Hi Everyone,

I'm a little embarrassed to be asking this question but since it is a problem for me, I thought I could use my resources and ask the "pros".

How did everyone who has been doing atkins successfully stay on track?? I keep finding myself yo-yoing back and forth. The funny thing is, it seems that when I get to a certain weight loss i always cheat and end up at square one. I understand this is a new woe but i'm having problems.

I was just wondering if anyone has any advice or has anyone experienced the same type of dillema and then got past it.

It's depressing sometimes bc I feel like a failure . I've been doing atkins since November and the maximum amt of weight I lost was 9 pounds. Then I went off track and gained it back and so the cycle continues.

Don't be afraid to give me tough love if you think that's what I need.

Thanks in advance
Tasha

I'll tell you what I tell others in your situation...Dr Phil! His book, The Ultimate Weight Solution has been a Godsend in dealing with the ways I've sabotaged my own success.

Hi!

I'm not a pro, but I did stay on track for almost a year now.....
Girl, I feel your pain....and I wish i had a 'magic bullet' to present to you......I'm afraid I don't.
Instead - make a new beginning in your head. What matters to you more - food or being healthy and losing weight? This is the most basic question....
When I started this I discovered how miserable carby foods made me feel.......not only fat but also unhealthy, depressed, tired etc....
I eliminated them from my life from day one induction. I never regret it....

Since I don't know much about you, maybe you could visit my journal.....perhaps I could help you, step by step. You deserve to feel better, you really do.



Alina

I'm hardly a pro...but I firmly believe that there is some defining moment associated with any type of life change and that moment makes you "ready" to embrace the change.

It's like lying on the couch and watching the exercise shows and thinking, "Wow, I'll bet that really works", and knowing that you should get off your duff and do some crunches, but you're just not "ready" to actually do it.

Work toward your defining moment. Immerse yourself in the culture of what you want to accomplish. Read this forum daily. Read your diet plan book until you know it word for word. Plan your shopping list and your menus. Research the medical aspects of your plan. Heck, buy Dr. Phil's book - Potatofree has mentioned it so many times I'm going to have to buy it just to see if it is something that will further reinforce my own defining moment. During this time maybe you need to take a breather in your efforts - although not abandon them. Maybe make a deal with yourself that until you are "ready" to commit to your plan that your only goal will be to maintain your current weight and not let it creep up.

Once everything clicks and you are ready to accept a new way of life and eating, you will be in a much better position to meet the challenges, obstacles, and temptations that are inherent on the way to accomplishing your goals.

I am confident that you will find your way because you want this to happen.

Anne

I have been able to stay on track for over a year now but not without a little cheat here and there. The longer I go and the more food I discover, the easier the diet gets. It not only gets easier but it is becoming very enjoyable. I lost 26 lbs last year and have about 11 or 12 lbs to go. I leave the low carb bars and shakes alone. Nothing can replace a meal like a meal. Everyday I stay concious of low carb. I think about it when I wake up and I think about it when I go to sleep. Even when I "cheat", I have a small portion to keep me satisfied without losing control. In the beginning I planned my cheats by eating fewer carbs during the day and eating a cookie in the evening. Cheats are periodical and I don't consider them as rewards. LC is its own reward. If you cannot stay in control after a cheat, then don't cheat at all.

Another thing that keeps me on track are the people watching me. I have had people ask about the diet who have actually began watching their carbs without actually doing Atkins. I am becoming a mentor so I have to watch myself.

Black57

What helps me to stay committed is to focus on the benefits I'm getting from this WOE, especially those other than weight loss. Maybe it's easy for me because I have diabetes in my family so all I have to do is look at my father. Also I have PCOS which is virtually gone now, so if I feel tempted by sugar all I have to do is remember that hell and walla! instant willpower! But there are so many other fringe benefits, such as no more heartburn, no more depression, better skin, nails, etc. Maybe you could come up with your own list and refer to it when you feel tempted to cheat. You can then feel proud of yourself when you choose your health over a certain food, and making that choice is great for self-esteem.

You guys are all awesome!!

I definately will try the Dr. Phil book (saw it at Walmart) and see what I can learn from him. I love to read about weight loss, fitness etc. so that will be a bonus.

Thank you all so much, I was grinning from ear to ear while reading each post because I thought noone would understand. When you're in these situations you often think you're alone.

I'm definately going to use the advice I was given, thank you so much!!
Tasha

Hi Tasha,

I'm hardly a pro, to put it mildly. I haven't even read the book, just used the guidelines on atkins.com.

For me, I focused on all the things which appealed to my sense of vanity. For instance, I'd compare and contrast daily on how much better I look in a smaller size suit than a large one. I tried to envision and remember how good I felt and looked when I was slender. If you focus on the end results, then the sacrifices along the journey to what you so dearly covet no longer seems so daunting or ominous a task.

Finally, for me, I needed to realize the concept of "lifetime abstinence" is a completely unrealistic conceptually. I can't imagine spending the next 40 years of my life never again tasting sugar, cake, ice cream, italian pastries, freshly baked baguettes, or any of those high carb things. I realize there is give and take, but I also realize foreswearing them for an eternity is neither practical nor desirable, for me. Instead, lose the weight first, then slowly enjoy them in moderation during maintenance. See what happens then. For me, having a little of what I miss keeps the large binges at bay, which is ultimately what derails our efforts in keeping weight equilibrium.

No one ever got fat with a cup of ice cream, a slice of cake, or a plate of pasta. It's only when we have 5 cups of ice cream, 5 slices of cake, and a pound of pasta everyday that we get fat.

Just my views,

Frederick

Everyone is different and what works for one will not necessarily work for others. For me food had become an enemy. I couldn't stop eating altogether but I couldn't control what I was eating or how much. At 56 I had a lot of years of being overweight and trying food plans.

A very good friend of mine who was also heavy forever lost 50 pounds on Adkins and is keeping it off easily. She inspired me to try the diet. I was not sure that it would work for me but what was one more try. I did not restrict portions, I just cut out the carbs. I found that I am addicted to them. If I leave them alone I don't even want them but if I get started on them; it is a nasty spiral downward.

I have eliminated nearly all high carb food from my house. I have found foods to replace all my old favorite foods. I spend a fair amount of time cooking and baking and I try very hard to always be prepared with foods that are "on plan". I have some foods that always set me off overeating--sugar, ice cream, yoghurt, candy, chips, potatoes, pretzels. I have sworn off these foods forever--they are just not worth it. I have tried small quantities of high carb food and find that I can have just a taste without a "jungle run" but I refuse to take chances with my few real trigger foods.

I make cheese chips, home made SF chocolate with nuts, cheesecake, frozen drinks, custard, mock potatoes, mock mac and cheese, and on and on--all stuff that tastes good and keeps me on plan.

Some people can eat small amounts of HC foods and go back to LC eating; I have to be very careful. It doesn't feel fair but I have to live with myself and I want to be in control of what I eat even more than I want to lose weight and be smaller.

Really look at how you react to food; think about what you really want. I personally cannot even imagine taking a chance on a jungle run for a cookie or french fries but ice cream and Dove chocolate really have to be memories for me.

This WOE is really doable but as a diet it has the same problem all diets have; when you go off the diet and back to eating as you did before, the weight comes back.

Best wishes on your journey. It really is worth it to get food under control.

Ann

I take it one day, one meal at a time - for this next day I'll stay on track and then plan my food. If I have an indiscretion (like some chili with beans tonight) - it is drink more water, and plan tomorrow's meals more carefully.

Jan

Again, thanks everyone for the advice. Ann a lot of what you said makes total sense to me (I'm an all or nothing type of girl). I buy stuff and say it's for my kids and then I end up eating it. Since they're not getting to eat it bc i'm eating it, I might as well not buy it. I think I use them as an excuse in order to get the junk into my house. When i don't have it around, i'm fine.


One day at a time makes sense. I'm definately going to think long and hard about what I really want and what I have to do to get there.

Well, I feel a lot better than I did this morning. 'Think I just needed shoulders to cry on.

Thanks!!

Dr. Phil is a good suggestion. Another one if you like support groups is Overeaters Anonymous.

Squid

Hi Tasha.

Not a pro here, either. In fact, I just started LC not even two weeks ago (still inductioning... is that a word?).

But I wanted to share with you a realization I had when I was thinking about why, no matter what "plan" I do, I seem to get to a certain point in the loss - I can almost pin it to a specific number - and then I start drifting.

What happens for me is this: If I am left to my own devices, I slowly gain weight. Eventually I get to a certain point where I am just completely disgusted with myself. I start a plan, and begin to lose and get more healthy. Eventually I get to a point where I don't feel quite so bad about myself. I might even not really feel "obese" anymore, but just what I sort of call "functionally fat." Once I get to that point of self-acceptance again, the plan slowly drifts off to sea, I stop eating heathfully (or on plan, or whatever), and eventually I start gaining again.

So here is the trick: find someone to make you feel cruddy about yourself. LOL Just kidding. But really, for me, I am already extremely aware of the need to watch myself mentally when I get to that point. Not settle for fat instead of obese, chubby instead of fat, pudgy instead of chubby. Nah... I'm going for hot-damn!

-Bleue

Fred, You have some great advice, thanks! I do want to fit better in my clothes, especially since I work in the fashion industry and want to "represent".

Squid, thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I need to go there but I'll keep that in my back pocket for another route I can take.
Too funny and imformative at the same time.

Well, I'm back on the path to losing again (down 2 since yesterday) and have committed to NOT RUINING ALL MY HARD EFFORTS. I'm going to come to this thread anytime I feel like I might go off track for inspiration or just to remember the end result of cheating and how it makes me feel.

The support here is wonderful. Normally, I would have quitted this group by now but something about checking in here makes me want to succeed and be the next success story!!

Hi Tasha. I had this problem big time in the beginning and still from time to time I suffer from a few cheating months....(yes months) here and there. This is why I have not reached my goal weight after almost a year on Atkins. There have been two times in this year where I would go off the plan for a month or more and just eat everything in sight. The last time I did this I decided to re-evalute things and really concentrate on why I was cheating....I wasn't even having cravings or enjoying the things I cheated with very much. So this is what I did.

I decided to pre-plan all my meals. Every Sunday I sit down, make a grocery list and a list of what I am going to make for B, L and D. I don't plan out my snacks but I make sure my cupboard is "Atkins friendly". I too have kids so I have a lot of no-no's in the house but I decided to cut out the things like Oreos etc that I have a real hard time resisting and replacing our regular ice cream with LC ice cream so that way if I get tempted to eat some it is not so bad for me. I still struggle with resisting high carb alcohol drinks from time to time but I find that I no longer struggle with being tempted to cheat with foods. Working in a resturant has been a true test for me and so far I have been good Another thing to do is set some mini-goals for yourself. When you reach them it feels great thus keeping you motivated.

I really think that motivation is the key. Keeping your eye on the prize. That is what gets me through it sometimes. I also tell myself...isn't this WOE MUCH better than eating low fat!!!

Also, when I find myself thinking of eating bad carbs I hop on the forum or call my buddy Rachelle and it seems to calm me through things and my cravings pass.

I hope this was useful information. I by no means am an expert. It seems like you have a lot of great advice. I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I think I am going to get that Dr. Phil book like Tato suggests. I need to go bug her and pick her brain on that subject.

Good luck Tasha! I am here for you!