Need help and support desperately...

[amc1980]

Hi everyone,

I'm sort of new here, been lurking for a while... anyway, about a week ago I decided that I needed to begin the Atkins lifestyle. I decided that this was the best thing for me to do, since I crave sweets all the time and I've been told by a doctor that I am insulin resistant. I read the book up until chapter 12, bought a bunch of food, and was ready to go. I even posted here about my start.

So day one went good all during the day... and then something happened. I told my mom on the phone that night that I was doing the Atkins diet because I thought it was my best chance to finally stick with a program, begin feeling better, and get this 90 pounds off once and for all. My mom then talked me out of doing Atkins, and this is how...

In 2003 I was 23 and at about 215 pounds. I went on a hospital supervised liquid fast using HMR shakes. I started at the end of April, and by August of 2003 I was down to 165. So I lost around 50 pounds in 4 months. It wasn't my goal weight of 130, but it was great! I kept all of the weight off until I got pregnant in the summer 2007. After giving birth in April of 2008 I was 240! For the last year I have started and restarted the hospital liquid diet and have NOT been able to stay on it for more than a couple days. The cravings are just to intense and I feel miserable the whole time.

So every time I have tried to lose weight in the last year not using the HMR shakes, my mom promptly reminds me of the success I had in 2003, and how "nothing else is going to work for me", and about how fast the weight loss was, ect... and I fall for it every time and give up what I doing and try to do a liquid fast again.

I know it's not 2003 anymore, and I know I'm older now, but it did feel so great to have weight just falling off of me back then. Like an idiot, I keep trying to recapture that feeling, and I keep failing.

I don't want to fail anymore, and I'm starting to feel so anxious and hopeless. I have a closet of pre-pregnancy clothes that I haven't been able to wear in almost 2 years that I'm afraid I'll never wear again. Also, I'm going to California in 8 weeks to see my old roommate that I haven't seen since 2005. I don't want her to see me this fat.

I'm convinced that Atkins is the best for me after reading the book, but then why do I keep letting people stray me off course. I just need to make it through the first few days, until I get into ketosis, and then I'll be okay I think.

So... if anyone has any advice or words of wisdom, I would appreciate it. I'm just feeling so alone in this.

Thanks

[Sherri]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Hi there,
One thing to consider is that Atkins is a lifestyle as you mentioned. It truly is, a lifestyle for life! In my opinion, you can lose weight just as quickly on Atkins as you can on a liquid diet and it's so much healthier for you. You're replacing bad habits for healthier ones. You'll be eating wholesome nutritional foods that your body requires. Nothing processed. How will you ever know how successful you will be if you don't give it a try?
I'm a sugar addict. Atkins is the only lifestyle to where I was able to recognize that and do something about it. The best way to stop the cravings is to stop eating sweets. Even artificial sweets as in sugar alcohols, splenda, whatever your sweetner of choice is. Stop eating it. After a week you won't crave sweets. Also, when taking L-glutamine it will help stop the craving for sweet.
Atkins teaches you which foods you are tollerable or intollerable by moving up the rungs correctly and reintoducing foods from each rung. You will learn so much about your metabolism and what you are tollerable to. I would of never known this had I not done Atkins. It truly is a learning experience. It is life changing.
You will never have to diet again when doing Atkins. That alone is worth giving it a shot.
As long as you follow the plan 100%, you'll get 100% results.
Tell "mom" thanks for her support but you've decided that you're going to give Atkins a try and that you would really appreciate her support. Stand your ground. You're going to run into many people that will discourage you from this lifestyle. It's time to own the ground you walk upon and make this a life decision for life, for YOU!
Once you see how well you are doing there will be no turning back. Trust me. I lost 100 lbs. in ten months. Reversed my Type 2 Diabetes in 48 days into Extended Induction, for it to never return again. Plus kicking many meds to the curb.
I have faith that this will work for you. Just give it a try. What do you have to lose except 90 lbs. This is an experience that you would never get from a liquid diet.
Wishing you much success with whatever it is you decide to do.
Sincerely, Sherri

[joesabido]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

It is VERY unlikely that you'll lose 90 pounds in 4 months doing atkins. If it is of vital importance for you to loose that amount of weight in so little time, well, then go and do the method already worked for you... BUT...

... yes, there's a big BUT... you can't live on HRM drinks and "foods", you can't live on a crash diet, but you CAN live on Atkins OWL.

Maybe the best approach for you would be to do the supervised HRM diet and once you've lost a big amount of your extra weight switch to the atkins way of eating, and never look back.

If you're like me (very impatient) you'll be frustrated when you see your weight go off slowly. Atkins is a way of life, not really a DIET, so don't expect a quick fix.

I've only been 5 days on induction and I feel it's been a month... I need to lose 90 pounds and just thinking that it might take a year or two makes me wanna quit and just live with the fact that I'll be a fat slob all my life, or at least most of it

[msanjelpie]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Now that you are insulin resistant, (which you probably weren't when you did your fast way back when) things are going to be different for you from here on out...

Atkins is the best diet for stabilizing blood sugar. Mom needs to understand that now that you are on the brink of diabetes, quickie diets aren't the best thing for you in the long run...

But even if she doesn't agree, you are a grown up and capable of making your own decisions... eating your own food, and taking control of your weight and your life.

[kibskix]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

if that were my mom, i'd be pissed off. weight loss isn't about a quick fix, its about being able to re-teach yourself to eat right, keep it off, and be healthy. there's nothing healthy about eating no solid food and being miserable for 4 months in a row, and it doesn't fix the root problem of bad eating habits. i can starve myself for 4 days and lose 7lbs. as soon as i eat again, it would come right back. i can lose 7lbs on atkins in 3-4 weeks, and keep it off while still eating. quick weight loss also makes you flabby, and your skin (depending how much you have to lose) will not shrink back.
my advice would be don't talk to your mom about it. its hard to ignore our moms when they dissaprove of something, even when we're adults, but she needs to mind her business my mom likes to go out of her way to buy things i can't have, and argues with me that i 'dont have any weight to lose' (yeah cause 5'10 and over 200lbs is totally healthy right). don't invite the situation! if she doesnt come around, remove her as part of your support and find people who are helpful not harmful to what youre trying to do

only a few people know i'm doing the "A" word. some people who i know would give me crap about it i dont even mention it around. i just say i stopped eating sugar, and they don't feel the need to put in their 2 cents.

[joesabido]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Sometimes I get called "the A word"

Most of the people I know would call me crazy for eating like I'm eating right now, so I'm just keeping it to myself for the first few months, and I'll be getting blood tests every 1 or 2 months, so I'll have SOLID PROOF that Atkins is not going to kill me

[amc1980]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Thanks everyone for responding, you all have some really good points.

Sherri, wow, thanks for the encouraging reply! I have read and reread your post, and it really hit home with me. I too am addicted to sugar, and at night especially I feel the need to snack on candy. I really want to change my body so that I don't feel the cravings, and the liquid diet wasn't doing it. Even though the liquid diet was all sweet stuff, my body felt terrible at the end of the day. What you said about never having to diet again on Atkins was really great, and you're right! That's something else I couldn't handle with the liquid; I felt that my life was on hold during the diet. I think I'll begin the Atkins lifestyle, have a grilled hamburger this weekend, and get on with my life! Thanks again Sherri, and congratulations on your success! You look great!

[liv]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Good luck. This is a great way to get a good relationship to real food. And real food is good for us. Keep us updated. We'd love here how it goes and to cheer you on.

[Sherri]

Re: Need help and support desperately...

Thanks everyone for responding, you all have some really good points.

Sherri, wow, thanks for the encouraging reply! I have read and reread your post, and it really hit home with me. I too am addicted to sugar, and at night especially I feel the need to snack on candy. I really want to change my body so that I don't feel the cravings, and the liquid diet wasn't doing it. Even though the liquid diet was all sweet stuff, my body felt terrible at the end of the day. What you said about never having to diet again on Atkins was really great, and you're right! That's something else I couldn't handle with the liquid; I felt that my life was on hold during the diet. I think I'll begin the Atkins lifestyle, have a grilled hamburger this weekend, and get on with my life! Thanks again Sherri, and congratulations on your success! You look great!

That's wonderful news amc!
I understand about the night time cravings all to well. That's where the L-glutamine comes into play. A wonderful tool. The sooner you get that on board, the better. Here's info on it-#30 . When and if the sweet cravings come in the evening, it's a good idea to have a fat snack to help curb it. Like a deviled egg or cream cheeses and celery
I love this time of year. I do alot of grilling. Grilled burgers sound yummy. Make sure to be getting in your 3 cups of veggies from the allowed veggie list as well throughout the day.
Drink lots and lots of water to flush your system each day as well.
I'm really excited for you. Can you tell? LOL
As Liv mentioned, keep us updated on how you're doing. Don't be afraid to ask questions, there's always someone here with great advice to help you get tools for your weightloss journey.
Welcome to the healthiest lifestyle there is, ATKINS!
Wishing you much success!
Sincerely, Sherri
P.S. I would like to invite you to my journal. Stop in any ol' time. There's lots & lots of great info there as well.
Motherearth AKA Sherri~~~ How The World Turns As I See It