Good morning everyone… it does kinda look like a ghost town here. How is everyone doing? I haven’t been around much these days as a lot has been going on. I had not been feeling well for a long time but thought it was fibro issues or something of that nature. Well I started losing weight w/o dieting, (in fact had a hunger that was never satisfied and was eating twice as much) had an insatiable thirst, was very lethargic and depressed and didn’t want to do anything. I felt old and like I was dying. I finally went to the doctor and found out I have diabetes, my sugar was 420 and my cholesterol was almost 400. Not good. Wake up call for me. That was around the beginning of March. I have now lost about 25 lbs. total and realize I am no longer on a diet, that this is it and this is how I am going to have to eat.

I eat a very large amount of salads, keep the carbs to 25-30 mg per meal, and lots of veggies. My nutritionist suggested, half the dinner plate with salad and veggies and a deck of card size protein and a little, maybe half cup of rice or pasta (whole wheat). Some times I have a dinner plate size of salad and a small piece of meat. I have basically been following this, feel like a new person and I don’t feel like sleeping all of the time anymore. I have my diabetes basically under control now and am walking every day. My goal is to start swimming again soon or some other such thing. All of this is a result of poor eating habits and being overweight. NOBODY in my family has diabetes, which is unusual, so this has been basically my fault. As much as diabetes is a crappy thing to have to deal with, it has turned into kind of a good thing.

I hope that by gettting this weight off I can beat the disease and not have to be on medicines. I work in a podiatry/orthopedic department and I have seen what uncontrolled diabetes does. I do not want to lose my feet, legs or any other body part, I do not want to go blind or have my kidneys fail. So…. eating right is the alternative and I don’t really see it as a choice anymore.. it is a necessity. My lab values scared the hell out of me but the good news is that they are dropping quickly back to a more normal value. Dealing with this and trying to find a new job and home have been really stressful but exciting. Finding an affordable home in California near employment is a very difficult challenge. We found one we like and put an offer on it. Now to see if the payment will be doable.

I hope everyone is doing well and being good to themselves. I want to try to stay current with PTG as I think Leanne has such a great site here with lots of useful things, as well as all the nice ladies here. Hope to see everyone back.

Sue

Hi all — or should I just wave at Leanne? Thought I’d check in with an update. I’ve lost track of my P2G, but the hubster and I started Atkins (again) two and a half weeks ago, and so far, I’m down 10lbs and he’s down 16lbs. I know that Atkins isn’t for everyone, but it works very well for us. Neither of us are ever hungry and, so far, we haven’t missed the bread, potatoes, and other starches. We stayed on the initial “Induction Stage” for an extra week, and then this weekend will start adding a few more carbs in the form of berries, nuts, and some different veggies.

The huge thing is that neither of us has wavered, or really even given it much thought. Our energy levels always go UP (contrary to what people think), we sleep well, and personally, I feel 100% better off the bread, though it was never a problem for hubby. I also ran it past my doctor, who had good things to say about it, based on the weight loss AND lab results from some of his patients who’ve done Atkins.

So, we’re going to stay on this plan for as long as it keeps working. How’s everyone else doing? You should stop by occasionally and fill us in.

I believe I’m down close to 20lbs total, but I’ll start a new P2G goal as of this posting:

P2G summer goal: 28lbs

I expect to see dust devils and tumbleweed here any minute — this place is deserted!   Where’d everybody go?  Come out, come out, wherever you are…

Me?  Sigh.  Charlie and I have been doing Atkin’s again since last Saturday, with pretty good results, I must say.  I’ve lost 4 pounds since then, and he’s lost 8!  I’m anxious to see what we can do in a week.  It’s easy to stick with this diet, as you’re never hungry.  I do miss the carbs, because at this “induction stage”, your choices are really limited, but I feel infinitely BETTER without the bread and other starches.

So, we’ll see how it goes.  At least it’s a good way to get kick-started again.  And how about all of you?  How are things going with your plans?

Did anyone see this article on SparkPeople?  Sounds like an amazing opportunity for *someone*!  Wouldn’t it be neat if it were a P2G’er?  (Canadians aren’t eligible, of course.)

Check it out!

Hello all — I hope everyone’s having successful weeks!

Leanne, I was just wondering if you started drinking Dr. Chong’s tea and if so, have you noticed any difference?  How hard was it to get used to?  I hope you’ll keep us posted…I saw someone talking about it on TV, but I’ll be darned if I can remember who or where it was!

Just popping in with a quick update.  Last Friday’s weigh-in rewarded me with another pound loss, and since then, I’ve lost another two pounds!

I’ve been reading YOU: On a Diet (which I think I’m sure someone else [Lazy Daisy] already mentioned) and I think it’s just the cat’s meow!  Finally, a life-long program that makes common sense AND is easy to stick with.  I highly recommend this book.

I’ve had The Cold From Hell for the past week and have still managed to stick pretty much to the YOU plan.  I’ll weigh in again on Friday…I’m trying NOT to get on the scales more than once a week.

So for now, this is my update:  P2G:  43 [-7]

I hope you’re all having great weeks.

Fridays are my official weigh-in day, and I lost another 2lbs, for a total of 6 lbs since New Years. It seems really slow–yes, I’m very impatient. :rant: But at least the scale is still going in the right direction.

I’ve been trying to stay between a recommended 12-1500 calories and while I’m losing, one of my goals for the coming week is to stay on the lower end of that range.

SparkPeople had a great motivational e-mail today, one that fits right in with what my doctor and I had talked about: taking responsibility for your weight. I addressed it on my diet blog this morning, but the gist of the message was this:

Take note of the ways you are escaping responsibility for your attitude. Do you continually blame situations, friends and family, or life in general for your poor mindset? The world has influence, without a doubt, but growing into a mature person means taking control of your emotions and attitude. Own them!

That’s been me in the past, for sure, but I’m working on it!

P2G: 44 [-6.0]