Wanted to say hi

[Christianmom2girls]

Hey guys and gals! I have been a lurker to this site and finally decided that I needed the support of others and decided to join..I was on induction last month and on my very last day I fell off the wagon..Yep, on the very last day.. From there it was downhill and I have just restarted and I am on my third day..I think it is harder for me this time then the first time around..I keep feeling the cravings creep on and I already feel defeated..I feel like looking in the long run I won't be able to do it.I will never be able to have that piece of cake or chocolate..Can anyone offer me any advice?? Thank you for listening to me ramble!

Lisa

[Georgiana]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Lisa, welcome to the board!

If doing Atkins meant I had to give up cakes, I would have never done it! I am exaggerating a little, but there are many Atkins-friendly desserts you can try. Here are links for recipes:
Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home
Low Carb Luxury: A Complete Resource for the Low Carb Dieter.
M for Miscellaneous

Just make sure whatever you are cooking is appropriate for the phase of the diet you are at. On Linda's website (first link), the induction recipes are marked with an asterisk.

For a "quick fix", you can have, for e.g., cream cheese w/ a little splenda mixed in.

Things get better after the first few days and the cravings subside, so hang in there. If you want a second opinion on your menus, you should post a few in the 'Review my Menu' forum, including quantities for everything.

Good luck!

[Janice]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Hello Christianmom2girls, let me tell you how great you are doing. I have recently re-started Atkins and the second time around is not as hard as I thought. I know what to do and I just eat the right foods and my body has to cooperate in letting go of those pounds. Don't you feel too bad about your step backwards. It may not have been as bad as you thought if it was only one day. You can't let that happen often but try to forget what is behind you and press on to the goal. I'm slightly quoting Bible scripture here. lol Induction is really the hardest phase and you just need to make the right decisions and get through those two weeks. After that, the fun starts and your body will know it can't hang on to those pounds any more. Think twice about those 'sweets' even if they are low carb.
Good luck, girl. We're here to help and encourage. You CAN do this!!!!

[peacefuljourney]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Hi Lisa,

Welcome. The support here is an important part of success in my opinion.

There is such a great post that someone linked to that deals with the restrictiveness and flexibility of Atkins - how to go up the rungs. I've looked for it now but can't find it. Maybe someone else will recognize it and help out. But that post said it well: there is lots more flexibility than you think.

I am also not willing to live without the occassional piece of high quality 85% chocolate or the occassional piece of cake. There I said it. But here's the thing. I can't have it everyday or even every week and right now, I can't have it. Period. I need to learn to just have the piece of cake a few times a year - very good cake and for a really special occasion and enjoy it (no guilt), move on and go ahead with this (atkins) way of life. I cannot that the guilt turn that piece of cake into an entire binge.

I mean people say 'the atkins diet' - but it isn't really a 'diet.' It is just simply a name that has been attached to a healthy way of eating and living. The word 'diet' is so negative. For me, it implies deprivation somehow, a short-lived thing to be 'grin and beared with', with a definite 'end date.' Atkins is such a great way to live. It is just healthy eating. I don't think of it as a diet.

Induction is strict. 14 days. Period. I think many people fail - well never mind the generalizations - I failed the first time around because I haven't put the time and effort into moving through the rungs - in other words adding back the foods that 'I miss.' I don't really miss all the cake and crap. I miss the fruit, nuts, yoghurt etc. But we can eat all of that.

The first time I went crazy over 'being perfect' and took an 'all or nothing attitude' - you've read about the 'kiss of death' but it isn't like that. Life is life. One silly example for me was/is sugar-free ketchup. Maybe sugar free ketchup is a necessity for some. Maybe they eats tons of ketchup per month. But really, for me. I eat like 2 tbsp/month so eating normal ketchup is ok for me. But, the last time I did 'atkins', if I ate normal ketchup I viewed it as a failure, ate whatever I wanted for days etc. (repeat, repeat, repeat - not alwyas ketchup but other silly things). And thus, I decided this 'diet' wasn't for me. I simply wasn't willing to get so fanatical about these things (and couldn't because of where I was living - they didn't have these products or even splenda etc.).

Now, I've come around to the fact that this 'diet' isn't a diet. It is a healthy way to eat and live. And yes, I do eat the regular ketchup and when I'm doing the OWL rungs I will have my regular dark chocolate which has like - well very few carbs. (19 g for the whole bar). So 1 piece would have 5 g? Something like that.

Atkins is a way of life - a way of committing to eating well and exercising.

I'm sure others will disagree with me. AND maybe for them that is right. 'Trigger' foods, emotional eating, binging, poor knowledge of nutrition, fast food whatever - each of us is overweight for different reasons. But don't let your fear of 'not ever being able to have x,y,z' be a reason not to do this. It would be a shame because this is the way we are meant to eat and live.

Well, that was very long-winded of me. Sorry about that. I just could relate to what you are feeling because I went through that with Atkins too.

There are so many people more qualified and experienced than I am here that can give you their thoughts as well. Regardless, good to have you here with us.

S-

[Lisa]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Welcome to the board and to STAC. Linda's website is my favorite and I use it often. I wish you the best. You'll do great focusing on your overall goal. You'll get there!

[kellymch2006]

Re: Wanted to say hi

The first time I went crazy over 'being perfect' and took an 'all or nothing attitude' - you've read about the 'kiss of death' but it isn't like that. Life is life. One silly example for me was/is sugar-free ketchup. Maybe sugar free ketchup is a necessity for some. Maybe they eats tons of ketchup per month. But really, for me. I eat like 2 tbsp/month so eating normal ketchup is ok for me. But, the last time I did 'atkins', if I ate normal ketchup I viewed it as a failure, ate whatever I wanted for days etc. (repeat, repeat, repeat - not alwyas ketchup but other silly things). And thus, I decided this 'diet' wasn't for me. I simply wasn't willing to get so fanatical about these things (and couldn't because of where I was living - they didn't have these products or even splenda etc.).



This is great, peaceful, I do the same thing.

[Christianmom2girls]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Thank you all for your warm welcoming! I know that I feel physically better when I am eating atkins its just it seems so much harder this time around..

Peacefuljourney-That is my attitude as well..Its all or nothing with me and its driving me nuts! I want to do it perfect but I know I will make mistakes but I think now if I trip and fall I will get back up again instead of just laying there and eating chips I can't just quit like I have before..Thank you for your insight its very encouraging!

Georgina-Thanks for the links!

Janice- We can both do it!!!

Is there any accountability groups on this board?? I would love to be held accountable and give and get support..Thanks!

[Lisa]

Re: Wanted to say hi

STAC is one accountable group among the many. If you like to join in on a challenge, the exercise challenges are great and hold you accountable for checking in; and you get a nice little icon that says you participated in the end. There's many challenges around the board, you just have to decide which one if any are best for you.

Enjoy!

[tfek70]

Re: Wanted to say hi

Thank you all for your warm welcoming! I know that I feel physically better when I am eating atkins its just it seems so much harder this time around..

Peacefuljourney-That is my attitude as well..Its all or nothing with me and its driving me nuts! I want to do it perfect but I know I will make mistakes but I think now if I trip and fall I will get back up again instead of just laying there and eating chips I can't just quit like I have before..Thank you for your insight its very encouraging!

Georgina-Thanks for the links!

Janice- We can both do it!!!

Is there any accountability groups on this board?? I would love to be held accountable and give and get support..Thanks!

You will be held accountable here in STAC. You will be supported in STAC. We will need your support, because in STAC, nobody's perfect or we wouldn't be in STAC. Most of us have cheated in the last week. I don't remember which day it was, but one of our last roll calls looked like a confessional . Welcome to STAC, looking forward to seeing you at roll call.

T. J.