WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

[julirama723]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Don, I won't add it to the list. I'll just leave your loss as-is, because I'm guessing it's MUSCLE or water! Just check again next week--I'm sure it will be headed back down.

[annRN]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Emma, I am so sorry that you feel this way about your weight! I can't imagine how hard that must have been and must be for you! I hope you will be able to continue and maintain your weight loss because you absolutely DESERVE to be healthy. It breaks my heart that you punished yourself, as so many women do, after something bad happened to you. You're doing sooooo great now! Keep up the good work!

I am definitely in the Group B category. Julie, I had also forgotten about this test. It is interesting because one of my underlying issues with my weight is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by hyperinsulinemia which causes weight gain because you have all this extra insulin floating around and telling you it needs sugar to bind to. I certainly will not blame all my problems on that ---- I have made MANY bad food choices.

I think I have had PCOS since my early teens, but the symptoms and weight issues really kicked in during my early to mid twenties. That is when I really started having a hard time maintaining my weight and that is when the Yo-Yo dieting started.

Atkins has really helped me get my appetite under control. Like Julie, I also had horrible, awful mood swings and palpitations. I hadn't really thought about it until I read your post, but I haven't had any palpitations since I started Atkins. The mood swings were soooo terrible that I even went to the doctor about them. I broke down crying because I just felt so bad! My boyfriend would frequently say things like, "You are cranky, we need to get you something to eat!" prior to Atkins. He hasn't said that since I've been on Atkins.

My example of how serious my problems were before Atkins... this is a rough one! I am infertile. This has to do with my PCOS, but if I had started this WOE and stuck with it early on, it makes me wonder if I would have been able to have children. PCOS symptoms are really suppressed by eating appropriately for the disease. I may have been able to save a lot of heart ache and thousands of dollars in fertility treatments if I just would have taken care of myself sooner.

[Theperfect10]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

QUESTIONS:

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

I'm happy to report that I no longer belong in any group anymore, but reading through the questions, I answered more yes's in Group A. I do have thyroid issues which cause problems with my metabolism, so that does make sense.

**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)
I have only been this way since I turned 30. So 6 years now. As a child, teenager and also all of my 20's, I never had a weight problem. I was always the skinny one.

**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?
Atkins has helped alleviate these problems - unfortunatley I'll always have an issue with my metabolism due to a sluggish thyroid, but at least by using this woe, I feel healthier than ever before. I'm no longer a slave to a diet - I've tried every low fat diet on the market for the past 6 years - to various degrees of success but no long term success. This woe is something that I know I can sustain longterm.

**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?
There were times when I did the most ridiculous diets that were so unhealthy for me. The 3 day diet where I ate about 800 cals a day. The cabbage soup diet - how ridiculous is that. The fruit and veg only diet. All setting me up to fail the only question being how quick that would happen. And everytime I would feel more and more desolate and not understand how I ended up looking like I did and feeling so scared and out of control, not knowing how to change it. Now with Atkins, I am in the this for the longterm. I may only be loosing roughly 1/2 pound a week, but I'm not gaining and I know that I can keep the weight off for good. I'm slow, but I'm loosing all the same!

[BLAZING IN FL]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

I belong to group “B” food controlled my life. As soon as I ate a meal, I craved a sugary treat. All I thought about all day was FOOD FOOD FOOD


**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)

I Have been this way all of my life….even as a babe. Only problem is that it did not effect me weight wise until I was pregnant at 30. Before that I could anything I wanted. So after 30 years of engorging food, it was very hard to learn how to cut back after the weight started coming on.


**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?

I don’t even think about food now. I don’t think about lunch at breakfast. I don’t think about dinner during lunch. I have to remember to eat. I don’t snack much. I guess that’s because I always feel full and the key word is “SATISFIED”.


**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?

When I was pregnant with my 2nd child (at 30 YO), I got pregnancy diabetes. That is why I started really packing the weight on. During pregnancy I went from 135 pounds to an exploding 215 pounds. My dr. was so mad that he ripped a page out of a diet book and told me to follow it. Then after the pregnancy, I couldn’t drop under 215, ( I had always been between 125-135 my adult life) My Dr. gave me the atkins diet book (that was 1997) and I followed that way of life for a very long time. I saw my weight fall from 215 back to 135. A few times I’d cheat and head back up to 145-150, but I knew how to drop it back off. On my 3rd pregnancy, I managed to go from 145 to 175, not as bad as the first, because I was restricted sweets. And I have been that weight for 2 years until May 07, when I decided to get my act back together and lose it. Mainly I wanted to lose it because my blood sugar level was getting dangerous and I didn’t want to end up with full blown diabetes. Dr. told me I could avoid getting it until later if I ate right.

[Purple Rain]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

If most of your answers put you in GROUP A, you have a metabolic problem.
If most of your answers put you in GROUP B, you probably have some form of glucose intolerance.
If most of your answers put you in GROUP C, you probably have an addiction to the food or beverage you singled out--another term is "food allergy" or "individual food intolerance."

QUESTIONS:

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

I'm in Group B.


**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)


Since I was a teenager.


**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?

I don't eat any sugar now and that was my problem. If there was sweets, I couldn't control myself. I would eat as much as I could hold. Now, I can pass on anything non-Atkins. My cravings are gone and I only eat when I'm hungry.


**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?

The binging on sweets was very unhealthy. Also, I have Osteoarthritis in my knees. They hurt so bad sometimes. My doctor also suggests I lose weight to alleviate some of the pressure on my knees.

[Adena]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?
I fall most into group B, but I escalated into group C. I went from always wanting craving carbs to sweets (and carbs). Not that I didn't eat sweets before, but it seems I developed a much stronger sweet tooth -- as if the huge plate of pasta just wasn't enough to satisfy me anymore.... I had to have dessert, too -- or snack on cookies or brownies or sugary cereal or whatever sweet thing we had in the house. Or I was really into fruity candy... Skittles, Starbursts, jellybeans...

**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)
I've always snuck food... ate things no one knew. Like all those girl scout cookies I was "selling" -- to myself -- and the candy bar fundraisers....

**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?
Most of the time, I don't crave things anymore. I don't feel like I have to eat until I'm stuffed. I am trying to view food as fuel. Usually, it works.

**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins? I was actually pretty healthy -- surprisingly. Although I did get my pancreatitis attack (the first time I was ever in the hospital other than having my kids) after eating a Reuben...

[harmony3098]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

i am definitely group b. i obsessed about food and ate constantly. i would use food to calm my anxiety, all the while having it stir my anxiety too. i would eat something salty and then have to eat something sweet. i used anything as an excuse for a food treat. i never would sit with myself and feel my feelings...i ate them away.

**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)

i have felt this way for as long as i can remember.

**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?


i feel that atkins allows me many freedoms. being free from obsessing about food has opened so many doors in my life. i feel better on this way of eating than ever before in my life experience. i literally still have to pinch myself to be sure i'm not dreaming and it really is this simple.

**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?

i had several dangerous behaviors. somedays i would go as long as i could without eating, and other days i would eat every two-three hours...and i'm talking eating a meal, not a snack. i mean, eating a value meal thing, largest size, at whatever hamburger joint was in sight. i could literally eat five fast food burgers a day. no joke. when i would go for hours without eating, i would "treat" myself to a huge meal at wherever i wanted to go...and most likely end up eating it in the car. some of these memories are really painful. i'm so glad for atkins. i feel that i have reclaimed my life.

[annRN]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Just finished my morning run! Hope everyone has a great day!

[apple]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Wow! Look at all you losers!!!

I'm not weighing in until August 1st, so no change in my weight.

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?
I was never sure which category I fell into with this "test"....food was my friend and when it became my bestfriend during pregnancies and comfort during depressed times, I gained weight faster than I'd eat...or so it seemed.

However, B looks like my category as I became overly obsessed with foods during times I spent dieting...like with Weight Watchers and counting points. I think I spent more time obessing about foods during dieting times more than any other time in my life.

**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)
all my life. I think I was on a "diet" by my mom since I entered the 6th grade. I weighed in at 125 pounds and was considered "fat" by my peers.

**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?
Atkins has freed me to becoming unchained to the food obession, and I actually have real live friends to talk to instead of the ones in my head.

**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?

The dangerous behaviors would be to go through the drive-thru at McDonalds and order burgers and fries for my "friends"....friends in my mind. Or I'd scarf down a loaded coffee w/ a snickers bar or M&Ms for breakfast. Oh, and the horrid thing was buying the biggest bag of M&Ms they had out and eat a bag a day...with the other foods in my daily life. I was a binge eater for sure.

[tmn]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

...eek!... I've got some catching up to do, about four pages worth. Going to have to wait, I have to get busy here. Just want to stop in and say Howdy!

[selfreinvented]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Hey everybody I posted some progress pics on the before and after section. I was pretty shock once I compared pics.

Self

[Discolemonade]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

QUESTIONS:

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

If most of your answers put you in GROUP B, you probably have some form of glucose intolerance. With diabetes rampant in my family I am sure this is the problem.


**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)


Since childhood for me



**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?


The symptoms of irritability, tiredness, major sleep issues, uncontrollable binging, they are all gone.



**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?


I have been put on lo carb diets before during pregnancies due to gestational diabetes. Once, I tested my blood sugar with my diabetic moms glucose monitor and it read 336. OMG. 336! That was a sure sign I was well on my way to the land of diabetics and I REFUSE TO BECOME DIABETIC. I am just not doing it. I couldn't put needles in my stomach 3 times a day. I couldn't do it. I am stopping this illness before it starts. No way am I going to be slave to that.

[hopejoy]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Finally the scale moved! DOWN 3 LBS!!!!! Thanks so much for your kind encouraging words yesterday ! hugs!
liz

[Sweet Strudel]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

Finally the scale moved! DOWN 3 LBS!!!!! Thanks so much for your kind encouraging words yesterday ! hugs!
liz

Woooooooo hoooooooo Liz!!! Good job girl!

Maybe its all those push ups...hehehe...I joined your challenge midway thru by the way.

[tmn]

Re: WORK IT!: The 2007 Labor Day Challenge Thread, Sign-up and Reporting

**To which group do you belong? Are you a combination of more than one group?

I used to be in Group B, very strongly Group B! Not so much anymore and more Group A since, even when I'm not doing Atkins, I try to stay more low carbing than low fat.


**How long had you felt this way? (Did you have these symptoms for a few years, since childhood, since college, etc.?)

Group B was definitely from the mid 1980s onward, until the last few years when I discovered Atkins. Before I started the low fat dieting, I was fine - overweight (maybe!) but fine.


**How has Atkins helped to alleviate or eradicate these symptoms?

Just what it claims to do. The fat in the diet fills me up, even adding more of what my body needs. The protein is also giving me more of what I need. The carbs I take in now are much more natural and nutritious than the frankenfoods I was eating on low fat diets.


**Do you have an example of how serious/dangerous/unhealthy your behaviors were prior to Atkins?

Other than feeling like total crap and my body probably is so weak now after decades of wrong foods and chemicals, not specifically. Trying to reverse all the damage that has happened over time with more nutritious foods, additional supplements, lots of water and more exercise. It's going to take time for the body to heal.

Thyroid situation is a factor at the moment so it's hard to say if I have metabolic resistance or not. I'm having to learn about my body and its quirks all over again. For instance: Having developed a terrible intolerance for fragrances in the last six or seven years, it's suddenly disappeared. I walked through the laundry soap area of the store last night, could smell all the strong fragrances, but they didn't bother me a bit. No watery eyes, no asthma reactions, nothing. I've also noticed that other odors and scents are becoming more distinctive. It may seem like an odd thing to focus on but, to me, it speaks of the chemical changes within me.