Manda Pandas Journey...

[atuesley]

Hello,

I've been doing Atkins off and on for about 6 years now...At my peak weight when I was 17, I was wearing a size 26/28 jeans. After a year of low carbing I was down to a 16...and that had stayed true until last year when I finally started packing on the pounds again..I'm now at a TIGHT size 18 jeans and refuse to buy any new clothes.

In June, I did semi-strict induction for the entire month (I went to France/Amsterdam in July and wanted to look good for vacation) and by the time I got back, I had gained back everything I had lost prior to leaving.

So, Monday started induction for the second time this year, and I'm so motivated by tight clothes, it's gotta stick this time...

Here's my menu so far this week...No lbs lost, but it's only day 3 so I'm not concerned. I've never kept a food journal in my life! but I'm excited about it, and think it will help tremendously.

Monday:

B:
Two hard boiled eggs
2 slices of bacon
med ice coffee cream 1 spl
(not giving up caffeine, yes I know the rules..)

L:
1/2 cup cauliflower
1/4 cup brocc
1/4 cup red pepper
stir fry for lunch made the night before with a bit of olive oil
two slices of grilled chicken from salar bar across the street..

Snack:
4 small cubes of cheddar cheese & a can of diet dr pepper

D:
Small piece of chicken (Roasted a whole chicken with lemon juice/garlic/some butter)
Handful of green beans that were steamed

Dessert:
Sugar free jello with squirt of whipped cream

And plenty of water all day...So much that I thought I'd explode.


Day 2

B: 3 eggs over easy with 2 sausage links

L: Two string cheeses (1 carb each) wrapped in turkey

Snack: sugar free jello

D: Stuffed pepper with hamburger/cheese/spinach/peppers inside
Summer squash/Zuchini stir fry made with the grease from the hamburger veggie mix

Also had a mock danish before bed because I was cravving something sweet. Made with 1 egg, cc, 1 packet of splenda, vanilla & cinnamon. (Neeed to buy SF jelly soon to complete this!)

lots of water, but not as much as Monday so I'll stp


Today is day 3 and so far, I had scrambled eggs with mushrooms/bacon cheese


Hows my menu look so far? Any suggestions? I'm going to make sure I drink more water today...Yesterday I didn't do as well. Is drinking carbonated flavored water the same?

[atuesley]

Oh - I just read the rules. . . I don't weigh myself, as much as I focus on clothing sizes.

I am currently a borderline size 20. My goal is to be a size 14 & to maintain it. No time limits on this, though I'd like to be down to a very comfortable 18 before winter starts since...All my winter clothes are that size & its all too tight right now

[atuesley]

Thanks for the tips! I think I'll stick with plain water. It's easy at work to keep refilling with the bubbler down the hallway.

Glad you understand why I prefer to have goals set around sizes..I've found that I can look really good, and still weigh 200 pounds. At a size 16, I feel uber sexy & energized, but the number on the scale is always a shocker...I live with a girl who has an awful eating disorder. She weighs herself 3 or 4 times throughout the day, tells me when she goes up and down, complains to her boyfriend about it all the time, purges, then starves herself. Living with her is difficult....especially when weight is a stuggle for me... Did I mention she weighs a whopping 118 pounds? HA!

Anyways, today is day 4, and I'm feeling great!

Menu from yesterday..
B: Scrambled eggs (beaters 1/4 of a cup) with mushrooms & cheese, two slices of bacon
Snack: cheddar cheese (about 4 small squares)
L: Stuffed pepper leftovers from the night before - Spinach, hamburger, onions & garlic inside.

D: chicken fried with olive oil, onions garlic
steamed veggies - broccoli/cauliflower and green beans with a slice of melted velvita cheese on top

And my usual sugar free jello with a quirt of whipped cream



Oh - and just for reference...I did weigh myself Sunday before starting and hopped on the scale just for fun this morning..As I suspected, things are going well. 3 down on day 4? Very pleased!

I find that I'm not very hungry during the day. This has never happened to me on atkins before, but i like it

[Aradasky]

Congratulations with a great start (again) and it looks like it will go well for you! I am just starting, too and am very happy!

[atuesley]

Thanks!! Things are going well =)

Day 6 and I'm feeling great! My jeans are much more comfortable this morning.. That must be good news!!

menu for the past couple days:
Thursday:
B:two hard boiled eggs 3 sausage links
L: Leftovers from last nights dinner..chicken with 1/2c broc that had some cheese melted on
snack: one string cheese
D:Hamburger with mushrooms, 1/2 cup spinach one slice melted cheese
SF jello

Friday:
B: Two hard boiled eggs
mid morning snack: coleslaw that I made with splenda
L: hamburger/mushroom leftovers
D: Hot italian sausage with green peppers and onions, a bit of mustard on the side
1 hard boiled egg
SF jello

Oh, and work had a celebration yesterday for the holiday weekend and bought 5 boxes of goodies; canolis, moon pies, cookies, cake, and then had champaigne. The table it all sat on all afternoon? Right next to my desk.
One healthy item... Strawberries. So proud of myself for not even being tempted by all of it! I know I probably could have had strawberries but they're not for induction and I want to be strict this time around.

I take vitamin B and have been for years. It's in gummy form..
http://www.amazon.com/Vitafusion-Ene.../dp/B0015CO8PA

It says there is less than one sugar in 2 gummys, and I take one a day. I'm paranoid that this is going to effect my diet somehow...Thoughts? Clearly it hasn't so far but I'm wondering if I should just buy the pills you swallow with vit b instead?

Also, I got ketostix for the first time and have been in the moderate area all week! I had the boyfriend test himself just for fun(and to see if the stix really work) and it was negative. Pretty cool!

It's Saturday, and at 5 pm, I am officially on a mini vacation! This weekend, I'm making pulled pork! Mmmm.

I found a recipe for sugar free bbq sauce that you can make from scratch. There really aren't many SF products at any local grocery stores so I'm more than happy to make my own!
Here's the recipe...I think I actually may post this in the recipe section after I try it out and know that its good.

Ingredients:
2 strips of thick bacon, chopped fine (or see note)
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (12 oz) diet (sugar-free) cola - Splenda-sweetened preferred
1/4 cup low carb (sugar-free) catsup, (or see note)
3 T mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground cloves
Hot sauce to taste


Preparation:
Note 1: If you prefer to leave the bacon out, add 1-3 teaspoons of liquid smoke, to taste, near the end of the cooking. Alternatively, add some smoky flavor using 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, or chipotle powder to taste.

Note 2: If you can't find low carb catsup, leave it out, but add about a tablespoon of vinegar and some sweetener, to taste.

1) Fry the bacon in a saucepan - a 2 qt pan works well.

2) Add the onion and cook over medium until soft - 3-5 minutes. Add garlic at this point if you're using fresh and stir it for half a minute or so.

3) Add the rest of the ingredients, plus about half a cup of water. Stir well. 4) Simmer for 20-30 minutes. It will cook down a bit and flavors will combine. 5) Adjust the seasonings so you have the balance you want - you can add vinegar, artificial sweetener (liquid preferred), or hot sauce. (If it's too hot, adding more sweetener will tone it down.)

The recipe makes approximately 10 servings of 1/4 cup each. Each serving has about 3.5 grams of carbohydrate plus 1 gram of fiber.



Better get back to work now...Oh Atkins, I love how good you make me feel!

[atuesley]

What about diet coke with no caffeine? . That's what I typically buy.
CaffeineFreeDietCoke.jpg


When I got the recipe from a friend she said the "secret" ingredient is the diet cola and that its best to use one sweetened with Splenda, but any will do.

I've heard that using diet dr pepper adds a nice twist as well, but that does have caffeine. Hmmm..I'll post it in the recipe section and see if anyone else has suggestions! Can't wait to make this...So yummy!

[Aradasky]

WOW, that recipe looks great and I will try Diet Dr Pepper. Yum! Thank you!

[atuesley]

The BBQ sauce was a HUGE success! I ended up using diet root beer instead of Dr. Pepper, and it really was soo good!

This weekend wasn't great for induction. I did drink on Sunday night when friends came over to hang out. No sugar, but I know drinking isn't okay for induction at all. I had a few shots of vodka, and one mixed drink (made with vodka, and sugar free juice).

As far as food goes, I was very good induction all weekend! Eggs & bacon for breakfast, pulled pork for lunch, and meat and veggies for dinner.

Did some groceries yesterday to ensure my fridge is packed and I can't mess up this week...The second week is always hardest for me, once I'm passed that it's easy and I feel like I dont even crave bread or sweets at all...but week 2? Always soo tough for me.

Clothes are still snug, I definitely haven't lost anything the past few days, but it's that time of the month so I'm bloated and uncomfortable anyway.

Anyways, back to work...will update later this week

[atuesley]

Yep, sugar free juice. I use crystal light sometimes and made a batch of it to keep handy When I'm craving something other than water. Its a pomegranate and cranberry flavor. Just powder mixed with water...not sure how it tastes so yummy!

[atuesley]

I understand.

So it's day 13! Down 7lbs, my jeans fit more comfortably, and I'm feeling great! It's my birthday and I thought long and hard this morning about what i was going to eat today. No sense in screwing up my ketosis over a silly birthday, so I'm going to stick to it. My boyfriend is taking me to a restaurant tonight - one of my favs...It's called Shabu Zen. Japanese hot pot! Goshhh I could spend hours in this restaurant. They give you a big pot of boiling brotch, and plates of fresh raw ingredients to cook! I like the spicy spicy hot broth that has a chunk of beef in it. Add in cabbage, bok choi, mushrooms, etc etc etc. and lots of meat, seafood, etc - wahhla! Delish, low carb friendly dinner! I'll just pass on the rice and noodles So glad he's supportive and thought of a great place that wont have me tempted to eat something bad.

I've been having a glass of wine here and there...Does it really slow down weight loss? I wonder. I do love my wine. I am Italian afterall! hahah.

I havent been posting my menu every day and kinda stopped writing it down..I do like the idea of a journal but I'm a busy girl! haha, not always time to sit down and think about what I ate all day...It's pretty much the same every day though..two eggs for breakfast either scrambled or hard boiled, three pieces of either bacon or sausage, water and an iced coffee with one splenda, then for lunch its leftovers from the night before...and dinner is always a meat (turkey/chicken/beef) with a veggie. I've been alternating between broccoli/spinach/green beans all week.

Anyways, back to work...yes I'm working on my birthday :-/ I ordered lunch today..A caprese salad. Lots of tomatos, mozarella, and lettuce. some vinegar/oil for dressing. Yumm!

[Aradasky]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPPPPPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUOOOOOOOO,!!

And way to go on day thirteen! Wahoo!

[Happy1240]

Happy Birthday!!!

[atuesley]

Thanks for the birthday wishes! It was lovely...On Sunday we did go apple picking and bake a pie...And I had a piece. Oh well! One day of three weeks? I can handle that.

I must be doing something wrong...Unfortunately, I think I know the two issues I'm having. My weight loss is typically really quick and has been going slow...(I'm still down 9 lbs but I'm greedy and want more)

My two biggest issues while doing atkins?

Not drinking enough water!!!!!!

AND eating those sugar free candies by Russel Stover.
http://www.russellstover.com/jump.js...1%2C2%2C4%2C24

The coconut ones are amazing, and I have one or two sometimes when I'm realllly craving something sweet. It's not everyday but I do notice I loose more weight the days I dont eat them.

Anyways, I missed writing on here. At work my computer has issues loading the site, and even now I can't see current posts which is kinda annoying. Hopefully my computer at home gets fixed soon so I can write more often.

This weekend I'm going to a concert and a party, and I dont want to mess up my hard work but what in the world am I to do! All they ever have at these places is beer, pizza, etc.

I think I can stay strong...or stay home! Ha! My computer is acting up so I'm going to go now..Happy low carbing everyone!

[Aradasky]

Yes, I put away my Atkins bars... I thought what a treat! But I want to see what I do without them. Hope you had fun at the concerts!