New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

[Justabittoloose]

Hello everyone.
I am in my thirties and am a new Mum living in the North of England.
The first time I started Atkins was because I could see my weight was slowly increasing and I wanted to call it to a halt. I was a size UK 15 which was half way between sizes! I got back to size 12 on Atkins and found it was the diet for me. Atkins improved the quality of the food I was eating. Before Atkins I hardly ever ate salad or veg. However, I discovered salad dressings (low carbs of course!) that improved the taste of salad and smoothered my green beans in butter. Eating meat and cheese was great for me as I love the both.
I stopped eating Atkins because I got pregnant and I wanted to have more fruits and a diet that had more carbs to give the baby the right nutrients that it needed for growth.
A year later and I am bigger than I've been before (about size UK 16). I know compared to some people I don't have a lot to loose but I don't want my weight to spiral out of control. Having had a difficult time adjusting to being a Mum I turned to Chocolate and other naughty things I don't want to think about or tempt you with!
I've just done 2 weeks on induction and I can already see I benefit. I have not weighed myself or taken measurements, but I know this works for me and I can see the difference in my clothes.
One problem I have is American cups!! I can see lots of threads which mention this. Can I clarify - if I have a measuring jug which says 1 cup/8 fl oz then I put my salad leaves into the jug up to that level and that's the quantity I eat for 1 cup's worth?
The other question is to do with OWL. I understand that introducing 5g carb increments is part of finding my carb tollerance and testing new foods but I'm not sure of quantities. The book says no more than 5g net carbs in a week and it's best at first to only increase on 3 days of a week. So is that 5g on each of the 3 days surely that's an increase of 15g a week? Or do I divide 5g over the 3 days? This is the way I see it progressing on the start of OWL, am I right?
Week1
MON 20g carbs as on induction
5g carbs from veg allowed on induction(1st rung of OWL)

TUE 20g carbs as on induction

WED 20g carbs as on induction
5g carbs from veg...

THU 20g carbs (induction)

FRI 20g carbs (induction)

SAT 20g carbs (induction
5g carbs from veg...

SUN 20g carbs (induction)

Week2
MON 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)
5g carbs (dairy 2nd rung of OWL)

TUE 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)

WED 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)
5g carbs (dairy 2nd rung of OWL)

THU 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)

FRI 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)

SAT 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)
5g carbs (dairy 2nd rung OWL)

SUN 20g carbs (induction)
5g carbs (veg 1st rung OWL)

Hope this is not too much to ask after just introducing myself!

[mitzimarie]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Hi there, Justabittoloose

Whew! Yes, there certainly is a lot going on in your introduction post!! I would like to encourage you to visit the OWL forum. There are things we call "stickies" at the top of the forum... these are posts that are filled with excellent information, so we "stick" them at the top so that they are available for everyone. Read through them thoroughly, and then start a thread in that forum with any questions or comments that you may have. Here is the link to the OWL forum: Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) - Atkins Diet

We also have a forum called "Review My Menu", where you can list exactly what you eat and others will comment on it.

About your measurements question - using "cups" has always driven me crazy when it comes to veggies. I use an inexpensive food scale to weigh my foods. So much easier! We have an amazing Nutritional Spreadsheet available on this board, that shows how much a "cup" of something weighs. Here is the link to it: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...CARB_COUNT.pdf I absolutely LOVE this spreadsheet! Check it out!!

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Thanks Mitzimarie, I will go and check out the OWL stickies!

[*Wendy*]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Hi Justabittoloose and welcome to the site!

Can I just beg you - TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS NOW!!! Seeing the progression as you lose fat & firm up is such an inspiration. I don't know if you have a scale at home, but if you do, please weigh yourself & note it. If you weigh/measure now, then you can look back on it in a few weeks and have firm evidence of how well you are doing.

Congratulations on being a new mom - that is such a wonderful thing and good for you for making changes in your life that will make you an even better role model & give you the energy and stamina you need to be a good mom!

Another forum that you may appreciate is Journal Stats - you start your own thread there & record what you ate/how many carbs - your exercise - whatever you want to - on a daily basis. It is an excellent tool for tracking your progress. I post in mine a few times per week.

From what I read, it looks like you are doing GREAT on Induction - I hope that you continue with your success!

Wendy

PS Thank you for not describing in detail all those 'naughty' things you'd been eating!

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Thanks Wendy. I'll dig out the tape measure and replace the batteries in the scales to weigh myself. Just finding the time with a little one is hard!
Thanks for your reply - you made me smile!

[*Wendy*]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

You're welcome!

Time is so precious when you have a little baby, isn't it? When my little girl was first born I tried to sleep whenever she slept, but was always struggling with all the house work that was falling behind, getting her clothes & bottles cleaned/sanitized, etc.

Suddenly all the stuff that you used to take for granted is re-prioritized, isn't it? I remember being so scared to take an actual shower while she was in her crib ... afraid since I wouldn't be able to hear her over the noise of the shower. So the first several times I moved her to a basket & then put the basket on the bathroom floor while I cleaned up. I would keep poking my head out from behind the shower curtain just to make sure she was still pink & breathing!

I know it's hard to find time, but if you get a chance you should start a journal - it may be difficult to type one-handed while you hold the baby, but it will give you a new forum to post in & keep connected to your friends here!

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Hearing you talk about taking a shower brings back memories of when Emma was new born, I did exactly the same! The advice is to sleep when they sleep but I was so keyed up and tring to solve all the problems (reflux, not sleeping at night, dummy/no dummy, etc) that I couln't sleep. Also there's nothing worse than finally getting them settled, dozing off to sleep and then hearing the cries!

She is 14 months now and things are so much better but I wish I had done several things sooner, like buying a dishwasher and hiring getting someone to do the ironing! Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!?

I took your advice and weighed myself - I got a shock but I now know how much I need to loose. I have also been on Fitday and that is great. I wasn't sure about my percentages of fat protein and carbs and whether I was eating eating enought fat but Fitday confirmed good results.

Thank you for prompting me to get weighed, I will try to take my measurements soon but I have already slimmed out of some of my clothes.

What stage are you at now?

[*Wendy*]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Oh my gosh - it seems like yesterday! Once she even THOUGHT about crying I was wide awake! And to this day if my little girl makes a peep when other noises are there I tune the rest of it out and focus in on her - ticks her daddy off to no end!!

I love FitDay!! What a great record of day-to-day eating, the percentages, etc. I use the journal to track my cycles. I wish I was disciplined enough to take advantage of the activity/exercise module.

You know, hindsight IS wonderful!! In my hindsight, I wish like heck I'd introduced more "foreign" foods to my daughter when she was still a toddler and munching on whatever I put in her little mouth ... now I can't get her to eat stir-fries, casseroles, a.k.a. anything that looks 'funny' ... like combination foods where the individual ingredients aren't immediately recognizable!

As soon as your baby can swallow the sturdier stuff, start putting little safe dollops of it on her tongue introducing it!!! You will be thankful a few years down the road when you are starting to feel like a short order cook just making SOMETHING that she will ingest!!

What stage am I in? Currently I am on modified Induction with about 2-3 servings of extra veggies thrown in. Sometimes I eat a little apple in the mornings when I'm fixing my daughter breakfast. When I wash her grapes I will sometimes eat ONE. But when I eat fruit I find that within the hour the cravings set inl

I stick close to proteins and protein/fat combos - like cheese cubes/sticks in the morning, eggs/cheese/meat combos for lunch (omeletes, stir fries, grilled meat w/ veggies, rollups) and usually a grilled meat for dinner with steamed veggies with butter or some other nice safe sauce for dinner.

I've had a few hiccups the past few weeks because of covered dish type dinners, but I'm learning from my mistakes! When my "skinnier" jeans start to feel tight and I'm bloated -that's a big clue!!!

Hey one more thought on babies - dummy or no dummy ... in my honest opinion, let her have the fake dummy because that IS something that you can take away from her later when it gets to be a habit. I was convinced that "my baby" would never have a pacifier, but she is 6 now and is STILL sucking her thumb when she is sleepy & tired or nervous, etc. Her little teeth are so crooked! At least with a dummy you can shock her into quitting it by ripping it away!! (Oh it's awful I know!!!)

Good grief ... didn't mean to hi-jack your thread! Hope you keep up the good work and see some great results! Post again soon!!

Wendy

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

You haven't hi-jacked my thread. It's really nice to speak to someone who has been through similar experiences and to talk about things other than Atkins. It is difficult doing Atkins and trying to feed kids. I keep forgetting and try to finish off Emma's toast then stop myself, so I know what you mean about the grapes! Emma is at nursery and she eats like an angel for them, allsorts of foods so I don't have that problem. Have you thought about choosing ingredients you know she likes and let her help/watch you prepare something combining all her favourite foods?
Emma loves her dummy. She had such a strong suck and it was a lifesaver to let her have it. She only has it now for sleeps and when she's really cranky. A friend of mine was adamant that her daughter not have a dummy so her daughter chose a sock instead, I know which I prefer! I wouldn't worry about the thumb sucking - it will probably just be for sleeps when she gets older! Kids will hold onto either if they can or if they need to because of other problems. My cousin's little girl still sucks a dummy at 9 years old but she's had social problems. I know a thirty year old man who still sucks his thumb in public - now that's wierd. As long as she's happy she will just grow out of it like most people. It's so stressful to think that we don't know what the results will be of our actions now. I'm starting to realise I've got to worry less about it and enjoy her for who she is and trust we will do a good job of raising her.
I see you live in Clearwater Florida - what a great place to live. I have relatives in America and we have visited Florida several times when I was growing up. We stayed at a condo on Longboat Key is that near you?
Back to Atkins. I don't see any reason in modifing the system once you've done it before. Last time I found out my CCL was about 60 which is pretty good. I didn't explore lots of foods and how I react to them last time I was on OWL but I tend to eat the same things. If I get cravings I either have an Atkins chocolate bar or a can of Coke Zero. It satisfies my naughty craving! I am also looking at making a low carb cheesecake, just finding the time... I wish there was a better range of low carb products in the shops, there is nothing like that in UK supermarkets and reading labels is so time consuming! Trying to find Almond flour, flaxseed, psyllium husks - nightmare!
What are covered dish type dinners?
Oh regarding getting rid of the dummy - a friend suggested that for Christmas when she's 2 we should say that Santa will only bring presents if she leaves the dummy for him. Think I'll try that one...

[focus83]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

hey welcome to this forum!! i see you are from england too would love to know what salad dressings you use as im new to atkins and most of the members on here are from the states!!

well done on your original weight lose and your determination to get back to atkins. keep up the good work and keep posting on here

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Ooo have you tried Pizza Expess's house dressing? It's definately available in Morrison's and probably in other supermarkets. It's something like only 4g of carb per 100g! Contents are eggs, oil, white wine vinegar, mustard...it tastes really creamy. I though great I can eat a salad happily if we ever go to Pizza Express but the salad they do is not to my taste, I prefer really leafy salads like chard and raw spinach. It's so difficult to find salad like this in a restaurant. It's trendy to serve stalky leaves.

[*Wendy*]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Emma eats well for the folks at daycare ... it always amazes me how my Justine behaves when I'm not around - her teachers, etc. at school just love her!

I'm going to try your advice about using the simple ingredients that she loves (it's shocking - but she LOVES her veggies - one of the only kids I've heard of that will gobble up broccoli before her french fries, etc.). But if I put cheese sauce over them - she won't touch it!! Someone told me that if I involve her in the preparation it can make a difference ... I'm working on that.

I laughed OUT LOUD reading about your friend's baby that chose a sock - kids are so nuts!! I love it!

Longboat Key is very close to me - I'm not sure if it's in Bradenton or Sarasota County, but both of them are immediately south of Pinellas County where I live and work - only about an hour's drive. We are on the west coast/Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida, and I know some folks at work that take their long weekends and vacations in Longboat. (Personally, I don't even remember what a vacation is!!)

Hey, I'm with you on the Coke Zero - it is fantastic!! I found one lunch place that serves it "on tap"/fountain style and it is wonderful. Recently too the market where I shop added that to their fountain so we always get one of them & I share it with my daughter as we shop. I buy it in cans for at home, but there is nothing nicer than when it's freshly mixed from the fountain. Maybe I'm weird, but when I used to drink beers I preferred the tap beer to bottle/can too - it's just fresher & cleaner.

I'm sorry to hear that it's hard to get ingredients over there - have you tried Netrition.com? I don't know if they ship overseas, but I've found it's a great source for all kinds of lo-carb ingredients & treats. I'm lucky in that we also have a lo-carb grocery type store nearby where I can pick things up too.

Covered dish dinners: this is where everyone brings a home-cooked dish (main course or side item) or if you don't cook or don't have time then you bring pop, bread, store-bought cookies, etc. You never know what you are going to get, but somehow it all works out. They set it up on a buffet table and you graze along filling your plate. Sometimes it's called "potluck" too.

When you get a chance, please browse the site and go to the Journals forum and then START ONE! Once you do, you'll find lots of vistors and more advice, support, etc. I don't know how many members cruise the "Introduce yourself" thread (I do!), but I'm thinking that more tend to hang out in the journals thread.

Wendy

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

I wish Emma would eat broccoli. The only way she'll eat it is mixed with other veggies and tomato and cheese. Our girls are quite different there!

I remember swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, the cranes on the beach, the white sand. It was so hot outside but you needed a cardigan when you went into the air-conditioned mall! I remember discovering frozen yogurt, Dr Pepper and Hardees! Then we went to Orlando and did Disney - what a contrast, from the beauty and tranquility of the West coast to the brash busy city. Those were the times, not a care in the world, how I long for a vacation!!! When you have kids going away is not a vacation it's more of a chore because you have no home comforts and we still have to look after the kids!

Covered dish dinners sound very dangerous for Atkins, do you often eat with several people or is that lunch at work? I remember all you can eat buffets that we used to go to when we were in the states - my Dad loved them!

I wish we could get Coke Zero on tap over here - I'm sure it will come, it just takes a while for things in America to come across to old blighty! I'll check out the website, thsnks, but I'm always cautious about ordering online.

I am not really into the journal thing. I like reading all the threads and joining something that sparks my interest. I've been browsing and posting and I'm looking forward to swapping ideas, perhaps I'll do the journal later.

[*Wendy*]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

Reading your post totally reminds me of how it felt to be on vacation ... the white sands, etc.

Believe me ... having a tot in hand is no more work once you get there ... every resort is totally in-tune with it and they will give you a refrigerator in your room for milk, etc. That was my biggest hurdle!

I hope you reconsider about the journal ... I have half a mind to create one on your behalf!! BECAUSE ... what YOU write may spark an interest in someone else, you know? We all feed off each other that way!!

No matter, you'll find that sort of support exists once you sniff around the site long enough!

Covered dish - it is VERY dangerous if you are feeling vulnerable ... thank goodness it happens just at holidays and special occasions! Unfortunately for me it seems to be the status quo for many weeks on end now!!

But I've been up to it ... haven't messed up too bad!

Please write back & let us know how you are doing!

Wendy

[Justabittoloose]

Re: New to the board but 2nd time at Atkins

That's the other thing I remember about visiting America. People can't do enough for you. Staying in hotels in England is very different, they aren't as flexible and often don't have as many facilities.

I did look at the journal section, but I'm working full time for the family business and I'm too eager to skive at the best of times. I might try it, see how I go.

I made an Atkins freindly cheesecake, an unbaked one! I forgot to bring the recipe home so I ended up putting too much sweetner in it! The base worked out well though. I melted butter and added ground almonds (I realised that almond flour was just powdered almonds and was available in the supermarkets!) and chopped nuts. Now I just need to perfect the quantity of sweetner!

I checked out the website you recommended, it's great for low carb alternatives for the things I've had to give up, like low carb torillas - I like that idea. Looks like they might export as well!