It's all about me...

[Tomorrow_I'll_Be_Perfect]

Well, hello everyone. For some reason I missed this part of the program and just jumped in without ever formally introducing myself.

So, hi, my name is Michelle. I live in Manitoba, Canada and I'm a carboholic, as well as a compulsive over eater. Stress and "not feeling well" are great reasons to fix all my problems with food.

Back in 2003 I moved to Ottawa, Ontario with my husband and daughter. I was the biggest I'd ever been (around 210 or so) and was miserable. I had horrible problems with hypoglycemia and was going into shock several times a week. I had decided I wanted to lose weight and immediately went on a low fat diet. I gained 6 pounds.

At the same time I had switched to diet pop. I hated the taste but thought it would help me lose weight. Well, it didn't, but it did help stabalize my sugar issues and I stuck with it.

Moving right along. A few months after we arrived in our new digs, I heard about Atkins, twice in the same week. Once was on the show Big Brother (Allison was saying how she'd lost 3 pounds in two days doing this high protein thing) and a friend of my mother-in-law's had lost a load of weight doing Atkins (again presented to me as a high protein diet). Well, I now know it's not high protein, but first impressions sometimes stick longer than you'd like.

So I told my hubby that I wanted to try yet another new diet. He asked why this one would any different than all of the others. In tears I said I didn't know but I had to do something.

I think I started the diet before I read the book but I had immediate results. I ended up losing 30 pounds in less than 3 months and half my hair along with it. I know now that any radical change in diet and weight loss could cause that, but at the time I thought it was Atkins that had done it. I didn't take suppliments (not even a daily vitamin) which I'm sure didn't help.

Another issue was the I was losing so fast that my skin was very loose and I felt like the saggy baggy elephant. You know, I'm sure we've all thought that we'd be soooo happy if only we could wake up and all this fat would be gone. Well, that's sort of how I felt, and it scared me. I also didn't have any support and didn't know about this bulletin board (if only I had!). So I stopped doing it.

Contrary to what everyone told me, I didn't start gaining any of the weight back for a whole year, but when it did start it came fast. I was back to my old eating habits and tricks and popped back up to 205. A very fit friend of mine gave me a diet to follow. She was very anti Atkins, and little did she know that her diet was exactly the later stages of Atkins. So I followed it, exercised regularily and lost a butt load of weight again. More success.

A funny thing happens to me when I start feeling good and successful...I get complacent and think I don't need to work so hard anymore. It's like I rowed like mad to get to the island and could then lie around on the beach and not have to build a shelter, or fire, or find food. So I gained weight again.

The yo-yo goes up, the yo-yo goes down.

For some reason last summer I decided I would give the old starvation a try again. I did lose 20 pounds but it was miserable and I don't even want to think how much muscle I lost! I started taking boxing at the same time and realized that I couldn't work out hard and not eat, so I bounced back into OWL of Atkins, exercised hard and made it down to 155. The lowest I'd been in at least 10 years! I was on top of the world.

Unfortunately, an incident with a black forest cake and a ill timed comment from a family member made me feel selfish about my behavior. She made it sound like I was making everyone worry about my lifestyle and I stopped.

Four months later and 27 pounds heavier (as well as several unsuccessful attemps at getting back on track - including the starvation trick) and here I am. I'm eating well and exercising regularily, drinking my water and taking my vitamins. The weight loss is slower than it ever was, but even though I haven't lost anything in two weeks, I also haven't gained, and I know I've decreased in mass.

I had started this account back in January and could never figure out why I couldn't post. I would come and read and wish I could participate but didn't know why I couldn't. When I changed my e-mail address in my profile, an e-mail was sent to me to confirm it. As soon as I did that my account was activated and I could post. Yeah!

Wow, this is LONG. Sorry about that. Well, anyway, that's me, at least a little bit about me. I'm looking forward to getting know all of you and sharing this journey with you.


Michelle

[BluegrassMama]

Originally Posted by Tomorrow_I'll_Be_Perfect

A funny thing happens to me when I start feeling good and successful...I get complacent and think I don't need to work so hard anymore. It's like I rowed like mad to get to the island and could then lie around on the beach and not have to build a shelter, or fire, or find food.

Hi, Michelle--love the analogy! It's nice to "meet" you! Congratulations on your commitment.

[Sweet Strudel]

Hey Michelle

Nice to get to know you! You are well on the way to a lifetime of success.

Welcome Aboard!!!

[Tomorrow_I'll_Be_Perfect]

Awe, gee, thanks you guys!

I just love it here. So many people who know just what it's like for me. I truly feel like I've found a home! I wish I had this kind of support the other dozen or so times I tried doing this. It's amazing the difference it makes coming here every day. I feel so lucky to be a part of all this.

[sillygirl]

Hi Michelle! Finally, a real introduction! Welcome! I'm very happy you've found this site. I've seen you all over the place today, that's great to jump right on in with both feet! Join some of our challenges, they are a great way to meet people.

You're right what you said in the last post about coming here every day. Truly, that's what keeps most of us accountable and on track!

See you around the board.

[*Wendy*]

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for sharing your story. One of the things I appreciate most about this site is reading about everyone's "history" and their current challenges, etc. Like you said, it's so good to be among others who know what I'm going through! And the support is so amazing. (And the accountability! Knowing I have to update that ticker every so often gives me that little extra pressure I'm not already putting on myself!)

So thanks again for sharing!

Wendy

[Tomorrow_I'll_Be_Perfect]

Accountability, I like that word! It's easy to get lazy and sluff things off like water and exercise when no one else is really watching.

I'm finding the challenges to be great! I think about doing those extra miles to make it to my August goal and the abs are killer, but I'm liking them. I need to join one for lifting weights, I know I need to do more but I can't seem to get myself to do it on a regular basis.

One thing at a time though, eh? Thanks for coming by to say hi!

[PizzaManNoMore]

A funny thing happens to me when I start feeling good and successful...I get complacent and think I don't need to work so hard anymore. It's like I rowed like mad to get to the island and could then lie around on the beach and not have to build a shelter, or fire, or find food


Hi Michelle and welcome to Atkins Island! We hope you are as happy here as we are to have you here. First, please do not combine the class on building shelter with the class on building fire. Second, this is a fantastic place to find great food to eat.

Lance

[Tomorrow_I'll_Be_Perfect]

Hey Pizza, that was awesome, I'm still LMAO! I could just see it, "look guys, I learned this in fire making class....what?....oh @#$%.....sorry dudes". I'd get voted off the island for sure! BAHAHAHAHAA.....

[sallyseachange]

Hiya Michelle! Thanks for giving us your introductory story! Good to have you around the place!

Happy Atkineering!

EDIT

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