stevieweevie's Journal, 05 October 2011

Hey Stevie, I have trouble getting in all of my water too, just drink some every time it crosses your mind. About the veggies; try adding some new veggies to your diet, some with higher amounts of net carbs, such as turnips, green beans, spaghetti squash, or zucchini. Try cooking them in different ways, or add different sauces to them. Look for some new vegetables in the supermarket, that you haven't tried yet, learn how to cook them, and give them a try. Next on my list is fennel, or some kohlrabi. One of my favorites is brussels sprouts, roasted with garlic, a sprinkling of olive oil and parmesan cheese. YUM! I hope this helps.  

Hi ShyGuy, Thanks for sharing some insight with me, I appreciate any ideas. I actually get between 96 and 128 fluid oz of water everyday, I have a refillable 32 oz sipper that I take with me everywhere and make sure to fill it 3-4 times a day. I have always made sure to get my water intake, especially when dieting/exercising and now it is just second nature. I rarely have a soda, and when I do, I can only get down 1/2 can. On the veggies, I do pretty well, I would like to try some new veggies and recipes like the jicima fries and I have seen a recipe for Cauliflower hash-browns that looked good. I love my salads, because they fill me up and aren't high in carbs, but I need to add to them, like onions or another higher carb veggie. I like asparagus and Brussels sprouts every now and then, and lien towards spinach and green beans as greens(and as a cheaper staple as I am out of work). I will try that recipe for the sprouts for sure, thanks! One of my favorite lunches is tuna salad in 1/2 of a bell pepper, but can't have it too often. I love cucumber and cauliflower, and sometimes like zucchini. I am losing inches like crazy, but have been stuck on scale weight for the last month, and I think some of it is the water retention and constipation. I take magnesium supplements and try to get in 2-3 flax meal MIMs a week. I also take 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in my coffee 2/d, which helps regularity a little.  

Stevie, try the zucchini noodles, from the recipe section on this site; I pair it up with Classico Mushroom Alfredo sauce. It's one of my new favorite side dishes; in fact I just had some with some pan grilled pork chops for lunch today; very tasty. :) You can also try some spaghetti squash, with the same sauce, or a tbs of butter, some garlic, and a tsp or so of grated parmesan cheese, also very tasty. One last thing. If you are losing inches like crazy, keep doing what you are doing, sooner or later, the scale will catch up with your lost inches, and it will continue to come off. BTW, you are doing a lot better with the water than I am. Keep up the good work. :) 

Haha that it very similar to what I do with French style green beans. I ground turkey sausage and put it over the green beans, then add about 1/4 cup of the Great Value Alfredo Sauce. I will have to try the zucchini though, because I believe there are more carbs found in them than the green beans. I have actually made chicken Parmesan using spaghetti squash, but since I am not that great a cook, it is a bit too time consuming for me, so it is one that I do not do that often. On weighing, I wish that I could ignore the scale, but I keep signing up of these challenges which require weigh-ins. I know that I need to just forgive the scale and that my body is just adjusting to all the changes. I am trying to look at it this way, it is better that my body is taking its time with the loss, so that I don't look baggy and wrinkly. Because I am exercising and strength training, I am helping my body adjust to its new dimensions. It is kind of hard to get the water in on some days, because I get carried away, but I am so used to being aware of how important it is to health and weight loss. I notice that Atkins and water together have made a big difference in my skin health, hair and nail health/growth. Thanks for the new recipe idears, I will definitely try the zucchini and alfredo, and even the pork chops, it's been forever since I've had them, sounds yummy! Stay on track over the weekend, okay, and keep up the good work! Thanks for being a good/supportive buddy! ;-)