I am ashamed

[thinthing]

I started the atkins journey on 1/2005 and subsequently lost approximately 60 pounds in about six months. I was so happy. Then, its like you just don't know what hit you...I started slipping and slipping...and you guessed it, I gained back the whole 60 pounds! Why do we do this to ourselves? (maybe we need to start a thread on this?) I am looking to find the answers to this question as well as understand what I need to do in order to not gain back the weight...ever. So here I am once again on the induction path... I feel exhilarated to start again (because I know this WOE works) but also have so many regrets about the past.

[boonie stomper]

Re: I am ashamed

That's why the solution is to make this WOE a WOL, right?
If you yo-yo repeatedly it takes longer to lose the weight you gained back.

Welcome back!

[julirama723]

Re: I am ashamed

This is my second time around--it's the second time around for MANY! I think the reason I did not succeed the first time is because I tried to do it "my way" instead of "the right way." Not only did I gain back the 70lb. I lost, but I added on 15 more. But now, I'm learning from my mistakes, and like boonie said, I'm making this a way of life, not just a way of eating.

Check out the STAC (second time around club) forum! We have a daily check-in thread, lots of Atkineers who are doing this for the second, third, fourth, millionth time, it doesn't matter how many times you've tried in the past--it's all about changing for the future.

Glad you're back on the wagon, thinthing.

[not2late]

Re: I am ashamed

Good to see you are back on track.

I have a question for you. The last time you did Atkins, did you stay on Induction or did you move through the phases as Dr. Atkins advised us to do?

[Waterwaterwater]

Re: I am ashamed

Hi Thinthing,

Well done for starting again and keep with it. I too am doing this for the second time. I too started in January 2005 and lost 70 lbs by June 2005. I then fell off the wagon and put on over 100 lbs !!!!!!!!

I now understand, as Bonney Stomper said, this has to be a WOL. I'm hoping that this time I will be successful, when I say successful I don't mean that I will get to goal, that is only the first part. Being successful means getting to goal and staying there for the rest of my life and I will only be able to do that if I stick to Atkins for the rest of my life. In the past with Atkins and other diets I have always dieted thinking that once I've lost the weight I can go back to pizza and Chinese take aways. Finally the penny has dropped and I now understand that it has to be Atkins for life or I will put it all back on and more. When I look at a pizza hut menu I'm not choosing which pizza I'm going to eat, I'm choosing to gain 50, 100, 150 or 200 lbs of weight because that is what will happen. I know I can't stop at just one pizza, if I could I would never have got to this size in the first place. It's like being a drug addict, one pizza or Chinese and I will carry on eating until it kills me. It's depressing to know that I can never have the foods I really want/crave and I'm still trying to imagine what life is going to be like without these foods long-term, but as diets go Atkins has got to be the best choice, at least I can have fry ups, cheese, cream and red meat.

Good luck with your weight loss journey and your new WOL.

[thinthing]

Re: I am ashamed

Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement! I can see that I am not the only one who is restarting again and has experienced this same problem.

Not 2 Late - I did not work through the phases. I stuck with induction only. I hope to know and understand better when it is time for me to move on to OWL. I was getting bored with the foods and then started with a few sweets like sugar-free jello, then it was the mock danishes, sugar free pudding, then it became sugar free russell stover candies... - I hope that I have learned that I am a "sugar" addict and really can't control myself when tempted. I am wanting to stay clear away from sugar this time around even though it is "sugar free". So waterwaterwater I can identify with your "Pizza" and "chinese" food addictions.

julirama723- I will visit the "second time around" club, can't hurt thats for sure!

[muffles]

Re: I am ashamed

Hey thinthing, it's my 4th or 5th time around. I too, didn't do the mental and emotional work and ended up self sabotaging myself. THis time I won't be ! I'm eating clean to keep the sugar monkey off my back and doing some serious soul searching and meditation.
We can do this!

[MaggieBE]

Re: I am ashamed

Welcome! I have moved onto OWL even though I have a lot of weight that needs to come off. In past efforts I have decided to stay on induction until I am at goal. The thought of perhaps having to wait a year for a glass of wine, for some fresh strawberries, nuts, etc was too much for me. I knew I could never do it and so I went back to eating high carb food like crazy!