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Hi everyone. I stumbled upon this forum earlier today after browsing the internet for diet motivation and seeing a link to this site on a YouTube video produced by Bowolf (sp?) showcasing his weight loss on Atkins.
I was first introduced to Atkins by a friend over a decade ago and had excellent early results but inevitably gave in to the anxiety of never again being able to enjoy my favorites like pizza, ice cream and premium lager. Although the weight loss was evident, my mood was improved, and my cravings for carbs was a distant memory, the thought of NEVER having something ate away at me.
As a result, my weight has slowly gone up (and up and up). I am currently at 270 pounds. The only time I weighed more was following my freshman year of college when I hit 285. At the time ('89), I had never heard of Atkins, instead using a strict SlimFast diet and exercise to get down to 215. I remained at 215 for a number of years mainly by taking long road bike trips each week to offset the pasta and bread.
Over the past couple of years I have returned to the vicious circle of yo-yo dieting with the small step forward followed by the inevitable two steps back. My greatest obstacle to weight loss is my bad attitude following any setback. I also have a very bad habit of binging after dinner which is not helped by the fact that I work 3-11 PM and come home to a quiet house with wife and children asleep. It seems like no matter how much I talk myself into going straight to bed when I get home, I find myself sitting in front of the computer with one hand in the [insert food container here] until I am too full to eat another bite. Even if I initially grab a handful of carrots, it inevitably starts a downward spiral. That habit leads to depression in the morning and the urge to skip breakfast in order to offset (however little) the previous night's error. Yes, I know that's the worst thing I can do, but I didn't say I was thinking rationally at this point!
To be honest, I believe I could lose weight steadily if I simply refrained from processed flour and sugar, indulging moderately in all the other forms of natural sugars (fruit, dairy, etc.). Unfortunately, even the aforementioned carrot or strawberry at night would lead me back to those yummy no-no treats I know hurt my results not to mention the simple problem of eating after dinner at all!
I suppose I am turning back to Atkins because, as a person with mild OCD, I believe I can limit myself to only Atkin's friendly items *IF* I continue to binge at night. While I recognize that the binging remains an issue (and will continue to seek out ways to overcome the bad habit), I figure at least the low/no carb items on Atkins will not hurt as much as the sugary/floury ones on no diet.
From what I've seen of these boards so far, the comraderie seems genuine and bountiful. The tools to succeed are all here for the taking, and I hope I can be one of the success stories when I'm finally back under 215!
Thanks for being my psychologist and "listening" to my ramblings. If you've made it this far you deserve a medal! I hope I can repay the favor over the coming months.
Eric
I was first introduced to Atkins by a friend over a decade ago and had excellent early results but inevitably gave in to the anxiety of never again being able to enjoy my favorites like pizza, ice cream and premium lager. Although the weight loss was evident, my mood was improved, and my cravings for carbs was a distant memory, the thought of NEVER having something ate away at me.
As a result, my weight has slowly gone up (and up and up). I am currently at 270 pounds. The only time I weighed more was following my freshman year of college when I hit 285. At the time ('89), I had never heard of Atkins, instead using a strict SlimFast diet and exercise to get down to 215. I remained at 215 for a number of years mainly by taking long road bike trips each week to offset the pasta and bread.
Over the past couple of years I have returned to the vicious circle of yo-yo dieting with the small step forward followed by the inevitable two steps back. My greatest obstacle to weight loss is my bad attitude following any setback. I also have a very bad habit of binging after dinner which is not helped by the fact that I work 3-11 PM and come home to a quiet house with wife and children asleep. It seems like no matter how much I talk myself into going straight to bed when I get home, I find myself sitting in front of the computer with one hand in the [insert food container here] until I am too full to eat another bite. Even if I initially grab a handful of carrots, it inevitably starts a downward spiral. That habit leads to depression in the morning and the urge to skip breakfast in order to offset (however little) the previous night's error. Yes, I know that's the worst thing I can do, but I didn't say I was thinking rationally at this point!
To be honest, I believe I could lose weight steadily if I simply refrained from processed flour and sugar, indulging moderately in all the other forms of natural sugars (fruit, dairy, etc.). Unfortunately, even the aforementioned carrot or strawberry at night would lead me back to those yummy no-no treats I know hurt my results not to mention the simple problem of eating after dinner at all!
I suppose I am turning back to Atkins because, as a person with mild OCD, I believe I can limit myself to only Atkin's friendly items *IF* I continue to binge at night. While I recognize that the binging remains an issue (and will continue to seek out ways to overcome the bad habit), I figure at least the low/no carb items on Atkins will not hurt as much as the sugary/floury ones on no diet.
From what I've seen of these boards so far, the comraderie seems genuine and bountiful. The tools to succeed are all here for the taking, and I hope I can be one of the success stories when I'm finally back under 215!
Thanks for being my psychologist and "listening" to my ramblings. If you've made it this far you deserve a medal! I hope I can repay the favor over the coming months.
Eric
.tomorrow is the end of induction and wiegh in day.
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