Disheartened - please help me if you can

[Debismyname]

Hi all

I've written a few times on the Bulletin Board but never consistently- my hectic work schedule and having no computer at home makes it hard.

Today I am writing because I feel really down. I have successfully used Atkins once but stopped started several other times as well. I am in the process of trying to get back into it with the goal of losing 30 pounds in 3 months for my wedding. I started a week ago and got on the scales and have lost just 400 grams. I was crushed and am so disheartened and of course I want to give up. Why isn't it working for me I ask myself. Is it because I have stop started it several times? Does that mean it will no longer work for me? Is it because I deal with unbearable cravings by chewing 24 pieces of gum a day or drinking 9 cans of diet coke? (I thought diet drinks were allowed and the days I have that I make sure not to have any carbs at all, i just eat chicken, steak and fish). Is it because I excercise 2.5 hours a day (I am getting a bit obsessed there I know but I feel that if I don't exercise I will fill in any spare minute by eating lots. Am I not losing weight because I eat about 300 grams of sour cream every couple of days? Or is it because I go for seconds (with legal food) at dinner time and don't have breakfast?

I am lost and battling a whole bunch of negative thoughts and eating patterns which started years ago when I had anorexia. Anyway, I am over that now but really want and need to lose weight now....

Can anyone offer suggestions? Strategies? Any help at all?

Thank you for being here....

Deb

[ValidRouge]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

chewing 24 pieces of gum a day
drinking 9 cans of diet coke
I make sure not to have any carbs at all, i just eat chicken, steak and fish
I eat about 300 grams of sour cream every couple of days
I go for seconds (with legal food) at dinner time
don't have breakfast?

Deb, you know what the problem is. You've listed quite a few in your own post.

1. The gum counts as 1 carb per piece. So, that's 24 grams of carbs right there. not to mention that the reason for the cravings IS THE GUM!! You are in a never ending cycle. You crave, so you chew gum, which makes the cravings worse. By the end of the day, you've reinforced the craving 24 times just with gum!
2. Same goes for the diet coke. In the diet coke there is aspartame--a KNOWN staller, and Dr. Atkins even advises against aspartame specifically in his book. Not to mention that the sodium in the diet coke is a known cause of water retention. Add the diet coke to the increase of the cravings.
3. You MUST MUST MUST eat carbs. This is a LOW carbohydrate diet, NOT a NO carbohydrate diet. You need AT MINIMUM and ONLY on induction 3 cups of vegetables per day. If you don't eat them you are missing out on FIBER and other important nutrients. The fiber alone is needed to prevent constipation. If you get constipated it will be very unpleasant and cause you to go up on the scale.
4. I'm not sure how much 300 grams of sour cream in US measurement. Maybe Elizellen or someone else will be by to help with that one. BUT if that's too much, it could cause problems.
5. having Seconds isn't necessarily a problem IF you are truly hungry. If its from boredome or emotional issues, then it IS a problem.
6. Breakfast is very important. You need to get your metabolism started in the morning. You need to eat SOMETHING even if it's small like a piece of cheese or a boiled egg.

[kellypa2678]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hello,

I know that one of the mods will give you really good advice and tips on success for this WOL. You just need to believe and trust that you will succeed with this.

I am a person who has tried this WOL numerous times, with some successes a some failures. But I can tell you, I am definately succeeding now, and that is only because I am preparing my meals in Sundays for the week. This allows me to have food at hand. Good nuritional meals!! Being prepared is the key to success with this WOL.

I would definately cut out the diet sodas, as many of people have mentioned they are stallers. I personally don't drink them. I only drink water, ALL DAY LONG!! Sometimes I complain that I go to the restroom too many times. LOL

The amount of gum that you chew also could have an affect on your weight loss. You might be exceeding your daily limit of artificial sweetner. I would suggest trying to munch on string cheese, pepperonis, cumcumber w/ tuna salad, celery w/ cream cheese, shrimp, chicken wings, smoked salmon with cream cheese, Jicama, ect...

Also when you go to the store, carry this list allowable foods.
http://www.wlrfoods.com/deli2.asp#stop1

Eat only the foods on this list for 14 days. Also make sure that you are reading your labels.

You must also make sure that you are eating every 5 waking hours. If you aren't hungry, just nibble on something legal. I would imagine that as long as your are eating something induction legal at dinner time, going for seconds would really matter.

Make sure you are counting your carbs as well. May I suggest fitday.com.

Your exercise regime sounds wonderful, keep up the wonderful work.

I hope this helps, and I know and believe that you can and will do this, not only for yourself, but for your health.

Just come to this board when you are down, you will be amazed at how many members will come to your aid.

Good luck and God Bless!!

Kelly

[Debismyname]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Dear Valid Rouge and Kelly


Thank you both so much for your quick replies....I am grateful for them and if only you could see me now....I have been moved to tears by you guys reaching out to me like that and being honest with me. I guess I am so caught up in this whole negative never-ending cycle that I don't see straight and therefore don't see what is trully happening.

I thought the gum was carb free (as it says it on the packet) but i know for sure that it has aspartame (like diet soda) so I can see now that these things are no nos. I guess I was trying to hide behind my emotional cravings and boredom cravings by just chewing/ drinking all the time to prevent me from eating. Thank you for helping me and pointing me in the right direction.....

I will try starting true induction again and see how it goes....

God bless you both and I hope to be chatting to you and others along the way and drawing advice and inspiration from you all....

I can't thank you enough....

xox
Deb

[sallyseachange]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Debismyname!

I glad you posted because Joy and Kelly gave you awesome advice.

I just wanted to add my urgings that you don't get disheartened. Just do the plan the way it's supposed to be done and you'll see that it'll work for you again. Sometimes it takes a little longer for our body to wake up to the fact that we're serious about weight loss, so it hangs on to the weight a bit at the beginning... but then it usually gets moving!

Do you have the book? Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution (2002 edition) is the one you want. That's the one this board goes by. It's fundamental to understand the science behind the plan.

Hang in there... you can do this!

[Debismyname]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Sally

Thank you for taking the time to write to me too. Your reassurance made a difference and I intend to keep trying to stick to it. Today I have had no gum and so far only two cans of diet cola. I must admit I ate a little too much at lunch time but it was all legal foods and I am hoping that my appetite will decrease as many have said happens in time once on induction. Of course I have a whopping big headache, feel tired, lethergic and basically aweful ! Anyway, I have read that that too is to be expected in the beginning.

You look fantastic in your pictures ! I'm proud of you and I'm sure it wasn't always easy. Can I ask you something please........do you think 32 pounds in 3 months is doable or am I setting myself up to fail? Last time I did atkins I lost 36 pounds in 7 weeks. It happened so quickly for me but i have a hunch that it was because I was having about 4 grams of carbs a day and exercising about 2.5 hours a day which exhausted me and (in my opinion) contributed to me gaining most of the weight back again when I went on holidays and was living with family in a small village in Greece without access to any gym.

Anyway....what do you think, is my goal of 32 in 3 months achievable?

Thanks again and God bless you.

Praying for all of us in here always....
Deb

[dreamof145]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Deb. You've been given great advice already that will help you create a plan to succeed. You can do it. I'd totally agree with Sally's recomend to read the book. Reading in Dr. Atkins' own words what to do, why it works and what to expect is essential in forming your plan to make it happen.

Another suggestion is to get an exercise routine set up. Exercise gives your mind positive thoughts, energy and tightens the skin as you lose the weight. You can do it. Take your measurements ... as it is just as exciting to see your inches melt as you lose weight.

People lose at different speeds, so don't compare yourself to others. Following the program, exercising and keeping a good attitude will make you look fantastic regardless of how much weight the scales say you've lost! You can do this!

Join the board - do challenges, read motivational stories and photos, get a journal set up, make friends and enjoy being part of a community of great people who want to see you succeed!

[sallyseachange]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Yes Deb... Becky's right... everyone loses at different speeds so it's hard to predict. Your previous weight loss was great though, so it might be the same this time around. Hope so! However, the important thing is direction, rather than speed. Once you're at goal, the "losing phase" which seemed endless while you were going through it, suddenly seems to have passed in a flash.

[ConfusedAndNeedHelp]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Great advice! My only advice is not to make your own Atkin'ese diet up. Don't do it because if you do, from what I see on the board, you will not only gain it back, you'll do so plus more. Do it by the book and do it properly. Also, don't forget your vitamins.

[lbrowne]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Deb,

You mention that you're exercising a lot. Kudos! Keep in mind that you need to properly fuel your body for that. Eat well, eat plenty. Eat breakfast! Try starting out with a large glass of water in the morning and having something for breakfast a while later.

Don't skimp on the veggies, salads and fats. Keep away from all transfats.

Break the sugar habit. No gum, no diet sodas, zilch for at least 2 weeks. The reward will be amazing. You'll be able to taste the sweetness in many more foods later on that you never knew was there.

As for the scale goal? Pull your mind away from the scale. Go by how you are feeling and how your clothes are fitting. Take progress photos. They tell the tale when the scale doesn't! A tight firm body with muscle will be able to do more, burn more energy, and will be thinner in appearance than one that's the same weight but with less muscle and more fat.

Check in the exercise forums for advice on that. You'll need to change up your routine from time to time if you want a better and quicker response from your body. You mentioned being tired. This could be from quitting carbs, overexercising, needing extra nutrients or something else. Are you taking your supplements and drinking lots of water? Even mild depression can cause fatigue. That's one that snuck up recently without me realizing it. If the tiredness doesn't go away, keep exploring possible causes and solutions.

Since you've had an eating disorder in the past, keep open to the fact that you may need more help in this, either by a personal counselor or group therapy. Wishing you much success in this on all levels!!

btw - what is your current or starting weight? If you add this info to your signature it'll show up on your posts and make it easier to advise on many points.

~ Linda

[Lyssie]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Deb.

I just wanted to say Hi, and basically wish you luck. I can't really provide more information than everyone else. Joy (ValidRouge) and Sally have been *incredible* sources of inspiration, advice, and information for me so I would do pretty much anything they say.

I would ditch the soda (COMPLETELY). Cutting down is *good*, but since you're already experiencing the withdrawl symptoms anyway, just ditch it. It's not helping you now and won't in the long term. Get some water, some lemon or something, and use that instead. Drinking a *ton* of water will help flush your system, make you feel better, and help you lose weight faster.

Ditch the scales. Maybe you'll lose 30lbs, maybe you won't. Maybe you could lose 30lbs and 2 inches, or 15lbs and 20 inches. Inches are more important than pounds. Take your measurements and go by those. As much as we all say, "my goal weight is... " it's really more important to focus on size, and what's healthy, and what makes you happy. I would rather weigh 160 and be a size 8 than 145 and be a size 14.

[soliwit]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi Debi !!!!
First of all I want to ensure you that YOU CAN DO THIS !!! Not in the least place because you found this board, we are all here to help eachother, after all we are all here for the same reasons !
Most of the important information is already given to you, so I am not going to repeat those things, but I wanted to give you the info for the sour cream part: you say, sometimes you eat 300 grams in one sitting, that is more than 10 ounces.
You are on induction only allowed 1 oz (28 grams) a day, sour cream is counted under the special foods.
I used to be somewhat of a 'sour-cream-addict' too, so I totally know where you come from, but I also know for me it was a food that caused me to stall or lose veeeery slowly, so I am sorry to say you have to get rid of the sour cream (I know I can't even have it in the house cause it'll sit in the fridge calling me, hehehe)
Once you are at the dairy-rung you can start to put it back into your diet, even then you are only allowed up to half a cup in one day, that would be about 115 grams (4 oz)

Happy losing !!!!

[tabekat]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Think about feeding your body from the viewpoint of nurturing it - it is your child and needs your loving care. Could we expect a child to thrive on diet soda, which has no nutritional value whatsoever, and gum?

Feed your body. Feed it plenty of meals with fresh meat, fish, eggs, 4 ounces of cheese and 3 cups of veggies every single day. Right now your body only knows that you aren't feeding it so it is clamping down on the extra fat stores as tightly as it can. We can't expect our bodies to cooperate with us if we behave like an insane prison guard who starves us of nutritious meals.

Exercise has its place, and it is an essential part of the Atkins plan, but two and 1/2 hours seems excessive to me. Balance is the key. Many good studies have shown that 1 hour of exercise 3 or 4 times per week is more than adequate to keep most people in good physical shape. The body needs rest as well as movement to thrive.

Please read all the stickys at the top of this forum. By far the most important gifts Atkins imparted to me is to love my body, nuture my body and to eat, eat, eat!

[Debismyname]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

Hi everyone
I can't believe how sweet and genuinely helpful everyone has been to me in their posts. I am so grateful and touched. Thank you for cheering me on even when I myself am not even cheering for me.

dreamof145 you mention the positive effects of exercise. You are 100% right but the thing is that because of my eating disorder in the past and the fact that I abused exercise for many years in extreme quantities....for me, exercise is torture and full of negative emotions. The only reason why i exercise is to alleviate guilt when i eat larger portions or to get fear at bay (fear of gaining more and more weight).

I know this sounds very bleak but it is exactly how I experience it and I have promised myself to be honest with everyone on this board. The whole time I exercise my inner critic is judging me and my body is fighting against it. One part of me says the more i exercise the better while another part of me wants to never exercise again....ever. Its a tug of war.

Anyway....i feel like cutting exercise back (and maybe then i will like it) but i am so scared to do so because it will mean i lose no weight at all. It will mean i have I to rely 100% on my ability to keep to atkins eating/ portions etc perfectly. It will mean i have no 'room for any deviation from the eating plan'. This really scares me.

As for measurements...I will definetely start taking them as dreamof145 suggested.....seeing shrinking and size drops would be a great motivator. I also need to try and get my hands on that book you say....the 2002 edition of the Atkins Diet Revolution.

Sally, thank you for emphasizing the 'direction' rather than speed. Deep down inside I know you are right but of course that is not what the 'anxious me' wanted to hear. I am so focused on 'will i get there in time' and 'what if i don't' that at times having no guarantee that i will get to my goal before the wedding makes me not even want to try. I know that sounds crazy and is another excuse but again....i am trying to be honest.

Confusedandneedhelp...thank you for reminding me not to drift into my own version of 'Atkins'. My husband-to-be says the same. I try to twist ATkins to accommodate for the little treats I am used to (over indulging in sodas or gum) instead of getting 'real' and kicking the habits.....i fool myself into thinking 'what is a small piece of gum/ can of diet coke going to do' and ' i have given up so much so don't i deserve an outlet/ treat'. This is the self-sabotaging self-talk i say to myself....its neverending....

lbrowne thank you for your advice too....you too are correct....and rather than just hearing this stuff and doing my own thing....i need to take the proper actions.

Just between you guys and me i think i am a procrastinator and that part of me likes drama/ panic/ anxiety so that maybe i am just waiting until the last month so i can 'beat myself up' and stress myself out with trying to get to my goal and then because at that point there would be too much weight to lose in the time left....I can be in a position to say 'i told you so deb.....you can't make it/ do it/ you failed'. Maybe that is what i am doing subconsciously....

God i hope not....it sounds so aweful....arrggghhhhh!

I better end now because i have heaps of work to do here....

As for my statistics....here they are (i had to convert them into pounds because i am in australia and we use kilograms here)....anyway here they are....

Current weight: 165 pounds
Goal weight: 132 pounds

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to help me unravel the mess in my mind that has kept me stuck.

God bless you all.....and i promise that i will not give up.....

xo
Deb

[Belori]

Re: Disheartened - please help me if you can

I know exactly how you feel, Deb. A few days into the diet I had huge sugar cravings. I had given up so much that I thought I really deserved a little treat. I ran out to the store and bought a couple of bags of sugar free candy with labels that boasted "0 Sugar Carbs". Luckily before I ate them I did some research and realized that they did in fact contain carbs that the body can use as energy (or store as fat) and that sometimes these "sugar free" products can knock you right out of ketosis. It was a huge disappointment.

From my own experience I realized water is the best way to fight cravings. Guzzling water has helped me so much. I had thirty pounds to lose (I'm getting married in the fall and I don't want to be a fat bride) and I've already lost 8 lbs. I'm sure a lot of that was water weight that my body was struggling to hold onto because I wasn't drinking enough water in the first place! I never drank water (I used the Diet Coke crutch) so I was always bloated and miserable. I was really surprised at what a huge difference water makes.

Deb, I can really relate to how you feel. I know how hard it is to pull away from the things you've been so dependent on. Everyone stumbles every once in a while but if you're willing to stand up, brush yourself off, and try again you have the power to do anything. I'm more than positive that you'll reach your goal and be a beautiful bride. Good luck to you!