I am blessed to have so many kind people who ask me all of the time what I’m doing to lose so much weight so fast. I know I’m not terribly helpful, so I’m hoping that if I can put together one thoughtful (and oh I’m so thoughtful) and thorough (oh, you got me there. I still put my bra on backwards) response, then maybe this might shed some light on my success regarding Atkins.
What plan are you following?
- The way foods are added back in (in 5-gram increments) was exciting to a youth who used those carbs to eat jell-o pudding pops (they were within acceptable bounds), but I always added foods back not based on their nutritive values but based upon whether it was chocolate or peanut butter.
- The way foods are added back in the 2002 version allows folks to go from foods less likely to cause issues to foods more likely to cause issues, using each Atkins rung as a means of rotational dieting. This pretty much allows a person to determine almost immediately which foods suit their systems badly.
How did you lose so much weight so quickly?
Are you doing the Kimkins Plan?
What do you eat in a day?
OK, so shut up already. What are you eating?
Breakfast options
Oopsie rolls as French toast with butter and davincis hazelnut syrup
Bacon (low sodium)
#Sodium platter (essentially a snack plate, will explain more later)
Lunch options
*Oopsie mini pizzas (v) if fresh spinach is used
*Oopsie rolls with a baconator and a Caesar side salad (Wendys) (v)
Oopsie spicy Italian sub (v)
*Wisconsin broccoli cheese soup (v)
*Chix’ Boneless Buffy Wings
* Lamb gyro and tzatziki (v) with sides
Taco salad (v)
Red Robin Guacamole Bacon burger with oopsie rolls and steamed vegetables (v)
Pizza toppings
Spicy chicken/turkey stir-fry (v)
* Mashed cauliflower and gravy (v)
*Savory Chowder (v)
Spaghetti squash with Alfredo sauce and pine nuts (v)
Snack Options
Flax cracker with dilled cream cheese
String cheese
Babybel cheese
Olives
One ounce of nuts
Celery (v)
Broccoli (v)
Cherry tomatoes (I eat them like little apples) (v)
Deviled eggs
Small chef salad with a hard-boiled egg (v)
Dessert Options
Oopsie rolls with butter and SF davincis syrup
Snow cones (yes, even in winter!)
Diet orange soda
Diet Dr Pepper chocolate cherry soda with 2 Tbsp cream (cream may be frozen for a ‘float’ feeling)
Diet root bear with whipping cream (read above)
I eat when hungry, stop when no longer hungry, and it’s not unusual for me to start a meal and have to finish it later because I’m just not as hungry as I used to be. I always temper vegetables with a protein and/or fat, and nuts especially since they can wreak havoc on the blood sugar.
Yes, indeed! Even at my size, I know that without boosting metabolism (which requires building at least the slow-twitch muscles) I’m never going to burn fat and make my furnace more efficient. That said, I need to hit the treadmill every night.
When will you post your progress photos?
e ever has. If you need that kind of friendly support, look at tops.org for more information. Their plan is a high-carb one, but they welcome folks of all weight loss persuasions.
I have a question.
What happened between your success in 2004 and your current start weight? Was the 55 pounds you lost origionally added back? If so, what do you attest this to?
This is coming from someone who lost 100+ pounds in 2004 in 7 months. I maintained that loss for 4 months. Then a large amount of stress entered my life (jobs, home construction, jobs, transfers, 5000 mile moves, jobs, home construction) and right back to my old way of eating (5000+ calories a day of pure carb for the most part). Over the subsequent 3 years, I crawled back to 318 pounds, within 2 pounds of where I was when I started in 2004.
Last fall I started looking at glycemic index and tried to diet using it but I wasn’t motivated and I just remember how much easier it was on Atkins.
When I started last week I found an old post of yours regarding combinging OWL stage of atkins with concepts of glycemic load from Thompson’s book. I ordered the book right away and can’t wait to read it. When I started 6 days ago, I decide I wouldn’t be as strict in induction or I guess skip it. I am essentially eating maybe 18 almonds a day, artifically sweetened yogurt every other day, an orange every other day. I am down 12 pounds, I am in Ketosis (total ketosis mouth and the strips are bordering purple) so I have room to add.
My issue, is I really don’t think I eat enough so I’m trying to eat more this time around. I want my weight loss to be slower. I don’t want to drop this 100lbs again (+ 20 more this time) and end up sticking it back on. Trying to make it more of a food attitude change then a diet. Learning to drive by fast food joints instead of eating from them 14 times a week. If only I could tolerate cream cheese it would be so much easier by the sounds of it with your oopsie rolls.
I enjoy your blog and please keep it up.
My progress this time can be found attached to the same thread I tracked it in last time, including the disgusting start picture and my last ending picture last time around for my own motivation this time:
Bagadonitz Low Carb Site
Hello there!
I know it can be really confusing, so I appreciate you asking.
In 2004, I began Atkins 2002 for the first time. I lost 55 pounds the first 3 months, and 115 pounds total in 7 months. The problem was largely that I was too afraid to eat because I was still mentally adhering to the ’72 plan, and I was not exercising and making this a lifestyle. Plus, I was obsessing about food and eating very little instead of adding in exercise (or real food) in a meaningful way. As a result, coupled with a stressful move and I ended up taking 2007 away. Result? I gained everything back–plus. I am a binge eater when I’m not low-carbing. I have no idea why, but something in my brain chemistry goes wacky and I obsess about food all of the time. Atkins and very low glycemic load are the only things which keep me from going down that very slippery slope.
It sounds like you can relate to some degree! I am so sorry to hear you also did so well and then fell back to old patterns when stress hit!
WOW on doing so well on Thompson’s plan! You are losing so much weight! Isn’t it wonderful? I REALLY love the low glycemic load way of eating very much.
I really like it coupled with the modified OWL concept, because while you DO experience the slightest amount of induction flu, you hardly notice that you’re moving into lipolysis. Your choices are more varied, and to eat yogurt and berries from day one? Superb! No phases? Does it get any better than that??
I applaud your willingness to slow things down slightly, and I understand that it is so easy to under eat due to the stabilization of blood sugar coupled with ketosis.
If I wasn’t trying to drop a lot of weight incredibly quickly, I’d be following Thompson’s plan with modified OWL numbers instead of Atkins induction. I’m not using as a crash diet this time around, and it sounds like you and I are both follow sane plans with sanity!
Try the oopsie rolls by making only 1 egg’s worth. This way, if you absolutely hate them, you’re only out one egg. You don’t notice the cream cheese. You really only notice that you’re eating your food with your hands! It is so AWESOME! I’m going to Red Robin for my birthday and I’m going to get their biggest guacamole burger!
I’m going to check out your stats! Please keep me posted about your progress and thanks so much for this discussion. I am very excited for you!
Jamie
Wow! Congratulations on stopping smoking, and on your previous success!
You’re doing so well!
*applause*
Yes I left the smoking part out here before. I actually forget about it which is a good sign.
Today I feel much better and ate more. Already feeling the great way I did back in 2004 after just 6 days this time. It’ll take a few weeks to find a good balance of what can and can’t go into my trap and what amount but as of now I’m again feeling satisfied with probably 1400-1600 calories (i’m not really counting) including probably 35-40 grams of carbs.
Tomorrow is my first weight in and of course that is just water. Next week tells the tale. I’m a daily scalie but I know enough not to fret on those occasion days that I jump. They are usually a good sign of too much carbs or not enough water.
Glad I found your blog. I will try the oopsie cakes but I doubt I will take to them. My friends and family call me the cream cheese detector. I can taste it in trace amounts and I hate it. And egg yolks. These limit my choices (no cream cheese bread substitutes or quiches) but I managed before, I’ll manage again.
bagadonitz– You sound very reasonable! That is perhaps the most difficult part of not doing Atkins– finding out which foods cause cravings and which are extremely filling. I was shocked to find out that full-fat yogurt didn’t make me hungry. I usually was able to have blueberries and flax seed meal with it and would be full for a few hours afterwards!
Let me know how you’re doing with your weight. If you’re exercising, you’re going to burn even more through slow-twitch muscle usage!
If you want to try oopsies and hate cream cheese, you could try using mayonnaise in place of the cream cheese. I’m thinking the jump in calories might be a bit much, but considering that a couple is all you need for a burger, they’re probably all the more self-limiting.
Speaking of mayo, have you seen the Chipotle mayonnaise?! It is TDF if you like zippy foods!
Cream cheese does not a diet make, for certain! This way of eating opens folks up to so many options out there, from breaded chicken and mozzarella sticks, to chowder– you name it! The fun part is discovering what you like to eat and not feeling like you’re being overly restricted.
Exercise was never the problem. Lately I have been stagnant as far as exercise for the sake of exercising but the last time around my weight loss was helped along a great deal by taking up distance running. It has been a while but getting back to doing that is what made me quit smoking and is making me lose the weight again (among other things of course). I want to do a full marathon next time and would rather do it at 210 or so then at the 280 I was for the half marathon of the 318 I was last week.
Alas I have to get down to 280 or less again before I start running so off to walk on the threadmill. There is nothing I hate more then a treadmill but walking outdoors this time of year where I live in the dark (the only time my schedule permits it) is not an option. I need some wireless headphones so I can hear the tv. If I turn it up, it wakes the kids.
Anyways, it is treadmill time now.
Cordless headphones are AWESOME.
You’re doing so well! This is going to be your year!
Hi!
I just happened to stumble into your site while searching low carb friends. Thank you for sharing so much of your experience. You have great ideas and information. I am living Atkins for the _th time… My husband and I are doing it together this time and we are going strong. That helps so much! I am excited to try your recipes as I feel like I hit a gold mine here when I was looking for some to add to my collection. Keep up the good work!
Take Care,
Sara
Sara
Thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m so happy you have found something here of value for you on your very exciting journey!
Here is to your immense success! Please keep me posted on your progress!
With love,
Jamie
Can you tell us how you make the spicy Italian sub that you listed for lunch options? 🙂
You bet your sweet bippee!
Let me get that for you this week. I haven’t made it in awhile and need to think it through. It’s loaded, though!
Jamie