If You Are Struggling Please Read This

[angelawillbethinagain]

If you are trying to do the atkins lifestyle and find yourself struggling or about to just give up... Please read this. This is my short story. I have tried atkins so many times that I cannot even tell you. I have stocked the kitchen with atkin induction foods, drank the water, done the excersise and then all of a sudden I would just fall off the wagon. I would binge fast food, bags of candy, soda..All the bad stuff that got me there. I would blame it on being an emotional eater or due to extreme stress... Then last week I was seriously about to just give up. I was tired of failing. I was tired of trying so hard. I had a wake up call. I told myself, Angela you can either dedicate yourself to atkins lifestyle and once and for all lose this unhealthy weight. You can improve your health and your life. You can run with your children and play. You can wear the cute clothes you find yourself looking at when you are shopping.... OR you can give up, feel sluggish daily, have sleep apnea, have high blood pressure, run away from cameras, hide in my home not wanting to be out in public, feel ashamed of myself, feel unattractive, have no self esteem... Guess what I did. I re-dedicated myself to atkins 100%. Which I thought I had done prebisouly. However I really hadn't. I didn't have the right mind set. Because instead of realizing that I and only I have control over what goes into my body, I used the blame game.

I want to lose this weight. I have to lose this weight. It is not really a choice anymore for me. It is life or death for me. I have two children that I raise on my own. They depend on me. They learn from me. What kind of an example have I taught them by my eating habits? Not only am I now eating right but I am more cautious of what my children are eating.

I have been through very difficult times. I have been abused by my ex husband for many many years. He is now serving prison time 7 1/2 years for hurting my son and I with domestic violence. I went through ****. I used to tell myself, you are fat because you are an emotional eater. What you have been through has caused this. Well that is not really true. I have caused where I am today. Me and only me. I cannot blame my weight problems on anyone else. I chose to eat the fast food, the candy bars, the soda...

My main point is to truly be successful on atkins, you MUST dedicate yourself 100%. Sit down and write out your goals. Mini goals that you can truly achieve. Losing weight is the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life.
It is not easy. There are going to be good days and bad days. Triumphs and set backs. It's going to take time for the weight to come off. Toss that darn scale out the window. DONT CAUSE YOURSELF GRIEF BY WEIGHING YOURSELF EVERYDAY. There are many reasons why you may be up one day and down the next. TOM is a big one. Too much salt is another. Go by how you feel, how your clothing is looser. I hear people say I have lost so and so pounds and I am not down a size or two. That's ok. It will come. Just be excited about the inches you are losing.

I am happy to report that I am down 10 pounds in just a week. I don't know how but I am. I feel so good. The sluggish feeling is gone. The feeling of wanting to sleep and my eyes so tired at 2:30 pm is gone. I wonna run, I wonna jump. Most of all I want to help others out there who are struggling.

Ask yourself, where do I want to be in one year? Just ask yourself that. What do I want to be able to do differently in one year. I will tell you where I want to be in one year. I want to be healthier in one year. I want to notice a big difference in my weight in one year. Notice how I do not say a number. Why? Because I don't think it's fair to put numbers out there. What if in a year, I am not at that number. Then I will feel I have failed. Instead here is what I have done:

Goal # 1 230
Goal # 2 220
Goal # 3 200
Goal # 4 190
Goal # 5 180
Goal # 6 170
Goal # 7 160
Goal # 8 150 GOAL GOAL GOAL

Everytime I reach a goal, I will place a date by it. After not before. What a great thing to be able to place a date by a goal that I completed. Also I believe in the reward system. When you reach a goal, reward yourself with something that you would like to have.

YOU ARE WORTH IT
YOU CAN DO THIS
YOU WILL LOSE THIS WEIGHT
YOU WILL SUCCEED
YOU WILL BECOME A HEALTHY PERSON
YOU WILL FEEL GREAT ABOUT YOURSELF
YOUR FAMILY AND CHILDREN WILL BE SO PROUD OF YOU
MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WILL FEEL PROUD OF YOURSELF!!!!

I have to tell you that once I re-dedicated myself this time around, I just feel like a new person! I cannot explain it. I get up in the morning and I feel rested, excited for the day, excited for the choices I will make, more attractive, I feel that I am putting more into my appearance, dressing nicer.

I will be a success story. Because nothing will stop me from reaching my goal!

Please write to me if you are struggling, let me help you. Let me help the way others helped me!!! Opps, not a short story after all is it!!!

[ValidRouge]

Excellent, Angela!

You WILL be thin again.

I've found that helping others here helps me more than it helps some of those I try to help. So, this is awesome!

I said to someone the other day....this is a life long battle with food because I am an addict. Id rather fight the battle with a healthy and lean body than a fat, sick one.

[AlaskaGirl]

Great post Angela.

[*Alexa*]

Thanks so much for sharing! Maybe print this out and put it somewhere you can see it for the days you feel it is harder too. Sometimes seeing your own enthusiasm fires it all over again

[dreamof145]

Great post. Thanks for giving encouagement to others through your own experiences.

[partytrouble]

wow, angela, this is super inspiring. i might print this out for MYSELF and refer to it daily!!! thanks for posting this.

[misplaced southerner]

way to go angela. i know you will be a huge encouragement to others. you sure have the mindset for success!

[jimmyolsenblues]

Great post. I would say my biggest problem right now is light beer.
I know its not on induction. I know I should not be drinking it.
I feel very weak about it. <insert excuse here>
Aside from that , I have been doing very well on atkins and I love it.
Thanks

[LOWCARBINCLEVELANDOH]

Thank you for opening your life and heart up to all of us!

[angelawillbethinagain]

jimmyolsonblues,

You have lost 67 pounds and you should feel so proud of yourself. Imagine what your success may be without the light beer Please believe me that you will be able to make the decision to stop drinking the light beer when you are really ready. The mind is a very powerful tool. You can do anything you set your heart too. I am going to be thin and I have been overweight for more than 10 years now. That is what I set my heart to. And it will happen because I am so determined. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far and what you will accomplish now and in the future. I believe in you!! You will be able to get off of the light beer when you put 100% into that goal!

Best of luck!