I too am on life time maintainance. I lost over 40 pounds and now down to wearing a size 8, with a size 6 thrown in here and there. The best thing though is how my health has improved. I don't have acid reflux, no aches and pains in the knees, legs and back. Energy is high, blood pressure good, and cholestrol good also. Hooray for going low carb. I started with Atkins, and now with maintainance I am doing low carb in general. You know eating although those healthy carbs, fats, and proteins.

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WHOOT WHOOT WHOOT!!!! BETTY is in the building! You were one of the first success stories at ADBB and I have envied you every since. Someday lady I will be there too! Post those pictures as they are inspiring and motivating!!!!

WOOHOO, two Bettys on maintenance! LIFE IS GOOD!

Betty

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5'3, 98.5 POUNDS, AGE 50
FULL-FLEDGED RUNNER SINCE NOVEMBER 2003

MIDDLE-AGE spread is the ugliest thing a man -- or woman -- can possess.

First half marathon completed January 7, 2006, 2 hours 40 minutes

First full marathon completed February 26, 2006, 5 hours

Next Goal: WDW Minnie Marathon 15K "Women Run The World", May 7, 2006

Betty:I am totally new at this, support groups etc... I was looking for a group to join that I wouldn't have to pay a membership fee.

I have had great success on the SBD. I started January 12, 2004, with the goal in mind of getting into my wedding dress for our 25th anniversary July 28th, 2004,
which I was able to do. I went from 228lbs to 165lbs, size 20-22 to 10-12, I'm 5' 5", 44 years old, I am pretty active at work, and try to exersize at least 3 times a week. The frustration I have now is, according to the Dr. I am still over weight. I personally would like to get down to 150lbs, but I really have to watch what I eat now just to maintain 165. Looking for suggestions, ideas, etc..

Thanks,

Cheryl

Hi Cheryl!

Welcome and CONGRATULATIONS on your fantastic success.
I think you and I have something in common. I am great at maintaining, but just cannot seem to get those last 10-15 pounds off! GGGGGRRRRRRR!!!!
Need to shake things up a bit? There are many ways to shake it up. How often do you eat? How many meals a day? How is your water intake? What kind of exercise are ya doing?

editing to say...... OPPS! I am sorry Betty I did not mean to pull a hijack on your thread.

Bren runs to corner!

You are at a normal stall weight. I have seen this over and over. I promise you if you do the below your weight will move

First monitor your calories. You may still be eating for a 200lb. woman @ 165 (cream, cheese, low carb treats)
How is your cardio? At least 30 minutes at a good hard diligent pace pushing yourself to sweat?
smaller more frequent meals
How's your carb intake? Are you eating plenty of dark green veggies?
Start with this and see how you do
Congrats on your loss so far...............I stalled at 165 for six months and realized I was eating too much and exercising too little or over compensating when I did exercise.

Wow, Cheryl, first let me say congrats on what you have done so far. Also Bren and fawn have offered some great suggestions already. I would say that often just upping the water intake will help bring on what we like to call a visit from the "woosh fairy" It is a known fact among us low carbers that water attracts the woosh fairy.
LIke Bren I hit a stall, and most of us do, but mixing it up helped to break through the stall. I mixed up my meals, for example I would eat 3 regular meals a day with a couple of small snacks in between, and after doing that for several days, I would go to eating 5-6 small meals a day. I would vary the exercise I did and the amount. Sometimes we just have to give our bodies a little shock to knock them out of their rut.

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I started out in a stall...didn't lose anything for almost the whole first year on Atkins. I finally had to lower my calories to get the scale moving. I know Dr. A says not to count calories, but, unfortunately, I wasn't one of those who could do that. It took lowing my calories to 1000 to 1200 calories a day for me to get the weight moving.

CeeCee

Oh yes, CALORIES DO COUNT! Let's not forget Dr. Atkins' own words:

"I never said calories don't count because they do. Its just that carbs count more."

If you are stalled .. monitor your calories. Thanks, CeeCee, for that reminder.

Betty

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5'3, 98.5 POUNDS, AGE 50
FULL-FLEDGED RUNNER SINCE NOVEMBER 2003

MIDDLE-AGE spread is the ugliest thing a man -- or woman -- can possess.

First half marathon completed January 7, 2006, 2 hours 40 minutes

First full marathon completed February 26, 2006, 5 hours

Next Goal: WDW Minnie Marathon 15K "Women Run The World", May 7, 2006

yep we do need to monitor those calories, and CeeCee did give us a nice reminder of that fact. So thanks CeeCee.

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Hi All:Sorry It took me so long to get back to you all, like I said in may first post I'm new at this, I just found the replies today.

When I started the SBD back in Jan 2004, it was a drastic change from what I had been eating. The first few days I thought I couldn't do it. Then I started feeling better, the weight started coming off, I lost 10lbs a month for the first 5 months, then 5lbs for the next 3. Maintaining isn't to hard, but to loss any more doesn't seem possible. Like I said, for almost a year I have been, consuming so much less. My average day is Breakfast, 1egg with assorted veges, coffee w/slenda. Mid-Morning low-carb yoqurt. Lunch, South Beach or anyother kind of Low-Carb frozen meal, Afternoon-nuts, almonds, sometimes grapes. Dinner is usually some type of meat,(low-fat), veges or salad low-fat dressing. Sometimes I will have low-carb ice-cream, or cheese in the evening. I try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. I don't drink pop. Usually only coffee, or Ice Tea w/slenda. I do cheat sometimes, but I am always mindfull of the "bad carbs". If we have pizza I only eat the topping, hardly ever eat potatoes, pasta, or bread, unless It is high fiber.
For the chocolate fix we women all need, I eat 2 pieces of Dove dark chocolate once in awhile.

Exercize, my job is a lot of lifting, walking, moving. I have a gazelle that I am on about 3 times a week, or I walk for 1/2 hr 4-5 times a week. I do not lift weights, I have A LOT of extra skin and flab that I dont know if it will ever tone up. I guess that is the part that I am least happy with.
I know that I will never be a skinny little size 2, but I would at least like to be at 150lbs. Every one thinks I weigh about 135, they don't believe me when I tell them I weigh 165.

I will keep it up, and be proud of my success.

I appreciate every ones ideas. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,

Cheryl

Way to go, Betty! You are an inspiration!

Betty I know what you mean. I weigh 170 and am wearing a size 10. After 110 pounds lost, and down from a size 26 I feel great. However, being 5'6" tall i am sill overweight. I have been overweight my entire life, and only once or twice was I ever able to break 150. I believe I will get there someday, but it has slowed down.

I think I need to go back to induction and get a fresh start to start the scales to move again.

I too have to be calorie conscious because I have to eat for my goal weight not where I was. I read somewhere to set your calories at 11 times your goal weight. For 150 that would be 1650 for me. It is attainable.

People do not believe me either when I tell them I still have 20 or more pounds to lose. They are clueless as to how much I weigh right now.

Congratulations on the weight loss so far.
Karen

Just wondering where you've gone off to Betty! Hope all is well with you!

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