My first Atkinsversary!

[Alienore]

Well, as of today, I have been doing Atkins for a year. It's not been an easy year and I still have a long way to go to get to a weight I can live with but I have no regrets about deciding to start living this way.

I'm 21 pounds down with about 21 to 28 to go and I know that I will do it, it's just a matter of time. I've wandered all over the place in terms of not sticking to the regime properly and then beating myself up because of what the scales have said and how my body has reacted. I'm still learning!

I need to move into OWL properly but it still feels kinda scary to do so. Induction is easy - you eat under 20 net carbs a day and that's you, end of story. Ok I know I'm simplifying things but you get my point! OWL involves me sitting down and working things out, keeping track and being distinctly more accountable to myself for what I put into my body. I will do this and I will do it soon.

I joined Curves recently and that's another decision on the right path. Again it will take time for me to see results there but I don't care how long it takes for me to lose the weight I need to because I would far rather it took longer and STAYED OFF than lose it all too fast and then put weight on again because I wasn't ready to handle it all. I have a weekend job in my local supermarket and since I started Atkins have not bought biscuits which I used to devour by the packet, nor crisps (potato chips to our American friends). I buy fresh meat and salad with frozen vegetables taking up my freezer space. I eat meals my father gets jealous of due to my eating steaks! I eat meals that I prepare myself, that are healthy and that mean I'm not hungry later on.

Having been overweight and obese for about 25 years means that I am heading into new territory with every pound that I lose. I haven't been under 126lbs since I left school 18 years ago and I certainly haven't been fit or anything like it for even longer. The battle is all in my mind - I know that there are huge differences in how I look know compared with how I looked at my heaviest weight before I started Atkins last year - but to me I still look awful because all I can see is that fat person. Losing the fat goggles will be the hardest bit of all for me.

I love this board - it is so encouraging to see people who are also heavy managing to win the battles with themselves and who post about it all so that we can all relate to everything that happens. Knowing that you all know how it FEELS to be heavy, that I don't have to EXPLAIN what I mean by things is great. And I also love seeing how well people are doing here with their weightloss and their selfconfidence improving all the time.

I read my DANDR regularly, sometimes taking it to bed with me. I carry the wallet-sized induction sheet in my purse and have shown it off to people who have noticed how much weight I have lost. I am very very grateful to Dr Atkins for what he wrote in DANDR and how much better I feel in myself already - I just wish he was still here so that I could tell him so.

Thanks for listening


Deborah

[Laurenfra]

Deborah,
Congrats on your special day. I wish you well on your next year. I hope you are always with us here, long after goal.

[cleochatra]

Happy Atkinsversary! Your exercising and sticking with this way of eating are two of the many reasons you will be a stunning success! Congratulations to you.

[dreamof145]

WHOOOHOOOO, 1 year and you are doing great!! I loved reading your post!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and dedication to Atkins and the ADBB!!! And, Happy Anniversary!

[2big4mysize]

congrats on your anniversary.

DId you know Dr Atkins says those that do all the phases of his plan are the ones who keep the weight off so move to OWl and have fun in the great OWL food experiment. you get lots and lots of practice and do overs if you mess up but you are learning to eat in a healthy low carb atkins way that will help you keep the pounds off cause as we all heard a million times when we were little practice makes perfect.

Happy low carbing.

[iyamamaschke]

Isn't it the BEST feeling knowing you have done this For a YEAR. WOOOHOOOO!!!!!

WAY to go you are doing so awesome.

Thanks soo MUCH for sharing your Storey MORE of us need to do taht to modivate others.
You should Be soooo PROUD of YOU!!!!

[ttdriver]

Congratulations on a very successful year!!


Betty

[sallyseachange]

Happy Anniversary, and congrats on your success so far. May your second year be a great success too!
Sal

[Elizellen]

and best wishes for the next year, Deborah

[Desertthorn]

Thanks for the post, but also thanks for those 200 posts that you have give to this board helping others, asking good questions and just being a member of this great team.
Your awesome and we appreciate you