OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

[TitianWasp]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Mitzi, you and I should get together and eat eggs. I will eat nothing but the yolks, and you can eat nothing but the whites. It will be a perfect relationship. By the way, the new photo is great! Go Maintenance Girl!!

I had a pretty good weekend. I was down to my lowest on Friday, and only up a pound over the weekend (I alllllllllllways gain weight on the weekend). I have noticed the trend though, for a while I was bouncing between 148/9, then 146/7 now 145/6. I am ok with this trend! I am really not afraid of Thanksgiving. Holiday feasts used to scare me when I was doing super low calorie - being that hungry was a recipe for disaster when faced with large quantities of good food. But despite 13 pounds lost, I never feel starving these days. Right now I am not hungry, so I don't feel that the holiday spread is a threat. Yay Atkins.

I will post my menu this evening after I have eaten it.

Muffy

[julirama723]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Breakfast: 1 bunch of celery with 2 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch: 2 cups sugar snap peas, 1/8 cup dill dip, 1 oz. mozzarella, 1 oz. almonds

Snack: 1 small orange bell pepper, 1 oz. mozzarella

Dinner: Taco salad (3 cups lettuce, 1/2 cup ground beef, 1/2 cup salsa, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1-2 oz. cheese, 1/2 small bell pepper, 1/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips)

[*Emma*]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

228.... Still up, not amused

B - 1oz cheese, coupla pieces of beef

L - Mushroom and onion omlette

D - pork loin with mockafoni cheese i think!

Me thinks theres too much protein in there! nope, 29% can cope with that....

[gonnabskinny]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Mitzi, great new picture! Look at you, you skinny thing!!! I'm sorry that I just now realized that you made goal! Congratulations!!! Wow!!!

Emma, I know how frustrating this can be. Hang in there. My weight over the past couple of weeks has been down, then up, but then down again! It just kind of comes in spurts I guess. I had lost four, then added two, then back down three! Man, what a yo-yo!!!

I was all over the board last week calorie wise, but I noticed that my carb intake stayed under. I had raised my carbs over the weeks before up to 90 net carbs and I just think that rather than to keep raising it to find my CCLL, I am just going to say that 100 is the max that I can do and go with that. I figure that is probably pretty close and I'm not going to keep pushing the carbs to find it. I just have a hard time at the end of the day adding carbs just to make the numbers work. Is that the right thing to do?

In spite of this being a sad week for me, I did have one encouraging thing that happened that I just had to post. We had a luncheon on Tuesday with our travel agent. She invited us and about 40 others. I went in first while my wife went to the ladies room and I said hi to our agent and she said hi back, but you could tell that she was wondering who I was. Then Diana walked in and said hi and the agent asked her, isn't Don coming? Diana said, he is right there! (pointing to me). To which she said OMG!!! I didn't even recognize you!!! You look fantastic!!!

Ciao for now!

[mitzimarie]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Oh, Don... tee hee... I love that story! You really do look like a different person. Hubby saw your pics and couldn't believe it. How satisfying that people don't recognize the "old" you anymore. Outstanding!

OK - about raising your carbs. This is just my opinion... but I like your plan of calling 100 your max and going with that. As you know, it is very difficult to eat up to a high number consistently everyday. I hated adding carbs just for the sake of hitting a high number... and while it is definitely improtant to find your CCLL, I think that you have done a fine job of doing that. You can tell that you're close, and it has been my experience that this number changes with the types of carbs that you eat. When I ate more from the higher rungs, my CCLL appeared to be lower. When I eat mostly veggies, I can eat way more net carbs. So, I think the fact that you have approached this scientifically and consistently up to 90 net carbs is a job well done. Maybe some of the more experienced members can offer their opinion, as well.

And, thanks so much for the congrats on making goal and the sweet comments about my new pic. I appreciate it!

[julirama723]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Don I think your plan is a good one. Unless you want to eat 4 pieces of bread a day, it'll be tough to get above 100g carbs consistently. Things might change in the future, but for now I think your plan is spot-on.

Confession...I'm starting to get a wee bit jealous. I've been hovering between 171-175 since SEPTEMBER. I've tried eliminating foods while maintaining carb levels, going back down the rungs, eating more calories, eating fewer calories, and lowering carbs. Do you think I'm just building muscle, do you think my body is at it's "set point", or do you think I'm doing something wrong?

I have lost inches, almost 6, but that's over 3 months. I guess I'm just amazed how so many of you are still consistently losing pounds each week, and so close to goal! Any thoughts or advice? I feel like I'm doing everything I can and my body doesn't want to respond!

[Elizellen]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

I've been hovering between 171-175 since SEPTEMBER. I've tried eliminating foods while maintaining carb levels, going back down the rungs, eating more calories, eating fewer calories, and lowering carbs. Do you think I'm just building muscle, do you think my body is at it's "set point", or do you think I'm doing something wrong?

I have lost inches, almost 6, but that's over 3 months. I guess I'm just amazed how so many of you are still consistently losing pounds each week, and so close to goal! Any thoughts or advice? I feel like I'm doing everything I can and my body doesn't want to respond!

It might be that you are at your goal body fat-wise if not weight-wise and need to adjust your numbers to suit.
Have you had your bf tested? You might have replaced enough fat with muscle and therefore have no weight left to lose.

[gonnabskinny]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

It might be that you are at your goal body fat-wise if not weight-wise and need to adjust your numbers to suit.
Have you had your bf tested? You might have replaced enough fat with muscle and therefore have no weight left to lose.

Julie, I agree with Elizellen. You may be at your correct weight already. When I plug my numbers into the charts, it would look like I need to lose another 37 pounds but I am very muscular. According to the body fat indexes I am getting pretty close to being where I need to be. It does not rely on weight. It is waist size and neck size to height. In your case (being a woman) it would also factor in hip size. Try this link and see what it says. Right now my BF is 22.4%. Ideal is anything under 22% for me. My BMI however shows me to be at 29%, which is a huge difference.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/librar...calculator.htm

[*Emma*]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Thanks for posting that Don, i found it quite interesting that i only need to lose one inch off my hips and one inch off my waist to be at a healthy body fat...

[julirama723]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Thanks for the link. I plugged in my numbers, and according to the chart, I'm at about 25% body fat, which is indeed in the healthy range. But when I look at my bikini pictures, or when I look at myself naked in the mirror, I DO NOT think I'm where I need to be, though I would agree I'm probably still within a "healthy" range.

I don't know...I think I'm more confused now! I just can't imagine that 170 is the limit for me. Gosh, I had hopes of getting down to 150, though I was considering 160 as my goal!

So do you think I'll just keep getting physically smaller, but my weight will stay in the same range?

[elsy]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Hey Disco and all! Mitzi had told me about this really cool thread but I had not made the time to find it. I finally did and I am so glad. This is exactly what I need. I need to step back, be contientous of what I eat, record my meals and feel accountable. So with that in mind, can I still join? Do I just start posting what I eat every day? I went back and read several pages but everyone's doing it a little different. How exactly does it work?

[mitzimarie]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Hi, Elsy

We would love to have you join us here. The thread has evolved as time has passed. People come and go, some post everyday, some post occasionally. Some post just menus, and some post menus and Fitday totals. Some just stop in to read the posts. Just use the thread in the way that you think will help you most. You can post just to feel accountable, you can ask specific questions, or request opinions about things.

Welcome!

[elsy]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Thanks Mitzi for the invite and for clarifying my questions. O.k. so I guess I'll start today Monday, the beginning of my new phase.


Monday

Breakfast:
2 fried eggs in olive oil
1 slice of pepper jack cheese

Snack:
1/2 cup of Jicama
1/2 Cucumber

Lunch:
1 1/2 c. Iceberg lettuce salad
6 oz turkey deli
1 boiled egg
2 tbsp ranch dressing
1 tbsp bacon bits

Dinner:
8 oz ground turkey
1/4 c. tomatoe puree
1 slice of cooked onions
1 slice of cooked bell pepper

I might have overdone it on the veggies, but I rather eat a lot of veggies than something else to fill up. I also go my 30 min workout in and 1 gallon of water. T

Thanks you all. Good night!

[mitzimarie]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Elsy, I think that your menu looks great! I never worry about overdoing veggies as long as they aren't the starchy ones. Yay, veggies!

Julie! I can feel your frustration. I have watched you closely for a good while now. And you are, in part, responsible for my success. I absolutely LOVE how you have approached this WOE, and I have tried to be like you. You do everything right. You are scientific and methodical. You are knowledgable, dedicated, and energetic. You are one of the most patient people I have ever known. Considering all of this, I do think that you are very close to goal... maybe not the goal "number" you had in mind... but the goal "body". Stupid damn scales just don't tell the story. You know that, by your Muffin Butt photos. I don't think that 170 is the limit for you, though. I'm not sure how much lower, but I do think that you will go lower if you want to. The time factor... I don't know. Could be that it will be very slow because your body is morphing.

When I entered Pre-Maintenance, I re-read the chapter in the book pertaining to it. Dr. A recommended that the last 5 to 10 pounds come off at a snail's pace. That while it is tempting to finish at the same rate of loss as OWL, we were to put on the brakes and slow the losses to the rate of less than a pound a week, and that losing the last 5 to 10 pounds should take at least 2 to 3 months. That the transition between Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance should be so subtle, that it should almost be imperceptable. I didn't do it that way... I even lost 3 pounds 2 weeks before I reached goal... and who's to say that it won't bite me in the butt at some point. I'm hoping that it won't. I have already failed at Atkins once, after having lost 60 pounds.

So, while I know that it must be frustrating to see the scale move so slowly, you really are doing things exactly by the book. More so, than I did. And I respect the h*ll out of that.

[mitzimarie]

Re: OWLERS "Stepping Back" thread

Pre-Breakfast - Atkins Chocolate Royale Shake

Breakfast - MUP with almonds

Lunch - 160g jicama; 2 ounces of pecans

Dinner - Picked up curbside service at a local Italian restaurant, had the grilled chicken caeser salad

My menu really sucked today. At least I think that I can honestly say that I am finally getting sick of pecans. I haven't been able to stay out of them. And it's not like that's the end of the world, because at least they're not salted, and are seasonal for me. I have access to a large quantity of them each year at this time. And it's not like I eat them all day. It's just that I don't like the fact that I can't stay out of them at all... even if it's just a small amount. So, it's a relief that I'm done with them.

I don't feel like guestimating the Grilled Chicken Caeser Salad into Fitday, so I will post the totals prior to dinner...
1074 calories, 59g carbs - 33g fiber = 26 net carbs

* I pledge to stay out of the pecans tomorrow.