Let's talk Struggles

[cleochatra]

What's been the toughest for you lately?

Are you tired a certain time of the day and your defenses are down so you eat the candy bar?

Do you feel frustrated and overwhelmed and just think "Who cares"?

Is the problem associated with something else?

Let's talk about the trouble you might be having or when you feel your weakest and let's dish some strategy. I want you to make it. You deserve to be free of the evil carbie beasties!

[Arielle]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

toughest for me is hoping I get the results I see everyone else getting. It's hard in the beginning. I still feel fat, still fit into the fat clothes. I am on day 14 today. Cheat free except for coffee and diet soda.

However, I haven't had det soda in 2 days. Today I got 1/2 reg and 1/2 decaf on the coffee. So, I'm trying to get there!

I'm buying a scale tonight. I want to see if I've made any progress since last friday. (when I was at the doctor and found out I weigh a whopping 192).

Thanks Cleo for your support, I've seen you be so supportive to everybody. It really helps. That goes for the rest of the moderators too.

[cleochatra]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

Wow, Arielle! No soda! hootie hoo! You are a model Atkineer!

You are doing so amazingly! I know in the beginning it feels very annoying and slow in the begiining. Heck, I've lost 100 pounds and I'm still like, "Umm.. hellooooooo out there. Ready for goal any time now".

This way of eating is so amazing that even when we lose fast, don't you wish you could lose even faster? Even a 2-day stall becomes an omg moment. *l*

I think that if you are motivated by finite things you will REALLY appreciate having a scale. I can lie to myself all I want. The scale always keeps me accountable.

I think you are off to suuch an amazing start! Soon you'll be so skinny you'll have to stand up twice to make a shadow.

[Arielle]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

thanks Cleo, just what I needed to hear

[tracymax]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

I was cleaning the kitchen tonight and looked in my "goodie jar" and found an unopened package of brownie bites. I love brownie bites. I hadn't looked in there in so long, I have no idea how those brownie bites survived. I actually gasped so loud my husband thought I'd hurt myself. I realized I was rubbing the package and felt like a freak so I threw them back in and walked away.

But I know they're in there. I keep thinking about them. Earlier, I was actually mad that I didn't discover them before I started Atkins. This is my struggle right now. I mean, really, how does one forget chocolate?

[cleochatra]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

{{{Tracy}}} You don't. And chocolate is a pleasure-drug to your brain and your brain registers it that way! That's not your fault! It's just chemistry. Congratulations on this amazing victory! Your brain will learn to be happy with other things... it just takes some time.

[allierw26]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

I feel like I'm always teeter-tottering. I alternate between feeling terribly ashamed that I've gotten so fat and feeling really motivated to lose, and not caring and wanting to cheat. My hubby and I went on vacation and had a 5-day eating out carb-binge, and I am still fighting cravings 5 days afterward. He is doing Atkins too so he is pretty much making me stay on track right now. I was so motivated before I cheated. Now I just feel like quitting. I am just so tired of being fat--that is why I am still here.

[cleochatra]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

Allie! I love your picture! What a cute little thing you are!

I know what you men. I know there were days I thought it didn't matter, but you know what? Even when we eat crap there are lots of days when we feel like we don't matter.

And while you're on this way of eating, you have to admit the good days definitely outweigh the bad days! You are strong. You are moving forward. You are going to win this battle. Do you know why? Because I know what a strong girlie you are!

Here's to you being so thin you have to run around the shower to get wet.

[allierw26]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

Thanks, Cleo!! All I can do is stay on the wagon until the cravings leave!! I AM going to be strong!

[tracymax]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

{{{Tracy}}} You don't. And chocolate is a pleasure-drug to your brain and your brain registers it that way! That's not your fault! It's just chemistry. Congratulations on this amazing victory! Your brain will learn to be happy with other things... it just takes some time.

Thanks, Cleo. You're the coolest.

[cleochatra]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

{{{Tracy}}}

{{{Allie}}}

The Force is strong with you both, my pretty Jedi princesses!

[Terry]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

What's been the toughest for you lately?

My attitude

Are you tired a certain time of the day and your defenses are down so you eat the candy bar?

Im here with head bowed and can honestly tell you that ALL day now is my bad time. Got a serious problem with my mindset. Each and every morning I get up and say "this is the day" then I grab the quickest thing I can to eat for breakfast as I fly thru my morning at work............... in a kitchen might I add. Which translates into not the best choice but the quickest.

This turns into whatever for lunch and a stop by the coffeebar on the way home for the paper and a large coffee/cream/splenda........ and more times than not something wonderfully sweet and dissappointing at the same time. I feel like a junkie looking for her next fix. There is nothing in my house at the moment and all I can think of is how much I want "something" and its calling my name and wont let me concentrate on anything else.

Do you feel frustrated and overwhelmed and just think "Who cares"?

Big time.

Is the problem associated with something else?

Im not making it all about me anymore. And that isnt really what it sounds like. When successful I am putting myself first (ie:exercise/water/better food choices/doing nice things for myself that are guilt free) Currently I am not even including myself in the equation except for the fact that I get up every morning and have a pile of things to do and dont make the time to do what I have to do to take care of myself. Im feeling a little claustrophobic at the moment. Not to mention more than a little bloated and am sure right back where I (re)started last June.

Let's talk about the trouble you might be having or when you feel your weakest and let's dish some strategy. I want you to make it. You deserve to be free of the evil carbie beasties!

Those carb beasties as you call em Cleo have me by a choke hold at the moment. And I am hating every minute of it.

Good news is that I came here to see if I could get some of that motivation back and some divine inspriration to give me a huge kick in the not so little anymore pants. This is the first thread to catch my eye and now Im off to seek some of those good vibes to breathe them all in and see if I can change this rotten attitude of mine.

Wont let me make this post so Im trying again. If you read this then it worked.

[cleochatra]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

{{{Terry}}} I was thinking about how much I missed you last night.

I thought to myself, "self. I really miss Terry", and I was thinking, "Self. Maybe I should try to pm her." And then I decided that would be me being high-maintenance or nosy.

So I've been patient.

You know, I so totally know what you're going through right now. Not that long ago, I sat with bags of licorice in my lap listening to the radio and thinking that this was it: this is the rest of my crappy, Red-Vine Flavored heck. I put on over 40 pounds in only 3 months of not watching what I was doing.

Having to re-lose weight I'd already lost made me more angry than anything, and I've got a wee right Irish temper about me dontyeeknooow!

Hey. I know what it's like. And the longer you've been out of the loop, the harder it is to break that addiction. Your brain is going to cause you depression because you're not feeding it the feel-good crap that it wants. The comfort level has to shift to something which won't cause those blood-sugar spikes.

You're going to have to learn to feel again, and not feel the bag of potatoes. It's darned hard. I know. I know what you're going through right now. I do.

But something else I know is this: I know you, and what I know of you shows me that you might be down right now, but you have more spunk, charisma and go-get-it than Mohammed Ali had couplets!

Fly like a butterfly, Sting like a Bee
Don't mess with her blood stream, or you mess with me!

Let's go team!

[BabyDreamer]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

Cleo,

I am not necessarily tired at a certain time of day because I work 12 hours M-F and 6 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday. I work like this because I choose to do so...I am not tired because I am used to the schedule.

As for being weak, I want candy at night when I am watching television and my husband is off playing on his computer or something. I want candy then, but not just candy. The perfect sneak was Doritos, skim milk, and Snickers candy bar. I am still having trouble with the night feeding need.

I do feel frustrated when no one can see a difference except for people who are "supposed" to see the difference. By supposed to, I mean my husband, parents, my little sister Jamie and you guys. My sister-in-law, my sister Melissa and other family members never say a word, except to complain when I won't eat a "bite of this".

I do think who cares sometimes because I wasn't all that unhappy with the fat me. I have three college degrees, make a nice income, own three vehicles and my own home. I work from home as a college professor and I love it. Oh, I have a nice husband too. So, except for my weight, I was totally content. I think sometimes, well, if being fat is your only major flaw then you are doing darn well. I have no other vices at all and never have. So, yep I get pi$$ed that other people eat what they want, when they want and don't get fat and I can walk by the fridge and gain a pound. It isn't fair, but life isn't fair now is it!?!

I have been fat forever and grew up in a small town so my brain made me accepted. I was the smart one. I had plenty of friends and boyfriends. I was content with that so I never really had the low self-esteem most overweight people do until about three years ago. In my last breakup before I met my husband some things were said and done that shook me to my foundation and I have suffered a lower self-esteem since then. However, I am bounding back from that jerk.

I don't know Cleo...I need inspiration sometimes, but it is not too bad. I am at a point now where the people on here are my only reason for sticking to this sometimes cause I don't lie to you all (I work online college boards all day long so to lie defeats who I am to the world). Knowing it would let you, Brook, Rikki and Shelly down means alot to me so I don't want to fail for you all as well as myself.

Hmmm, self-refelection is nice sometimes.

Deb

What's been the toughest for you lately?

Are you tired a certain time of the day and your defenses are down so you eat the candy bar?

Do you feel frustrated and overwhelmed and just think "Who cares"?

Is the problem associated with something else?

Let's talk about the trouble you might be having or when you feel your weakest and let's dish some strategy. I want you to make it. You deserve to be free of the evil carbie beasties!

[Terry]

Re: Let's talk Struggles

Thanks Cleo

I have packed my bags for tomorrows work day. 3 quarts of water, 1 can of chicken, some romaine leaves and Ill be sure to eat an egg something before leaving the house. I also have packed supplements.

Tomorrow will be a white knuckle kind of day. Sure wish I could reach the board a time or 2 while at work. (computer there crashes at just the thought of anything other than reports and email)

Also wish some of that spunk you mentioned would show up real soon. I am pretty darned angry at having to re lose the weight............. again. Ill try tapping into that anger for the day and see if it gets me thru the carb withdrawals. Grrrrrrr

Please send butt kicking thoughts my way tomorrow. I have the feeling I will need them.