all the input. I am going to have my lipid profile repeated in two months and then again at goal just to track it's progress. Introducing the fats back into my life has gone against 12 years of what I thought was healthy. I do choose leaner choices of meat and limit the cheese intake. Seafood and chicken are mainstays with a juicy steak once a week. That is a big treat.

I am making my salads with a variety of greens and torn up spinach with just a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. Yummy.

Drinking QUARTS of water each day. I do mean QUARTS. Always have a bottle with me.

ANd the supplements...right on track. Added the Nu-salt for it's potassium content. Bought Splenda (how sweet it is!) For me, this is the best I have eaten in years.

15 strawberries is 5 gms...did I read that correctly...with a little splash of splenda and cream...HOW YUMMY is that? Soul food, is it not?

Way to go Heartrock7!! Yes, 13 average sized strawberries is 5 gms carb according to Atkin's book. That's my favorite treat too, I have it almost every night, strawberries, cream and a bit of splenda. Or sometimes I use plain yogurt instead of cream. Delicious!

Keep up the good work!

Wendy

You sound so happy and proud; its infectious. Pat yourself on the back, please. You've definitely earned it

Nat