[julirama723]

I think Baarb gave you some GREAT advice!

It can seem daunting to start this journey. I remember in August when I started, the road seemed so LONG to get to my goal and I wondered if I could do it. I wondered if I truly WANTED to do it. But then I looked at myself in the mirror, and I realized that I wanted to lose those 90 pounds MORE than I'd ever want a piece of pizza.

So perhaps your first step is to figure out why you want to do this. For good health? To be fit? To improve blood sugar? To live longer? Write down all those reasons why you want to be successful at atkins.

Now write down all the reasons why you think you can't do it, or you think you don't want to. Will you miss sweets? Will you hate exercising? Compare these "reasons" to your motivations for starting the WOL. I did this, and my reasons for not starting were little more than silly excuses to keep eating junk. The list is a good way to get in the mindset to start the plan. Sometimes we know in our hearts what we need to do, but the mind just can't see it.

Like Baarb said, make SMALL minigoals. Say to yourself, "I'm going to do this for a week." Then say, "I'm going to do this for 2 weeks." Keep extending your time. Or have a minigoal every 5 pounds. Plan non-food rewards for your success and reaching these minigoals.

And hey, if you slip up, DON'T QUIT. One bite should not be an excuse to eat poorly for 3 weeks. Get back on plan with the next bite, drink some water, get some exercise; get back on plan immediately.

Also, Atkins is a fabulous way of eating. It's by far the healthiest eating plan I've ever been on. But, there are OTHER eating plans out there that stress healthy foods, exercise, and healthy habits. Have you researched these other plans? Maybe Atkins is not suited to your tastes or likes, and another plan is better. I love Atkins, and I think it CAN work for everyone, but I don't think it's neccessarily the plan FOR everyone.

I hope this helps Mandy! Best of success.