Weight Control Support Group

Congrats everyone! Sounds like everyone is doing really well!

I weighed in yesterday & was shocked that I had actually lost weight. I've been eating badly the past few days & it doesn't help that I'm retaining water since Auntie Flo came to visit.
But I'm down another 2 pounds! I'm amazed everytime I look at the scale. I can't believe that it's under 170!

Congrats again everyone! And keep up the great work!

Pat -following carbohydrateaddicts lifespan program [/b]

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Pat, I'd love to hear more about that. I think that is one of my biggest weaknesses. Carbs.

Shell! Way to go!!!!

Originally posted by Whisker's mom
Pat, I'd love to hear more about that. I think that is one of my biggest weaknesses. Carbs.

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I think Half.com has this book for very reasonable...but this is the second of three books by the Hellers...each book reflected their continued experiences (they developed this by doing it themselves for their weight and health issues) and research. I prefer this middle book - The Carbohydrateaddicts Lifespan Program by Drs. Richard and Rachel Heller.

In a nutshell, there is a quiz to take to see if this is an appropriate diet for you - it isn't for everyone, it isn't a diet to lose weight so much as a diet to correct postprandial hyperinsulinemia (over production of insulin after a meal). It controls the timing and amount of carbohydrate intake, balancing all carbs (even low carb veggies have carbs) with protein (and fat). It only has a few simple rules. You only eat foods that are on their list of craving reducing foods (cm foods) for up to two meals a day and snacks, you must have one reward meal (rm) a day - it may not be skipped though if you are truly not hungry it may be your only meal of the day, and you must finish eating your rm within 60 minutes. All meals and snacks must be at least 90 minutes apart. There is a list of RM foods, but the rule really is, if not listed on the cm lists, it's a rm food <G>, so that kind of makes it easy!

I love this way of eating for allowing me to be able to have any food I want - so long as I have it at my rm and balance it. There is no measuring, no counting of fat grams, no weighing. For rm, you start with salad - they do say for this it should be at least two cups (or an amount of cm veggie), and your rm is to be your plate divided in thirds - one third protein, one third cm veggie, one third carb - which includes any drink or dessert.

I've had cholesterol tests show a dramatic improvement in my LDL (much lower), and triglyceride levels. This is contrary to what you will be told to expect when doing as I do - eating real butter, full fat cheese, eggs and bacon for breakfast - but the Hellers explain how controlling hyperinsulinemia brings those values back under control. I also love that when I eat this way, the hunger goes away..no more restless "I want something" that would send me snacking but leave me unsatisfied. I eat, am full, and don't think of food again for hours...can walk through a bakery etc. and not have a mental battle. It's normalcy, it's peace,I think it's wonderful That's a brief introduction!

Everyone is doing great! I stayed strong on the weekend even when my hubby bought a Munchies Snack Mix. I just looked at him and shook my head. He tried to force a cheesie in my mouth! I had some peanuts instead (about 10 nuts). I am doing good with the water. My biggest problem right now is I am quesy from my new meds but I have to take them with food.

Thanks Pat! I'm going to check for that book next time I go to the mall. It really does sound interesting.

Aww... Ady, tell your hubby that he is not helping you! Silly man
Keep up the good work and don't let anyone tempt you with junk food.

I'm still drinking tons of water but I slacked off a little on the weekend. So far, I'm on litre #3.

I am drinking as much as I can, but today I have been on the phone alot which causes delays in the drinking!

I think hubby is just fond of irritating me!

Sounds like everyone is doing good!!!

It's Monday and I'm back on track!

Glad to hear you resisted temptation Ady!

I don't know if Earl just forgot that I'm doing this, or if he's trying to sabotage me. I think he just forgot. He made a lovely pork roast last night and made up a plate for me. Which was very nice of him! BUT he gave me 3 big slices (1 of those slices was plenty for 1 serving), a HUGE lump of potatoes and gravy and a helping of corn. Of course, I could have had more corn, and that was the one thing he kinda scrimpted on. I ended up putting about 1/2 of the plate back.

Oh, I need to stay strong today! We have birthday cake at the beginning of every month at the office. I even ordered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting because I don't really like it that much. So I thought, until I took it out of the box and *smelled* it. How does chocolate cake smell so good?? It never has before!!

It smells good because you know you can't have it. It is as simple as that!

Did someone say chocolate cake?

I was eating a Ben and Jerry's butter Pecan ice cream and I looked at the calories!!!!!!! OMFG!!!!! 290 calories a serving. Needless to say, the icecream is back in the freezer and hubby can eat all he wants!

As I mentioned I won a Superbodies Personal Training thingy for a month - this normally costs about $300! I know the trainer and she is really nice. I dont want to weigh myself in front of her though The free month of personal training will help me get on track to losing this weight and toning up. I am so excited!

Last Saturday I had my first treat off of Atkins. I was at a wedding, and the catered meal included pork and veggies. So I had eaten a good Atkins meal, then they served the cake - white cake with lemon - and I ate it. I decided to go ahead and to not feel guilty - it is literally the first non-Atkins think I have eaten in 4 months.

I was really worried that it would cause horrible sugar cravings, but it didn't. I think maybe because I ate it right after a meal that was mainly protein and fat. So I had no problem getting right back into the Atkins - whew!

Heidi:

If just a small taste would have been enough, I would have taken the bite. I have found after several months that the stuff I thought was sooooo good wasn't really that much to write home about anyway. (except for that slice of pumpkin cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory).

Keep it up girls!

I weigh in tomorrow, and I am kinda nervous. I haven't been extraordinarily bad, but it's tough to go back after all the time on the program, even if it is just a bit. Hope I maintained.....

Good luck tomorrow Deb! That is really cool that you won that Kellye, and that she is really nice. Suzy, I'm glad you were able to get right back on Adkins after that cake. Talk about will power!

I have to admit, I did sneak a little bit of frosting. Someone had taken a big piece of cake and scraped the frosting off. So I snagged a finger full and that was enough for me! (It was really good frosting, though!)

Good luck with the weigh in Deb!

Suzy - that was great will power.

Kellye - if you weigh in in front of the trainer it will motivate you to do well!

Hubby made a chicken rolade yesterday with stuffing and mashed garlic potatoes. I ate the chicken and made myself a salad. I think he is hurt that I am not eating all he makes me. I told him that I have to cut back the carbs but he just isn't getting it.

I exercised again last night. I have now increased my exercise to 20 minutes each session, which is more then I have been able to do. Maybe that means I am becoming more fit!

That's fantastic about the exercise Ady! It shows you are making progress.

Thanks Heidi. I am planning on exercising 4-5 times every week.

I just had a lovely spinach salad with a little mozzarella cheese on it for lunch - I used low fat Italian salad dressing. It was a nice size salad and I am actually full. i had my protein, my green leafy vegies and no carb!

I am going out to luch tomorrow - co-worker is taking out to celebrate my promotion. I will have probably salad and chicken.

Way to go on the exercise, Ady!!

A word of warning about low-fat dressing - it is probably very high in carbs. Generally, anything low-fat is high-carb; the fat is replaced with sugars for bulk.

Originally posted by Suzy
Way to go on the exercise, Ady!!

A word of warning about low-fat dressing - it is probably very high in carbs. Generally, anything low-fat is high-carb; the fat is replaced with sugars for bulk.

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Thank you, I was going to comment on this. Generally speaking you are better off using a "real" dresssing - lots of the older cookbooks have great recipes for homemade green goddess dressing (real mayo, herbs) and others.

When eating out I've found it's easier to ask for oil and vinegar on the side with blue cheese on top the salad, hold the crotons and carrots <G>. At home, I prefer sesame seed oil and red wine vinegar..yum!

WW is not really big on watching carbs. I am not a huge fan of low-fat stuff. I usually just watch the portion of regular stuff that I eat.

Originally posted by Suzy
Way to go on the exercise, Ady!!

A word of warning about low-fat dressing - it is probably very high in carbs. Generally, anything low-fat is high-carb; the fat is replaced with sugars for bulk.

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The dressing I used has .8 g of carbs per tablespoon. I did make sure I checked that.

Interesting article about the addictive nature of foods. I always find that if I understand something, it empowers me to fight it. (Strangely enough, I got this in one of my Animal Issues newsletters, I think because it links the problems people have with changing to a vegan diet...)

Maybe just one bite ...


By Swathi Sridharan
COX NEWS SERVICE




A yearning for a cheesy slice of pizza, a sudden urge for chocolate, a desperate longing for that wedge of cheesecake still in the fridge. As many of us know, desire and food can be synonymous.
"Food can be physically addictive," says Dr. Neil Barnard, a nutritional researcher and professor at George Washington University.
"Some people imagine food addictions only relate to people who have some hidden place in their closet with M&Ms. But I am arguing that food addictions are dramatically more common than that. A man sitting in his cardiologist's office refusing to adopt a vegetarian diet is addicted."
Dr. Barnard defines cravings and the biochemical processes that cause them, as well as steps to end the craving cycle, in his new book, "Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and Seven Steps to End Them Naturally." The book also includes 100 recipes using alternatives to addictive foods.
A representative for the American Medical Association says the group has no official stance on food addiction.
"Craving is a specific desire," Dr. Barnard says. "It has a target, and it is independent of hunger, though hunger can accentuate it."
Dr. Barnard started to research and write his book after conducting an experiment in which 59 overweight post-menopausal women were put on a vegan diet.
"I looked at what they really missed," he says. "It wasn't chocolate ice cream. The most-missed food was cheese. It sounds silly to talk about cheese addiction, but cheese can have more cholesterol than meat ounce for ounce."
Chocolate addiction has been talked about for years. Many people are aware that chocolate contains caffeine and other stimulants and that it also releases certain chemicals in the brain that ensure that the first bite of a chocolate bar isn't the last.
According to Dr. Barnard, however, most people are unaware that there are similar biochemical pathways triggered by cheese and meat. Cheese breaks apart during digestion to form a range of opiates, he says. Meats create both opiates and insulin in the body.
"A little of these foods makes you feel good," Dr. Barnard says. "You didn't intend to eat another one, and before you know it, your hand hits the bottom of the bag."
Dr. Barnard has come up with a three-week program to fool the body into forgetting the tastes it loves.
"Your taste buds remember tastes for only three weeks," he says. "So figure out what else you can eat instead of eating cheese, meats or chocolate. Then, when you are ready, take your calendar and mark up three weeks. On Day 22, you can go back. But most people will feel OK and find that they have lost weight or their skin is clearing up. And they will give it up for another week."
Because Dr. Barnard treats food cravings as a form of physical addiction, he expects people to fall off the wagon.
"It isn't a willpower issue," he says. "Don't beat yourself up. Just do another three weeks and get back on the wagon. What usually happens is that it begins to become a habit."
Food and desire might go hand in hand, but Dr. Martha Grodrian, a clinical nutritionist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, would also add nurturing to the list.
"People use food as a means to nurture themselves," Dr. Grodrian says. "If you are a woman and you have a lot of stuff to do, you might go home and eat a candy bar before starting your chores. You get nurture and nutrition at a very early age. Mothers hold their babies and feed them. Your mom gives you a hug and a chocolate chip cookie. Most people don't know how to reward themselves without food."
Dr. Grodrian suggests making a list of ways you nurture yourself that aren't related to food.
"Make behavioral changes," she says. "Going and buying flowers or jewelry are ways to nurture yourself. Go on a walk; put it on your calendar."
Dr. Grodrian also urges people to come to terms with the reason for their addiction to a certain food.
"Some people have an addictive personality. There is often a psychosocial piece that needs to be addressed," she says. "You can't give up eating. All you can do is learn to modify it. One of the things I teach that is effective is to ask yourself, 'What food will nourish my body?' Put that question on the top of your grocery list, and you will start eating for a whole different reason."