I'm drained. Hopefully of all the fat I've been toting around. My digestion has improved, and beginning this Saturday (after 20 days on diet) I'll start adding select carbs back in to see how things work, inside and out.
For example, I might try relatively non-allergenic rice, or perhaps fruit. Maybe both :-)
Today, however, I'm draining the last remnants of tips, tactics and learnings from the diet. So, here goes.
Add a multivitamin. That's another Atkin tip if I remember right, and also one I recommend in general.
Daily, I take:
1 multivitamin (like Men's one-a-day)
1-2 Omega-3 fish oil tablet (gots to get the full Omega 3s, not just oil)
1 81mg aspirin
1 10mg Lipitor (to keep cholesterol down, this is on prescription, not over the counter like the rest)
You should at least be taking the 1st three on that list, and probably the 4th. Get a checkup. When was your last? You should be doing 1 a year once you hit your 30s.
Back to diet foods: Cut out the damn beer, stop trying to cheat, and stay with Vodka, diet tonic and limes (or good tequila and lime juice). When you are out drinking, have Jack and diet coke (bars rarely have diet tonic, as I'm sure you found out). It's only a short while, so consider just not drinking. You lose weight faster.
Basically, stay on the induction phase till you get close to your target weight. If it's 190, for example, go hard until 195. Then, start sllllowwwwllly adding carbs back in until you slow weight loss down and hit your target weight of 190.
Then, remember the work it took to get there and don't rush out for a sausage pizza with a side of fries when you finish the diet!
Finally, remember that if you screw up one day and grab a pancake or something by accident, or your folks invite you over for carbohydrate soufflé, just enjoy it and then get back on the diet the next day, no sweat.
It won't hose you up, just slow you up. I've had dinner invitations I couldn't (didn't want to) ignore so I went and kept the carbs down a bit so I wouldn't overextend myself, but then went back on the diet next day, no problems.
Keep it up and you too can lose 15lbs in 19 days. Perhaps ;-)
One final thought: Atkins is healthy, because feeling thin and energetic is good for your body and mind, fitting into your clothes is good, and having greater freedom of movement is good.
Feeling like you have two outfits you can wear, and being lethargic or unwilling to join in exercise and games because you don't know if your body can handle it? That's bad.
The internal effects of obesity? Even worse.
My Atkins' Tip Series
Atkins Diary I: why
Atkins Diary II: the menu
Atkins Diary III: Diet Secrets
Atkins Diary IV: More Secrets!
Atkins Diary V: Cartoon
Atkins Diary VI: Mental Game
Atkins Diary VII: The Lighter side (humor)
Vitamin Supplements
Atkins Diary VIII: Final Tips
Atkins: Followup
By the way, it's now March 2005... and I've kept off the weight, so that's good. As I've said, I usually just need a jumpstart back into better eating and exercise habits and Atkins did exactly what I'd hoped.
Posted by BilFish at August 19, 2004 07:33 AM