stopping for a while

[pools_mib]

ive done really well i know but after 2 months and about 26lbs lost im stopping this woe for a while. im crazy i know but the pressure of being away from my family and seeing 3 other men who i live with eat what they want has grown too much.
i was ok for 6 weeks saying how easy it is but im ashamed too say i long for pizza and bread. i know this is what made me put on weight in the first place but i dont know what else to do ive grown tired and my will power has gone .

thanks

mike

[DigitalMocking]

Mike, you have to find a way to change how you relate to food.

My wife makes an atkins pizza that's fantastic, there are alternatives out there, but frankly you have to learn how to live without them and be happy. The 26lbs you lost will come back, and probably bring friends. I don't think you want that.

[IrishSarahHB]

Mike are you finally to the weight you are comfortable with? Did you reach your goal?

Your just gonna give up? dont just give up completely!! 6 weeks is a long time to just toss out the window..

[misplaced southerner]

aaawwwww you don't want to do that! old habits just bring old results.......what is worse...watching friends eat something you think you want or feeling unfit?

hey DM, we want your wife's pizza recipe!!!

[peacefuljourney]

Hi,

Can you have 1 night of pizza and then get back on the next day? Will that keep you going? I know it's a cheat but I think it's better than tossing in the towel.

I know what you mean about peer pressure which is worse when you are away from your family - but why not use your family as a motivator. Simply put: being overweight is unhealthy. Strive to live a long and healthy life to be with your kids as much as possible without the accompanying disabilities (heart is a big one, but also energy levels, happiness and role model...)

Or - last preachy thing here - why not set a goal like: another week and if I still want the pizza I'll have it. Maybe you'll be in a different state of mind by then.

Good luck.

S-

[kellypa2678]

I can tell you I know where you are coming from. I have had my moments (cheats). What I felt afterwards was horrible, and the very thing that I cheated with, just didn't seem worth the guilt. It didn't taste wonderful, it didn't even taste good as I had dreamed it would. My guilt over powered that. Were your last 6 weeks induction? If so, why don't you move onto the "rungs" and you can add in more stuff gradually as you go. Eventually when you get to the Grains rung you can make Ellizens flax bread and I'm sure it would be excellant sliced and then used as a pizza crust of some sort. If you are so hungry for pizza, buy a pizza with all the extra toppings on it, and then pull them off and only eat them,,,,I find that the most desirable thing to eat anyways. Look for answers here, before you give up.

WOW, I really need to look in the mirror and say this to myself.

Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.

[clogger]

Mike,

We ALL know how you feel. It may feel enjoyable to eat pizza and bread, but only in that moment. Then it's just a memory. I'm sure you have other memories associated to food that are not so good. Try to think back to other memories you have associated with high-carb foods - being tired, feeling stuffed and uncomfortable, becoming bloated, wanting to eat more even though you are full, etc. Do you want to feel that again?

Someone referenced Linda's website that is FULL of low-carb food ideas: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html. You should take the time to check some of these out. They will make your mouth water just like thinking of pizza and bread, BUT they are Atkins-friendly and won't make you feel bad like high-carb foods.

Do it for YOU!

[pools_mib]

thanks for all the replies. right............ its my birthday tomorrow (33) and on saturday me and my 3 flatmates are going to have a night out to celebrate, our first since starting work in holland. then on monday our 12 hour shifts start at work and i will go back to atkins then. i cant believe the change in me over the course of a week going from feeling fantastically in control and not craving anything to desperate to eat something im not allowed.

i tried to introduce more vegetables into my eating but seemed to get bored thats why i faultered, i actually cant believe what im doing my clothes feel great and jeans that didnt fit me in december are actually alittle too big now!! right thats it sunday im back on and just hope a few days wont wreck 8 weeks hard work

thanks

mike

[kellypa2678]

Sounds like you already have you mind up that you are going to cheat. Just keep thinking about everything you just posted,,,,jeans fit loosely, feeling good, ect...
Use them as your motivator,,,plus thats great you will go out with your friends, if you go out to eat, get a massive juicy steak and some broccoli with loads of butter, or a nice salad to accompany your steak with some ranch and other veggie fixins,,,and if you really have too,,,,order a low carb beer or wine.

I just cannot tell you how bad you are going to feel if you stray to far. I was in the same predicament on Sunday.

Hope you have a nice time out with the fellas.

[samira]

Hi Mike,

You don't know me, but I hope you will take this to heart. You CAN do this. You really, really CAN.

Please, have some more juicy steak, more crispy bacon, more fresh fish fried with butter. Have some tangy Swiss cheese, runny brie, or creamy, lacy, havarti. Go out and get 2 orders of spicy buffalo chicken wings with thick bleu cheese dressing. Have a lite beer. Eat the toppings off a Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, with extra cheese, sausage, pepperoni, olives and mushrooms.

You can do ALL these things and stick to the plan, really! Do you want to give them up for some dry bread? Maybe si, maybe no. But I bet if you had more of the above available to you you'd do fine. What's blocking you - the guys you live with eating what they please? The lack of cooking facilities? Are you unable to bring a healthy lunch to work? Whatever it is, you can get around it.

However, if you're going to go off plan, make a night of it, but not a week of it. It's a slippery slope because you wake up the next day and the memory of the bread is still in your brain but the 26lbs aren't magically back on. If only it worked that way - one day of healthy eating and they were lost, one day of unhealthy eating and they are back on - but it doesn't. So you'll still look the same in the mirror, but mentally it's hard to get back on the straight and narrow because there aren't any immediate consequences. You might see a gain of a couple pounds of water weight though. Does this sound like something you could do?

Happy birthday, Mike. Do the best you can, the rest will take care of itself.

Seattle, USA