Robin - what happened?? didn't you just start induction this week? I hopethings will be going better for you soon. I"m not due to get on the scale until Friday. I have been good so If I don't see a change, I don't know... I'm trying so hard to stay positive.

yup, yesterday....its only tuesday :lol:

well, I fell off the wagon, got stuck under the wheel, and got dragged thru sugar ****. Its time for me to smarten up....big time!! :club:

something else I realized today.....this is the first year I joined a gym, and this is the year I gained the most weight! Something is wrong with this picture:frypan:

Hi everyone, I sure slept in this morning.

Sue, thanks for the pep talk, I needed it. I'm back on program. I was still pounding the treadmill at midnight last night. My eating is improved. I feel like I am doing well again.
Robin, I know what you mean about the jeans, I refuse to ever buy a bigger size. I'll wear the ones I have and if they get extremely tight, I'll just make myself get in gear and take off some weight. I have long since given up the old theory that the "dryer shrank my clothes".
NTL, I'll try to post more positive. I shared my experience to let everyone know that Maintenance is equally hard. I wanted everyone to know that I still struggle. If I wasn't posting it here, it'd be a lot easier to let those slip-ups get away with me and gain back a lot of weight. I want to be held accountable for keeping the wt. off.
I'm now off to go to the bank and mail bills. I can't believe I waited til the 8th of the month to get my bills paid. I had to call and pay some of them by phone. Hope everyone has a great on-program day.

lillybelle, Don't get me wrong, You of all people have been the most positive! God knows where I'd be without you pulling me through. I guessnow that you have reached your goal so successfully, I am looking for someone else totake your place as far as someone to follow losing the lbs. Right now, we all seem to be stuck in the same rut. IT's a bit discouraging!

Mschris, I can't believe you can actually say that you miss eggs! That is just too funny! I was never one for cottage cheese and 1/2 a piece of toast so that's why I began atkins in the first place. I'm pretty happy with it. Now if I could just start losing some weight on it again!!

Good news? Well I lost another half a pound this morning! 254 now. I know, it isn't much, but that makes 9 pounds in a week and one day. 2 pounds more to be at my "goal" for the year. Of course if and when I make it I will set a new goal.

I don't think I could ever start this diet if I beleived that it was the end of me ever eating anything high carb again. I think that we have to know ourselves, and know what we can handle, and if I believed upon starting this WOL, that it meant the end of all cake EVER, all potatoes EVER, etc. That I would gobble and gobble and never be able to START the diet, much less make it a way of life.

Once I'm doing it it feels easy enough. I do get bored sometimes, with the foods, and want something "different" but actually we get to eat some REALLY WONDERFUL rich and satisfying foods on this lifestyle. I guess learning to appreciate those wonderful foods rather than miss the ones we have to give up is the key. Hard though when you've been doing it a long time to value that. All you want is the things you've given up.

Anyway I'm still doing well. Today at lunch time I had to go early because I was RAVENOUS though. I went to the Mexican food place and I know the lady must have thought I was nuts ordering two tostadas (they are big). But I didn't get rice or beans on them and I didn't eat the tortilla, so mostly what I got was a lot of lettuce, a lot of chicken (steamed) and a little cheese with some salsa. It did satisfy me, but I know one wouldn't have.

Anyway there are things we can enjoy that taste delicious and are still low carb. It just takes some thought and planning.

Brenda sounds like you are doing well too. Keep it up! I can't keep track of everyone yet, but the rest of you, hang in there, we can DO this.

now that's what I'm talkin about SHerry!
Way to go!! 9 lbs is awesome!! That's the kind of good news and notivation that we are in need of!!
Great job!!

I am happy to say that I'm back on routine with food, water and exercise. I feel great. I've restocked all my appropriate foods and making my choices is easier now.
Sherry, WTG on that 9 lbs. , that is fantastic.

lilybelle, 4 pounds PAST your goal? Now THAT is fantastic! How long did it take you? Did you do strict induction? or were you doing a different level of Atkins? Share with us! Let us know it can be done! It is so encouraging to see someone go all the way like that. I usually give up too soon. Did you have plateaus that were hard to break through? How did you stick it out through them?

My weekly post "novel"
 

My job still is weighing me down – got my feelings hurt by my boss. I got left out basically for a certification class trip, part her fault part mine, but she didn’t make any extra effort to be sure I knew. Left one phone message, and nothing else – then just didn’t mention it when she saw me at work. I thought I was more important to them than that. I didn’t get the message – was left at an expired phone number. She thought I got it cause the old voice mail still worked. Nope. My coworkers are all “run tells” so I have to watch literally every word I say – I got jumped by a supervisor for a nearly totally innocent comment (must have been embellished when it got to her cause what I actually said was very minor and especially so compared to what I’ve heard people say about her). My “run tells” group spent the weekend pushing food at me. C’mon, just one little debbie’s won’t hurt! You want to try this, it is soooo good. Just look at those cookies, here Kel have one – MY GOD, what is wrong with people. The more I tried to behave the more aggressive they got. In the end I ate only a few taco chips (one of my biggest weaknesses) screw them. I think I need to consider a change in jobs, think I’m burned out pretty bad anyway – after all, I hear RN stands for really needed – so I should be able to land a new job.

Lady adnerb – don’t wait for the weekend, by Monday you may have thrown it all to the wind and not be able to get yourself back on track. You can have an absolutely decadent anniversary meal – I mean, a great steak and salad – mmm. Lobster with butter – what could be more decadent. Just watch those sneaky sides and desserts. A little alcohol – if you don’t go out for “liquid candy” drinks – shouldn’t hurt once in a while! Happy Anniversary! Mine is next week.

Need2lose4me2 – Great willpower!!!! I’m impressed! Held your ground, held to your principles and kept to the plan – without injury to others! Dunkin donuts – what a brave place to test your willpower! My coworkers would be like a wolf pack on a lamb if I went there with them.

Beach Bum – a cruise! I am so jealous. I think a lot of layering would be good – sweats wouldn’t be a bad idea either, but I’d want to show off my figure more than sweats since you’re losing! Light weight pants, short sleeve top, light jacket? Tank top under button up short sleeve top (can wear open over tank or take off and wear tank) under jacket?

MsChris – good luck. Different diets, different folks. Let me know how it goes!

RobinW – OMG – I remember jeans like that – had to use a coat hanger to zip them – anybody else recall that? Also, hang tough – you can do it. When you said you tried so hard this year (gym and all) and you were doing atkins and this is the year you gained the most weight? Are you struggling to stay OP? I so understand, if I forbid something – or vilify it – then I have to have it sometimes. Maybe you set your expectations too high for yourself. We’re a work in progress – we’re going to mess up – just keep trying to do a little better. Maybe you should do small changes instead. Add the water until you can do that, cut the carbs until you can do that, start a short walk a couple times per week after that… I think some diet I see people start fail them because they start so BIG – setting themselves up to fail because they try to make so many HUGE changes that they couldn’t possibly accept so much change at once – too many habits to break. You didn’t get this way overnight – just look at what didn’t work, look at what did and go again. Work in progress is fine.

SherryA – great attitude!!! I like fajitas at Mexican joints – hold the tortillas, rice, and beans. Or taco salad – hold the shell and beans. Yum. You’re right, planning ahead helps. I try to psych myself up by thinking in advance what I will order, surprises the waitress when you’re ready to order as you sit down.

Sherry, I started Atkins 16 months ago and reached goal in 1 yr. and 1 week. I really did induction for about 6 months, but tweaked mine to include some extra fruit. It didn't seem to alter my wt. loss. I had a few plateaus that lasted 3 or 4 weeks at a time. I would get even stricter during those times and increase my exercise. I did mostly walking, rope jumping, exercise ball and old exercise videos. I let myself have 1 piece of dessert on holidays or birthdays, but the rest of the time I tried to stay faithful to the program. I eat the same now for maintenance. Except I have added Oats and occasionally a sweet potato. I have had times that I messed up, but they were few and far between. I'd pick myself up and get right back on the program. This program certainly works and has been a lifesaver for me. This Atkins board has helped me tremendously. We're all in it together. Even though I'm below my goal, I still have to watch it. I could easily gain weight and have at times gained a few lbs. and taken it right back off. I try hard to maintain at 140-145. Since starting maintenance I have seen as low as 137 and as high as 146. I'm currently 142 when I weighed on Saturday. I only weigh once a week, as it's too depressing to me to see that daily fluctuation. I have noticed that if I start my day with bacon and eggs or sausage with eggs or ham and cheese omelet that everything that day seems to fall into place better. I'm less hungry and way less likely to eat off program. I think having that hearty breakfast is important. I don't usually have hardly any bread. Very seldom, maybe 1 or 2 slices LC bread per week. I got so used to eating without it that now it seems normal not to eat it. I really think this program allows for a wide assortment of food and if done correctly, a person shouldn't have to be hungry. I'm not good at being hungry at all.

Kel, I'm sorry to hear your job is getting you down. Reading that thread made me glad that I'm not working as an RN anymore. I did it 20 yrs. and that was enough for me. You might want to try a completely different area than you are in. That's what I did when I needed a change. I did 3 yrs. med/sug, 7 yrs. PACU, 3yrs. ER, 5yrs. OB and 2 yrs. ICU. I enjoyed each new learning opportunity. You definitely shouldn't have trouble finding something else, RN's are needed everywhere. Hugs, I know nurses often feel so unappreciated by their employers, the doctors and even the patients at times. Hang in there and I hope you find something that you are happy with. I can also sympathize with the "food pushing" that you are having to put up with. When I was working at any hospital, it seemed like it was constant junk food. People tried to make you feel guilty if you refused it. No wonder I got so big. I am basically a people pleaser and that was my big downfall.

Have to do a fly-by and get my butt whipped. I had a run in with chocolate chip cookies last night. ARGH! But back at it today! Stepped on the scale and was happy to see it down...but TOM is coming next week, so will be having to remind myself not to expect losses that week but to keep OP so that the following week I'll see one. I also have to measure myself!! Ok. On the go now....don't forget your water.

my scale is up a pound today. Bummer. I drank a lot more water than I have been drinking and had more veggys than normal, and had some low carb chocolate.

I'm not worried about it. I upped the water intentionally, and there was salt in the soy sauce I made for our dinner last night. I'm sure I just have more water in there than normal. I'm going to stay on plan and just keep on plugging. It isn't like the scale is up because of a cheat, (although I do have to be careful with lc chocolate).

Lilybelle, thank you for that. Your plateus didn't last too long it doesn't sound like, a few weeks? How did you cope with those times emotionally? For me that is when I tend to lose faith in my body that it will EVER work to get me past the plateau. (my plateaus seem to last longer, but I sometimes wonder if that isn't because my body is waiting for me to give up and cheat and maybe I do that more than I should). I want to follow the example of someone who has been successful. That digging in and becoming MORE determined sounds good. I've done that with exercise, but that only tends to slow my weight loss more. (maybe because I have a hard time focusing on both diet and exercise at the same time). I once focused and did a very intense 12 week exercise program, but I couldn't do it on Atkins although I tried. Wound up not really doing a diet during that time at all. lost some inches, but not pounds. Lost a dress size but stayed the same weight and in fact the weight went UP for awhile. It frustrated me. Maybe I expected too much.

Hi Brenda.
Sherry, I'm sure you're just retaining water from the soy sauce. It gets me every time. Most of the time with plateaus you have to just wait them out. Stick to the program and you will get past it. Yes, it's frustrating, but if you eat on plan and exercise that is all you can do. It will pass and wt. loss will resume. Be extremely diligent with writing every single thing down that you eat while during a plateau. Watch for any changes that you made in your diet. I measured myself a lot during the plateaus and was still losing inches, so that much helped to know. I did mention that I have eaten a lot of fruit since starting atkins. But, during plateaus I would back off on it a little and also watch my fat intake closer. I would scramble my eggs instead of fry them for a while. Eat more chicken and less red meat. My wt. loss wasn't at all linear. Sometimes I'd lose 4 lbs. in a week, sometimes 1-2 lbs., sometimes a 1 or 2 lb. gain. But, it did eventuallly come off. During one plateau, I did the "nothing but eggs" for 2 days and took 4 lbs. off. I tried it a second time when I was about 5 lbs. from goal and didn't lose a lb. from it. It's not fun to eat only eggs for 2 days, that is for sure. I wouldn't do it again.