[RitaCeleste]

****, I am down about 70 pounds over a two year period. I still want chocolate so I found a protein shake that eased my craving for milk and chocolate. That out of the way, it made it somewhat bearable. Sometimes I outright go out and eat whatever I want to cause its my life and my body and it'll just set me back some days and I can live with that! But I picked Atkins cause I really like hamburgers and broccoli and cheese, bacon and eggs, chunks of cheese here and there. So most of the time I am happy. At first it was harder and I cheated with a Chinese Buffet almost once a week, I'd bloat and hold water for 4 days. After awhile I got to hate being bloated for days more than I loved Chinese even. But hey, it took awhile. And thats okay. Its okay to have set backs. Its not really a race unless you want it to be. I've went off the diet to see how I could eat and maintain. Mostly I tried to watch my calories, slowly pounds creep back on because I over eat on higher carb diets. I find if stay under 100g of carbs a day, I can maintain without so many cravings. But I am poor so Atkins cost more and on my budget what I can afford is HAMBURGER. Lots of people living Atkins happy have money for some frankinfoods and lots of things and variety I can't afford. They get defensive, say I should spend more on food, say its not Atkins because I don't have enough variety etc. I am in ketosis, it is Atkins. It is meat and veggies. I can't believe I am suppose to give up Banquet Beef Pot Pies (which I can AFFORD) and be all happy about it too! Not to mention a thousand other things I am too cheap to actually buy even if I'm not on said diet. Mostly I have to eat Atkins because I am a carb junky given half a chance. Its okay to mess up once in awhile, its okay to take longer to loose the weight. But mostly you gotta stop thinking about those evil foods that got you needing to diet in the first place!!! I keep a pair of jeans one size too small, and when I feel like I gotta cave, I go force myself into them. If I can button them, I keep them on a little while. Helps to have GOALS, hehe!