What happened!?!

[Soon2BFitMom]

Like many others who've posted recently I am having a really hard time. I Started Atkins at the end of Feb. 2009, and was down to 241lbs - almost 50lbs lost. 2 weeks ago I went out of town to attend a friends grad party. It was a party full of old close friends and I had a blast, but by the end of the night I was a bit more than tipsy and stuffing my face with chips......next morning we went out to breakfast and I got a latte......then I hosted a babyshower and pigged out on sweets, then went on a float trip and ate a PB&J on the river....and had wine.....and you get the point.

Fast forward to tuesday when I finally got back on a scale at the gym and found I weighed two hundred and sixty one pounds I checked at home too and it said the same. That is a 20lbs gain in just 2 weeks off atkins! How is that even possible??? I didn't loose near that much in my 2 week induction! Is it possible my body had a weird reaction? Does anyone know of or had anything like this happen to them? I am more than freaked out and angry with myself and seriously worry about adding carbs to my diet when the time comes.....

I re-started induction yesterday and have already lost 7lbs (261 to 254). I only lost 2 pounds my first couple days of induction last time. I don't understand what is going on at all and really do worry about my body.

Of course it also made me even more positive that sugar is BAD for my body, I wish I could convince my taste buds......I am still having trouble finding the resolve I had when I first started!

[ldyj]

Re: What happened!?!

Oh, yeah, it can happen just that fast!! It will take about 2 weeks induction to get back close to where you were, but you will get there. Lesson learned! (Always, and I mean always, the hard way, I might add!!)

[Divadevilsmom]

Re: What happened!?!

I would be willing to bet that much of that weight has to do with water retention as well.

[imagood1]

Re: What happened!?!

From what I read of what you ate everything was carby food that will put the weight back on quickly. You need to find the resolve you had when you first started and get back on track. I've had my day in the sun and paid for it for a long time (3 weeks to loose the weight I had gained back and it was 3 pounds!!).

Up your exercise, watch everything that goes in your mouth and get back on plan. Good luck to you!!! We've all been there - like ldyj said -- lesson learned the hard way!

[Elizellen]

Re: What happened!?!

I am more than freaked out and angry with myself and seriously worry about adding carbs to my diet when the time comes.....

Adding carbs if you follow the carb ladder and do OWL carefully and seriously should not have the same effect as adding lots of random highcarb foods

[Soon2BFitMom]

Re: What happened!?!

OK, it's good to hear that this isn't too abnormal and that this experience shouldn't be indicative of what will happen with the rungs...this time around I've wondered if I would have more success with OWL. Who knows? I am going to try to be more active here, the first month I lurked daily and it really helped, thanks for the responses!

[IrishIrish]

Re: What happened!?!

In answer to your question, "What Happened", you stepped onto a slippery slope and sounds like you slid and did some damage. And as you know, it can happen quickly. My guess is that some of it was water weight from eating the carby, salty snacks and the rest was "anything goes" pounds from eating anything you wanted.

If you recall from reading the book, Dr. Atkins tells us this will change the way we metabolize food by converting our bodies from being carb burning to fat burning. Changing the balance, radically, as you did is not easily forgiven by your body while you are in the throws of carb loading and you have seen the result.

Welcome back ... it works ... but don't make the mistake of believing that the "yo-yo" approach will work.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: What happened!?!

Lesson learned - huh?

In all honesty - take this as a learning situation...now you know that you can NOT eat like that. You are one who's body converts carbs almost immediately and your body holds on to them - turning them into fat (not saying you gained 20 pounds of fat - but def. saying it's a possibility if you continued to eat like that). Does that suck? Heck yeah it does, but now that you know that you CAN'T eat junk food, or else your body will become fat (which I assume you don't want) then you need to eat the way that will make your body become thin.

You know that - in the past - eating like that is what got you up to your highest weight in the first place...eating the atkins way - whole foods - no junk, no sweets - etc - that keeps you losing weight to get to your ideal weight.

Why would you do to yourself something like that when you know that that is how you got to that unhappy weight in the first place?

I'm not yelling at you at all - but look at it more like this:
Doing A. (eating junk food) made me unhappy & fat.
Doing B. (eating atkins/healthy whole foods) will make me happy & thin.

It's not about willpower - it's about knowledge. Knowing that "Hey - if I eat chips and sweets I will get fat. period." and that "If I eat healthy natural fats - low carbs - and my vegees, I will lose weight and be happy." period.

It's as simple as that.

You are FABULOUS for getting right back on track and not letting this slip-up ruin everything you've worked for.

Good luck!!!

[Soon2BFitMom]

Re: What happened!?!

I'm not yelling at you at all - but look at it more like this:
Doing A. (eating junk food) made me unhappy & fat.
Doing B. (eating atkins/healthy whole foods) will make me happy & thin.

Keriann, good point, I've been discussing this with my mom and husband. It's amazing that from when we're first taught to eat we get treats as rewards, cakes to celebrate, etc. I think it all teaches that the bad food is good,and the protein and veggies are what we must eat. If you've ever watched a toddler crash after a birthday party it is just clear as day......so then, eating the treat food makes you feel bad, but you think of it as good.... My mom thinks that we're all walking around believing that we are supposed to feel bad....Certainly interesting. Thanks for the encouragement. BTW, BEAUTIFUL wedding dress, and, of course, bride

Irish - this is the first "diet" I have ever been on. I've read the book twice so far and am a believer, if you will. All this and I still slipped up majorly. I actually used to eat a very whole food, lower carb diet and was healthy....I think to a point I just got very lazy and then decided I really liked fast food.......Makes me wonder how people do make it a forever lifestyle change, but I am in the process of making it to that point *must keep repeating this to myself* I have realized that alcohol is my very biggest craving trigger, guess I'll be a teetotaler from here on out....

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: What happened!?!

Keriann, good point, I've been discussing this with my mom and husband. It's amazing that from when we're first taught to eat we get treats as rewards, cakes to celebrate, etc. I think it all teaches that the bad food is good,and the protein and veggies are what we must eat. If you've ever watched a toddler crash after a birthday party it is just clear as day......so then, eating the treat food makes you feel bad, but you think of it as good.... My mom thinks that we're all walking around believing that we are supposed to feel bad....Certainly interesting. Thanks for the encouragement. BTW, BEAUTIFUL wedding dress, and, of course, bride

Irish - this is the first "diet" I have ever been on. I've read the book twice so far and am a believer, if you will. All this and I still slipped up majorly. I actually used to eat a very whole food, lower carb diet and was healthy....I think to a point I just got very lazy and then decided I really liked fast food.......Makes me wonder how people do make it a forever lifestyle change, but I am in the process of making it to that point *must keep repeating this to myself* I have realized that alcohol is my very biggest craving trigger, guess I'll be a teetotaler from here on out....

There are a few books you might be interested in - that I'm currently getting through now...

1. The Omnivore's Delima by Michael Pollen
2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen
3. The Stubborn Fat Fix by Valerie & Keith Berkowitz (read cover to cover - this one is FABULOUS)...
4. Twinkie Denconstructed by Steve Ettlinger
5. Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett

It's just so empowering to learn as much knowledge as I can about the food I put in my mouth...(scarey as well).

good luck!