been here before - trying to get back on the wagon...

[pizza]

ok this is gonna be a long one.

about age 21 got kinda fat-ish --

then started getting really overweight and eventually pretty obese, around 300 lbs for a year or so.. being 5'8" this was not good.

heard of atkins, and came up with a great plan - and followed through with it. it worked great. My blood pressure, cholesterol, everything got better, including my weight.

i got myself down to 220, and felt great. I was physically active and happy, but came to a halt when it came to weight loss. Perhaps I wasnt hardcore enough, but i have always been somewhat stocky, so i just decided to maintain and try and focus more on exercise.

Anyway, a gf of 10 years broke up with me around age 25 - and i fell into a deep depression. There was a suicide attempt and eventually they had me on some pretty strong meds. Of course, being in the hospital, i was forced to eat certain foods, etc... I ended up getting off the diet - it seemed like being on certain medications, ones that helped me sleep due to the insomnia i was experiencing, made me cotton mouthed and it seemed that my appetite was insane, especially for sugars...

since then its been a struggle.

Here i am 2.5 years later, back up to 330 lbs now, having gone through alot of more crap (kicked out of my religion, another failed relationship, been moving from state to state) --

and 2 weeks ago i went cold turkey on my meds and have decided to go back to my previous atkins diet schedule.

I have just finished going through withdrawal and i feel great. the meds have never done anything for me - the worst times of my life were on those meds...

...but thats for another forum.

anyway, so im starting up again, but im dirt poor.

any tips would be great... I kinda dont remember what i need to do.

Do i eat all the eggs bacon and cheese i want? pork rinds? lol

i like salad, and nuts. But salad, has a decent amount of carbs, no? And i just read nuts are a no go in phase 1?!??!!


anyway, about me?

I really dont feel like giving my details out.

why?

I dont know. I dont like this image of me.

I named myself after my favorite food.

[mitzimarie]

Re: been here before - trying to get back on the wagon...

Hi, Pizza

Welcome to ADBB!

Wowsa... you've been through a lot. I'm happy that you've found our little community.

Ok - I'll address some of the stuff in your intro:

I have to start by saying... I don't know what kind of meds you are referring to, but I'm not sure if it's such a good idea to be stopping them cold turkey on your own. We're not medical proffesionals here, so that's about all I can say on that... and it's probably not what you want to hear, but I just had to get that out in the open up front.

Next, this board is based upon the 2002 version of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. If you haven't read it yet (or even if you have), I would pick it up and read (or re-read) it. It will fully explain the plan, and I have learned the hard way that it is best to follow it to the letter. In the mean time, I would start by reading this link: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/spotlight-introduce-yourself/60133-if-you-new-read.html

Also, at the top of each of the forums, there are things called "stickies". These are posts that contain good information, and have been "stuck" at the top of the forums for all to read. At the top of the OWL forum, there are some stickies that will explain the carbohydrate ladder we follow when doing the 2002 version of Atkins. After a clean 2 week Induction, it is SO important to move onto OWL and start adding carbs back... I didn't follow OWL strictly on my first time on Atkins, and I never reached my goal weight and couldn't maintain the weight that I did lose. On this round of Atkins, I have followed the plan as intended by Dr. Atkins, and it really did work better. OWL stands for "Ongoing Weight Loss", and it is the phase that most of us lose most of our weight in.

Next - it is imperative to keep in mind that Atkins is a controlled carbohydrate plan... NOT a no carbohydrate plan. A lot of people assume that if eating fewer carbs will make you lose weight, then eating no carbs will make you lose weight faster. This is a recipe for disaster! Not only is it unhealthy, it is also something that you won't be able to keep up for life... doing Atkins correctly is a lifestyle change. Please don't turn this into the "bacon, eggs and meat" diet and call it Atkins... it is the people who do that, who give the Atkins plan a bad reputation.

So many people attack the Atkins WOE as unhealthy, because they are going by rumors and misinformation. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Atkins eating plan emphasizes the benefits of protein and natural fats - AND nutrient-rich carbohydrates. There is a difference in the quality of carbs. The crux of the matter is in limiting carbohydrates and in selecting the right carbohydrates, those most full of nutrients and fiber and those with the lowest impact on your blood sugar. So, not only is it important to choose foods with low carb counts, it is also crucial to select the most nutrient-dense carbohydrate foods.

The goal is to eat as many "good" carbohydrates as your body can tolerate without interfering with weight loss or getting your blood sugar out of whack. And you will choose healthy, satisfying whole foods, ones that provide nutrients and fiber.

Vegetables, in general, contain "good" carbohydrates, although some are very high in carbs and not as high in nutrient value, and some are the reverse. Most vegetables provide fiber and many healthy phytonutrients (phyto means "plant"), those magical substances found in plants that help us ward off disease. Fortunately, the vegetables that are most dense in nutrients happen also to be those lowest in carbs.

About veggies - Before Atkins, I wouldn't touch a veggie with a 10 foot pole. And on that 1st attempt at Atkins, I did not put forth the effort to break out of my box and make myself try new veggies. I got to where I was eating a lot of nuts and dairy, but not eating many veggies. I think that is the #1 reason why I fizzled out on that attempt. Atkins really is a change of lifestyle... it's not trying to eat as closely as you can to how you used to eat. So on this attempt, I tried tons of new veggies. I can't believe how much better the plan works when you eat veggies! Unbelievable!! Nuts are allowed once you get to Rung 3, but you can't go crazy with them. On any given phase of Atkins, most of your carbs should come from veggies. And now I'll get off my veggie soapbox.

I've found that doing Atkins has a LOT to do with where your head is at... meaning, once I finally accepted that this way of eating is for life and not a race or just a means to lose weight, I was able to loosen up and just live my life without anxiety. And it helps to realize that the weight will not come off in a linear fashion... and the scale can be a big 'ole liar sometimes! When I workout hard and change my exercise routine, my muscles will retain water and show as pounds on the scale. However, my clothes would be getting too big for me. So you can't always trust the scale. My favorite way to judge fat loss was to keep a pair of jeans that were too tight, and try them on every couple of weeks. What a boost to watch something you couldn't button, become so big that it had to be put into the giveaway box!

There is also a member here, who has her own website that is very good. Here is the link to it: www.sugarfreesheila.com. She has a lot of good info there, and is an inspiration.

Knowledge is power! Stick close to the board, and post often. You'll get addicted to it! I couldn't have reached goal without all of the support here.

[blueberrylady]

Re: been here before - trying to get back on the wagon...

Welcome to the board, pizza! For info on how to do Atkins, go to the Atkins Phases forum and read the threads. And check out the recipe forum for good things to eat.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[pizza]

Re: been here before - trying to get back on the wagon...

I have to start by saying... I don't know what kind of meds you are referring to, but I'm not sure if it's such a good idea to be stopping them cold turkey on your own. We're not medical proffesionals here, so that's about all I can say on that... and it's probably not what you want to hear, but I just had to get that out in the open up front. .

oh, i know its not a good idea. my head shakes sometimes and shivers - cold sweat - but the most part its over...

these arent meds i needed before and i dont need them now -

but im not so stubborn to put out the idea of taking them again if needs be.

I did some research on the net back in the day, which is where i got my diet plan that worked REALLY Well at the time.

looks like im gonna have to get the book after i get some cash.

i LOVE veggies so i guess im gonna have to fill up on those and use some cheese or meat for energy...

im a musician, and a student of the bible - and skeptic (possible?) ... i want to keep things decently anonymous, but im glad to see all the experiences here