You have been given some great advice here.
My best advise is if you are hungry - EAT!!! There is no reason to be hungry living the LC lifestyle.
Drink loads of water, I get 4 liters on a good day.
Find a form of exercise that you like.
Dump the LC candy and bars for awhile. Allot of that stuff didnt exist, or we didnt know about it when we started in 2003.

Oh, I wanted to add, keep using that hand written log if it works for you. I tried fitday and find it too cumbersome to use, at least for me. I use an excel spreadsheet to track my food and carbs.

Remember if the scale isn't moving much, you may still be losing inches. When DW and I started in May 03, the weight just dropped off of me. She lost pounds s-l-o-w-l-y, but her body changed shape and size as the inches melted away.

WTG!!! You've already lost 21 pounds. You're off to a good start.
Keep up the good work!!! Good luck!!!

I think 2 weeks is the minimum to give any experiment of this sort. I'm in the 2nd week of a tweak to my diet and I think its working, but it really needs more time. My first week I felt lousy, second week I'm feeling better but the weight isn't budging much. Perhaps the third week is the winner.

I'd say hunger is the worst thing you can experience on a diet. We're built to be driven to eat when we're hungry and trying to resist that primal urge can be disasterous. So my advice is eat! I found that some foods are more satisfying than others, some of the more calorie dense foods are sometimes not *as* satisfying as other less dense foods. For instance, nuts don't really satisfy me as well as a cup of low carb milk (Hood Carb Countdown is good). And the difference in calories is quite dramatic (like 100 in the milk and close to 200 in the nuts).

For some odd reason I get a lot of hunger satisfaction (and it lasts pretty long) from peanut butter. Why? No idea. But sometimes just having a tsp of it can let me go another hour or two without a meal.

Someone just posted a study abstract up in the media area about sweet taste stimulating appetite. Kind of depressing because I really like Crystal Light and I use a lot of AS. So it might be that I should switch to drinking unsweetened ice tea and hot tea. Or at least experiment with that. I don't want to, but I might anyway. Maybe just save sweet taste for after dinner.

YOU GO GIRL! Listen, i think it is so sweet that you have a supportive boyfriend and that doesn't mean that you aren't committed/ that you are doing it for him- whatever. The fact is that you are trying to do something for yourself in the hopes that it helps you conceive- so good luck! Don't start worrying about losing 200 pounds, worry about getting through each day!
I have to agree on a couple things #1 WATER. I hate hate HATE water, or i did until i started forcing myself to drink 4 litres a day. Now i find that i'm actually thirsty and i have to tell you in the first week it's hard but the second and third it starts to become a habit and i find it helps with the hunger because sometimes your body is actually thirsty rather than hungry. Your body sends the same message for i'm thirsty and i'm hungry (according to my science nerd roommates). You will find it makes a HUGE difference at least for me and my roommate who lost by changing nothing except drinking water.
#2 I LOVE low carb candies-or i did until i realised it was what making me stall. I stopped for 2 weeks- no splenda in the coffee, no diet pop, no candies/bars/shakes (and it's not easy believe me) but after the two weeks were up i went for an atkins bar and wanted to puke- IT WAS SOOOO SWEET! I couldn't eat the damn thing.
I say try one thing a week...this week up your water...see what it does....the next week try walking after dinner (just try and add exercise in some form) and then once you are comfortable with low carb'n think about losing your crutch (candies). This is a lifestyle, remember. Good luck! Oh! and maybe you could try some of the recipes that are online like low carb cheese cake that may be a little more natural without all that scary stuff in it. That's just my two cents. Good luck and you should be so proud of yourself for the progress you've already made!!!

I just wanted to add my voice to the idea that CAD might be a good plan for you to try also. It is excellent for reducing hunger and having that Reward meal to look forward to each night really makes it easy to stick to.

No matter what you end up doing, I wish you all the luck in the world
Tracy

I just wanted to invite you to read my journal to see how I started out low carbing. I knew I need to lower my carbs, but I hadn't read very much about it. I gradually dropped my carb counts to where I was at a reasonable amount. So I came into this without doing induction (still have never done induction) and it has been successful. I think the best thing you can do is read and understand how food is processed, try your experiments, listen to your body and tweak what you are doing to make it work better. It's not about being on a diet, although losing the fat is a great benefit... it's about eating healthily. Once you get that, it becomes much easier. Good luck!

More great ideas and suggestions... We missed doing measurments last Sunday, but it does feel like we may be loosing inches. I think I've picked up one hole in my belt, and when I put my arms around her (which I try to do often...) they feel like they might be going further.

A couple of other minor points, - I have some trouble reminding myself to get enough water down, but mgw has never had that problem, even before we started doing LC - I used to joke with the waitrons in restaraunts after they had to fill her glass 5 times in as many minutes that she was part camel. Lots of places where we were regulars would just leave a pitcher on the table.

As to how much I'd like her to loose? Well the current goal is the one set by the Dr. at the fertility clinic of getting under 300. If that's all she can do, I'll be delighted. However I think SHE would benefit enough in terms of health, better mobility, and all the rest that it would be worth while to go for the extra and try to get under 200. I'd like to see her be able to shop in normal stores. I'd like for her not to be forced to pay for an extra seat on the plane when we travel. I'd like for her to be able to sit in a normal seat at the movie theater, instead of having to use the handicap seats so she can put the arms up. I'd like to see her able to walk at a normal pace, and otherwise able to have a similar level of casual activity to my own. But that is her choice, and I'll live with her decision on it, or where her body decides to stop. I also don't think it's realistic to expect her to ever get down to where the standard Height/Weight charts say she ought to be, but I do think it would be reasonable in time (and I'm thinking years) to get down to only 30-40lbs over the charts.

Based on the advice you've given us, I think right now our plan should be to try getting her to up her fat intake as much as feasible, and relax the portion control immediately. Since I don't want to do major changes during a holiday, just after Thanksgiving, go to a semi-KISS approach for 2-3 weeks, getting rid of the artificial sweeteners (including Splenda), possibly nuts and processed meats, but keeping the dairy (I don't think Dairy is a problem) and sticking with the natural foods as much as possible. Assuming this approach works, then start adding things back in one item at a time to see if we can find her problem foods.

Gooserider

M'kay, I'm saying this strictly as a member, not as a moderator...

...but I think the reason people got the idea that "she's losing the weight for you" is how you're talking about mgw as if she doesn't have internet access and you have to relay everything to her. She has her own userid here, so maybe it would calm everyone down if you only talked about your weight loss issues, and let her talk about her own. Ultimately, we're responsible for our own bodies, TTC or otherwise.

Good luck to both of you.

When I first started Atkins...I was heavily reliant on the advantage bars, endulge bars, shakes, and all LC candy. I lost weight at first...but then stalled for a few months. Eventually I decided this diet was not working for me. As I gained the pounds I originally lost I figured I would go to the store, buy a LC cookbook (Dana Carpender's 500 LC recipes), and make real food for every meal...and snacks too. To me it was worth a shot...and I live alone so I have total control of what enters my house! Since then (about 2 months ago) the weight has been coming off and I am feeling better than ever....but most of all I am in control.

To both of you....this seems like it is what each of you want...and in many ways you are very lucky to have one another. Good Luck to you both as you continue the LC life together. If you are ever feeling down or depressed, come to this forum...the support here is endless.

A valid point Kristine, Generally I'd agree.

Except that mgw has generally indicated that she prefers me to do most of the conversing on the topic. She certainly does have internet acces (In fact we met via an e-mail list we were both on over 10 years ago :yay and has had it since before the net was known as the net... However she also has alot of other demands on her time, and our division of household tasks has me as the primary WOE manager, diet planner, food shopper, etc. Part of that package is doing the research and posting about the problems that we encounter. She does have a userid here, but only because I asked her to read the threads and she decided she wanted to respond on a few issues to clarify a couple of points. But she still wants me to do most of the talking - I quote from her message: Essentially she doesn't have the time or desire to do alot of reading / posting,instead she wants me to do most of it, and summarize for her. The problem comes when what I think we should do doesn't agree with what she would prefer, at which point I need to get information about how best to handle the conflict.

I'd talk more about my weight loss issues, except (knock on wood) I don't seem to have any major ones - thus far, I've been dropping 1-2 lbs / week pretty consistently. I'm not having the hungries, I'm not constipated or stalled, and I don't really seem to be having any of the other issues that I see discussed.

BTW, mgw did get me a copy of Karen's 'Low Carb Gourmet' cookbook and so far it has been a very successful experiment - I have had multiple recipes that I've sort of tried (I seldom follow a recipe exactly, I'm more the sort that uses the recipe as inspiration and vary it to suit my needs / predjudices) and all have been succesful. It will be a big help in going for the more natural based diet in the next few weeks.

Gooserider

Hey Goose (and mgw),

I think the proposed changes that mgw talked about sound good. Water, some (reasonable) supplements (people talk about glutamine helping with cravings), whatever exercise works for you, ditch the portion control for now, and make the LC sweets a more occasional thing. (I do recommend the Hood Carb Countdown Choc Milk though--it is heavenly and very rich and really satisfies a choc/sweet craving! More like a shake than milk.)

mgw, if you are still hungry, why not post (or Gooserider can post) what you are eating for a couple of days so we can get an idea of how many cals, what your fat % is, etc?

KIS is not a bad idea--esp if you ditch the portion control. And I agree that two weeks is a minimum trial, really.

Good luck over the hols. They are such emotional eating times for most people...

I am really pulling for you, mgw, not because fat is so intrinsically terrible or unattractive...but bcs it really impedes medical care, which is fine if you don't need medical care, but of course obesity does cause numerous problems. I have a friend who just had gastric bypass surgery ( I was sad she didn't try LC first, but everyone is different) mostly bcs she was just diagnosed with MS and her doctor told her frankly that if she ever develops a problem with walking, it will be much easier if she is physically smaller. Even basic things like intravenous lines become extremely difficult in the morbidly obese--often "central" lines (lines in the chest or neck) are necessary for simple intravenous infusions, and central lines have potential complications which peripheral IVs (in your arm) don't have. This is just one example. I can't tell you how exponentially difficult medical care becomes for the morbidly obese patient--not difficult for the health care givers, although it is that--but for the patient.

I hope this doesn't offend you; it's just a practicality that most folks don't consider, especially when they are relatively young.

Lucy

I do not mean to come across as a nay-sayer, but mgw's approach seems like a very passive one.

I understand and empathize with the demands on her time. As a writer, I often work 60-80 hours a week. Nevertheless, I am empowered by taking responsibility for myself, which is essential for my permanent success. If I didn't actively participate in the planning and if my husband summarized the diet for me, I'd fight him every step of the way. I'd also get frustrated, stubborn, bored, and I'd fail.

I'm not doing this because I want to look fantastic in a swimsuit or to increase my fertility or to avoid gestational diabetes. I'm doing this FOR ME because I want to live. I want to move about with comfort and grace, and I want to grow old free from disease.

I respect your dedication, willingness, and optimism. But I believe mgw should take a more active role in her weight loss or she risks being one of the many "ghosts" of this forum (and WOE).

Hi Gooserider~

Well, I'm being treatede by a doc for a combination of health issues and one of which is insulin resistance, another is thyroid disorder. My doctor told me to eat low carb, but not to use artificial sweeteners because it fools the body into thinking you've eaten sugar (because your brain perceives sweet) and thus, your pancreas releases insulin. Well, because you DIDN'T consume sweet/carbs, you suddenly become hypoyglycemic and the first thing that happens at that time is that you crave food (specifically carbs) because your brain now feels starved for sugar.

So I think this is the first problem your girlfriend is having. She is probably also insulin resistant and hasn't had a doctor adequately check her ... has she had a 4 hour fasting insulin test?

Also, has she been extensively tested for thyroid problems? Most doctors do one test of the TSH and if it is below 5.5 (which is now known to be too high), they tell their patients they are fine. They don't check for auto-immune thyroid disorders (which can show a normal TSH), nor do they check many of the other thyroid levels (T3, Free T3, Reverse T3 and T4 and Free T4).

Some people are over weight simply because they make bad food choices and don't get enough exercise. Others have real health problems that MANY doctors overlook because they honestly aren't well-educated in these areas. I went through five doctors before I found a doctor who told me I wasn't crazy.

Your girlfriend already has weight gain, depression, and infertility problems (three symptoms of hypothyroidism), does she have any other symptoms? There are a slew!

____ I am gaining weight inappropriately
____ I'm unable to lose weight with diet/exercise
____ I am constipated, sometimes severely
____ I have hypothermia/low body temperature (I feel cold when others feel hot, I need extra sweaters, etc.)
____ I feel fatigued, exhausted
____ Feeling run down, sluggish, lethargic
____ My hair is coarse and dry, breaking, brittle, falling out
____ My skin is coarse, dry, scaly, and thick
____ I have a hoarse or gravely voice
____ I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes and face
____ I have pains, aches in joints, hands and feet
____ I have developed carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it's getting worse
____ I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent)
____ I am having trouble conceiving a baby
____ I feel depressed
____ I feel restless
____ My moods change easily
____ I have feelings of worthlessness
____ I have difficulty concentrating
____ I have more feelings of sadness
____ I seem to be losing interest in normal daily activities
____ I'm more forgetful lately
____ My hair is falling out
____ I can't seem to remember things
____ I have no sex drive
____ I am getting more frequent infections, that last longer
____ I'm snoring more lately
____ I have/may have sleep apnea
____ I feel shortness of breath and tightness in the chest
____ I feel the need to yawn to get oxygen
____ My eyes feel gritty and dry
____ My eyes feel sensitive to light
____ My eyes get jumpy/tics in eyes, which makes me dizzy/vertigo and have headaches
____ I have strange feelings in neck or throat
____ I have tinnitus (ringing in ears)
____ I get recurrent sinus infections
____ I have vertigo
____ I feel some lightheadedness
____ I have severe menstrual cramps

This may be the answer to your problems!

Good luck!

Do not be hungry. Eat when you are hungry. Stop limiting the amount you eat. There are foods that are limited such as cheese and cream. But you can eat protein, fat, and IMHO as much low carb veggies as you want. I personally refuse to believe eating lettuce, spinach, and green beans are going to stall weight loss. Add lots of high fat, LC dressing on salads. Fat is what satisfies hunger.

I would save my cheese for recipes and for snacks such as cold cuts wrapped around cream cheese. I love bacon with a bit of cream cheese spread on it. Nuts probably should be limited. Eggs are unlimited. I make an egg salad that is basically deviled eggs all choppen up together. Take a big bowl of it to work and eat it with celery sticks, lettuce leaves, or spinach leaves.

Take some baked chicken. Try baking chicken pieces after dipping them in butter and then rolling them in parmesian cheese and some seasonings.

I also completely agree with you that if a LC candy bar keeps you on the food plan, have it. I make LC chocolate which I actually like better than the ones made with sugar alcohols. How about LC custard, LC cheesecake for sweet snacks? They are so easy to make.

If Atkins is working better than you expected, then just keep on keeping on. In time you will see progress without being hungry or grumpy. Hungry would make me grumpy anytime.

Also you seem to be realistic. If your age is against you, then you may not be able to lose weight quickly enough to get pregnant. But trying to rush the weight loss is not going to work. There are many children in the world who NEED love. If having a child in your life is what you really want, you can make that happen, even if you don't give birth to a child.

I have no children from my body. I had an early, bad marriage and divorce with no children. At 48 I married Mr. Wonderful who has 5 children. I had some problems for a while because I felt that I had missed so much not having a child with him because we found each other so late. But I am a fundamentalist Christian and I believe the Bible is true. It says that God will restore what the locusts have eaten. So I determined to believe it and I stopped feeling bad. Every time I started to think about my "loss" I stopped and though about something wonderful. Soon I stopped thinking about it at all. Then the next year on Mother's Day I received the most wonderful card from one of our daughters. After I read it, I realized that I had children and they are wonderful children. And I also realized that God had restored to me what I thought I had missed.

Sorry for the book.

Please share your LC chocolate recipe!

Annie, what a great idea!

Actually if it was okay with you, there is a candy wholesaler (who also has a small retail outlet) within walking distance from where I live, and since she already makes diabetes-safe chocolate, if I gave her your recipe, she might make LC no Sugar Alcohol chocolate on a larger scale, or share it with her supplier. Our neighbors are also LCers, and in the past we have given each other chocolate as winter holiday gifts (Chanuka (sp?) in their case), so it would be really great to have some SA free LC chocolate to give them.


I would also suggest that the candy shop owner do business with "My Low Carb Life", a small low-carb speciality store less than an hour away from me, which unfortunately stocks too much with sugar alcohols and not enough with sucralose etc. Maybe we could cause many low carbers to have a merrier winter holiday than they otherwise would.

I have no objection to cheesecake, etc., just... well...
chocolate is...
chocolate.
There is no substitute.
I realize that I am not explaining this well,
but I hope you understand.

Mary-Anne

mary-anne,

You think you have to explain the power of chocolate?

Believe me, you could not have a more simpatico (simpatica?) readership!

Lucy