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After posting in the introduction forum, somebody (Dawn) told me about this excellent forum - burried down below a bunch of others. I am sure I would have eventually explored down here, but I am glad it happened now rather than later. Because like I said in my title, I sooooo belong here!
I found this WOL about 5 years ago after I graduated college. I was entering "the real world" weighing in at 204 lbs. At 5'6, thats about 40 lbs overweight. Although I stopped looking at the scale around 175, I am pretty sure I managed to lose most, if not all 40 lbs and kept it off for a year.
Towards the end, I had integrated nuts, cheese, certain fruit, Atkins low carb products, and sugar substitue into my diet. I could, because I had lost all the weight. But eventually, I got so cranky about not having "the real thing" when it came to pizza, KFC, etc. that I waved this WOL good-bye - thinking that I was now thin and didn't need to worry about it anymore.
WRONG!
Oh wow did I blow up. It didn't happen overnight, but I could tell, slowly but surely, that the dreaded 40 lbs were begining to come back. First it was just the "clean" feeling that you have while eating low carb, disapearing. Then it was feeling a little bloated from excess water retention. But then the new clothes I had bought for thin physique started to get tight. And for whatever reason, I just couldn't stop myself. I guess it was denial because even when I started needing to go shopping for bigger clothes every few months, I didn't think I was getting *that* fat.
WRONG!
I don't know if it happens to anybody else like this, but the reality of my weight gain after the first time around with Atkins came from a picture. I guess looking at myself in the mirror was more subjective than seeing myself in a picture. I could look at my reflection, and refuse to see the double chin, or the belly protruding over my belt buckle. But I couldn't ignore a picture.
My sister had graduated college roughly one year after I stopped the Atkins WOL. About a week after her graduation, the pictures my family took at the ceramony came back, and they had blown one up to picture frame size. And let me tell you, folks - it wasn't the only thing that had blown up!
The picture was of my parents, my sister, and of some obese person that I didn't recognize at first. But slowly, with a clarity that only comes from learning a horrible truth, I reealized that the unrecognizable person was myself.
I kept asking my parents if I really looked like that. They just looked at me, trying to figure out what to say to me at that point. It was then that I decided to go back on Atkins. But the Atkins that I returned to, was not Induction, or OWL - it was the Atkins I had last left behind. The one with lots of cheese, nuts, fruit, and especially "low carb" candy bars. I figured I could skip Induction, and do what I remembered. After all, a year on Atkins and losing all that weight made me an expert, right? I could just eat like that and the weight would just melt off like last time, right?
WRONG!
The weight didn't "just melt off". I lost maybe a pound or two, and I would go in an out of ketosis depending on how much "Atkins Junk Food" I ate. And I guess I was still in denial, because I got angry and couldn't see why I wasn't really losing weight, or even feeling any better. I completely bought into the "Golden Shot" theory.
So I spent the past three years going off and on MY version of Atkins, which in reality was barely recognizeable as Atkins (unless Atkins allows lots of beer and "low carb" bread on induction). I was really struggling.
And then, for whatever reason, I finally woke up a week ago. I finally remembered how dilligent I had been the very first time around with Induction. How I exercised, how I carefully selected my meals, and how I would visit an Atkins BB everyday for motivation, support, and help. I decided right then and there, last Monday morning, that I would make the real Atkins program my WOL again. And this time it would work!
CORRECT!!!
Its been exactly a week now, and I am doing Induction as cleanly as possible! I am following the program to a T, and fully embracing it as a WOL. I haven't weighed myself since I started on Day One because I don't want to get discouraged if I don't meet any subconcious expectations I might have. BUT, I feel GREAT! I can feel my pants and shirts are a little looser, my mind feels clearer, and each day I am able to excersize more and more (I am coming off from being very out of shape).
Golden Shot, Schmolden Shot! I don't care how slow the pounds come off, or how many people try and tell me that Atkins doesn't work and that I should try the flavor of the month fad diet instead. Nope! Sorry. I have been lost for 4 years, and I have finally found my way back to the path, the only path, that has ever lead me to good health all around.
Yessir! I do belong here! And I am looking forward to staying here!
I found this WOL about 5 years ago after I graduated college. I was entering "the real world" weighing in at 204 lbs. At 5'6, thats about 40 lbs overweight. Although I stopped looking at the scale around 175, I am pretty sure I managed to lose most, if not all 40 lbs and kept it off for a year.
Towards the end, I had integrated nuts, cheese, certain fruit, Atkins low carb products, and sugar substitue into my diet. I could, because I had lost all the weight. But eventually, I got so cranky about not having "the real thing" when it came to pizza, KFC, etc. that I waved this WOL good-bye - thinking that I was now thin and didn't need to worry about it anymore.
WRONG!
Oh wow did I blow up. It didn't happen overnight, but I could tell, slowly but surely, that the dreaded 40 lbs were begining to come back. First it was just the "clean" feeling that you have while eating low carb, disapearing. Then it was feeling a little bloated from excess water retention. But then the new clothes I had bought for thin physique started to get tight. And for whatever reason, I just couldn't stop myself. I guess it was denial because even when I started needing to go shopping for bigger clothes every few months, I didn't think I was getting *that* fat.
WRONG!
I don't know if it happens to anybody else like this, but the reality of my weight gain after the first time around with Atkins came from a picture. I guess looking at myself in the mirror was more subjective than seeing myself in a picture. I could look at my reflection, and refuse to see the double chin, or the belly protruding over my belt buckle. But I couldn't ignore a picture.
My sister had graduated college roughly one year after I stopped the Atkins WOL. About a week after her graduation, the pictures my family took at the ceramony came back, and they had blown one up to picture frame size. And let me tell you, folks - it wasn't the only thing that had blown up!
The picture was of my parents, my sister, and of some obese person that I didn't recognize at first. But slowly, with a clarity that only comes from learning a horrible truth, I reealized that the unrecognizable person was myself.
I kept asking my parents if I really looked like that. They just looked at me, trying to figure out what to say to me at that point. It was then that I decided to go back on Atkins. But the Atkins that I returned to, was not Induction, or OWL - it was the Atkins I had last left behind. The one with lots of cheese, nuts, fruit, and especially "low carb" candy bars. I figured I could skip Induction, and do what I remembered. After all, a year on Atkins and losing all that weight made me an expert, right? I could just eat like that and the weight would just melt off like last time, right?
WRONG!
The weight didn't "just melt off". I lost maybe a pound or two, and I would go in an out of ketosis depending on how much "Atkins Junk Food" I ate. And I guess I was still in denial, because I got angry and couldn't see why I wasn't really losing weight, or even feeling any better. I completely bought into the "Golden Shot" theory.
So I spent the past three years going off and on MY version of Atkins, which in reality was barely recognizeable as Atkins (unless Atkins allows lots of beer and "low carb" bread on induction). I was really struggling.
And then, for whatever reason, I finally woke up a week ago. I finally remembered how dilligent I had been the very first time around with Induction. How I exercised, how I carefully selected my meals, and how I would visit an Atkins BB everyday for motivation, support, and help. I decided right then and there, last Monday morning, that I would make the real Atkins program my WOL again. And this time it would work!
CORRECT!!!
Its been exactly a week now, and I am doing Induction as cleanly as possible! I am following the program to a T, and fully embracing it as a WOL. I haven't weighed myself since I started on Day One because I don't want to get discouraged if I don't meet any subconcious expectations I might have. BUT, I feel GREAT! I can feel my pants and shirts are a little looser, my mind feels clearer, and each day I am able to excersize more and more (I am coming off from being very out of shape).
Golden Shot, Schmolden Shot! I don't care how slow the pounds come off, or how many people try and tell me that Atkins doesn't work and that I should try the flavor of the month fad diet instead. Nope! Sorry. I have been lost for 4 years, and I have finally found my way back to the path, the only path, that has ever lead me to good health all around.
Yessir! I do belong here! And I am looking forward to staying here!
...Was in HEAVEN -got to 150, for awhile, then got too busy, and gave in too much... and... OK holding pattern "keep it together..." 
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