Week 7 weigh In

Week 7 has come and gone and unfortunately I am having a hard time posting every day on my progress. I have gotten out of the habit of counting carbs so it is tough to come here and post my stats considering I don't have any. Now, I am eating on the plan every day and exercising at least twice a week and the results are coming. I just haven't been posting my meals on the carb counter. This next week won't get any better either. I will be heading out on a cross country trip to Illinois so I'll be eating out every meal for 4 days. I am going to try to stay on plan the whole time. I don't want to back up and lose it. So now to the good news. I have been talking about the whoosh effect in previous posts while waiting for some weight to finally come off and low and behold it happened. My week 7 weigh in was terrific! I lost more than 5 pounds this week after no loss for 2 weeks. Just goes to show the weight will go if you stay with it and don't get discouraged just because the scale isn't cooperating. I didn't lose any inches like last week but that's fine. I am shrinking and I feel terrific!

Weight - 343 lbs, started 367lbs

Chest - 53 Inches, started 60 inches

Stomach - 56 inches, started 64 inches

Waist - 50 inches, started 54 inches

Mid Thigh - 24.5 inches, started 25 inches

Total pounds lost - 24 lbs, Total inches lost - 19.5 inches

I did a side by side picture and I am very happy with the difference. I can't believe what a change there is. One thing I noticed too is my eyes. On the top I look like I am on drugs. Technically I was, they were called carbs. On the right I look a lot more awake and alert. What a great thing this diet had been for me!

Day 42 on Atkins 20

I had another good day eating right and feeling good. I began recording my meals again and feel more under control doing so. For the past week I have been guessing essentially. I do know I was staying within range and not going too far but that was more feel than truth. I need to keep putting those meals in each day to keep up with my numbers. That's the only way I can track what I'm doing. I am noticing more than just the pounds lost now. The inches are making a big difference. My clothes are fitting looser, I am even helping my kids with the dishes and doing more around the house. I don't feel so lazy and sedentary because of the increase of energy. I was going to go on a bike ride today but my ride Saturday really took it out of my legs. I was worried about injuring myself and setting myself back a few weeks. I will definitely be on the bike first thing in the morning. I am feeling better about the shape I'm in since I started riding. Getting my heartbeat pumping and sweating is such a refreshing change from couch potato mode. I am planning a really nice meal tomorrow for dinner. I will be making BBQ ribs in the slow cooker for supper. I can't wait. I do need to find a low carb ketchup recipe because the stuff off the counter is too expensive. I also found a low carb donuts recipe with coconut flour that looks wrong. I can't wait to try it. Probably some time later this week.

Day 42 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - Romaine lettuce tacos w/avacado, sour cream, cheese and tomatoes

Dinner - Low Carb Pizza w/cauliflower crust, mushrooms, sausage, mozzarella and low carb pizza sauce

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark chocolate shake, PM - No Snack

Total counts for day 42, 25.4g Carbs, 1,993 Calories, 142g fat, 186g protein

I used the allrecipe.com recipe for cauliflower pizza crust and a homemade pizza sauce with no sugar or sweetener added. I was planning on putting in some Splenda but when I tasted it I liked it just fine without it. Take a look at the pizza below, it was yummy and didn't blow up my numbers. I have also begun adding meals to my carb counter program from Atkins. Up until now I have been inputting ingredients individually. Now I am adding meals so I can more easily put my food in in the future.

Week 6 Weigh In

After suffering through an internet outage this week I found myself falling off the truck a bit. Not with my eating, but with posting here and tracking my food. I guess I just needed a break. So I have nothing much to post about each day since but I have not cheated at all. I did get my bike fixed and have been out on it a few times this week sweating away. I am ashamed to admit it but I pushed myself a little too hard on one bike trip and had to be rescued by my wife when I felt nauseous and a little dizzy on a particularly nasty climb. I made sure my next bike ride was more reasonable and was able to get 3 miles in while still climbing 165 feet of elevation. Sine I haven't tracked my carbs and calories I have no idea what my averages are for the week which means I have no idea what to make of my measurements. First the bad news. For the second straight week I haven't lost any pounds. I am exactly where I was 2 weeks ago. Now the good news, I lost 2 inches around my belly this week and 3 inches around my chest. My waist stayed the same but I am so excited to be losing inches again finally, especially belly inches. I know the weight will eventually have to come off. I have a daily calorie deficiency of almost 1,000 right now, my body is fighting like mad to keep my weight stable but eventually it will have to let go of this water and I'll get to celebrate a big loss. If you haven't heard of this, it's called the whoosh effect. When you are maintaining a caloric deficit, your fat cells are emptied of triglyceride as your body breaks it down for energy. However, as this happens, the fat cells end up temporarily filling back up again with water. In effect, this means that the fat cells do not immediately shrink. There is also no immediate decrease in body weight, due to water uptake offsetting the actual fat that was burned. Then, after a period of time, the fat cells will suddenly flush all of the water that they’re holding and finally shrink down. This is the whoosh taking place.

Weight - 348 lbs, started 367lbs

Chest - 53 Inches, started 60 inches

Stomach - 56 inches, started 64 inches

Waist - 50 inches, started 54 inches

Mid Thigh - 24.5 inches, started 25 inches

Total pounds lost - 19, Total inches lost - 19.5

Gotta keep on keeping on at this point. Remember, this isn't a diet, this is a new life style. I'm not eating like this to lose weight so I can back to eating normal. This is the new way I eat, permanently. If you are feeling a little discouraged, don't, this really works!

Day 34 on Atkin 20

I tried very hard today to get my calories and carbs more in line with phase 2 and feel like I did it. I tried a new desert as well although I'm not sure I should have. I could only eat a little bit and felt overfilled afterward. I am sitting around again doing nothing physically since I just can't seem to find a good time to get my bike tire fixed. I am pretty sure I will have a slowdown or halt to my weight loss until I get back sweating again. I tried to get some veggies into my breakfast this morning as well which was easy to do. Not much else happening so this will be brief today.

Day 34 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - Chicken salad with tomatoes and ranch dressing

Dinner - BBQ Pork Country ribs with low carb bbq sauce

Snacks - AM - Atkins strawberry shake, PM - Low Carb chocolate mud cake with Almond breeze milk

Total counts for day 34, 24.9g Carbs, 1,985 Calories, 114g fat, 121g protein

I threw some country style ribs and low carb bbq sauce in the slow cooker for 4 hours and all I can say is, it was a winner. This meal was perhaps the best I've had since starting to low carb again. The ribs were so tender I couldn't get them out of the slow cooker. I then mashed up some cauliflower just to take it to the next level. Very yummy stuff. This is the recipe for the low carb bbq sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup low-carb ketchup (I like Heinz 1-Carb brand)

1⁄3 cup Splenda granular

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and let simmer for 20 minutes

Look at the picture below, does this look like diet food?

Day 33 on Atkins 20

Had some more hunger today, especially at night after supper. Not sure why I am feeling hungry again all the sudden but I'm not going to freak out about it. I did better on my numbers but still came up a bit short on carbs. I did incorporate broccoli and zucchini in my breakfast which was yummy and put me closer to my minimum carb count to start the day so I wasn't loading carbs in later like I have been. I began writing a new story yesterday which will probably mean more time staring at a screen during the day. I really need to get active to combat that side of my life. I continue to be active on the Atkins forum although I'm finding it is mostly just people reporting their weight and measurements as opposed to real talk about their day to day struggles. I would still like to find a group like that. If I can't find one perhaps I'll just have to make one on my own.

Day 33 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs omelet w/broccoli, 2 pieces of bacon, 1 cup sauteed zucchini

Lunch - Ham, cheese, celery salad with dipping sauce

Dinner - 9 oz ground hamburger with mushrooms and low carb ketchup

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark chocolate shake, PM - Atkins Strawberry shake

Total counts for day 33, 22.1g Carbs, 2,113 Calories, 156g fat, 145g protein

I went high with calories, fat and protein today. Not sure what that will mean to my overall weight loss but I like that better than going too low. I have a picture below of my breakfast. It was a great way to start my day.

Day 32 on Atkins 20

I think I may be getting into a little bit of a rut. Nothing too concerning but I am having such a hard time eating all my calories and carbs each day I need to make a change. I fully expect to get to next Monday's weigh in and find I haven't lost what I want. Again the concept is a bit crazy for all you low calorie diet people out there but I am simply not eating enough to lose weight. I found myself today after 2 meals and 2 snack at only 7 grams of carbs and around 800 calories. That meant I had to pack in an inordinate amount of food in my 3rd meal to try to get my numbers. I even had a snack after dinner because I was still woefully short. I eventually did get close to where I needed to be but I just feel like I need a different tack to make sure I don't lose it. So I've decided to add a veggie to my breakfast routine to start and see where that takes me. Most likely zucchini as I love zucchini and eggs together. I also need to better plan what I am eating. Lately I just wait until meal time and go out searching for something easy to make. When I do things that way the diet becomes a grind, not because I don't like eating this way, but because I get tired of all the cooking and prep for each meal. You can't just wake up and pour a bowl of cereal. I have often said even when I'm not low carbing that if I had a personal chef making me low carb meals I would never go off it. The thing that gets me is the preparation time for every meal I eat. That's why my hot dog meal is so prevalent in my menu, Some days I just don't want to make anything so I throw some hot dogs in the microwave and cut up a veggie real quick. Now I'm not necessarily saying this is the worst thing I could do. I'm not eating off plan at all, not even once. But I know this is where it leads. I've got to nip this in the bud or it will lead to me losing my motivation. I still haven't gotten my bike tire fixed either so the lack of exercise is hindering me as well. When I exercise I feel like my whole day is better. I'm not meaning this to be a downer or to say I'm on the edge or anything. I'm not. I just see a few warning signs lately and I don't want to even get close to having a meltdown.

Day 32 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - 3 beef franks, 1/4 cup peperoncini, cucumber salad

Dinner - 8 oz chicken breast, mushrooms, french style green beans with soy sauce and butter

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark chocolate shake, PM - 1 mozzarella stick 3 stalks celery with peanut butter

Total counts for day 32, 25.9g Carbs, 1,517 Calories, 102g fat, 113g protein

As I said above I got my numbers but most of them came later in the evening with my celery and peanut butter snack. I will hopefully get this figured out quickly starting tomorrow so I can still lose something by Monday. Zero loss weeks are really depressing. So are zero lost inches which I am on a 2 week stretch of . I would even take less weight loss at this point if the inches would come down. I have 14 more inches to go to get to my goal around my waist. I don't even know what to set for a goal around my belly. I just know I don't want a pooch at all. Maybe that isn't realistic but I'd like to see what that would look like.

Dinner below was good but using chicken breasts was a mistake. I think next time I'll try chicken thighs which are not so lean and dry. I would also back off on salting the meat. The soy sauce is plenty salty. Other than that this was an excellent meal.

Day 31 on Atkins 20

Day 31 saw a slight change for me. For the first time in a while I was hungry. Before breakfast I was really hungry. As the day wore on it subsided a bit and I got back to feeling my new normal. I am pretty sure I know what happened. I had that ice cream and chocolate fudge the night before. Now even though it was okay on the carb side, that sugar alcohol and I don't seem to like each other very well. As a rule I keep it to once in a very blue moon but I think I need to just forget about it for the time being. I still have about a 1/3 of a container left in my freezer but I know my kids can get rid of that for me. The good news is that even with some hunger I didn't have any notion of cheating at all. I really believe blogging this journey is helping me stay on track. Watching what I eat and documenting it every day makes it much easier not to indulge in foods that are bad for me. I am changing my relationship with food now. I know I mentioned this in a previous post but food isn't fun, it is fuel. I can still have delicious meals that I enjoy, but my mind was out of whack with food most of my life. Food was my focal point. I had considered taking a vacation to Italy just for the food. A cruise was all about the food. This is not the way to live. I am so much more energetic and alert. I rarely take a nap now. I am no where near my goal but the effect of eating healthy is so worth it already. I just feel so much better.

Day 31 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - 3 beef franks, 1/4 cup peperoncini, fresh cucumber

Dinner - Ham, Cheddar and celery salad w/dipping sauce

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark chocolate shake, PM - 1 mozzarella stick

Total counts for day 31, 19.5g Carbs, 1,338 Calories, 93.4g fat, 98.3g protein

Not a good day on the calorie or carb front. I'm not eating enough. What a weird thing to say but it's the truth. Two days in a row of way low calories is sure to halt my progress. I've got to get these up the next few days if I expect to see any loss at all this week.

Day 30 on Atkins 20

Today is my 1 month mark and I can't believe it has gone this fast. I have a lot to report today so I'll start by saying this month has been a tremendous success. I am down 19 pounds and feeling terrific. I didn't cheat even once this month, which is also something of a milestone for me. I know I simply have too much to lose by not committing everything to this change. I just can't afford the excuses. In the past I have always been able to justify cheating, lying to myself that it would just be this once, or perhaps that it was okay because it was a holiday, or I am stressed over this or that. Really though, these are just excuses to allow myself to eat "fun" foods again. The problem is, it isn't "fun" to be fat and lethargic and unhealthy. Those foods were literally killing me and like drugs, the high isn't worth the cost.

I popped a tire on my bike and will be getting it fixed today so I can start biking this week. I haven't been out at all for several days so I need to get that going again. I can really feel the difference when I am out sweating, even if it is only for a short while. Even though it is Wednesday I can still get my 3 days in this week if I can get this fixed today although I won't have recovery days in between.

Day 30 meals:

Breakfast - 3 eggs scrambled, 3 pieces of bacon

Lunch - 8 oz burgers, 2 TBS low carb ketchup, 3 pickles

Dinner - Cauliflower fried rice

Snacks - AM - 2 mozzarella sticks, PM - 1 cup low carb vanilla ice cream, melted no sugar chocolate chips

Total counts for day 30, 26.2g Carbs, 1,380 Calories, 76.6g fat, 88.2g protein

It was a weird day for my meals. I came in way low on calories and a little high on carbs. I did have a treat of carbsmart ice cream with melted no sugar chocolate chips topping. It was delicious but probably didn't help me lose anything. I continue to struggle with my numbers but always on the low side. I guess I would rather have that than to always be coming in over my numbers each day. I made a new recipe that is going to become one of my new favorites. I made cauliflower (faux) fried rice. It was amazing. In fact it was so good I gave my family some and they decided to make an entire batch for themselves. It was so good I am including the recipe and a picture below.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Half head of a medium size cauliflower

2 eggs

4 Diced Mushrooms

2 TBS Soy Sauce

2 TBS Butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

3 TBS peanut oil

Directions:

Cut cauliflower and dice into small pieces, a blender or food processor makes this easier. Place cauliflower in microwavable bowl and fill with enough water to cover the cauliflower. Microwave on high until cauliflower is tender and soft, (approx 4 minutes). Heat peanut oil in hot frying pan or wok until oil is hot and smoking. Place cauliflower, butter and mushrooms in pan and let simmer 4 minutes. Next, push cauliflower to the sides and crack eggs in the middle, break the yoke and scramble while cooking. Once eggs are cooked add them to the cauliflower and mushroom mixture then add salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the soy sauce evenly and let simmer for 2 more minutes. Depending on which phase you are on you could also add a spoonful of roasted sesame seeds. Serve with chicken or steak. Entire batch comes in around 4.4 net grams of carbs and is delicious.

Day 29 on Atkins 20

July the 4th came and went and the good news is, I held fast and didn't cheat at all. I really am trying not to look at it as cheating though because this is now a lifestyle, not a diet. I am going to have to eat like this the rest of my life if I want the weight to stay off. If not I will balloon right up to my all-time high again in no time or worse, get bigger. We grilled out today and had quite the spread of food. I stuck with hamburger patties and grilled zucchini which was excellent. I had beef franks for dinner with a cucumber salad. My only indulgence on the day was some peanuts as we watched the fireworks. This is the first time I've had peanuts since starting. Nuts and seeds are one of the biggest add ins from induction to phase 2. I haven't had any until last night and don't plan on making it a regular occurrence. I have so much weight to lose, I just don't think it would help me to start adding too much more to my plan yet. Perhaps once I lose 100 lbs and start getting closer to my goal I'll begin adding in what I can.

I set a goal when I started nearly a month ago to lose 30 lbs before I go back to Illinois on the 3rd of August. Well, so far so good. I am half way to that date and have lost 19 lbs. Just 11 more to go in the next month. I think I can do it. I've been thinking about my next short term goal after that and I have decided I would like to lose another 30 lbs by November 1st. That date is significant because it is the start of open enrollment for healthcare which means 10 hours a day on the phone sitting at my desk. This is a very sedentary time for me. That 3 month period will also encompass all the holidays. I haven't decided what I am going to do over the holidays. To think that I will stay on plan on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day is probably a little naive. So I'll just schedule in a 1 day break and jump right back in. Having a goal is probably the best way to not go overboard. If I hit my 1st and 2nd goal that will leave me only 40 pounds from my big goal of losing 100 in a year. I would probably set a goal to lose 15 pounds during open enrollment and would then only need 25 more from February to June 5th to get there. I might have to readjust if my losses slow down but I don't think those goals are out of line or unhealthy. Losing 100 lbs would leave me at 267 next year. I'll be a lot smaller but still way too big for my height. I can only imagine how tough losing those last 73 lbs will be but I look forward to the battle. I look forward to the photo as well. My wife and children have never seen me that size. The lowest I ever made it was 217 lbs while on phen-fen in 1997. I still look at those pictures sometimes and just shake wish I could look like that again, although with grey hair and a few more wrinkles of course.

Day 29 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - Bacon cheeseburger, 1 cup grilled zucchini, sugar free jello salad w/cool whip, 2 TBS low carb ketchup, half cup sauteed mushrooms

Dinner - 2 beef franks, 1/4 cup peperoncini peppers, 1 cup cucumber salad

Snacks - AM - Low carb brownie, PM - 1/3 rd cup unsalted peanuts

Total counts for day 29, 21g Carbs, 1,642 Calories, 93g fat, 84g protein

Came in a little low on my carbs and calories today which you would think would be the opposite on a holiday. The problem is, my schedule gets all out of whack on a holiday so I'm not eating at the normal times and often times I'm not planning my meals like I should be. I will make sure my counts are in the right ranges the rest of the week so my body doesn't think I'm starving. In the picture below I had already eaten a lot of the zucchini.

Week 4 Weigh In On Atkins 20

Weigh in day is finally here and the numbers are good, at least the weight numbers. I lost 4 lbs this week but no inches. I don't expect both numbers to be down each week so I'm very happy with this result. Considering I only got out biking twice this week and had no loss last week while also switching to phase 2, I am ecstatic that I lost 4 lbs. I think my body is starting to understand that I am serious and will stop holding on to these fat stores. Phase 2 of Atkins is very easy, allowing me to have a few more carbs than induction and including back some veggies and other foods that were forbidden earlier. I will be in phase 2 until I get to somewhere around 230lbs so it's gonna be a while. This week I will be out on my bike at least 3 times and will try to extend my time out. Other than that no changes planned.

Weight - 348 lbs, started 367lbs

Chest - 56 Inches, started 60 inches

Stomach - 58 inches, started 64 inches

Waist - 50 inches, started 54 inches

Mid Thigh - 24.5 inches, started 25 inches

This week I will be omitting my Sunday results as part of my averages due to my fast. So on my 6 day average from Monday through Saturday here are the numbers. 21.73 carb grams, 1,940 calories. So even with my increase to phase 2 I am about 4 grams low on the carbs per day. I'll watch that this week and make sure I have my baby dill pickles handy for low carb count days. I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July out there. I have some delicious low carb recipes planned for the 4th so I can't wait!

Day 28 on Atkins 20

At the close of my 4th week all is well in Atkins land. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and once a month we fast for 24 hours and then donate what we would have eaten to the poor. This was my first fast Sunday and I can't believe how easy it was. No hunger pangs at all until maybe the last hour and even then it wasn't bad at all. My children were baking a couple of treats in the kitchen in the afternoon and although they smelled delicious, I wasn't tempted. Sometimes the smells are better than the food. I enjoyed them without blowing up my new lifestyle. There will come a point where if I want to indulge I can. That day is probably at least a year away and that's okay. If I can somehow fix in a year or 2 what has taken me 2 decades to break, I'll take it. The fact that tomorrow is weigh in day also helped me be strong. I didn't want to mess up an entire week's efforts by giving in the night before. Considering my Mondays are weigh in day and my Sundays are always the day when most treats are made in my house, I think the timing is perfect for keeping me on track. I've made it 4 weeks without cheating even once. I am proud of that and resolute to keep it going. In 1 month I will be on a trip back to Illinois which will be my biggest test. Traveling, especially diving cross country doesn't lend itself to eating healthy, but I'll find a way.

Day 28 meals:

Breakfast - Fasting

Lunch - Fasting

Dinner - 4 romaine lettuce wrapped chicken fajitas w/red peppers, avocados, sour cream

Snacks - AM - Fasting PM - Cookies & Cream shake

Total counts for day 28, 12.2g Carbs, 828 Calories, 53g fat, 64g protein

I am just a few days short of my 1 month mark and am hoping for good news from the scale in the morning. Wish me luck!

Day 27 on Atkins 20

I am approaching my weigh in on Monday and can't wait to see if my numbers have moved. I feel like they have, but only the scale and my tape will tell. I will say that I am living a much more active lifestyle already. As mentioned in previous posts I have taken to bike riding this week, although I only went twice instead of my goal of 3 times, but it is a start. On day 27 I was out there swimming though which is good exercise even if I'm not doing laps.

I ate out yesterday for the 2nd time since starting. It was a little drive-in style hole in the wall with what looked like great fries. Of course I didn't indulge. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce and a house salad. It was excellent and on plan. I again struggled with eating enough carbs although for some reason my calories were a little high for the day. I'm not going to freak out about calories 1 day out of the week. Especially when they weren't that high. I did a search on calorie maintenance and found that in order to maintain my beginning weight I was eating about 3,500 calories a day. I am now at about half of that along with cutting out the carbs. Other than that not much to add today. Just keep on rockin and rollin.

Day 27 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon, 1 low carb brownie

Lunch - Bacon cheeseburger lettuce wrapped, tomato, pickle, mayo, salad w/ranch dressing

Dinner - 2 bratwurst, 1/4 cup peperoncini peppers, 4 dill pickles

Snacks - AM - Atkins cookie & Cream shake, PM - 1 1/2 beef sticks, 1 brownie,

Total counts for day 27, 23.2g Carbs, 2,251 Calories, 150g fat, 109g protein

As I mentioned above a little high on calories but right there with carbs and good activity for the day with swimming so I know I burned calories there anyway.

Day 26 on Atkins 20

Another day on plan, another day feeling better, smaller, more energy. About my only complaint of late is a little insomnia. I woke up at 3 AM and really didn't fall back asleep at all. I figured I would need a nap at some point during the day but never took one. So I made it to about 9:30 and crashed. I sure hope I can break this before it becomes a pattern. As I adjust to phase 2 I am still trying to get my carb count in. I am used to my normal meals now, I look forward to them, but they just aren't enough. I have been looking for ways to add veggie carbs in but my stomach can't handle the quantity. Perhaps I will look at some higher carb veggies to make it easier. Green beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, asparagus and broccoli would fit. I've included all of them in my meals but not frequently enough. I continue to feel that ice blood in my veins feeling that comes with ketosis. I haven't been using the test strips to check my blood, I haven't cheated even once so I'm not worried about it.

I found a new desert recipe I gave a try today. I made almond flour brownies and they were good. Not incredible, just good. I will definitely try them again but will add more sweetener, the brownies just aren't sweet enough for me. I will post the recipe in my new recipe section I am working on soon. I do have a picture below.

Day 26 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - 4 romaine lettuce wrap tacos, avocados, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, taco meat

Dinner - 10 oz Hamburger patty, sauteed mushrooms, low-carb ketchup, 1 cup cucumber salad

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark Chocolate shake, PM - 1 brownie, 2.4 net carbs

Total counts for day 26, 21.2g Carbs, 2,098 Calories, 110g fat, 96g protein

A little higher on the calories yesterday but not ridiculously so and still under the recommended 2,200 maximum for men. I also had a good fat day getting in 145 grams which is high for me. One thing I have to watch for is not letting myself get bored eating the same things daily. I can eat the same meals over and over and if I like them not realize I am bored until it is too late. I'm not sure exactly how to battle this but perhaps I will make a point of trying a new recipe at least 3 times a week. I don't feel like I'm not getting enough variety but I do know it's something I have to safeguard against.

By the way, the chocolate chips were no sugar chips which are quite legal.

Day 25 on Atkins 20

I just wrote a big long post and somehow deleted it all. Geesh that is so demoralizing. Okay, I'll try to duplicate it. I have to admit a guilty pleasure of mine, I watch the 600lb Life on TLC. I don't know if it is for the morbid curiosity, or for motivation or maybe a little of both. For those who haven't seen it, the show follows a 600lb person for a year of their life as they go through the process of weight loss surgery in a clinic in Houston. Some of the show is produced reality TV trope but the bulk is just real, raw life as it happens to these poor lost souls. As you watch you can begin to see the patterns in each person. First, nearly everyone who gets to that size suffered abuse of some kind as a child. They learned to turn to food for comfort and in some cases for safety. If I'm fat nobody will want to do that to me again. It's really so sad and other than a few exceptions, I really just feel horrible for these people. As I sat on my recliner, eating myself into oblivion I would watch that show and wonder if I would qualify some day. If I didn't change then the answer would have easily been yes. There is a moment when each of them step on a scale for the first time in a long time and they are shocked at what their weight has gotten to. I had that moment when I first stepped on the scale 25 days ago. My scale didn't say 600+ lbs but it did say 367, which is 20 lbs higher than I'd ever been. Worse still, I was the most out of shape I'd ever been before. Even at my higher weights, I've always been pretty athletic but I'd let that go too. My job was sedentary, my life was as well. The whole package was killing me day by day. This time is different though, I feel it. Writing on this blog is a major reason why. Even if no one sees this, I am accountable every morning for what I did the day before. I have to answer to that next post and I love it.

One of the other issues I see very commonly on that show is the emotional eating derailing their efforts. Because food was their friend in their times of darkness, many of the subjects would let any happening in life derail them. It was their excuse to return to their old friend, food. In order to succeed at this a person must not just learn, but truly believe that food is not fun, it is not comforting, it is not your friend, it will not make anything better. Food addiction is the hardest because unlike tobacco or alcohol, you can't give up food. Imagine if you needed 3 cigarettes a day to survive. How hard would it be to have no more than those 3? We have to view food as fuel and nothing more. If I go out to eat it is to enjoy the company of others, not the food. I know that sounds boring, or maybe even a little impractical, but I still enjoy what I eat without letting it consume my every thought. 25 days ago my entire day was planned around what I was going to eat. Now I have so much more energy for taking my kids to the park, the splash pad, the lake, the museum. I've spent more quality time with my 3 year olds in the last 25 days than I have the last year. And I'm still 352 lbs! The difference is so huge though. I am eating so much better so even at my weight I feel terrific. I can't imagine what it will be like to get down to 250 again or 200. I will get there. There is no doubt in my mind.

It was a good day for me. I started the morning off with a bike ride although I might have to rethink my strategy there. The path I chose was all uphill for at least the first 3 miles and I didn't make it. I am simply too out of shape to climb that much all at once and at the beginning. I lasted only 20 minutes before turning around and coasting home. I will get there if I keep trying every day and I will, but today really took it out of me, even with that little time on the bike. When I got home my heart was pumping, and I was sweating profusely. I did feel better as the day wore on and did just fine at the children's museum fro 2 hours chasing my 3 year olds around.

Day 25 meals:

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - 3 beef franks with 1/4 cup peperoncini peppers, 2 cups iceberg lettuce w/nippon salad dressing

Dinner - 5 romaine lettuce wrap tacos, avocados, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, taco meat

Snacks - AM - Atkins Dark Chocolate shake, PM - no snack

Total counts for day 25, 19.3g Carbs, 1,620 Calories, 110g fat, 96g protein

As usual I struggled to get enough food in me, this time I was low on both carbs and calories by quite a bit. After exercising I just don't feel like eating anything. I guess that's a good problem to have. I'd rather be there than starving all the time and miserable. I am posting a picture of my new mountain bike below.