Well I'm at the end of week two and I've not had any cheats and overall feel really good. My tight jeans are now comfortable and I don't feel as sluggish even though I sometimes feel like taking a nap. I am starting to feel the pangs of "I hate meat". This morning, I didn't want to eat breakfast. But based on what I've read here and in the book, I made myself eat.

But here's where I'm struggling. You see being 40 years old and having been taught "the right way to eat" by so many different sources, I feel guilty for the way I'm eating. Yesterday, I sat down and ate a 3 egg omelette made with cream, and 4 slices of crisp bacon. When I was finished I felt really full. That's when the guilt started. This voice in my head said, "you can't feel full like that and lose weight." At lunch I had 2 links of Italian sausage with peppers and onions and melted Provolone. Again when I was finished I felt fully satiated and GUILTY. For dinner I had a chef salad and was full and stopped eating before it was gone. Still, even eating a salad I felt guilty.

I once lost 140 lbs by eating just one meal a day. And since gaining back that weight and more, I've always resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted to really lose weight, I'd have to go hungry. In this woe, not only do I not go hungry, I even eat when I don't feel like eating.

Well I realize this probably sounds more like a journal entry, but I wonder if any of you have felt this guilt I'm referring to, and if and how you've been able to get past it.

Thanks for all the encouragement,

Hi Jim,

I clearly remember reading Atkins' book for the first time and thinking "this guy's got to be kidding! Ain't no way". But as I read the medical/scientific explanation and the real-life stories in his book and here in this forum, I had to give it the benefit of a doubt. I gave it a try, and sure enough---I've lost weight where the low-fat/high-carb diets weren't doing a thing, I've lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides, I have more energy, and I truly believe that proteins and fats and "controlled"/low carbs is healthy for me.

I see you've read the books already, and you've quite successfully lost weight. Hopefully you got a "before" blood test and you'll soon go in for a new one. Perhaps your success in that area as well will convince you that this is a good thing?

On the other hand---guilt is not healthy, especially if it's not warranted!

Good luck in your search--and congratulations on your success so far!!

Regards,
K.

Hi there Jim...

...I just read your post about feelings of guilt and I honestly don't mean to imply that you're not capable of interpreting you're own feelings accurately, but maybe what you're really feeling is worry and concern.

I think your feelings are completely normal and understandable. It proves that in your heart you really, really want to lose that extra weight and that you want to be sure you're doing the right thing for yourself by eating according to plan.

I think now is a good time to have faith. Faith in whatever it was that brought you to this decision, this group, this WOE.

I know it's difficult to keep on eating when your body is sending you signals that it really doesn't want to. But keep at it, adjust your food quantities down a little and find happiness in the fact that you're in control now...not the food. In a few months summer will be here, and it'll be great for us to enjoy the nice weather with our families and friends...smaller, improved us.

Good luck!

Donald

Do I have guilt for the amount I am eating? Yes and No. First of all I am trying to limit my calorie intake to 1600- 1800 calories. Any more and I don't loose and less and I don't loose. For each of us we need not only to find the Carb tolerance, but the calorie tolerance as well.

I told someone the other day, that I have never eaten so much and still lost weight. I mean that. This time I will keep the weight off...so I don't feel quilty about what I am eating.

Dee

I am going nuts... I keep loosing inches but my weight stays the same I know I should be greatfull but I'm worried am I eating to
little? to much? Is there somewhere where I can post my daily intake for Review?

Hi Julie:

If you are loosing inches and not weight that says one thing to me....muscle build.

The first few months I started working out, I lost about 5 inches and the scale didn't move at all. I will building my muscle back up and muscle weighs more than fat. Don't worry for fret, as soon as the muscles are where they need to be you will see the scale to start down ward.

Muscle use more energy than fat...so when it starts you will like the results.

Hang in there my friend and keep with the program. I am sending you some angels (that darn Whoosh fairy is lost again) to help you.

Dee

Thanks Dee

Hello Jim,

Yes, I totally understand your feelings of guilt. I feel them too. This is not the first time on the WOe for me, and every time i go thru the same thing. It's true, all those years of being told to eat lowfat really takes it's toll on us. My guilt doesn't come with how much I eat as much as it does with what i eat. I sometimes still think, as I'm eating my bacon and eggs, that this is too good to be true. But, the pounds keep coming off. Sometimes it's a struggle for me not worry so much, but that's why I spend so much time here!

You keep up the good work. You're doing great so far!

Take care and post often,

cimart

Thanks for this thread Jim. I know exactly what you are saying. I feel especially guilty (and yes worried), when I eat something lc that is absolutely delicious. This woe is so strange.... I don't have to panic when I feel hungry,I can actually get full AND feel satisfied. I can easily pass up high carb things, don't have to gorge myself before I go to bed, can stop eating when I get the "full tank" signal, dislike the discomfort of feeling bloated when I eat too much and can stop before that happens....so this is how "NORMAL" people are effected by food!!!! It seems it is slowly losing its power over me. I have been feeling guilty/worried this weekend because I don't have a scale and can't weigh until I get to work tomorrow. I know the scale thing is a whole nother addiction but haven't learned to trust this strange new world just yet.

Thanks again for the echo of how I have been feeling.

Thanks for all the supportive posts.

Dee, your idea about finding your calorie tolerance I think is very true.

I was reading some posts in one of the other areas yesterday from a women whose lost 70 lbs or so. She posted her typical daily menu and I thought to myself, there is no way I could eat that much and lose weight.

I've read that you should eat about 10 calories for each pound you weigh. But honestly, I really thing that has to vary from person to person. Wouldn't a person's metabolism have a lot to do with that?

I know I'm probably worrying too much, but like Donald pointed out, I'm really ready to get healthy.

Hi Jim.....

I think that you've already taken the first step to "getting past it". You recognized the problem. The logical next step is coming up with an answer to that voice. So when the voice in your head says "you can't feel full like that and lose weight" what if you start to answer back? Say things like:

"HAH!! Take that!! Yes I can. Watch and see what happens!!"

I've had these chats with myself and trust me....with time, the confidence in LC as a WOL will build. I think we all need the proof that it works for US, not just everyone else that has tried it. I had a lot of skepticism when I started, but I told myself in mid-September 2001 that I had to give it a good honest try and committed to stick with it until January 2002. Needless to say, that was enough time to give myself proof.

There are two basics that I think every LCer needs. Patience and persistance! With them, we can "get past" the little bumps in the LC road.

Marlaine

I readily agree with the need for patience and persistence. But notice the one thing that is missing from that requirements list - for good reason - willpower.

With other diets you usually have to have superhuman levels of willpower to fight your body's demand for nurishment and to feed its carb addiction. On an LC WOE you need for willpower is very low once you make it past a couple of weeks. You are working WITH your body. You still have the frustrating times and you still have long time horizon to the final goal (for members of this club) and so you definitely need the patience and persistence, but that really is enough in most cases.

Thanks Jim for your Post. I'm new at this Program to and i have been eating only when I'm hungery. So that means I haven't been eating until around Noon or Beyond. So i think what i will do is to Boil some Eggs and have a couple in the Morning. Also i don't know if you guys and gals have every seen those little Egg Devices that you can Crack an Egg and put them in there Little Egg Shaped Container then Pop them in the Microwave for about 3 minutes. Anyway they come out real good and you don't have to use Oil. If i can remember the name and where to get one I'll pass it on.
Richard

Ahhhhhhh Richard.

This is NOT a low-fat diet. You need to be eating FAT. I know, I know, I know it's hard. If I nuke my egg(s), then I put melted butter on them to add fat.

Don't try to make this a low-fat diet, it simply will not work.

Dee

Have you tried www.fitday.com? It is a free site and has been very helpful to me.