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Started Atkins again...
Well, this is my 3rd or 4th start on the Atkins.
I first started in around 2004 when I weighed around 206 lbs, and after around 6 months, I managed to shift 50 lbs. That was purely following the diet (minimal exercise), and included a bit of a yoyo routine of following the diet at around induction levels during the week, but having fish and chips (fries) every Friday and a good few lagers. In the week, even on induction, I was able to have vodka and pepsi max (with sacharine) and it didn't seem to impact my dieting).
So, it wasn't strict, but it worked!
I seemed to find that if I stalled, breaking the cycle of carb deprevation actually resulted in me losing weight... and it wasn't just me who found this, work colleagues had the same experience... I'm not complaining, I just found it strange!
I'm sure to some of you this interpretation of the diet will seem odd, but it worked for me at the time, and it made it so easy to do knowing I had a real treat at the end of the week to look forward to!
Anyway, after I managed to lose the 50 lbs, I was looking a lot better and feeling fantastic - to be honest I felt great after about 3 days of cutting out the carbs - but, over time I stopped watching my carbs, and ended up bouncing between around 190 and 206 again (206 seems to be a natural break point for me, where I don't seem to get any heavier for some reason - not that I'm complaining!).
I started it again a few times in between then and now, but each time I found I ended up getting sick - and when you are in bed feeling ill, the last thing you want is a salad and side of bacon or chicken - so I ended up having to go back to eating normal food until I was well again (this was despite me taking vitamin tablets). Once that happened, it threw me off the diet, and I suppose with peer pressure, it made getting back on the diet harder, as it meant I associated the diet with getting sick.
But, I'm back on it again now. This time I'm armed with a Cross Trainer to help introduce some proper exercise, and a better paid job to help pay for the more expensive foods I will enivitably eat!
I've set my mini targets and my final goal - first mini is to go from obese on the BMI scale to just overweight - and from there I've got about another 5 mini's to take me down to my goal of around 154 lbs. I've taken some before profile and front on photos, and have done neck, chest, stomach, thigh and calf measurements to keep track of things. There is a nice fancy spreadsheet setup to chart my progress, both in terms of weight and inch loss, so I can see things on screen to back up what I am feeling!
I will make sure I am careful I don't weigh or measure too frequently, but I hope that by both weighing and measuring once a week I'll be able to chart success whether it be by the scales or by the measuring tape!
I get so, so much inspiration from 2 things. Firstly, knowing how much better I feel after having only done this for 2 days - it's the same every time - I feel lighter and more energetic - and second, from reading this forum - specifically reading the success stories and looking at some of the amazing before and after photos! Hopefully once I've hit my goal, my before and after pics will join them, and will act as an inspiration to others!
To everyone, bigger and smaller than me, I wish you the very best of luck following this fantastic way of life, and hope that you manage to achieve whatever targets you have set!
I first started in around 2004 when I weighed around 206 lbs, and after around 6 months, I managed to shift 50 lbs. That was purely following the diet (minimal exercise), and included a bit of a yoyo routine of following the diet at around induction levels during the week, but having fish and chips (fries) every Friday and a good few lagers. In the week, even on induction, I was able to have vodka and pepsi max (with sacharine) and it didn't seem to impact my dieting).
So, it wasn't strict, but it worked!
I seemed to find that if I stalled, breaking the cycle of carb deprevation actually resulted in me losing weight... and it wasn't just me who found this, work colleagues had the same experience... I'm not complaining, I just found it strange!
I'm sure to some of you this interpretation of the diet will seem odd, but it worked for me at the time, and it made it so easy to do knowing I had a real treat at the end of the week to look forward to!
Anyway, after I managed to lose the 50 lbs, I was looking a lot better and feeling fantastic - to be honest I felt great after about 3 days of cutting out the carbs - but, over time I stopped watching my carbs, and ended up bouncing between around 190 and 206 again (206 seems to be a natural break point for me, where I don't seem to get any heavier for some reason - not that I'm complaining!).
I started it again a few times in between then and now, but each time I found I ended up getting sick - and when you are in bed feeling ill, the last thing you want is a salad and side of bacon or chicken - so I ended up having to go back to eating normal food until I was well again (this was despite me taking vitamin tablets). Once that happened, it threw me off the diet, and I suppose with peer pressure, it made getting back on the diet harder, as it meant I associated the diet with getting sick.
But, I'm back on it again now. This time I'm armed with a Cross Trainer to help introduce some proper exercise, and a better paid job to help pay for the more expensive foods I will enivitably eat!
I've set my mini targets and my final goal - first mini is to go from obese on the BMI scale to just overweight - and from there I've got about another 5 mini's to take me down to my goal of around 154 lbs. I've taken some before profile and front on photos, and have done neck, chest, stomach, thigh and calf measurements to keep track of things. There is a nice fancy spreadsheet setup to chart my progress, both in terms of weight and inch loss, so I can see things on screen to back up what I am feeling!
I will make sure I am careful I don't weigh or measure too frequently, but I hope that by both weighing and measuring once a week I'll be able to chart success whether it be by the scales or by the measuring tape!
I get so, so much inspiration from 2 things. Firstly, knowing how much better I feel after having only done this for 2 days - it's the same every time - I feel lighter and more energetic - and second, from reading this forum - specifically reading the success stories and looking at some of the amazing before and after photos! Hopefully once I've hit my goal, my before and after pics will join them, and will act as an inspiration to others!
To everyone, bigger and smaller than me, I wish you the very best of luck following this fantastic way of life, and hope that you manage to achieve whatever targets you have set!
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