Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

[LC_Dave]

Re: Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

but we don't wake up to a Snow White world where even the butterflies fart rainbows

Am I a ten year old boy if I say,

Can I get a picture of a butterfly farting a rainbow ?

[fiddlejen]

Re: Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

One of my main concerns would be to go back to my old way of life. There is no guarantees, this could easily happen to any one of us!

There are many tales of people losing weight on Atkins, then 'straying' and gaining weight.

This is such a serious problem. I lost a fair amount of weight on WW, then (because of the starving) went off and gained twice the weight back

Well can I look at this from a slightly different point of view?

I've met plenty of people who have succeeded at WW or similar plan and then gained back "twice the weight" (or some amount like that).

But - (and maybe I'm wrong, I have resisted the urge to take the time to read all the posts on this board) - this is my experience of people I've known - of those who do go off Atkins, most of them don't come anywhere close to gaining back twice the weight.

My own experience the first time around was that, when I stopped Atkins I did not stop noticing carbs. I did go back to eating as much junk as I wanted... which did make me want more... BUT even then, I was aware enought that I didn't eat carbs unless I specifically wanted them. (Unlike before Atkins.) I started at 274 and got to about 180, and then stopped. Without doing a proper OWL or pre-maintenance, etc. I just kind of quit. So my weight bounced back up... to about 200-210 ish, and pretty much stayed there.

BEFORE Atkins, ever since a teenager, my weight had always been on an upward creep/climb, no matter what I tried I just got heavier. So the fact that, several years after quitting Atkins, my weight eventually started creeping up again really says nothing about Atkins at all. (Eventually getting to 234 - STILL 40 pounds BELOW my original start weight - has motivated me to re-start.)

Anyway, my point is not that it makes any sense to quit. (It doesn't! Don't do it! Stick to the plan, it's so much worth it!!!) My point is only that, even if you quit, Atkins has a better outcome than most any of the other diets out there.

[didy]

Re: Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

I can make excuses but I don't buy them and neither would you. I just DIDN'T CARE. I didn't care what the scale said enough to even weigh in. I started eating in the car again. I made desserts "for the family" and ATE them. I went back for seconds when I wasn't hungry. I felt sorry for myself and ate away the hurt.

the results? Within 3 months I felt sick. My neck started hurting again. I was tired. I had insomnia. I got a miserable cold for the first time in 2 years.

Why do we go off plan? I think the question has so many answers it would clog the boards. I think for me to stay ON plan, I need the accountability, motivation, recipes, hugs, support, laughs and direction I find here. I have many friends and loved ones in my life. But you understand totally. You find a way to connect to me-even when I'm just reading someone else's posts. To succeed, I have to be focused (bordering on obsessive). I need a dose of YOU about daily.
didy

[Jasmain]

Re: Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

I can make excuses but I don't buy them and neither would you. I just DIDN'T CARE. I didn't care what the scale said enough to even weigh in. I started eating in the car again. I made desserts "for the family" and ATE them. I went back for seconds when I wasn't hungry. I felt sorry for myself and ate away the hurt.

the results? Within 3 months I felt sick. My neck started hurting again. I was tired. I had insomnia. I got a miserable cold for the first time in 2 years.

Why do we go off plan? I think the question has so many answers it would clog the boards. I think for me to stay ON plan, I need the accountability, motivation, recipes, hugs, support, laughs and direction I find here. I have many friends and loved ones in my life. But you understand totally. You find a way to connect to me-even when I'm just reading someone else's posts. To succeed, I have to be focused (bordering on obsessive). I need a dose of YOU about daily.
didy

Okay, here I am, counting you, poking you with the motivation stick, telling you that veggies are good for you, hugging you, buying you support hose, tickling you, and pointing to the you that you want to be! Oh yeah, and giving you some magnifying glasses so you only see low carb food really big!
I'd give you a shot of us.. but I think some of us have candida problems! I'll get back to you on that!

[Analog6]

Re: Why is it difficult to stick to this way of life?

I am not finding it hard to stick to.
1. You are allowed lots of food, and it is good quality and there are lots of choices. Frankly, if someone couldn't find something they liked to eat then they'd be prtty darned hard to please!
2. You can treat yourself. Once or tiwce a week I have berries and cream for dessert. Hey, that is NOT a hardship.
3. If you you eat something 'naughty', you can just be a bit more strict oin yourself for a few days to get back on track.
4. If you seriously fall off the wagon, you can just climb back on and go back to losing. It may be a bit slower, but you'll still lose. I did see a post with a link to an article about how the first time on low carb would always give you the biggest losses, it slowed down after that, but I cannot find it. I think it was called the Last Chance or something like that.

Dave, If you haven't got the book Atkins for Life, get one and have a read. The food you can have on maintenance is amazing in both variety and quantity!

Cleo, SO good to see you back!