I cheated and I feel awful!!

[Jprahlad]

I've been doing induction for about a month and though I've lost only 8 pounds, I've lost over a dress size and am able to wear clothes I haven't worn in 2 years. But today I finished my finals and to celebrate the end of my math class my friend and I went to outback. I had a very small piece of bread but I had the fries and the breaded mushroom starter.
I know this is biologically impossible- that all the weight comes back on overnight- but if I resume induction immediately and get back into ketosis in 3 days I'll start to lose weight again, right? I feel so awful!!
I'm a newbie to Atkins and only just bought the book; I've been going by the website and the bulletin board so far.
Thanks for any input,
Jan.

[Desertthorn]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Dust it off. Learn by what happened and then forget it. You have done great and while it might set you back a bit, you'll start to lose again soon.

[coloradotter]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Don't be so hard on yourself- it happens. I doubt it will even take three days to get back into ketosis. Most likely, whatever carbs you just ate will probably be stored as glycogen, not fat so not a whole lot of damage was done.

Not saying it was a good thing... but just fugetaboutit and move on. Chalk it up to "lesson learned:.

[jcapulet]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Hi Jan,

Good job on jumping back on the wagon right away. We mess up sometimes...it happens. No need to feel awful.

One thought though, you might want to think about what your plan will be for future restaurant visits. You could eat a small meal before going there so you don't feel so hungry that you eat the higher carb stuff like appetizers. I think Outback has steak, shrimp and lobster too-you could make your order and tell them to exclude the side dishes. It's been ages since I've been to an Outback restaurant, they had good lobster

[Aways2Go]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Agreed, don't crucify yourself, just get right back with it -

[Georgiana]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

I've been doing induction for about a month

Why so long?

today I finished my finals and to celebrate the end of my math class my friend and I went to outback. I had a very small piece of bread but I had the fries and the breaded mushroom starter.

This is a case of bad planning. Outback has a website that provides nutritional information for the items on their menu. Had you planned not to cheat, you would have decided what to have before going there. Allowing your emotions to determine your food choices seldom has a happy ending... and to avoid this, planning is essential.

I had a very small piece of bread but I had the fries and the breaded mushroom starter.

Did you figure out why you did this?

if I resume induction immediately and get back into ketosis in 3 days I'll start to lose weight again, right?

Well, of course you will continue to lose weight if you get back on track. It might be after 3 days or after a week. The time it takes is less important. What is important is that you move to OWL and learn how to make Atkins a lifestyle... because in the absence of OWL, Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance, Induction is nothing but a fad.

[Jprahlad]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Thanks everyone who replied! That really was a lesson learned.
Georgiana, great idea about planning meals. I think I succumbed because I went to my exam from lab (I'm a grad student) and hadn't eaten for about 7 hours until after the exam. I know I shouldn't have done that and will take better steps to avoid hunger binges.
Jan.

[CandiceD]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

Jprahlad, it happens! The important thing is that you DO realize you shouldn't have done it and that you have gotten right back on track! Next time you want to cheat, remember how awful you felt this time. Know what restaurants have on the menu before you go out, and have in your mind what you will eat. Outback is amazing! Their steak and lobster is awesome and you can get veggies as a side dish!

[Georgiana]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

I think I succumbed because I went to my exam from lab (I'm a grad student) and hadn't eaten for about 7 hours until after the exam.

Do you have a fridge at the uni? I keep things like boiled eggs and some meat (smoked salmon, chicken) in the "kitchen" we have here, for emergencies. And I always have flax and cheese crackers in the office; they keep well in an airtight container.

[Suzanne_H]

Re: I cheated and I feel awful!!

I've been doing Atkins this time since mid-September and only recently decided to brave a restaurant I knew to serve bread as an appetizer. Surprisingly I was ok. I haven't braved a movie theater yet, but I want to. I'll have some beef jerkey or something like it in my purse when I go LOL.

Really it's not a wasted experience if you can learn from it. To thine own self be true... Know your weaknesses and prepare for the worst. To celebrate by going to Outback is fine. Steak and salad YUM! Now that's a celebration! To celebrate by choosing foods that make you lose all your progress, well, it defeats the purpose of a celebration as you discovered. Journaling about it helps tremendously. The better I know myself and my limitations, the more successful I am doing Atkins.