Can you have your cake and eat it too?

[Kellerina]

Hi everyone!

I love this site! You are all so encouraging to eachother... It makes me so happy!

I have been doing induction for 2.5 weeks now, and only lost 3 kg.... I suppose that is good considering I am trying to lose 10. I have gone down a size as well...

This is a really hard "lifestyle" for me. I am a ballet dancer... I do up to 5 hours of intense ballet a day. No one believes me that I weigh as much as do. I have allot of muscle... But I need to lose some weight at the request of my teacher... I weigh almost 140 kg. I hope I can drop more then these 3 kg. I don't know how to lose muscle...

Any ways, My problem here is energy!! My ketosis tell me that I have been in ketosis for 2 weeks, and I have not gotten this energy boost you all talk about... Nor do I smell different... So I am wondering if this means something is wrong... What kind of foods can or should I eat before ballet. I am so weak sometimes it is hard to walk. And then I have to go hold my leg above my head and jump and pirouette.... It is soo hard. I am shaky and woozy feeling the whole time. And with ballet you have to look effortless... This is getting hard.

I get dizzy at night, and hungry. Throughout the day I make sure to get my veggie carbs and meat protean and eggs and lots and LOTS of water. And I eat fat too.

I don't know how to balance this out with so much physical activity. My calf's and arms feel as though they might shake right off. My face and waist are ALLOT thinner looking.

So food... Energy food. Please any one with good ideas about this help me!!

Also, is this forever? I mean will there ever be a day for us where we can have our cake and eat it too? meaning is it going to be considered "cheating" if we eat birthday cake, or go out for dinner and have maybe a bun? Like is it strait back to induction after a good time? Or will we be able to eat some pizza some day and be OK and not need to freak out and pull out the ketosis. Is the idea to be in ketosis for the rest of our life??

I must sound so dumb. I'm so sorry. I wish everyone luck in the journey!!!

XOXO
Kelly

I don't know how to post pictures, but there are some in the gallery... orr...

http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v132/160/81/606050192/n606050192_1157413_134.jpg

[Sherri]

Re: Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Beautiful Picture!
Welcome to ADBB Kelly!
I really think that you should move onto OWL. Also, once you move up the rungs and re-introduce foods back into you WOE, (way of eating) you certainly will be able to eat such things that you speak of. Only healthier versions.
Here's a great site for recipes Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home
Here are the rules of OWL. You'll also notice once you move onto OWL that your weightloss will start up again. Your body may be in starvation mode right now and is holding on to every pound in your body. I also believe that by adding on more carbs that it will help with your dizziness. Sounds to me your glucose levels are dropping to low for lack of carbs. Better reason to move onto OWL.
Once you're up to Rung 3 Seeds and Nuts it will help your energy level by keeping your glucose levels at a steady burn without spikes and drops. Rung 1 Veggies will also help with this.
Start moving up the rungs. You'll notice your energy level improve. With your strenuous workouts (dancing) you're going to need those extra carbs by moving up the rungs. Plus, you won't be so hungy at night.
Hope I was of some help to you.
Wishing you the best of health and lite.
Sincerely, Sherri




The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder

As you move from one rung to the next, add carbohydrate foods back into your diet in the order that follows. Adhering to this order tends to minimize blood-sugar surges that could reactivate cravings. You will find that while fat and protein will continue to be the mainstays of your diet, you will eat less of them as you add carbohydrates.

As you choose foods from each rung on the ladder, you should choose most often from foods with a low Atkins Glycemic Ranking, or AGR. Foods with a low AGR will have the least impact on your blood sugar for each rung. The foods listed in each rung of the ladder below are examples of low AGR foods for their rung.

As you hit each rung, you can add up to 5 net carbohydrates from that rung. For each food group you add, you should eat from it no more than three times the first week and monitor your body for changes. You need to give it the entire week as a couple of days may not be enough to know how a food is affecting you. You can eat from daily same food group the second week, and continue to monitor your progress.

You should only skip a rung if you do not plan on eating from it. For example, someone may have dairy allergies, so they may skip the dairy rung #2.

If you do skip a rung, at Atkins Diet Bulletin Board we have found that it is best if you spend the time you normally would have spent for that rung before moving to the next one. This helps to give your body enough time to adjust before giving it the higher AGR foods. For example, if you normally spend three weeks on each rung, and you want to skip alcohol rung#5, then you should spend six weeks at berries rung #4 before proceeding to legumes rung #6. In the same example, if you normally spend two weeks on each rung, then you would only spend four weeks at the berries rung #4 before proceeding to the legumes rung #6.

Your ability to add all the food groups back depends upon your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, or ACE. For example, someone that does not exercise and has a low ACE would probably not be able to add legumes back during OWL, while someone who is young, works out regularly, and has a high ACE might have no problems climbing to the top.

Once you begin consuming alcohol on rung #5, be sure to count the carbohydrates and monitor your weight loss. Spirits have no carbohydrates, while white wine and red wine have 0.9 and 2.0 carbohydrates respectively. Alcohol will suspend weight loss as you do not burn fat while your body has alcohol to burn. If you find that you are stalled, discontinue your alcohol consumption.

When you get to the last three rungs of the ladder, you are eating foods with the highest AGR. Make sure you do not eat those foods alone. Eat them with foods high in fat and fiber to help minimize their impact on your blood sugar.

With fruits and vegetables, the more color they have, the more nutrition they have. If you have a choice between red grapes and white grapes, choose red. Also, be careful of dried fruit as it concentrates the natural sugar and could potentially make a small piece have as many carbohydrates as the entire fruit.







The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder

1. Vegetables
   More salad and other vegetables on the acceptable foods list
2. Dairy
   Fresh cheeses:
   Cottage cheese
   Farmer’s cheese
   Ricotta cheese
   Pot cheese
   
   Keep portions small for:
   Hard aged cheese
   Cream, heavy and light
   Half and half
   Sour cream
   Low-carb ice cream, yogurt, and milk
   
   
3. Seeds and Nuts
   Macadamias
   Almonds
   Peanuts/Natural Peanut Butter
   Coconut
   Sunflower seeds
   Sesame seeds
   Walnuts
   Pistachios
   
   
4. Berries
   Eat frequently from:
   Strawberries
   Blueberries
   Blackberries
   Raspberries
   
   Eat moderately from higher AGR melons:
   Watermelon
   Honeydew
   Cantaloupe
   
   
5. Wine and other spirits low in carbs
   Spirits
   White Wine
   Red Wine
   Low-carbohydrate Beer
   
   
6. Legumes
   Lentils
   Kidney Beans
   Pinto Beans
   Black Beans
   Hummus
   Chickpeas
   Tofu
   Soybeans
   Soy milk, unsweetened
   
   
7. Fruits other than Berries and Melons
   Plums
   Kiwis
   Peaches
   Apples
   Grapefruit
   Tangerines
   
   
8. Starchy Vegetables
   Keep all portions small
   Carrots
   Green Peas
   Acorn squash
   Butternut squash
   
   Eat rarely:
   Corn
   Potatoes
   Sweet potatoes
   
   
9. Whole Grains
   Keep all portions small and focus on whole, unprocessed grains:
   Old fashioned Oatmeal
   Oat Bran
   Wheat Bran
   Low carb (soy) bread and muffins
   All-bran
   Barley, cooked

[losetocruise]

Re: Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Kelly,
Welcome to the board. Lots of great help here! You din't mention vitamins. Are you taking supplements? I do 4-7 hours of jazzercise most weeks and sosmetimes get really tired feeling. I realized this usually corresponds with forgetting my vitamins for a couple of days.

Also you said you need to lose some ofthe muscle. Personally, I think anyone who tells you to do that is nuts. You won't lose muscle eating healthy and exercising, but muscle tissue is good for you.

Best of Luck !

[Kellerina]

Re: Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Thank you for the heaps of information on OWL! I do think I will start with it now... And vitamines.... DANG! I didn't even think about that!

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!
XOXO

[spinky]

Re: Can you have your cake and eat it too?

please take a daily vitamin. Liquid is the best.

as far as eating your cake...you will need to decide what you can eat and not eat. sounds like you exercise alot, muscle helps burn fat of course.

a person that sits at a desk all day and goes home to a couch then to bed will have different food needs as opposed to someone that has a good deal of muscle and works out all the time and is very active.

you may find that 100 carbs a day works for you...or 200...some people may find that 50 works and anything over they get fat.

everyone is different.

you ask is this forever? the part of exercising and eating healthy foods yes for sure.

people will tell you that some of your favorite meals (high carby processed foods) are forever gone from your life and you will fall from grace if you eat a piece of cake.

those people most likely have either a eating disorder or do not exercise. what works for them is great for them..

if you are very active your going to need more food....and vitamins

start moving up and add food, see what works for YOU.