Atkins repeaters, just a little curious. . .

[ldyj]

Losing weight, as we know, is an on-going battle. The stats for staying at goal once you get there are awful! I'm re-reading DANDR and just finished the chapter on Lifetime Maintenance. I was just wondering for those of you who got to goal on Atkins, how many followed Dr. Atkins guidelines through Lifetime Maintenance. Obviously, if you are back where you were or worse, the "return to induction at a 5 lb. gain" didn't work for you. Can I ask why? I see so many restarters who have lost a great deal of weight only to be back and it scares me. Just what are my chances for success?

[neihu]

I lost 45 pounds in 2004. I maintained for a year and a half and then I got pregnant and gained 50 pounds.

I nursed my daughter until she was 2, so was unable to go back to Atkins at that time (ok I could have done LM - but I wouldn't have lost any weight). I tried WW and GI and exercise, while I was on maternity leave (in Canada we get one year) but then I went back to work. Being a full time working mom to a child who did not sleep through the night (and still doesn't) meant very little mom time - and I was too tired to cook or work out. We ate a lot of pizza, frozen lasagna - you know - the easy stuff.

Once I got to my goal I had no problem maintaning - my taste buds changed so much that I didn't want chocolate or cookies. I remember being at a bbq and having a huge plate of ceasar salad with a bunless bacon cheese burger (my fave food) and defending Atkins - it was really funny!

I know I can do it again - for me it is all about attitude. I have been kind of sabotaging myself lately - but I am done doing that now! Of course you can do it - if you want to! Good luck!

Sorry if this was a little long...But great question by the way!

[msanjelpie]

5 years ago I lost 101 lbs. From 216 to 115. It took me 14 months, and during that time I didn't cheat once. I couldn't cheat, because I'm a carboholic, and had I cheated that would have been the end of the diet for me. It's sad, but once I start eating junk food, I can't stop.

I was so happy being skinny, I could do so many things and when I started gaining some of the weight back, I just assumed it would be as easy to lose it again as the first time... The problem was the motivation. I gained 20 lbs, and I would hop back on Atkins again, lose 10 lbs. get sick of the food and quit telling myself that losing the weight was so easy that I could do it anytime. Then I would gain back the 10 I had just lost plus another 10. This cycle continued for 5 years. Lose, gain, gain more.

When I hit 250 it was a wake up call. I can't do this anymore. No more losing and gaining. I have to do this time what I did 5 years ago, and that's cut bad carbs out of my life completely and commit to the diet 100%. So I have. I've lost 20 lbs in the past 10 weeks, and although I know it will be around Christmas 2010 before I am near goal, I have accepted that I can never go back. I'm a grown up - I can deal with it!

So THIS time I'm going to follow all the directions I can and do this thing the best I can so that when I reach goal there won't be a question of what I can and can't eat, and there will be no 'just one cupcake'...

[ldyj]

I truly appreciate your honesty!

It seems I have answered my own question, however.

I've been doing Atkins almost 2 months. I lost 10 lbs. and was able to give up the pain meds I've taken for years because of a troublesome back. As a bonus, last week, just before leaving on a road trip to Kentucky for my husband's family reunion, my doc took me off BP meds!

I determined that, even though I want to lose more weight, the signs of better health were even more of a motivation - is it possible my cholesterol meds could be next??!!!

Then I ran face (mouth!!) first into the great southern cooking that is so rampant at these family gatherings! I failed myself - all the promises I made to myself flew out the door! Thankfully for only 2 meals, not the whole day, AND not for the full 4 days!

On the third day I woke up with my back screaming, my face, hands, ankles and calves were swollen and I was feeling crummy. I knew what I had to do - get up, dust myself off and get right back on plan. And that's what I've done.

So I've made the discovery as to how easy it is to fall backwards - no matter how good one plans. My hat's off to you guys for finding your way back, and my heart is with you as we go forward!

[blondegypsy]

I feel its just being human, a special occassion, vacation, Holiday. The problem is not letting it snowball into a week, month, years! With me, I have lost, life events happen, kept Atkins Diet around when I needed it for health reasons to pull me out of it (hypoglycemia). But my own weakness lets me slide back and I gained on top of it. I'm the one that put the bags of popcorn in my mouth, ate peanutbutter and crackers like it was a meal and gulped krispycreme doughnuts like there was no tomarrow! There was a tomarrow and now I'm having to look at it in the mirror!

I'm really happy to have made this possitive decission for myself. My 50th BD will be next year and I'm trying to get myself in shape and in health for my next 50!

180/180/130

Keep Happily Turning Purple!!!!!!

[deerfu39]

Originally Posted by msanjelpie

5 years ago I lost 101 lbs. From 216 to 115. It took me 14 months, and during that time I didn't cheat once. I couldn't cheat, because I'm a carboholic, and had I cheated that would have been the end of the diet for me. It's sad, but once I start eating junk food, I can't stop.

I was so happy being skinny, I could do so many things and when I started gaining some of the weight back, I just assumed it would be as easy to lose it again as the first time... The problem was the motivation. I gained 20 lbs, and I would hop back on Atkins again, lose 10 lbs. get sick of the food and quit telling myself that losing the weight was so easy that I could do it anytime. Then I would gain back the 10 I had just lost plus another 10. This cycle continued for 5 years. Lose, gain, gain more.

When I hit 250 it was a wake up call. I can't do this anymore. No more losing and gaining. I have to do this time what I did 5 years ago, and that's cut bad carbs out of my life completely and commit to the diet 100%. So I have. I've lost 20 lbs in the past 10 weeks, and although I know it will be around Christmas 2010 before I am near goal, I have accepted that I can never go back. I'm a grown up - I can deal with it!

So THIS time I'm going to follow all the directions I can and do this thing the best I can so that when I reach goal there won't be a question of what I can and can't eat, and there will be no 'just one cupcake'...

Good honest reply. Thank you very much! Some people can smoke crack with no ill effects, some can eat brownies with the same result . I can't stop with one brownie or a half cup of ice cream it always has to be more. That being said I can only handle so much steak, salad, eggs etc. even though I like these equally as well. For me I already know ahead of time that if I backslide what the end result will be- I'll be a lard&%$# forever!

[LCer09]

I lost 100lbs (265 to 165) and kept it off for quite a while. Weighing myself EVERY DAY (no matter what anybody else tells me I "should" do) kept me accountable. I had gotten to the point where I could, say, eat a burger with a bun. But no fries, and diet soda or water always. And if I saw a few extra pounds creep on? No bun either. It worked until recently when I went through a divorce, a newly hormonal teenage daughter, work stress, moving and every other nasty life situation I could apparently get myself into. I stopped weighing myself every day, and ignored that my clothes were too tight. A week ago I had had enough. Weighed myself and I was up 25 pounds! (aaak!) Immediately went back on induction and am 7 down so far. I will take off the rest, I will not be fat again. But yeah. Even for people that maintain for years, life happens. Doesn't mean you can't take control though. Or that the fact that it will never be "over" should keep anybody from taking control of their life.

[ziggy]

i wouldnt dream of going off the Atkins diet

high blood sugar spikes caused by high amounts of carbohydrates are toxic to your body

i have been on the diet for 5 years now and when ever i go off the diet i feel sick

for over 99% of humans entire existence we have ate low carb

i enjoy eating naturally and being disease free like God had made it for are ancestors

besides 2 years into the diet you will really enjoy low carb food and it becomes very easy to stick to it