New Member!!!

[shannon07016]

Hi everyone! I'm Shannon, a stay-at-home mom in New Jersey. I'm 35, and I've been on Atkins on and off since 2001. Each time I low-carb, I love it, and I feel great. But, eventually, something stressful occurs, and I revert back to my destructive eating habits. I lost and gained 30lbs in 2008. I felt like I was about to give up, but I always know that Atkins is ready to take me back. But this time, I really want to commit to this lifestyle. What I really need is a healthy way to deal with stress. I've always turned to food in times of joy, sorrow, worrry, or dispair. I want so badly to take control over my eating habits, and Atkins has been the only way I've been able to maintain a healthy weight and not go crazy with hunger. My lowest weight was 130lbs. I'm now 200lbs. It makes me sick to know that a year ago, I weighed 170, and I thought I was disgusting. Now look at me. So, here I am. I need support. I need motivation. I need someone to keep me in check. I feel like I'm a pretty active person, I just eat the wrong things for my body type. I really want to know your success/failure stories. Please contact me and tell me about your experiences.

[clogger]

Re: New Member!!!

Welcome, Shannon ! I hope to be a stay-at-home mom when we start a family. It's such a noble vocation!

In my opinion, I think you (not you, personally - anyone) need to be at a point where you say NO to eating something because YOU KNOW that it is not a benefit to you and YOU WANT to do what is BEST FOR YOU.

My biggest thing since restarting December 10, 2008 is to tell myself "It's only food." However, one person may say that phrase and it may not mean the same thing to them as it does to me. When I say "It's only food" it means A LOT more than three words to me. It means if I eat THAT (whatever it is) it means I am playing russian roulette and eating THAT may turn out to mean that I will go off plan for five months and gain 17 pounds back. Then when I restart I'll be mad at myself because had I not eaten THAT I never would have gained the 17 pounds, but would have probably lost an additional 30 and would have been that much closer to goal.

When I say "It's only food" it also means I know how carb-laden foods (sugar and flour) make me want to eat more of them which leads to a vicious cycle of eating and bingeing when I'm NOT EVEN HUNGRY!!! It also means that when I eat carbage I then have to deal with a love/hate relationship with food because I eat it because I WANT IT SO BAD in my mind and then HATE MYSELF for having given in. "It's just food" means that I don't want to feel groggy when I wake up in the morning because I had a food hangover. "It's just food" reminds me that God gave us food for fuel and nutrition and I should not look to food for comfort. "It's just food" means I don't miss having heartburn or digestive issues or feeling my heartbeat because I just pigged out. It means my husband doesn't have to deal with snoring.

When I make Atkins-friendly choices I ALWAYS WIN! I am able to ENJOY EVERY BITE without feeling guilty. I am IN CONTROL of my eating. When I eat on plan it will not cause a cycle of wanting more and more. Following this way of life (WOL) means I have more energy and less depression. When I follow this way of eating (WOE) I wake up feeling energized rather than lethargic.

I wish I could "infuse" you with my motivations, but I have found that we need to find our own motivations. WHY do YOU want to lose weight? We all have different reasons as this thread illustrates. I love that thread!

You CAN do this for YOU! Wishing you the best of luck and much success...

[Desertthorn]

Re: New Member!!!

Welcome Shannon, you will find some great friends here and hook up with a couple buddies.
Glad you found us and joined

[blueberrylady]

Re: New Member!!!

Welcome Shannon! I have been where you are now and I can tell you that you don't have to stay there. You will find lots of help here but I think you need to learn to deal with your stress levels too. There are lots of books you can read and exercises you can do to help with that. Yoga and meditation can help you learn to calm down and not depend on food for comfort. And a network of friends really helps, both here on the board and in person. Dealing with the stress will definitely help you with the diet. Good luck and keep us posted.

[shannon07016]

Re: New Member!!!

Hey everyone! Thanks for the welcome and encouraging words! BTW, what is a "clean induction?" I'm not sure if I should be eating anything else besides what the book says to, such as lc tortilla wraps or muffins, during induction, so I'm staying away from them, at least till my test strip turns that wonderful shade of purple. I miss that purple stick! Such a great feeling...