This is hard!!!

[kimeeb]

Hello,
I have been on Weight Watchers and just started this yesterday. I thought this would be soooo much better because you can "eat as much as you want" of certain things but I LOVE pasta, rice and bread and it is hard. Any suggestions on a daily rountine? What out to eat places can you go to and order in the first two weeks and what do you order? Please help! I am at 176 pounds now and hope to get down to 125. I am 5'2 so I have a long road ahead. I do drink nothing but water now which is amazing considering I drank about 4 Dr.Peppers a day. Thanks everyone!

[rybread]

Re: This is hard!!!

When I eat out, I typically look for the steak + veggies option, or the chicken + ceasar salad option. If there's a fish + veggies option, I'll get that. You can usually find one of the above almost anywhere.

Your stats look a lot like mine - I started at 180.6, and want to get to 130. I'm also 5'2".

Don't worry, eventually you won't miss the pasta, rice or bread. I used to be a huge carb-aholic (I was the pasta queen), and now it doesn't appeal to me at all, and watching others eat it doesn't bother me at all. Besides, there's always a healthy alternative to any of those crappy foods, as far as I'm concerned!

Anywho, welcome.

[cleochatra]

Re: This is hard!!!

Hi, kimee! I started out with Weight Watchers, and it's a good program, but I was hungry all the time and I only lost 25 pounds in 3 months for all the effort! I switched to Atkins and took off the 25 I'd gained back, plus another 82! You will crave the starchy things for awhile, but you won't be hungry, and you will learn to not miss them in time!

Welcome to ADBB! If you don't already have the 2002 Version of the Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution I highly recommend you buy it. Most advice from this board comes straight from the book!

[BabyDreamer]

Re: This is hard!!!

Welcome to the board Kimeeb,

I think you will find that the cravings will start to fade very soon. I have been on the WOE for 5 weeks and there is other food in my house and it does not appeal to me now at all. In truth, there is a pumpkin full of candy for the trick-or-treaters sitting by the door and it doesn't even phase me. Give yourself two weeks and you will see a difference.

As for eating out, to be honest, in the first two weeks I would try to avoid it if you can so you can be 100% sure of your carb count. However, if you are going to eat out, Cracker Barrel, Ruby Tuesday and O'Charleys both have menus where the carbs are listed so you can make wise choices.

Welcome to the club!

Deb

Hello,
I have been on Weight Watchers and just started this yesterday. I thought this would be soooo much better because you can "eat as much as you want" of certain things but I LOVE pasta, rice and bread and it is hard. Any suggestions on a daily rountine? What out to eat places can you go to and order in the first two weeks and what do you order? Please help! I am at 176 pounds now and hope to get down to 125. I am 5'2 so I have a long road ahead. I do drink nothing but water now which is amazing considering I drank about 4 Dr.Peppers a day. Thanks everyone!

[lowcarbing4ever]

Re: This is hard!!!

Welcome to the board, Kimeeb! Also remember, there are lots of things people say about Atkins, don't let it scare or deter you and contrary to belief, it is not "eat as much as you want". Protein and fat are the joys of being on this plan but eating too much protein will turn to fat. Portion size is still important, as with WW but in the beginning sometimes it takes more food to satisfy you than on low fat. That calms down after a while. I love pasta, too! Especially, spaghetti w/meat sauce, couscous (my national dish! mmmm), all that but my biggy is potatoes. What I wouldn't give for a nice steaming baked potato with butter and sour cream. Not eating these kinds of foods is hard in the beginning but after a week or so, you will get used to it. The cravings will go away or at least subside to not be worth bothering with. Starting Atkins is hard but once you are on your way, you see the pounds drop, and you start liking the way you feel, you will never go back to anything else! Just hang in there! I know its hard, don't give up!

P.S. I agree about the not eating out for a while thing but if you must: If you eat at any burger joints, order the burger without the bun or remove it immediately and toss in the trash and eat it with a plain salad. Most fast food places have a basic salad these days. In restaraunts, make sure you stick to plain meats, like chicken breasts, beef/roast beef, with no sauces. Ask if you are not sure it comes in a sauce. if it does, ask them to leave the sauce off or decline and pick something else. At buffets, be very, very careful. It is easy to go nuts there. Stick to the salad, grilled meat, rotisserie chicken, veggies in butter, etc. Be careful with seafood as some have high carb counts. Hope that helps and good luck!

[Desertthorn]

Re: This is hard!!!

Kimeeb
Welcome and glad you founds us and joined. Great advise from the others so ditto what they all said.

[dreamof145]

Re: This is hard!!!

Welcome Kimeeb. Anytime you make major changes in your life, it seems hard until it becomes a habit. The Atkins WOE (way of eating) will get easier as you do it and you will begin to relax and feel comfortable doing it once you do it for a while.

To me, it was hard to be 285 pounds. I didn't enjoy life or like the way I looked. It is much easier now that I have lost some weight and feel more energetic. Atkins works. I'd recommend that you read the book, exercise and take supplements as well as drink lots of water. You can do this. There are lots of people here on ADBB that are willing to give you the support and motivation to get healthy. Best wishes and keep us posted on your success!!

[Sheshy]

Re: This is hard!!!

Welcome Kimeeb!

My favorite "out" food is salads!

[cruiser gal]

Re: This is hard!!!

Welcome aboard!

I too had tried Weight Watchers numerous times, and lost the same 25 lbs over and over again, and was always hungry. I started Atkins the end of January of this year, and am now down 80 lbs. Every Sunday was Pasta night, and everyday my meals contained rice, potatoes, bread.... I never thought I would be able to follow this! The first few days were a challenge, and once my hunger pangs went away, the rest was smooth sailing. We eat out at least twice a week, and travel at least once a month for a weekend away from home. Throughout this whole time I have been able to lose weight, even eating out, and vacationing. It's just a matter of setting your mind to it! It sounds like you're ready for that now. Just set yourself some mini goals along the way, and know that we are here for support! You can do it!!!

[Dibsangel17]

Re: This is hard!!!

I am in the same boat right now. I crave french frys and burger king. I am slowly working it out. I won't eat the bun of the hambuger but I will eat a few frys. I don't miss pasta anymore. So I know its workin.

[Brook]

Re: This is hard!!!

Hi there

Hello,
I have been on Weight Watchers and just started this yesterday. I thought this would be soooo much better because you can "eat as much as you want" of certain things but I LOVE pasta, rice and bread and it is hard.

This jumped out at me. Atkins is a way of eating that allows us to eat until we're satisfied. That doesn't mean "as much as we want" and it doesn't mean until we're full - but satisfied. Dr. Atkins defined satisfied as eating until you're no longer hungry. There's a big difference! It's one of the beautiful things about Atkins and the other beautiful thing is that the program in it's beginning phase is fairly forgiving for most people- even if you're eating a lot.

It was mentioned earlier that too much protein turns into fat. That's not accurate - well, not directly. Too much protein can be converted into glucose by the body, but that's a *lot* of protein. Most people don't ingest much more protein than they always did to begin with, there's just more added fat and more emphasis on added fat and protein. Around here if you're feeling snacky you'll get advised to grab yourself some protein with fat -or some veggies with fat if you have any left in your daily allottment.

Any suggestions on a daily rountine? What out to eat places can you go to and order in the first two weeks and what do you order? Please help! I am at 176 pounds now and hope to get down to 125. I am 5'2 so I have a long road ahead. I do drink nothing but water now which is amazing considering I drank about 4 Dr.Peppers a day. Thanks everyone!

You'll find a lot of us list what we're eating in our journals (found in the Journal Chats and Journal Stats forums). That will give you lots of ideas. You can also google up "Induction menus" and get a ton of hits (beware though- it's up to you to verify that the menus are indeed induction appropriate).

You've gotten great advice so far as eating out is concerned. Keep it simple and you'll do amazing.

Remember, Dr. Atkins said that during induction "one bite is the kiss of death". The "just a bite won't hurt me" mentality is garbage. EVERY bite you take as the potential to either help you or hurt you, and when you're working so hard to get into ketosis, it's just not worth it.

Congrats on drinking all the water That's fantastic. Be sure you're taking your supplements and getting your exercise in too!

I wish you success.
~Brook

[soliwit]

Re: This is hard!!!

Hey everybody already said what there has to be said so I only say: all of the above and WELCOME aboard !!!!

[Analog6]

Re: This is hard!!!

Dear Kimeeb, the best advice I can give, and it's already in your replies, is KEEP A JOURNAL! I write down everything I eat in an exercise book, a week to a 2 page spread, and at the back my weight loss record, and I've even made a graph. That graph is pretty darn inspiring if I'm feeling a bit down or crave a wicked potato (and I just L O V E potatoes!).

Hang in there and you'll soon feel great and even better, thin!

[texasluvv]

Re: This is hard!!!

Hello,
I have been on Weight Watchers and just started this yesterday. I thought this would be soooo much better because you can "eat as much as you want" of certain things but I LOVE pasta, rice and bread and it is hard. Any suggestions on a daily rountine? What out to eat places can you go to and order in the first two weeks and what do you order? Please help! I am at 176 pounds now and hope to get down to 125. I am 5'2 so I have a long road ahead. I do drink nothing but water now which is amazing considering I drank about 4 Dr.Peppers a day. Thanks everyone!

yeah i hear you on that! i'm just fixing to start atkins and i'm wondering how i'm going to give up pasta and rice . i weigh about the same as you and i also want to get down to 120/125 i'm 5'3....and it is going to be a long road but you know what you always have to think about how you are going to feel about yourself and also how great you are going to look. just dont give up!! keep going!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

[Nell B]

Re: This is hard!!!

This is only my second day, so I don't feel bad yet. It is hard. My mind is my worst enemy. I keep thinking about what I can't eat. I went to bed at 10 after 9 last night because I was hungry and had used up my carbs.