Group LLC Holiday Challenge!

saverys_gal

Welcome tati! :flowerforyou: Induction can be rough the first few days, but that's what we're all here for!!

Good luck Grok! :drinker:

Just finished baking a loaf of pumpkin bread and banana nut bread, cooking dinner (ham steak, sweet potato and green bean casserole!!) going to carve pumpkins tonight (first time EVER!) and getting tomorrow night's dinner ready to roll (pot roast in the crock pot!!). Been a busy bee today!

Have an interview tomorrow at 4 and expecting 2 phone calls to set up 2 more! YAY! :bigsmile:

CALIECAT

Good luck Saverygal on your job searce/. Sure hope you land a good one.

our cooking sounds so good. you have been busy.


Well cora the Cowboys lost. Terrible just terrible.

I have been way off track. Got to get back on. Went shoppping this morniing and got me a Texas shirt for the rangers. They are doing great. so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SassySouthernGirl

Hi everybody! I have to go catch up on all the postings!!! I've been so busy this weekend -- sorry for not getting here before now.

My son's friday night varsity football game was amazing! We beat a team we have not beat in 24 years and we locked ourselves into the playoffs. My son had so many tackles, and he had 4 sacks. He had THREE consecutive sacks...1st down SACK, 2nd down SACK, and 3rd down SACK! It was thrilling -- the crowd was going wild!!!! He backed them up to a 4th down and 30! It was in the last couple minutes of the game so he saved the game by stopping them cold!!! He was all over the Tri-States news, and is up for TWO awards this week in the Tri-States -- "Hero of the Week", and "Athlete of the Week". I'm so thrilled for him. I was so excited on that 3rd consecutive sack that I almost fell over the stadium rail. LOL I was a MESS! If you're interested in seeing the news Sports show about him and his team, The Blue Devils...you can watch it at:

http://www.connecttristates.com/sports/story.aspx?id=526919

It's a 30 min. show, but they talk about our team 2nd.....so after the 10 second commerical, you can fast forward to 2 minutes 40 seconds and that will be the Quincy High School Blue Devils. My son's name is Chris Koogler....you'll see him. They are now calling our town, Quincy, "Koogler Town". LOL LOVE IT!!

Anyway, it's really later and I have a headache. I need to go catch up with everybody's postings and then Guess I'll get off the clouds and try to get some sleep. :bigsmile:

mom216

Hello to all,

I have used MFP for a couple of months. In 07, I lost over 50 lbs via low calorie, low fat and lots of exercise. Then some family drama happened, and I let my weight go up by 20lbs.

Today I started induction (day 1) and could really use some cyberspace support. When I was much younger, I lost a lot of weight with this program. Back in the day it was a 0 carb approach with ketostix. I have picked up the newer version (The New Atkins, for A New You), and look forward to seeing results. My current challenges are "family drama ie divorce", and being around family who push "off limits food".

I have changed my nutritional settings to follow the program. Is there a way to further change my settings to reflect net carbs? I am also curious about anti depressants. In the book it says anti depressants can interfere with following the program. Has anybody found this to be true? And I noticed on MFP, that ketostix are not recommended. Does anybody still use ketostix? What stores sitll carry them?

Thanks to all! MFP has helped in so many ways!

mom216

ooops - double post

saverys_gal

Happy Monday ladies! Where is everyone?!

Sounds like you had a great weekend sassysouthern!!

Welcome mom216! :flowerforyou: You've come to the right place for support! I don't think there is much else you can change on MFP as far as your settings to help with a LC WOE; if you want to track your net carbs, try tracking them in the notes section of your food diary; I've found that to be the most helpful!
As far as anti-depressants...they can cause weight gain in a lot of people; I know I'm one of them, although I wasn't doing Atkins at the time, so I'm not sure how the two would work together.

Wake up ladies and get your booties over here!!! :laugh:

tatiana_13

Welcome mom216! I'm new here myself and am on my second day of induction. So maybe we can support each other during this time. I have had great success with low carb, not only losing weight, but keeping it off. But, being human, I faltered. And stress doesn't help. It was stress (and a new relationship--trying to manage my eating with someone elses has been tough), that pulled me away from what I know works. But it's better to pull in the reigns with just a little damage rather than alot, so kudos to you for doing something before the whole 50 lbs came back!

As for the anti-depressants, I'm not a doctor--and even if I were one, I don't know your clinical history. But I will say this. If *you* think you need the meds, stay on them. Some do cause weight gain, but mostly through giving you the munchies--and low carb is the best way to manage carb cravings. And even if the meds will make it less effective...that's not the same thing as not effective. Is an extra couple of weeks to get to goal more important then managing your mood? Probably not. And although this way of eating will help your mood, and you may decide you can do without the meds (and certainly docs give these things out like candy these days!), it's not something to do impulsively.

CALIECAT

Welcome MOM 216 glad to meet you. this is rather a nice bunch of girls here. I think the world of them.
I am stuggle along on low carbs. But working real hard today to stay on track so far so good.

Have a good day.

VJ150

Hello Everyone,

Glad to see everyone checking in today.

Welcome Tatiana and Mom216. This is the place to be for support and encouragement.
Ok - I got off track on Friday. Remember the cake? - well I didn't stay away from it - I cooked it so I knew it was just absolutely delicious. And no - I didn't log it because I didn't want to know. Saturday was my daughters birthday and we went to one of our favorite restaurants. There, I ate a yeast roll. One roll could be counted as two or three because they are sooooo big. Yesterday i did okay. I fired up the grill and cooked some pork steaks and riblets and had a salad for dinner.

I'm not kicking myself about my choices because it was what I wanted and I enjoyed it. Now I'm back on track.

Sassy - it sounds like that was a great game. I love football. I would have been right there with you yelling and screaming. We both probably would have fallen over the railing as we're yelling "get him get him!!! lol

Well, time to get back to work. Will check back later.

tatiana_13

VJ--good for you for getting back on track. Although when you started talking about yeast rolls, my mouth started watering...

And Marie, some days are easier than others . Good on you for hanging in there when it's hard.

I'm almost done with day 2 of induction. I'm great as long as I'm eating--I'm a plain food eater anyway, so eating what I can eat isn't the problem. (my very first steak cooking experience was delicious! In case you were wondering...) but when I'm not chewing, my mind starts wandering. And starts wanting things. But I'm hanging in there. Tomorrow I work, so it should be easier as I'll be running around all day. I just have to get there!

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

mom216

Thanks for the kind welcome! Day one is complete - my stomach is making very odd noises, but I feel okay. :happy:

VJ150

Good morning All!

Where is everyone? I feel a little lonely here :sad:

Today I have the need for something crunchy so I am snacking on some mixed nuts. They are almost gone, so I hope the urge for crunching is gone when all the nuts are gone because I don't have anything else. I'm not hungry, just wanting to snack. I think I will be okay - I have sugarfree gum. :laugh:

Will check in later.

saverys_gal

I your new photo VJ! You look lovely and glowing!!

I don't know where everyone has gone! :sad: We started off really strong and everyone just seems to have disappeared.

I'm not really hungry myself...but it's been a weird kinda week! Really wish I could take a nap-I'm so tired!!

VJ150

Thanks Saverys. That pic was taken earlier this year during an outing in Branson with my sisters for Mother's Day. I need to take a new one - I have "less face" now. :happy:

tammietifanie

Sorry ladies for being MIA im not feeling so good this week!!! :sick: :sad: Been dealing with high stress and then TOM decided to come and knock me down...Im staying on track with my calories and everything but i have no energy to workout or even move..Im hoping by friday I feel better! Hope everyone is doing well

VJ150

Sorry you are not feeling well Tammie. Get some rest and hopefully you will be back to normal by Friday.;-)

saverys_gal

*hugs for tammie* I hear you girl!! Sometimes it takes all we have just to get through the day!! I haven't worked out since last Wednesday, my eating has been all over the place and I just don't have the energy for anything!

You should definitely update with a new photo of yourself VJ!!

CALIECAT

npt feeling so good myself. Been in bed all day. got up a few monutes ago to eat a bite. Hoping to feel better by tomorrow.

VJ love you pictures.

Thanks for all the support.

Marie

tatiana_13

Hang in there mom216. I'm finishing up day 3 and I feel much better today. Yesterday was *hard*--but I just wanted to be a real-time reminder that it gets easier.

And Marie, you hang in there as well. At some point, you will feel better!

Hope the day went well for everyone. I'll be checking in tomorrow...

Grokette

Hi Everyone. Just wanted to stop by real quick and say hi. I have been so busy that I haven't been able to post a lot here lately but will get back in the swing of it soon. The worst is almost over for me. Board Certification Test on Saturday, Puppy School on Sunday and squeeze in spending time with my hubby some where in there………….


Since I am on Phase 3 of HCG plan right now, it is the same as low carbing, so I am back over here with you guys again. I am open to counsel anyone that is struggling and / or needs / wants help with food, recipes, exercise or supplements.

I am hoping to start having paid clients soon and trying to talk to my gym for allowing me to have my own support group. I am excited!!!

tatiana_13

Hi everyone. Good luck on Saturday Grokette! And I hope you're starting to feel better Marie. I hope the mid-week point is treating everyone well.

Its Wednesday...day 4 of induction for me. Happy to report its gotten *alot* easier. I still want things I shouldn't eat, but they are more like desires rather than cravings. I'm not sick or overly tired. So, all's well on this front. For those of you who do atkins...I may or may not be in induction...I had some coconut milk last night which the "new" atkins says is fine, but is verboten on the original atkins. At first I worried that I had ruined "the magic"...but that's all-or-nothing defeatist thinking, and I'm not having any of it! So, I just stumbled back on the horse and I'm going to keep going.

In my experience (which is simply my experience, not a gospel for anyone else), I don't usually find literal carb counting necessary...easier for me to just not eat any grains and avoid starchy fruit/veggies. I'm a simpleton, and simple rules work best for me! But induction is a great way to break old food habits quickly and jump start fat loss. And right now, I feel better than I have in months. I had originally thought I'd only do it for 7 days, but I'm considering pushing for the full 14...unless I lose too much weight (ha! Never had *that* problem before!).

VJ150

Good morning ladies,

How is everyone doing today.

Marie and Tammie - I hope you ladies are feeling better today. Be sure to get plenty of rest so you can return to your normal self real soon.

Tatiana - I have been trying to plan meals for a while now but just doesn't seem to have the time to get it done, so I tend to eat the same thing over and over and over which I'm sure is a problem because I am not loosing. I'm always looking for new ideas - do you have any? I do not eat eggs, though I have tried numerous times but I just can't get with them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Time to work. Will check back later.

mom216

Hello to everybody!

Marie, CalieCat, Savery's_Gal, Tammie = I hope all are feeling better & enjoying the beautiful fall weather!

VJ - I too get into a rut about what I eat. I have been cooking "extra" portions of my evening meals & then using it as a snack the next day. I also like to go into the grocery & let them steam shrimp, or I pick up roast beef from the deli. Quick simple and it changes it up a bit for me. I'm also open to trying new spices - I like all kinds of ethnic foods.

Grokette - Tell me about your board certification? What kind of training? I'm sending you lots and lots of success mojo!!! Celebrate your accomplishments!!!!

Tatianna - Thank you for all your support. I'm right there with you - being on day 4. One of my problems is being very "precise". I added up my net carb counts - and I am still over by approximately 10 carbs. The one item I could eliminate is equal in my coffee. I also have to be careful about the total number of calories consumed. I made the mistake of testing with ketostix - and well they still don't turn purple:sad: (I know the msg boards here don't recommend using them - I just like that external validation that I am doing it "right") I need to get back to the gym and just figure this out.

I saw that you used coconut milk - I too like coconut milk - however I found the nutritional info a bit "too much" for my body.
coconut milk (240 grams/8.43 ounces)

calories 552
fat 57grams
total carbs 13 grams
dietary fiber 5 grams
sugars 8 grams

I wish eveyone a wonderful stress free day!

VJ150

Mom 16,

I too tested this past Sunday with ketostix - and mind did turn anything. I was a little disappointed until I remember that I ate carbs on Friday and Saturday (alot) so I didn't give it much thought. I haven't tested since. I'll probably try next week.

saverys_gal

Hi ladies! Kinda glad to see I'm not the only one who's been MIA here lately! :blushing: This has just been such a hectic month! I'll be glad when it's over!

In GREAT news, I've landed myself a new job before my office has even closed! :bigsmile: I start 2 weeks from today! I'm REALLY happy about it, for so many reasons! Now that the stress of interviewing and job hunting is over, I can hopefully get myself and my body back into some sort of routine! I was supposed to have TOM visit last week and it still hasn't shown up, so I'm not sure if it's because of stress of if my body is trying to level back out and have a TOM every 3 weeks or so instead of every 2!! I haven't slept well for 3 weeks, so I'm beyond exhausted and my eating hasn't been the best and my exercise has been nonexistent for a week now. I'm really lucky that with all of this, my weight is STILL going between 153-155. No higher. I don't know when I'll see a loss again but right now I'm more concerned with staying in a good routine!!

tatiana_13

Hi all! Saverys...OMG! Congratulations! I'm helping a friend revamp her resume as we speak, so I know you must be relieved to not have to do that any more...uh, and relieved to have a job of course!

Mom216. I've been looking at your food logs, and maybe you're not logging everything, but I thought your net carbs look fine to me (carbs - fiber=net). Always seemed to be under 20. But I'm no math major, so.....but I think you've been doing a fabulous job. And the ketostix...well, way back when, I tried them. And I remember that I would get so frustrated trying to turn those things colors that I eventually just gave up. I figured that if I stayed on plan AND lost weight, then it didn't matter. Now. If I stayed on plan and still couldn't lose weight, then maybe I'd turn to the ketostix...I'm just a fan of keeping it simple. Mainly, because I am a simpleton....

VJ. Its tough if you don't like eggs....I'm lucky in that I love them. But, I have a lot of foods that I put egg into that are *not* eggy. Two examples. My parents are southern, so I grew up with salmon croquettes. Well, little did I know that you don't really need bread crumbs at all to hold them together...I just use egg and it works fine. And last night, I tried crustless spinach pie. Again, it was the egg that held it together (and cream cheese made it delicious!). Living alone, I also eat alot of the same things, but I have also learned to make a lot of different things with the same ingredients. Basically, egg will hold anything together to make a casserole or a "patty" of anything. And any vegetable can be made into a pancake or a pie...and cheese makes any variation of pancake or pie delectable. And its quick when you need it to be. And nut butter sauces (not during induction, but....). A jar of an acceptable nut butter can be made into a sauce that makes everything taste good (fat can't help being yummy....its in its nature!)

Anyway. That's all the advice that I have from my lofty perch of knowledge (giggle!).

I'm doing well. The first week is almost finished. I had thought about doing the full 14 days of induction. But I went to a couple of message boards and apparently, the next "rung" of Atkins is simply to add an additional 5 net carbs from vegetables only. I think that sounds like a reasonable next step. (learning the atkins lingo has been super educational, I had no idea there were "rungs. although using "diet lingo" makes me want to giggle....)

Happy end of Thursday, and hope everyone has a happy Friday!

VJ150

Good morning everyone and Happy Friday!!!

Saverys - congratulations on the new job. I am extremely happy for you. Your success makes me want to dust off my resume and test the waters.

Tatiana, thanks for the advice/suggestions. Let me clarify my earlier statement about eggs. I can't eat eggs as part of a meal or sandwich (scrambled or fried) or if eggs are used as the base (quich or egg salad). Eggs used as an ingredient are okay :
eggs in cakes
eggs in cookies
eggs in everything when I bake LOL or should I say when I use to bake :ohwell:

and I do know about salmon croquettes. My aunt turned me on to those when I was a kid - didn't like them then, but now - they are absolutely delicious - have a side of cauli-tators and OMG!!!

Well my boss is lurking so I guess I should get to work. Will check back later.

saverys_gal

Thanks ladies!!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Hm. I don't know what to tell you eggs VJ - I guess I'm lucky I love them!!

So glad it's Friday! Time to go home and RELAX for real this weekend! Although I really have to clean house - it's a pigsty!

mom216

Good Morning!!!

Thanks Tatiana - When I add up all the net carbs I end up with around 30. Every packet of equal is 1 carb. Coffee is a "must" for me. My other down fall - I'm not exercising consistently.

VJ - I'm going to wait a couple of days and try the ketostix again.

saverys_gal

Mom216: have you tried a real stevia extract before?? No fillers, so it won't count towards your carbs at all and it tastes really good! Just a thought coming from a former Splenda user!