What's for Dinner?

[Trilby]

PS
I know that post contains a lot of typos.

I'm tired.

I'm not sleeping.

i wonder if i'll ever sleep again????


a

[infinite monkey]

Brianna, is it expensive to do Atkins? I gotta do something. Apparently my metabolism expired at at age 47.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Brianna, is it expensive to do Atkins? I gotta do something. Apparently my metabolism expired at at age 47.

It doesn't have to be $$$$$ and you KNOW I'm on a budget.

The thing is - after a week (or even less) my cravings for sugar and carbs is DONE and I eat normal to small amounts of the food I am allowed to have. The freedom from the absolute control of carbs is, for me, a wonderful thing. I feel so good and then I wonder why I fall off the wagon when carbs make me feel so very, very tired and moody. eh, life.

It is protein heavy - and that means meat - (no dairy in first two weeks of induction) but if you throw in a lot of vegs (peppers, broccoli, snow peas, green beans, water chestnuts, etc) you can really make the meat stretch and I've found I just am NOT HUNGRY. When I'm eating carbs, I eat like I'm living at the county fair - high carbs, high fat. And every Burger King commercial sends me wandering into the kitchen for something to eat, I'm that addicted.

Chicken breasts are 1.99/lb. at Kroger all the time. You can make chicken salad with real mayo and celery and eat all you want. that's not $$$$.

It's pretty reasonable, really. The expensive things are the Atkins bars or shakes which I only use in dire emergencies - like no time or needing something sweet or I'll drink.

I know it's a controversial diet but it has worked for me in the past with very little pain - whereas low fat diets left me starving and miserable and feeling very, very deprived. Eggs are big on this diet and they are cheap, too.

A doctor I respect and admire actually recommended atkins for me. He says it's the best diet for alcoholics as it def. evens out your insulin levels and cravings.

[infinite monkey]

I may look into it. I do love chicken and eggs.

But no bread, or rice, or...

Still, I know it works for people.

[Trilby]

The beautiful thing is - if you can find what works for you you're nearly there.

Everytime i hear AA busllhit about "You must to the program this way or that way!" I think, wow, chemo wasn't (and isn't) like that. Not one chemo fits all - so why should one AA fit all? Or one approach to sobriety? or one diet?

Bodies are as different as plants. Some just have more mass, is all.

[Sundae]

It's true you have to work with what works for you.
But the basic idea of Atkins is basically a load of old shit, and has been proven to be.

Long term it's extremely unhealthy.
Although that's without moderating it.
And the bottom line is that if you moderate it, or amend it to work for you, you are compromising the "science" that makes it work.

When I've lost weight it's always been on a low fat, high-fibre (high-carb) diet. So it's a given I'd be down on it from the start.
My body works extrememly well on a high carb diet. Which means beans, pulses, wholegrain bread, Shredded Wheat etc as opposed to crisps

I haven't read anything to change my mind about Atkins.
A diet which proscribes many fruits for life while allowing processed meats...? Nah.

YMMV lovely people.

[infinite monkey]

Brianna, tonight I'm having tacos then tomorrow I might look into atkins.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Sundae

A diet which proscribes many fruits for life while allowing processed meats...? Nah.

I have never heard Atkins described this way. Which fruits are prohibited?

[classicman]

Atkins limits what you can eat based upon the stage of the program you are in.
A few fruits come in stage 2, but mostly in Stage Three

Atkins Overview

[Aliantha]

I opened this thread to have a brag about how my husband cooked a no carb dinner for me last night after looking a recipe on the net and getting it all prepared to support me in my ATKINS diet! lol What a surprise I got when I opened it.

Sundae, I'm surprised that you say there's no evidence to support that the atkins diet is scientifically sound. There's a fair bit of it out there. Whether it works for you or not is certainly up to you though.

I've discovered that the hardest part about losing weight and getting fit is shutting out all the voices that tell you which way you should be doing it, and just making a plan and sticking to it.

I've had a huge change in thinking myself over the last month or so, and I've started the atkins diet myself. In my first week I've lost 3kgs, and I haven't even been totally honest with it. I've been having a little milk in my coffee (less than 100mls per day though, so not bad, and I have had some nuts a couple of times when I've been in danger of letting myself down and eating something I really shouldn't.

Basically now though, I'm in the first day of my second week, and I feel awesome. It's like those carbs and sweets and crap were just making me sick. I am still eating plenty of green veges and stuff, and in my salad, if I feel I need a little bit of something for zing, I just slice up a strawberry and sprinkle it over the top. It's yum.

This week I'm planning on dropping the levels of fat right down and having only poached or boiled eggs for snacks and wean out the milk. It might mean that this week will really be my first week on the true diet, but I'm happy with the 3kg's I've lost this week.

I've also been to the gym once and have been using the treadmill. Off to the gym again today, so that'll be great.

We should start a low carb thread and support each other Bri. We could share recipes and what's working and so on. I'm so pumped for this. I'm losing 40kg (that's about 80lb) this year and there's no two ways about it. This is my year.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

It's like those carbs and sweets and crap were just making me sick.

Yes indeed. Good for you!

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by wolf

ooooh. Light or heavy balls? My friend's grandmom made the heavy kind, and I dutifully ate them for many years, but I have a great fondness for the light, fluffy ones ...



gunmaster may be able to give us an on-the-ground report, I hope.



What does your schedule look like?

The balls were pretty light and fluffy. I like them both ways. The balls and broth are from a mix, but the carrots and chicken are homemade. Almost worth getting sick for.

We're free most weekends with notice, so let me know when is good. Maybe when we get a warm spell so I can put some lanterns out on the deck and enjoy the crisp night air after dinner.

[Trilby]

Ali - we must be on the same wavelength here! That's great!

I, too, am going to lose around 80 pounds this year with no two ways about it - it WILL happen and I AM doing it. The year will trudge on whether we lose weight or not so we might as well lose it. Carbs made me feel like total crap, too. I think the proof is really in how you feel on the diet. I will start week two on tuesday and I feel pretty damn good myself. Less mental fog, more energy, etc.

If you haven't already started a low-carb thread, I'll start one and we can swap recipes and how we're doing.

we can DO THIS!

[Pete Zicato]

Mrs. Z had a virus over the holidays and pretty much missed Christmas. So her Mom, Dad, Sister, and B-i-L came up to Chicago this weekend to have a belated Christmas dinner.

Saturday night was baked chicken breasts, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, garlic bread, cheese polenta, and tossed salad. Dessert was a carrot cake made by Mrs. Z's sister.

Sunday was a smaller group. We had spaghetti carbonara, lasagna, caesar salad, and dinner rolls from Trader Joes. Dessert was apple pie and ice cream.

Mrs. Z is half Italian as you might guess by the menu.

[monster]

Dinner was fish n chips. And battered mushrooms and baked beans (Heinz). Yes, I made a buttie.