I have some hope for this new British stuff…after 2 days the water is clear for about a foot on the surface, and we only have 3 more feet to go to have it in great shape….the turnover is slower on the bottom, but it’ll get there.
I was fascinated by Jane’s foam photos: that neat little hole, that permanent slow-motion hurricane of water-flow, is due to the relative position of the waterfall (in Kent) and the little out-dent that is the lily-well, in Wales. [I believe I’ve mentioned that the shape of our pond is not-too-roughly like that of Britain.] Scotland (the deep end) is where we have to get down to 3 feet. Wales is only 2. 😉
Meanwhile, while getting our pond in shape, Jane and I have decided that our shape is not the best, either. Both of us have gained back 10 pounds and are not happy, since for both of us those pounds reside right around the waist and are not comfy at all. So…back to Atkins for a couple of months. We figure we’ve been so carb-heavy this is going to be a shock to the system.
The kittehs have now met bacon. They approve. Neither Ysabel nor Efanor liked it. Jane has decided to avoid eggs, which don’t sit well with us. This leaves me scrambling [horrid pun] to try to find something carb-free for breakfast. This morning it was 2 pieces of pepper bacon, 2 slices of deli ham and a bit of extra-sharp Cheddar. That gave us at least something hot for breakfast. Induction on Atkins is brutally low-carb: we can’t even have yoghurt. But that’s only a couple of weeks. Last night’s supper was (pity us) ribeye steak, salad with Caesar dressing, and 1 oz of mixed nuts. Which did not have us frantic for a late snack, either, so that’s good. Better behavior already. A glass of wine is allowable. My coffee is allowable. I’m not so sure about Jane’s diet soda—I hope it’s made with Splenda. (The Atkins-friendly sugar subsitute.) One real nasty trick is the way diet sodas trick the insulin system into believing it’s had sugar, so you get some of the blood sugar business and possibly a physical signal that goes with sugar. Something happened to the American populace about the time diet sodas became available. Used to be, it was full-strength Coke, or nothing. Now people pack away a half a liter, and I’m not sure it’s ‘free’ in the physiological sense, since they’ve discovered the body reacts to the fake sugars as if it were real sugar. Maybe a ‘store’ signal goes out. Dunno. But as cook, I’m in charge, and I’m going to be suspicious of everything. I’m in label-reading mode. And I’m going to be ‘sperimenting with recipes, seeing what I can convert. And I’ll be real glad when we can go back to strict South Beach. Part of our theory is to use Atkins to get some of the weight off (about 5 lbs would be nice) and by then we’ll be longing to eat a lot of veggies: at that point, about 8 weeks from now, we switch to strict South Beach, which is 2 cups veggies at every meal, and very little carb besides the veggies: for South Beach purposes starches like potatoes and peas don’t count as veggies. So we’ll get our portions and carb balance back under control, because you’re not tempted to eat huge on Atkins: a little goes a long way. This is the plan, at least. All along, of course, we take vitamin supplement and drink 8 glasses of water a day. Jane says I can’t count coffee—so I have to drink (ugh!) water.
Try ditching the sodas and drink Kombucha instead. Some is really fizzy, but since I HATE carbonation, I drink the ‘original’ flavor myself (less natural carbonation). I drink the GT brand. No nasty ingredients!
Also check out tulsi tea. There are some issues related to blood-thinning to consider, but lots of positive health benefits. I’m drinking some organic Earl gray flavored tulsi tea right now.
I have to say that the Atkins approach is one I’m cautious of, although the minimization of starchy carbs makes sense to me (no more home-baked bread!). Personally, I can’t eat all that protein/animal fat without feeling crappy. But I do feel your pain! I am probably getting closer to having that partial knee replacement than I want, and have to lose 30-35 lbs before surgery. I did have some binge moments last month which didn’t help. So, I made sure that all the bad things were OUT of the house and refuse to allow myself to indulge at the snack machine at work (chips are one of my weaknesses). That should take care of 10 lbs, but I’m not sure how I’ll lose the next 20 since exercise options are so limited, and my elevated reverse T3 levels (thyroid) don’t help. GAWWK! I’m already down to 2 meals per day…organic non-processed foods. 11-noonish I have organic oatmeal with several chopped fruits + pumpkin seeds, raw ginger and cinnamon with chopped brazil nuts & cashews on top….stirred in non-fat organic yogurt. When I get home from work (~ 4:30pm), I have wild rice/lentils with sundried tomatoes, onion, free-range lean ground chicken and a huge bag of arugula melted in. That should last me all week (sigh). I have a couple avocados to add as topping and some raw organic sharp cheddar (which I’m trying to avoid). If I’m craving SWEET, I have a little handful of dried organic banana chips and/or dried mangos….done at the right stage of ripeness those are SO sweet without any added sugar. Raw bananas make me gag…dried don’t.
My own Atkins theory is that carbs and fat are like fire and gasoline—either is fine, but if you get them together in your diet, it’s going to be a problem. Of course, if there’s a medical problem handling fat in the diet in the first place, Atkins is a no-go: but I find I’m good if I just keep starch and sugars away from me while I’m eating a high-fat, high protein diet. “Sweet” is not a turn-on for me, fortunately. If I take a mouthful of sugar it’s exactly like the rock-tasting we had to do in geology class: tastes a lot like limestone. This isn’t to say I don’t have a great fondness for pineapple upside down cake, which Jane swears is the sweetest thing she’s ever eaten—but I just taste the pineapple flavor and the butter, not really the sugar….
Anyway, we’ll be eating only vegetable carbs in things like brussel sprouts, lettuce, greens, spinach, lots of green leafy veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, a smattering of carrots, plus pork and beef and chicken. You can do an Atkins stirfry—just no rice or noodles. Curiously enough we have to watch celery because of the salt content: it’s crazy. And low-fat cottage cheese? Would you believe it’s higher in carbs than regular? So we get regular. For dessert, we can have a few real blueberries mixed into ricotta cheese, flavored with a little vanilla, and a spoon of Splenda—when we get able to have desserts.
And we’ll be howling to get back to regular veggies after a few weeks.
Have you ever looked into the American Diabetic Association’s dietary recommendations?
Good luck with your weight loss. I know different people taste things so differently….to me coffee smells and tastes like skunk spew and sodas are simply undrinkable (taste like nasty chemicals). I do like kombucha (which is based on fermented tea)….and most any tea (without adding any pollutants like sugar or cream). I’ve stopped believing that ONE diet works for everyone.
For those in hotter climes, this: I have been successful at substituting frozen fruit for ice cream, which is my Waterloo/Achilles’ heel/all of the above. Fruit like cut up peaches, blueberries, cherries. (strawberries would work but I don’t especially like them). I buy them frozen and eat them that way. Cold and sweet. Great summer dessert. Also Dreyers makes “frozen bars on a stick” of pureed fruit. Period. Just pureed fruit and water. 70 calories a bar. No fat. A range of fruits including pineapple, lime, pomegranate, peach, strawberry. Also check out sorbets, another good ice cream substitute. But, as always, read the labels.
Re: American Diabetic Association…Their diet isn’t particularly low carb. Sadly, the last time I was shown a “ADA Approved” diet list and sample menu…it was pretty much just a flyer for “health food” companies. I was vastly disappointed by that. It may have been that particular nutritionist, or some kind of fad going on at the time (this was a year ago, give or take). But I cook for two diabetics, and am myself attempting to change my eating habits (high blood pressure)…so we do a good bit of experimenting ourselves. Strangely, rice and potatoes do not affect my husband’s blood sugar or carb balance very much…but pasta? He starts eating spaghetti and seems unable to stop eating until he’s stuffed. He almost *always* overeats if I make spaghetti…so I only make it once a month!!
I am very cautious about the Atkins and South Beach approaches myself, but that’s as much because of people I know personally who had severe problems when they attempted those diets. Granted that these diets aren’t for everyone: I am still cautious about them for myself.
I sure hope the weight comes off for you: I know, viscerally, how uncomfortable those extra pounds can be! I thank you for sharing your thoughts and plans. It encourages me to keep on trying to improve *my* health, when I see two women who have *ahem* a few years on me, doing FAR more than I ever manage. Shames me into doing better by myself, haha!!
Many hugs to both of you, and good thoughts. Also, here’s hoping the pond and the garden have a spectacular summer!
“The kittehs have now met bacon. They approve.” That made me laugh out loud! Smart kittehs! Also, I am happy to read about your re-entry into Atkins, then South Beach diets. When school is out, I *must* get serious again about losing weight. I don’t even care how much, but as you say it sits on my middle and is very uncomfortable. Until I reached a certain age, ahem, I carried too much weight but it was not in a steel belt around my waist!! I am also hoping that my red-alert stress level (and it’s contribution of cortisol) will stop when I am not in the pressure cooker any longer. I am hoping for win-win!
CJ: I recently heard a some medical talk that said that 8 glasses of water includes coffees and teas because all they are are flavored water (with caffeine of course) Sometimes what i do is simply pour in a little concentrated lemon or lime. But, I’m not really up on water over coffee so don’t take my word for it.
hmm, sorry about that, what I meant is put lemon or lime in WATER if that’s what I’m drinking. didn’t want it to sound like I was putting lime or lemon in my coffee… ewwwww.
lol!