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Welcome to AllieCat's Place. Let me begin by saying this:
FAILURE IS NOT A REMOTE POSSIBILITY
Please click the Photo Albums to view my weight loss progress.
Some life changing events occurred in my life in early 2003, and something inside me totally flipped and the desire to lose weight and be healthy totally consumed me. I could feel diabetes creeping up on me and I wasn't having it!!!!!! I pursued my weight loss with a vengeance. I did months of research, reading, internet searching, reading books, and talking to people before I finally decided that the low carb lifestyle was for me.
I began eating the low carb way on 5/23/03 and began Atkins officially on 6/11/03 after I realized I COULD do it and succeed!
My starting weight was 213.5 and my starting size was 22. I am 5'5", and 31 years old.
My weight loss left me with lots of sagging skin on my breasts and abdomen. On 1/13/05 I had a breast lift (mastopexy) and a full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) with muscle reconstruction. My surgeon is Dr. Heidi Williams.
As of 3/26/05 I am 132 and I am a LOOSE size 6 bottoms. I'm now wearing size 4 comfortably in pants and skirts, and some size SMALL 4-6 jackets!!!! Most of my tops are an 8. I am in the fourth and final lifelong stage of Atkins, Lifetime Maintenance. I have surpassed by sixth and final goal of 140. I selected this goal weight based on the Body Mass Index chart.
If you decide to live a low carb lifestyle, please do your research beforehand. Understand how and why it works.
Here are some things I say to myself every single day, and I mean them! Tips to living a happy low carb life:
1) Eat to live, not live to eat
2) The sole purpose of food is nutrition. It is not an emotional pillow.
3) Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are satisfied. Use portion control (I usually use a measuring cup to measure fruits, veggies, and nuts). Never over-eat or stuff yourself. To me, over-eating or stuffing yourself is a form of emotional eating.
4) Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day (if you weigh 200lb, drink 100oz of water per day)
5) Keep It Clean-- by this I mean avoid processed food as much as possible and eat real food. Eat meats, low glycemic fruits and veggies, nuts, and dairy (depending on your phase of the program). Avoid many of the low carb pre-packaged products, especially protein bars, and sugar free chocolates, and shakes. These products cause many people to lose very slowly or not at all. Alot of low-carbers refer to these foods as FrankenFoods. Use them VERY sparingly if at all, especially during Induction and Ongoing Weight Loss. Of course if it is a choice between a high glycemic sugary starchy carby food and the FrankenFood, then choose the FrankenFood- but be prepared for possible slower or stalled losses. It is human nature to 'see what we can get away with' and still lose. Be very cautious.
6) Take nutritional supplements daily, and read the ingredients list to be sure your supplements contain no sugar or starch products
7) Always be prepared- prepare your own food ahead of time and always have cooked veggies and meats in the fridge. Never allow yourself to be caught off guard with nothing to eat. If you have to eat out, ASK QUESTIONS about ingredients.
8) Find an online support group and make that your home
9) Reward yourself with new clothes in smaller sizes
10) What other people do or say has nothing to do with what goes into your mouth. You and only you control what you eat, no exceptions (unless you are unconscious of course)
11) Never go off your plan, ever (may seem severe but for me this is critical). If you DO go off plan, jump right on. Going off plan for one meal is NO REASON to go off for the whole day. Going off for the whole day is NO REASON to go off for a week, month, year etc. For me, going off plan is NEVER AN OPTION
12) Do not expect losses every day or every week. Expect up fluctuations which are due to water weight, hormones, medications and other factors. Do not be discouraged by temporary fluctuations- it is completely normal. For me, I always have 10-14 days every single month where I lose not one pound and sometimes temporarily gain a pound or two. It always comes back off plus more.
13) Meditate daily, even if for 5 minutes. Visualize in your mind the numbers you want the scale to say. Visualize yourself at your goal weight.
14) When I was preparing to leave home for college, we were all sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table. She said 'Allison, if you ever need a helping hand...'.
Now I just knew she was going to tell me to call her if I needed a helping hand. NOPE! She finished the sentence with...
'look to the end of your arm'.
I was in major shock that she told me that, but it sank in. She got that saying from one of the old timers that are long gone now. It is SO TRUE! You are the only one responsible for you, not one other soul. If you want to lose weight, then you do it- NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!
15) I keep a daily food journal where I record the time, what I eat and how much I eat. I also record which supplements I take. This is a great tool for holding YOURSELF accountable.
16) Two great ways to get excellent fiber are psyllium husk supplements, and ground flax seed (I prefer organic ground flax seed). Ground flax is also an excellent source of essential fatty acids and other nutrients. Recently I have started baking flax seed muffins. They are GREAT!!
17) My true accomplishment will be a successful permanent lifetime MAINTENANCE! If all of your focus is on your weight loss, and you give not one drop of thought to permanent maintenance, you may be headed for trouble. Study the Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance phases of your program the entire time you are in your weight loss phases
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