Back On the Wagon With Atkins

[Castillo Mom]

I discovered this forum a couple of months ago while planning our vacation. I accepted the WISH challenge right away with very good intentions but kept making excuses. Well, here I am again, the prodigal daughter. I took the plunge yesterday and started the induction phase of Atkins. I did well yesterday until today....I interrupted a physician lunch meeting and one of the docs handed me a lunch that included salad (no problem there), chicken (totally fine), rice (oh boy), and three big cookies, chocolate chip, sugar and oatmeal raisin(oh no)! I ate the chicken, didn't touch the rice and right now I still have three untouched cookies on my desk! About two hours ago I thought I would die of sugar withdrawal. I picked up one of the cookies and all I could do was sniff it. But I didn't take a bite! I'm taking the cookies home for a reason. I'm going to show them to my husband so that I can brag that I actually do have some willpower left. Today was a really hard day and I'm still feeling really deprived right now. Any suggestions or words of encouragement to get over this hump?

 

[Mom2Princesses]

Welcome back!

I am glad you are getting serious about making some changes--it all starts with you! I am also on Atkins, since 7/2/03 and have lost 17lbs to date. Here are a few suggestions I can give you:

1) Don't take cookies home, not even to show how proud you are! I am sorry, but if you JUST started Atkins they may be too tempting!
2) I have posted this several times to people who have said "oops, I just ate a bunch of cookies" etc: DO NOT HAVE THE TEMPTING STUFF IN YOUR HOUSE ON INDUCTION!!!!! Some people say I can't get rid of all of it, I have kids--FALSE! Your kids can do without sugar and sweets for 2 simple weeks--unless they have been prescribed by a Doctor! LOL-not likely. Get rid of the junk until your body adjusts to this new eating lifestyle.
3) Talk to your family members about your goals. You don't have to give them actual numbers (that would just be plain scary!) but you do have to tell them that they are an important part of your success and that they need to assist you, not hinder you. In other words, if they love chips, could they leave them out of the house for just a while...
4) Eat MORE fat! Your lunch yesterday was great, but no wonder the cookies were soooo tempting--you really didn't have much fat in that salad or that chicken! Fat fills you and it makes the food yummier. This is a perk for cutting carbs, you can have the fat--so please do!
5) Don't give up while you are on Atkins--no matter how hard it gets. Give yourself the 2 FULL weeks to get your body adjusted, it will adjust and your hunger and cravings WILL go away! If you stop too soon, you will think Atkins is not for you, if you keep at it, you will love the program!

I hope any or all of this helps. Keep a journal too, either online (mine is there, Nancy's Weight Loss Journal) or on paper. You CAN be successful AND happy on Atkins and I hope you are both!

 

[Mickey527]

Great Job with not touching the cookies. I can say I know where you are coming from, sometimes just getting the smell is enough.
I have been doing Atkins for 5 weeks now, lost nothing and am now in my 4th day of the Fat Fast.
I had to do some shopping Sat night to buy my supplies, Cream Cheese, Macadameia nuts, Avocados, Mayonaise,and chicken to make the chicken salad.
Told the family I was running to the store and of course got lists of food.
Coke (I love coke)
Chips (I don't eat them, never liked them, won the bet you can't eat just one challenge in High School. wonder what I did with that radio?)
Devil dogs (my weakness, what do they put in that cream)
Oreos ( I used to eat them, but I could pass them up if I had a devil dog)
Milk (I could drink a gallon a day, I love milk, especially with a devil dog)
I was not on the fat fast yet, so I cooked up a steak after I came home from the store and chewed on that. It was great and I never craved the junk food at all. I am however going to get my Beaver tail with Nutella when I get to WDW on Sept 19th. Peggie

 

[Disney_1derland]

I'm on my 2nd week of induction. It is hard, but you CAN do it! I agree with the statement that you need to eat more fat. It is the one indulgence of Atkins and you MUST do it guilt free. Fat is not bad. Fat combined with Carbs IS bad. I am a firm believer that you must eliminate one or the other to lose a lot of weight. With Atkins you eliminate the carbs. but you must keep the fat.

My craving killer is a glass of unsweetened decaf ice tea sweetened with 1 packet of Splenda. I normally drink my tea unsweetened, but living in the south have grown to occasionally enjoy the taste of Sweet Tea. When I have a sugar craving I make a glass of tea and drop in the splenda. This has saved me more than once in the past week and a half!

Dh's craving killer is the tangerine diet rite. He drinks his when his 'team' at work is having their afternoon cake,cookies whatever. someone everyday brings a dessert to share in the afternoon. He has to avoid it so he drinks his tangerine then.

It will be hard but it can be done!

 

[Beastlover]

Castillo Mom-
Congrats on realizing what you do to sabatoge your goals!! What an accomplishment!! That is the biggest hurdle to overcome, is admitting what is really going on!!
Atkins for me has been wonderful--make sure you read the book, and Atkins also has a fantastic log book. Every week you track your progress-inches and pounds. You answer questions, and it really keeps you on track.
Don't forget to measure every week, because some weeks you wont lose pounds, but you will lose inches. Keeps me on track!
You sound like me with the cookies--any offending food to me, I get real close, and take a deep sniff---and all I can usually smell is everything bad. Then I don't want it.
Mom2princesses is right on the ideas--especially talking to your family. I found that to be key.
You are doing great, and keep it up, you WILL feel great!!

 

[Rhonda]

Hang in there - you're doing great!

My sugar craving goes away if I have a cup of decaf with cream & Splenda in it.

 

[Castillo Mom]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all! I was in such a bad mood when I got home last night. The cookies did make it home, but I didn't read your Mom2Princesses post until just now; at least I didn't eat them. All of of your kind words are a big help. I actually did Atkins a couple of years ago and lost over 40 lbs. Unfortunately, I had hysterectomy several months after I lost the weight and gradually gained it back. I know I can succeed on Atkins but I just had to have the proper motivation to get back on. I've reached a point where I can feel my weight affecting my health. I'm tired all the time, and I can feel the strain on joints in my lower extremities from all the extra pounds I'm carrying. I brough in pictures of myself after I had lost all that weight. And to think I was more than half way to my goal. As soon as I lose my first five pounds I'll feel even more motivated and I'll keep coming to these boards to commiserate with you all. Thanks again, you've all been a great help.

 

[Beanie]

That is wonderful news about the cookies! I am glad they made it home with no teeth marks! Congrats on your accomplishment!!