Please help - Alcohol!

[jimmyolsenblues]

Please help as I am struggling.... I am coming back on atkins since september 3rd, I have been very good, I have enjoyed the diet, I have done well.
I am happy on atkins......BUT.....I have been drinking way too much......

Have you ever noticed that if you start atkins....meaning you cut one vice and another grows..... I know I have been drinking too much...Its bad I know....but ummm..........I need help as I am drinking way too much for atkins....help.

[*Wendy*]

Hi Jimmy,

The only thing that worked for me was cold turkey - same as I did with carbs and then later with caffeine. With each of these things that I gave up I went for a few days of withdrawal, and then the fog lifted.

Amazingly, I'm so far from that "need" now that I'm a little nervous about getting to the alcohol rung because I don't want it to become a nightly habit like it was before I started Atkins - a few glasses of wine almost EVERY night while I cooked dinner, more on the weekends, etc.

Get it out of the house and struggle through the withdrawal for a few days if you can - you may surprise yourself!

Good luck to you - I know how hard it is, really I do!

Wendy

[*Alexa*]

Hi there,

I know what you mean about one habit taking the place of another. I had a diet coke problem related to this.

First off, and sorry if this comes across as harsh - I don't mean it to, but if you are drinking too much for Atkins, as you say, it is not Atkins and it may affect your results. Also, alcohol can have an effect on your health as we all know. What rung are you on? Alcohol is not allowed on induction and has to be saved for it's own rung and even then enjoyed moderately in order to not overload on carbs.

At least, that's the theory - and it is a part of Atkins that I have found hard to stick to when I'm socialising. If you are at the stage of Atkins where alcohol is ok count it as part of your carb allowance - that should cut it down somewhat. Try alternating with fizzy water or mixing with legal soft drinks.

However, if you feel that it is getting out of control, abstinence is probably best, at least for some time, as it is an addictive substance after all. Wendy is right - cutting things out is hard, but just give it time and things clear. If this is truly hard for you, consider getting help before a larger problem arises.

All the best.

[not2late]

Since this is posted in an Induction Forum, any alcoholic beverage is off limits during this phase of the Diet.

Jimmy, if you feel you are drinking way too much alcohol for Atkins, then I suggest you seek professional help. Even in OWL and Pre-Maintenance Phase, alcohol consumption is limited. In fact, in the last book Dr. Atkins wrote, Atkins For Life, alcohol is taken completely out of the Atkins diet because Dr. Atkins found many dieters were drinking alcoholic beverages rather than eating veggie/fruit/nuts/legume/grain carbs.

So please seek professional help if you find you are substituting one addiction for another or if you believe you are drinking too much.

[sallyseachange]

I reckon that with alcohol, cold turkey is the best way to go. It's ever so hard, I know...but after the first few days the cravings lessen alot.

You can do it!

[Evermind]

Ditto what no2late said. There is no alcohol during induction, whether the 14-day variety, or extended. It's a run on OWL. And even there, it is extremely limited.

If you're drinking at ALL right now, you're not doing Atkins properly. Stop it.

[cocobelle]

I COMPLETELY understand where you are! I was there, too! I think that you'll find that the alcohol helps salve over that sugar craving. It's almost instant energy (of sorts) that your body uses before the fats, etc. It definately helps make the cravings for sugar less. and it is hard.

This board is a wonderful support system for maintaining the diet. If you're really concerned about the alcohol intake, perhaps a visit to your local AA? I was a glass of wine - once a week kind of person .... advanced to glass of wine every night (because- you know- studies have found that it's healthy for me.) Then, it became two... three glasses of wine a night.... Then I discovered/ figured out that vodka has fewer carbs. Ah! This is actually *better* for me - I am more in compliance with my diet. If I'm drinking four carbs in one glass of wine, I can have the same four carbs in four shots of vodka.

I have recently found that I just can't tolerate any wine, whatsoever (or liquor either). I'm just going to have to (in my head) deal with it like an allergy - 'even a small amount'.

It's hard for someone who has never been there to understand. "Quit cold turkey". That is really, really hard. It takes work every single day. Don't do long term plans. Plan on getting through today without alcohol. That's where AA is wonderful. You have people that you can call when you're feeling weak (and we ALL get weak sometimes!).

If you want someone to talk to, feel free to PM. I'll be thinking of you, and keeping you in my prayers.