It occurred to me some people might get the wrong idea about low carb since carbohydrates are not needed by the body.
It's still LOW carb, not NO carb, but it is interesting that most people base their diets on something their bodies don't even need. I prefer to base my diet on the things my body needs to work at its peak potential. Its all part of taking care of my "temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
I'll be updating more on Jonny's book as I get further into it. This is a great book and a must read if you still think low fat is the only healthy way to go.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Living the Low Carb Life, take 2
Do we need carbohydrates to survive?
The answer may surprise you. It's NO.
From Living the Low Carb Life, page 23:
"...the body has no physiological need for carbohydrates. You cannot live without protein. You cannot live without fat. But you can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates. No one is saying you ought to, or that you have to - just that you can. This is simple basic human biochemistry" (emphasis in original).
The answer may surprise you. It's NO.
From Living the Low Carb Life, page 23:
"...the body has no physiological need for carbohydrates. You cannot live without protein. You cannot live without fat. But you can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates. No one is saying you ought to, or that you have to - just that you can. This is simple basic human biochemistry" (emphasis in original).
So tired
Whew! Worked my butt off in the gym today. I thought I'd start with the treadmill at an incline, but got lucky and found a free elliptical. I did that for 60 minutes. Then I wandered over to the weight area and did 40 minutes of various muscle training exercises. I feel myself getting strong and having to use heavier weights so that's good. :) But boy am I tired and ready for a nap! Too bad I'm stuck at work for another 6 hours. If I don't feel perkier soon I'm running across the street to the gas station for some coffee. *yawn* I popped an extra B-50. Hopefully that will help. FitDay says I burned 362 calories.Hopefully I can make it to the gym tomorrow but I'll probably go easier. I'll still do an hour of cardio with any luck, but it might be as simple as a flat treadmill walk.
Picture courtesy KFMB.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Living the Low Carb Life
Finally picked up this book today. So far I've just read through the introductory stuff - the forward and introduction - but this promises to be a GREAT book - the magnum opus of low carb. It profiles 17 low carb plans, talks about how they are supposed to work, and what he sees as potential problems with each one. He then gives them a rating between 0 and 5 stars. It comes as no surprise to me that the most effective and popular plans are generally the ones written by medical doctors and are the ones that get 5 stars. It makes sense - doctors are better trained than lay people in nutrition and internal medicine.
Anyway, everyone needs to read this book whether you like low carb diets or hate them and think they are unhealthy.
$13 retail, under $5 used at Amazon
Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden
Here's all the diets and how they rated, from top rated down to lowest rated. When more than one program has the same rating they are in alphabetical order. If you want to know Mr. Bowden's reasoning behind these ratings, you'll have to get the book! :)
The Atkins Diet - 5 stars
The Fat Flush Plan - 5 stars
The Hamptons Diet - 5 stars
Protein Power - 5 stars
The South Beach Diet - 5 stars
The Zone - 5 stars
The 7 Day Low-Carb Rescue and Recovery Plan - 4 stars
The GO Diet - 4 stars
The Schwarzbein Principle - 4 stars
The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet - 3 stars
Neanderthin - 3 stars
The Paleo Diet - 3 stars
Curves - 2 1/2 stars
The Lindora Program - 2 stars (couldn't find a book, just the official Web site)
Somersizing - 2 stars
Sugar Busters! - 2 stars
The Scarsdale Diet - 0 stars
Do you have any experiences with any of these diets, or perhaps a low carb program not mentioned here? Leave a comment!
[After buying the book just today, I found this on Jimmy's site. Wowsers.]
Anyway, everyone needs to read this book whether you like low carb diets or hate them and think they are unhealthy.
$13 retail, under $5 used at Amazon
Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden
Here's all the diets and how they rated, from top rated down to lowest rated. When more than one program has the same rating they are in alphabetical order. If you want to know Mr. Bowden's reasoning behind these ratings, you'll have to get the book! :)
The Atkins Diet - 5 stars
The Fat Flush Plan - 5 stars
The Hamptons Diet - 5 stars
Protein Power - 5 stars
The South Beach Diet - 5 stars
The Zone - 5 stars
The 7 Day Low-Carb Rescue and Recovery Plan - 4 stars
The GO Diet - 4 stars
The Schwarzbein Principle - 4 stars
The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet - 3 stars
Neanderthin - 3 stars
The Paleo Diet - 3 stars
Curves - 2 1/2 stars
The Lindora Program - 2 stars (couldn't find a book, just the official Web site)
Somersizing - 2 stars
Sugar Busters! - 2 stars
The Scarsdale Diet - 0 stars
Do you have any experiences with any of these diets, or perhaps a low carb program not mentioned here? Leave a comment!
[After buying the book just today, I found this on Jimmy's site. Wowsers.]
Vitamins & Atkins
[Originally posted January 4. It bears reposting.]
I keep hearing that Atkins doesn't provide enough vitamins. This always confuses me. What are they basing this belief on? Certainly not facts! What is so non-nutritious about eating vegetables and shunning refined flour and sugar? I wonder if these naysayser are getting enough vitamins from their food. How do they know? Are they just assuming, or do they journal everything like me?
Due to the limitations of labeling (only four nutrients have to be listed), the only things I can easily track are vitamins A, C, calcium, and iron. Most labels don't list anything else. If they do contain a full list, I'll enter that into FitDay, but most products don't.
Here's yesterday's totals. As you can see, I easily got all my nutrients for the day, without a vitamin supplement.
Nutrient...............my intake...US RDA
Vitamin A mcg RE....2715.9.........800
Vitamin C mg...........137.75.........60
Calcium mg.............2616.9.........1500
Iron mg...................21.48...........15
I easily meet and exceed the US RDA from my food alone. I take vitamins (I believe everybody should), but I scarcely need them. Looks like low carb is very healthy.
While we're at it, here's my calories/fat/carbs/protein totals:
Total calories: 1950
Fat: 95g (46%)
Carbohydrates: 42g (9%) (this is net carbs, not total, since I do not have to count fiber, as it doesn't effect blood sugar)
Protein: 169g (36%)
Blood tests
My cholesterol is great: 166. HDL is 74 and LDL is 84. Triglicerides are a rock bottom 39. Do the naysayers know their numbers? Or are they just assuming they are healthy?
In case anyone cares, here's the vitamins I take:
Kirkland's B-50 (Costco) (HIGHLY recommended - I cannot say enough good things about this product. It gives me so much energy and I can feel the difference when I forget to take it.
Kirkland's High Energy Pack (Costco)
I keep hearing that Atkins doesn't provide enough vitamins. This always confuses me. What are they basing this belief on? Certainly not facts! What is so non-nutritious about eating vegetables and shunning refined flour and sugar? I wonder if these naysayser are getting enough vitamins from their food. How do they know? Are they just assuming, or do they journal everything like me?
Due to the limitations of labeling (only four nutrients have to be listed), the only things I can easily track are vitamins A, C, calcium, and iron. Most labels don't list anything else. If they do contain a full list, I'll enter that into FitDay, but most products don't.
Here's yesterday's totals. As you can see, I easily got all my nutrients for the day, without a vitamin supplement.
Nutrient...............my intake...US RDA
Vitamin A mcg RE....2715.9.........800
Vitamin C mg...........137.75.........60
Calcium mg.............2616.9.........1500
Iron mg...................21.48...........15
I easily meet and exceed the US RDA from my food alone. I take vitamins (I believe everybody should), but I scarcely need them. Looks like low carb is very healthy.
While we're at it, here's my calories/fat/carbs/protein totals:
Total calories: 1950
Fat: 95g (46%)
Carbohydrates: 42g (9%) (this is net carbs, not total, since I do not have to count fiber, as it doesn't effect blood sugar)
Protein: 169g (36%)
Blood tests
My cholesterol is great: 166. HDL is 74 and LDL is 84. Triglicerides are a rock bottom 39. Do the naysayers know their numbers? Or are they just assuming they are healthy?
In case anyone cares, here's the vitamins I take:
Kirkland's B-50 (Costco) (HIGHLY recommended - I cannot say enough good things about this product. It gives me so much energy and I can feel the difference when I forget to take it.
Kirkland's High Energy Pack (Costco)
Top 10 Myths About Atkins
Myth 1: The ANA (Atkins Nutritional Approach) is unbalanced and deficient in basic nutrition.
Not according to the tracking I've been doing in FitDay.
Here's my totals for a recent randomly picked day along with the US RDA (my totals first, the RDA second).
Vitamin A mcg_RE...2733.3 800
Vitamin C mg...147.03 60
Calcium mg...2224.4 1500
Iron mg...14.2 15
Other than iron being 0.8 of a milligram too low (lol), I'm getting more than enough. This is without vitamins.
Myth 2: You lose mostly water weight on Atkins.
My body fat dropped more than 13%. 'Nuff said.
Myth 3: The ANA is only effective because calories are restricted.
This is one of those lovely half truths. Atkins does suppress appetite from the fat and protein content, but there is also a metabolic advantage when you are no longer burning carbohydrates for energy and burning fat instead. Burning fat for energy takes more calories, hence you lose faster.
Myth 4: The high-protein content of the ANA causes kidney problems.
There is no study to back this up. Zip. Zero. It's believed simply because it's repeated so often, but there is zero scientific evidence to back it.
Myth 5: Fat intake is detrimental and will lead to heart disease.
My blood lipids improved on Atkins and my risk of heart disease has gone down. The killer is when one eats high fat AND high carb together. Either alone is not harmful, which is why both low fat and low carb diets both work.
Myth 6: Ketosis is dangerous and causes a variety of medical problems.
Ketoacidosis is dangerous, ketosis is not. Ketoacidosis is a condition in diabetics who have out of control (very high) blood sugar. Ketosis is natural and occurs when carbohydrates are used up for energy, and the body starts burning fat (both dietary and body fat) for energy.
Myth 7: The ANA causes constipation because it lacks fiber.
A total lie. Atkins stresses high fiber vegetables, and lots of them.
Myth 8: The ANA increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Some calcium is lost in the urine in the first two weeks, but once the body adjusts to the new diet, this no longer happens. This can easily be corrected by getting enough calcium - 1000mg a day for men, and 1500mg for women. I easily get over 2000mg a day with my leafy greens and daily cup of cottage cheese. Yum!
Myth 9: Atkins will cause weakness, fatigue and a lack of energy.
Only the first few days while going through sugar withdrawal. Once that is over, most people have more energy than before and feel better. I know I no longer have that mid-afternoon slump that left me wanting a nap at work. Stable blood sugar means stable energy. :)
Myth 10: There's no real science supporting the Atkins approach.
There's TONS of studies. One only has to have the desire to look them up. If you don't believe the quoted studies on the Atkins site, then go look up the originals.
Not according to the tracking I've been doing in FitDay.
Here's my totals for a recent randomly picked day along with the US RDA (my totals first, the RDA second).
Vitamin A mcg_RE...2733.3 800
Vitamin C mg...147.03 60
Calcium mg...2224.4 1500
Iron mg...14.2 15
Other than iron being 0.8 of a milligram too low (lol), I'm getting more than enough. This is without vitamins.
Myth 2: You lose mostly water weight on Atkins.
My body fat dropped more than 13%. 'Nuff said.
Myth 3: The ANA is only effective because calories are restricted.
This is one of those lovely half truths. Atkins does suppress appetite from the fat and protein content, but there is also a metabolic advantage when you are no longer burning carbohydrates for energy and burning fat instead. Burning fat for energy takes more calories, hence you lose faster.
Myth 4: The high-protein content of the ANA causes kidney problems.
There is no study to back this up. Zip. Zero. It's believed simply because it's repeated so often, but there is zero scientific evidence to back it.
Myth 5: Fat intake is detrimental and will lead to heart disease.
My blood lipids improved on Atkins and my risk of heart disease has gone down. The killer is when one eats high fat AND high carb together. Either alone is not harmful, which is why both low fat and low carb diets both work.
Myth 6: Ketosis is dangerous and causes a variety of medical problems.
Ketoacidosis is dangerous, ketosis is not. Ketoacidosis is a condition in diabetics who have out of control (very high) blood sugar. Ketosis is natural and occurs when carbohydrates are used up for energy, and the body starts burning fat (both dietary and body fat) for energy.
Myth 7: The ANA causes constipation because it lacks fiber.
A total lie. Atkins stresses high fiber vegetables, and lots of them.
Myth 8: The ANA increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Some calcium is lost in the urine in the first two weeks, but once the body adjusts to the new diet, this no longer happens. This can easily be corrected by getting enough calcium - 1000mg a day for men, and 1500mg for women. I easily get over 2000mg a day with my leafy greens and daily cup of cottage cheese. Yum!
Myth 9: Atkins will cause weakness, fatigue and a lack of energy.
Only the first few days while going through sugar withdrawal. Once that is over, most people have more energy than before and feel better. I know I no longer have that mid-afternoon slump that left me wanting a nap at work. Stable blood sugar means stable energy. :)
Myth 10: There's no real science supporting the Atkins approach.
There's TONS of studies. One only has to have the desire to look them up. If you don't believe the quoted studies on the Atkins site, then go look up the originals.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Saner Saturdays?
I have GOT to do something about my Saturday eating. It's way off the charts in terms of anything sane and it's only gotten worse since hitting goal.
Step one: I'm pledging not to buy any more sugar free candy for the entire month of February. If I want something it will have to be what's already in the house. That should keep me away from those evil Atkins chocolate coconut candy bars. Those things literally call my name and say, "Eat me!"
Step one: I'm pledging not to buy any more sugar free candy for the entire month of February. If I want something it will have to be what's already in the house. That should keep me away from those evil Atkins chocolate coconut candy bars. Those things literally call my name and say, "Eat me!"
New Mel Gibson film - "Apocalypto"
During the previews for End of the Spear on Friday I saw one for a new Mel Gibson film, Apocalypto, coming out this summer. The official web site gives this description: "From Academy Award winning filmmaker Mel Gibson ("The Passion of the Christ," "Braveheart"), comes APOCALYPTO: a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life."
Don't know if I'll see this or not. Depends on whether there is any redeeming value to the violence (such as "The Passion"), or if it's just violence for the sake of violence.
Don't know if I'll see this or not. Depends on whether there is any redeeming value to the violence (such as "The Passion"), or if it's just violence for the sake of violence.
Friday, January 27, 2006
The End of the Spear, Movie Review
Bring the tissues. And get ready to believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, even to some people being willing to give their lives. This was a really good film and will make you cry.
It begins with Steve Saint, as an adult, being led down the river by a native Waodani tribesmen, Mincayani. At the end of the movie we find out that Mincayani wanted to show him something. But at the beginning of the film we see them setting up a small camp, and Mincayani walks several yards off and starts digging with his hands in the vegetation. Then we are transported back to the beginning of the story.
Steve Saint narrates throughout the film. The Waodani speak in their native language, and there are subtitles. We are shown the first contact with the Waodani, the misunderstanding, and the killing of the five missionaries who wanted nothing more than to help these people: Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. The Gospel is interwoven, but using the Waodani's symbols and words.
At the end of the film, back at the small camp the movie begins with, we find out that Steve Saint's father was killed by Mincayani, the man who he was in the company of. When given a chance at revenge, he nearly gives in, but finally says, "No one killed my father. My father gave his life." And then Steve-as-narrator speaks: "My father's life was ended at the end of the spear. At the end of the spear, Mincayani and I found ours."
The End of the Spear
I highly recommend visiting the movie's website and clicking on the "story" link on the left side. Reading this synopsis will prepare you much better for the film. I admit to being somewhat lost because I didn't bother to read the synopsis first.
It begins with Steve Saint, as an adult, being led down the river by a native Waodani tribesmen, Mincayani. At the end of the movie we find out that Mincayani wanted to show him something. But at the beginning of the film we see them setting up a small camp, and Mincayani walks several yards off and starts digging with his hands in the vegetation. Then we are transported back to the beginning of the story.
Steve Saint narrates throughout the film. The Waodani speak in their native language, and there are subtitles. We are shown the first contact with the Waodani, the misunderstanding, and the killing of the five missionaries who wanted nothing more than to help these people: Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. The Gospel is interwoven, but using the Waodani's symbols and words.
At the end of the film, back at the small camp the movie begins with, we find out that Steve Saint's father was killed by Mincayani, the man who he was in the company of. When given a chance at revenge, he nearly gives in, but finally says, "No one killed my father. My father gave his life." And then Steve-as-narrator speaks: "My father's life was ended at the end of the spear. At the end of the spear, Mincayani and I found ours."
The End of the Spear
I highly recommend visiting the movie's website and clicking on the "story" link on the left side. Reading this synopsis will prepare you much better for the film. I admit to being somewhat lost because I didn't bother to read the synopsis first.
Gratuitous fish picture
This isn't a very good picture of Xena's latest obesssion, but it's the best I could do. I swear the fish was hiding from me! This is more or less a view from the top. Hopefully I can get a better picture later. Mr. Fishy is a purplish blue betta.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Saturated fat - it is as bad as we're told?
Well no. Here's the scoop from About.com's Weight Loss forum.
(Y)ou want to be sure not to combine saturated fat with starchy carbs. The starches combine with the saturated fat in such a way that makes it adhere to the artery walls. Saturated fat in the absence of starchy carbs does not do this.
It is as I have always said - you can have one or the other, but not both. Both fat and carbs together will clog your arteries and kill you. This is, incidentally, part of why Atkins failed for Jody Gorran - he was eating full fat, full sugar cheesecake several times a week in addition to a high fat diet. That's not what I'd call "livin' la vida low carb"!
(Y)ou want to be sure not to combine saturated fat with starchy carbs. The starches combine with the saturated fat in such a way that makes it adhere to the artery walls. Saturated fat in the absence of starchy carbs does not do this.
It is as I have always said - you can have one or the other, but not both. Both fat and carbs together will clog your arteries and kill you. This is, incidentally, part of why Atkins failed for Jody Gorran - he was eating full fat, full sugar cheesecake several times a week in addition to a high fat diet. That's not what I'd call "livin' la vida low carb"!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Calories will be moderate today - between 17 and 1800, which isn't bad for me. Hopefully it will be on the low end, unless I get an attack of the munchies. Made it to the gym and worked hard - 40 minutes on weights, 30 on the elliptical machine, and 30 walking on the treadmill. FitDay says 312 calories. I wanted to do more time on the elliptical, but was too tired.
The gym is still busy with the new year's resolutioners. When I walked in at 11:50 a.m. every single treadmill and elliptical were being used. I decided to do weights first, and by the time I finished things had cleared out a bit.
I have to get weighed and measured. I also wonder if it will be possible to get back to 142 if I'm hitting the weights. So really, I'll be happy with a reduction in body fat, even if my weight doesn't go anywhere except up. Hopefully I can get weighed and measured next week and find out if I'm making any progress.
My latest new year's resolution is to do at least 30 minutes of weights every time I go to the gym. And now that I have dumbbells at home I have no excuse for not doing weight training when I can't make it to the gym.
Friday and Saturday will both be non-counting days for me. I'm going to the movies Friday and will probably sneak in snacks. I love buying popcorn, but it has too many carbs. Even the Russell Stover sugar free candy (only available at the Emeryville theater) causes me to show a gain the next day. I figure the sugar alcohol is raising my blood sugar so I need to stay away. Anyway, I'll remain Atkins-friendly, but probably won't count either day, though I may end up counting Friday. We'll see. I may decide to eat at the mall the theater is at.
Friday will be an early day after staying up late Thursday doing laundry. I have to be in Daly City by 2 p.m. :-p The next movie after that runs into Sabbath and I'd like to at least be heading home by dark.
The gym is still busy with the new year's resolutioners. When I walked in at 11:50 a.m. every single treadmill and elliptical were being used. I decided to do weights first, and by the time I finished things had cleared out a bit.
I have to get weighed and measured. I also wonder if it will be possible to get back to 142 if I'm hitting the weights. So really, I'll be happy with a reduction in body fat, even if my weight doesn't go anywhere except up. Hopefully I can get weighed and measured next week and find out if I'm making any progress.
My latest new year's resolution is to do at least 30 minutes of weights every time I go to the gym. And now that I have dumbbells at home I have no excuse for not doing weight training when I can't make it to the gym.
Friday and Saturday will both be non-counting days for me. I'm going to the movies Friday and will probably sneak in snacks. I love buying popcorn, but it has too many carbs. Even the Russell Stover sugar free candy (only available at the Emeryville theater) causes me to show a gain the next day. I figure the sugar alcohol is raising my blood sugar so I need to stay away. Anyway, I'll remain Atkins-friendly, but probably won't count either day, though I may end up counting Friday. We'll see. I may decide to eat at the mall the theater is at.
Friday will be an early day after staying up late Thursday doing laundry. I have to be in Daly City by 2 p.m. :-p The next movie after that runs into Sabbath and I'd like to at least be heading home by dark.
My Listmania lists
Been working on making "Listmania" lists at Amazon of my favorite books and products. Please take a look at them. :)
My Favorite Books & Music (not diet-related)
Living La Vida Low Carb Listmania! The must-read book list for living the low-carb lifestyle
a complete list of the Left Behind adult series
My Favorite Books & Music (not diet-related)
Living La Vida Low Carb Listmania! The must-read book list for living the low-carb lifestyle
a complete list of the Left Behind adult series
Weight of the Evidence
I found a another great low carb resources, this one from a more scientific perspective. I hope I can understand any "medical-ese" I run across. The following mini bio in from Jimmy's blog.
As a fellow columnist over at LowCarbNewsline.com, I have grown to appreciate the in-depth knowledge and research that Regina Wilshire brings to the low-carb industry. Her no-nonsense statistical prowess is unmatched and she has a deep passion for sharing the scientific evidence that proves a controlled-carb nutritional plan is a healthy and permanent way to lose and control your weight. She and her husband founded the Carbohydrate Awareness Council in 2003 and Regina shares her insight on the latest research about low-carb at her blog. She will be a force to be reckoned with as more and more research is released over the next decade.
As a fellow columnist over at LowCarbNewsline.com, I have grown to appreciate the in-depth knowledge and research that Regina Wilshire brings to the low-carb industry. Her no-nonsense statistical prowess is unmatched and she has a deep passion for sharing the scientific evidence that proves a controlled-carb nutritional plan is a healthy and permanent way to lose and control your weight. She and her husband founded the Carbohydrate Awareness Council in 2003 and Regina shares her insight on the latest research about low-carb at her blog. She will be a force to be reckoned with as more and more research is released over the next decade.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
End of the Spear
I want to see End of the Spear this Friday, but I couldn't find a theater that has it. I checked the three theaters in this area that I normally go to, but none of them had it, even the Jack London Cinema which did have The Passion of the Christ when no one else did!
When Brad and I checked the movie's site and combed through the theaters in California, it looks like I'll have to go to Daly City to see this! The only closer theater we found was Berkeley, but as rule I try to avoid my old haunts there and that theater is squarely in one of those haunts. So Daly City it is. I guess that's what I get for wanting to see an Independent film! Brad says the theater is near the BART station at least, so I can get there easily; it will just take some serious time.
It's based on a true story about missionaries who were killed in Ecuador. Should be a good film!
When Brad and I checked the movie's site and combed through the theaters in California, it looks like I'll have to go to Daly City to see this! The only closer theater we found was Berkeley, but as rule I try to avoid my old haunts there and that theater is squarely in one of those haunts. So Daly City it is. I guess that's what I get for wanting to see an Independent film! Brad says the theater is near the BART station at least, so I can get there easily; it will just take some serious time.
It's based on a true story about missionaries who were killed in Ecuador. Should be a good film!
Quick Update
Didn't make it to the gym today. Just too tired and really needed to sleep longer. I did do some arm curls with the dumbbells Mom gave me for Christmas, and got on my exercise bike for 30 minutes, so I did get some exercise.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Overtime Blues
My legs are a bit sore from the heavy workout yesterday, but it's a good sore. Looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow, but it will have to be a shorter, lighter workout because of the overtime today, and lack of sleep last night, so I'm going to sleep in a bit and get to the gym late.
The lack of sleep was due to two things: 1) getting off so late last night and so getting to bed really late, and 2) somebody's car alarm going off repeatedly for long periods of time at 3:30 this morning. I was NOT a happy camper. It would stop for 5-30 seconds, and then start up again, and every time you thought it would finally stop, it started back up. Must have woke up most of the neighborhood. I was too tired to even look out the window and see if there was anything going on. I just stayed curled up hoping each time it stopped would be the last. The cats seemed to get a bit agitated after a while and started moving around more. I had a glass of wine and a Benedryl before bed, and wore earplugs last night and I still got woken out of a deep sleep. I'd like to strangle the idiot who let it go on so long.
Didn't bring enough food to work. The combination of being tired and working overtime tends to make me really hungry. I should have brought extra salad, but in lieu of that, I'll just have to raid the vending machine downstairs for peanuts.
The lack of sleep was due to two things: 1) getting off so late last night and so getting to bed really late, and 2) somebody's car alarm going off repeatedly for long periods of time at 3:30 this morning. I was NOT a happy camper. It would stop for 5-30 seconds, and then start up again, and every time you thought it would finally stop, it started back up. Must have woke up most of the neighborhood. I was too tired to even look out the window and see if there was anything going on. I just stayed curled up hoping each time it stopped would be the last. The cats seemed to get a bit agitated after a while and started moving around more. I had a glass of wine and a Benedryl before bed, and wore earplugs last night and I still got woken out of a deep sleep. I'd like to strangle the idiot who let it go on so long.
Didn't bring enough food to work. The combination of being tired and working overtime tends to make me really hungry. I should have brought extra salad, but in lieu of that, I'll just have to raid the vending machine downstairs for peanuts.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Woohoo!
Woohoo! I feel good, but sooo exhausted. Having a big cup of java to help wake me back up and keep me alert. Went to the gym today and worked my butt off. I stayed away from the dessert wine and other high carb stuff yesterday, but I still went over on my carbs. How do I know? I ran a mile on the treadmill today and had tons of energy. I could have gone further if I wanted to push myself, but didn't feel like it. Then I set the treadmill to 15% and did about a 1/2 mile that way. Then I got on the elliptical for 30 minutes. Then I did weights for 30 minutes. After getting off the elliptical I checked my heart rate the way Curves taught me and I was in the cardio range.
I need to get weighed and measured again and get my body fat checked.
Whew! Am I tired! Tomorrow will be a 12 hour day so no exercise. I should be able to make it to the gym 3 times this week, though! :) Tuesday will probably be a shorter workout due to the 12 hour shift (and lack of sleep) the day before. So I'll sleep in a bit and show up late.
Being Sunday the gym wasn't crowded at all. The gym I go to is in the downtown and really gets slammed on workdays - people come before work or on their lunch or after work.
Brad and Regina came over for dinner and drinks. I made low carb pizza and Regina said she liked it. To drink I stuck with wine but probably had too much, lol. Ate tons of nuts yesterday - peanuts and almonds - and had about 3 low carb candy bars. I'm back on plan today.
I need to get weighed and measured again and get my body fat checked.
Whew! Am I tired! Tomorrow will be a 12 hour day so no exercise. I should be able to make it to the gym 3 times this week, though! :) Tuesday will probably be a shorter workout due to the 12 hour shift (and lack of sleep) the day before. So I'll sleep in a bit and show up late.
Being Sunday the gym wasn't crowded at all. The gym I go to is in the downtown and really gets slammed on workdays - people come before work or on their lunch or after work.
Brad and Regina came over for dinner and drinks. I made low carb pizza and Regina said she liked it. To drink I stuck with wine but probably had too much, lol. Ate tons of nuts yesterday - peanuts and almonds - and had about 3 low carb candy bars. I'm back on plan today.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Low Carb vs. Low Fat
Low carb vs. low fat from Melissa, who has been on both.
"I know some have seen that one still averages out to two pounds per week at the end of the year, regardless of which plan they're on. The difference, I think, is that on low-carb you enjoy the foods you're eating a heck of a lot more, and cravings and hunger are under control. With low fat, it was about denial. 'I'm hungry, but I shouldn't eat right now because I can't afford the calories.' With low-carb, it's 'I know I should eat something because it's lunch time according to the clock, but I'm just not hungry.' That's a HUGE difference to me.
"The other difference is body fat. There is truth to the notion of burning body fat instead of sugar for energy. On low fat, my body fat percentage never seemed to go down, according to my scale. On low-carb, my body fat percentage has gone down from 50% to 43% in a very short time. And my lean muscle mass has improved.
"I'm not totally knocking my previous diet. It has its uses, and it got me down 75 lbs and helped me educate myself about what is appropriate eating and definitely got me used to eating a lot more vegetables. But I'm much happier on low carb..."
From About.com's Weight Loss forum. Melissa has lost a total of 93 pounds so far and is low carbing on Atkins. She has 57 more pounds to go. Her weight loss journal is here.
"I know some have seen that one still averages out to two pounds per week at the end of the year, regardless of which plan they're on. The difference, I think, is that on low-carb you enjoy the foods you're eating a heck of a lot more, and cravings and hunger are under control. With low fat, it was about denial. 'I'm hungry, but I shouldn't eat right now because I can't afford the calories.' With low-carb, it's 'I know I should eat something because it's lunch time according to the clock, but I'm just not hungry.' That's a HUGE difference to me.
"The other difference is body fat. There is truth to the notion of burning body fat instead of sugar for energy. On low fat, my body fat percentage never seemed to go down, according to my scale. On low-carb, my body fat percentage has gone down from 50% to 43% in a very short time. And my lean muscle mass has improved.
"I'm not totally knocking my previous diet. It has its uses, and it got me down 75 lbs and helped me educate myself about what is appropriate eating and definitely got me used to eating a lot more vegetables. But I'm much happier on low carb..."
From About.com's Weight Loss forum. Melissa has lost a total of 93 pounds so far and is low carbing on Atkins. She has 57 more pounds to go. Her weight loss journal is here.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Before and After
Here's my "before" picture, taken August of 2003 (I started Atkins spring of 2004).
And a couple "After" pics.
August, 2005
November, 2005
And a couple "After" pics.
August, 2005
November, 2005
Weighty Matters
Back to 141.8 this morning where I was a week ago, so I guess I lost all my birthday weight. I decided to keep my carbs next week at the same level as this week - no higher than 50g a day. Eventually I hope to go up to 60g, though I am nervous because I know I don't lose weight there. Knowing I'm staring Maintainance in the face is scary, as well as knowing that my ACE (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium) is so low. I may be able to go higher, though, so that is something to play around with, just to see what I can get away with. I know at about 90-95g of carbs the cravings come back with a vengeance so that's too high.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Here we go with the stupid Internet quizzes again!
 | You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins.
Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com |
Trials and Travails
Fun stuff this week. My Dad gave me a piddly $35 for my birthday (and nothing for Christmas) so there goes my August vacation unless I start saving some serious money. Conference this year is in New York state - the place I attended my first Conference, so I really want to go. But the plane ticket and Conference together will cost about $1000. I'm going to start by cashing in all my comp time and putting it in savings.
Got my butt in gear and bought a new fish tank yesterday. The old one died when the motor was fried after a power outage. Today I bought the Betta fish for the tank. Xena will love me! Gratuitous fish pictures shall follow.
Been without heat at home a couple days this week. They just got it fixed yesterday. I noticed they also installed a 3 pronged outlet in the wall so I don't have to the use the cheaters anymore to plug in my computer and such. So cool!
Being without heat sucked. I had to use my space heater and am glad the cats have their winter coats. I was never more grateful for my down comforter! Xena blissed out in front of the newly fixed heater this morning. She's such a heat seeking cat.
My Livin' La Vida Low-Carb book came today. Hope it's good.
My birthday weight is coming off. After hitting goal, and with my birthday at the same time, I wasn't exactly following Atkins. Today I was down to 143 - 1 pounds above goal, so I'm almost there. I'm adding more carbs, sometimes in the form of a sugar free chocolate bars, and sometimes more veggies. I was keeping my carbs at or below 40g a day. I could lose there, but didn't feel my best. I feel great at 60g of carbs, but can't lose any weight there. Anyway, this week I upped my carbs to 40-50g a day, although I think the large number of veggies today will put me a little over 50.
Brad and Regina are coming over for drinks Saturday night. I will make the Mudslide for Regina, but I have to behave after the disaster last weekend with all the sugary dessert wine. I'll just have sugar free margaritas and/or wine. Those are both low in carbs.
Got my butt in gear and bought a new fish tank yesterday. The old one died when the motor was fried after a power outage. Today I bought the Betta fish for the tank. Xena will love me! Gratuitous fish pictures shall follow.
Been without heat at home a couple days this week. They just got it fixed yesterday. I noticed they also installed a 3 pronged outlet in the wall so I don't have to the use the cheaters anymore to plug in my computer and such. So cool!
Being without heat sucked. I had to use my space heater and am glad the cats have their winter coats. I was never more grateful for my down comforter! Xena blissed out in front of the newly fixed heater this morning. She's such a heat seeking cat.
My Livin' La Vida Low-Carb book came today. Hope it's good.
My birthday weight is coming off. After hitting goal, and with my birthday at the same time, I wasn't exactly following Atkins. Today I was down to 143 - 1 pounds above goal, so I'm almost there. I'm adding more carbs, sometimes in the form of a sugar free chocolate bars, and sometimes more veggies. I was keeping my carbs at or below 40g a day. I could lose there, but didn't feel my best. I feel great at 60g of carbs, but can't lose any weight there. Anyway, this week I upped my carbs to 40-50g a day, although I think the large number of veggies today will put me a little over 50.
Brad and Regina are coming over for drinks Saturday night. I will make the Mudslide for Regina, but I have to behave after the disaster last weekend with all the sugary dessert wine. I'll just have sugar free margaritas and/or wine. Those are both low in carbs.
More kudos
"You know, you should know that something you said a while ago really stuck with me. I don't remember it verbatim, but you were talking about how some of us just can't eat simple carbs the way other people can, for some of us it's just terrible (like poison?) for our bodies. I wanted you to know that coming to terms with the fact that I'm just one of those people has really helped with this process.
"thanks."
Courtney Grace
(Courtney is on the South Beach Diet.)
"thanks."
Courtney Grace
(Courtney is on the South Beach Diet.)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
A motto for low carbers to live by
Found this at Jimmy's blog.
OUR MOTTO AT LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB: "On the large scale, history shows that an uncritical and misinformed populace is a breeding ground for all manner of intolerant beliefs and practices. The discovery that truth has to fight for its survival is not a pleasant one, but is an essential realization in maintaining civilization. And in a society as open and susceptible to fraud as ours is, truth needs all the help it can get." -- Anthony Garrett
Amen! If only more people, especially so many Christians I meet, were more informed about low carb and not touting the PCRM (affiliated with the infamous PETA) as bastions of truth!
Truth does indeed need all the help it can get, so I guess I will be blogging about Atkins for a long time. I suspect more people will just stop reading though, rather than have their preconceptions challenged. Change is scary. Changing beliefs is even scarier (boy, do I know this one!), and for many people, too scary.
To all the low carbers out there - don't be afraid! If Dr. Atkins was so viciously attacked during his life, what makes us think we will escape the same treatment? If he could weather it than so can I. Ain't nobody gonna keep me from becoming healthy! My life and my health are way more important than what some uninformed person wrongly thinks is true.
OUR MOTTO AT LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB: "On the large scale, history shows that an uncritical and misinformed populace is a breeding ground for all manner of intolerant beliefs and practices. The discovery that truth has to fight for its survival is not a pleasant one, but is an essential realization in maintaining civilization. And in a society as open and susceptible to fraud as ours is, truth needs all the help it can get." -- Anthony Garrett
Amen! If only more people, especially so many Christians I meet, were more informed about low carb and not touting the PCRM (affiliated with the infamous PETA) as bastions of truth!
Truth does indeed need all the help it can get, so I guess I will be blogging about Atkins for a long time. I suspect more people will just stop reading though, rather than have their preconceptions challenged. Change is scary. Changing beliefs is even scarier (boy, do I know this one!), and for many people, too scary.
To all the low carbers out there - don't be afraid! If Dr. Atkins was so viciously attacked during his life, what makes us think we will escape the same treatment? If he could weather it than so can I. Ain't nobody gonna keep me from becoming healthy! My life and my health are way more important than what some uninformed person wrongly thinks is true.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Is low carb unhealthy?
Many people are still under the misconception that low carb means eating nothing but greasy meat and cheese and eggs and other stuff generally thought of as "bad." But have any of these people studied how many vegetables we eat? Well, one person did, and found that vegetable consumption tends to double on a low carb diet. Hmmm...doesn't sound very unhealthy to me.
When I started Atkins my vegetable consumption more than doubled. I went from hardly eating any to making them part of nearly every meal. On a typical day I will have 8-10 oz. of some kind of veggie with lunch, then a 5-8 oz. salad with dinner. Sometimes I'll chomp on some raw veggies if I'm still hungry. My diet is based on meat, veggies, and some dairy. I'm not sure what's unhealthy about that. And as previously mentioned, my cholesterol improved so my heart health is better than before Atkins.
So before you criticize Atkins, how many vegetables do you eat per day?
When I started Atkins my vegetable consumption more than doubled. I went from hardly eating any to making them part of nearly every meal. On a typical day I will have 8-10 oz. of some kind of veggie with lunch, then a 5-8 oz. salad with dinner. Sometimes I'll chomp on some raw veggies if I'm still hungry. My diet is based on meat, veggies, and some dairy. I'm not sure what's unhealthy about that. And as previously mentioned, my cholesterol improved so my heart health is better than before Atkins.
So before you criticize Atkins, how many vegetables do you eat per day?
Finding my calling (long), take 2
[Bumping this to the top.]
And if I ever wonder if this IS my calling, I only have to log on to find comments like this (these are from the official Atkins forums):
"I am now doing the weight loss thing for the second time (actually I have been 'dieting' since I was 17 years old) because I didn't learn the lesson the first time. I knew too much be told anything by someone else. I learned the hard way. If you want to learn to do this the right way, the first time, my advice is to pay attention to suellen, Diane, Diana, Victoria, Mary (if she ever returns to us), and quite a number of others. Pay attention to the words and the message they are telling you and please don't be so quick to think that the remarks are written down with the intent of causing you hurt and suffering." --from Mike H.'s post
"Oh and I knew I had forgotten someone in my post - last but not least Victoria has also helped me. I spent half an hour trying to work out who I left off my list and couldn't do it. If I had taken 1 sec to look at the transcript from the last board, I would have gotten her...." --from Colleen's post
And if I ever wonder if this IS my calling, I only have to log on to find comments like this (these are from the official Atkins forums):
"I am now doing the weight loss thing for the second time (actually I have been 'dieting' since I was 17 years old) because I didn't learn the lesson the first time. I knew too much be told anything by someone else. I learned the hard way. If you want to learn to do this the right way, the first time, my advice is to pay attention to suellen, Diane, Diana, Victoria, Mary (if she ever returns to us), and quite a number of others. Pay attention to the words and the message they are telling you and please don't be so quick to think that the remarks are written down with the intent of causing you hurt and suffering." --from Mike H.'s post
"Oh and I knew I had forgotten someone in my post - last but not least Victoria has also helped me. I spent half an hour trying to work out who I left off my list and couldn't do it. If I had taken 1 sec to look at the transcript from the last board, I would have gotten her...." --from Colleen's post
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Finding my calling (long)
[I wrote most of this a few days ago, but am just getting around to posting it now. It was originally posted in a private folder at CHR.]
Still don't know what to say. Just trying to let my head (and the dust from the scuffle) settle. And I still can't put it into words yet.
Let's see. New Year's was good. Brad came over and we ate low carb pepperoni pizza (from a mix - very good). A few minutes before midnight we opened a bottle of champagne and toasted every living creature in the room (cats and humans). Then we watched the fireworks in San Francisco from my kitchen window. I wanted to go into the City, but I had to be up at 8 a.m. New Year's Day and staying home enabled me to kick Brad out the door by 12:30 or 12:45 so I could get to bed at a reasonable hour.
New Year's Day of course it all fell apart. I got banned at SAM, the ministry I helped start and name. The day after I was banned at the Moot for asking for help. I wrote and later nuked too many blog entries to count. I was allowed back at SAM stripped of all privs, which is just another way to punish me, so I declined.
Amid all this chaos, Kathi thought I was suicidal and sent the police to my house, then begged me to make amends with her for the fiasco at EW two years ago, not willing to take any blame for what happened of course. My silence was my answer. I didn't answer one of her queries and she tried to reach me in three different ways. I don't feel she's safe nor will ever be. She'll hurt me again and I'll have only myself to blame. Same for the people at SAM.
I trust easily, and don't lose trust easily, but if you manage to lose my trust it's nearly impossible to regain. I can't think of a single instance where someone was able to regain my trust after burning me.
I've wanted to be involved in ministry for so long. All my life, ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to serve God. My life has been a search as to who God is and how to serve Him/Her/It.
When I became an ex-Witch and got involved with Kathi's ministry, it felt so right. I have never felt more in the center of God's will as at that time. I was on such a high. I was being used by God, enjoying the work, and felt like I was really and finally living out that childhood dream of serving God. Life was great.
Of course, the dream turned into a nightmare and I won't go into the details. Many of you already know the gory details anyway. I felt like God had put me on the shelf and stopped using me. The dream was out of reach again.
When John-Luc came along I though here was my ticket, here was my way to serve God again. And we all know that dream became a nightmare because I very strongly believe in my diet.
When will I learn? When will I stop believing the sweet words people tell me and start asking God for His view? Why do I have to get hit with the clue-by-four because I'm too stupid to ask for His opinion to begin with? Maybe if I had asked about John-Luc I would have known that wasn't the way I was supposed to go.
Lately I've been reading a low carb blog (http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/). It is written by a man who is a committed Christian who also lost 180 pounds on Atkins.
(Stay with me. I have a point behind that seeming digression.)
Last Saturday I got to thinking about ministry and how I can serve God. I'll copy the following from this post as it will save me retyping it all:
After all my whining about God not using me (and indeed, being stopped at every effort to do so), I wonder if maybe He has different plans for me than what I think. Just because I'm an ex-Witch, does that mean God must use me to minister to Witches? Could I be looking at this all wrong?
Perhaps that's what I've been doing. I know I command a certain amount of respect at both the official Atkins forum and About.com's Weight Loss forum. Maybe my ministry is to help teach people better nutrition, to share the knowledge that has been so freely shared with me. What if God has been using me this whole time and I've simply been too blind to see?
Could it be that these health forums are exactly where I should be right now and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing?
---
So now I see that I have been ministering to people, just like the Christian man who runs the low carb blog.
I guess the only thing left to do is apologize to M. for posting where I wasn't wanted (I still feel he was wrong to ban me), apologize to D. for acting as bad as she was when I could have stopped it, and apologize to J-L for using some foul language. They may never realize the harm they have done, but God's answer to that has always been to let Him deal with that. I only need to worry about doing my part. Their part is between them and God.
Finally, I need to apologize to Brian for needlessly worrying him. I maintain that I did not break the agreement, but I should have e-mailed him and discussed my change of plans.
And oh...Brian posting the prayer request to CHR was totally okay, Greg. No worries there. Prayer can never hurt, right? You guys at CHR are the only online Christians who have stood by me through everything.
To tell the truth, I learned a lot about myself from this. For one, I learned from my experience two years ago when SHE showed up in my room asking me to come back. She didn't show up this time, but I was sorely tempted to call on her and ask her to come. The memory of what happened two years ago, along with the realization that I had no clue how it might pan out this time, nixed that idea.
The other thing I learned is that I still put too much stock in His children rather than in Him. I falsely equate their actions with His. I falsely equate their punishment with His.
I still feel out of place at Christian forums, even ones where I implicitely trust everyone, like CHR. I feel much more comfortable at the official Atkins forum and the weight loss forum. Everything has a time and season. I know this too will end. But it is for now. And that needs to be enough. Just as there were times for me to help at EW and the Depression forum, so now it is time to share the diet and health knowledge I've learned. I'm in my element when people are looking for information on losing weight or want to know how to do Atkins. Perhaps that's why it went over at SAM like alligators in a baptismal pit...I'm in health teaching mode right now; it's my charge from God. I can't NOT speak the truth. But I need to be in places where my teaching is honored and listened to. SAM can't do that. And that's why God got me out of there. I've entered a new era in my life. It's not better or worse than any other era. It's just the next step on this rocky path of life with the One who holds our lives in His hands.
Still don't know what to say. Just trying to let my head (and the dust from the scuffle) settle. And I still can't put it into words yet.
Let's see. New Year's was good. Brad came over and we ate low carb pepperoni pizza (from a mix - very good). A few minutes before midnight we opened a bottle of champagne and toasted every living creature in the room (cats and humans). Then we watched the fireworks in San Francisco from my kitchen window. I wanted to go into the City, but I had to be up at 8 a.m. New Year's Day and staying home enabled me to kick Brad out the door by 12:30 or 12:45 so I could get to bed at a reasonable hour.
New Year's Day of course it all fell apart. I got banned at SAM, the ministry I helped start and name. The day after I was banned at the Moot for asking for help. I wrote and later nuked too many blog entries to count. I was allowed back at SAM stripped of all privs, which is just another way to punish me, so I declined.
Amid all this chaos, Kathi thought I was suicidal and sent the police to my house, then begged me to make amends with her for the fiasco at EW two years ago, not willing to take any blame for what happened of course. My silence was my answer. I didn't answer one of her queries and she tried to reach me in three different ways. I don't feel she's safe nor will ever be. She'll hurt me again and I'll have only myself to blame. Same for the people at SAM.
I trust easily, and don't lose trust easily, but if you manage to lose my trust it's nearly impossible to regain. I can't think of a single instance where someone was able to regain my trust after burning me.
I've wanted to be involved in ministry for so long. All my life, ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to serve God. My life has been a search as to who God is and how to serve Him/Her/It.
When I became an ex-Witch and got involved with Kathi's ministry, it felt so right. I have never felt more in the center of God's will as at that time. I was on such a high. I was being used by God, enjoying the work, and felt like I was really and finally living out that childhood dream of serving God. Life was great.
Of course, the dream turned into a nightmare and I won't go into the details. Many of you already know the gory details anyway. I felt like God had put me on the shelf and stopped using me. The dream was out of reach again.
When John-Luc came along I though here was my ticket, here was my way to serve God again. And we all know that dream became a nightmare because I very strongly believe in my diet.
When will I learn? When will I stop believing the sweet words people tell me and start asking God for His view? Why do I have to get hit with the clue-by-four because I'm too stupid to ask for His opinion to begin with? Maybe if I had asked about John-Luc I would have known that wasn't the way I was supposed to go.
Lately I've been reading a low carb blog (http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/). It is written by a man who is a committed Christian who also lost 180 pounds on Atkins.
(Stay with me. I have a point behind that seeming digression.)
Last Saturday I got to thinking about ministry and how I can serve God. I'll copy the following from this post as it will save me retyping it all:
After all my whining about God not using me (and indeed, being stopped at every effort to do so), I wonder if maybe He has different plans for me than what I think. Just because I'm an ex-Witch, does that mean God must use me to minister to Witches? Could I be looking at this all wrong?
Perhaps that's what I've been doing. I know I command a certain amount of respect at both the official Atkins forum and About.com's Weight Loss forum. Maybe my ministry is to help teach people better nutrition, to share the knowledge that has been so freely shared with me. What if God has been using me this whole time and I've simply been too blind to see?
Could it be that these health forums are exactly where I should be right now and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing?
---
So now I see that I have been ministering to people, just like the Christian man who runs the low carb blog.
I guess the only thing left to do is apologize to M. for posting where I wasn't wanted (I still feel he was wrong to ban me), apologize to D. for acting as bad as she was when I could have stopped it, and apologize to J-L for using some foul language. They may never realize the harm they have done, but God's answer to that has always been to let Him deal with that. I only need to worry about doing my part. Their part is between them and God.
Finally, I need to apologize to Brian for needlessly worrying him. I maintain that I did not break the agreement, but I should have e-mailed him and discussed my change of plans.
And oh...Brian posting the prayer request to CHR was totally okay, Greg. No worries there. Prayer can never hurt, right? You guys at CHR are the only online Christians who have stood by me through everything.
To tell the truth, I learned a lot about myself from this. For one, I learned from my experience two years ago when SHE showed up in my room asking me to come back. She didn't show up this time, but I was sorely tempted to call on her and ask her to come. The memory of what happened two years ago, along with the realization that I had no clue how it might pan out this time, nixed that idea.
The other thing I learned is that I still put too much stock in His children rather than in Him. I falsely equate their actions with His. I falsely equate their punishment with His.
I still feel out of place at Christian forums, even ones where I implicitely trust everyone, like CHR. I feel much more comfortable at the official Atkins forum and the weight loss forum. Everything has a time and season. I know this too will end. But it is for now. And that needs to be enough. Just as there were times for me to help at EW and the Depression forum, so now it is time to share the diet and health knowledge I've learned. I'm in my element when people are looking for information on losing weight or want to know how to do Atkins. Perhaps that's why it went over at SAM like alligators in a baptismal pit...I'm in health teaching mode right now; it's my charge from God. I can't NOT speak the truth. But I need to be in places where my teaching is honored and listened to. SAM can't do that. And that's why God got me out of there. I've entered a new era in my life. It's not better or worse than any other era. It's just the next step on this rocky path of life with the One who holds our lives in His hands.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
One Golden Shot
For whatever reason - and there are many theories - we all (especially females) seem to have this One Golden Shot. The first time we ever embark on a low-carb eating plan if we do it RIGHT and if we don't cheat, we get some really amazing results without appreciable sacrifice or difficulty. I often see people who lose quickly and effortlessly while taking in around 35-55 grams of carbs per day and staying in ketosis. But should you falter and leave the diet for an appreciable amount of time - especially long enough to gain all or much of the weight back - the next time around takes more effort, weight loss is slower, and it takes more carb restriction to get results.
More here:
http://lowcarbluxury.com/goldenshot.html
More here:
http://lowcarbluxury.com/goldenshot.html
Friday, January 13, 2006
Birthday dinner
Tonight I went to Eleanor's house for my birthday dinner. As we talked about various issues, including Atkins, she insisted to me that Atkins isn't "balanced" because you have to eat lots of carbs to have a balanced diet. She says that veggies won't fill me up, and wants me to see me eat more fruit, even though I explained to her that I can get in veggies all the nutrients that fruit has, and without the sugar. And yet she can't deny that Atkins has worked for me, right down to improved blood lipids. This from a woman who has never struggled with weight.
Keep in mind what I did eat tonight - salad, brussel sprouts, and fish. Just no starch. And because there's no starch, it must be unbalanced.
Some people are just so stuck in ancient science that they won't look at new research. Once people thought the world was flat, and many refused to believe that Galileo might be right.
Keep in mind what I did eat tonight - salad, brussel sprouts, and fish. Just no starch. And because there's no starch, it must be unbalanced.
Some people are just so stuck in ancient science that they won't look at new research. Once people thought the world was flat, and many refused to believe that Galileo might be right.
Atkins Nutritionals out of bankruptcy
January 10, 2006
NEW YORK -- Atkins Nutritionals has emerged from bankruptcy with a revised business model that hinges less on the popularity of the low-carb diet espoused by its founder.
The company said it isn't abandoning the legacy of the late diet guru Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who taught that people should eat foods rich in protein and limit their intake of carbohydrates.
Full story here.
NEW YORK -- Atkins Nutritionals has emerged from bankruptcy with a revised business model that hinges less on the popularity of the low-carb diet espoused by its founder.
The company said it isn't abandoning the legacy of the late diet guru Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who taught that people should eat foods rich in protein and limit their intake of carbohydrates.
Full story here.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Does Atkins raise cholesterol?
We eat lots of fat, right? So doesn't it raise cholesterol and make us more likely to have a heart attack?
Actually, no.
Here's Janis again, with a long post on how her blood test results changed from normal eating to low fat to low carb.
---
The doc started out holding my papers in his hand and said, "If you make one complaint about any of these numbers I'll never show you your test results again!" EVERYTHING was fantastic.
For those of you who don't understand what cholesterol numbers mean in terms of genetics, let me explain. Some people, regardless of what they eat or what drugs they take, will not see improvement. My genetics SUCK! There's no other way to put it. Everyone in my family dies of heart attacks, strokes and artery problems. I suppose I should be glad we don't have any cancer, ever.
My overall cholesterol number may look a bit high to some of you but in terms of risk I couldn't be lower. It's the interaction between the types of cholesterol that matter.
Here's the history right up until today showing the impact of being overweight, then eating very low-fat/low-cholesterol and finally low-carb.
Here's the chart for risk factor for heart disease for those who aren't familiar with the numbers...
>5.6 high risk
4.3-5.5 average risk
3.5-4.2 low risk
<3.5 IDEAL
The numbers below each category show where you should be...
DATE TOTAL LDL HDL TRIG RISK GLUCOSE WEIGHT
<200 <130 >35 <135 <105
03/91 231 error 36 542 111
07/91 212 143 26 208 5.6
12/97 278 195 37 228 7.5 94
In 12/97 I began an extremely low fat regimen - 30g fat daily and 1200 calories. All butter/margarine was eliminated with the only added fat being olive oil. I ate practically no red meat and tons of fish and chicken. I never cheated, even once.
03/98 278 191 37 220 7.5
03/98: NO CHANGE... After working extremely hard and losing a lot of weight there was almost no change. The doc thought it was genetics all along but decided to let me try a little longer before putting me drugs. I also added strenuous exercise using a HealthRider recommended by my doctor for good non-impact strength and cardio because of the arthritis in my spine. I gave it everything I had and was very dedicated.
06/98 246 131 32 246 7.7 107 165
06/98: There was a very little change and my HDL even dropped! It's all about genetics. My doc agreed to high dose niacin instead of RX drugs.
10/98 198 120 38 202 5.2 145
10/98: The niacin is working but not doing nearly enough. There is still no noticeable change in my HDL and my risk factor is still too high. I'm feeling denied, hungry and generally miserable.
I'll skip all the results between this time and the beginning of Atkins because although there was improvement it wasn't that much. Later I gained all the weight back and more. I started Atkins 2/23/04 weighing in at a whopping 207.
07/04 178 109 47 108 3.8 120 170
07/04: I've been on Atkins for four months and the changes are already dramatic. I'm now LOW RISK for the first time in my adult life and weigh the same as our wedding day in 1970!
I'll skip over the improvements and jump right today. Know that my overall cholesterol jumps around but since 07/04 has always been over 200 but with a very low risk factor.
12/05 212 123 77 60 2.8 94 134
12/05: My numbers are incredible for my genetics! My risk factor is WAY down and my glucose is finally normal. It had always run a couple of point above the top of the normal range, sometimes worse. I weighed in at 134 on his scale WITH shoes on! My free T4 was VERY normal and in the last two weeks I'm finding I'm not as cold as often so we believe it's finally going away for good.
I forgot! My BP was 108/63. Not bad for an old bat, huh? He said I could stop taking my BP pill but he still wants me on it because it keeps my resting heart rate in the 60's. Without it I'm almost 90, at least I was before. I'll re-evaluate in several months. The dosage I take is less than half the lowest amount taken for BP treatment. Without it my BP doesn't go up. We've already tested that.
Think I'm happy? LOL!
Actually, no.
Here's Janis again, with a long post on how her blood test results changed from normal eating to low fat to low carb.
---
The doc started out holding my papers in his hand and said, "If you make one complaint about any of these numbers I'll never show you your test results again!" EVERYTHING was fantastic.
For those of you who don't understand what cholesterol numbers mean in terms of genetics, let me explain. Some people, regardless of what they eat or what drugs they take, will not see improvement. My genetics SUCK! There's no other way to put it. Everyone in my family dies of heart attacks, strokes and artery problems. I suppose I should be glad we don't have any cancer, ever.
My overall cholesterol number may look a bit high to some of you but in terms of risk I couldn't be lower. It's the interaction between the types of cholesterol that matter.
Here's the history right up until today showing the impact of being overweight, then eating very low-fat/low-cholesterol and finally low-carb.
Here's the chart for risk factor for heart disease for those who aren't familiar with the numbers...
>5.6 high risk
4.3-5.5 average risk
3.5-4.2 low risk
<3.5 IDEAL
The numbers below each category show where you should be...
DATE TOTAL LDL HDL TRIG RISK GLUCOSE WEIGHT
<200 <130 >35 <135 <105
03/91 231 error 36 542 111
07/91 212 143 26 208 5.6
12/97 278 195 37 228 7.5 94
In 12/97 I began an extremely low fat regimen - 30g fat daily and 1200 calories. All butter/margarine was eliminated with the only added fat being olive oil. I ate practically no red meat and tons of fish and chicken. I never cheated, even once.
03/98 278 191 37 220 7.5
03/98: NO CHANGE... After working extremely hard and losing a lot of weight there was almost no change. The doc thought it was genetics all along but decided to let me try a little longer before putting me drugs. I also added strenuous exercise using a HealthRider recommended by my doctor for good non-impact strength and cardio because of the arthritis in my spine. I gave it everything I had and was very dedicated.
06/98 246 131 32 246 7.7 107 165
06/98: There was a very little change and my HDL even dropped! It's all about genetics. My doc agreed to high dose niacin instead of RX drugs.
10/98 198 120 38 202 5.2 145
10/98: The niacin is working but not doing nearly enough. There is still no noticeable change in my HDL and my risk factor is still too high. I'm feeling denied, hungry and generally miserable.
I'll skip all the results between this time and the beginning of Atkins because although there was improvement it wasn't that much. Later I gained all the weight back and more. I started Atkins 2/23/04 weighing in at a whopping 207.
07/04 178 109 47 108 3.8 120 170
07/04: I've been on Atkins for four months and the changes are already dramatic. I'm now LOW RISK for the first time in my adult life and weigh the same as our wedding day in 1970!
I'll skip over the improvements and jump right today. Know that my overall cholesterol jumps around but since 07/04 has always been over 200 but with a very low risk factor.
12/05 212 123 77 60 2.8 94 134
12/05: My numbers are incredible for my genetics! My risk factor is WAY down and my glucose is finally normal. It had always run a couple of point above the top of the normal range, sometimes worse. I weighed in at 134 on his scale WITH shoes on! My free T4 was VERY normal and in the last two weeks I'm finding I'm not as cold as often so we believe it's finally going away for good.
I forgot! My BP was 108/63. Not bad for an old bat, huh? He said I could stop taking my BP pill but he still wants me on it because it keeps my resting heart rate in the 60's. Without it I'm almost 90, at least I was before. I'll re-evaluate in several months. The dosage I take is less than half the lowest amount taken for BP treatment. Without it my BP doesn't go up. We've already tested that.
Think I'm happy? LOL!
You and I and a bunch of other people know it [that Atkins works] but so many people don't and are afraid of it. I didn't post all that to convert anyone but more to just inform people because it really hurts me when I hear people post about how hungry they are. I'd hate to see them do what I did, which was to lose the weight a couple of times and then gain it back. As you and I learned the VERY hard way... You can eat like that when you're highly motivated but after the weight is off it becomes boring and more difficult to maintain. Little treats now and then turn into eating all the wrong things again and then the fat comes back into the diet, raising the calories and damaging health. On top of that the low-fat eating wreaks havoc with triglycerides, etc.
Granted, low carbing won't appeal to everyone and thank G*d there are so many choices out there for those of us who suffer from weight issues. I just want to spread the word that it IS healthy and you can be happy. It's soooo badly misunderstood, the reason I keep saying I'm not a big meat eater. I'm NOT!
I truly believe that what scares most people off is what I always felt... How could I possibly live without my favorite food? POTATOES! You know I could have lived on them before. Except for rice and some forms of potatoes there is a subsitute for everything and what most people truly don't GET is that once you've been through induction you don't even care about those things. And what we can eat is truly delicious and filling. We're never hungry either.
From Janis in the thread Low Fat VS Low Carb on About.com's Weight Loss forum.
Granted, low carbing won't appeal to everyone and thank G*d there are so many choices out there for those of us who suffer from weight issues. I just want to spread the word that it IS healthy and you can be happy. It's soooo badly misunderstood, the reason I keep saying I'm not a big meat eater. I'm NOT!
I truly believe that what scares most people off is what I always felt... How could I possibly live without my favorite food? POTATOES! You know I could have lived on them before. Except for rice and some forms of potatoes there is a subsitute for everything and what most people truly don't GET is that once you've been through induction you don't even care about those things. And what we can eat is truly delicious and filling. We're never hungry either.
From Janis in the thread Low Fat VS Low Carb on About.com's Weight Loss forum.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Goooooooooooooooal!, take 2
That's right! I am now at a healthy weight for the first time in my adult life! I actually hit goal last Friday, but I didn't want to get all happy about it until I could maintain it until my official weigh-in, which was this morning, which is ALSO my birthday (I'm 35). As of today I've lost 64 pounds and am pleased as punch! :)
Yay me, and yay Dr. Atkins!
Yay me, and yay Dr. Atkins!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday, happy birthday,
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday, happy birthday,
Happy birthday to me!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
More wisdom from Janis
This is from a post on About.com's Weight Loss forum. The part in italics are from Lewis' original post, which Janis is responding to.
---
I agree with everything that has already been said so won't bother repeating all of it.
I chose low carb for all the wrong reasons but it turned out to be the best possible choice for me.
Low carb works best for the following issues...
*Diabetes/insulin resistance
*RX drugs that cause weight gain or carb cravings
*Feeling hungry, deprived and bored when on low fat
*High cholesterol and/or triglycerides
*Craving food when not even hungry
I disagree that low-carb is hard to stay on. Most of the people who have difficulty following the plan do so because they haven't read the book and aren't eating properly. Some say that low carb only works for people who love meat. Well... I'm not a big meat eater and I love low carbing.
From what I've learned low carbing is the only eating plan where you're never hungry and all cravings disappear. Many of us had to practically force feed ourselves at times. Hunger is now hunger and not just cravings. It puts you in complete control of food as long as you stick with it.
For many of us the decision to go low carb had more to do with getting healthy and being in control. There is no other eating plan that could do that for us. Many doctors, including my own, have started understanding low carb and are all for it. There is a growing number of doctors who are putting their Type 2 diabetics on it as it's far healthier than the traditional diabetic diet.
Everyone I know who is on atkins {sic} or on some form of lower carb diet never seems to lose the weight. Or they lose it but are incredibly miserable, or lose it but just put it back on. But the food they put in their bodies is terrible.
If you read the posts here you'll see that there are many of us who have lost large amounts of weight by low carbing. I've kept mine off for over a year now. Miserable? Never. It's more like thrilled with what I'm eating for the first time in years. And you say the food is terrible. The main rule of eating is that you can eat high fat IF you aren't eating high carb. It's the combination of high carb and high fat that will kill you. We burn that fat for energy and our blood work improved dramatically. I went from high risk with triglycerides too high to read! I'm now well into IDEAL category. The longer I stayed on low fat the higher my triglycerides soared because carbs are the reason people have high triglycerides. When you cut out all the fat you have to replace it with something and that something is always carbs. The only other way I could have lowered my cholesterol would have been with drugs, an option I wasn't interested in. So know that doctors who take patients off low carb because of high cholesterol are badly informed and making a HUGE mistake! There is a tiny percentage of people who do run into cholesterol issues with low carbing but everyone on it needs to be tested.
It's very unfortunate that the diets most doctors put their patients on are killing them. My own doctor was very negative about low carbing until he saw my first test results. He's now done his own research and has completely changed his mind. He's even asked me if I'd be willing to stay on it for life. Yes, it does work if you follow it properly. I'd bet the people you know who got bored and didn't lose weren't following it properly. True low carb is for life. You can't take weekends and vacations off.
---
I agree with everything that has already been said so won't bother repeating all of it.
I chose low carb for all the wrong reasons but it turned out to be the best possible choice for me.
Low carb works best for the following issues...
*Diabetes/insulin resistance
*RX drugs that cause weight gain or carb cravings
*Feeling hungry, deprived and bored when on low fat
*High cholesterol and/or triglycerides
*Craving food when not even hungry
I disagree that low-carb is hard to stay on. Most of the people who have difficulty following the plan do so because they haven't read the book and aren't eating properly. Some say that low carb only works for people who love meat. Well... I'm not a big meat eater and I love low carbing.
From what I've learned low carbing is the only eating plan where you're never hungry and all cravings disappear. Many of us had to practically force feed ourselves at times. Hunger is now hunger and not just cravings. It puts you in complete control of food as long as you stick with it.
For many of us the decision to go low carb had more to do with getting healthy and being in control. There is no other eating plan that could do that for us. Many doctors, including my own, have started understanding low carb and are all for it. There is a growing number of doctors who are putting their Type 2 diabetics on it as it's far healthier than the traditional diabetic diet.
Everyone I know who is on atkins {sic} or on some form of lower carb diet never seems to lose the weight. Or they lose it but are incredibly miserable, or lose it but just put it back on. But the food they put in their bodies is terrible.
If you read the posts here you'll see that there are many of us who have lost large amounts of weight by low carbing. I've kept mine off for over a year now. Miserable? Never. It's more like thrilled with what I'm eating for the first time in years. And you say the food is terrible. The main rule of eating is that you can eat high fat IF you aren't eating high carb. It's the combination of high carb and high fat that will kill you. We burn that fat for energy and our blood work improved dramatically. I went from high risk with triglycerides too high to read! I'm now well into IDEAL category. The longer I stayed on low fat the higher my triglycerides soared because carbs are the reason people have high triglycerides. When you cut out all the fat you have to replace it with something and that something is always carbs. The only other way I could have lowered my cholesterol would have been with drugs, an option I wasn't interested in. So know that doctors who take patients off low carb because of high cholesterol are badly informed and making a HUGE mistake! There is a tiny percentage of people who do run into cholesterol issues with low carbing but everyone on it needs to be tested.
It's very unfortunate that the diets most doctors put their patients on are killing them. My own doctor was very negative about low carbing until he saw my first test results. He's now done his own research and has completely changed his mind. He's even asked me if I'd be willing to stay on it for life. Yes, it does work if you follow it properly. I'd bet the people you know who got bored and didn't lose weren't following it properly. True low carb is for life. You can't take weekends and vacations off.
Janis' Success Story
Janis' Weight Loss Story
My story is much like that of so many others. I struggled with being overweight from childhood, trying and failing at every eating plan imaginable. By going hungry and denying myself I always found it easy to lose weight but could not permanently live in a constant state of hunger and denial. On February 23, 2004 I tried Atkins out of pure desperation and panic. I was leaving for vacation in three weeks and none of my summer clothes fit. I knew I could never stay on low carb long because I loved my potatoes, pasta, bread and rice too much and could never give them up permanently. Just thinking about going low carb made me freak out but I had to try something where I could lose quickly enough to get into my wardrobe. The rest is history. By the end of the first week I didn’t miss my "white" starches, no longer had cravings of any kind, loved what I was eating and knew I had found an eating plan I could stick with. Initially, my doctor wasn’t thrilled, saying I could stay on it only long enough to lose the weight but after my first blood work he started researching Atkins for himself. My cholesterol had been high for years and although I tried everything to bring it down I wasn’t successful enough. Atkins was the only answer. I now have IDEAL cholesterol, lost 70 lbs. by the end of 2004 and have maintained it for eight months, a record for me. The best part...I love what I’m eating, can now deal with food like a normal person, am far healthier then before and know I can stay on it successfully for life, which my doctor has recommended! I’ve never been so happy!
From:
Low Carb Central's Newsletter
One last note - as of the time of this writing Janis has maintained her weight loss for over a year.
See my other post about Janis.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Some random facts about Atkins
From the official Atkins Web site:
To begin, Atkins is not a diet, and that's not just marketing hype. It's called the Atkins Nutritional Approach (we'll be calling it the ANA for short), not the Atkins Diet. That's because there's more than weight loss at stake here: what really matters is your overall health and well-being. In fact, many people who don't need to lose weight choose to follow the ANA because of all the health benefits it provides.
When you give your body too many carbohydrates to metabolize, it burns them for energy. But if you carefully control your carb intake, your body burns fat instead. And that, in a nutshell, is the secret -- if there is one -- of the ANA.
To begin, Atkins is not a diet, and that's not just marketing hype. It's called the Atkins Nutritional Approach (we'll be calling it the ANA for short), not the Atkins Diet. That's because there's more than weight loss at stake here: what really matters is your overall health and well-being. In fact, many people who don't need to lose weight choose to follow the ANA because of all the health benefits it provides.
When you give your body too many carbohydrates to metabolize, it burns them for energy. But if you carefully control your carb intake, your body burns fat instead. And that, in a nutshell, is the secret -- if there is one -- of the ANA.
BART raises fares again
I'm so pissed about this and SO not amused. BART fare used to be $1.25 for "base fare," the fare to get in the gates and go (usually) 1-2 stops. Of course, it goes up from there based on how far you're going and where you're going. Well, as of January 1 they raised fares yet again so that base fare is now $1.40. I don't want to think what my San Francisco trips will now cost me. :-p
So that's a $1.40 per ride, 2 rides per day, 5 days a week. That's $56 dollars a month, not counting trips into San Francisco (two trips per month). Plus $70 now for my monthly bus pass, and $1.50 for the Muni bus in San Francisco. I swear to God, driving can't be that much more expensive. *sigh* So $56 + $70 + $3 (for two Muni trips per month) = $129. And that still doesn't count the BART fare into the City. That's around $6 last I checked, so add another $12 (for two trips), subtract the two $1.40 rides saved, and you get $138.20. Just to get around on gosh darn public transit for one month!
So that's a $1.40 per ride, 2 rides per day, 5 days a week. That's $56 dollars a month, not counting trips into San Francisco (two trips per month). Plus $70 now for my monthly bus pass, and $1.50 for the Muni bus in San Francisco. I swear to God, driving can't be that much more expensive. *sigh* So $56 + $70 + $3 (for two Muni trips per month) = $129. And that still doesn't count the BART fare into the City. That's around $6 last I checked, so add another $12 (for two trips), subtract the two $1.40 rides saved, and you get $138.20. Just to get around on gosh darn public transit for one month!
What should I weigh?
Body Mass Index (BMI) has serious limitations and is of limited use when calculating a healthy weight. BMI does not take into account important factors such as gender, bone structure, and body fat percentage.
So when trying to find a healthy weight for myself, I use the Met Life tables, which at least take gender and bone structure into account. As a woman who is 5'7" with medium bones, I should weigh between 133 and 147. My goal is 142 to give me 5 pounds of wiggle room before going over my high. Going by BMI alone I'm allowed to weigh up to 159, which is way too much for a female with a medium frame. 159 is better for a large framed man.
Check out the Met Life tables.
So when trying to find a healthy weight for myself, I use the Met Life tables, which at least take gender and bone structure into account. As a woman who is 5'7" with medium bones, I should weigh between 133 and 147. My goal is 142 to give me 5 pounds of wiggle room before going over my high. Going by BMI alone I'm allowed to weigh up to 159, which is way too much for a female with a medium frame. 159 is better for a large framed man.
Check out the Met Life tables.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Another Spotlight Review!
While looking for information on how to get the Anneliese Michel book (I got yet another e-mail last week requesting information), I came across the Amazon.com page. My review of the book got "Spotlight" status! Yay me! That's my second spotlight review (see other).
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (with my review) :)
Hold that thought! I decided to go back through my reviews and discovered more Spotlight Reviews. :)
The Regime: Evil Advances (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 2)
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly
That's four Spotlight Reviews I have! :)
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (with my review) :)
Hold that thought! I decided to go back through my reviews and discovered more Spotlight Reviews. :)
The Regime: Evil Advances (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 2)
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly
That's four Spotlight Reviews I have! :)
Been thinking about...ministry
I came to a realization last night. After all my whining about God not using me (and indeed, being stopped at every effort to do so), I wonder if maybe He has different plans for me than what I think. Just because I'm an ex-Witch, does that mean God must use me to minister to Witches? Could I be looking at this all wrong?
Perhaps that's what I've been doing. I know I command a certain amount of respect at both the official Atkins forum and About.com's Weight Loss forum. Maybe my ministry is to help teach people better nutrition, to share the knowledge that has been so freely shared with me. What if God has been using me this whole time and I've simply been too blind to see?
Could it be that these health forums are exactly where I should be right now and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing?
Perhaps that's what I've been doing. I know I command a certain amount of respect at both the official Atkins forum and About.com's Weight Loss forum. Maybe my ministry is to help teach people better nutrition, to share the knowledge that has been so freely shared with me. What if God has been using me this whole time and I've simply been too blind to see?
Could it be that these health forums are exactly where I should be right now and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing?
Abby's collar, take 2
Well, the collar came off. I noticed last night it was loose and it was on the floor by this morning. Stupid cat. This was a belt-type collar. How the hell did this houdini cat get it off?!? I swear this cat is smarter than every collar manufacturer out there! Grrr...
Twas the Month after Christmas
I found this on a diet forum: :)
Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
'Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
'Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Goooooooooooooooal!
That's right! I tapped goal today! My goal weight is 142 and the scale showed 141 today! Woohoo! I rock! That's 65 pounds lost! I know I will be up tomorrow, but to be able to tap goal is just the most thrilling thing in the world! :) Yay me! A weight of 142 will give me 5 pounds to play around with from my allowed high weight of 147.
Atkins soooo rocks! Thank you Dr. A!
Atkins soooo rocks! Thank you Dr. A!
Think Pink
I'm bleaching my hair as I type in preparation for dying it pink. :) I promise pictures when it's all done and everything. It's semi-permanent since permanent pink (or blue or anything) doesn't exist.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Dropdown menus
Want a dropdown menu like mine? Well, yesterday I whipped up some quick and easy instructions for making dropdown menus, and today I posted it online in .txt format. The first bit of code will give you a general dropdown box for any purpose - mine is for other blogs I read. The second bit of code will give you a dropdown menu for your archives in reverse order, newest to oldest. This is especially useful if, like me, you have so many archives that regular order would frustrate anyone not looking for anything ancient.
I apologize the code runs off the page. I welcome any constructive criticism that could make the page easier to use. Now without further adieu, I present to you
How to do dropdown menus (.txt file)
I apologize the code runs off the page. I welcome any constructive criticism that could make the page easier to use. Now without further adieu, I present to you
How to do dropdown menus (.txt file)
Atkins vs. Low Cholesterol Diets - Janis' Story
This was written by my friend Janis from About.com's Weight Loss forum. She's a huge Atkins supporter because of how it lowered her weight and cholesterol. Her numbers are now normal for the first time in her life. She's been on Atkins about two years, one of those years in maintenance. She's been able to maintain with no problem at all.
I think one of the reasons Atkins was so perfect for me was because I was on low fat/low cholesterol for sooooo many years. All of the forbidden foods suddenly became okay to eat without guilt and my cholesterol is finally FABULOUS. I'm still on a high when I eat them! Egg salad, bacon, chicken wings, mac and cheese, grilled cheese.... YUM!
She started just wanting something to jump start her weight loss and only planned to stay on it a month because of the mistaken belief that it raises cholesterol and hers was already too high. But then the doctor started doing the blood tests on her and the results showed lower cholesterol. She stayed on it and the results just got better and better. Her doctor didn't believe in Atkins before, but he does now, and has asked her to stay on it for life, something she is more than happy to do.
I relate to Janis because 1) we're both on Atkins, 2) we started only months apart, and 3) she started at almost my start weight (she started at 207 and I started at 206), and we have almost the same goal (her goal is 137 and mine is 142).
Something to think about for those on a low cholesterol diet because their cholesterol is too high.
I think one of the reasons Atkins was so perfect for me was because I was on low fat/low cholesterol for sooooo many years. All of the forbidden foods suddenly became okay to eat without guilt and my cholesterol is finally FABULOUS. I'm still on a high when I eat them! Egg salad, bacon, chicken wings, mac and cheese, grilled cheese.... YUM!
She started just wanting something to jump start her weight loss and only planned to stay on it a month because of the mistaken belief that it raises cholesterol and hers was already too high. But then the doctor started doing the blood tests on her and the results showed lower cholesterol. She stayed on it and the results just got better and better. Her doctor didn't believe in Atkins before, but he does now, and has asked her to stay on it for life, something she is more than happy to do.
I relate to Janis because 1) we're both on Atkins, 2) we started only months apart, and 3) she started at almost my start weight (she started at 207 and I started at 206), and we have almost the same goal (her goal is 137 and mine is 142).
Something to think about for those on a low cholesterol diet because their cholesterol is too high.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
How Scary Are You?
| You Aren't Scary, You're Scared |
 |
Gratuitous cat picture
This is a picture of Xena, taken New Year's Eve. She found an open and empty clothing gift box under the tree and decided it looked like a good place to sleep.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Spotlight Review!
While recommending a book to a fellow blogger today, I came upon my review of the book "The DNA of Relationships" by Gary Smalley. It's a "Spotlight" review instead of just a normal customer review! That's the first time I've ever had a spotlight review. I do try to put work into them to make them good so I can get those postive votes. Woohoo! Someone really liked it to put it there. Spotlight reviews always stay at the top, even when new people write reviews. (For example, my Atkins review is long since lost in a long list of people who have posted rewiews since mine.)
I'm definetly an author. I do some writing (for pay) on the side which I really enjoy. :)
I'm definetly an author. I do some writing (for pay) on the side which I really enjoy. :)
Insult to Injury
Well, J-L unbanned me at SAM, but even though I am a Founding Member he refuses to acknowledge me as such and has banned me from both the ex-Witches folder and the Founding Members folder.
I have no wish to reconsile with the vicious woman who did all this. Oh yes, she's still a mod. No matter. I got half of what I wanted and I'm leaving now. Brian warned me that J-L would hurt me, but would I listen? No... Oh well, if I had been a moderator she still would have banned me and then it would only hurt worse.
Now...C., V., D., and J-L, please stop reading my blog. You are being just like K. by stalking me around. She HAD stopped (and I give her credit for that) when you got her involved again.
I only have problems at religious forums (or in one case because of my religion at a non-religious forum), so it really is better to put God in the backseat where he belongs and focus on my health. The people at About.com's Weight Loss forum are good people. Other than Quin and Jeanne occationally trading insults, there's no fights there and nobody is banned.
I have no wish to reconsile with the vicious woman who did all this. Oh yes, she's still a mod. No matter. I got half of what I wanted and I'm leaving now. Brian warned me that J-L would hurt me, but would I listen? No... Oh well, if I had been a moderator she still would have banned me and then it would only hurt worse.
Now...C., V., D., and J-L, please stop reading my blog. You are being just like K. by stalking me around. She HAD stopped (and I give her credit for that) when you got her involved again.
I only have problems at religious forums (or in one case because of my religion at a non-religious forum), so it really is better to put God in the backseat where he belongs and focus on my health. The people at About.com's Weight Loss forum are good people. Other than Quin and Jeanne occationally trading insults, there's no fights there and nobody is banned.
Livin' La Vida Low-Carb
Jimmy at Livin' La Vida Low-Carb blogged about me and placed me in his friends list. Way cool! Thanks, Jimmy! :)
Study Examines Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet
CHICAGO - Older women who ate less fat and more carbohydrates lost about 2 pounds over seven years, a large study showed.
While one obesity expert called the results disappointing, the lead author of the research said it refutes claims by promoters of the Atkins and Zone diets that low-fat diets are partly behind America's obesity epidemic.
Full story here.
I'm not sure what they were trying to prove, but if it's the merits of a high carb diet, they seem to have failed. Of course the results were disappointing. High carb is not good for the body, and some people are more sensitive than others (like me).
Another review of this study can be found in Jimmy's blog. He did a way better job than me.
While one obesity expert called the results disappointing, the lead author of the research said it refutes claims by promoters of the Atkins and Zone diets that low-fat diets are partly behind America's obesity epidemic.
Full story here.
I'm not sure what they were trying to prove, but if it's the merits of a high carb diet, they seem to have failed. Of course the results were disappointing. High carb is not good for the body, and some people are more sensitive than others (like me).
Another review of this study can be found in Jimmy's blog. He did a way better job than me.
What works for you?
The following was found on About.com's Weight Loss forum, from someone who has lost weight (and kept it off) on Weight Watchers. It's the end of a much longer post.
"And what seems like 'nutsy' advice to me may actually work for someone else. I'll gladly admit that this is the case if improved health and significant weight loss is reported. For example, I thought the Atkins program wasn't healthy until I joined this forum and met people here who successfully lost weight and improved their health with Atkins and were able to explain that the program wasn't what I thought it was."
Truth wins again! :)
"And what seems like 'nutsy' advice to me may actually work for someone else. I'll gladly admit that this is the case if improved health and significant weight loss is reported. For example, I thought the Atkins program wasn't healthy until I joined this forum and met people here who successfully lost weight and improved their health with Atkins and were able to explain that the program wasn't what I thought it was."
Truth wins again! :)
Monday, January 02, 2006
poem: Crucify Me
A repost of what I wrote after Kathi banned me, so it seems very fitting for today, too.
Crucify Me
Crucify me,
Beat me,
Whip me,
Hurt me.
I don't matter,
I don't matter anymore.
You need me to be like you,
Subscribing to and living
Your idea of holiness.
But I am not that person.
I cry myself to sleep,
Hurt beyond measure
By those I thought friends.
It is indeed true that
Christians are the only army who
Shoot their own wounded,
Force them to recover on their own.
But it is okay.
The tears weld my eyes shut in sleep,
But I wish for them to be
Welded shut in death.
Oh God, please let me die.
Crucify Me
Crucify me,
Beat me,
Whip me,
Hurt me.
I don't matter,
I don't matter anymore.
You need me to be like you,
Subscribing to and living
Your idea of holiness.
But I am not that person.
I cry myself to sleep,
Hurt beyond measure
By those I thought friends.
It is indeed true that
Christians are the only army who
Shoot their own wounded,
Force them to recover on their own.
But it is okay.
The tears weld my eyes shut in sleep,
But I wish for them to be
Welded shut in death.
Oh God, please let me die.
Now PC Moot hates me, too
They locked me out, too. *sigh*
[Edit: Found out that it was due to the same women who banned me at SAM. Why does that not surprize me? Is this woman on a misguided crusade against me or what?]
[Edit: Found out that it was due to the same women who banned me at SAM. Why does that not surprize me? Is this woman on a misguided crusade against me or what?]
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Atkins FAQ
Written by Sugar Free Sheila, a good rundown of some of the basic falacies about low carb and Atkins.
Sheila's Atkins and low carb FAQ
Sheila's Atkins and low carb FAQ
Testimony of a 10-year low carber
About 5 years ago I wrote a number of articles that have been posted on the Internet, some of them for Amazon.com, some of them for University forums. Of course these articles were very supportive of low-carb diets, as I, at that time, lost 200+ pounds as a result of implementing the Atkins dietary regimen for a total of 4 years. I lost the weight in 18 months. Since then, I kept it off. So I could say that now, almost in 2006, I have like 10 years of personal experience with this amazing diet.
Read the rest of this man's story here.
Read the rest of this man's story here.
Is Atkins unhealthy?
I was bored today and typed "Atkins" into the blog search engine and found a really wonderful site. This blog has more information and proof than you could ever hope to debunk - but only if you dare to have your presuppositions challenged.
I've also placed a link to this blog in the "Blogs I read" dropdown menu on the left so I and anyone else can visit long after this post has disappeared into the archives.
Livin' La Vida Low-Carb (Do you dare?)
I've also placed a link to this blog in the "Blogs I read" dropdown menu on the left so I and anyone else can visit long after this post has disappeared into the archives.
Livin' La Vida Low-Carb (Do you dare?)
How Is Your Inner Child?
| Your Inner Child Is Sad |
 You haven't grown that thick skin that most adults have. Easily hurt, you tend to retreat to your comfort zone. You don't let many people in - unless you've trusted them for a long time. |
Thanks to ALa.
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