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I just finished watching a show about being overweight in America. Partly I was interested because they were going to talk about a new medication to treat obesity. Before I even saw the show I told some friends even if I could lose weight with a pill I would want to stay on Atkins because of the great blood sugars, blood pressure, and energy. I doubt they will ever have a magic pill. Losing weight will always be just darn hard to do and hard to maintain. The pill in this show caused people to lose 10% of their body weight. I have already lost way more than that on Atkins. I take too darn much medication already. The show was kind of depressing because it talked about all the young people in this country that are headed for diabetes and heart disease in their 30's. I am so grateful I have been able to stop using my diabetic medications. As I continue to lose weight I plan to be cured of diabetes. One of the segments of the show discussed a school that had a snack truck go around several times a day and sell candy bars and some healthy foods to the students. It made money for the school but of course most of the students bought the junk food which is damaging their health. I thought it was a terrible thing to do to the students. Another segment showed computers with treadmills in front of them to be sold to employers. That made me think of employees being like hamsters on a wheel. What if you were too tired to walk on it? What if you felt sick that day? It seemed sort of abusive even though it helped the person because it would be forced on them. Maybe if it was voluntary. Another segment showed a man who had lose over 200 lbs. by going to a place named after the Biggest Loser where he would exercise 6 hours a day. I guess it was life and death for him because he was initially over 600 lbs. I can't imagine working out for 6 hrs. a day. That seems kind of crazy to me. But if I weighed 600 lbs. maybe it would seem like a good idea. Over all I was satisfied with the Atkins plan and a normal (45 minutes a day) of exercise daily. I don't want to have weight loss surgery, I don't think there will ever be a magic pill, I don't plan to exercise 6 hrs. a day but I am determined to make Atkins my lifetime plan and to exercise regularly (I plan to add more in). Watching these shows makes me more grateful than ever to have this program. Oh by the way today was my weigh in day and I lost another 1.7 lb. so I am down to 219.9. I am very happy to be under 220.
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1405 kcal
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Fat: 97.63g | Prot: 95.91g | Carbs: 46.44g.
Breakfast: Splenda, Baking powder, Cinnamon, Egg, Butter, Flax seeds. Lunch: Green beans, Turkey. Dinner: Greek yogurt. Snacks/Other: eas CHOCOLATE SHAKE, Pork rinds, Almonds. more...
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2488 kcal
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Exercise:
Walking (slow) - 3/kph - 45 minutes, Resting - 13 hours and 15 minutes, Sleeping - 10 hours. more...
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 Comments
Alright Andrea!! Another 1.7 pounds and under 220. What an accomplishment!!
18 May 10 by member: ctlss
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That is 35.2 pounds!! You should be so proud. I am!
18 May 10 by member: ctlss
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Awesome. You are doing so great!
19 May 10 by member: rebecca319
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Congratulations, Andrea!! Below 220!!!! Another milestone : ) You just keep wracking them up, girl!
I so agree with everything you said about the program. I didn't see it, though, darn it! I had wanted to watch it and forgot all about it. But ditto everything you pointed out - 10% of your weight when we're already unhealthy - shove yet another pill down your throat...no thanks! So happy for you and proud of you for being able to get off diabetic meds and YES, you will cure yourself of diabetes as you continue what you are doing. There IS NO magic pill, and frankly, at this stage of my life and all that I feel I'm learning, I don't think I'd even want to take it if it existed. Well, it'd be a temptation, to be sure, but still...I think the lessons we are all learning on this journey are invaluable. AND they help make us the kind of people we are, so why take that away? And it's so very sad that we are now raising the FIRST generation that we will outlive. That makes me terribly sad. But you know what? Americans are strong and determined and are motivated. It may take a lot to reach that "tipping point", but I get the feeling we are nearly there. There is SO much attention now paid to obesity in the media. Yeah, it took far too long to reach this point - the crisis stage - but I think we're there and I think we'll finally begin to see some real change. I'll bet it will be very slow change - so much has to occur, starting with the FDA and with our USDA, and with what foods will be subsidized, etc. But in my utopia, I see health care reform bills being supported by increased taxes on things like fast food, AND like all the highly processed garbage "food-like substances" found on every shelf of the grocery store! Products such as high fructose corn syrup (aka Satan) would be highly regulated and taxed, food labels would be clear and free of deception (such as food companies being called sunny farms and yet, the chicken may never see the light of day!) and a family in the lower socioeconomic bracket could afford to feed themselves with real, whole foods for what it currently costs to feed them trans fat filled garbaged (aka the infamous Dollar Meal deals found at every fast food franchise in the U.S.).
Oops, sorry for the rant. Things like this get me all riled up : ) You brought up great points in your journal! Have a great day!
19 May 10 by member: redwinelover
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redwinelover, I have said for years that the reason we have an obesity problem, especially in the lower socioeconomic brackets, is because the cheap food is the food high in carbs, and very little nutritional value. Take $10 to the store and see how much fresh fruit, veggies, or lean protein you can get for that $10. Now see how many chips, sugar laden cereal, pasta, mac and cheese, hamburger helper, etc you can get. And we wonder why our poorest have the highest obesity and health problems. They aren't eating healthy foods. What the heck is wrong with this picture???? And I agree, tax the high trans-fat, fast foods to fund health care. What a grand idea. But more importantly, make healthy food more affordable, so that everyone can eat it, not just those with more money. I was in the grocery store one day and an elderly lady in a wheel chair was in the produce section, looking at celery. It was 2.19 a stalk, and she looked at it, and at me, and said "I would love to have some celery, but I can't afford it." She put it back and went on her way. I stood there looking at that celery, wondering to myself, what kind of society do we live in where a little lady like that can't even afford 2.19 for celery?!?!?! It broke my heart. I got the celery, took it up front, paid for it and left it with the manager and told her to give it to the lady when she came through the check out. In talking to her while she was looking at the celery, she said, "They tell us to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. How am I supposed to do that when I can't afford to even buy 1?". I left the store in tears. Sad, so sad. :(
19 May 10 by member: ctlss
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I know what you mean it's crazy that we can afford to eat junk all day long but to buy healthy food it is much more expensive. And the food manufacturers are getting rich off of selling us poisons that are killing us just like cigarettes do.
19 May 10 by member: Multiplicity1
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I have to disagree. I save so much more money eating this way than I did before Atkins. Taking out vending machine food, fast food, sodas, candy, chips, and cookies has saved me more than I spend now. Keep in mind that just because a good steak costs more than a box of cereal, that steak is typically broken down over multiple servings. It's when you begin to add the processed foods (bars, shakes, etc) that the costs start adding up.
19 May 10 by member: kmartin
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Plus, I think it is crazy of how, if we as a nation, went back to eating real foods instead of processed foods, our health would improve, less $ would be needed for healthcare of the problems we create...just like people who smoke having lung/mouth cancers and emphasema (spelling sorry) and the cost to care for that... I would rather invest in good whole foods than in pills, doctor bills and the like!
19 May 10 by member: suziem
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I totally agree with you...I do spend some money on the Atkins Bars/Shakes but it's still more cost effective and healthier than hitting the vending machine everyday!...
19 May 10 by member: FoxyRoxy40
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I totally agree with you...I do spend some money on the Atkins Bars/Shakes but it's still more cost effective and healthier than hitting the vending machine everyday!...
19 May 10 by member: FoxyRoxy40
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The reason why cereals and the like are so cheap is because they sell billions. When and if people stopped buying them, we'd see their prices increase significantly. We the consumers are the driving force to the prices that we pay. When we stop buying junk and start buying healthier foods the better we will tell America that we mean business.
19 May 10 by member: kmartin
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Well, don't forget the other reason why cereal is cheap - corn is the biggest crop in the U.S. and the most heavily subsidized. I agree to a point that you can buy good, wholesome, healthy food in place of crap food, but the reality of it is, a $1 burger from McDonald's is going to fill a kid's tummy quicker than $1 worth of fruits and veggies. It is wrong, no doubt about it. And you're right in that supply and demand plays into it, but the fact of the matter remains, it is cheaper to produce processed foods than whole foods, believe it or not. Again, government subsidizing plays a huge role in this, but organic food is more expensive to produce - smaller crops, no government subsidy, much shorter shelf-life. I feel fortunate in that I can afford some organic food and can afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, but that isn't the case with everyone. And if you look at a grocery store's marketing - how often do you see a buy one, get one free offer on tomatoes, or lettuce or meat, or milk and eggs? Not very, but how often do you see the same offer for potato chips, cookies, cereal, etc? Most processed foods are mainly corn, once you break it all down. And once you break down corn, it's simple sugars (although I think real sugar would be FAR preferable to the high fructose corn syrup and all the other corn products used as sweeteners in the U.S.)- all of which are (again) subsidized! I think that's what has to change. Oh, number two agricultural product in the U.S.? - Soybeans. Which wouldn't be so bad, but something like 90% of all soybeans in the U.S. are genetically modified, which may be one of the reasons soy products are especially harmful to women. (soy is a phyto-estrogen) I don't know that soy, itself, before it's been genetically modified, has the same effect on the body. But we may never know that in this country as soon nearly all of the soy grown here will be GMO's. Yes, many of us can choose to skip the stuff in boxes and packages and simply eat less, but better. And yes, if we, as a nation, chose to eat this way, health care costs would plummet. But that's a hard sell when you're struggling from week to week to pay your bills and to find a way to feed your kids. It's sad, it's depressing as hell to see what we are doing to ourselves and worse - to our kids.
19 May 10 by member: redwinelover
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Andrea, you probably didn't realize your journal would become a forum : )
19 May 10 by member: redwinelover
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Keli I spent a lot more before I was on Atkins because I spent a lot on eating out and snack foods at convenience stores and machines also.
19 May 10 by member: Multiplicity1
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Yay for being under 220!!! Gratz.
And yes, to the "forum topic"... I am spending alot more then before Atkins. Not because I was buying junk food but because pasta, bread and potatoes are cheaper than meat and organic produce. I'm glad I can afford it but stories like that older lady and the celery make me cry.
19 May 10 by member: Rowanfair
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I as an individual spend less on my food now than I did before Atkins. Now when you take into fact that I can feed my whole family spaghetti and corn for $7 for the whole meal or I can feed us Pork Chops and Broccoli & Cheese for around $11 for the whole meal that can add up each week and month. Of course when you are REALLY BROKE you can have good a good old Southern meal of Fried Potatoes and Pinto Beans and feed the whole family for under $3. You just can't do that with Atkins. If I could get my whole family on board and we didnt have to buy sugar for the sweet tea, or candy, and processed foods we might be able to spend about the same or possibly less.
As an individual I used to spend about $15 a week on fast food, $10 a week on work lunches, and about $10 a week on vending machines and stopping at a gas station for a coke in the mornings on the way to work. Now I spend about $10 a week for my work lunches and that is all.
It is really all in how you look at it. If you do the math you might be surprized to find you are saving money on Atkins. The first week may be a little expensive because you are buying your start up meals and learning what works for you but once you are in the groove you shouldn't be spending much on food. I don't anyways.
19 May 10 by member: amanda123
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Multiplicity1's Weight History
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