I know it's been really dead around here lately... but summer is over.... so time to come back and let us know how you're doing!!!

I've been completely off of low carb and my weight shows it!! I can't believe I was down to 148 in February!!!!! I've been playing with low-carb, low-fat... but it's not working... I have to get back on low-carb!!!

Anyone else around to join me?????

__________________
~Mary~

I'd been tweaking this year also and I've finally settled on a 40-20-40% setup that works well for me and seems to be allowing me to carve into the stubborn last 10-15 pounds and still function athletically in tournaments and such activities.

Blood pressure is perfect on this system and I dropped my cholesterol under the 200 mark( 174), which had been a concern when I was doing straight Atkins (207).

I never left the low carb concept but as I said I've been screwing around trying to find a "perfect fit" for me in terms of choices and results...difficult and time consuming to say the least.

Q

__________________
Sugar is not my friend. I have enough other friends.

M 51 YO 6'

SW 276
CW 196
GW 185-190

WTG on finding the perfect fit!!!!! That is an accomplishment that many never find! You've lost so much weight!!! Congrats!!!!

I could kick myself for going backwards... but all I can do now is get back on the wagon and work to get back to where I was.

Glad to have you here!! Welcome!!!

__________________
~Mary~

Well, I was feeling "weird" on the old Atkins forums since I'm not on the "book" anymore....just found it to be too restrictive and not finishing the job well for me. Even moving to maint. wasn't *right* enough. Still, it pointed out my basic glycemic difficulties so I still love 'em!

Q

__________________
Sugar is not my friend. I have enough other friends.

M 51 YO 6'

SW 276
CW 196
GW 185-190

I think most of us started out on Atkins and I know that for me, it became too restrictive and I needed to move on.

__________________
~Mary~

It was a great education though...did more reading on physiology and the effects of low fat vs. high fat dietary habits then I would have thought possible. It opened my eyes up to a lot of my problem areas and introduced me to FitDay, a great weapon on ANY diet!

I generally bounce backwards whenever I'm not using it and/or paying enough attention to what I'm eating. My workout schedule doesn't change so I always know it's a lapse in food choices and intake.

Liquids have also been a downfall for me at times. I'm on a hot streak right now in terms of drinking enough fluids and I usually struggle with it in the warmer weather...makes sense,right...not.

The 40-20-40 is tough because you need to "snack" on clean protein about 5 times a day or so to get the 40%. Thank goodness for those hunks of Jennie-O turkey. I just chunk 'em up and put them in tupperware and they're convenient and handy as needed.

Is anything special holding you back or are another of the *gotta look what you're eating* group?

Q

__________________
Sugar is not my friend. I have enough other friends.

M 51 YO 6'

SW 276
CW 196
GW 185-190

Hey Qjakal! Welcome to the board.

I see that we are of similar build... I put some back on this summer and need to update my signature. Not a lot, but it was so hard to take it off and I felt so proud... now I need to get it back off, plus a little more... and get on to a real maintenance phase.

Hi Mary!!!

Rick

__________________
Start Date: 12/30/2005
Restart Date: 3/25/2008 at 240 lbs
250/226/190
Atkins

Hi Rick!!!!

Q,

I think the only thing holding me back is that life gets hectic and I loose track of what I'm doing. I just need to keep going.... one of these days I'll learn that lesson!!

__________________
~Mary~

Qjakal,

I truly believe you have to find what works for you. I have settled into a basic Atkins pre-maintenance mode, I do all the rungs but seem to keep my carbs around 60. Works fine for me, totally doable.

I also teach the Curves diet and it is very similiar to this. I find I do watch my fats now, but still sugar/flour is my biggest enemy.

Fit Day was one of the things I used for well over a year on my journey. I still find I go back there once in awhile to "track" myself for a week or so. The other thing I do every so often is I take a few days and measure everything. Keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Rick......... a saying I once heard. IF you can repeat failure you CAN repeat success!

Yup...some items are just a huge NO for many of us, and they happen to be quite pervasive ones unfortunately.

Thanks for all the "howdys",btw! I read the boards a lot but I don't always jump on when time gets short. I have a 5 year old and I'm getting ready to relocate this year so it's been stressful (and still is) but I'm refusing to let these things derail me from the goal/plan.

There's an awful lot of us that need to *pay attention* to food and without Fitday as my "conscience" I get sloppy.

My problem/issue is that I play state/national level racquetball and trying to compete with athletes 20 years younger is a big challenge to start with, and energy is at a premium for me. When you play 3+ hours at a time you also eat into your lean muscle mass. This means I need to lift at least 3 times a week just to stay even and maintain enough muscle for competition.

It gets involved..lol. Without the extra muscle I could probably drop to 175-180, but that wouldn't be my healthiest weight,imo, BMI notwithstanding. That 5% extra protein is essential to the program and the hardest thing to keep up without calorie/fat problems. Lots of turkey and chicken. I think I'm growing feathers some weeks, ya know?

Anyway, it's all easy when I'm "on it"... Happy Thanksgiving and go heavy on that turkey and light on those taters folks!

Q

__________________
Sugar is not my friend. I have enough other friends.

M 51 YO 6'

SW 276
CW 196
GW 185-190

note to self: Never get in an exercise challenge with Qjakal.


Don't ya just hate those kids at times! j/k

Not necessarily true...depends on the type of challenge. In racquetball we need explosive lateral and forward movements that you can repeat multitudes of times with a small rest period between, so something that's stritcly aerobic wouldn't be my forte.

I train using interval techniques. The idea is to simulate the stress your heart/cardiovascular system undergo when playing. This translates to one minute at max running and 2 minutes at a medium level over and over again. Similarly we need quick footwork and hand speed. I'd suck at a 10K run. However I'd be good at a jump roping challenge because I use it post-cardio to stress myself out and develop footwork even while tired.

I'm a decent weight lifter, but I focus on endurance sets, for obvious reasons, rather than size.

I like the young 'uns because they push me soooo much farther than I want to go in the game. When I DO eventually run into someone my own age group I usually can coast at about half speed because they don't have the quickness or ability to pressure your game that the younger players bring to the table...no dives ( or very few...lol..we don't always get up) and they just don't get as many balls as someone 20 years younger even at the same skill level.

Missing a T-Day tourney right now at the club because it's our turn to cook this year!

Probably should start a separate thread on this, but,imo, having a sport/activity to train for/towards makes achieving your dietary goals MUCH easier and helps you maintain your focus and motivation longer. We all should grab onto something...intramural activity or whatever is available around your town...clubs or groups such as bicycling,walking or whatever strikes your fancy. Having a *social* component to it and associating with others who want to improve their health seems beneficial as well. Just as "you are what you eat" you also tend to be who you hang out with.

Just a thought...

Q

__________________
Sugar is not my friend. I have enough other friends.

M 51 YO 6'

SW 276
CW 196
GW 185-190