Atkins, Week One

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

yup - no "devil juice" !

Well I BLEW it last night. CRAP. I got off work late, met my hubby for Meican Food. I had to go to the doctors AGAIN - (so sick of this crap), so I was a bit in the dumps. I ate chips and salsa, has two AF beers, and then two tortillas with green chile verde (pork). Didn't think I did that bad, skipped the rice and beans. Anyway, I just went to the Atkins site and added it up and the chips, the two tortilla and the two af beers added to about 60 CARBS! - O M FLIPIN' G I thought it would be bad, but not that bad. When I looked it up I almost died!

Anyway, I am NOW batteling a cold, but I am determined to stay on this. I am going to right on through Thanksgiving, even if I have to eat the entire frickin' turkey! - ha-ha!

oh, wel, I guress it's like a slip on the booze - lesson learned. Right back on the saddle for me, though!!!!

MM

[Doggygirl]

Atkins, Week One

Hi - Can I join?

Eating low carb is THE best way for me to eat. I was one of those lucky SOB's who didn't have to try hard to stay within 10 pounds or so of my idea weight UNTIL...I turned 40. Then blammo - I gained 50 pounds seemingly overnight. (I'm 49 now). A few years ago I went low carb (but didn't stop drinking all together - obviously) and lost 50 and felt great. Until I somehow messed up my back. Went through months of chiro and physical therapy blah blah blah to no avail - resulting in surgery. Somehow through all that I lost track of my good eating habits and here I am again. I MUST get AL out of might life and get this excess weight off. Diabetes (II) runs in my family and the alcohol + eating crap = bad bad bad for me.

Yesterday was an AF day (yeah!!) and a low carb day. For now, I am not following Atkins to the letter - more like Protein Power if you are familiar with that low carb iteration. The goal is 30G per day NET carbs (total carbs less fiber carbs). Yesterday's menu:

B: 2 eggs (organic ones! yeah!) over medium with about 3 oz (guessing) of not-organic-at-all Bob Evans HOT sausage on the side.

L: Salad with about 3 cups lettuce (mixed greens), some green pepper, 1/2 a small avacodo, about 3 oz ham, a few grape tomatoes, some red onion, some cucumber and some zesty Italian Dressing. (nothing organic in the lot I don't think!)

D: Roast Turkey Breast and "fauxtatoes" (mashed cauliflower) with a little bit of "not made low carb" gravy.

When I did LC the first time around, I tried "fauxtatoes" once and though EE GADS THATS GROSS even though I like cauliflower. I don't recall what recipe I used - must have been a funky one. If you like cauliflower (cuz they still have a cauliflower taste!!) and miss mashed potatoes, here the recipe I've "tweaked" to my own liking:

1 head cauliflower - washed and cut into florets
2 - 4 TBS butter
2 - 4 TBS cream cheese
1 C (or so) organic vegetable broth (original recipe calls for water - could also try chicken broth)
2 TBS 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream
Salt & pepper
Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Boil the cauliflower in the broth & cream until soft (the cream cuts the strong cauliflower taste in the end "fautatoes").

Drain the cauliflower well (this is an important step - otherwise they will be runny)

Put the cauliflower in a food processor or blender with the butter and cream cheese. I adust the amount of each depending on how big the head of cauliflower was - 2TBS of each for a small head - more for larger heads) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Whiz until smooth.

Put "fauxtatoes in a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese if desired. Warm in oven or microwave before serving.

I like to use the cheese if I'm serving this with a non-gravy or sauce inclusive meat dish. (i.e. steak on the grill or something). I skip the grated cheese for serving with gravied or sauced items.

I've also been experimenting with different types of salts. I like a combo of Vege-Sal and Sea Salt for this dish better than regular iodized salt.

Many of you experienced LC'ers already know about fauxtatoes. But if you are newer to LC, thought you might like this recipe with Turkey Day looming!

DG

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

I forgot about "fauxtatos" - I LOVE THEM.. I'm going to go get some cauliflower today.. feeling crappy - that will be my comfort food for tonight... Glad you are here!!

MM

[trixietrack]

Atkins, Week One

so sorry meditation mama. just get back up and start over
last night for dinner I had steamed asparagus with butter lemon and soy sauce.
I also ate stir fried (no batter) oysters, and cheese after dinner.
I think I need more protein, I was at the gym last night and felt a bit spacey.

tonights dinner is
calfs liver fried in onions
stir fried napa cabbage
some more of tha yummy cheese.

[Doggygirl]

Atkins, Week One

Hi MM! - I meant to add that I'm SORRY about your Fiesta experience last night. Those chips are so hard to avoid if they are anywhere on the top of the table. Today is a new day. And yes, ITA about Fauxtatoes being great "comfort food" now that I finally found a way to make them that I like. Enjoy! If you come up with any new twists on them, I'm all ears. (or eyes I guess)

Trixie, I wanna come to YOUR house for dinner! Liver and onions is an old fave of mine from childhood. Unfortunately, DH HATES liver, and can't even tolerate the smell of liver in the house. There is one restaurant in town that makes GREAT liver and onions, but we don't go out to eat much. Which brings up another thing that might be worth a mention...

A few years ago somebody turned me onto a little old fashioned butcher shop in town. It's buried in one of the "old neighborhoods" (while things are more mixed up these days, our town used to have specific pockets where people from particular "old countries" tended to move in). Anyway, their meat is a bit more expensive than the major grocery stores, it is LIGHT YEARS better. They use only the top grades of meat, and their meat is very, very fresh. I try to buy all my chicken, pork and beef there. What we do to make this work in the budget is just not go out to eat hardly ever. We used to go out at least once per week. I would rather have a $15 melt in your mouth Filet Mignon at home, than a $15 middle of the road...whatever you can get these days for $15...in a restaurant.

If you can find something like that near you, give it a try. To me anyway, it's well worth a little bit extra because the quality difference is very apparent.

Speaking of comfort food....anyone else think macaroni and cheese is a good comfort food now forbidden? If so, let me know and I'll post a recipe that I like instead of mac and cheese.

MM - thanks for starting this thread. It's getting me REALLY motivated to Git-R-Done and get this weight off and also just eat right for my body and health.

OK - off to Curves I go.

DG

[trixietrack]

Atkins, Week One

when I was typing up my dinner menu I thought I might gross a few people out. glad you like liver doggygirl. I bought mine at the polish butcher store which is like what you mention.
really good fresh stuff.
macaroni and cheese is not comfort food for me ( I am south American) but it sure is yummy.
spanish garlic soup is. and rice and beans and grilled chicken ( a la parilla)
mmm I think the spanish garlic soup could fit in with the atkins.
mostly tomatoe and garlic.
will post the recipe.
trix

[xtexan]

Atkins, Week One

About those chips...

Now that I am at goal (actually a little below), I finally bought a bag of those yellow corn tortilla chips with some salsa (hot pace).

Only difference now, is that I carefully measure out only 2 to 3 ounce of chips, and 2 to 3 ounce of salsa. This is now just a once a week "reward" on Fridays. God is it good.

Yesterday, I had a low carb day, at about the 20 gram level, but am "saving" up my weekly carb ration for Friday night again. Today will be about a 125 gram carb day, as I plan to work out hard this evening.

Still at 177, but some days I just want to keep the carbs very low at induction levels. It is a learned thing perhaps. A learned instinct to stay thin, because it feels so damn good.

Anyway, the important thing is to get the fat burning train rolling good. The reward is there. I never thought I would need a belt to hold up the 34 waist jeans. 5 months ago, 36 waist were getting very tight.

It works if you want it to work. BTW, I am checking my blood sugar with a diabetic type monitor system at intervals before and after meals. All is copacetic, but I like the numbers and data to keep the motivation consistent. Fasting blood sugar is about 84-85 mg, and after a mega-carb meal (>50 grams at one setting), it is about 125 mg. Good to go.

Neil

[Doggygirl]

Atkins, Week One

Spanish Garlic Soup!!

Please Please give recipe oh Trixie! I still have some home canned tomatoes from last season. Tomatoes are one of the "moderate" carb foods that I seem to tolerate OK. (better than low carb sweets, better than cheese, etc.) If some experimentation and collaberation is needed to adapt the recipe for LC, count me in to help and "taste test!"

xtexan, I like chicken liver too. My Granny (R.I.P) used to fry 'em up in a pan along with gizzards and hearts. I would FIGHT for the livers. (no gizzards for me thank you very much). You bring up such a good point about exercise - and I am one of the most naturally lazy people on the planet. I have come to accept that I MUST MUST MUST exercise - including both cardio and resistance in order to have a hope of achieving any sort of health goals. Congratulations on your obvious progress, and your maintenance learning/success!

I really like my Curves workouts. The time passes even faster when Ricky Martin [ame=

]YouTube - she bangs ricky martin[/ame] is on the playlist. (where is our groping smiley!)

It's Low Carb and AF so far today! One moment at a time.

DG

ETA: LOL, I am sad to report that I did NOT in fact, bang Ricky Martin. The youtube poster maybe shoulda titled that one "Ricky Martin - She Bangs." But a girl can dream.

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

EGGS

That's all I can muster up today.. eggs for breakfast, eggs for lunch and probably eggs for dinner. Good thing my husband is sleeping in the spare bedroom because of my sickies!:H

MM

[Doggygirl]

Atkins, Week One

meditation mama;224673 wrote: That's all I can muster up today.. eggs for breakfast, eggs for lunch and probably eggs for dinner. Good thing my husband is sleeping in the spare bedroom because of my sickies!:H

MM

MM, are you OK? OY I can imagine eating eggs for breakie every day, but not for every meal every day. What's UP?? (or down) Sorry - I'm not all caught up on all threads - might have missed something. I hope you are not sick or anything!!!!!!!

((((((MM)))))))) hugs

DG

[Doggygirl]

Atkins, Week One

Good morning and happy Friday! Yesterdays take:

B - Atkins shake (best I could do on cleaning lady day) Oops - should also include tomato juice for the AllOne. (that's another reason I'm following Protein Power carb levels more so than Atkins induction)

L - Big salad with cukes, red onion, green & red pepper, a few grape tomatoes, blue cheese and ham. Cucumber Ranch dressing yum.

D - Leftovers - Turkey & fauxtatoes with a little non-LC gravy.

Snack - I was hungry after dinner and had 3 of the tiny size of Slim Jims and some Swiss Cheese.

Here is a recipe I like for Chicken Soup. MM, I wish I could make you some and bring it to your house. Can you get hubby to make you this?? Chicken Soup I - Allrecipes I just go easy on the carrots. You could even leave carrots out all together for a more induction friendly version. I haven't run this through a "counter" to see what the actual carb counts are though...

I realized after pondering RJ's message yesterday in the "Seminar at the Inn" thread (in monthly abs) that I must NOT EVER skip meals if I am to be successful at AF. Especially in the early stages, I DO get confused between hunger and thirst.

Well, I'll be off to Curves shortly for my 5th workout this week. Life is good.

[blondie]

Atkins, Week One

Hi All,

I've been on and off Atkins for a while and love it; it's so easy and helped my cholesterol, etc. But falling off the wagon bumped things up again, so I started lc and af last week! So I'd like to join too!

And, Doggygirl (hello again!) macaroni cheese - yumm!!!. I could live on that. I haven't eaten it for years because I know I wouldn't stop, so I'd love to have your lc version, please!

I've got about 14lbs I'd like to lose, so now it's out there...
blondie

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

OK... all feeling a bit better! I think I can muster more than eggs today!

Blondie - WELCOME!! Please, join in!!

I wanted to share a few things that I have noticed and have made adustments in my supplements to overcome.

I think that some of us may tend to get a little bloated from soduim on the low carb diets, because we are eating higher sodium foods and more meats, and our body wants to hang on to it, it's looking for things to hang onto before it starts to burn the fat. So, there is a wonderful little item called Dandelion in comes in a tincture - looks like this... You can find it in most health food stores, or this company I use a lot. It comes in either an alcohol base or glycerine base - get the glycerine base - we know why. Anyway, you can either put this in your tea, if you drink tea in the morning (I drink a wonderful pomegranate green tea), or make a tea from it (not so great). Drinking Tea is a good habit to get into.. Put about 25 droppers in in the morning and you will pee-away!!!

The other thing I found is that BULK fiber is better than fiber capsules. Our intestinal metabolism slows on this LC diet and we are not getting the fibers from grains, so a fiber is ESSENTIAL! The bulk fibers mixed with water are the best. There are a few choices out there, but go slow for the first week, then you can add more if you need to. I LOVE the Dr. Natura Colonix Colonix Intestinal Cleanser Fiber Supplement. It is the absolute best on the market for colon cleansing. You can go deeper into colon cleansing on this site, but BEWARE of the picture gallery!!! Anyway Colon health is VERY important, and it will help with the weight loss! I do a full colon cleanse once ayear...

These two things are going to keep our plumbing nice and healthy and the weight loss going! Let me know if you have anything that comes up... I mean.. well you know what I mean.. nutritionally..

Best,

MM

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

OK.. so now my food for the day

Today : 19 Carbs

Breakfast
Scrambled Egg Whites
Turkey Sausage (3)
Protein Drink with AllOne (2)

Snack
Think Thin Bar (2)

Lunch
4 Turkey / Sharp White Cheddar Roll Ups (2)
Romain Salad w/ Italian Spritzer Dressing (2)

Snack
28 almonds (2)

Dinner
Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs
Fauxtatoes (YEAH!) 1 cup (3)
Salad with Cucumbers and Oil and Vinegar (1)

Desert
Pria Cookies and Caramel Low carb Bar (2)

Gotta run!

Namaste,

MM

[meditation mama]

Atkins, Week One

Hi guys!

Todays Menu: 20 carbs

Breakfast
Protein Shake w/ Yogurt and AllOne (5)

Snack
Think Thin Bar (2)

Lunch
Lean Hamburger Patty w/ Cheese
1 BIG JUICY PICKLE (2)

Snack
28 almonds (2)

Dinner
Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs
Fauxtatoes (YEAH!) 1 cup (3)
Salad with Cucumbers and Oil and Vinegar (1)
(ended up eating out last night)

Desert
1/2 Yogurt (5)

Chow for now!

MM