My exercise regime:

• I like to run and work out at the gym. My exercising is as sporadic as my eating habits but I would like that to change. When I am exercising, I walk or run 2-5 miles 4-5 times a week, I may substitute a day at the gym using cardio machines, swimming and lifting weights. My favorite part, tho', is the sauna afterwards! My goal is to run a 1/2 marathon with my sister in October, 2000..

What I usually eat in a day:

• Breakfast:
  usually bacon and eggs or egg salad on a piece of lite toast.
  
• Lunch:
  maybe a salad or tuna on lite bread (if I didn't have a piece for breakfast, only one piece a day!) or celery stix.
  
• Dinner:
  meat or chicken or fish, salad.
  
• Snack:
  Hint: I like to snack alot so I measure out 3/4 cup sunflower seeds (in the shell, of course) and snack on those throughout the day. Only 3 useable carbs! These really keep me from ruining my diet at night.

My favorite recipe:

• My favorites change with time. I tend to eat alot of the same things and then get really sick of them. My favorite for awhile was coleslaw - pretty simple - just shred cabbage, mix equal parts mayo and sourcream, one packet sweetener and a squeeze of lime. YUM. Another favorite for awhile was french onion soup. Careful to measure the onions for how many carbs you're allowed. Fry them in butter and add them to 1 cup beef boullion. Melt over the top your favorite cheese.

My inspiration:

• Summer coming. Being 36 and still fat. The fact that my last baby is eight and I can no longer blame my fat on him. My blood lipids and the threat of heart disease. My graying hair.

• Run, run, run. Wear my shirts tucked in without have to wear a blouse or jacket over them. Strut in my bathing suit!

Have you experienced any negative effects:

• Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. I notice when I'm on Atkins for awhile and then eat carbs, I get really sick from them, my heart pounds and races, my mood changes and I get sick to my stomach. Constipation.