I need your help

[thompsont908]

Hey you guys, it's me thompsont908 again. For me I have been up and down this roller coaster of diets for all of my life. Ihave gained weight and have lost weight. I always come back to atkins but never have the will power or the motivation to continue on this journey. I've been over weight all of my life and need to change for the better. for health reasons and a extra boost of self esteem. I know I can do this if I stay determined. WISH ME LUCK.

[chinadoll]

How about I wish you determination and focus. Then you won't need luck. If you read the book, give up the sweet stuff, bars, shakes, diet sodas; go to veggies meats and fats; drink your water; exercise then luck won't enter into it. It's all your success.

Just get yourself focused. READ THE 2002 DANDR to save yourself making costly mistakes, and commit to this lifestyle as a chance to become healthy and fitter for life--not as a quick fix where you feel like you are missing out on things.

SO I wish you success and strength and focus on your journey.

[gman]

I echo determination and focus. You'll see results soon, which will be a great boost. Stay on the program, as Chinadoll describes, it's actually pretty simple and easy as long as you stay on it, and in a few weeks you'll have new habits. Then when you see how much better you are feeling, the new you - who you envision - will be inevitable.

[Elizellen]

Welcome back to your ADBB family

Can you pinpoint what part of Atkins has tripped you up in the past? If you can work out why you have failed int he past you might be able to plan strategies for staying on plan this time.

[imagood1]

What I find that helps the most is planning meals - a couple days in advance, that way you have no reason not to have good things to eat. Take a day and prepare a couple meals -- if you have a crock pot put a roast in it and within a few hours you have a wonderful meal. Make enough salad up to last a couple days - that way all you have to do is reach in, grab 1 cup full and you are ready to eat.

Make sure you eat every 6 hours....don't let your blood sugar get out of wack by not eating on time.

Make sure you have enough fresh vegetables in your refrigerator - if you aren't eating vegetables you aren't following Atkins properly.

Drink a MINIMUM of 64 ounces of PURE WATER -- nothing added. Coffee, tea, sodas....these don't count toward your water .... only water counts - many people drink 1/2 of their weight in ounces of water...but make sure you drink the MINIMUM.

Exercise -- find a few of the challenges here on the board that interest you and join in - most of them started today.

Take a multivitamin without iron....you should get enough iron from the food you eat daily.

Like Jill said....if you follow the plan you will succeed! Read the book - post often, find a group of people who will help support you and follow through. Good luck to you.

[thompsont908]

The part that usuallt gets me is the induction. I have made it as far as 1 month abd lost alot of weight. But I then got cocky and thought I could have a day off the diet. And then after a day of off dieting I would take two days off and then so on and so on. So the induction really stunts me, of course me being a teacher at an elementary shool doen't help cause parents and kids are always bringing food and snacks to share with the class. So I really want to get through induction

[imagood1]

get through the 2 weeks then move to OWL and start adding foods back....you can do this -- just remember, 1 step at a time, 1 day at a time and before you know it you're done with induction! I'm starting over tomorrow after being sick for awhile -- if you need a pal let me know - I'll be happy to help.

[chinadoll]

I agree with Carole. Get through the 2 weeks and then move on to OWL. Ongoing Weight Loss phase is just that. Staying on induction beyond the 2 weeks does not mean you will lose faster. What often happens is you get bored with the Induction menu and then it is more tempting to cheat. And many folks lose more quickly on Rungs one and two than they did in Induction.

You have discovered the secret to success here-- that one bite leads to another, and another. SO this time you really need to focus yourself on not taking that first bite when you are lured by other things. I know schools are notoriously bad for sweets and things but it can be done. I lost my first 65 pounds while teaching first grade. I was constantly surrounded by cupcakes and party stuff and the teachers' lounge is the worst place of all. You just have to decide you want to succeed more than you want a bite of that treat. It's not easy, the important stuff never is.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by thompsont908

thought I could have a day off the diet. And then after a day of off dieting

The problem is right here!

You should not be dieting when following Atkins. Atkins is a lifestyle... not a diet where you go on and off.

It is your decision whether you choose to diet or to change your way of eating for life. As you have seen though, dieting fails.

me being a teacher at an elementary shool doen't help cause parents and kids are always bringing food and snacks to share with the class.

Do the little kids tie you down and force you to eat the snacks? If not, then you can choose what you eat. When someone brings chocolate at the university on her birthday, I take a piece of chocolate if the box is pushed under my nose (otherwise no one keeps a record of who took chocolate and who didn't), wish her happy birthday and later give the chocolate to someone else. There are always people who want an extra piece.

And talking about gestures... this was posted by 2Big some years ago:

I got the bestest Christmas present today form my little neighbor. She will be 5 in Jan. She was so proud of her gift.
She told me the man said it was the finest gift to give. She handed me a box she had wrapped herself and went on to explain inside the box had been some more presents but they had stuff in them I couldn't have so she took them out and was going to throw them away but her mommy told her to save them. Yep, she was very happily giving me the empty Belgian truffles box cause the box was the finest gift.

[chinadoll]

LOL great story!!!