How do you do it? I must know...

**kate58** · November 6, 2007, 03:25 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

...give up a lifetime of eating for comfort?

Stop. Start.

Don't think of it as giving up something wonderful - it isn't wonderful, it isn't comforting in the least. It makes you fat, it makes you miserable, it makes you unhealthy, what's comforting about that?

Change your thinking, take control of you thoughts. You are NOT giving up anything. You are doing something nurturing and wonderful for both your body and your mind.

Do it to-day. Do it to-morrow. Eat right, eat well, enjoy guilt free food and start thinking of it as nourishment, not comfort. On this way of eating you won't crave the type of food that is harmful, or at least not often and even then you will gain control. I crave caulifower 'rice' now. It'll never do me much harm.

Find other ways to relieve stress - go for a walk, do some yoga, take up knitting, painting whatever clears your mind and forces you to concentrate on something that isn't day to day life.

...do it once and for all?

Commit.

Build new habits, eating habits, exercising habits - it doesn't happen instantly but it does happen and once hunger is out of the equation it happens remarkably fast. Commit every morning to a healthy day. One day after another, just one at a time.

...stop going up and down on the scale, and up and down and up and down...?

Get support.

Post here or somewhere like it. Hold yourself accountable. Let others know what's going on and they will help you to help yourself.

...get to a weight that, according to the height and weight charts of what's healthy for your body make-up, is 100 pounds less than you weigh?

Patience.

Slowly. Inexorably, one pound at a time via as many mini goals as you need to keep you motivated. Getting to the main goal doesn't seem impossible any more when you start ticking off intermetiate goals that themselves seemed unreachable.

Challenge yourself. Join in the challenges here or set you own. Slowly, slowly change the way you think and act around food. Don't expect it to happen over night, don't berate yourself if you go wrong, just get right back up, back on plan and determine to make it happen.

It's just a matter of time, patience and perseverance. Don't expect a miracle - you're just setting yourself up for a disappointment. It's not a race, it's a process. You didn't gain those pounds in a few months, you won't lose them in a few months either, but you will lose them.

...not go crazy on eating again, when you taste one of those foods that you've eliminated from your intake on the WOE -- after you've reached that 100-pound loss goal?

Don't taste them again. This is a lifetime way of eating, not a diet. Never, ever even think of it as a temporary thing or as a diet. If there are foods that harm you think of them as poisonous drugs and just cut them out forever. There are so many good things you can eat that only do you good.

...wake up one day and just know that this time you're going to do it -- all the way down -- no stopping at 10 pounds when there are 90 more?

You don't just wake up on day and realise it. You just start with to-day and go from there, but at the same time giving yourself every chance of succeeding to-morrow too.

You stick around here and you post often. Post the good stuff and everyone will help you celebrate, post about the bad days and someone will slap you good and help you get back on track. Don't stop posting if you are faltering - post more, read more.

**Bren** · November 6, 2007, 05:17 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

How do you...

...give up a lifetime of eating for comfort?

Baby Steps. I think Atkins WOE is COMFORT food. I cannot imagine anything any different. But, I am in maintenance and can eat alot! I mean ALOT. But, I still do not do flour, sugar etc. They actually do not sit right with me now.

...do it once and for all?

Baby Steps. It only takes a few months to develop a habit. HONEST! Once you get used to it is a lifestyle. Cannot imagine eating any other way.

...stop going up and down on the scale, and up and down and up and down...?

Baby Steps...... I still go up and down on the scales. I can flux a few pounds a week.
I have a limit I never cross. If I get close I watch myself for a few days and then back to my comfort zone.

...get to a weight that, according to the height and weight charts of what's healthy for your body make-up, is 100 pounds less than you weigh?

Baby Steps! I lost my pounds ONE pound at a time just like anyone else. I celebrated my loses with rewards and always set goals. Even if that goal was to lose ONE pound. Did I mention Baby Steps!!

...not go crazy on eating again, when you taste one of those foods that you've eliminated from your intake on the WOE -- after you've reached that 100-pound loss goal?

The food you eliminated is never gone, you can have it again. The question is IF you want it again. I ,to this day have not had rice or potatos, my choice, I do not miss them. You reach a point where you CAN have things, but they really are not as great as you remember!! WOW! That was my biggest wake up was about after a year I tasted a "forbidden" food and it was NASTY! But, I do have the occasional treat. But, never a full serving. The first bite tastes as good as the last. So, I skip the in between bites and only have two.

...wake up one day and just know that this time you're going to do it -- all the way down -- no stopping at 10 pounds when there are 90 more?

BABY STEPS
BABY STEPS
BABY STEPS
BABY STEPS
The Journey of a lifetime begins with one single step. Do not look at the BIG picture. Take it one day at a time.

**matawguro** · November 6, 2007, 06:38 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

How do you...

...give up a lifetime of eating for comfort?
...do it once and for all?

I hate to sound like a "Bible thumper", but...

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." - Matthew 13:44-46

If you discovered something that was valuable for you, what wouldn't you give up?

How important is your health to you? If you found out you had cancer, wouldn't you spend every last penny just to get a chance at a cure?

The Atkins WoE/WoL isn't even asking you to give up carbs for life, just the carbs you don't need.

What wouldn't you give for a leaner, healthier, more vibrant you?

...stop going up and down on the scale, and up and down and up and down...?

Big successes feed on small ones. If you fail, focus on the advancements you've made and not the ground you've lost.

I've seen people on these boards say,"Oops, I blew my diet. I might as well blow it all the way!" I don't get that line of thinking. It's like saying, "Oops, I burned my hand on the stove, I might as well burn my whole arm."

On my first birthday on Atkins, I decided i was going to cheat. I was going to have a birthday cake and spaghetti (it's a Filipino thing). What kind of birthday would it be without those foods? Then I thought to myself, I had lost 30 pounds already and I was still losing. Would I risk a stall? I've never lost so much weight before.

I haven't had cake on my birthday since.

...get to a weight that, according to the height and weight charts of what's healthy for your body make-up, is 100 pounds less than you weigh?

Small step, small step, BIG STEP.

Set milestones as minor goals. Worry about getting through the first two weeks of induction first. Don't worry too much about using the BMI charts for your target weight. A lot of people here have found thouse charts wanting and have adjusted their targets accordingly.

...not go crazy on eating again, when you taste one of those foods that you've eliminated from your intake on the WOE -- after you've reached that 100-pound loss goal?

As I said, focus on your success. Also plan for failure. If you fail, what are you going to do about it. Have a contingency plan so you won't feel helpless if you fail.

...wake up one day and just know that this time you're going to do it -- all the way down -- no stopping at 10 pounds when there are 90 more?

When I lost 10 pounds on the first two weeks of Atkins, I was stoked.

"OMG! I LOST 10 POUNDS! IT REALLY DOES WORK AND I WAS NEVER HUNGRY! LOOK! AN INCH OFF MY WAISTLINE! I CAN DO THIS!!! I'M NOT DOOMED BY MY DNA TO BE FAT FOREVER!!!"

Atkins is like crack cocaine,... have... to... lose... more. After losing 10 pounds, how can you not want to lose more?

**mitzimarie** · November 6, 2007, 07:58 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

You have gotten some amazing responses here! Very, very good advice. I agree with every word!

Of course, you realize, that ultimately it is up to you... no one can infuse the desire into you... it must come from within.

My best advice is to be patient, and trust the plan. It DOES work... and the closer you stick to plan without variation from the book, the better it works.

Here is a little inspirational saying that rings true for me. I don't know who the author is, but I love it...

"If you're willing to pay a price, any circumstance can change.
If you want something bad enough, you can have it.
The key is desire.

Obstacles don't matter.
Pain, circumstances, or other challenges can be there.
But if you want to do something bad enough, you'll find a way to do it.

Desire in time will become fact.
Reality forms around your commitments.

You only have to desire something greatly to get it.
Desire is the fire of life."

I send my best wishes to you on your re-start. It doesn't matter if this is your second, third, fourth, etc. start... as long as you commit to this time being the real deal, it WILL happen. Just check out my stats... there is no such thing as "one golden shot"... I have done much better this time around than any other time I have tried.

YOU CAN DO IT!!

**Hudson** · November 6, 2007, 08:41 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

matawguro - thanks for the thump!

Medusa - I have seen many try Atkins and give up. Seen many others have great success and then go back. And only a few stay with it for years - in fact very few. Sugar is a powerful enemy. You have to want good health more than sweet satisfaction. The media in general tell you Atkins is a bad idea and your friends tell you there is nothing wrong with a "slice of this" or a "cup of that" and most of the world is fat and wants you to be fat with them. Even in my own family - I don't get real support even after losing 100 lbs. They mostly deep down think I am on a goofy fad diet that is not realy healthy.

I think education is very important. Read DANDR. Read other Atkins. Read other Low-carb. Read LC recipe books. Research online articles. Read Gary Taubes. At some point to maintain success you have to develop a strong belief that Atkins was right. Not just that you can lose a few pounds - but that good health is only available without the carbs.

Best of luck to you.

**dreamof145** · November 6, 2007, 09:39 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

I commend you for coming here and asking the questions that so many are asking themselves as they struggle to make the program work.

You've received fantastic advice from Bren, Robbie, Kate and Mitzi. Baby steps and patience are key points in anything we do in our lives, especially losing weight. I can feel the frustration in your post and I just want you to know you aren't alone. We've all been at that level in our journeys.

The only way to break old habits without feeling deprived and miserable is to replace them with new healthier ones. A food journal was the best thing I did. I wrote down what trigger foods I was craving and what was happening at the time the temptations were the strongest - that allowed me to form solutions.

Utilizing the 'substitution foods' in the substition forum to satisfy particular cravings was also one of the things that really helped me. Women's bodies fluctuate up/down, so measuring is the best solution along with accepting that a few pound increase does not mean the program isn't working or that you have failed. Measure and weigh once a week. Surround yourself with positive affirmations, quotes, photos and phrases. I kept a hard-copy journal in my purse and read it 2-3 times a day when I first started.

Each time I was tempted..I re-read DANDR, came to the ADBB for support, joined challenges and upped my exercise. It takes time to become comfortable with the changes...'baby-steps'.

You are on the right track making plans and forming ideas and solutions to overcome the obstacles and negative thoughts you are facing. Don't stop, take the information everyone has given you and utilize the ones that will work for you. We're here for you...anytime you need us.

**Adena** · November 6, 2007, 10:43 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

Medusa, great questions, and you've gotten some great advice that I agree with. One thing I'll add that really helped me... I used to get overwhelmed knowing I had 100+ pounds to lose. It seemed like it would take forever. But, I kept reminding myself how quickly time passes. You know how before you know it, a new month has arrived, another holiday has come, etc.? Well, when I'd get overwhelmed, I'd remind myself of that... that while each day on a new "diet" seems to drag, that really, time does go by so fast... and if I can just stick with it (using all the great advice you've been given above)... the losses will add up.

The appetite supression from ketosis and ability to each rich foods that I love (in spite of not being able to have sugar and my greatest love, pasta!) has really helped me to stick with it. Despite being 'deprived' of certain foods, I've never felt so indulgent with any other "diet" I've tried. That's why this way of eating, once and for all, has been the answer.

Echoing some of the advice above, setting smaller, more achievable mini-goals, as well as coming here OFTEN, have been two other big keys to making Atkins work for me.

Best of luck to you... I hope you decide to take the plunge.

**apple** · November 6, 2007, 11:48 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

....just adding....

Baby steps. It's all about making the changes one step at a time, one day at a time, and telling yourself that you are worth it.

**RIMedusa** · November 7, 2007, 08:08 PM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

To Everyone:

Your spirit and support are gorgeous.

For me it's a distant dream to be slim and fit... the dream I've had all my life.

Look at all of you... look at the happiness shining in your eyes because you are taking care of your bodies.

I am 45 and want at least 45 more.

Dreamof145, you're down another 10!

Thanks to all of you, I may try again.

Medusa

**Bren** · November 8, 2007, 04:46 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

Medusa,

None of us here are different from you. I had that dream of being slim and fit for 47 years. You can do it! I know you can! Just take it one day at a time. I remember days saying to myself in the beginning, "I CAN do this for 5 minutes". Everyday and in everyway it got easier and easier. Also, you are NEVER a failure until you give up trying! You can do this! If I could do it...........anyone can!

**Duinai** · November 8, 2007, 10:21 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

Medusa, you are 45. I was 45 when I started. I am not going to repeat all the wonderful things people already posted here.. all of them absolutely true and wonderful. You WILL fluctuate 3-4-5 pounds every week even after you done and will be at your goal - its a woman thing, and we have to live with that

but its OK and we cannot change it

So why I am maintaining for 2 years? The answer for me is simple: FEAR. I dont want to be fat again. I want to be able to wear all the nice clothes that I bought during my 2 years. I dont want to be embarassed ( if my friends suddenly go like.... Ohhh.. you gaining again?? .. Hmmmm.. so this diet of yours is not working???).. I am Atkins Poster Child at my work... most dont remember what Atkins is and such, but they all know I am cute and dont eat sugar and bread

for me its good enough, HAHA

You find something IMPORTANT for you, and ONLY you, and PERSONALLY you. it could be ANYTHING, but must be important for YOU.

Good Luck,

Dui

**RIMedusa** · November 10, 2007, 11:09 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

Medusa has gone shopping!

Last night, at midnight, I pulled up in my driveway with ten or more bags of Atkins groceries.

I have begun again.

And this time I've prepared well for the coming week. I have delicious meats and poultry, healthy fresh vegetables...

Let's see what the adventure holds for me this time.

Medusa

**momof3** · November 10, 2007, 11:25 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

Good for you!!! You can do it! I am on day 13, the longest I have made it in a couple of years! I just keep thinking....I wish I had done this 6 years ago the first time I started. Keep with it!!! I saw something someone posted on here that inspired me, it said.....A year from now you'll wish you started today! That is so true in my life. A year really does go by very quickly!! You can do it, stay on here and get all the help you need. When you feel like cheating, get on here, with a big bottle of water

and read, read, read. I promise you'll get inspired all over again and you should have an entire bottle of water gone too!!!

**SunnySmile501** · November 10, 2007, 11:27 AM

Re: How do you do it? I must know...

I can't add much to the wonderful responses you have already gotten, but this: Even if you fall off for an hour, a day or several days, coming back here with thousands of people that are in the same boat as you/me is what keeps me going. I have got things in my life hitting me from all directions and after 2 years, still fall, but my friends help me get back up. I fell big time yesterday, but here I am drawing strength from my Atkins family and back on track.

Thank you, Atkins family!!!

Sunny!!!

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