All the excuses in the world won't make the fact that I've been screwing up any easier to handle. No excuse in the world will hide the fact that I HAVE to get a control of what's going in my mouth. I can make all the excuses in the world for why I'm eating the way I am...and why I have to wait to re-start Atkins WOE.....but the only reason that would be TRUE is that I've NO (zippo, zilch, nadda, none) willpower. Just the HINT of anything off plan and I'm all for it. Whatever happened to the way I was when I first started this WOE. Any offer of junk would get a firm no. No hesitation, no 2nd thought. But now? Hmph! I can't keep doing this to myself. I fully admit I'm a carb-addict. As an addict....how come I can't control THIS like I did when I quit smoking? True, quitting smoking wasn't easy, either. But I did it. How come I can quit smoking (an addiction) but can't quit eating junk carbs (another addiction)?

I was making the excuse that I couldn't start Atkins (cut out the junk food) this week because DH would be off work, we'd be out fishing and I'd have to have something easy (junk food in bags) to snack/eat while out there. I made the excuse that on Friday oldest DD and her other Girl Scout in her troop, her mom and I are going to a hotel waterpark for the night. So it didn't pay to start then. Or the excuse that on Saturday there's the baseball game so of course couldn't start until after that.

But you know....the excuses are JUST GOING TO GO ON AND ON. What next? The girls graduation (should I mention the oldest is 13?). What excuse would I come up with next?

So decided TODAY was the day to start over. The only thing I'll have to re-work into the "schedule" is water and exercise. I figure....one thing at a time Thanks for letting me vent/rant/expel my thoughts.

PS....I'll add that right now I'm not looking at a way to lose weight...I'm looking at a way to eat healthy and FEEL good again. Baby steps for me!!!

No excuse in the world will hide the fact that I HAVE to get a control of what's going in my mouth.


Amen!

Brenda me too. I can't seem to find that strength, that determination to restart. I'm at that "what's the use?" point that keeps telling me that I can't live with this as a way of life forever. That I gain back whatever I manage to lose, so why bother? My body does fight me, but it seems these mental things are an even bigger battle. Discouragement is hard to keep at bay.

I know I have to "just do it". But that seems like such a big "JUST".

Why was it easier to quit smoking? Because you dont have to do it....there isnt anything to replace it....you dont smoke to live.

If we didnt have to eat to live, it would be so much easier to quit the junk.

Its not like we can stay away from food totally....we just cant.

Ive clawed my way back from where you ladies are right now. I dont know so much if its willpower (I really dont think so) But more determination to get thru the 1st day without any junk. Then the next day...I did it....then the next.

My dh always reminds me....worry about today, get thru today, get thru the right now. When I let it sink in....it works for me.

Brenda~ you know....salted boiled eggs in a baggie would have been pretty good in the boat I know what you mean tho, if I can come up with a good excuse to eat it, I will. Im pretty good at justifying pretty much anything Pm me if you want to chat or toss any ideas around

Sherry~ dont give up...you just went thru how long of a fast???? Do not throw that away. It'll happen .....honest.

Along the lines of what Robin said ... I once heard "Just do what's right, right now."

OK, Ladies....
Remember LOW CARB is the GOOD FOOD!!!! Not that JUNK!!!
Cheeseburgers. "no bread"... Delish
Remember the Low Carb "PIZZA" no bread, pepperoni, all kinds of meat.. Low carb veg's. like bell peppers & ? Baked just right.....UMMMMM!!!!
Low Carb keeps us full longer, so we don't even think of that Bad Food...
We can do this... Get back on track, and it will fall back into place..
Heads up, Ladies....We are strong. Our Will Power is there...Lets dig a little deeper. We found it before.... ... See there it is...
......... ......... ....We are here for each other.. Now i expect this speech back some day... ... We all need it from time to time.
Candy

My husband and I go fishing and camping ALL the time, too, and it IS hard to find something that's "picnic" to bring while on this diet. It sometimes does pain me to watch everyone else munch carefree on chips and sandwiches and candy, but just think of your goal and try to put it out of your head.
Some suggestions for your take-along dilemma-
bag of pork rinds
nuts
pepperoni slices
deli-meat rolled up with cheese

When we take along the hibachi, I don't feel left out at all. I indulge on a big t-bone or ribeye, or hotdogs, sausage, a burger, etc.
P.S. I have not yet found a low-carb bbq sauce, but Tabasco brand makes a delicious bottle of chipotle flavored sauce with no carbs that I use instead. I buy it at wal-mart. It's also good to mix with mayo to marinate or dip in.

Well, as an encouragement I would put something I truly enjoy in the house that is low carb and enjoy it for the next few days until you are back in ketosis. Maybe even something new from the recipe section. I know hovering out of ketosis is so hard on me for carb cravings. That is when I am most likely to grab something wrong.

I know I have been where you are. Currently, I'm eating on plan but I know it is a slippery slope. We enjoy a lot of picnics in the summertime. Canned meats are pretty good to keep on hand. I am not a fan of jerky, but if you are it is helpfull as well. Nuts and cheeses also are a staple for me. And a few berries are a nice treat as well.

Sending happy low carb thoughts your way.

I know a fairly low carb BBQ sauce -- Jim Beam! Not only does it have the good stuff in it, but it's only 5 grams of carbs in a serving compared to the 12-15 you get in others.

I am here to tell you that is possible to kick the carbs. It's been almost a full year since I was diagnosed with Celiac disease and had to give up almost all carbs anyway.

At a baseball game, hockey game, football game and basketball game, I always eat a hot dog. But I have them put it in a paper without the bun since I couldn't eat the bun if I wanted to. I add a little bit of ketchup, onions and relish and if I can't find a fork, I just make a mess and eat with my fingers - that's part of the fun.

Every time I eat out, I have to make sure the carbs are gone -- and not just because of Atkins. I pretty much eat Atkins because I'm forced to. You do learn to live with it. I can get deathly ill and could even die if I started eating bread and cookies and cake and all that stuff. I was eating chips until Lay's announced that they would no longer consider them gluten-free -- now those are banned too.

I have to admit -- it's easier to say no when you know the food can make you sick, put you in the hospital, and eventually kill you. And I don't like any of the substitutes on the market.

I can't cheat and have just one of my husband's french fries because they may have been fried in a fryer with onion rings or chicken strips that are breaded. I can't have just one bite -- one bite will hurt me. I have to read the ingredients on everything and ask tons of questions in restaurants.

If I can do it, anyone can do it. Trust me on that -- I was the worst.

I have a new slogan -- Just do Atkins -- 20 million cats can't be wrong!

(did you know your cat eats Atkins every day?)

Girls:

This thread just made my heart ache. You both (Brenda and Sherry) have been 2 of the biggest reasons I have stuck to this. I have been inspired by many here, and you both were right there when I needed an ear. You both cheered me on during my last stall, and you cheer everyone else on when they are feeling down.

Why do you not cheer yourself on? I know it's not as easy, but you have to be your own biggest cheerleader before you can be someone elses. We are here for you, as well as each other, and I can testify, as many others can.. that I would not keep going if it wasn't for all of you.

You can do this, and you are more than worth every bit of effort!

Rah! Rah! Rah!

Thanks Falon, your words are very much appreciated. I think I'm just in a slump right now. Need to get it back together again. Sometimes it is hard to do. I guess I just need to set a time and day and jump back in. I just get to the point where I convince myself that I'm not going to lose any more weight. And of course, once I become convinced of that, it becomes true. Not that my actions have anything to do with it or anything LOL! The mental battle is always the hardest for me to deal with. If I can keep hope alive, then I can do anything. It is the discouragement that I fight all the time that is hard to cope with.

Everyone screws up once in awhile the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up. Just make the decision to go back on induction to get your cravings under control. You can do it, you know you can. We're all here for you. Take care of one meal and one lc snack at a time and you'll get thru the day. Now I've got to take my own advice(LOL). Hang in there and you'll succeed. Judy

There is no shame at all in screwing up, just shame in giving up. We all have weak days, then we dust ourselves off and start again. I know you can do it, we all have had to. The weight will start to drop again and you will be so proud. When I had one of these times a couple months ago, I did induction again to get me back on focus. Good Luck and Hang in there with us.