BonnieMcC

renewed--I understand what you are saying about that moment of "grrrrr its NOT FAIR!" but even the skinny people die of heart attacks from eating too many cheeseburgers and fries! Congrats on your new way of thinking and making healthy choices.

Congrats Laura! Thats a huge loss!!!

Congrats on being overweight! :eek: Thats sounds silly to say but coming from morbidly obese that is WONDERFUL! I gotta lose one more pound to go from morbidly obese to "just obese" haha! I hope by the end of the week to be obese. HAHAHA! *oops I just did the gov bmi chart after I posted...I have to lose THREE more pounds to be just obese! grrrr! So lets just hope by the end of July I will be there!

I know its so frustrating not to lose, but you can't give in! So put the honey nut cheerios away because no loss is still better than a gain!!! Have your been journaling? Drinking all your water? Are you eating enough calories? Maybe there is something going on...who knows! We all go through periods like that but you CANT give in because you have a goal to hit and it only takes a few bad decisions to blow weeks of hard work! This time everytime I go to cheat I think of how I did that before and how I gained...and in past diets I not only gained, but I totally gave in and gained everything back and more! I think of where I would be today if I just would have stuck to the diet I started x years ago (trust me I have been on some kind of diet every year since I was 18 years old!) So stick with it and you WILL see results! You deserve it!

Annika, Congrats on your NEW one pound!

So yesterday my bff and I went to a casino that just opened here in Indiana. We got there around 7pm and I did not get home until 6am this morning!!! We seriously played video slots all night long on just a couple hundred dollars. It was so fun...even though we came home broke. There was one time when I played on $10 for 3 hours! There were several times where we should have just cashed out but noooooooo.... The point of my story... I hadn't had anything to eat since lunch and planned on eating dinner at the casino, but when we got there we were totally drawn in and missed dinner. We were both starving on the way home and she wanted to stop at IHOP. As much as I wanted to say yes, I resisted and she ordered a to go order. It smelled so good but I remember how I felt a day earlier about the pizza and I didn't want to ruin in with pancakes or stuffed french toast. Also I knew I was going home to go to bed and I didn't want to fall asleep on a stomach full of crap food. I now feel great about my decision!

it will be a long while before I get banded. I have to wait for insurance approval and if its approved my doc still has a 3-4 month wait for surgeries and then I have to wait for restriction....sheesh...hopefully I won't have too many more slip ups. I am not mad that I ate pizza. It would have been different if I was starving and I ate 4 slices. I ate it out of spite and selfishness. Thats what makes me mad about it. but its over now...doing my best to stay on track but the extra carbs blew my energy level. Its 2:30 and I just woke up from an hour and half nap! Its probably best that I napped anyway because my bff and I are going to a new casino tonight and will be up gambling all night long..or until the well runs dry!

Thanks for all the support guys! I drank my shake this morning and I am already feeling like I want to get back on track. I am not going to beat myself up over it, but it was good reminder on why I really want the band. If I had the band there would be NO WAY I could eat all that pizza...and binging is my only problem. I am either on a diet or binging big time. You guys are the best. I am so glad I have you for support!

WHY? Oh WHY did I do that? My son had a friend spend the night and we order pizza. We had a buy on get one free coupon and we soooo did not need 2 pizzas. My husband is out of town so no one for me to hide from and I ate FOUR slices of the pizza! I was so sick but not sick enough to stop me from my old habits of "Well I already cheated so I may as well have a big bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup!" Now this morning I am sick, I gained 1.5 pounds and I dont even have a TRACE of ketosis! I really thought I had that old way of thinking conquered, but this was a hard lesson. I really feel like crap today. I don't EVER want to do that again. It didn't taste or feel near as good as it used to. I hope to have even a trace of ketosis by monday! :cool::frown::crying::mad::smile::thumbup::frown::smile2:

Has anyone tried Walden Farms products? My vegan sister swears by their products (sold in some grocery stores and online---website tell you stores in your area click here ---> Creamy Peanut Spread ) and I was looking at the website with her and they have pnut butter that is carb free!!! its also fat and calorie free and I asked her about it and she said that it isn't made from peanuts (its probably some soy thing) but she said it is sooo good...just like real peanut butter---of course her taste buds are probably off from all the mother earth products she eats. She said a lot of their products are really good and most are carb free. She said she usually finds them in the diabetic food section. I think I am going to try it if they have it at my local grocery store! If I do, i will let you know what i think of it. *edit* I just read some reviews on another website and lots of people said it was disgusting...second thought...NOT GOING TO BUY IT! The good news is that the reviewers said that all of the other low carb products from walden farms were really good. So check out the website anyway!

There are only 2 kinds at my Walmart of the EAS bars, they are a few shelves up from EAS shakes (that are impossible for them to keep in stock!) They also have them at CVS but they are more expensive there...but a great deal if get them on sale as CVS so watch for sales! As far as Ketostix, I too am obsessed. Although I usually repeat a lot of my meals day after day (I am okay with redundancy) I still check my stix in the morning. Last night I ate a handful of mixed nuts before bed. I was mad at myself for doing that because I already had to eat dinner at 9pm. I don't really like to eat before bed anymore. I had to get up and make sure I was still in ketosis...which I was. That makes me want to keep going---just like renewed said. I hope I will eventually stop using them and just know that I am, but not for now!

Thats great Nance. I love to read all of these nighttime eating success stories. Nighttime eating is B A D for us and glad to see others are conquering it as well!

I like the Atkins bars (both snack and protein) but I really love the low carb EAS bars. They seem a lot more filling to me and for some reason I eat them a little slower. I like the pnut butter ones and the brownie ones. You gotta really watch out though ladies...ALWAYS check the carb content. Just because its high in protein doesnt mean its low in carbs. There are not near as many low carb bars as there are high protein/high carb bars. Just a little advice.

CALM DOWN WOMAN!!! Just kidding! :biggrin: You are doing awesome! You are right though. When ketosis kicks in the cravings go away, but once you cheat...watch out!:eek:

Cindy congrats on the weightloss! Thats great that you didn't need the fill and you and your doctor were wise enough to KNOW that! Since I am not banded I always think "What if he fills it too tight???" I have read posts about some people not even be able to get their own saliva down!!! Whats up with that???? You have been doing great with your low-carb diet. Even better is that you went to McD's and got a salad! Now THAT is committment!

my c25k went well today. I actually felt like I was "in the groove" rather than fighting to keep up. One more day of week one and I know for a fact that I am ready for week 2!

welcome cutie! Sure you can join us!

whosya, were you athletic when you were in high school?I have always wondered if it was easier (and by I easier I dont mean EASY!) for people who were formally athletic to get back into shape and to love the athletic lifestyle more than those who weren't. I never played any sports and wouldn't say I was athletic when I was younger, but always more on the muscular side. Throughout my early/mid 20's I was really into aerobics and roller blading (Which I would LOOOOVE to roller blade again! The only thing stopping me is the fear of someone saying "look at the fat lady on skates!!"). I always thought it was easier for me to lose weight than most people because of my former exercise routines. BUT I always gained it back faster than anyone else I knew! Let us know how the wednesday nights go!

I never keep the bars in the house. If I did, I would eat them too much. I only get them if I am out for the day and will be tempted by bad lunch choices. I do keep the shakes fully stocked and usually have 2 a day, one for breakfast and one for late afternoon snack. The sugar alcohol thing doesn't knock me out of ketosis either. I had two of those bars yesterday and was in heavy ketosis this morning...which is actually a jump up from moderate where I have been!

Haha! Thats our girl! Don't claim it!!! Our weight gain is a mix of a lot of different things, but I really think for me its mostly a head game. Sure I can look at all of my morbidly obese relatives and think "Its all in genes, no wonder I am fat" but when I really think about all the food I ate that made me fat and the "all or nothing" attitude I have had for years, its all about making changes in my head and at 36 years old I am finally starting to realize that! SO...another temptation coming up...my husband has left town for the next 4 days in meetings. It will just be me and my kiddos. This USED to be the perfect time for me to cheat...no one I have to hide food from. I used to pig out on fast food and junk food when he would go away. This will be a real test. Already I am making plans with my bff (and my best eating buddy) to go out Sat night for dinner. I hope I continue to make good choices. Wish me luck!!!

mamato, let me know how you like your step class. I have always loved step aerobics. In the past I have always dropped weight like crazy while stepping! Speaking of stepping, because I was at an amusement park all day yesterday, I didn't get to do by 5k, doing it today though. I had just went to the same park in May and felt miserable, now almost 20 pounds lighter (but still obese) I felt on top of the world running around the park. Sure the belts were a little snug on some of the rides. I was having some trouble climbing all the steps to get to the top of some of the rides. That was a good reminder on why I need to keep up the exercise. I want to be able to run up the steps like I used to.

yesterday I went to an amusement park and I had struggled with the thoughts "to cheat or not to cheat" I had all these reasons in my head why I should cheat like "I love elephant ears and dippin dots!" or "do it before I get banded" or "my sister that I haven't seen in 4 years is in town so go for it" We went to the grocery store the night before and I stood in front of the Atkins bars debating on buying them or cheating. I chose NOT to buy them...that way I would HAVE to buy junk food. Right before I left for the park I stopped by CVS and stood in front of the bars again. This time I chose to buy them. I bought two. I get to the park and at lunch and for a snack I ate my bars (even though I was bitter about it) and I was so happy I did. I just kept thinking of how miserable I would be if I ate sugar (seriously gives me a headache if I am in ketosis if I eat it now!) I was thinking of how I would blow my ketosis, how I would be mad at myself. I woke up this morning and had lost a pound and half!! woo hoo! It paid NOT to cheat. My skinny vegan sister DID cheat (she is like me, if you have a little, you want it all and struggled with her weight until she moved to california and turned vegan) She was so mad at herself later. I totally get it though. I think for the first time in my life I GET it. Its not all about the food, its about family, friends and LIFE! I had such a great time with my littlest son who JUST grew to 48inches and could ride all the big kid rides and I had a BLAST riding with him. He was so brave. I let my day be about my kids and not about food. So word of advice: TAKE THE HEALTH BARS WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES!!!

Wendy, I know what you mean about being out of the gym for awhile. Its hard to get started back up. I have done that throughout the past several years of my life. I have had a gym membership throughout the whole time I have been overweight and I go religiously and then if I miss a few days (or months!) it is so hard to get back into the groove. You feel like its day one again!

Mal, Thats funny about wanting to turn around a bow because I think that too. Or I want yell "YESSSSSSSSSS!" but I am afraid it will sound too orgasmic! haha! I have a hard enough time not singing along with my iPod while in the gym. Luckily there are no lyrics to podrunner (even if there were, I am too out of breath to sing!)

Annika--- Are the slimfast shakes a regular part of your diet? I have been drinking EAS or Atkins, but the store was out of both so I picked up some slimfast shakes. I noticed that I drink them a lot faster (they arent as thick as the others) and they tasted sweeter (which I wasn't crazy about after getting all the sugar out of my system) and it seemed that I was hungry quicker after drinking them. How do you feel after drinking them? Have you tried other brands? Anyone else drinking low carb shakes?