If You Are Struggling Please Read This

[chrisabel45]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Angela,

I have started and stopped and started and stopped. I was about to give up and I read this. Thank you! I am a diabetic and I need to lose this weight. I have not been a good example to my daughters. You have inspired me to start over. Thank you! I just started a new job where I am forced to dress really nice and I have clothes but it is snug. This should also help. I am the only one that can control what I eat. Thank You Again!

Christina

[carmenziliao33175]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

After reading your story I realized that joining this group it's the best thing i could have done.
thank you
carmen z

[carmenziliao33175]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Well... When you love icecream, chocolate and everything sweet so much, Atkins can get a little bit hard to handle....

[kiras_atkins_journey71708]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

If you are trying to do the atkins lifestyle and find yourself struggling or about to just give up... Please read this. This is my short story. I have tried atkins so many times that I cannot even tell you. I have stocked the kitchen with atkin induction foods, drank the water, done the excersise and then all of a sudden I would just fall off the wagon. I would binge fast food, bags of candy, soda..All the bad stuff that got me there. I would blame it on being an emotional eater or due to extreme stress... Then last week I was seriously about to just give up. I was tired of failing. I was tired of trying so hard. I had a wake up call. I told myself, Angela you can either dedicate yourself to atkins lifestyle and once and for all lose this unhealthy weight. You can improve your health and your life. You can run with your children and play. You can wear the cute clothes you find yourself looking at when you are shopping.... OR you can give up, feel sluggish daily, have sleep apnea, have high blood pressure, run away from cameras, hide in my home not wanting to be out in public, feel ashamed of myself, feel unattractive, have no self esteem... Guess what I did. I re-dedicated myself to atkins 100%. Which I thought I had done prebisouly. However I really hadn't. I didn't have the right mind set. Because instead of realizing that I and only I have control over what goes into my body, I used the blame game.

I want to lose this weight. I have to lose this weight. It is not really a choice anymore for me. It is life or death for me. I have two children that I raise on my own. They depend on me. They learn from me. What kind of an example have I taught them by my eating habits? Not only am I now eating right but I am more cautious of what my children are eating.

I have been through very difficult times. I have been abused by my ex husband for many many years. He is now serving prison time 7 1/2 years for hurting my son and I with domestic violence. I went through ****. I used to tell myself, you are fat because you are an emotional eater. What you have been through has caused this. Well that is not really true. I have caused where I am today. Me and only me. I cannot blame my weight problems on anyone else. I chose to eat the fast food, the candy bars, the soda...

My main point is to truly be successful on atkins, you MUST dedicate yourself 100%. Sit down and write out your goals. Mini goals that you can truly achieve. Losing weight is the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life.
It is not easy. There are going to be good days and bad days. Triumphs and set backs. It's going to take time for the weight to come off. Toss that darn scale out the window. DONT CAUSE YOURSELF GRIEF BY WEIGHING YOURSELF EVERYDAY. There are many reasons why you may be up one day and down the next. TOM is a big one. Too much salt is another. Go by how you feel, how your clothing is looser. I hear people say I have lost so and so pounds and I am not down a size or two. That's ok. It will come. Just be excited about the inches you are losing.

I am happy to report that I am down 10 pounds in just a week. I don't know how but I am. I feel so good. The sluggish feeling is gone. The feeling of wanting to sleep and my eyes so tired at 2:30 pm is gone. I wonna run, I wonna jump. Most of all I want to help others out there who are struggling.

Ask yourself, where do I want to be in one year? Just ask yourself that. What do I want to be able to do differently in one year. I will tell you where I want to be in one year. I want to be healthier in one year. I want to notice a big difference in my weight in one year. Notice how I do not say a number. Why? Because I don't think it's fair to put numbers out there. What if in a year, I am not at that number. Then I will feel I have failed. Instead here is what I have done:

Goal # 1 230
Goal # 2 220
Goal # 3 200
Goal # 4 190
Goal # 5 180
Goal # 6 170
Goal # 7 160
Goal # 8 150 GOAL GOAL GOAL

Everytime I reach a goal, I will place a date by it. After not before. What a great thing to be able to place a date by a goal that I completed. Also I believe in the reward system. When you reach a goal, reward yourself with something that you would like to have.

YOU ARE WORTH IT
YOU CAN DO THIS
YOU WILL LOSE THIS WEIGHT
YOU WILL SUCCEED
YOU WILL BECOME A HEALTHY PERSON
YOU WILL FEEL GREAT ABOUT YOURSELF
YOUR FAMILY AND CHILDREN WILL BE SO PROUD OF YOU
MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WILL FEEL PROUD OF YOURSELF!!!!

I have to tell you that once I re-dedicated myself this time around, I just feel like a new person! I cannot explain it. I get up in the morning and I feel rested, excited for the day, excited for the choices I will make, more attractive, I feel that I am putting more into my appearance, dressing nicer.

I will be a success story. Because nothing will stop me from reaching my goal!

Please write to me if you are struggling, let me help you. Let me help the way others helped me!!! Opps, not a short story after all is it!!!

this is the sweetest thing...this exactly what i needed....

[cleverusername]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Beautiful!

[DLS]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Jimmy,
I see you are playing risk! I really like that game. Kick hubby's butt almost everytime we play!

I think you are doing great!!! Wow 72 lbs lost! KUDOS to you dude!

[Al Trip]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi Angela,
What is TOM?
Thanks,
Al

[leesh]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Angela thank you for the post, I feel a lot of your same feelings lately, and I too just started back up Atkins again. I think motivation is hard to find, but committment is a choice and we can all choose to do things different whether we feel motivated or not. Everytime we derail we only hurt ourselves and I hope I too can keep the promises I am making to myself this time.

Good luck!

[healthandharmony]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi Angela. I was so glad I read your post. I too have been on and off Atkins for a long time. The longest time around 18 months.
I do know that a lot of things have stopped me continuing. I am back and so far very dedicated to what I am doing. I know that I need to do this for me and not let outside influences stop it.
Thankyou for sharing your story. i am sure it will help lots of us to keep going.

[Amsexy]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Thank you for sharing Angela. It is very hard. Especially recovering from domestic violence. I used to tell myself I was an emotional eater. I have struggled with my relationship with food for alot of my 33 y.o. life. I just yesterday broke up with my abusive ex boyfriend of 7 months, but domestic issues have been rough for me all the while from previous marriages and childhood. I am horribly lonely, no kids, single, coping with severe depression, and food has been my drug of choice. I am emerging into honesty though, and I am loving myself enough to say "Wait, slow down self...what's going on here?" I have commited to ask that each time, and really love myself through it. Emotions aren't the enemy, fear is. When we release the fear to feel what is totally appropriate for our experiences, I think then is when we breathe easy and remember, "I have a goal! and I CAN do this in this moment, rightnow, if nothing else."
Thats what helps me. I have been able to quit smoking for around a year now, I don't examine that one too hard, I just remember the hellacious pain it was smoking, and quitting, and I know that is NOT for me, (or any of us really). Battling obesity is not different. It hurts. It hurts being stretch out and overweight, and it hurts stopping over eating, and it WILL get easier, but I own this burden, and I am the only one who can give it up. I saw a picture of myself at church today, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I look like my mother, heavy, sad, out of control. I look like a stranger because I don't feel that way on the inside, but I honestly have not felt much of anything thanks to the evil little goodies I like to sugar coat my pain with. The results are enormous. I can see the hard work and effort it has taken to expand my body, and now I take that power back! That is MY POWER, and it belongs to me. I CAN eat well, it is like a snowball effect when you eat well, I remember now, you just fell good, you feel clean because you are living clean! I deserve to be loved like this by me ALL the time. I just...forgot, and that's okay. NOW, I remember. Thank you for reminding me. One day at a time. Thank you ))

[chrissigner]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

That's so great, you have just inspired me. How do I set-up a weight tracker?

[Amsexy]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi chrissigner,
You can get a tracker at www.tickerfactory.com then you cut it and paste it into your messages.


Today is another day...day12 I believe. I ate omlets, and drank my water. I am more determined than ever to take back control of my life, and I am seeing my progress shining through. I am grateful for this forum! We are the atkins team yay!
I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this! My goal for this week is to break 220lbs! I know I can. I won't give up, I deserve to be slender and healthy. I can refuse diabetes. I can refuse heart disease, and liposuction, and obesity. Yes I can! I AM sexy! That's right!

[Beatin'PCOS]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi Angela,
I have to say thanks for your post, we are our own worst enemy at times and its great to hear that you have taken control over the negative influence of the mind. I have been on/off Atkins for about 2 months now, never made it past the Induction stage but I woke this morning with a brand new outlook and reading your post has confirmed that I'm not alone in lack of commitment ! However....check us out turning over a new leaf.....must be something in the air !

A famous quote describes us ''atkins'' to a tee........''people with goals succeed because they know where they are going, it's as simple as that'' Earl Nightingale.

Good luck Angela, and thank you for your outlook !

[Amsexy]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi fellow newbees, returnees, what ever
It's good to see you here! We are in this love together! It ain't easy but it is possible. Day 13 I think, I hate to say I am losing track, but it's something like that. I do know I have lost 9 lbs so far! yay me.

[wnt2bsz14]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hello Angela,

I want to thank you for sharing your story! It is amazing I ran accross this story at just the right time. for the past few weeks I have been messing up here and there. I will get back on the next day and then the following day i mess up again. I am so mad at myself because I was doing so well i have lost 20 pounds so i feel like why mess up now keep going. But i cant seem to get agrip on it. i too play the blame game I blame it on my menstraul cycle and everything else.

I have to say reading your story makes me feel better already. I am just sooo disappointed in myself. I am on the diet with three other people and I am constantly coaching and encouraging them to stick to it and here I am messing up myself. i want to get back on track please help............