You folks all should be commended on the love and support your give to everyone! It is truly uplifting to read about everyones ups and downs, (with weight, and life!) and see how everyone comes out of the woodwork to try and help....that is why I love it here.....

I hope everyone knows that new folks are always welcome, the more the merrier....I know when I was over 200, I was afraid to post, but I made it a goal to get to the 190's just so I could post here....it worked well for me....little goals, one step at a time....perhaps this could be renamed the "See Ya', 190's thread! Cause we are all going to get there! I just know it.!

Hope everyone is feeling better, and losing weight as I type!!!

Take care,
Carol

It is 5:00 am over here in the Persian Gulf and why am I up already? Because I am bursting with energy! I think it was that protein fast I went on yesterday. The day went very well. I kept expecting to have a problem with wanting more than just protein but it never happened. I sailed through the day eating bacon and eggs, meatballs without filler, and chicken. This morning I'm down a half pound. Today I'm going to continue the Protein Fast. Thank you Donna, I think this was exactly what I needed.

Julie, I agree with the others, you are more than welcome here. You'll be in the 190's soon anyway, so you're just starting early.

Gilta, sorry about the stress you are living with. Human beings need to feel a sense of control over their own lives, its part of our survival system. When our life feels out of our control we will react with anger or depression. To avoid either one it is often helpful to look at your life and see where you can get some control back in another area to bring yourself more into balance. So perhaps focusing on gaining control over your eating program right now will help you to acheive a sense of personal control over your life again. You won't feel so vulnerable.

Shirley, welcome back. I will be having company arrive on Easter day and they will be here for 2 weeks. They won't know it but they will be eating low carb! I refuse to blow this progress for anyone, it means too much to me.

Cher, I want to post someday that I'm wearing size 10 jeans again!!!!!!

Have a great day everyone.

Betsy, I had to laugh when I read your post, I was thinking the same thing about Cher wearing size 10 jeans. I think I may have worn that size when I was 10 but once that first baby was born, I never went below a 12, and that would be pretty wonderful to reach again, in my book. I am pretty happy to be back down to a 16
I wanted to do a Protein fast starting today, and i did great til dinner, Breakfast I had a bacon/swiss omelet, Lunch was salami and provalone, no bread. then for dinner I had a chicken cutlet with broccolli and salad. We do have sugarless Jello for dessert each nich with cool wip, Makes you feel like you've had something special.
It's hard not to have salad or a veggie for dinner. What did you do? chris

I know what you mean about veggies and salad. When my husband was eating his salad last night I wanted to grab a cucumber off his fork! I'm serious!!! However, I resisted and told myself that its only for two days then I can have cucumber or whatever veggie I want. I told myself, "Betsy, you can get up from this table feeling really good with yourself that you resisted and stuck to this fast..or you can blow it for a lousy little cucumber..Which will it be?" Well, I wanted to feel proud of me more than I wanted that cucumber so sticking to the plan took priority.

I chose for years to give in to this head of mine and look where it got me! So part of this program for me is learning how to control those thoughts and make mature decisions. If its a cucumber today it will be a fudge brownie tomorrow if I let this head rule my life. I'm pretty mature in most areas of my life, but when it comes to food I'm a definite 2 year old. At 52 I think its time that I grew up in this area of my life. So I'm trying to practice cognitive therapy and gain control over my thoughts. Some days are easier than others!

Thanks you guys for all of your support! I appreciate you all understanding what I am going through. I thought I would have started, but I just never made the time to get organized.

I know that is an excuse, but I figure if I keep writing in here and my journal, I will start up again soon. I have 11 people coming for Easter this year and I am planning on a lot of meat!

I know you all state I should not go as high as 50 carbs. The problem was when I was doing the lower carbs and keep the calories around 10 - 12x my weight, I started to gain. When I decreased the calories and slightly increased the carbs, I lost. I guess at this point, I need to regroup and relook at how I am doing this. I bought the PP book. I will be reading that and rereading the atkins and then decide which will work better. Yesterday, I really kept things down ( both carbs and calories) lower than I have in 3 wks. I figure that is a place to start.

I love the idea of going to the thrift shop and getting smaller clothes. I will have to try it. I leave on vacation to Dominican Republic on the 13th of April. I would love to just lose 5lbs before I go. I guess I will have to get on the scale to see how high I am. Of course, it is TOM so I am sure it is even higher!

Gilta

Hi everyone...

Well it sounds like everyone is on track and doing really well...that's great!
I'm excited to hear how everyone does with the 2 day protein fast. I'm so tempted to try but, I think I'll wait a little longer (still scared about hair loss).

If I look at my weight loss over the past 5 months...it's taken me 5 months to lose 20 pounds (1 pound a week). If I look at it over the past 2 months I've only lost .6 pounds a week (but, there were some medication issues). It's hard for me to believe that I've had enough patience to hang in here at that rate. In the past if I didn't lose 8 - 10 pounds in a month...I just gave up. Isn't that silly! But, when I look at my overall loss of 48.5 pounds since mid August (7 months)....I realize that the process is working, despite myself. In a way, this is really good for me because my eating habits should be significantly changed by the time I start maintenance.

So, I've set this interim goal to be at 165 by July 4th....that's 16.5 pounds by July 4th....and a little bit more than 3 months. The problem is that I need to lose a little more than 1 pound a week to make that goal -- so, how do I get there? Again, I want to be patient... but, I would just love to be back to 165.
Oh well... will prayer work...lol...I'm trying everything.

cher, I don't understand this business about hair loss, Did you have hair loss, and at what point? Are you sure its the lo carbs. Recently, I was on another thread and people were talking about nails and that their nails were even more strong than they had been because of all the protein. That made sense to me, although I have not experienced it, my nails are like paper, but, you know, gelatin is protein and it's supposed to be so good for nails. And (long way around) usually what's good for your nails is also good for your hair. Not that I've noticed any difference, but that's the point. Have others had this problem also? :

Gilta, I am going to Dominican Rep in October, to Puerta Plata. Where are you going? You'll have to fill us in when you come back. Enjoy. chris

Chris...yes, ironically, my nails are really strong. But, I had about 5 months of massive hair loss... In fact, I have 2 bald spots on my temples (little baby hairs are growing back there...thankfully), the top of my hair thinned, and I have less than 1/2 the hair that I had...it's really scared me...and I cried a lot. When I stood in the shower huge handfulls would fall out -- it was like I was going through chemotherapy. I can't pull my hair into a ponytail without wearing some sort of hat because the loss is so noticable.

I went to a dermatologist and he said that rapid weight loss can cause hair loss like I've experienced. When I first started, I lost 25 pounds in something like 6 weeks (which was the only rapid weight loss that I've had). He (the doctor) thinks it will come back (fingers crossed), and stated that it usually falls out for 4 - 6 months.

He didn't suggest that I change my diet but to be really careful not to go too low on the carbs (I didn't mention, I stayed on induction for almost 3 months... which I would never do again). The hair loss has slowed down now, so, as much as I would love to be in the 170's I would just die if I had to go through that again. I don't have much hair left... and, I've always had such thick hair.

BTW, my mother and sister have been on this WOE too and neither one had this experience...just me...but, they didn't lose so much weight in the beginning. I think they averaged about 10 pounds in 8 weeks. So, I don't think this happens to a lot of people...just a small percentage of low carbers that I've talked to.

Again I was up before the alarm clock full of energy and down another half pound. I certainly didn't have the 4 pound loss like Donna did on her two day fast, but I'm quite content with the total of one pound loss for my 48 hours of effort.

Being the compulsive person I am, everything in me wants to keep going and stay on this fast longer. However, I'm going to resist being extreme and be moderate by adding in a few carbs of veggies this evening instead of staying on the full fast. Fresh green beans are in the frig so I think I'll start with those. That will be the only addition for today and I'll work up to more carbs from there over the next few days.

Regarding the calories/carbs when it comes to weight loss. Calories are units of measurement and 3500 calories equals one pound up or down, that's just plan science. So to me it can't be denied. What I find on low carb eating is that I can cut back on calories painlessly without feeling hungry and deprived. I've been tracking my calories and carbs daily since I started this program although CAD didn't require it I was curious. Also on this fast I tracked my calorie and carbs. On the fast I was consuming about 1,000 calories a day and of course no carbs. I didn't try to limit at all the amount of protein I needed to feel satisfied. I ate what I needed. If I tried to eat 1000 calories a day on the old diet thinking like weight watchers with fruit and bread I can assure you I would have been hungry all the time. Low carb allows less calories without hunger and to me that is a blessing!

I just wanted to mention one other thing about the protein fast. Usually on CAD modified that I've been doing since February 17th I would have eaten 3 times a day. But on the fast I ate 5 times a day. I let my body lead me on this and I found I typically didn't go more than 4 hours without eating more protein. I think that's what kept me from ever getting really hungry and at risk for blowing it. I also had two cups of black coffee in the morning, which I doubt I will ever give up. I had a diet pepsi with my evening meal. Other than that just plain water.

Betsy congrats on the weight loss, as you said, you are happy with one pound...that is great, I also feel any amount lost is gone for good....enjoy your green beans!

Cher, it is really hard when you start losing your hair...I also had really thick auburn hair growing up, and then a few years ago, it started falling out....getting thinner and thinner, it seemed like the part was about 2 inches wide....I figured out that it was stress related....after having so many miscarriages, and trying to beat my head against the wall at work...something had to give....so I gave up the job, went to work for a temp agency.....got put on bedrest with my latest pregnancy...lost that job.....yikes....so much for giving up the stress....but anyway....after a while, the hair started to grow back....it is much finer now, but at least it is coming back!
I'm not sure if stress is a problem for you, but it was very obvious, with me!

Take care all! keep smiling!
carol

Betsy

Way to go! Congratulations on that extra pound that you've released to the universe...let someone else have it (that's what i say...lol). That was worth the 2 days of protein fast...I'm so glad it worked so well! Keep up the good work

Carol... the doctor and I talked about the stress factor but, my life is pretty unstressful right now. I used to consult all across the US (now, that was pretty stressful - but I loved the work)...except, I've just been focusing on getting well and Dh tries to keep the stress away from me. It's sort of an agreement that we have while I'm going through this (interim) illness. But, through this site, I found others who have had the same type of hair loss that I've had and the common supplement used to bring their hair back to a healthy (and usually they say thicker) state is Biotin. I've been taking it for about 3 months now and I'm finally seeing some of those baby hairs coming back in. So, now I take Biotin, MSM (helps my hair to grow back faster), Silica, Lecithin and and overall hair vitamin. The Lecithin and Biotin were also recommended by the Atkins center. Anyway, I'm hopeful that I will have all my hair again in one year (I'll probably have to cut it short...so, that it's all the same length...but, at least I'll have it again). Anyway, I though you might try the Biotin too...I would imagine that it's just as good for hair that's thinning because of stress.

DonnaJ...I think I went down right when you were finishing your bedroom...how did everything turn out? Were you happy with the results? Also, are you working on any other rooms? Our place was supposed to be ready yesterday, but, of course ...it's not done yet..lol. The new cabinets are in the vanity areas and the kitchen. All the new sinks are in and the plumming and electrical work has been done (I needed built in lighting to shine on some of the artwork that we've been buying). The living room, dining room, kitchen and bath/vanity areas have been repainted. But, the floors haven't been changed yet and they need to put all new appliances in the kitchen. Hopefully all of that will happen soon. Maybe next week we can move back in...I miss my bed! Did I tell you how proud I am of your weight loss? It must feel great to be in the 160's :yea: :yea: and that extra 5 pounds...wow! what a gift. Congratulations Donna!


How's Chris, Gilta and Shirley doing today?

Shirley,

Just a thought...we all seem to be close to the 180's or getting even lower. Do you know if there is a way that we could change the topic of the thread to say something like "190's - 170's club"??? just a thought..we've all talked about making some sort of change ...maybe we could just retitle it to include all our weights within a 20 - 30 pound range. Is this possible and what do the rest of you think about that? I'd like to continue with this thread for a while or, until I reach goal.

I thought I'd wake up this morning and see all of you, where is everyone? Cher, I really don't care what its called as long as it is still here. If you want to change the name we could always call it USE2BE 190's?

Enjoyed my green beans! I don't think a vegetable ever tasted that good to me. I savored every one of those little suckers. No weight loss this morning, but that's okay as long as I never see that pound I lost ever again. It was interesting to me that I didn't wake up early as I have the last 2 mornings either. The alarm woke me, but I still feel really rested and slept uninterrupted.

Last night I was trying to lift the big water bottle and I was struggling to get it up high enough to turn it over into the machine. My husband walked in and I asked him how much these darn things weigh. He shocked me when he said "the same amount of weight you've gained in the last 3 years." What a dose of reality that was! No wonder my knees are complaining, my lower back is aching, and I've felt worn out. That is a lot of extra weight for my body to be hauling around. Have any of you ever tried to lift what you need to lose? It's an eyeopener!

Hi Betsy,

Great job on the protein fast! Those veggies do taste great don't they?

I know what you mean about picking up something that weighs as much as you want to lose......I try to focus on picking up things that weigh as much as I have lost.....so far it has been 30 lbs for me.....I think of a big fat Thanksgiving turkey! Or my three year old who weighs 29 lbs.....focus on the positive if you can.....I still have 35 lbs to go....so when that is gone....I will have lost more than a bag of grain that I feed my animals......we can do this together!

Take care,
Carol