Motivated's Journal, 18 October 2007

B/C of you, I went out and bought some half & half, lol. I love my morning cup of coffee, as (sounds to me) you do too, ha ha. You're doing great and have kept it together ... how are you being so strong all the time??? 

I think I'll start keeping track of my carbs more precisely. You are an inspiration! 

I LOVE my coffee too and it is just not the same without half and half! I think one of the reason's I have been able to stick with this diet this time is that I have not felt too deprived. I have given up breads, cereals, pastas and fruit but still have sweets (ala my low carb vanilla ice cream choc covered bars) and have half and half in my coffee and have wine once and a while. I don't strive to not EVER be hungry--if I'm between meals and really am starving, I'll eat a handful of nuts but usually I wait until the next meal. As a result, I love eating what I end up eating--salads or steak or those silly swiss cheese and smoked turkey 'sandwiches' I have been eating all week. My 'strength' I think, comes from forming habits, one at a time--all support me so that I don't need to use sheer willpower to stay on track. Staying away from carbs, exercising, drinking water, not being afraid of being hungry once and a while, bringing along 'back-up' food like an Atkins bar if I may not find something I can eat. I guess that once I made the decision this time, I wouldn't allow my 'self' to argue with me. The big win will be if I can maintain--which I greatly fear I will not. Enjoy your half and half Lori! Sara--I don't really count my carbs. I test ketones every morning as soon as I get up. I know I have overdone it if I don't test at least trace. I don't intentionally eat any carbs so they are naturally low. It's not that I don't eat carbs but I eat low carb foods. Cheese, meats, half and half, blue cheese dressing, salads and veggies, low carb foods like ice cream and bars, etc. I eat nuts occasionally. Because I love half and half in my coffee (and I have a couple of large mugs/day, and I love salads, and I'm willing to give up wine on most days, I don't need to count carbs. I would not however, give up testing for ketones. Thank you for the kind words and good luck!