[Nicki54]

But I've come to the realisation that I don't want to lose weight quickly, I don't want the quick fix. I want to lose weight at a steady pace, where I can learn about my personal needs and quirks. Of course I already know that I'm addicted to carbs and I also know that Atkins is the right way of eating for me.

I've also realised that it is a journey and I'm a traveller and as such I should take time to enjoy the ride, take time to savour life, there's plenty to be positive about even whilst I'm obese and of course once the excess weight is off theres no guarantee that life will suddenly become perfect.

Oh and I lost 2lb this week.

Nicki

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Nicki54

of course once the excess weight is off theres no guarantee that life will suddenly become perfect.

Life doesn't suddenly become perfect once the weight is off....but, it certainly does give you a different perspective. What I'm trying to say is, you feel better about yourself physically, emotionally & mentally and I believe that produces a much more positive attitude about life in general.
& keep up the great work! You're doing awesome!

[beerab]

Hey I am very happy with my loss- it's slow as a freaking snail- but at least it's going downward AND I know it's permanent

[sarahinparis]

I second what beerab said - I'm not losing fast, but I'm losing steadily, and happy with the way I'm doing it. I also feel I could happily live this way forever.

[Nicki54]

Still in the same frame of mind. I'm enjoying life right now, and although I know that certain aspects of life will be better when I get to a 'normal size', I can also remember when I was actually skinny 136lb I'm 5' 9" tall and I still had problems with self esteem etc.

Nicki

[slimmingsi]

statisitcally speaking over a longer period i.e 12 months atkins is not significantly faster at losing fat than most calorie controlled diets. the difference is the first few weeks where the weight loss is primarily water stored just under the skin.

average aktins loss exclusing induction is around 2 lb a week

[slimmingsi]

also after induction you go through stages of adding carbs by doing this you can control the speed of weight loss

[Nicki54]

No change in my weight this week, and I'm ok with that, unlike before when I would panic, try to work out where I'd gone wrong, or blame the diet (whichever diet I was on at the time) and use it as a feeble excuse to self sabotage. I know that I've stuck to eating correctly so I've nothing to feel guilty about, and I know that I'm on the right eating plan for me, and I know it will work.

Life is fun.

Nicki

[sarahinparis]

NIcki, sounds like you have the right attitude. I think it's critically important to focus on your behavior (food, exercise, motivation) and reward yourself on that, not the scale. The scale moves in mysterious ways sometimes, and "average 2 pound loss per week" are just non-existent fantasy for many of us.

Keep up the good work!

[Deena52]

Hi Nicki,

I also don't go strictly by the numbers on the scale....I also go by 1) ketosis level (I use the ketone sticks religiously) and also 2) how my clothes are fitting.
I have learned that if I'm in ketosis, I'm losing...regardless of what the scale says that day.....it will definitely show up on the scale down the road.

And I am also fitting into pants that I should not be fitting into at this weight...so I know that I am losing body fat...regardless of the exact number on the scale on any given day.....and know that it will show up on the scale down the road....and it always does, eventually.

The specific numbers on the scale do not always reflect the amount of body fat being burned/lost. Even if you've not eaten too much salt/sodium, the body does some strange things and will go into a sort of panic/compensatory mode and hold on to fluid for certain physiologic reasons. A few days down the road, it will release the fluid and voila....you drop several pounds in one day, suddenly. But the fat loss was consistent all along......the scale just didn't reflect that, temporarily, due to compensatory fluid retention.

Also....when I lost 30 lbs. 20-some years ago....I kept the weight off for nearly 15 years. Atkins maintenance is a very doable way to live, eating habits-wise. I simply added in additional fruit and veggies when I hit goal and I had a rule....if I gained 5 lbs., I would go back on induction and get back to goal. I never allowed myself to gain more than 5 lbs. It truly is a diet/eating plan that can work for life.

I shot up 60 lbs. due to medication back in 2005...went off the medication in 2006 (it severely altered my metabolism).....and repeatedly attempted Atkins but had to tweak it as I could no longer use the artificial sweeteners like I could 20-some years ago.....and using trial and error and researching here to trouble-shoot.....got it to work again. I love it because I know it will work for me for life.....it worked for 15 years for me in the past. It's a fantastic life-time plan......and looking at it as a life-time plan is having a great attitude, Nicki. You do have a great attitude.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Deena52

I also go by 1) ketosis level (I use the ketone sticks religiously)

Those ketone sticks never worked for me....I lost over 100 lbs and they never changed color Just 1 more thing that proves what works for some of us....doesn't necessarily work for all of us.

[Deena52]

Jerseygyrl,

Isn't it amazing how there are different variations in terms of how the diet works for us?

And to be honest....I've had to make some variations this time around....as the diet is not working the exact same way for me as it did 20-some years ago. I had to tweak a few things. I attribute this to 1) me being older and 2) a medication I took back in 2005/2006 wreaked havoc on my metabolism. In fact, I had almost given up.....I kept doing the diet like I did 20-some years ago and could not get it to work. Once I researched and made some alterations.....success!

I've had to be quite a bit more militant and rigid this time around....but that's a small price to pay for getting it to work again. I was truly becoming devastated, afraid my metabolism had become permanently altered and was losing hope. I felt such an intense loss of control....helpless to lose the weight if I could not get the diet to work.

20-some years ago, I really didn't track the ketosis much....it was so much easier back then....the weight came off easily without all the intense analysis I have to do now. But you have to do what you have to do if you want to be successful, I guess....and I'm okay with that. I'm just SO grateful I got it to work again....something I used to take for granted....until medication altered my metabolism and I learned what true loss of control was. Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until we lose it. The fact that I have to be much more rigid now seems inconsequential compared to getting control back. I had almost lost hope...now I feel euphoric that I even have control back.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the last time....I was strictly focused on getting to goal. I had no sense of appreciating that the diet was working for me....just took for granted that it was.
This time, I'm enjoying every step of the way rather than being totally focused on goal. Because I SO appreciate that it's actually working and I've gained control back again. I didn't appreciate that until I lost it....and I'm so very grateful to have gotten it back. I hope that makes sense.

I mean, really.....words cannot express the euphoria I feel that I've actually lost ANYTHING, much less half the weight I need to in order to get to goal. I literally almost cannot believe that I've gone from a size 40" waist jeans to 34" ones.....that I can look in the mirror and see someone who looks normal now and not grotesque....and too difficult to even look at. I cannot tell you....for almost 2 full years, I tried and tried and kept getting on the scale and could not go down even ONE pound! And now....161.3 today...from 195. It's almost like a dream. It's quite different this time around....because I am just so grateful every step of the way.

And btw, Jerseygyrl....your transformation is amazing and you truly are an inspiration! Congratulations!