Free Advice (and worth every dime you spent on it)

[papajack_1]

I found this board about 3 months ago, and I'm convinced that discovery has saved my life! I visit this site every day and the advice, comfort, and encouragement that I've found here has proved to be invaluable.

Honesty compels me to admit that I am more of a "lurker" than a "poster". My reticence at expressing my opinion is rooted in several factors that, admittedly, have become elements in my obesity. Some of those "fear factors" would be:

1. Inability to be completely honest with myself, let alone being truthful with friends ( I call you guys "friends" since I feel I know you so well from reading your posts).

2. Even though my brain can fool me into "feeling" skinny after losing almost 100 lbs., I still remain an obese person (over 300 lbs.). My current weight does not allow me the moral authority to advise anyone on what, how, when, where, and who they should eat.

3. I fear that if I were to honestly reply to a posted question, I might inadvertently hurt someone's feelings. On a few occasions I've read where an individual has written that their feelings had been hurt so badly they were never returning to the board.

4. Truth in advertising forces me to admit that one of the biggest reasons I want to keep my "secret" is the irrational fear that if I share my "achievements" I'll jinx myself and lose what has become a wonderful way of life for me.

While on my walk this morning, I found myself feeling a compulsive to write about something that has been bothering me for a while. Brevity has never been one of my shining qualities, so I apologize for the length of this discourse. I find it necessary to take some time in making sure to cover the points I wish to make.

It's necessary to share a little personal history. About a year ago I was in my doctor's office for my regular 3 month check-up. My doctor is a wonderful human being, a true gentleman ( I bet he steps out of the shower before peeing!). He's been my physician for almost 30 years and has seen me through weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. He's never pressured me to lose weight so when he merely suggested I read the "Atkins book" I took him up on it. Bought the book, read it through the induction phase, started the diet about 10 months ago, and started losing weight from day 1. By day 10, I was sick as a dog. I may have read page 141 in DANDR about "addiction & withdrawal" but it certainly hadn't registered. All I knew was I felt terribly, so, of course, this was a reason the do what? - TO EAT! And because I are a "Georgia Red-Neck" that binge was my all-time favorite comfort food - Pinto Beans & Cornbread. Hence, I never finished my 2 week induction - but, I had lost weight!

Over the next 5-6 months, this became my way of dieting. Try as hard as I could to do Atkins, and then binge when the cravings became too strong. But, still I was losing weight!

So, after about 6 months I'm down about 50 lbs. My doctor's happy, my lovely wife's happy, my beloved son is happy, and my dear grandkids are happy. And I think I'm happy. After all, I'm losing weight, and think I'm feeling good. But, I'm terrified that I'm one binge away from losing it all and reverting to my old way of life.

About this time I discovered this board. Starting visiting every day. Read and read and read and discovered a few things I should have known all along:

1. Shakes, bars, and other so called lo-carb items could cause me to crave the junk that made me fat all my life.

2. A 2 week CLEAN induction is absolutely necessary for a variety of reasons (withdrawal from food addictions, to prepare my body for the miracle of burning fat, to curb my insatiable appetite, and to control my cravings for foods Dr. Atkins said I should avoid.

3. If I do what Dr. Atkins advised he promised me I would lose weight, lower my blood glucose levels, lower my blood pressure, lower my cholesterol, and feel better.

Off course ALL I wanted was to lose weight - all the other promises didn't matter. JUST LET ME LOSE THE FREAKIN' WEIGHT!!

Long story (what the ****) even longer - I started a clean induction. Did 2 weeks just as Dr. Atkins advised. Not a cheat - nada. At the end of the 2 weeks, found I felt pretty good. Did another 2 weeks, which turned into 2 months. A couple of weeks ago I started OWL. Still, by the book, no cheats, no trying "my version". Went to the doctor 2 weeks ago. Results - weight loss (almost 100 total pounds), blood glucose levels almost normal (diabetic medicine reduced from 3 medications daily to one), blood pressure was 112/70, cholesterol was 174. And Man, did I feel good! Felt so good that I had even begun exercising. Did this because Dr. Atkins said I should. Keep at it because I was waking up in the morning with so much energy I just had to exercise.

I wrote that after my first 6 months of starting and stopping this WOL that I THOUGHT I felt good. Only after doing this the way Dr. Atkins wrote it did I come to know what "feeling good" really meant.

And I found one more benefit from doing this WOL the Atkins way, and this has been the greatest miracle of all. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I HAVE CONTROL OVER THE FOOD GOING INTO MY MOUTH!!! The food doesn't control me, I control it. Am I tempted? You bettcha! Much like I might be tempted to pat a pretty lady on her bottom. I have no problem avoiding that temptation - if I give into it I'll be slapped, at the least. If I give into my food temptations I know I'll spiral of control.

Went to my daughter-in-law's birthday party last night. Was the only person there not eating b'day cake. Was I tempted? Yep! Did I give in? Nope! Was it hard? Nope! For the only time in my life I can tell the difference between a temptation and a craving. A temptation I find I can control. If I do what Dr. Atkins advised I find I do not have the cravings.

This freedom from cravings and the ability to control what and when I eat is truly a miracle - one I am devoutly thankful for each day. I'm accepting this miracle from God which came through to me in Dr. Atkins' work. I don't know what tomorrow brings, but today I am truly blessed!

This long-winded post brings me to the thing bothering me. I read many newbies (and some veterans) asking how and in what manner can they do the Atkins diet in a way different from the way the Doctor wrote it. I read some replies stating that one lo-carb version of an addicted food can be substituted for a banned food. I know that many of you guys starting on this journey find yourself in the same boat as do I - needing to lose a good amount of weight. My prayer for you is to give Dr. Atkins 2 weeks of your life. Do it the way he wrote it for 2 weeks. Eat the foods on the allowable list. Forget the shakes, bars, lo-carb junk for 2 weeks. At the end of that time, see how you feel. Be honest with yourself. I know you're here to find a way to lose weight. You can do that - AND SO MUCH MORE!

In closing, I feel the need to apologize to anyone who I may have offended by my post. If you'll do me the honor of e-mailing me, I'll apologize to you individually.

See you guys on the board!

[Ima Loser]

You are having such great success. Keep up the good work!

[mamadee730]

well said and with the results to prove it. What a great inspriration and ongoing sucess story you are.

dee

[Firemedic mom]

Well said. I know some people don't have a problem with the shakes and bars, but they make me nervous. They aren't meat, they aren't cheese, they aren't eggs, and they certainly aren't vegetables. Wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, just to eat real food? Those bars are not cheap.

And welcome to the board! Don't hold back....most of us welcome all kinds of opinions here, as long as the focus is on weight-loss and personal support.


Anne (who admits to an occasional Advantage bar at the firehouse when a meal is interrupted by a call....blush).

[momtocj7mea]

VERY WELL SAID AND A GREAT POST FOR THE BOARD!!!!!Congrats on your success!!!

[pammie]

first of all congratulations!! what a wonderful accomplishment, of course I mean losing the weight, but also getting control of your food, body and life. I am so proud of you, and so encouraged to read your story.
I think your story could really encourage alot of people, would you allow me to make it a sticky? I really think everyone who comes to this board should read it.

[papajack_1]

Thanks for the kind words.

papajack

[Lulu M]

Papajack, what a brilliant and very touching post. Thank you.

To those who feel that they can do Atkins their own way, I would say only that they might want to look at where eating their own way has gotten them so far, and consider that perhaps the good doctor had a reason for each and every one of his rules.

Lulu

[Kymmie]

I was so moved by your message. Today I'll start my second day of induction. With over 100 pounds to lose. I don't know how it got so far away from me.

I want to be able to fly in an airplane in August. I just want to sit in the seat with out those feelings of the seatbelt pressing into my hips for 3 hours.

I know that Atkins is going to help. When I've started before it's worked so well. It's a real challenge for me because my husband and daughter are vegetarian. I've been cooking vegetarian in my home for 16 years. I only ate meat when I went out and someone else cooked it. I'm eating cheese, eggs, tofu and vege's while we are at the table together.

I can't remember how to cook a steak or roast. I had to call my Southern Grandmother for help. :P

[Iapetus999]

This long-winded post brings me to the thing bothering me. I read many newbies (and some veterans) asking how and in what manner can they do the Atkins diet in a way different from the way the Doctor wrote it. I read some replies stating that one lo-carb version of an addicted food can be substituted for a banned food.

People just don't get that you can't just substitute "lo-carb" food for their regular crap and expect it to work. You need to change your whole approach to food and eating.
For the same reasons you can't just eat "lo-fat" versions of food and expect that to work either.
Just eat natural, healthy food in moderate proportions and exercise. It's really that simple.
All this "modified" this and that is just ways of either justifying cheating or not really understanding how the whole thing works. Until you try the entire plan, all 4 stages, from top to bottom, you can't in reality say what will or won't work for you or how you can improve on what Dr. Atkins says.

Of course that being said, it is vitally important for people to experiment throughout the diet to see what works for them and what doesn't. This board serves to let people know what has helped and hurt other people. It gives ideas for you to try. But your ultimate guide should be what's in DANDR.