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Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:00 am
Posts: 101
Location: Nearly There
Low-Carb Plan: Atkins-Protein Power-Me
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July 2003
Mike in North Carolina 
I have always been a bit stocky, with a big gut, and I went up and down in weight often. I play a lot of sports and was always active, but I really do love my food. Looking back, I would say I must have averaged 300-400 carbs per day.
In January of 2001, I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. I weighed 240 pounds and was out of shape. My doctor told me to lose weight and start exercising or I would need insulin one day. That's all I needed to hear. I bought a treadmill and started walking every day, while trying to keep on a low fat diet. Since I am pretty obsessive about things, I stuck to the eating plan and started running outdoors as well. I lost 40 lbs in 6 months and was training for a marathon. My blood sugar was back to normal, and I was off my medications. I stayed low fat, but running demanded a lot of carbs to fuel my body. and I took in a lot more than before. At 200 pounds, I was training hard, running 50 miles a week, and staying low fat, but for some reason, I was stalled and not losing any more weight. I was baffled, but I was so focused on the marathon at the time that I didn't care.
I did run the Marine Corps Marathon in 2001 - and I finished. It is one of my greatest accomplishments, but even running 26.2 miles at a time and training hard, I still could not get under 200 pounds. People told me that since I was running, I was building muscle in my legs and that accounted for the scale not going down. Well, that may be true for folks that bench press 350 lbs, but for me - and I know this, now - the problem was all those carbs I was taking in. Running so much gave me the false sense of security that I could eat as many carbs as I wanted, as long as I reduced fats, but once my body used up the carbs it needed, it succeeded in storing the rest.
A month after the marathon, while training for another race, I injured a calf muscle pretty badly and wasn't able to run for 2 months. You guessed it - after that, I started eating whatever I wanted, and then I stayed in "lazy mode" even after I had healed. I gained back 75% of what I originally lost. There I was, weighing 230 again, out of shape again, and with my blood sugar levels creeping up.
That's when I finally decided to read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. I had heard about it, but assumed it was not a healthy way to eat. (What did I know?!)
On September 9, 2002, I started The Atkins eating plan.
The prospect of being able to eat steaks, eggs, and cheese gave me the incentive to try. The first few days were tough, between not knowing what to eat (I can't have bacon and eggs and a big steak every day) and feeling light-headed. Since I'd read the book thoroughly, I knew that feeling this way temporarily was normal, and I stuck with it.
For my first two weeks, I ate no more than 20 carbs per day, and I lost 13 lbs. I felt much better and was full of energy. After that, I slowly increased my carbs until I settled into 25-35 carbs a day. I lost 3 more pounds the third week. I could not believe how fast the weight came off, and how great I felt! I even started running again.
My weight loss settled into a consistent pattern of 1 or 2 pounds a week. There were a few weeks that I didn't lose, but I still saw my body losing inches. My good cholesterol went up, my bad cholesterol and blood pressure went down, and my sugars stayed normal. I am proud to be able to say that I did not cheat at all, and on April 28, 2003, I hit my goal of 180 pounds, which I hadn't seen since I was in the Police Academy, twenty years before.
I have since run 2 half-marathons and I am training this summer for another marathon to be run in October.
There is one other visual indicator of my progress. At the time I started Atkins, I was wearing a belt in which I had made an extra hole, in order to make it fit my big waist. Well, just the other day, I had to make another hole. This time it's on the inside! My waist has gone from a 44 to a 34. I know, I know … I should just go buy a new belt - but this one is a great road map of my journey, so I will keep it.
Maintenance (keeping it off) will likely be the hard part. I think the most important thing now is that I am so aware of what I should and should not eat, that it is just part of my everyday life. I am basically eating the same amount of carbs as I did while losing, and I wouldn’t be upset if I lost 5 more pounds. When I settle into the weight I am happiest with, I will probably take in 40-50 carbs a day, and see how that goes. One change I have already made is that I don't have to think about and talk about what to eat and not eat. When I go out with family and friends, I don't mention that I am not eating bread, potatoes or pasta, etc. I just order my food and enjoy it. I remember at the beginning, Low Carb was all I talked about. Now, it is just my lifestyle... Quote: Sharing Success Strategies
 Mike says:
"Don’t be guided by your large weight loss in the first month. It will level off over time. You must have patience, because some weeks you will lose only 1 pound, or none at all. You also could stall for a few weeks. This is normal. Stick with it for the long haul. It will pay off.
My favorite part of low carb eating is not limiting my portions. I eat until I am full, and that takes away any deprived feeling. I love that so many of my favorite foods (buffalo wings, ribs, bacon, sausage, etc.) can be eaten and enjoyed anytime I want, without having to worry about fat."
MIKES CHOCOLATE CUPS
1 stick unsalted butter
3 TB unsweetened baking chocolate powder
4 TB Splenda Granular (up to 12 packets, or to taste)
2 TB heavy cream
Melt butter in bowl. Add chocolate, heavy cream and Splenda and mix well with egg beater. Pour chocolate into 6 muffin tins lined with paper cups. Put in freezer till hard.
Makes 6 - Each one is 186 Calories, 2.8 g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 18.8 fat, 0.6 g protein. I usually spread 1/2 Tb. peanut butter on top.
MMMMM, Good!
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Tell me ... what fits in your schedule better: Exercising and prepping food for an average of an hour a day, or being/feeling dead 24 hours per day?
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