Pooka's Shrinking Soapbox

Atkins can kiss my deflating fat white ass.

Twice.

So, my clothes are continuing to get bigger and bigger. Looked at myself in the mirror before a shower the other day, and wondered where the hell my ass was. Face it, I got enough junk in the trunk for three sistahs, but it looks like I'm down to two now. I wasn't totally disgusted by what I saw.

Of course, having much less ass explains why I can't keep my pants and shorts from falling down around my ankles. Thank God for hips.

But Atkins. Yeah. Kiss here, pal.

I just had a very happy Pooka dinner. Baked Tilapia (and even if you don't like fish, I recommend trying it. Very delicate, slightly lemony, and overall a damn tasty fish), green beans, some mozzarella cheese, grapes, and strawberries. Joy, happy tummy!

All of it is on my diet. The Four F's is what I follow:

-- Fresh Fruit
-- Fresh Veggies
-- Fish
-- Fowl

That's the primaries for it. No non-natural sugars, nothing fried, no organ meats, low fat dairy, no refined bleached flour, only 2 eggs a week (which is fine, since eggs aggravate my IBS, AND are bad for arthritis).

Weight is coming off, I'm HAPPY eating (Um, I sort of ate almost 2 pounds of cherries yesterday by myself), I don't feel deprived in any way, and I LIKE all the foods I can eat. It doesn't push lots of meat, it doesn't push lots of fat. The only real carbs are from perfectly natural sugars in fruits and veggies (pasta and stuff is limited, unless it's whole wheat or corn, etc).

I honestly don't miss soda that much. I don't have cravings for things I'm not supposed to eat, which is good since DG has been bringing home popsicles and ice cream and cookies lately. (BAD, BAD diabetic!) I don't really even miss chocolate, but I'm sure the craving will hit eventually.

Nightwisp, I DID try Diet RC. And WOW. Diet RC is GOOD. But. Yeah. But. Splenda seems to give me a headache, just like aspartame. Damnit. But at least if I crave soda, Diet RC doesn't have the nasty funky chemical taste of aspartame, and Excedrin actually works on the headache, unlike with aspartame.

Now. It's been about three weeks or so since I started this. The diet is designed for RSD/CRPS patients to help control pain. So far, I'm still exhausted most of the time, but I figure I'm still just adjusting to the detox. And I have noticed that although I'm wiped out, I don't *seem* to be hurting as bad and as constantly. However ...

My IBS is almost GONE. GONE. Cutting the sugar out did wonders, and though if I indulge in dairy, or things that I know aggravate it, I still have problems, they aren't nearly as severe. Normal safe meals don't send me diving for the bathroom. If I avoid triggers, I'm doing damn well, and the horrible cramps are a thing of the past.

Getting rid of the sugar and organ meats (oooo, my poor sausages and Hebrew National hot dogs, I do miss YOU at least) and going more natural with the diet has also improved the severity of the acid reflux disease. I don't desperately have to make sure I take Prevacid every single day now. I can go a few days without it and not be utterly horribly miserable.

And the horrible menstrual cramps that had been plaguing me were almost nil this time. Period started about a week and a half to two weeks after starting the diet, and I wasn't curled up in agony.

On Atkins, I was sick all the time. My body couldn't handle the high fat, high dairy, high red meat content. I was miserable, and missing the GOOD things, like fruits and "high carb" veggies. Reflux and IBS were trying to kill me. Quickly, at least, but still trying to kill me.

I can eat those forbidden fruits now. I'm still losing weight, I'm healthier already, and with my IBS and reflux clearing up, far more comfortable.

Listen to yo' mamas, kiddos. Eat your damn fruits and veggies, and like em. They're good for you!

( The opinions expressed by Pooka do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else other than Pooka. No Atkins supporters were bodily mutilated to create this post. )