Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

[Baplee]

Hi Everyone,

First I would like to say that no other diet has worked for me except atkins so I am going to stick with it.

The question I have is why are there so many people who lose the weight and then gain some or all back and have to restart the diet..?
And....What can first timers do to avoid that situation?

Thanks for all the help, this forum is really helping me stick this time.

Baplee

[DigitalMocking]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

People stopping diets and gaining weight back has nothing to do with atkins and more to do with the people on the diets.

You can lose all the weight in the world but if you don't change your relationship with food and understand WHY you got where you are, you'll most likely fail. The statistic of people who lose weight and put it all right back on was a staggeringly high number, well over 95% of "dieters". And to be honest, that's one of the problems. You can't look at changing your life as a "diet". A diet has a start point and an end point, and once you reach your goal vis-a-vis the diet, what then? Most folks go back to how they ate before and they wind up right where they started.

Finding out why you gained weight, changing your relationship with food and yourself as well as making a lifestyle change and not just starting a Diet is what those with longterm success have done.

[HulaMom]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

Aloha,
I'll share my story but each is different.
I was VERY successful on Atkins for about 5 years. When I got comfortable, I was able to add carbs without a great impact -- AT FIRST. Slowly, those little treats became more frequent and I started putting weight back on.

I think that I could have nipped that in the bud, but then I had some events in my life that put me under great pressure. I turned to carbs for comfort and I didn't care about the consequences. That lasted about 6-9 months. Then I took a high pressure job and had no time to plan my menus. I couldn't easily fit induction on an 80 hour work week, and the stress puts its own pressure on my body.

You need to know that once you slip and let carbs back into your life you will again become addicted. I'm now working through DETOX and I'm getting out of the addiction. For me it takes a complete dedicated focus on diet rather than work and other elements. Once I get over the hump, I know from experience that I will be able to maintain this WOL even under stress. But DETOX is hard and requires effort.

Think of the alcoholic. It is a lifelong struggle....

[Zarabelle]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

I agree with both points above.

My reason is the same as hula's in that I lose a huge amount and feel and look so much better and then I started to introduce anything I wanted within the carb count - crackers and junk. Then the cravings start.... the rest is history!

This time I am staying away from low carb alternative products and eating only real, legal foods.

I have even gone back to rung 1 and will increase with just veggies to find my CCLL before going up the rungs..

I feel totally different this time. I think enough was just enough!

[Baplee]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

Thanks for all the great advise!

I guess this really is just a way of life...I'm still on induction and I haven't gotten bored with it yet. Linda's recipes seem really helpful.

Hopefully I can find a balance when I start OWL later on.

Thanks to all the members of this board, it is alot of help

Amy

(trying not to weigh herself for a week....Dear God help me to stay away from the scale)

[HulaMom]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

Amy,
I'm thinking more about this, and it is constructive because I'm going to have to make a big change this time around.

Last time, it wasn't really a boredom with the WOE that caused the slide. I was in a really balanced state where I could have a little scotch once in a while, a taste here and there, and it didn't have an impact if it was in a small dose.

But the whole wide world is so pro-carb. I was on a career track where I had lots of planned functions. Dinner events and such. The meals generally had protein but they were also loaded with carbs. I would try just a spoonful. Then just the occasional amazing dessert. The challenge is that when I was not focused on diet but on maintaining a hairy schedule and being grace under pressure, the strictness required of Atkins just took a second seat. I couldn't get the right lunches. Dinners were really tough.

It doesn't take a lot of cheating to cause a complete slip. All the while we age and so our metabolism changes too. What were enough carbs at one point in life becomes too many carbs a year later. We need to be so contentious to reset ourselves, but life isn't always so easy as that.
I'm lucky now to be in a situation where I have a great break and transition time to get re-set.
When I tried to go it before to recalibrate to Atkins, I was unsuccessful. I'm using this board as a way to keep ME centered, and I think it helps. There is no one else in my entire world that wants to join me or support me with the Atkins WOE. So here I am!

I'd love to hear other perspectives as well.

What causes one to start down that slippery slope?

[Outback Jess]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

Lot of good information here. Our bodies store excess carbs as fat. Our metabolisms might be low. We get bored with our foods and of course most of us are addicted to the white stuff and breaking free is tough...then that relationship and coping with food issues that alot of people have....hmmm, something in here will fit and all of them need to be looked at in our lives. I've lost it and gained it....and lost it...

[I_WILL_Lose_Weight]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

This time I am staying away from low carb alternative products and eating only real, legal foods.

Zarabelle you have no idea how much it helped me last go around to stay away from low carb alt food. I don't know why, but it's like because they taste so similar to the real thing, that it doesn't seem all that bad to have the real thing. Kind of like with sweetners. Your body tastes sweet, but doesn't receive the sugar, and so it starts CRAVING the sugar in huge amounts to make you want more, and more, and more, and before you know it you've eaten too much.

Anything that's sweet, unfortuantely, triggers me =( Because then I just eat too much of it. That includes protein bars, shakes, chips, etc. I just want too much of it and I end up binging on it.

I think just knowing what will trigger you can help you avoid it. For instance, I know never to set foot in a Mexican, Chinese, or Japanese restaurant. Why? I'll want chips and hot sauce. And I know I won't be able to resist. Chinese has too much stuff added to it anyways to make it Atkins appropriate (in most cases), and if I step foot in a Japanese restaurant it's all over with cause I'm gunna be chowing down sushi rolls like no tomorrow.

Just remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, and over, and over again and expecting a different result.

You're insane to think that after if you return to your old eating habits that you'll keep the same results, cause isn't that what got you to the mess you're in? And I don't want to be insane =) (even though I know from experience I am, according to that definition XD)

[kpdgal]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

Well I say this is my 2nd time around, but I have honestly lost track. I went to Kimkins for awhile but I lost hope and got off track. Now I am on a slippery slope towards High blood pressure and diabetes, I have been slapped back to reality and am ready to give it another great effort! I hope I can get some encouragement from your posts, and I hope my journey can also inspire others!

[IrishMom82]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

For me I was never in the right mindset. I was always eating bad foods. When I was in high school I was the skinniest of skinny girls (in a healthy way though cause I would EAT a ton of food). I never gained a thing. Not until college did I start gaining weight. I was dating my future husband the entire time so I guess I didn't really care or notice that I was gaining weight because well I already had my special someone; I didn't need to take care of myself anymore (sounds dumb but that's me, haha). Also in high school I played sports, I rode my bike ALL the time, I was active with all my siblings. In college I did nothing but eat, study, watch movies, and sleep.

Anyway it wasn't until recently that it really hit me that I was not just fat but OBESE. I tried Atkins for a while about 5 times before but each time I would just stop doing it. I never got past the 3rd week of Atkins. I would figure out some excuse. It was my birthday, it's college I want to have fun, and any other stupid excuse you can think of. I guess I just didn't care enough about myself to actually do something about it, I was very good at complaining and crying about my weight. My hubby would get annoyed sometimes and he would say "then do something about it".

After so many failed attempts because of my own stupid "excuses" my mind is actually ready to go. For me it is a huge mind game and struggle of will power. I've been addicted to caffeine, sugar, white flour, and any other bad stuff for sooo long that it has become a huge test of my will power. My mind is ready this time, and I'm strong and I know I can do it. This board is a HUGE help.

This post is so long, I better stop.

Good luck to everyone and stay strong!

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Avoiding Re-start re-re-start?

The only reason I gained the weight back is because I only did the induction phase to lose all of my weight. Once I lost all the weight, I went back to my old eating habits. Not this time...I'm going through every phase of Atkins the right way.