Here we go again

[ladyhairg]

So, just out of curiousity . . . how many times can I come back here and start over again before you all ban together to tell me to shove off? Does anyone out there feel like as much of a failure as I feel? If some of you long-time members are shaking your heads and going, "oh no, not HER again", just don't say anything.

I've lost count of how many times I've tried this, and I never seem to be able to last more than a week, maybe two. I get all inspired, fired up, come on here and shout out all of my goals and new resolve . . . and then I sort of fizzle out. I"m so embarrassed to come back here that I even tried to figure out how to change my name here so no one would recognize me. No such luck -- I'm still Ladyhairg, and I'm bigger than ever. My last doctor's appointment, I hit the big one: 300. 300! Me! I once hit 308 just before giving birth to a 10-lb. baby. Now, I'm almost that high and I can't blame pregnancy. I can only blame myself.

I wish I could just be locked in a very small room with nothing but a treadmill and Atkins-acceptable food, and no one to let me out until I change my ways.

Sigh.

[Richt]

Re: Here we go again

Can you pin point what it is that happening to you when you fizzle out and why its happening?

[ladyhairg]

Re: Here we go again

I don't know . . . sometimes, it's almost like an alcoholic with blackouts. Soemthing sounds good and I eat it w/out thinking and then I go "Oh, ****, I just blew it!"

Also, it's hard because DH thinks Atkins is unhealthy and stupid, and he makes it very difficult to grocery shop the correct way. He's read the book and done it before, and he's even seen how well it can work, so I'm not sure just what his problem is. But he and the kids like gooey casseroles and lots of baked goods (the way I learned to cook), so I have to make two meals: one for the family and one for me. And darn it, that's hard work! Plus, it's tempting to me -- no matter how much I want to be thin and healthy, it's hard to skip the leftover tater tot casserole the next day.

Not that I'm blaming him -- I'm the one, ultimately, who makes the decision of what to put it my mouth. I just wish I could have a little bit more support. It's exhausting to have to fight every single day. And it's tiring anyway to be the meal planner every single day, day in and day out, three meals per day, plus snacks, clean-up, table-setting and clearing . . . now double that because I have to plan, shop and cook totally separately for myself.

Sometimes it's just easier to eat the stupid casserole!

[RachelnLa]

Re: Here we go again

Wow.. that really sounds hard. I don't know what I'd do without the support of my husband. I had to take a real hard look at my entire family. Were they overweight? Were they learning bad habits? They are learning those habits from ME and the way I cook.

I stopped buying cokes. They complained, but they accepted it. I cut back on boxed foods. Too much sodium and preservatives. Cooking from scratch doesn't take any more time than opening a box. And it tastes better. I cut out snack cakes. All those snack cakes are just sugar blobs. They don't need that! They actually prefer to eat fruit as a snack. I stopped the fast food. Only allowed on weekends while we are out running errands. If we eat out durin the week then we don't eat out that weekend. I am a bit flexible LOL

My family loves lasagna too. Since I cannot have it, I buy the frozen one for them and on those nights I have the things they don't like that I love - eggplant lasagna or fish or whatever ATkins food they just refuse to eat. I don't have to worry about messing with making 2 complete meals. Or I'll do it when I'm not going to be home. Less work for me when I'm not going to be there anyways.. and I'm not tempted by their food.

Most nights I cook a meat and a veggie that is acceptable for me. Then I add to that whatever they like - corn or peas.. rice.. noodles.. and a salad. I also scaled down on my cooking for them - like that tater tot casserole. They ate it all the night it was served and no temptation for me the next day.

The problem I'm having now is they are eating all my cukes and cheese LOL I'm not complaining

I have been on and off more times than I can shake a stick at! But this time I want to make it work more than I want to be overweight. Best of luck to you!

[knicknack]

Re: Here we go again

Wow, lady - that does sound hard.

I agree with Rachel though, it seems like tater tot casserole isn't exactly the healthiest thing anyway, so maybe they could stand to change the way they're eating as well. Maybe if you start with little changes and work up to big changes, they won't notice. :P Wouldn't that be nice?

But, it would be easier for *you* and healthier for *them* if you could change their eating habits as well. You're the one cooking, if they don't like it they can cook it themselves! That's my theory, anyway. :P

[Outback Jess]

Re: Here we go again

Ladyhairg,
Hey there, your situation sounds very tiring. You know in the beginning, it will be really hard because you are tired and have no energy because of the carbs you are ingesting, and your weight. You lead the family in the meal arena, so you shop, cook and clean. Most all of us are right there with you. It will take a lot of momentum and will power to get this thing off the ground, but if you have done it before, you can do it again. You don't want to stay at 300lbs. You have made a big step coming here, and just admitting where you are. That's huge, now build on that, and get organized, and tell us what you are doing to get organized. Get in touch with WHY you want this, and come back and tell us. Then it's time to shop and get organzied for a whole week, "your food, their food" come back and tell us all about that, and then step out and start induction again. YOu can do this, you have a desire, you want to do this...I believe you can.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Here we go again

welcome back. you need to change your stratagey with DH first. sit him down and in your sweetest voice tell him the plan
say I need your help! I need you to be part of my Atkins support network. I need to lose this weight so I can be healthy and WE can grow old together cause I don't want you to have to be my caregiver when i have a massive stroke or heart attack and become crippled. I want to enjoy our married life together as we grow old and watch our grandkinds grow up.

next tell him the how
I nned you to help me stay on the plan when i'm weak. I need you to be strong for me and not allow foods that I'm temped by to be near me until I have better control of my self so please allow our house to be a healthy low carb area wherr i can be safe as I grow stronger in my willpower and healtheir and smaller in my size.

give him the actions
I can't ressit those foods right now so please eat them at work and or have a daddy's time out with the kids and have them. I can't ressit eating them so I can't make 2 meals right now. I will fix a basic healthy dinner for us with protein and healthy veggies. you and the kids can supplement yours with some store bought starchy food or some you cook. As I gain control and move up the OWL carb ladder and incorporate healthy carbs back into my way of eating we can explore some of the old foods being in the house again.

please help me do this.

then stick to your guns and empty the house of all non induction acceptable foods. Fix a nice low carb omlette for the family for breakfast tomorrow and then you are on day one and moving well. serve yourself and the kids a healthy atkins induction lunch andfix a nice aromatic herbed meat for dinner with faux taters which are a gooey atkins induction food with a healthy salad and the day will be won.

[sombersusie]

Re: Here we go again

i think rachel and the others had some great advice. ask your husband to look at atkins as being a sugar free diet. For some people looking at it that way makes a difference. It's not all about just meat and cheese, don't forget the veggies as well.
i think if you really want to make this work you are going to have to center your family meals around you. Have your main dish and a side be atkins friendly then if the kids want a slice of bread and butter to go with that fine, or just tator tots, instead of the whole casserole.

[RachelnLa]

Re: Here we go again

You're the one cooking, if they don't like it they can cook it themselves! That's my theory, anyway. :P

Oh yah. I love this. When the kids were little I ran myself ragged at meal times.. this one wanted peas, this one wanted carrots.. this one only wanted corn for a month! Finally I put my food down and said you'll have what you want when we have it! May sound harsh...but geeze. So many times I heard growing up that my parents ate what was put in front of them with no questions asked. I figured it if worked for them.... It's not like the kids were missing foods. I rotated plenty of veggies and tried to give them what they wanted when they wanted it. Within reason, of course. They ate it or they skipped it. their choice. Ya know what? they usually ate it! As they got older they tried it again. I said if they didn't like what I was fixing they were more than welcome to fix something else. but they had to cook it, clean it and put it away! (dishes) And ya know what? They really didn't think it was worth the hassle for grilled cheese when mom was cooking a really good meal. Sorry, I'm not spending my entire life a slave to a kitchen cleaning up behind them. It only took a few times. They are smart lil boogers.

Now I don't get many complaints, and if I do it's honestly because they just don't like brussel sprouts LOL

[ladyhairg]

Re: Here we go again

Thanks, all, for the good advice. I think I will sit down with DH tonite and have the loooong talk with him about my health and my desire to be alive and healthy for a long time to come. He did Atkins with me a few years ago, but never really devoted himself to it -- he followed it during the week and cheated on the weekends and still lost weight. He's kept it off all these years, and just doesn't get that it won't work that way for me. Maybe I'm just fatter than he was when he started, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm female & 40?

I did manage to stay on track all day yesterday by being a bit devious. I went back to the grocery store and bought some healthy food to supplement the rest of what we bought when we shopped together. Then I made Induction-friendly Hamburger Pie, steamed brocoli with cheese sauce, and a small bowl mashed potatoes (for them, not me). I told them they were eating "Stuffed Meatloaf" and tried to act surprised when we ran out of potatoes before the bowl got to me. Won't work very often, but it got me through Day 1.

Of course, I did bake them an apple pie for dessert, but that's not a problem. I HATE pie. I'll just never bake them a cake or cookies . . . . I've got the only kids in the world who get Birthday Pies instead of Birthday Cakes.

[darn75]

Re: Here we go again

Good luck Ladyhairg, It sounds like you did well yesterday and I hope your DH gives you the support you need. I have been on/off many times myself and understand that part of the struggle. I'm again just starting for about the umpteenth time - and my DH will give the support I need, but he likes to have his sweets, etc. around also and I know where they are so it is hard!!! He has been better about eating more of these things at work, so I don't have to have them in the house and that does help. Also, there are some foods such as pizza casserole - that is Adkins friendly - that I've given to him and he had no idea it was low carb - and he's loved. Even my son - whom would never go "low carb" couldn't believe it and really enjoyed it, so there are ways to get around them! LOL Good luck with DH tonight and I hope he gives you the support you need and deserve!

[knicknack]

Re: Here we go again

Hee! One of my best friends has birthday pie too! She doesn't like cake.

I think talking to your husband is a fantastic idea, and not cooking whatever *they* want is something they're going to have to deal with. There are easy carb things that can be eaten by the kids/hubby if they have to have something, no need to go whole hog with the carb meals. I like the idea of cooking what you are going to eat for everyone, and then they can have an extra side dish.