Good Morning. Lee, we need a low carb report

Ok Lee, you've been low carbing and posting on that Atkins board. We need a report here, babeeee! Pros and cons, successes and challenges, stats would be good...you know the drill, a SITREP, please. 
Nothing too much to report here. My scale was back down to 119 on Monday morning after being up to 121 on Sunday morning. We had a "clean out your fridge" dinner last night. I have more room in the fridge and less to put in the lunch bags this week. Must make a pot of chili tonight. 

Give us your SITREPs and have a great Tuesday.

--gina



  

I need to check out this board.

Good morning Gina and LW's.

You caught me running out the door to get my 1 year labs drawn so I have to be quick to get to Kaiser when the lab opens.

I've been doing Low Carb for about a month now.  I'm down 2 pounds which is more than I was down the month previous.  Sad but true.

So quickly off the top of my head, pros and cons.  I will think about this while at work today.

Pros:
Carb/sugar cravings go away in a few days.

Easier to know when I'm hungry or not.  I ask myself if I want a hardboiled egg.  If no, I'm not really hungry.  I've had to come face to face with my head hunger this month.

My body is changing, even in 1 month.  My size 10 cords are getting really baggy in the legs.

Feel more satisfied from food

Feel general well being

Crave to move my body with Pilates and yoga so that I can feel how my body works

I sit up taller

Cons:

Crave berries which I do eat occasionally

Crave more veggies but know that both of these set off cravings for more more more

More limited range of available low carb foods

Miss having a protein bar

I can't eat popcorn in the movies  (that's actually a very good thing)

Protein Shakes are not satisfying - crave solid protein

It takes more thought as I can't just pop something into my mouth

Protein is much higher in calories than fruit and veggies

I haven't found my good balance yet.  I've been concentrating and just keeping the carbs out.

My tricky brain keeps telling me to eat carbs.

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The new Atkins (any low carb or lower carb) Low Carb group is only a month or two old and is very supportive.  We love new members over there.

I'll try to think of more things....

Have a fun day everyone.. I'm off to get vials and vials taken out of me! 

Lee,
Awesome report ... It's really cool to read someone is self-aware

Lee, I don't know much about Atkins but I do know a lot about Dr. Richard Bernstein who is an Type I Endo who advocates low carbing as well.

Here is the basics of what he believes:
Low-carbohydrate diabetes diet and treatment plan

Bernstein's program for treating diabetes is highly regarded amongst his patients and achieves great blood sugar control, which reduces some or all of the complications associated with diabetes. The tradeoff is compliance with a very restricted diet and in many cases, frequent testing and insulin shots. Bernstein strongly opposes the dietary guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for both type 1 and type 2 diabetics. His dietary recommendations are in contradiction to other successful diets, such as the Pritikin diet.

Some of the highlights of his treatment program include:[1]

    * A very low carb diet to allow much tighter blood sugar control.
    * Diet allows 6 grams of carbohydrates for breakfast, and 12 grams each for lunch and dinner.
    * Avoiding all foods with added sugar, all foods with starches, all fruits.
    * Blood glucose testing up to 8 times per day.
    * Target blood glucose levels that are nearly constant for the entire day.
    * Weight loss for obese people with type 2 diabetes.
    * Exercise for all those with type 2 diabetes.
    * Basal and bolus dosing for insulin users, a technique that he invented in 1972.
    * The patient takes responsibility for blood sugar control.

While some of what he advocates has been implimented by the ADA
   * Weight loss for obese people with type 2 diabetes.
    * Exercise for all those with type 2 diabetes.
    * Basal and bolus dosing for insulin users, a technique that he invented in 1972.
MOST of it runs crosswise in the road to what they believe. However the success of his patients and those who follow his plan is not to be discounted.

Dr. Bernstein has some of his book on his website so you can read it. Chapter 9 & 10 are the chapters of most interest because he breaks down the foods in those chapters.

I ran across his name on a mailing list run by an endo by the name of Dr. Aurturo Rolla who has a practice at Beth Israel Deaconess. Dr. Rolla is very picky about what is allowed on his list and Atkins isn't one of them but Bernstein is, oddly enough. :)

Atkins has been vendicated in recent years,  thank goodness. Unfortunately it took so long and too many people still have the "fat free" ingrained in their brain.

I haven't been low carbing as long as Lee but I have seen the scale move in the right directions and not had the bouncing around that I had last month.  Until today, I've been keeping it under 20.  I haven't been hungry or had any weakness, etc.  Today I eeked up to 33 with beans.  Anyway, I plan to do this as I can, which may be harder this weekend since I am going to be out of town.  At home it is easy.  I cooked lots of small hambergers and froze them and a crock pot of chicken thighs so I had easy meals.  I may have to do more protein bars while I am gone and staying in friend's homes.  So we will see what happens when I get back Sunday night.