[IrishIrish]

In answer to your question, "What Happened", you stepped onto a slippery slope and sounds like you slid and did some damage. And as you know, it can happen quickly. My guess is that some of it was water weight from eating the carby, salty snacks and the rest was "anything goes" pounds from eating anything you wanted.

If you recall from reading the book, Dr. Atkins tells us this will change the way we metabolize food by converting our bodies from being carb burning to fat burning. Changing the balance, radically, as you did is not easily forgiven by your body while you are in the throws of carb loading and you have seen the result.

Welcome back ... it works ... but don't make the mistake of believing that the "yo-yo" approach will work.