Truckstop

I am sitting at the truckstop watching everyone go by in their shiny pretty cars. It all started when my Mummy sent me some pineapple lumps. You'll have no idea what these are but suffice it to say they were the start of a 3 day stop, wandering through the junk food aisle at this nasty stinking truckstop. Once or twice I've even wandered into the restaurant and ordered eggs, or steak and fully intended to climb back into my car and head out on the road, but the very most I've achieved is a few laps of the parking lot! I actually ate chocolate for lunch today, and as I was licking the last bit of stickiness out from under my fingernails at the traffic lights, it dawned on me that why we are so fat here in the US is because everything is supersized (well duh) and that the Cadbury chocolate bar I paid $1.20 for at WalMart was 4 times bigger than the Cadbury chocolate bar I'd be able to get for the same price in NZ. And the worst thing is, I'd have been happy to eat that smaller bar. What a waste. (of my waist)

Anyway, I just climbed back into my car. You should see the mess: Candy wrappers, empty icecream carton... I am going to find some trash bags and dispose of all of this, then I am going to do something that I've never done before. PLAN MY MEALS for tomorrow. I am going to be back out on the road, puttering along until I get my sorry ass back into the fast lane. Please if you see me, toot your horn and don't race off into the distance. I need to get back up to speed again.

Starting Afresh

Melodie, an amazing lady on one forum I'm active on, had an interesting post this morning which got me thinking. Like me, she is heading into her 4th week on Kimkins and she is "dreading the week that will inevitably appear with no progress." She has challenged us all to start afresh with Kimkins, pretend that we are newbies again all full of excitement and sticking tightly to the rules.

She wrote, "On Monday (best day of the week to start new things) I'm going to pretend that I've just heard of Kimkins. I'm going to reread some of the success stories as if I've just read them for the first time. I'm going to go to the grocery store as if I'm preparing for this new diet. I'm going to forget that I've lost nearly 10 lbs. and think about my new weight as if it is my starting weight. I'm going to follow the rules in the same way I did the first week, and I'm going to try to forget the little things I've done off program that so far I've been able to get away with. I'm going to repeat the exact behavior that got me my first 5 lbs, and I'm going to fill myself up with hope once again. So Short Girls if you're stuggling, and even if you're not, make this Monday a whole new beginning with a renewed mindset about what you can do."

What a wonderful idea! I agree with the feelings of slacking that have started to set in especially this past week. I did a quick refresher with the Kimkins Diet Food List.

My thoughts:

Keep It Lean & Mean on Plan (KLMOP)
Eggs - limit yolks
Chicken & Turkey - white meat only, eat this more often
Fish - eat this more often
Beef, Lamb, Pork - special occasions only
Ham, Canadian Bacon, Bacon, Sausages etc - special occasions only 'cos these all contain beef & pork

Vegetables
I'm not a vegetable eater, but if I do eat some I think I'm more likely to eat broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, pepper & tomato rather than the rabbit food list (1) so I will have these sparingly, like every second day or as garnishes.

Extras
Low carb protein shakes - I will limit to one per day
Part skim string cheese (limit 1 per day) - I do not like string cheese. I will add Light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese Bites (1 serving = 5 pieces 35 calories, 2g fat, 1g carb, 3g protein) or use a little grated parmesan cheese (1T has 21 calories, 1g fat, 0g carb, 2g protein) if needed to perk up eggs
Dannon Carb & Sugar Control yogurt (3 carb brand, limit 1 per day) & Sugar free gelatin (limit 4 oz per day, no whipped topping) & Homemade or purchased sugar free popsicle - since I really could care less about these things (right now) I will save these for extra special occasions.


Also - here's a thought on the Daily weighing issue. Firstly I think we are all agreed that food needs to be weighed. According to a Duke University pro quoted in WW magazine 7/10/2007 issue - "We've found that when you stop weighing yourself, it's an early indicator that you're starting to slip." So maybe daily or regular weighing oneself is good - if it keeps us on track! As long as we accept that our weight might fluctuate by a few pounds every so often. If all of a sudden the scales just up more than 3 lbs - then that should set off the alarm bells. I'm still against weighing more than once each day. But if you really have to do it more often, don't beat yourself up over the fluctuations. I'm sure the scale finds it all very amusing, and probably jumps up a pound or two just to see your reaction!

Exercise - I am thinking that I need to do something NOW so that I can start firming up the lose skin. I think I've read somewhere that every cell in my body replaces itself in three months. That means skin cells too. So in my opinion, I should not get stretched loose skin if I firm up my muscles while I am losing fat.


Focus + Planning = Control --> SUCCESS
Weight control is not about willpower.
It is the decision and commitment to manage calories and carbohydrates.
It can be as simple as mind over matter.
Just do it, for life, and enjoy health, happiness and THIN!

Things to Watch in Week 3

I found a post today on the forum by curlygirl Amy that really came at the right time. I know that I've been guilty of relaxing a little too much, and not measuring accurately. I also eat red meat and have been drinking far too many shakes of late. But by far the worst thing, I think for me at least, has been the artificial sugars in such things as Da Vinci SF syrup. I really think they are keeping me out of ketosis, and increasing my hunger even if just a little.

1. Keep a food journal e.g fitday and make it public!
2. Are you adding extras like low carb tortillas, calorie countdown milk, etc. that are not on the list! KISS
3. Eating too much cheese? (for best loss - skip the cheese!)
4. Have you eaten beef recently? (it tends to hang around in your gut longer) Stick with fish & chicken.
5. Have you eaten ham recently? (can be salty - may cause water retention)
6. Are you using shakes as snacks instead of as meal replacements?
7. Do you have carb creep? (people tend to be stricter in the beginning and then get more lax so tighten up your menu)
8. Are you eating lots of processed foods? (they are saltier than food you make yourself - keep it real!)
9. Are you eating too many little extras (SF Jellos, yogurts, etc.)? They are on the list but if you eat ALL of them every day, your weight loss probably will slow down!
10. How are your portion sizes? Are you eating big portions because you truly are that hungry or just because that's what you are used to eating? Start weighing your food.
    
    You've made it this far so the plan is probably working well for you. Now is the time to be tightening up your menu and cutting out all the little extras.
    
    

Don't Make This Diet Difficult

Like Kimmer says - DON'T MAKE THIS DIET DIFFICULT. There is plenty to eat, and to those that complain about getting bored eating the same thing everyday - you don't have to, if you don't want to. (I swear before Kimkins I pretty much ate the same things all the time anyway - and where did that get me? Heavier and heavier, unhappy, lethargic & sick!)

Get a pen a paper and write down (from the foods list) what you can eat that is on plan. Think up 7 different breakfast, 7 lunches & 7 dinners. Then you can mix and match. Forget about what I eat or what anyone else eats - this is about YOU. I have different tastes to you. This has to be about what works for you. Also while you are jotting down ideas - think of grab & go foods - like canned/foil packet salmon, tuna, shrimp, or crab; hard boiled eggs etc.

Then go shopping: Find a low carb shake mix. I use Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder (www.jayrobb.com), others use EAS or Designer Whey. Get some stevia or splenda packets to sweeten things. Get some spices. Buy some eggs, or eggbeaters. You can buy already peeled eggs these days. Buy some chicken tenders, some white fish like tilapia, some low fat ground beef (or better yet ground bison). Buy some green veges like spinach, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower etc. (unless you are doing K/E)

Stop making excuses about not knowing what to eat. There is no magic menu. No secret handshake. We can all do this!