The Rooster is still alive, and still losing. Well, I obviously have a tendency to drift in and out of various web site communities. I figured I'd stop by and start a daily thread for once.
Back around Thanksgiving, I decided to let myself off Atkins for the holidays. This was definitely pre-medidated. I had read up from other's experiences, and decided to slowly work up my carb count for about 3 days ahead of Thanksgiving.
In the end, it cost me about 3 days of weight loss in total.
This was enough to make the decision easier for Christmas and New Years.
In the end, I was off-diet for about 2 weeks. After the two weeks, I was up about 2-3 lbs from my previous weight. I lost that plus a pound the first week back on diet, and I'm now fully back on track.
I've moved onto, essentially, OWL. I figure I'm hitting highs around 30-40g a day right now, and maintaining an average 3lbs a week loss. As before, I'm not religiously counting. I know what I can and can't eat, and that's enough. It's a subconcious thought now. I still check packages on anything new, but if I go out to eat and there are a few grains of rice in a bowl of gumbo, I don't fret. I know that tiny bit of nothing won't effect me.
Low-carbing is picking up a lot lately in the public. Out of the 40 or so people working in my building, I know of at least 10 that are doing Atkins--and I'm guessing there are another 10 I don't know about. When I go to restaurants and make my usual requests (no croutons, etc.), more and more waitresses say 'Ahh, you're doing Atkins! How much have you lost? I know so-in-so who lost XX lbs already!' I'm not getting as many blank stares anymore when I ask for no tortillas with my order of fajitas.
More restaurants are becoming more accomodating. A local seafood chain offered a one-week low-carb special. Grilled or blackened fish, green beans, and a side salad for a bit less than that would cost normally (as they charge extra for the salad). Hopefully they got enough response to make it a regular menu item. We still haven't gone to a Subway's or Blimpie's yet to try their low-carb menus.
More stores are carrying more low-carb items. Our local pharmacy chain even ran a full page of their latest Sunday flyer with a bunch of Atkins products. This included, for the first time, some of the Atkins ice creams, which I had not yet tried. Gag! Blue Bunny for me, thanks. Endulge is horrible. I'll never waste money on that again. Our usual grocery stores are slowly-but-surely expanding their low-carb lines. LaTortilla items are becoming regularly-stocked items, as well as most of the low-carb bars, and even the Atkin's chips. Breads are still rare, and usually more expensive than even the Atkin's mail/online order. Sorry, I'm not paying $8 for a half-loaf of bread. I really don't miss it, and I certainly don't miss it to the tune of $1 a slice.
The subject even came up the other day when I was replacing my dead cellphone at work. The saleswoman used to do nutrition work, and proceeded to start warning me off of going more than 6 months, or else I'd face kidney and liver damage. Yet another misinformed person, supposedly a former 'nutrition professional,' even, who still thinks of low-carb as a 90% protein diet.
Friends and I doing Atkins have considered, though, looking into something like South Beach at some point. The concerns over no fruits and just the far lower-carb nature of Atkins still bothers people. Maybe I will give South Beach a try at some point, perhaps if/when my loss stalls out under Atkins. However, I know nothing at all about SB at this point, so I'm not in any position to decide anytime soon.
Okay, enough of me now. I can't believe I just wrote enough to keep everyone here busy for 20 minutes reading it. See all you Chicks around!
I went off plan for the holidays as well. Again, it was a planned thing. I've lost all of what I gained. I've switched eating plans to the Whole Food Eating Plan for many of the reasons you state. It allows many more fruits and veggies than Atkins. It is working well for my father, my husband and me. I still don't eat as many fruits or carb choices as the plan allows, as I still have Atkins in my blood and always in the back of my mind. 
So off to work on another frigid day I don't dare even look how cold it is but I bet round -40C with the windchill, now where ever did I put those long johns..
Tippur, karla and lady. and all to come...have a great day.
) Nevertheless, I did go the pool this morning for the first time since mid December. We were in Scotland for the holidays and then I got a cold when we got back so it was nice to get back in the water. Foot doesn't hurt there. Now to get back to my Body Flex routine. I've been so lazy about that and I know my body misses it.