Tripling my exercise blew through my stall

[JohnSantos]

I only worked out an hour and a half today. I consider that my day off.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by ErinB

I'll need to look for that in the book.

I do cardio on the big Precor elliptical at my gym, keeping my heart rate within doctor-prescribed target range (135-140), for one hour a day six days a week. I do two lower body and two upper body weight workouts a week. I started this two weeks ago because weight loss had stalled and I figured my little cardio rider machine was not enough exercise for me anymore.

Do you think this applies to me? Kinda' scary thinking of bringing up my carbs that much.

I was walking 5-6 miles daily (doing 10 minute miles), plus I was doing weights and yoga on alternate days. That more than satisfied the definition of a "regular exerciser" according to Dr. Atkins. And according to Dr. ATkins, regular exercisers can have CCLLs greater than 60 net carbs daily.

You don't bring up your carbs all at once. You do it gradually. The first step is to move to OWL phase.

[ErinB]

Originally Posted by not2late

You don't bring up your carbs all at once. You do it gradually. The first step is to move to OWL phase.

Thanks for the reply.

No worries about moving to OWL. As it says below my name over there, I have moved on to the third level of OWL, but mostly so I can have the occasional snack of almonds or walnuts or macadamias and my extra 5 carb serving of veggies. (I am hooked on that pumpkin treat.)

I suppose I do now qualify as a regular with exercise. I think, because I see all those young people moving so fast and lifting 2-3 times as much as I can, I tend to think I'm not doing much ... even though I am dripping with sweat during my cardio workout.

Did I say "sweat?" Couldn't be. Ladies don't sweat. We glow.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by ErinB

Thanks for the reply.

No worries about moving to OWL. As it says below my name over there, I have moved on to the third level of OWL, but mostly so I can have the occasional snack of almonds or walnuts or macadamias and my extra 5 carb serving of veggies. (I am hooked on that pumpkin treat.)

I suppose I do now qualify as a regular with exercise. I think, because I see all those young people moving so fast and lifting 2-3 times as much as I can, I tend to think I'm not doing much ... even though I am dripping with sweat during my cardio workout.

Did I say "sweat?" Couldn't be. Ladies don't sweat. We glow.

I've had several "a ha!" moments during my Atkins. One was the first snowfall during my Atkins. I felt like I could shovel my walkway. Not only was I able to do that, but I was able to shovel the driveway and sidewalk. It was really shocking because I had the energy to do it---usually I tired out while shovelling the walkway and had to pay one of the neighborhood kids to do the rest.

Another "a ha!" moment was that spring, I went to the garden center to buy some fertilizer. The kind I wanted only came in 40 pound bags. To my surprize, I was able to pick up that 40 pound bag easily and when I got it home, I was able to carry it from my car to backyard. It was surprizing because I didn't think I had the strength to do it---since the most I worked out with were 5 pound weights. But I did.

So I never stressed out that others were running 10 miles daily, doing 20 reps with weights 4 times heavier than I was. I had strength and stamina I never had before doing what little I did.

[ErinB]

I suppose I can look at it that way, too. I shoveled my driveway last winter and I heft a 60-pound server (home network) around when needed. Not bad for a 65-year-old female who was very ill and totally sedentary three years ago (until the thyroid treatment began to kick in).

I am also doing workouts with from 30 up to 135 pound weights (strong legs). Took me a long time to start doing that, but it is paying off. After just two weeks on the new program at the gym, I have lost five pounds. Naturally, I would love to see that kind of progress continue, since it took me a year to lose the first 65 pounds.

[ErinB]

Originally Posted by JohnSantos

I only worked out an hour and a half today. I consider that my day off.

Sorry to hijack your thread, John. How is your exercise going now? Are you keeping it up and is success continuing?

[JohnSantos]

Originally Posted by ErinB

Sorry to hijack your thread, John. How is your exercise going now? Are you keeping it up and is success continuing?

Yes, I've gone from a size 54 belt to a 46.

I'm still so fat, that at dance instructions when they say "girls go find a guy!" I'm like the last one standing without a girl.

Kinda sad.

In fact, when it's obvious that a girl only has ME left out of a lineup, she'll look around the room kinda waiting for another guy to pick her up instead. Then finally she'll look at me and get this fake smile, and dance with me.

Starting to tick me off considering how many friggin girls I date.

[ErinB]

Yes, that is a sad commentary on the truly distorted values so many have today. Hopefully, you can keep it in perspective and realize it is their problem, not yours.

I have noticed I get far more positive looks from people as the weight comes off. Being an older woman and also heavy tends to make one either invisible to others or, worse, an object of pity or disgust. Just lately more people talk to me, smile at me, ask questions, etc., treat me more like a normal person, all because I shed a few pounds. I am still the very same person, but they don't seem to be able to see that.

The inch loss is a wonderful accomplishment. Keep up that awesome work, and don't let those with a shallow perspective on worth get you down, John.

[Heiricka]

This is an excellent thread. I'll keep these ideas in mind as well as what the book says. It is amazing to me that you can up your carbs and blast your way through a stall.

Originally Posted by ErinB

Thanks for the reply.

No worries about moving to OWL. As it says below my name over there, I have moved on to the third level of OWL, but mostly so I can have the occasional snack of almonds or walnuts or macadamias and my extra 5 carb serving of veggies. (I am hooked on that pumpkin treat.)

I suppose I do now qualify as a regular with exercise. I think, because I see all those young people moving so fast and lifting 2-3 times as much as I can, I tend to think I'm not doing much ... even though I am dripping with sweat during my cardio workout.

Did I say "sweat?" Couldn't be. Ladies don't sweat. We glow.

Do you have a recipe for these pumpkin treats? I'm not a fan of pumpkin like I thought I would be. I have a can in my cabinet. I'd love to try it.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Heiricka

This is an excellent thread. I'll keep these ideas in mind as well as what the book says. It is amazing to me that you can up your carbs and blast your way through a stall.

That's the beauty of OWL and Atkins---you get to find that carb level at which You lose weight. For me it was ultimately 50. And I found what foods don't agree with me, which made eating and meal planning so much easier.

Erin, another "a ha" moment was a couple of years ago. I went to DC and did the tourist thing--visiting the monuments and museums--one day. I walked from the US Capitol through the length of the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial, then ended the day with a walk to Arlington National Cemetery. When I was at the Lincoln Memorial, a group of teenagers and I reached the steps at the same time. They were thin, "healthy" looking and younger than me. So they started running up the stairs. I walked it. About a third of the way up, they stopped running and started walking. About 1/2 of the way up, I caught up to them---they were panting and trying to catch their breaths. I reached the top before they did. And I wasn't panting or breathless or needed a break.

So I beat these little upstarts, up a flight of stairs and I was almost 3/4 to goal weight at that time. In other words, I was still overweight/fat but I was in better shape than these teens.

Later that day, I bumped into them at Arlington National Cemetery. I beat them up the hill to the Custis-Lee Mansion too.

So for me, these little "a ha" moments showed the effectiveness of my Atkins and my continued effectiveness. I can do things that other people my age can't----and I know they can't because I see them huffing and puffing while walking up stairs or straining to lift bags of top soil or peat moss or even mowing a lawn. And that's good for me.