I have been an advid atkin's dieter and I think it has screwed up my brain. LOL. I have had so much success, but after about 3 months I become bored with it and start to think I need to change my diet up. Then, I always gain weight and then I start throwing up again. I am at 183. I walk 5.5 miles a day, but I am still not happy. I want to be 130. Is that so much to ask. I will be 40 in 2 weeks. I want to be 130.... I know I need to just stick to atkins. Go through the leg cramps every night, eat meat, cheese and eggs and some cucumbers. I just need to get back into an atkins state of mind. Why do people like Weight watchers people try to scare me into quitting atkins? I know it works for me, but why do I still want SUGAR?

I need an fellow atkins help, I don't want to start binging and purging again. Atkins is the only thing that helps me with this. But, I am having such a problem with cravings.

help

If you are having legs cramps, you are mineral deficient. Start taking a supplement. This may also be a possible cause for your cravings. Another possible reason is your fat levels are too low. You need to have enough essential fatty acids in your diet or you will have problems.

If you are having "brain cootie" issues, look in to adding fish oil and vitamin D supplements as well. If you have a pdoc, make an appointment. If you don't have a pdoc, look in to getting one...or a good cognitive behavior therapist.

If you know you tend to become bored, start looking up new low carb recipes. Try new spices and sauces. There are THOUSANDS of recipes available for free and by limiting yourself to only a few meals you are setting yourself up for boredom and failure.

Measure inches as well as weight otherwise you might think you are stalled because the scale isn't moving but you are still losing inches.

As for the question abut your weight watcher friends and why they keep trying to talk you out of Atkins.....

Misery loves company?



Best of luck and keep us posted.

thanks so much. I have a good doc. and I will start on my total efa's.

L-Glutamine helps with cravings that or Chromium..... Potassium helps with the leg cramps.... Have you read The Diet Cure...she talks a lot about amino acids helping with binging behavior...you might want to pick that up at the library... It has a lot of valuable information....

I understand wanting to be a certain weight and getting anxious about it... It can be daunting... I agree with Wife...you really need to mix up your meals and keep moving forward the best you can... There really are no shortcuts...your health it what is important!

TJ

I found out that 5HTP is good for cravings and helping with binges. I have taken amino acids in the past and they do work. I did some research last night and I think I am carbohydrate intolerant. It seems that everytime I eat carbs (like fiber rich carbs) I get excessive gas, bloating and cramps. It happens everytime I eat these kinds of foods. When I am doing atkins, I am flatculant free. That is a good reason for me to stay on track.

I know Atkins is the only way of life for me. The toughest part is the first 3 weeks. Getting the sugar out of my system is killer. But I can do it. For good this time.

Keep going WEN! If you can make it three months, that's longer than a lot of people. Put your health first and the rest will follow. You'll HAVE TO find new recipies.
Don't be so strict with yourself. If you set unattainable goals, you'll be disappointed. You're only 40-It's the new 30 babe. You've got plenty of time to lose weight, but the clock is ticking when it comes to getting healthy. Seriously, stop throwing up!-Your smile is so pretty.

Have you explored the cooking forums at all? I don't see how anyone could get bored with all the amazing recipes there.

It is!!! You are breaking an addiction. But like you said...you can do it. You aren't alone. If you stumble, you can just start over.

You might want to explore looking at your walking. This, too, might have taken on an addictive aspect. My dad has always walked similarly for exercise and it works for him, but he has to eat a lot more food and carbs. And it definitely has not been the key to weight loss. 5.5 miles a day is a good amount - you may want to think about doing something that takes less time and allows your body to adjust to the weight loss more readily.

I have looked at the lowcarb receipes and of course I went straight to the desserts. I think what happens is I stick to induction and the only carbs I add are nuts. I am reading Dr. Atkins original book that says to stay on induction untill you lose the amount of weight you want to lose. So I get bored because I eat meat, cheese and eggs. I will eat a cucumber a day. But that is about it. Oh and pork rinds. 10 years ago I weighed 240 pounds. I started atkins and had lost 50 lbs in 5 months and had lost a total of 110 pounds and kept it off for 3 years. I have to say it was very unhealthy because even though I was at the weight I wanted to be at, I never added carbs. Once I got pregnant, I stopped eating atkins style and balloned up to 210. I have it in my head that the only way atkins works is by sticking to induction.

As far as the exercise, I do think it is a little obsessive, but what a good obsession to have. I do 3 miles in the am and 2.5 in the pm. I think it helps me feel like I am doing something.

You lowcarbers are so supportive. When I tried WW for a day LOL I posted on their boards and they were very mean. You guys are awesome!!!!!! thanks again for all the great advice. I am eating egg salad right now. Yum Yum.

.

::big hugs::

Many people find their weight loss resumes or is faster if they increase the amount of veggies they eat. Just an FYI.

Hi~

Skeeweeaka took my reply about L-Glutamine and Potassium, and Nancy LC took my reply about the cooking forum!

Seriously though, I am the most terrible "sugarholic" you'll ever see, and all the LC sweets only made my cravings much, much worse. I had to give up the artificial sweeteners entirely, in order to get over it. I just went through another round of, "Oh, I'll just buy some sugar-free Torani syrups for my coffee," and I ended up on another sugar and craving rampage. I threw out all the Torani two weeks ago, and I've been completely fine and back on track ever since, (after going through "treat withdrawal", that is). I used to go straight for the sweets recipes too, and it only made my life and this diet really difficult for me.


One thing I wanted to say about the binging/purging:

I was anorexic for most of my life, up until a few years ago, (I'm 39 now), and I can tell you from other anorexics and bulemics I know, most of us eventually messed-up our thyroids, which made us start gaining weight like crazy and become unable to lose it, despite rigid dieting and heavy exercise. It's not something you want to happen to you, (if it hasn't already). Feel free to check out page one of my journal, if you're interested in seeing what happened to me, OK?

NO MORE THROWING UP, PLEASE! It will kill you in the end, it really will. I don't want to be too gory here, but I have seen pictures of girls slumped dead over toilets, having ruptured their stomachs. It's really awful, and so, so not worth your life...

Try really hard to stick to LC, and maybe try giving up all artificial sweeteners and maybe having more fat instead, (like cream cheese, etc). If you can really get yourself deeply into ketosis, you'll lose much of your appetite and most of your cravings.

thanks iwantwings. I know how dangerous b&p is and it is a disease so I am working on it with my Doc. My thyroid, thank god is ok.

But as far as the sugar thing. I gave up the sugar free candy too and the atkins shakes and bars. I do use sweet n' low or splenda in my coffee. That will be so hard to give up. I usually get into ketosis after 2-3 days of no sugar.

I drink a lot of green tea and that helps a bit.

I know how serious eating disordes can be and if I can avoid binging all together I wont purge. This site has been a big help for me. It is nice to be able to talk to others about food.