Back on the wagon, back on the forum

[Jennykins]

I've spent the past hour catching up on old posts, and wow, are you guys great! A year ago, I was reading and posting here daily, but as I gradually slipped off the wagon, I also slipped off the Century Club. I've been so discouraged because after losing weight steadily for 8 months, I've hit a wall for the past six and can't seem to get past it. I haven't gained any weight, but am losing only about a pound a month at this point. Sigh. This week, I decided to re-start Induction and get serious about this WOE again. My tendonitis in my knee has flared up so I haven't been working out at Curves much, but I'm going to swallow my pride and go back there and work out slowly and carefully and try to not feel like a decrepit old woman. Anyway...just wanted to thank all of you who are so faithful about posting and supporting others; it's really inspiring and encouraging to see how much progress so many of you have made.

One thing I've noticed...some of those posters who were going gangbusters have a "restart date" and a higher weight listed. I'm wondering how those of you who may have also fallen off the wagon managed to get back on and start making good downward progress again. I could use some good advice on how to re-start. I never actually stopped...just kind of backslid for a while from frustration and discouragement.

[cleochatra]

Re: Back on the wagon, back on the forum

Hi there! Welcome home to !

Be careful not to injure your knee further, girlfriend! Have you considered swimming? That's supposed to be easy on the knees, and it also makes your fingers all cool and pruny!

Congratulations to you for not having backslid!

some of those posters who were going gangbusters have a "restart date" and a higher weight listed. I'm wondering how those of you who may have also fallen off the wagon managed to get back on and start making good downward progress again. I could use some good advice on how to re-start.

I might be one of the people you're mentioning. I know I felt worse than crap when I wasn't following this WOE. I was irritable, tired, depressed, I broke out in acne, and I gained weight quickly! I lost muscle tone and found the things I used to do became a struggle for me physically.

Getting back on the wagon is hard when you become addicted to carbs again. Pizza is delivered, buffets are generous in helping portions, and restaurants give huuuuuge portions. Poptarts also come in many, many flavors. And Whoppers now come in a Strawberry Milkshake flavor-- but for a limited time only.

Who could resist that?!

But WHOA! OMG, I ate every 2 hours just to keep my blood sugar stable. I broke out. My ears started ringing due to sodium intake. I was eating a bag of licorice a day, a box of Milk Duds a day, and a box of Pop Tarts a day and a bag of chips a day, and...

and as a result, I was feeding constantly to keep the so-called good-tasting drugs in my system! If I didn't have sugar I became irritable.

I didn't do anything BUT eat, either. Didn't clean, cooked as little as I had to, never exercised.

I missed the liberation from food, so I FORCED myself to hit induction again. And trust me when I say forced. Day 2 I was so crabby, I made Lucy VanPelt run in terror. Now, days later, I'm not focussing on food every minute of the day. I'm eating whole foods again, and I wake up early every morning because I feel good again. I exercise 5 times a week again, and I have the ability to not feel as though I always have to have a pop tart in my cabinet.

It is absolutely scary the amount of control a salt and vinegar potato chip has over my well-being... or seeming well-being.

To give it all up, that safety blanket, that taste, that immediate pleasure rush from food... it's the toughest dang thing I've had to do. But yopu know what? I am a reflection of what Atkins can do. And I'm happy. And I feel great. And I can't afford to go back to that box of pop tarts.

[softnred]

Re: Back on the wagon, back on the forum

I'm also a faller-offer (a work conference in May was my downfall), but instead of pop-tarts I was having a close personal relationship with a) the wonderful mexican bakery a few miles from my house, and b) ding dongs. The joy of slowly unwrapping the foil from a chocolately, creme-filled delight is one fun moment, I tell you. But I digress.

I actually tried to get back on the wagon several times, but each time lasted no longer than a day or two. Things kept happening, I kept getting stressed, and off I fell as I trotted down to the bakery. I was gaining weight, all my hard-won size 18's were either skin tight or too small entirely, and I was too tired to do anything except drive to the pick-up window.

What really got my attention and my size 20 butt back on the wagon was when my BF got the date of his arrival back in the states....and it was a lot sooner than we expected. I was estatic, of course, but horrified because I wanted to be back at my smallest weight when he first sees me. So now I've just begun my 3rd week of good behavior, and hope to at least be comfortably back in an 18 by the end of the month. I could just be dreaming, but we'll see.

Welcome back...and YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

~JoAnne

[maribelle]

Re: Back on the wagon, back on the forum

I don't know, because I'm still struggling. But I have more good days than bad right now, and keep gaining and losing the same 10 pounds. My joints hurt pretty bad, so exercise isn't happening. I don't want to lose this battle, and its still hard for me to understand why after over a year of this, I'm struggling more than ever.

There is a forum here, called STAC, or Second Time Around Club. It wasn't really helping me, but others say it does for them. You might want to check it out.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Back on the wagon, back on the forum

welcome back