BE SURE TO TAKE A "BEFORE" PHOTO!

I once saw some before and after photos in a diet book. The men and women were posing in swimsuits, and the results were amazing! I decided to take a before photo of me at my highest weight, even though it was hard to do. I wanted to be able to really see the difference after I lost weight. And I wanted to have proof that I had lost weight in case someone said, “Oh, you were never overweight!” I was too shy to take a photo wearing a swimsuit, so I put on form-fitting workout clothes. Each time I lose five pounds, I put those same clothes on and my husband takes my picture, with me standing in the same spot and in the same position. The last one was taken at 3 o’clock in the morning, because my husband was leaving town. I got up, got on the scale, got dressed, took the picture, and then went back to bed!

I really suggest to everyone that you get before pictures as soon as you start Atkins. I know it might be embarrassing, but you will be glad later, when you have lost that extra weight. And besides, just because you take the picture does not mean you ever have to show it to anybody…

Take your measurements, too. The scale does not tell the whole story!

AUGUST 9, 2009 - WEEK 21 RESULTS

This week I gained 2.2 pounds

Beginning weight 141.2 pounds

Ending weight 143.4 pounds

Here is an average of my daily food intake for this past week:

1642 Calories

123g Fat (67.4%)

103.4g Protein

30.3g Carbs

15.6g Fiber

14.7g net carbs, of which 10.1g came from veggies

AUGUST 2, 2009 - WEEK 20 RESULTS

In August 2009, I went to the doctor and found out that the 10 pounds I lost were actually made up of a loss of 17 pounds of body fat and a gain of 7 pounds of muscle! At that time, I decided to stop the testosterone implant and switch to cream. Bad idea, as I was about to find out.

This photo is a "before and after" of me taken in February 2009 at my heaviest weight of 158 and in August 2009 at around 140 pounds.

On August 2, 2009 at my smallest body size, I had lost:

3/4” off my neck (13”)
1/4” off my biceps (11.5”)
2-1/4” off my bust (36”)
2” off my midriff (30.25”)
2” off my waist (29”)
5-1/2” off my navel (32.75”)
3-3/4” off my hips (38.25”)
2-1/2” off my thighs (22”)
1/2” off my calves (14”)

This week I gained 0.2 pounds

Beginning weight - 141.0 pounds

Ending weight - 141.2 pounds

Here is an average of my daily food intake for this past week:

1635 Calories

122.1g Fat (67.2%)

104.2g Protein

29.7g Carbs

13.8g Fiber

15.9g net carbs, of which 11.1g came from veggies

JULY 26, 2009 - WEEK 19 RESULTS

This week I gained 0.2 pounds.

Beginning weight – 140.8 pounds

Ending weight – 141.0 pounds

Here is an average of my daily food intake for this past week:

1690 Calories

126.8g Fat (67.5%)

107.1g Protein

30g Carbs

13.8g Fiber

16.2g net carbs, of which 10.7g came from veggies

JULY 25, 2009 - THE HAPPY FAMILY

My son Barry
My daughter-in-law Laura
My granddaughter Annelise
My grandson Will

JULY 25, 2009 - IT'S A BOY!

JULY 23, 2009 - MY "BEFORE AND AFTER" MORPHING WEIGHT LOSS VIDEO

Want to see a video that shows me losing weight right before your eyes? You can see me morph from fat to not so fat by right clicking here.

I am still a work in progress. I need to lose several more pounds of fat and put on several more pounds of muscle.

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Simple Strawberry Ice Cream (Level 2 – Ongoing Weight Loss)

makes 2 servings

1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
8 drops liquid Stevia sweetener
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. fresh strawberries, pureed or chopped finely

In a small mixing bowl, combine cream, Stevia and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Add pureed or chopped strawberries and mix well.

Divide into two bowls and place into freezer. Stir every 10 minutes until ice cream reaches the desired firmness, approximately 30 minutes.

I tried putting it in for 30 minutes without stirring, but it froze like a rock around the edges and was soft in the middle.

Nutritional information per serving:

242 calories
22.3g fat
1.8g protein
8.4g total carbs
1.7g fiber
6.7g net carbs

JULY 20, 2009 - TRIGGER FOODS

CERTAIN FOODS MAY CAUSE YOU TO OVEREAT

I recently discovered that there is a food that is causing me to want to overeat, and I find myself thinking about this food many times during the day and I am unable to resist it if I see it. And once I see it, I can't stop eating it! I found this passage particularly helpful:

Excerpt from "The All-New Atkins Advantage" by Stuart L. Trager, M.D. with Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc.

WATCH FOR TRIGGER FOODS

As you add new carbohydrate foods to your meals and snacks, pay attention to how they make you feel. The reasons for a return to overeating or eating the wrong foods may vary from the physiological (the impact they have on your blood sugar) to the psychological (how certain foods make you feel and the associations they create in your mind).

For some people, cheese is a trigger food - meaning they cannot stop with a small portion; for others it is wine and alcohol. For still others it's nuts or berries. Your trigger food may be something else entirely. Here's how to tell if you've added back a trigger food:

1) It's hard to control your portions of the food.

2) You have become preoccupied with the food.

3) You find that eating it makes you crave other higher-carbohydrate foods.

4) Eating it stimulates your appetite.

If a particular food is the culprit, get it out of the house and replace it with something else. Likewise, if you're bingeing for more than a day or two or can't seem to get back in control, go back to Induction to restart fat burning and restabilize your blood sugar as quickly as you can. If you are in control, simply go back to the the way you were eating before the binge. Be sure to have the correct foods readily available in case you are tempted again. If you've gained weight, once you are back in control, move through the levels of carb intake until you reach your CCLL (Carbohydrate Level for Losing).

Keeping a food journal can help you isolate the foods that are causing a problem. When you've identified the culprits, you have a few options:

1) Eat these carb foods in combination with fat and/or protein, as you should be doing anyway. Have your berries with a dollop of whipped cream or a handful of almonds on the side.

2) If that doesn't work, stay away from the food for a few weeks, then reintroduce it slowly by limiting the number of times you eat it to once or twice a week.

3) If you find that a food is still causing problems, you may have to stop eating it for a longer period of time. When you try to reintroduce the food, if symptoms recur, you may have to avoid it indefinitely.

4) If you discover that you're really sensitive to a food, don't "cheat" with it. Find something else to say yes to.

JULY 19, 2009 - WEEK 18 RESULTS

Beginning weight - 150 / BMI 26.57 / Body Fat 37.9%
Current weight - 140.4 / BMI 24.87 / Body Fat 33.2%
Goal weight - 125
Goal date, based on average since starting - February 19, 2010
(Since starting, I have lost an average of 1/2 pound per week.)
Goal date, based on average in the last 4 weeks - October 2, 2010
(In the last 4 weeks, I have lost an average of 1/4 pound per week.)

Here is an average of my daily food intake for this past week:

1550 Calories
115.3g Fat (66.9%)
101.2g Protein
27g Carbs
11.6g Fiber
15.5g net carbs, of which 11.2g came from veggies

I weigh on a body composition scale, so I can tell how much fat, muscle and water I have gained or lost.

Scale weight lost this week - 0.6 pounds
Fat lost this week - 1.1 pounds
Muscle gained this week - 0.4 pounds
Water gained this week - 0.1 pounds
Total scale weight lost since starting - 9.6 pounds

Since starting, I have lost 6.4% of my total body weight. I need to lose another 10.3%. I have lost 38.4% of the 25 pounds I need to lose.

According to my doctor, I needed to lose 35 pounds of fat, and gain 10 pounds of muscle. So far, I have lost 8.7 pounds of fat, and gained 0.9 pounds of muscle/water.

I've also been keeping track of my measurements on fitday. I measure every Sunday.

Neck 13.75 - 13.00 = 3/4 inch down
Bicep 11.75 - 11.5 = 1/4 inch down
Forearm 9.00 - 9.00 = same
Bust 38.25 - 36.00 = 2-1/4 inch down
Midriff 32.25 - 30.00 = 2-1/4 inches down
Waist 31.50 - 29.00 = 2-1/2 inches down
Navel 38.25 - 33.50 = 4-3/4 inches down (the heart health zone, so this is great!)
Hips 42.00 - 38.50 = 3-1/2 inches down
Thigh 24.50 - 22.00 = 2-1/2 inches down
Calf 14.50 - 14.25 = 1/4 inch down

Total lost this week - 2-3/4 inches
Total lost since starting - 22 inches

In the past week, I started increasing my calories again, and this time I have continued to lose! I'm not sure whether to attribute it to PaceBook exercising or a healing metabolism, but whichever it is, I'll take it!

I am taking my supplements, including Acetyl L-carnitine, and drinking 92 oz. of water each day.

I am doing the Pacebook recommendations for modified cardio on the treadmill, and I do the weight lifting machines at the gym.

I also do a 1-hour Hatha Yoga class twice per week.