2nd Time Around- Please Support Me, Please

[malaika]

Hi:

I Lost 50 Pounds On Atkins In 2004 And After Moving In With My Boyfriend I Just Let Myself Go And Went Back To My Old Way Of Eating Now I Probably Weigh About 240 Pounds I Dont Even Want To Weigh Myself. I've Started Atkins Again As Of Yesterday And I Am Determined To Lose Weight And Be Able To Fit Into My Clothes. Its So Depressing Going To Work When I Have A Closet Full Of Lovely Clothes That I Cant Fit In And I Just Wear Anything Because It Fits, Plus Size Clothes Are Never As Cute As Normal Sized Clothes. My Goal Is To Get Down To 170 Pounds , I'm 5' 11' So I Think Thats A Good Weight For Me, I'm 29 And I Feel And Look 10 Years Older.

I Really Would Appreciate Some People Who Have Been On The Diet And Who Are Empathetic To My Situation To Just Help Me, I Want To Have Group To Feel Accountable To, Where I Have To Tell Them How Much I Lose Every Week Etc Just So I Feel I'm Going Thru It With Others , At Work There Is Group That Goes To Weight Watchers And That Group Effect And Accountability Seems To Big Motivator.

Yesterday I Went Shopping To Buy Some Fall/winter Clothes And I Hated How I Looked In Everything And I Walked Home In Tears And Was Determined That I Would Start Atkins And I Will Never Again Have To Be Depressed About Shopping. Thanksgiving Is My First Big Goal As I Would Like To Travel And Visit Family Who Last Saw Me At My Surprise Birthday In July And Were All Remarking How Big I'd Gotten. I'd Really Love To Just Be Slimmer And Above All Else Healthy.

I'm Malaika By The Way And I Will Be A Success Story On Atkins!!!!

[Desertthorn]

Join us down in the Second Time Around club, lots of folks who know where your coming from. Welcome and glad you found us.

[ValidRouge]

Good Morning Malaika! It is a good morning, indeed! You've decided to take control of your life. Doing Atkins has allowed me to take control of my entire life. My physical and mental health. My self esteem, my self image.

I did the same thing...I went on Atkins in 2003, lost about 40 lbs and let my bf talk me into eating "Fat Food" as he called it--cookies, cakes, ice cream....JUNK! I went on ohhh a two year BINGE...and gained up to 268 lbs on my 5'10" frame. I was up to a size 22 jeans....and that was a TOTAL wake up call.

I started back on Atkins and ADBB January 2 of this year. I've lost a total of 72 lbs and gone down to a size 12. I can find clothes all day long and in pretty much every store. Recently I actually tried on clothes at Bebe..and some of them fit!!! It was awesome.

You can do it too! Since you've done Atkins before, you've got the ground work all set for you. Take the time though, to re-read your DANDR (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, version 2002). Read all the stickies in the induction forum and then the On-going Weight Loss Forums.

Check out the Food and Cooking forums. There are soooooooo many delicious recipes down there that will keep you feeling satisfied and like your home is some gourmet restaurant! LOL

Here are My tips for success this second time around:
1) Follow the plan like Dr. Atkins said to do it. No more "Joy's version of Atkins"
2) Don't try to do extended induction. I moved into adding more food and I've lost all my weight into that phase eating all kinds of yummy foods. I don't feel deprived.
3) Actively seek out fabulous, decadent, delicious recipes. I make what I'm eating BETTER than all the crap food around me.
4) Clean out your house. Throw away all the junk food that has made you FAT! You don't want that stuff ever again...why would you? IT MADE YOU FAT! Give it to your enemies.
5) Exercise. I won't even pretend that I like exercise. I. Do. Not. But, I do it because it is making my body look fabulous! Get up and do something to get your heart rate up. Even if it's for 5 minutes to start, get up and do it. Take a brisk walk. Dance. Do something that gets your heart pumping and then build on it. Also, lift weights. I cannot tell you enough how much of a difference this is going to make in your body. Muscle burns fat even while you are at rest. Build some muscle....burn more fat.

[malaika]

Hi :

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I will definitely start re-reading the book today. I would love to be able to shop in Bebe, lol. Congratulations on your weight loss, thats awesome.
I've been going to the gym in my building at home and i live downtown so i walk to work as well and I'm forcing myself to drink water because i find that quite tough.

[Lady_Hawke]

Hi Malaika! Welcome to the ADBB!
Looks like you've already gotten some really excellent advice!
I'd just like to add that you ALREADY are an Atkins success story because you are here and you are doing it!

[ValidRouge]

That's awesome that you are doing exercise already. Getting started on the water is hard...but once you get really hydrated and your body realizes that it is going to get a frequent and plentiful supply of plain old water, it will quit storing it in your tissues.

Three benefits:
1) Rapid and immediate weight loss which is a positive motivator in the beginning
2) a loss in volume of your body (inches) also a positive motivator
3) Once your body releases its stores, you'll be craving water which will make it a lot easier to get it all down each day.

Of course, there are sooooooooo many additional reasons to drink water, these three will probably be enough to get you started. There is a post in the induction and FAQ forums on the benefits of water. Be sure to give them a read.

[malaika]

thank you, you look amazing on those pics, a totally different person that will be me soon!!!!

[lanmaam]

Hi there!!!! Believe me, I have tried more diets than I can ever remember. I know you can do this. You know the rules, you have been successful before. Never give up on yourself!!

It looks like we have about the same amount to lose. Keep in touch, we can talk each other out of the carb cravings!!!

[malaika]

I will definitely keep in touch , thank you for the encouragement and congtas on the 9lbs

[Tralee63]

Well it sounds like many of us have done the same thing. Let a man help us gain back the weight we had previoulsy lost. I too did the same thing. After my divorce I had lost around 50 lbs. I was looking pretty good if I do say so myself and then I got involved in another relationship and here the pounds came! But the first thing I think we have to realize is that we choose to let these men talk us into eating fattening foods. They didn't hold us down and force us to eat it. So now what was my boyfriend and is know my husband of 3 years wants to help me get back to where I was at when we meet each other. He is basically cooking his own dinners so I don't have to look at the food he is eating. We normally went out to eat at least 3 times a week and since I started Atkins 4 days ago he hasn't even mentioned going out to a restaurant.

We have to take control of our own lives and not let someone else talk us into eating things that we only feel guilty about eating later.
First rule of thumb, you be the boss of what you eat! and keep doing good girl!