Oh jeez, help please!

**Miss Phode** · October 25, 2006, 09:21 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Well, you can't ever go back to the way you used to eat, without getting undesireable results, but, in moderation, you will once again be able to have some of those things. Some people enjoy the lower carb wraps on ocassion, but wait until you're on the Grains Rung, or maintenence for this. There are lots of desserts that can be made the low carb way. Dreamfields Pasta tastes good for being low carb. In fact, unless it causes you to have digestive issues, you probably won't notice the difference between Dreamfields and the real thing. There are lower carb breads, what once in maintenece, you would be able to enjoy if you only ate small amounts.

Personally, the only thing I think I'll really miss is rice. I'll just have to learn to be without it because it's impossible for me to control myself when rice is around. I can't just have a small serving. I want a giant bowl full.

Probably, you'll benefit from moving up the rungs of OWL quickly so you can enjoy a wider variety of foods.

**ladyinred** · October 25, 2006, 09:23 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

so if I can permanently change my eating habits (thanks to Atkins), a part of me feels I can go back to my wheat bread and pancakes, bananas...ect

??? Bit of a contradiction there, no? First of all, if you follow Atkins and do all the rungs, then you can have those things, at the appropriate time and in the appropriate portion sizes. Sorry, you will not be able to eat twinkies, ho ho's, ding dongs, or any other carby junky food that sounds like a prop from a circus act. I think you will find in time though, that you won't want those things. Now I think "gee, what if I couldn't do Atkins....no more steak? no more butter? no more cauliflower with cheese or devilled eggs or cheese chips or scalloped turnips or cream cheese desserty things with whip cream on top....???!!!!" That's truly upsetting.

Don't feel bad about giving up the evil carbs. What you are gaining is good health, and that's so much better. Hang in there, you're doing great so far.

**julirama723** · October 25, 2006, 09:25 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

I like to focus on all the things I WILL be able to eat, and how those things will keep me heatlhy and fit. If I think about the things I won't be eating (I say won't instead of can't--I could eat it if I wanted to, but I choose not to) I don't feel regret or longing--I feel a weird sense of relief that I'll never be a slave to pizza or bread or sugar again.

I feel almost like I've seen the light or been awakened, but in a non-religious sense. I realize that I don't want to go to an early grave, and that I like what I'm eating, and not missing what I'm NOT eating. And I know that if I were to eat that processed and sugary food, I would become physically ill and regret my decision to eat it.

I think the longer you go, the more you'll enjoy eating this way and not miss those "other" foods so much. Stay strong, and keep going.

**cleochatra** · October 25, 2006, 09:36 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

I think it's easy to cave to pressures from society.

You might not even want that Snickers but you're read the slogan: "Snickers Satisfies".

Well so does butt cream when you have hemhroids, but you don't want to eat that.

Think of it this way. You're now a PBS mind living in an MTV world. You're worldy. Educated. Above the Snickers bars. Embrace the (well, not butt cream) excitement that is the world itself and the memories and the experiences as they don't occur regarding tastebuds.

Tune society out. Tune yourself in.

You're getting there!

**2big4mysize** · October 25, 2006, 09:37 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

actually I really think you should read chapter 14 of your DANDR and see that whole grain bread and bananas can be part of your Atkins even while you are losing weight if your metabolism can handle them.

Arm yourself with the full knowledge of what Atkins is and the what it isn't will not be so scarey

**jcapulet** · October 25, 2006, 09:37 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

With Atkins, there are so, so many delicious recipes and I don't feel I'm missing out on anything (usually

). You're changing eating habits for life, because you don't want to eat any more carb poison. It's a change for the better

The previous way of life is what made you (and all of us) overweight in the first place....so it's a good thing to leave it behind dontcha think?

It can be intimidating to think about what you're "missing," but think of all the advantages and benefits that come with Atkins! Weight loss, less hunger/cravings, improved health, more energy (no more sugar crashes!), and to me, all these lead to better emotional well-being.

**ValidRouge** · October 25, 2006, 10:18 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

OK, I am doing really good on day 6 with no cheating and no cheating urges at all
I am drinking 9 8oz glasses of water without forcing myself.
Congratulations! You're doing a great job and should be proud.

How come I cant stop thinking about the future and what I "wont" be able to eat? Its tearing me apart :-(

I have not really read too much about the rungs and maintenence as I am trying to focus on my "clean induction"
That's your body trying to sabotage your efforts. You are still detoxing off the carbohydrates. Yeah, you might be over the feelings of headache and some nausea of induction flu...but your body still hasn't totally adjusted to ketosis. You may even have a touch of low blood sugar, but that will right itself soon enough. Make sure you are eating some of the higher carbohydrate vegetables on both the salad list and the other vegetable list. My theory is that would help some.

Please please don't fall victim to the misconception that staying in extended induction will allow you to lose weight faster. I've lost over 70 lbs in 6 months on the ongoing weight loss phase. I've added all kinds of foods back to my diet. I can have bread if I want (whole-grain), I can have a banana if I want. I can have potatoe if I want. And I'm still losing weight....slowly now that I only have 10 lbs left to lose. I'm also eating 30 -50 carbs per day.

Take some time to calm your fears and read the section of the book on ongoing weight loss...and then check out our forum here on the subject. Dr. Atkins, unfortunately, did not spend a whole lot of time in his book on the ongoing weight loss phase. Our forum does.

Obviously after you reach goal if you go back to hohos and chips / snickers and daily pie ect...you are going to gain the weight back....possibly bigger then before
When you return to the eating habits that got you fat to begin with, they will make you fat again.

But what if you are concious and eat healthy on a regular basis? if you stray from Atkins then do you gain it all back three-fold? Just for having store bought wheat bread? or a sandwich from panara on multigrain?
That's what the ongoing weight loss phase is ALL ABOUT. Atkins is NOT induction, although that's the unfortunate misconception. Induction is only the first two weeks.

I am only asking as I have NEVER been this heavy and only am at this weight due to a depression binge.

Up until a few months ago I could pretty much eat whatever and maintain ( I never ate "badly" to begin with >always health concious choices )....so if I get where I need to be can I just go back to my old eating habits?
***of course the "maintaining" I was able to do was me at 20 pounds over the recomened amount for my height, I hold weight very well and my large bust tends to "hide" it ***

My problem was not with "junk food" so to speak but with portions, picking constatnly, not eating 3 times a day and NEVER drinking water....

so if I can permanently change my eating habits (thanks to Atkins)***meaning eating 3 meals a day and drinking enough water), a part of me feels I can go back to my wheat bread and pancakes, bananas...ect I am confident that I wont be ready for a while after my goal is reached to assure I make good choices.
Be prepared to fall back into the traps that got you fat to begin with.

***PERHAPS THE INDUCTION FLU IS MAKING ME THINK CRAZY!!!! LOL ***
( I was never big on pancakes anyway lol )

I think what I am afraid of is permanent change...and Atkins scares me most because I know its a woe I could probably keep for the rest of my life....
Why be scared of that??? That's the beauty of Atkins, this IS do-able for life. I'd be happy to share with you what I eat....I am eating from all the food groups EXCEPT sugar, refined white flour. There are some other foods I haven't eaten yet...I might not ever feel the need to eat them again, but the beauty of atkins is I could if I wanted to.

**Cavecricket** · October 25, 2006, 10:48 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Thanks ValidRouge!

Your post made me feel loads better.

Thanks to everyone else too.

I find it so strange that I am having trouble letting go of foods I never cared much about anyway.....never liked pasta.....not huge on daily sugar intakes either. ( slight tendency to overdo desserts at partys/holidays only )

Looking at the big picture my problems were:

1) Hidden sugars

2) Overdoing the carbs

3) not eating 3 meals a day

4) Never drinking water

5) lack of excercise

So I suppose if I were to fix these problems....I would be doing Atkins anyway, right?....( well carbs after induction that is )

**ValidRouge** · October 25, 2006, 11:00 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Yep, pretty much. The foods get added back in a certain order. You add them back one at a time. You could have been eating a food before to which you are allergic--and you didn't even know it. The reaction might not have been obvious like hives or illness, but it might have triggered a blood sugar response which resulted in you feeling hungry, or it might have made you bloat. One of the things we do in OWL is add these foods back one at a time so that we can identify to ourselves which foods we can and cannot eat.

Another misconception is some people add foods back and think they are "cheating" or are doing "modified Atkins"...when the reality is if they followed through on the plan, read the book and understood that doing that IS PART OF THE PLAN. The whole point of OWL is to create a custom eating plan for YOUR body that you can live with for the rest of your life--a life free from obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.

**not2late** · October 25, 2006, 11:10 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Don't make the mistake of thinking Induction is the entire Atkins plan. Too many people think that and they never realize they can eat more carbs and more carb foods during their Atkins.

I eat about 50 carbs daily. I'm losing weight.

I can eat potatoes (if I want). I can eat bread (if I want). I can eat oatmeal (if I want). I can eat corn on the cob (if I want). I can eat bananas, apples, oranges, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, etc. (if I want). The operative phase for OWL, Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance phases is "if I want."

OWL and pre-Maintainenace phases are when you individualize your Atkins. You miss having yogurt? Move to OWL after Induction. You miss your applesauce? Move to OWL.

Induction is 14 days long. Staying on it longer does not guarantee you will lose weight "faster". In fact, Dr. Atkins wrote that the only people who would benefit from staying on Induction longer are those people with a severe metabolic resistance to weight loss, as defined by the charts in Chapter 13.

**Cavecricket** · October 25, 2006, 11:20 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

ValidRouge:

Thank you so much. I feel enlightened. I really do love the results thus far! I love the way the fat on my belly was soooo squishy before and now it is very firm! lol

My #1 favorite food is Sushi...not even loads of it..

When I discovered that would be a thing of the past on Atkins I nearly lost control!

Seeing as how I found that I liked sushi when I was dieting and fell in love with it!......

for some folks its chocolate for me its a Philidelphia Roll
( smoked salmon, cream cheese, scallion, seaweed wrap, rice )

Is there any way to modify that or can I eventually have sushi in moderation?

Thanks !

**2big4mysize** · October 25, 2006, 11:39 AM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

they make it without the rice and call it something different. you could make it at home and use cauliflower rice if you need the rice either of which is induction legal so start fixing your own as part of your Atkins WOE

**LovingMeAgain** · October 25, 2006, 12:02 PM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Hi Guys,

I visit the board almost every day but I lurk

Believe it or not, it's eaier for me to "say no" than it is for me to "have a little piece"....once I taste the sugar it's on...today one of my coworkers bought in German Chocolate Cake from stratch and I said "no thank you" and walked away. I can only imagine what I would be doing right now if I had only a little piece.

**grizzly** · October 25, 2006, 12:06 PM

Re: Oh jeez, help please!

Iditarod "Grizzly"; Thanks, I now know I'm not the only bear in the forest that is afraid. I set around having my pity party that i'm 50 years old, overweight, no self-confidence and try to find every imaginable hilarious excuse on why I should not diet. Thanks for everyone's pure honesty. You guys are GREEEEEEEEEEEAT!!!!

Grizzly

When was the last time you did something for the first time???

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Oh jeez, help please!

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