Good Monday Morning

[Outback Jess]

Good morning STACers...It's another Monday morning...alot of people are so glad when Monday comes because they can maintain their routines better on a week day! The weekends are full of too many challenges and stimuli....Work weeks tend to keep up away from stimuli, and or some find themselves up to their eyeballs around forbidden foods!

I had a good weekend. I've been trying to get back into my routines, after living in crisis for a month. I've not cheated, but I've not been able to really string 2 days of calm living in a row. I've bounced around in my modifed induction, which allows 5 to 10 grm editions of carbs...I am out of ketosis, because I've taken in too many carbs, past my critical level (and I don't know my critical level, nor have I slowed down enough to monitor more of what I was eating, and I've been eating on the run for a month)...that all ended Friday.

It's not "cheating" but it's not smooth, in control eating either. It's been survival. But that's over. Control and routine are here.

Do you have control, are you establishing routines? Are you doing things to build a lifestyle of eating and exercise you can live with. Is it all about "loosing weight and putting up with diet foods for now" or have you embraced the fact that you are one of the people who needs to stay on a low carb lifestyle?
I am, I can't go back to processed carbs and sugars...It won't work, they take over my life! I've got such a better life going without them!

[tmn]

Re: Good Monday Morning

Howdy! It's all going to be a way of life, and one of the HUGE keys is this board! Holy smokes, I thought I was doing Atkins before but as they say, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

It is going so well that I can't hardly imagine going back to the garbage food!! The variety of stuff I've tried since joining on has been so wonderful; food, water, workouts, organizing, and FRIENDS!

Luv ya all!!!

[skinnymom!]

Re: Good Monday Morning

Great post!! Yes, I am in control, and I have fully recognized that sugar has too great of a hold on me and that it's best if he and I break up for good lol. I, a self confessed dessert-a-holic, who only ate meals to get to the dessert part (seriously) have not had a SINGLE DESSERT since last Saturday night, before Easter! That is HUGE for me. And the even bigger part? I haven't even WANTED one.

So yes, Atkins is a must for me. I am going to go as long as I can before making any LC desserts. Even though I pretty much only indulge in the crustless pumpkin pie, I want to completely break that dessert habit so that I can only indulge once in a while and not twice a day.

[tmn]

Re: Good Monday Morning

Even though I pretty much only indulge in the crustless pumpkin pie, I want to completely break that dessert habit so that I can only indulge once in a while and not twice a day.

Whoa, hold the phone! I just learned recently I can have a version of pumpkin pie (without the crust) for my veggie/carb count! Yesterday, I mixed about a cup of pumpkin, 2 ounces cream cheese, an egg, and the typical pumpkin pie spices, nuked it a couple/few minutes right in the bowl, add a a little cream, and it was sort of like pumpkin pie. I have to play with the spices and all and probably Splenda... It's for the veggie challenge next week. And induction safe!

So play with this one! Pumpkin is a vegetable. It's just not for dessert anymore! LOL!

[skinnymom!]

Re: Good Monday Morning

REALLY? I mean I knew pumpkin was a veggie but didn't think I could count a "dessert" as part of my veggie counts for the day!!! Hmmmmm I may have to make some!

[tmn]

Re: Good Monday Morning

REALLY? I mean I knew pumpkin was a veggie but didn't think I could count a "dessert" as part of my veggie counts for the day!!! Hmmmmm I may have to make some!

It's kind of like making the mock danish which you can watch Ken's video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ4LE2Bn-2k

I keep it all in one bowl so there's not many dishes. (I HATE doing dishes! LOL)

I'm telling ya, I've been one heck of a happy camper since jimmie48 told me about this! LOL!!!

[knipper97]

Re: Good Monday Morning

Hello all. another cold and gloomy day in Cleveland. week #6....here we go.

[ncarolina]

Re: Good Monday Morning

I need to "officially" join STAC since this is not my first time on Atkins. However, it is certainly my first REAL time, with real change, and i am here to stay! Jess, in response to your question in your post, I am a lifer ---I know carbs will get me back to the mess I was in, and i have no intention of ever going there again!

AND, I love my WOE!! I am eating better and more wisely than ever before, and I feel pretty dang great. I know that there can be setbacks and bad falls off the wagon---and that might happen to me someday, but part of the key to this whole thing involves a change of mind. I never dwell anymore on the negative view of what foods I am "giving up" ---that was my downfall in years past. Instead, I am continually amazed at what I can eat. It is real food and good food and plenty of it and I am so totally NOT deprived. I just visited Central America, and saw a lot of thin people in some of the more poverty stricken areas. They seem to worry about not having enough basic food for their families, and it really made me sharply aware of how "feeling deprived" about food is a matter of perspective---and how richly blessed I am (my soapbox for the day...) Anyway, I'm losing slowly if measuring by scale....but my inches lost are a whole different matter!! My waist size is down THREE inches and I am wearing clothes I never thought I would wear again---without suffocating or hanging out all over!! And that, my friends, feels better than pasta or cheesecake or double fudge will EVER feel.

[heatherm422]

Re: Good Monday Morning

I am in control of my body and my routine. This is not a "diet" for me, its my lifestyle. I have never felt better in my life and I am doing things to have these changes become my norm.

[julirama723]

Re: Good Monday Morning

Jess, great post!

This isn't a diet, it's just how I eat and live now, and I don't even consider eating anything off plan. I never feel deprived, there is ALWAYS something for me to eat! The first time I did my version of Atkins, it was a train wreck. I'm glad I've followed the book and worked my way up the rungs of OWL this time around. I do need to get my butt in gear and start attempting to find my CCLL again. I made a valiant attempt and got up to 65g per day, but then just out of curiousity, stopped "forcing" carbs to see where I normally eat. I usually end up in the low 50s if I eat what I feel like. So I'll have to add some starchy veggies and other fruits regularly to get up to 70g carbs. I'm guessing my CCLL is 90 or so. My goal for this week is to eat 70g a day, then move up 5g every couple of weeks.