Here Comes the Bride - 25 Years Later

It looks like spring has sprung, and I decided to follow suit. Today (Sunday), I again started my 1.5 hour Water Workout, and I ended up by kicking my own caboose (wow, did I!). My plan is to ease into the low-carbing for a day or two, and then slide right into Atkins Induction. When that stops working, I'll again count on my "shake it up to shake it down" routine by rotating or cycling the low-carb ways of eating. All of them work for me - for a while, that is.

As usual, the winter brought its usual struggle of bouncing up on the scale. The bounces kept winning. So I've decided, this year it is my turn to win. I absolutely will hit my final goal (or I will be very close to it). How I will do that - well, we'll find out. Where there's a will, there's a way - and I have the will to do it! I'm going to crack my own personal fat loss code, break the plateau, shake this booty off, enter Onederland - and stay there!

Incidentally, this May 3rd marks the third year since I learned how to low-carb and keep at it. While I had great success for the first 6.5 months, I never hit final goal, despite my best efforts. Third time's the charm, or so they say. :)

Besides, I have another great incentive: This December marks the silver wedding anniversary of the dh and I. I can't believe it myself - where did that time go? The dh and I had a beautiful wedding Mass and a small reception, but we never had a honeymoon. In my humble opinion, after 25 years, 6 children, lots of joys but also many sorrows, he and I should have a honeymoon. For myself, I'd be thrilled for just one week away alone with the hubby, something like the Carribean, Aruba, whatever - just a beautiful island with lots of blue, blue water. So that's my secret hope.

Realistically, it's just a pipe dream, really, since we're not rich people and I really can't see how we'd manage to afford such a trip. Still, I am hoping and planning that we can manage something special for our silver anniversary.

That reminds me! I'm trying to remember where I tucked away my wedding dress (and how in the world could I forget something like that?). I've seen couples who renew their wedding vows and I've seen brides who still fit into their wedding gowns 25 years later. I think that could be my ultimate anniversary goal, eh?

Whooshie Time!

My update for yesterday (Friday) morning: It looks like I dropped 5 lbs. That was a nice overnight Whoosh, and I didn't expect it. It had to be water, but who cares? As I always say - it's water that had no business being in my body, anyway.

As for the menu, I'm sticking with proteins for now. Every so often, I may decide to have a small salad. That is, I'm in the mood to do my Stillman's cycling trick (for more info, please see my post, "Another Way to Cycle with Stillman's Plans"). I realize that I sound indecisive - Induction one day, Stillman's the next - but I did say in yesterday's post that I was also incorporating the Lindora approach of 2-3 days of all proteins. That's because I mean business. After all, I know how my body responds (to a point, that is). Fall is just around the corner, and that change in the weather means an even worse battle with water retention. So my first mini-goal is to get this month's mean bounce off my body - asap.

The fastest way to get the weight off is Stillman's and loads of supplements. But that can only last up to 2 weeks, and then anyone doing Stillman's has to switch. I'm mulling whether or not to do 2 weeks of Stillman's, or try the Lindora approach of 2-3 days of lean proteins (no carbs except for the few in eggs), then switch over to low-carbing for the rest of the week. Right now, I'm in the mood for proteins; I don't even want a salad.

Once my system is "rebooted" by those all-protein days (for however long they last), I will then switch over to Induction (or as I should say, Protein Power's Intervention Level) and those daily total carbs of 30. Having a small salad or two (heaped with proteins) and a 4 oz. cup of sf pudding or jello will seem like a treat. And I have to have those good fats; anybody does. I'm giving myself the next month to get that 25 lb. gain off. But it's also when the real struggle begins anew - to again reach and then get past my previous low weight, where I've been stuck since November 2007.

There is definitely an interlude in which one must avoid the scale; that's when our bodies are "defragging" and so we're not seeing anything happen when it comes to lost pounds. That's the time to avoid the scale, since that is the exact time that "The Scale Doesn't Tell the Whole Tale" (another thing I often say!).

But this is not one of those times. I already know I am going to have to keep a close eye on "the precious" - that evil thing we love and hate the most: the scale!

So - we'll see what "the precious" says later this morning (Saturday). And it had better give a good report, or I'll throw it into the fires of Mt. Doom. (Can you tell I'm an enthusiast of The Lord of the Rings?)

The Battle of the Bulge Continues

I know just how Tinkerbell feels. I'm stuck, too - but the battle must continue!


Considering my terrible neglect in sharing any of the deliteful designs of my humble life, I was grateful to return to the blog and find a few followers. Shari and Jen, you inspired me to start bloggin' once more. Thank you - and I'll catch up with you dear ones asap...

Quick Update: All this while, I've been hanging on the periphery of the lowcarb world, alternating as always, and still I lost no more inches or pounds. The old body simply won't budge. I admit I am tired of the battle, but then - I honestly don't want to give up.

Then a few weeks ago I quit smoking (again, for the upteenth time) - and though I refused to look at the scale, I could feel the gain. Water retention got me with a vengeance. And, oh, the headaches! Out came the lemon water to fight the swelling. To add insult to injury, Hormonal Flux recently hit, and the resulting blah-bloat joined the party.

I knew I was losing the battle. I had to know the numbers - because if they were scary enough, I'd get mad and do something about it.

So tonight I gave in. Yes, I got on the scale, which likes to beckon me with its siren song. It dutifully (and perhaps gleefully) gave its report - but I will not repeat how I replied to it (because it really was not polite). The bad news is that 25 lbs. added their nasty selves to my frame in the last few weeks.

Frustrated beyond belief, I finally complained to my husband, who started out well enough by remarking, "Well, you've done really great so far. You can do it again." He should have stopped right there, because that's really all I needed to hear. After all, just a little vote of confidence takes me a long, long way. But no, he thought he'd be very helpful by adding, "But you're right - you can see that you've gained weight."

As any woman in her right mind would understand, I was not pleased with my beloved. However, I decided to bite my tongue because an immediate vision of Jabba the Hut (female version), wearing my clothes, literally waddled thru my mind. (Actually, did Jabba waddle? It was more like a grotesque slithering, wouldn't you say?) At any rate, it wasn't a pretty picture.

And then it happened - that old glow of determination, like the dying embers of a fire, suddenly stoked. You can call it being ticked off, mad, extremely annoyed or whatever - but when that glow hits, I take stock of what needs to be done...and then I do it. The only problem is - I've low-carbed in earnest for over two years, and though I lost so much weight, I cannot lose anymore. (And I really do need to!) I can, however, easily gain. What do I need to do - stop eating any carbs? I have to say I didn't like the Zero Carb approach one bit. (That's just me - it works for others who are quite happy with it. More power to them, too!) Other options I've considered: Try calorie-counting? I do that already with Fitday, along with counting everything else.

So, in other words...Now what?

I know the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. And I chose not to lose them.

Low carbing and some form of exercise just has to do it. Those pounds really must go! The only thing I can think to do is return to Induction - whether it's Atkins, EFGT, or Protein Power. How to decide which one, I'm not sure, since I've done them all. Maybe I'll just close my eyes and say, "Eenie-meenie-miney-mo" and pick one that way. The point is: I have to believe that determination and perseverance will eventually pay off (in spades, no less!).

In any case: What the good-guy character Rick McConnell in the "The Mummy" once said to the Scorpion King is what I say to those extra pounds..."Go to h-ll ---and take your friends with you!" ;>

Ok, enough with being "naughty." (!!!)

Today, because I felt so ill, I wasn't very hungry. But I was very good to myself with proteins, a bit of fats, and a soothing smoothie. For all I know, I had gained 30 lbs. this past month (would that I could lose that much in the same time frame!), so perhaps I'll start dropping the enemy pounds in another day or two. (Except I found out that the one and only smoothie I drank today had a bit of sugar in it, since my 'baby' son, now 11, wanted to pamper Mom - bless his heart - but he forgot that Hershey's syrup is a no-no for me. I thought that chocolate-flavored whey protein was just a bit too sweet, and I was right.)

Ah, well. As Scarlett once said, with stars in her eyes:

"After all, tomorrow is another day." (May I have her determination, without her faults!)