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Hi All!
I am a person who started Atkins the first time several years ago - well, just over 5 years ago - before it temporarily became popular.
To begin with I had a lot of success, but I stopped sooner than I should have. I weighed 274 to start - and I suspect I was higher than that, since I started watching carbs somewhat prior to "officially" starting and weighing myself - and my lowest weight got down into the 180's before I lost my footing. I bounced back to the 200-210 range and pretty much stayed there until this past year when I've been noticing an upward creep again.
It's interesting looking back I know what my pitfalls were, and hopefully am prepared to avoid them this time. Some were the usual pitfalls - a diet-sabotaging boss (yes for real), and sugar substitutes - and some pitfalls were more specific to me. For example, nuts of all kinds, as well as most cheeses, began causing migraines. (It wasn't due to the diet, as my mother had developed severe migraines at about the same age.) Those nuts had been my "safe-cheating," just-in-case-foods and I was depending on them. So I would eat carbs to help get rid of the migraines - which led to a vicious cycle that was half of what knocked me off the Atkins wagon.
Also - this was a big thing for me, and is the reason I'm very glad for this bulletin board! - when I started Atkins the first time, no one knew what I was doing. I understand that for a lot of people, friends around you for diets are great moral support. But for me it doesn't work that way. If friends/family take interest in what I'm eating, my motivations get way too complicated. When I started Atkins, no one even knew what a carb was! But, there came a point when people understood I was on a diet, and what it entailed.
To me, this added to the burden; I was no longer dieting for my own reasons. In fact at one point, after I was already struggling to stay afloat, some friends at church wanted to form a diet support group. I thought that sounded like a good idea. Well it wasn't. At least not for me. After three meetings they kicked me out!
(I'm very glad for this bulletin board, where there is lots of great advice and encouragement to be shared, without confusing my motivations if I have to make food choices when out with friends.)
So anyway, as of a week ago my weight had crept back up to 234.
. Mmmm. So I dug out my DANDR and began re-reading it. Funny I had been praying for motivation and there it was right there. And I realized, being unemployed right now, of all times this is the time to get a good re-start. I've been doing induction properly - no, almost properly, I think I went a bit over on the veggie soup (homemade with only acceptable veggies) - and I'm off to a good dropping-start so far.
I've been reading a music forum lately and so it occurred to me to come looking for an Atkins forum. I was quite glad when I found this one. (And especially glad when I saw that you don't advocate the sweeteners and supposedly-low-carb items that I have already learned are very dangerous.)
I've already tried a great recipe I found on this site & really enjoyed it! And I'm resolved to read the DANDR at least every few days to keep my motivation strong.
Anyway - sorry for this long intro post - I'm very glad I've found this bulletin board & happy to be here!
- fiddlejen
I am a person who started Atkins the first time several years ago - well, just over 5 years ago - before it temporarily became popular.
To begin with I had a lot of success, but I stopped sooner than I should have. I weighed 274 to start - and I suspect I was higher than that, since I started watching carbs somewhat prior to "officially" starting and weighing myself - and my lowest weight got down into the 180's before I lost my footing. I bounced back to the 200-210 range and pretty much stayed there until this past year when I've been noticing an upward creep again.
It's interesting looking back I know what my pitfalls were, and hopefully am prepared to avoid them this time. Some were the usual pitfalls - a diet-sabotaging boss (yes for real), and sugar substitutes - and some pitfalls were more specific to me. For example, nuts of all kinds, as well as most cheeses, began causing migraines. (It wasn't due to the diet, as my mother had developed severe migraines at about the same age.) Those nuts had been my "safe-cheating," just-in-case-foods and I was depending on them. So I would eat carbs to help get rid of the migraines - which led to a vicious cycle that was half of what knocked me off the Atkins wagon.
Also - this was a big thing for me, and is the reason I'm very glad for this bulletin board! - when I started Atkins the first time, no one knew what I was doing. I understand that for a lot of people, friends around you for diets are great moral support. But for me it doesn't work that way. If friends/family take interest in what I'm eating, my motivations get way too complicated. When I started Atkins, no one even knew what a carb was! But, there came a point when people understood I was on a diet, and what it entailed.
To me, this added to the burden; I was no longer dieting for my own reasons. In fact at one point, after I was already struggling to stay afloat, some friends at church wanted to form a diet support group. I thought that sounded like a good idea. Well it wasn't. At least not for me. After three meetings they kicked me out!
(I'm very glad for this bulletin board, where there is lots of great advice and encouragement to be shared, without confusing my motivations if I have to make food choices when out with friends.)
So anyway, as of a week ago my weight had crept back up to 234.
. Mmmm. So I dug out my DANDR and began re-reading it. Funny I had been praying for motivation and there it was right there. And I realized, being unemployed right now, of all times this is the time to get a good re-start. I've been doing induction properly - no, almost properly, I think I went a bit over on the veggie soup (homemade with only acceptable veggies) - and I'm off to a good dropping-start so far. I've been reading a music forum lately and so it occurred to me to come looking for an Atkins forum. I was quite glad when I found this one. (And especially glad when I saw that you don't advocate the sweeteners and supposedly-low-carb items that I have already learned are very dangerous.)
I've already tried a great recipe I found on this site & really enjoyed it! And I'm resolved to read the DANDR at least every few days to keep my motivation strong.
Anyway - sorry for this long intro post - I'm very glad I've found this bulletin board & happy to be here!
- fiddlejen
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