Greetings and Salutations!

My name is Michele - 42, from VA. I'm a single mom, taking care of my 5 year old daughter and my disabled (COPD and organic brain damage from oxygen deprivation)mother. I am a social worker at a private foster care / adoption agency.
I have always been short and very muscular, but I could usually eat what I wanted as I was quite athletic. I'm 5'1" and "usta" weigh about 140 - a little higher than those official height weight charts said, but again, I ate what I wanted and played hard every day.

Six weeks after the baby was born I was at 147 - no problem, right on track.
Then I got sick and was eventually diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis. I gained 40 lbs in fluid and inflammation in the first 3 weeks I was struck and have only gained more in the years following. I had quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant, but took it up again after I quit breastfeeding. I quit again and have now been smoke free for almost 2 years, but have gained even more weight.

Today I stepped on the scales at 223. My goal is to be back at 140.

I have been lurking on these boards and at carbwire and other sites "researching" for months now. I have read the books and even played with short term bursts of LC. But my approach was always kind of "well, here goes nothing..."
And that's, of course, what I got in return.

So today - here goes SOMETHING!

I did a "meat/fat fast" over then weekend and am definitely in ketosis. I am following a basic Atkins-esque Induction Plan.

I feel like I already know some of the folks here on the forum because I have been lurking so long and so much of the advice, support and recommendations they have offered to other folks were very often the exact same answers/ messages I was looking for too.

Thanks in advance for offering this haven and I look forward to making your acquaintance.

Michele

Hey Michele and welcome to my forum! I'm so happy to have you here doing SOMETHING that will make you healthier than you ever thought possible. Let us love and care for you as you go down this pathway to better health and we'll support you in any way that we can. THANKS again for being here and WELCOME!

Hi Michele,

Welcome to the "Moore Family"~~
The more you see of us~the less we'll see of you, because Jimmy is the Best!

Congratulations on quitting Smoking~~being strong enough to do that means
you're strong enough for Low-Carbing too.

Hey Lady~don't worry about those "Height & Weight Charts"~they're NOT right anyway. I checked my weight & it said I was NOT Overweight or Fat !
Of course it also said that for my Weight I was really a MAN 6'5" ~~DUH !
I don't think I could pass that Physical~

You'll find alot of support here at Jimmy's Place and before you know it, you'll be posting all kinds of weightloss~

I believe in you !

Su

Thanks for your kind messages Jimmy and Su - it's good to have a place to come and be supported. My daughter just returned from a weekend with her father - she told me she was glad I was on a diet because her Daddy "keeps on calling you bad fat names". And then my mother, lets just say she is less than supportive of any diet that allows, dare I say - encourages - intake of fats and meats. She is quite passive aggressive with me about me about my eating habits, and altho it was she who gave me my first Atkins book, she also gave me Dean Ornish's book at the same time - talk about opposite ends of the eating spectrum.

But, too much talk about her and I'll be off for Doritos - so I need to change direction...

My meu for the day

B - 2 hard boiled eggs mixed with a little butter, and a splash of half and half - spread that with a slice of sugar free deli ham on 3 Scandinavian Crispbread

L - 1 cup spinach leaves topped with a little crumbled feta and balsamic vinegar. Then I heated up 2 sliced mushrooms and some deli roast beef in the microwave and dumped that on the the spinach. Also had 1/2 med zucchini sauteed in a little butter with a splash of lime juice and some Mojo seasoning

D - Again with the spinach leaves, this time topped with ground beef, mushrooms and cauliflower, topped with a dollop of sour cream

snax - 2 cheese stix and about 4 spponfuls of fresh whipped cream with a splash of white chocolate Torani.

3 cans of diet pepsi, three 20 oz bottles of water, 1 20 oz crystal light

I plugged it all in the nutritional counter at SelfDiet and came up with 20.5 net carbs. I need to watch dairy and vegetables - I can overdo both really easily.

I also walked 35 minutes at work today (moderate / brisk pace) and then another 25 minute walk with my daughter after dinner (much slower pace)

Well - I think that concludes Day One of this "Something" i've started - and I'm pert danged happy about it.

Thanks again far all the good thoughts and I look forward to getting to know folks much better!

M

Michele,

Step away from the Doritos!

You have come to a great place . . . . it can only get better from here.

I like the title of your journal! Very real!

Robin

Michele,

I might be stepping out of the box here~~BUT~~

You have done a Bang Up job today~WoooHoooo !!!!

Congrats Lady~ YA DUN GOOD !!!!

I'm soooooo Proud of you !

Su

Yowzer...

I have dabbled with LC in the past but this is my first foray into real serious strict watching of the carbs and I reckon i've got a full fledged case of that "Induction Flu" - I have the yucky cruds in a big bad way.

I have never been one to crave sweets - but i luuuuv me some breads and taters. I have never had any problem resisting the temptation of the sweet stuff (Doritos and mashed potatoes - different story, mind you) But today, I can here the cookies in the kitchen and the candy jar in the hallway calling me - softly, yet persistent - M-i-i-i-c-h-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-e...

I'm having a Susan Powter moment where I just want to scream "stop the madness!!", but I don't want to scare the kids in the next room...

and so I type...

I need some breakfast - and more caffeine - and a vacation...

Poor Baby~~It'll get better~~I Promise !

Just hang in there, you're doing so well already.
Don't give in !!!!!

Su

Well - Aside from feeling like crud all day - I think it went quite well.

B - 2hb eggs mushed with a little half n half and some chopped up real
by-God-Virginia county ham on 3 scandanavian crispbreads

L - some broccoli slaw with 2 shredded chicken thighs, a splash of salsa, a little cheedar cheese and half an avocado

D - slice (1/8th of the pie) of sausage, spinach and swiss cheese quiche

snax - 3 cheese stix, 2 more slices of country ham (sliced super thin), a small bowl of whipped cream with torani white chocolate syrup.

oh yeah - and a Russell Stover sugar free blueberry breakfast bar.

4 cans of diet pepsi, 4 20 oz bottles of water.

And I walked for about 25 minutes this afternoon.

SelfDiet.com says I had 21 carbs.

Woo Hoo!!

I think that's it for tonight - Keith Olbermann is on in 30 minutes and I still need to brush and wash.

Thanks for shopping with us!
Peace Out!

Michele

Feeling better today - although i woke up with hunger pangs. Real hunger - I realized that's the first time I've felt them in a long time.

I think I did pretty good today -

B - egg salad with mayo, mustard, SF relish and some shredded crisped up country ham (kind of like bacon) on 3 crispbreads.

L - a slice (1/8 of the pie) of spinach, swiss and sausage quiche and half a zucchini - sliced and cooked in butter, lime juice and Mojo seasoning

D - skirt steak marinated in a little red wine, macadamia nut oil and lots of garlic and steak seasoning with cauliflower and broccoli with some sour cream and cheddar cheese

snax - another Russell Stover SF breakfast bar, 2 cheese stix and 1/4 cup whipped cream sweetened with SF white chocolate syrup.

5 cans diet pepsi, 60 oz water

And I walked 3 1/2 miles (2 of it was very hilly neighborhoods)

SelfDiet.com figured my carb count at 18.3 - so all in all I think it was a pretty good day.

Another under 20 carb day!

B - sausage, spinach, & swiss quiche

L- caesar salad - spinach, steak, feta, hb egg

D- ham salad on bran crispbreads

3 cans diet pepsi, 40 oz water/crystal lite

25 min each on elliptical and treadmill, 10 minutes doing the elliptical backwards

snax - 2 cheese stix, Russell Stover sf blueberry breakfast bar, 2 crispbreads with sour cream

totals came up to:

cal 1629
fat 117 (65%)
Protein 101 (25%)
Total carbs 38 (10%)
less fiber (21)

net carbs 17

Today was a difficult day...
We had a large meeting, and two trainings going on at the office - each had a huge spread: pastries and fruits this morning, a 3pm mtg with cookies and fruit and a full layout for a training tonight with coldcuts and sandwich rolls, potato and mac salad, chips, fruits and all the leftover cookies and pastries earlier. I had to help setting up all 3 and it was not easy. It felt like a Biggest Loser challenge.
But i got my immunity!!
I did (out of habit) throw a grape in my mouth, but removed it before I broke the skin.

Life is good.

Day 5 and I'm still on track...
B - bacon, eggs, a little corned beef
L- pepperoni and a cheese stick, 8 almonds
D- lasagna (zucchini slices instead of noodles)

snax - a handful (ok, two handfuls ) of sugar free gummi bears

60 oz water, 4 cans diet pepsi

Looks like it works out to:

1371 cals

15.8 net carbs

62%(F) 28%(P) 10%©

ANd i think the appetite suppression is finally kicking in - I ate breakfast about 9 and it was 3 o'clock when I realized I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I really didn't want lunch, but knew it better to eat a little something. We didn't sit down for dinner till almost 8 and I was hungry by then - but otherwise a pretty good day. I ran around the park with my daughter while the "lasagna" was cooking, but no other organized cardio adventure. I have to sell caramel apples at the Apple Festival tomorrow as a fundraiser for my daughter's school (gotta help "pay back" all that scholarship money I received). I plan to eat a big breakfast and then hopefully won't be tempted to indulge in any of the other fares...apple butter, apple fritters, apple dumplings...
I think it's gonna be a hard day for me - I'm glad it'll be day 6, not day 3 or 4 - I might actually have a chance.

Peace Out!