Anyone here at goal for over a year?

[Ragtime Gal]

I met yet another lady at the gym today with the same "Oh I knew someone who lost tons of weight on Atkins and then gained it all back" story. Anyone here been at goal for awhile and can you share your success and strategies with me? I'm obviously not at goal yet, but I like to hear these stories after I've heard the other ones!!

Thanks!!

Sharon

[Perry]

Nothing too motivational here. I've been at goal since 2/20/04. I am a walking contradiction to people like your gym lady's friend.

[ForME]

Yep I heard on one of the morning shows that other day that most regain back what they lost on atkins. And he keeped calling it a DIET!! This is not a diet it to me this is a lifetime change in eating habits.. made me not happy :anger to hear him saying this to all the people that were listening that morning.


Crystal

[Iapetus999]

9 months for me (12/6/03) :yes

Actually bottomed out at 197 but got a few back.

I think you need to stay at a certain weight for long enough to "reprogram" your body since part of me probably thinks I should still weigh 270+.

I personally I think maintenance is the hardest stage of all because it never ends and you have to constantly work at it. There's no motivation of the scale moving anymore. And you're always wondering how much you can eat without gaining weight.
I think the reason people regain weight is that they see a diet as a "fix" like a haircut and don't realize that if you go off it, the weight returns faster than before.

[jrodri]

I know alot of people read this forum. and 200 people so far read this subject. but only 3 people replied. So, does it really work long term? HElP..PLEASE reply if you have kept your weight off for over a year and maintain a healthy lifestyle..thanks

[Betty]

I have now been at goal for a year, and will have been doing this WOEFL for 2 years in Dec., 2004. I have not had any problems maintaining because I believe I really know more about what my body can handle and can't handle. I still exclude pasta, white potatoes, rice, and white bread products.

[LindaSue]

It took me 10 months to lose 50 pounds and reach my goal. I got to my goal in May of 2003, so I've been maintaining for 17 months now. I agree with what Iapetus999 wrote completely. This is something I have to think about all the time and have to constantly make choices about what I will eat and accept the consequences when I go off course now and then. After a while it becomes second nature though and I have a very hard time remembering what it was like to eat the way I used to. I have no desire to go back to that way of eating. That doesn't mean that I never want to eat something high in carbs or that I don't ever do that. It's all about making wise choices every day because we all know that our choices can affect the rest of our lives for good or bad. I like being thin way too much to let food take control of my life again.

[dzuspann]

Not a year yet. Basically been near goal weight for about 5 weeks now.

The only way to keep the lbs off is to continue good eating habits. Obviously if I go back to eating the way I did that led me to 225 lbs, i will be right back there.

For the rest of my life I will have to keep the carbs down. Heck I was eating 300+ carbs per day easy. Baked potato, bag of chips, candy bars, 3-4 guiness. It is easy to get there if you eat like that.

I feel like I will keep it off but I just took a job with a lot of travel. That means a lot of restaurants so that makes it harder. Good thing induction is over because restaurants are tough for that.

[luvchoc]

goal

I reached goal in Oct. 2003 and am the exact weight i was then. I still use fitday almost everyday . IM on that SCALE daily to see when the weight maybe jumps 2-3lbs i low carb it for a few and then its right back on track . I do know others that gained their weight if not more back I dont think they payed that much attention till it was too late. I do EAT fattening foods but i know the next day or so I will pay for it eating salads,water, and meats till that scale goes back. I have visited this forum since Aug 03 I KNOW that helps alot to keep me going too . Actually as of last week I restarted atkins induction to try and lose another 10lbs , so far alot slower than the first time but 4lbs in about 2 weeks Isnt too bad :joy Good luck to all you future weight losers and remember its not a quick-diet its a lifetime of eating correctly ....

[Newleafveggiegirl]

I met my goal in July and have continued with this WOE with the modifications of allowing myself pretty much unlimited vegetables on the first rung. I have also stopped weighing myself as I am adjusting to just living this way instead of focussing on loosing weight. It feels good to be free of the measuring, and to be simply living with new eating habits. Fruit here and there, a taste of wild rice stuffing, caffine, it all feels very maneagable, and healthy. I really did feel the need to break away from the rigors or carb counting and weekly weigh ins. I do not like to live in a body conscious way...I like to simply be healthy and love my body for what it does for me. The process of loosing the weight was emotionally diffucult. I much prefer living with the attitude of maintanance rather than weight loss.
ALoha, Karen

[mooowi]

Ive keeped of 90 pounds for 4 years. I only lost the weight on atkins after that I quit atkins ran and lifted weights as well as a low fat diet. I found that maintaning weight for me is very easy but my body wont let any weight go at all unless I do low carbs.

[mooowi]

O I just started atkins again to lose the last 15 pounds it turns out my goal weight from 4 years ago was a bit high.

[BikerGoddess]

I started Atkins 12/2/02, and, because I can't do anything simply, I reached my goal of 125 in Feb of this year, then changed it back to 130, which I have maintained so far. In reality, I set my goal too low and it was difficult to reach and impossible to maintain, so I've basically been at goal since Oct of '03.

Atkins is no different from any other method to lose weight, in that if you quit doing it, it quits working. Of course, you don't do Induction the rest of your life, but you don't go back to your old way of eating, either. If you commit to eating healthier for the rest of your life, you won't gain the weight back.

There are different challenges during Maintenance - it's harder to stay motivated when you're not seeing a loss and when that meal or two you shouldn't have had doesn't cause you to immediately gain 5 lbs. But, it's also easier in a way - you have more options, you *can* have something special once in awhile, and it's pretty much a habit to pick the right foods.

My goal now is to never buy a bigger size (unless I'm pregnant). If something gets too tight to wear, I'll just be uncomfortable until I get back down to where it fits right.

I won't kid you and tell you it's smooth sailing when you hit goal, but it's also not a monster hiding in the closet waiting to get you. You'll do fine.

Laura

[Tracker]

:nod
I have a couple of close friends that have done well on this so far. It was a lifestyle change. After 1.5 yrs they are maintaining they're weight loss. I only wish to do as well as them. :icondance

[Austin Okie]

I don't buy the notion that you'll gain all the weight back if you don't follow the letter of Atkins. You WILL gain it back if you go back to the lifestyle that caused you to gain all the weight in the first place.

I'm a 6'1" 29 year-old male who started Atkins in July of 2003. I weighed 225 at the time, and I have no doubt how I got there. Before that, I paid absolutely no attention to what I was eating. If it tasted good, I'd eat it. The only reason I wan't heaver than that was that I excercised regularly. By Thanksgiving '03 I was down to 180, and I have been between 180 and 190 ever since. I no longer count carbs, but I am very concious of what I eat. I don't buy white bread, pasta, potatoes, etc., and I don't drink non-diet soda. I still use Splenda instead of sugar, etc.

Bottom line: As long as you continue to excercise and avoid the junk food, you'll be fine. If you're burning as much as you're consuming there is no way you'll gain weight. Just stay away from the Golden Corral buffet!