~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

[misplaced southerner]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

wow sunny that is INCREDIBLE! please do let us know when it is completed. i would love to order a copy from you. cooking is NOT my forte at all. and i do enjoy linda's site for recipe ideas but having great, tested ideas in a book would be really nice too. will you include photos of the finished products? i enjoy seeing what the finished product looks like.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

wow sunny, how did i miss that you are doing a cookbook!!! tell, tell.....sounds really great!

I am in the middle of an Atkins done right cookbook, plus how-to book. I'm have been working on it for a while, but have so many recipes ready to test, I am now working on the health aspects of this WOE.

I started thinking about doing it last Thanksgiving when everybody started talking about cheating for the holidays. I cooked up a whole meal that anyone up to rung 4 berries could partake and it turned out beautiful and delicious. I posted pictures of my feast and challenged anyone to feel deprived after that 100% legal meal.

I've always loved to cook, so I started just throwing stuff together and created all kinds of holiday and party food fare, and I was off and running. It seems to have taken on a life of it's own and ideas pop into my head at all times of the day and night. I have notebooks all over the place to jot down stuff before my mind loses it. So far, only a couple of recipes have not turned out well, so I am lucky in that sense, but since I live alone and don't have any overweight friends or family, I have to eat all my creations. I have sprung them on skinny friends and family and they have loved everything, so far.

Tonight, I am grilling a huge 5 pound chicken which I have injected with a homemade ginger/garlic marinade and rubbed it inside and out with a garlic/ginger paste. It's been in the fridge since last night marinating. I am cooking it on a can of ginger ale on one of those beer-butt chicken roasters. I did a citrus 5-spice one about a week ago and it was divine.

If it really looks like it is going to get off the ground, I want to include stories from successful ADBB members and add their favorite Atkins friendly recipe. I was sad to see Mitzi has to give up her world famous MUP, because that was a natural for her story!

Sunny!

[misplaced southerner]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

wow sunny, how did i miss that you are doing a cookbook!!! tell, tell.....sounds really great!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

I am curious as to how much meat/protein you eat in a serving?

Happy to report that almonds have not been an issue for me. Yesterday I started with some strawberries & Houston I think we have a problem! They were so wonderful I couldn't stop eating them. I'll have some more tomorrow & see if the alloted amount will be enough. If not then no more berries for awhile.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I try to stick with 4 to 6 ounces of meat or fish for my protein. Dr. A said we should eat 6 ounces per meal, but I eat a lot of eggs, too, so I don't always get in 6 ounces of meat/poultry/fish. Salmon fills me up so much, I could never eat 6 ounces at a time.

Sunny!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

hey friends. i am definitely back to "back to basics" today. a week of vacation.....whew. while i was not "illegal" i was surely overindulgent and my body is screaming for change. i did walk 4 miles a day in the sand....but that is not my workout. i simply kept me from being 100% decadent.

so today i am dropping back and cleaning up. i am sure i will feel much better in a few days. pumping some extra H20 too. ahhhh vacation. it was just too darn short!

It's amazing how after you are indulgent with legal foods or I even spend a few days eating "special treat" Atkins foods, I start to crave the basic foods. I really was always a basics foods person.

Writing this cookbook has forced me to test recipes for foods that I would only eat occasionally, and even though I have enjoyed the taste of about 99% of them, I am glad to take a week off for regular, everyday plain meats and veggies.

I was very excited for the Fourth of July, to BBQ up a bunch of old favorites. I made my own BBQ sauce and marinade for beef short ribs and that was the best BBQ sauce I have ever tasted. I made from scratch baked beans that were legal for me because I started with dried beans, and they were delicious, but my tummy didn't think too much of them. I felt too full and yucky for the rest of the day. I froze most of them in 1 cup servings. The fautato salad was good and I finished it, but it took several days. In the old days, I would have stuffed myself with potato salad because I loved it so much, but the real reason would be the potatoes, sweet relish and sugar I made it with causing me to crave more and more and more...

The best food I had all that day was just a big salad for dinner with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions from my garden. It really hit the spot.

It's always good to get back to the basics.

Sunny!

[misplaced southerner]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

hey friends. i am definitely back to "back to basics" today. a week of vacation.....whew. while i was not "illegal" i was surely overindulgent and my body is screaming for change. i did walk 4 miles a day in the sand....but that is not my workout. i simply kept me from being 100% decadent.

so today i am dropping back and cleaning up. i am sure i will feel much better in a few days. pumping some extra H20 too. ahhhh vacation. it was just too darn short!

[OzLover]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

I am curious as to how much meat/protein you eat in a serving?

Happy to report that almonds have not been an issue for me. Yesterday I started with some strawberries & Houston I think we have a problem! They were so wonderful I couldn't stop eating them. I'll have some more tomorrow & see if the alloted amount will be enough. If not then no more berries for awhile.

Have a wonderful weekend!

[ValidRouge]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Awesome, Mitzi! Congrats on finishing C25K!

Read your Signature Line:

One day at a time. Realistically. Gradually. Consciously.

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Good Evening, All

Becky, Joy and Sugarsack - thank you so much for your encouraging words. I'm glad that I haven't scared anyone away from Atkins! I know that on the one hand, it may come off as discouraging that someone in Maintenance still struggles as much as I do at times. On the other hand, I hope my case illustrates that even someone as carb-sensitive, with such an addictive personality as I have, can still reach goal. It is possible!

Today was a little better, but still not back into the groove totally. My routine is a little out of kilter lately, as my mom had some surgery done yesterday and I brought her home today and have been busy with that. I'll settle back down again soon, I'm sure.

Some good news - today I can officially say that I have completed the Couch 2 5K program! Woot!!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Well, I'm really TRYING to do the basic induction, but everyone is giving me these BEAUTIFUL veggies out of their gardens. I have fresh cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and ... corn ... (not to worry, not interested in the corn). I think I'm going to try and make Dr. Atkins recipe for Ratatoulle (sp) -- zucchini & eggplant -- this evening and freeze it for when I move up on the carb ladder.

I don't know what Dr. Atkins' ratatouille recipe is like, but all the veggies I use are induction legal. I don't use eggplant, but it is on the 'other veggie' list. I am making a pot now with garlic, onions, zucchini, red peppers, tomato juice (homemade) and a fresh tomato and lots of fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, marjoram and basil). All of these veggies are in the only one cup a day range, if you eat only 2 cups of salad veggies. A cup of the prepared ratatouille is a big serving.

That is a good idea to make and freeze batches while the veggies are fresh. I do freeze squash, peppers and whole tomatoes so I can make it in the winter when store bought is not very good.

Sunny!

[sugarsack]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

wow you guys (gals) are so inspiring.. believe it or not your frustration and bad days just makes me feel normal.. and thats good.. to know others have done the long haul and just getting to goal doesnt mean it stops.. i am sorry for your frustration but please know how inspirational your experiences are to others

hope you are feeling / doing better today

[ValidRouge]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Mitzi

I can 100% relate to how you are feeling today. Just keep looking at your before pictures, and then take a look at what you look like today. That might give you a little bit of comfort. At least it might give you RESOLVE to keep doing this because looking like you do now has to feel a whole lot better than those foods would make you feel.

AND, as we both know, while those foods taste good going down (and I'm talking about LOW CARB LEGAL FOODS HERE folks!) they are going to make you feel MISERABLE after you eat them. You know the feelings. The negative thoughts, the cravings and the downward spiral they create. The beauty (and the despair) of OWL and Premaintenance have been that I've determined which foods my body can handle without going bezerk.

I, too, still have the "It's not fair" days. So, I can relate to how you're feeling. Just get yourself back to boring and STABLE and EMOTIONLESS eating and you'll feel better.

I just had a thought. I know people who are manic depressive (I think they call that Bipolar these days?) who don't want to take the medicine. While the medications keep them from experiencing the manic lows, it also prevents the manic highs. All they can think about is the fact that they aren't experiencing the manic highs. They aren't as "happy" as they used to be. What they don't realize is that they are feeling NORMAL for once. I have a feeling that WE don't know what it is to have no emotional attachment to food. We know how to recognize the food LOWS, but we quite haven't been able to truly let go of the food HIGHS.

Maybe normal weight people, who don't have eating disorders, don't experience that same feeling that we get when we eat food. They don't experience a HIGH like we do. I'm sure that they don't.

Somehow we've got to detach from wanting that high.

[regandy]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Good Evening, Everyone

When I was losing steadily in OWL, I was eating almost exactly the same thing everyday. And that was fine with me, because I don't like to cook very much and there were a few certain things that I could eat everyday and not get sick of it... and I lost VERY steadily. When I got to Maintenance, I took it to heart that I would be able to eat from rungs other than 1 to stop the weight loss and maintain. All of the foods that stalled me as I progressed up the rungs, I filed away in the back of my mind with the thought that I could have them when I reached Maintenance. While I don't at all want to imply that it will be this way for others, I have discovered that I am going to have to continue to eat like I did in OWL just to maintain my weight. It pisses me off, but facts are facts. Tomorrow I go back to my set schedule... no more getting creative with meals and no more cooking extra things for future meals (I end up eating all of the extra foods I've cooked in the same day that I cook them). Food is fuel... I will eat to live, instead of live to eat. As Joy once wrote, for some of us, foods needs to be boring to keep ourselves under control. I know that is 100% true for me.

Part of me feels like I shouldn't be saying this here, because it implies that a person shouldn't venture into OWL and up the rungs. Please understand that is NOT what I mean at all. I have been through the rungs... and it was only by going slowly and methodically through the rungs that I found out just how many food intolerances I have. I can not eat above Rung 1 without getting into trouble... I have tried about a zillion times, and have gotten the same result everytime. As long as I eat from Rung 1 AND keep my calories at a reasonable level, I am fine. But I will have to stick with veggies for carbs, and seriously watch my calories. Once again, I want to stress - PLEASE DO MOVE INTO OWL AND UP THE RUNGS! It is the only way to learn what you need to know about your body so you can maintain for life. I would say that a lot of people CAN eat a variety of things and still lose weight and/or maintain. Each of us different, and must find what works for us individually.

Hope that this doesn't come off as a downer post... I'm just disgusted with myself today. I did so great last week, and just kind of lost it today. I was feeling skinny yesterday, and now I feel like a pig.

NO NO... actually it's very informative. It's good to know that this is a good way to discover food triggers, etc. I NEED to know other people's experiences because I can can knowledge. Yes, each of us is different but it's good to have a big view. Thanks for sharing your experience! NOT a downer at all... but I know it probably is frustrating to you.

[regandy]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

It's called the 20/24 exercise challenge because that is all you have to do is 20 minutes of exercise and 24 hours is as long as the challenge lasts. You sign up and say what exercise you will be doing for at least 20 minutes on "The Day." Then, after you complete at least 20 minutes of your chosen exercise, you log onto the challenge and report that you have completed the challenge requirements. Only the exercise you do on the actual day (24 hour period) counts.

ahhhh.... thanks.

[mitzimarie]

Re: ~*~ Back To Basics ~*~

Good Evening, Everyone

Ugh - I've had a crappy day of eating. All of it perfectly Atkins legal (always is ), but WAY too much food. I swear, it is so easy for me to spin out of control. Lately, it is excess calories that causes the insulin surge that triggers the cravings and inability to just FRICKING STOP EATING! For heaven's sake, I am overeating meat! Meat!! WTF?! Eating too much meat/calories makes me start looking for other stuff. There is absolutely NO reason why someone who weighs 125 pounds needs to exceed 2000 calories... and I have to fight myself daily not to go way over that.

When I was losing steadily in OWL, I was eating almost exactly the same thing everyday. And that was fine with me, because I don't like to cook very much and there were a few certain things that I could eat everyday and not get sick of it... and I lost VERY steadily. When I got to Maintenance, I took it to heart that I would be able to eat from rungs other than 1 to stop the weight loss and maintain. All of the foods that stalled me as I progressed up the rungs, I filed away in the back of my mind with the thought that I could have them when I reached Maintenance. While I don't at all want to imply that it will be this way for others, I have discovered that I am going to have to continue to eat like I did in OWL just to maintain my weight. It pisses me off, but facts are facts. Tomorrow I go back to my set schedule... no more getting creative with meals and no more cooking extra things for future meals (I end up eating all of the extra foods I've cooked in the same day that I cook them). Food is fuel... I will eat to live, instead of live to eat. As Joy once wrote, for some of us, foods needs to be boring to keep ourselves under control. I know that is 100% true for me.

Part of me feels like I shouldn't be saying this here, because it implies that a person shouldn't venture into OWL and up the rungs. Please understand that is NOT what I mean at all. I have been through the rungs... and it was only by going slowly and methodically through the rungs that I found out just how many food intolerances I have. I can not eat above Rung 1 without getting into trouble... I have tried about a zillion times, and have gotten the same result everytime. As long as I eat from Rung 1 AND keep my calories at a reasonable level, I am fine. But I will have to stick with veggies for carbs, and seriously watch my calories. Once again, I want to stress - PLEASE DO MOVE INTO OWL AND UP THE RUNGS! It is the only way to learn what you need to know about your body so you can maintain for life. I would say that a lot of people CAN eat a variety of things and still lose weight and/or maintain. Each of us different, and must find what works for us individually.

Hope that this doesn't come off as a downer post... I'm just disgusted with myself today. I did so great last week, and just kind of lost it today. I was feeling skinny yesterday, and now I feel like a pig.