I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

[smagsid]

Hi,
I am back "doing Atkins"... so for real this time! I had done this about 10 years ago and lost a lot of weight. It was great!! And very easy...I feel like it's more confusing this time, more foods and things. Ten years ago I was forced to really make everything I ate. The bars that were available were gross then too!!
My question is the same problem that I had in the past....How do you maintain the weight loss? I know about the OWL phase but for me it seems like all or nothing and when it's nothing I gain back the weight so fast. I have done EVERY diet on the planet. Atkins has given me the most success and I really want to (need to lose weight). I want to loose 50 pounds, at least. I contemplated starting for a while, I flirted with slimfast for a bit but then decided this would be the easiest to not have to "announce" when ever I'm with other people. This is my 3rd day and my family has not realized what I'm doing yet.
Anyway, I look forward to loosing and learning...any pearls of wisdom are so greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Suzie

[liv]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

How do you maintain? That is a great question. I think with many diets where you restrict stuff, you can lose if you follow them but you cannot really keep doing it for ever. One of the things with how Atkins set up his system was that a person would gradually move towards a phase called maintenance and while doing so acquired all the tools needed to be able to maintain the weight. OWL is very important because that is the phase where you will actually lose most weight - maybe not as fast as in induction but you will lose it while gaining more wisdom because you try out foods and you try to find your carb limit. Atkins believed that once we found the carb limit we would know how to maintain our weight for the rest of our lives. Is it easy? Nope. But it is possible.
Did you do OWL last time?
I understand what you mean by all or nothing. And I am trying to hold on to all or nothing as long as possible. Thin people always show restraint. I just have to learn to be like them.

[smagsid]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

Thanks for the reply. You are so right...the maintenance is the key part. The last time (10 years ago) I "did Atkins" there really was no phase called OWL. I had read the book before starting and don't recall OWL. I actually remained on an induction diet for the entire 7 months that I as on it. I was afraid to add carbs. Then my son got sick and we were in & out of hospitals for a few years and I gained it all back and then SOME!!! I hope to be able to go to the OWL phase without a problem. But now that I've started I've become a fanatic, like I said it's all or nothing. I just hope I can maintain the low carb lifestyle. I find the more carbs I eat the more carbs I want. I'm just going to try to take 1 day at a time & 1 pound at a time!!

Thanks

[Deeva271]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

hey, i can understand how you feel. I did Atkins a few years ago and got within maybe 20lbs of my goal and stalled. Then I gained all the weight back plus some. Now I'm having sooo much difficulty just trying to figure out what to eat during the day. I eat protein and some vegetables, I only drink water and I just can't remember exactly what to do.

[liv]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

There kind of was an OWL in the 72 edition. After the first level people were supposed to start adding back carbs in stages that Atkins called level 2, level 3, level 4. By the fifth level people were supposed to have added in enough carbs to have found the CCL (Critical carb level - the amount of carbs where you would stop losing). I think many people like you never went over level one.
In subsequent years Atkins did put a bit more emphasis on the on going weight loss and when the glycemic index was found Atkins added that knowledge in as a tool. And we now have a carb level to climb. It is kind of cool

I think the "more carbs I eat the more I want" is also true. Which is why vegetables are huge. We need to get it into our heads that most of carbs should come from vegetables. They tend not make us go wild. And then gradually and carefully work in the others. Pushing high fat helps us controlling the carbs. So don't forget to include fatty stuff.

I have come to the stage where I have learned to eat fruit. Yes I can eat grapefruit but not a whole grapefruit. It is doable.

[smagsid]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

I know veggies are important but aren't there some that are better than others? Like corn is not a good one, I remember that. It is hard to remember what is good to eat. I usually stick to meat and eggs. I have a dozen hard boiled in the fridge right now. That's what I grab when I just want "something" to eat. I try to drink water but that's like a chore for me. I really don't like it!!

I think the book I had as the original version from 72. I had actually mad the "rolls" that were in that book, I think it had soy or some kind of powder and eggs. They were gross! I ate a lot of bunless burgers with mustard. My tastes have changed too since then, so I will have to find some new things.

I just keep telling myself how good I felt when I was not eating carbs and how good I looked 50 pounds lighter!!! I have to do this, it is now a matter of health too.

-Suzie

[liv]

Re: I'm New to this board, not Atkins!! Questions

Atkins made it simple for us. He listed all the vegetables we were allowed to eat. And one of the rules are eat nothing that is not on allowed list. Check the 2002 book for all the details. It rocks.
Don't get stuck on the meat and egg thing. That is not Atkins anymore.
In the meantime look at these threads.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6782-what-rules-induction.html

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6781-what-foods-can-eaten-induction.html