Day 11. This diet fits ME. but it might not fit you.

Today I was reminded of how far I have come when it comes to dieting in general.

I used to get really upset when whichever diet I was on wasn't making me lose at least a pound a day and at the very minimum a half a pound a day.

It just wasn't worth it to me. I would say, it's going to take me forever to lose it this way, let's crash diet.

And now, here I am at 26 years old, once again trying to climb down that weight ladder.

But with Adkins, I don't feel that push. I don't feel like I did with other plans. If I don't lose that week, then that sucks, but okay. If I do manage to lose a ton, then woohoo, but let's not expect it all the time.

It is a strange feeling to be on a plan that is quite restrictive and to still be okay with not losing. They say that when you find your perfect mate, that you will just know and that even though he may have faults, you will be able to accept them.

That's kind of how I feel about a diet plan, or a way of eating. This just... fits for me. It just works... for me. And it may not work for you or anybody else you know, but. It works for me.

I need the restriction, the complete removal of certain foods from my diet, perhaps for always. But, some people are not like this, some people need moderation, they need the ability to eat whatever they want within reason.

I need this. I need to know that I can only eat meat, eggs, cheese, salad. that's about it. and truthfully, as you've seen in my past posts when I was following this plan, that is not all you can have.

But, people do gawk and stand amazed when they say, "So, you can't eat any bread?" and you say no. They can't believe that somebody can live without bread.

Not only can I live without bread, but my energy shoots up without bread, I am not groggy, I am not having constant, consistent, can't live without bread cravings, I am able to turn down cupcakes and ice cream and chocolate...

What makes this diet worth it is that once you get past the first few days, it doesn't feel a whole lot like deprivation or like you are constantly fighting yourself.

It feels like you are making a choice not to eat the cookie, and that's it. No going back and forth, no thinking about the cookie once it's out of your sight. It is like...

It's like... this way of eating... actually gives you back the control that you should have over your food choices. It takes power away from the food and puts it back into your hands.

Though, I must still admit that I do like to smell those cookies sometimes. :)

Day 10. Going Low Carb in a Carb Filled World

Today I thought I would write about some lovely ways to stay low carb when on the go.

1. If you have a Jimmy John's, I do recommend that you try their lettuce wraps. You can get any sandwich made into a lettuce wrap. This is by far the most delicious option I have tried as far as converting a carb-filled meal into a low-carb meal.

2. Hardee's. This neat little fast food restaurant will convert any of their sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken dealios, into a low-carb version by simply switching out the bun for lettuce. Now, this does get kind of messy, so I recommend this only when you can sit down and eat it some place or when you are not driving.

3. Pepperoni. Who could ever leave this off the low-carb on-the-go list? It's easy, convenient, delicious. BUT addicting and something that should not be eaten on a consistent basis. One pack has over 1000 calories, so watch out, these are very easy to overdo it.

4. Cucumbers with Cream Cheese. This is a bit carb heavy, so you gotta be careful how much you eat, but, for a wonderful and healthy treat, just have sliced cucumbers with a bit of cream cheese spread on top, delicious. you can even make cucumber sandwiches with a bit of turkey.

5. Asparagus with cream cheese and turkey wrapped around the stalk. Mmmm... Once again, a little higher carb, but worth it in my book.

6. I almost never go anywhere without some snack cheeses. The kind I buy is called "Cow Pals" and it has 0 carbs per serving.

I am sure that there are several other places that serve low carb options on the go, but these are just my favorite options.

I have also found that if you go to a pizza place, your only option doesn't have to be a chicken caesar salad or a salad with ranch or any of that. A lot of places can cook the toppings separate from the pizza crust. When they can do this, I will order like a supreme pizza without the crust and without the sauce on top of a bed of salad greens and eat it with pesto or olive oil and sometimes even bring in my own low carb marinara.

There are so many options, you just have to know how to find them. :)

Day 9. - Is this a test?

Over the past two days, I feel very much like life is testing me. Maybe not so much life as just food.

I have not cheated once so far. And this has been largely due to the fact that cravings disappear after the first few days.

BUT. Yesterday, my boss for my marketing research job filled up the kitchen with new food. wonderful, glorious, fat-filled, sugar-filled food.

Mainly, and remember, I am doing this by memory, Mainly Milky Ways, Snickers, Twix bars, honey buns, breakfast breads, bananas, chips, cokes, pizza, donuts...

So, it was very difficult to just walk away from that. And then, today, at the ACS, our kitchen was filled with more donuts, cupcakes, etc. All of these just sitting there on the counter.

This is when it really helps to just focus. And just think, this is worth it. I do not need a donut. A donut is what got me to where I am today.

Day 8. - Summary of Week 1 (again)

CW: 260.6, this is an official 5.8 pound loss for the week which is not bad at all.

Energy: Stabilized, not too tired.

Workouts: Must admit that I only worked out one time over the past week, the induction flu really made it difficult.

Water: Still sticking with my diet drinks, need to up the water, currently drinking about 20 ounces a day which is not nearly enough. Feeling very dehydrated, of course.

Overall Feeling About Atkins: Once again, as I felt the first time, this is eerily easy. Once you get past the cravings.

Cravings are gone. Feeling good going forward.

Urine: light yellow, need to up the water.

That's it, weekly summary :)

Day 4. Little Scavenger...

CW: 262.8

Woke up and just couldn't do it. Couldn't get out of bed, couldn't work out, couldn't get ready for work.

Eventually, I pulled myself up. And brushed myself off. Long work hours + Atkins Induction + Half Marathon Training = Too much on my plate.

Horrible headache still.

Yesterday at work, I realized what a little scavenger us Atkinseers are. Is Atkinseer a word? :/

I was at work late and we couldn't leave because it was so busy. Normally, this isn't a problem. My employer supplies us with crazy amounts of food. But yesterday, I realized that it is mostly pizza, ice cream, pasta, M&Ms, etc...

All things that I cannot eat while on plan. So, I found myself scraping the pepperoni and cheese off of the pizza and eating some green peppers that i found in the drawers...

Interesting note, however, I was not even tempted to eat the pizza whole. It didn't even occur to me as it does with other diets where I think, well, I have to eat, this is all there is, might as well enjoy it.

I knew I had to find an alternative, and voila!

Day 3. - Lightheaded

CW: 265.4

Today I woke up with lots of energy.
Went to the gym.
Came home.
Took a shower.
And immediately felt... different.

Having trouble standing up different... it is now 2pm and I feel that way still a tiny bit, a bit like my head is in a cloud. I read up on this and apparently this is because my body is going through a withdrawal of carbs and sugar. Additionally, it is making the change from burning carbs for fuel to utilizing fat instead.

Welcome to another side effect of the Induction Flu.

Pushing through it...

Day 2 (Again): Back in the Saddle

My last post was about the same thing that this post will be about.

How horrible is that?

Three months later and I never got back on track... until yesterday.

Three months. I could have been down to skydiving weight. I could have been healthier, skinnier, closer to shedding this fat suit completely.

But, alas, I enjoyed cookies and cakes and ice cream. I enjoyed grilled cheeses and french fries and donuts. I enjoyed it all.

Until I finally stepped back on Saturday and thought, 'I am tired all the time. I am fatigued. I am struggling going up three flights of stairs. What is it going to take to get me back on track?'

There have been some major changes in my life since March. I have two jobs now. One for the American Cancer Society and one for a local market research firm.

I enjoy them both, but this means I am working quite a lot of hours every week.

Additionally, I have been dating a boy that I do very much enjoy. And he is in wonderful shape which inspires me to keep going and get back to it as well.

So, here I am. starting over. again. And, I was going to go ahead and start a new blog, start a new one where Day 1 would be fresh and nice and clean.

Free from all past mistakes, where I would be perfect and eat my 20 carbs daily during the first two weeks. Where I would be perfect and work out according to a schedule all the time, without missing one, without complaint. Where I would be perfect and never cheat, never slip up, never go off track.

And then I thought... no. This is normal. People go on and off the wagon all the time. No need to pretend that it doesn't happen. No need to have a clean slate. Just pick up from here and move forward.

So here I am, Day 2 (again), going through the Atkins Induction Flu (again).

But the difference is that this time.. this time, I know that at the end of this week, I will have energy. My cravings will be gone. And it will be worth it.

Current Stats:

Weight: 266.4
Urine: Yellow (I know, TMI, but I think it is very important to note since I do remember that when I was on Atkins before, my urine was always crystal clear)
Energy Level: Very low, tired, cranky, lack of motivation
Exercise: 3 Miles at about 1 hr and 10 minutes, extremely difficult to even finish.
Current ST Activity Goal: Kayaking this week
Current LT activity Goal: September 24th Half Marathon