Why can't I do this......Atkins vent!

[gshoemate]

I keep trying and trying Atkins but keep failing. I know Atkins is right for me, I have low blood sugar so carbs are just not good for me. But I can't stop eating them. I'll do good for a day or two, then binge for 3 days then the cycle begins. I don't know what wrong with me. I know this food is bad for me. We went to Blizzard Beach on Saturday and the air just smelled of funnel cakes. So we get one and a family of 4 share it....yes, me to. I felt so sick that night, thought I was going to have to go to the hospital my stomach hurt so bad. So then the next day DH had to take the chips and dip away from me. And today, for lunch I had a personnal pan pizza from Pizza Hut and a piece of chicken from KFC (they were both in the same resturant...makes it even easier). And now I sit here typing this with a pounding headache and I could of went to sleep at 6:00pm because I am dragging so much. So I know this is bad for me but I feel I don't have the will power to stop eating it. I keep trying to tell myself that all I have to do is make it through induction and then there is so many low carbs foods out there that I can eat, but that only last for a few days and then I fall off the wagon again. Someone please help, I'm so tired of feeling tired and sick.

Back to square one tomorrow. Thanks for letting me vent. I'm off to bed to sleep off the carbs.

 

[noopy]

Don't give up! Low carb can be a real challenge, but it can work. I lost 30 pounds in about 4 months. However, I just can't stay with it on vacation, so I usually just try not to overdo.
The first 3 days were horrible for me, but I started to feel better each day after that. Now if I eat too many carbs, I feel really tired and lethargic.
Here are a few things that work for me:
the new low carb peanut butter by Jiff (spelling?) on celery sticks
the new low carb ranch dressing (I think it's Wishbone - I'm out right now)
Atkins chips dipped in sour cream
Atkins shakes - I like strawberry
string cheese
low carb blueberry cereal bars by Carb Rite
pickles sweetened with Splenda - great chopped up and added to tuna and mayo
Black Angus brand frozen burgers (excellent taste, easy to cook - I buy them at
Wal Mart - mustard and the pickles above are great on these burgers
cornish game hen roasted with a baste of butter and red wine
low carb mint patties and toffee squares by Russell candies
the new Diet Coke with lime (it doesn't have Splenda, but it hasn't hurt me and can help with my sweet tooth

I have other ideas if these help! Just let me know!

 

[LAinSEA]

Starting Atkins is very tough. My advice is to think longer than 3 days. You need to have a plan for the whole week. Write out menus for induction (no more than 20 carbs/day). Shop, prepare what you can in advance. Try to eat something (meal or snack) every 3 hours - so that you aren't hungry when temptation calls. Ask your family to support you and help you make good choices.

It really takes more than a week for you to lose the carb cravings (if they ever really go away). Your appetite will really diminish the second week. I find that if I eat more carbs than I should, I don't feel well at all.

For the first few weeks I usually carried with me oz. bags of almonds or macadamias, oz. bags of sugar free jelly bellies & string cheese for times I really needed something that wasn't going to be good for me. I still keep the nuts and sweets with me but have found that I usually don't get into them.

Once you get off the high-carb foods, you will feel so much better, your blood sugar will be under control. No more drops in energy levels an hour after eating.

You can do it!

-Laurie

 

[thotfulspot]

One thing that has helped me quite a bit whenever I've had a moment's panicky thought that I can't have chocolate, or a pastry, or whatever, is to reflect that before I started on Atkins, I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever, and in whatever quantity my whim decided. And was I so happy with myself that I didn't need to change anything? Or was I blue, and embarrassed by the way I looked, and feeling low because I wasn't in charge or my eating, even though I knew what I was putting in me was hurting me?

The timing just clicked for me when it was right. I've been so happy with the results of the last two months, but the best feeling of all is knowing that I'm not caught up in the vicious cycle of indulging too much, then putting on weight, then feeling so bad because of that that I indulge some more.

It's totally worth it to soldier through the first tough part. You will feel so good about you for getting there! Good advice above, especially about planning the entire first week, so that you won't be caught short just when you're hungry.

And give yourself a big break -- funnel cake is an unfair temptation. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go for it! You can do this!! You're worth it!!

 

[R_Judy]

These ladies have some excellent advise. I just want to add that once your body starts burning protein the appetite goes down. Even managing a Subway surrounded by carbs I do just fine. (Baking cookies is a little tough though!) I used to live on the bread at work. I have been on Atkins since Jan 8th and I really don't miss any of it. For a big reward on the weekends we have hot wings and a low carb beer during the NASCAR race. (Not cheating at all but it feels like it is.) Works for us! Hang in there and good luck.

 

[JustMe28]

I'm not on the Atkins plan, but I just wanted to say to you, don't give up. You can do this - it's within you to do anything you set your mind to do.

 

[mommyflower]

Hey Ginger,
Your fellow hypoglycemic here. What made me really work hard at induction was how awful I feeling before. My low blood sugar was causing so many aches and pains and my mood was terrible. I didn't like who I was becoming. So I had enough and did induction. I had a tough time with it, but I made it for a week and a half. I also had trouble keeping my carbs at 30 a day so I increased to 75 to 100, which still allows me to lose weight but more slowly. I am happy with that because I can live with the way I eat and I don't feel deprived. I also don't feel like crap anymore. Having low blood sugar makes induction a bit harder I think because not only do you have to deal with the carb withdrawal, you have to deal with the swings in blood sugar. One thing I had to do was take all the food I couldn't eat and get it out of the house. I'm a stay at home mom, so if the food was in the house I would be tempted all day long. Planning out meals is a good idea too. Even if you can only do induction for a week, it will be the best thing you can do to get back to feeling good again. Everytime you get ready to eat something you shouldn't take a minute and think about how awful you will feel later and decide if it is really worth it. That's how I did it. You can do this! You just have to decide that your health is more important than how good that carb loaded what ever is going to taste for five minutes. You will feel so much better! Good Luck!

 

[septbride2002]

Hello! Low carb will work for you. I couldn't do Atkins - the induction period was to restricting and I kept "cheating". Maybe Atkins isn't for you. There are several types of low carb diets available.

I have been following Protein Power and for the first 4 to 6 weeks you can eat at 30 carbs per week. And you can choose where you get your carbs from. I suggest checking out the book from your local library and reading it. Maybe this plan will work better for you.

~Amanda

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Originally posted by mommyflower
Having low blood sugar makes induction a bit harder I think because not only do you have to deal with the carb withdrawal, you have to deal with the swings in blood sugar.

I was just going to ask about that! I don't have blood sugar issues and I'm a W.W., not on Atkins, so I don't have personal experience with this....but my thought was perhaps you NEED just a few more carbs every day to keep your sugars in "balance"....I don't think that there is anything wrong with modifying an eating plan so that it is tailored to fit your particular needs. The important thing is that you do keep trying to find the proper "mix" that works for you!

Hang in there.....

 

[rbuzzotta]

Ginger, don't give up!! I have gone on and off also. I am now on day 17 of Atkins and doing well. My appetite is surpressed and even though the scale is NOT going down, I feel thinner.

My goal was to be down 15 lbs. by my April vacation and 25 lbs. for my summer vacation..........seems pretty realistic to me but since I have not seen a drop on the scale I don't know. I do feel good however...........maybe I should have measured inches instead.

Anyways, enough about me..................YOU CAN DO IT!! Good luck!

 

[AlisonB]

Just remember those cravings for carbs will disappear once you are a little further into induction!

I read the book that said you will feel great after 3 days - energy, no cravings, appetite etc....but it took a little longer for me.

Think about being strict for 5/6 days - and you should find the appetitie goes down, and the cravings stop too.

Good luck!

 

[threeboysmom]

Try to make a "one week" commitment and see if you can stick with just one week. Everytime you're tempted to eat ______ (you fill in the blank), just tell yourself you can have it next week instead. (But what you'll find is by next week, you may not want it anymore!)

What I find really helpful is to plan out an entire week's worth of meals & snacks. That daily piece of paper holds me accountable - if it's not on the list for the day, I can't eat it! For each day I plan & write out my breakfast, my lunch, my afternoon snack, and my dinner. I also have a spot on the bottom to keep track of my water intake because sometimes when the day is over I can't remember how many glasses of water I drank. I record the info on index cards (one day per card). I also keep track of the carb count for the day on the top of each card.

Keep it up - you can do it!!! I am known among my friends and family as the "junk food queen". If I can do Atkins & stick to it, I know you can!! We even drove by Krispy Kreme on Sat. and my DH asked if I wanted to stop. I said NO! I am still in awe of myself.......

 

[NCRedding]

gshoemate: I could very easily have written your post. I know exactly what you are going through. Why can't we remember how awful we feel when we eat too many carbs. I am back on induction, and so far so good. The advice that has been offered is wonderful--I'm going to print it out for myself. Hang in there and know that you are not alone.

 

[gshoemate]

THANKS GUYS!!!! I had a moment of insanity. I picked myself up this morning and so far I am cheat free. I am going to do it this time. At first I didn't want my DH to be involved but now he is policing me.....to make sure I stick to it. I think one of my biggest downfalls is after I get done at the gym, I am starving....so it was easier to go through a drive thru then to wait until I got home. I am now going to start taking a snack and leaving in the car until after my workout. And I got on t scale today and I have lost a total of 8.5 pounds...not to bad for going on my binges....but thats some motivation to get my butt in gear and get serious...my reward for losing a total of 10 pounds is a massage.....i'm almost there! Again, thanks for all the support....no one understands more the the friends on the DIS!!!!

 

[ZerasPride]

Ginger, I'm so happy the clouds have cleared for you! Congratulations on your weight loss despite the occasional slip ups. You can do it and we are here behind you all the way!

 

[wiskband]

Why not just try to Low carb rather stick to atkins strictly!
I have done that pretty much my own version of low carb and have been able to successfully lose. Of course I cheat so much i plateued for so long but I am now cheat free and doingmy own Low carb and back on track. you know whats low carb. FOr the most part I get all my info. from Atkins but have never been able to do induction.
Also, if your gonna try it, try to home with out many places tog o. that mayhelp with tempation.

good luck

renee