Hi!

I've been lurking for a little while, but since I have a question I've delurked myself and registered.

Quick presentation: I'm 22 years old. I have put on weight during relationships with guys who could eat whatever and still be slim, but their eating habits were really bad for me. It has become more and more frustrating to have lots of clothes in my closet that don't fit anymore, so I've tried cutting strachy carbs for a while. Since I am really bad with self control, I've failed. Three weeks ago, at my highest weight ever, I decided I needed to do something drastic. I have been following the Atkins WOE since.

I realize that compared to some, my weight issues may seem minor, but it is a big issue for me. I was quite big as a kid, but somehow lost it in my teens (with just a bit of portion control, isn't being 14 great? ). Feeling that I was getting back to being the fat one has been very hard for me.

Ok, now to the question: After the first two weeks I started to feel better - no headaches and the cravings were going away. I hadn't had the energy to work out during those two weeks.
Now that I've started going to the gym again and taking bike rides etc, the cravings are back. And to a certain extent so are the headaches. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have no words of wisdom re: cravings and exercise. I'm still in Atkin's induction and like you, exercise is beyond me right now - other than de-cluttering my house (Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?) and cleaning up the mess I make de-cluttering. And I'd rather read a book in **** than exercise in heaven...but I promise I'm changing that. I have a personal trainer who starts with me in two weeks - Yikes!

But I do congratulate you on your weight loss. You're doing a lot right, and you've made super progress. It has helped me to learn (from somebody smart) that cravings only last from 5 to 15 minutes and then they'll subside if you'll do something else. Change activities, change locations, change whatever you doing or wherever you are when they strike. Good Luck...you've proven you can do it, so keep it up!

Thanks sandy!

I do have to say that A LOT of that was water that I lost in the first week. Since then things have been going much much slower.

I was getting to obsessed with the downs and ups of the scale, so yesterday BF took my scale away. So now I won't know how I'm doing until saturday. Hopefully it will be worth it then.

Decluttering is great. Good job! I'm a hoarder too. But one thing at a time.

Your cravings are probably simply your body telling you to eat more...you were eating before for a body not exercising. Now you need more calories. I exercise 5 days a week for an hour...high intensity. About an hour before I work out/exercise I eat a 3 egg omelette with cheese and i'm good for morning. Before i started atkins i'd only eat a banana before exercising and found i was "starved" when I was done and ate crap like bagels after...no craving now.

I had a headache on day 3 or 4 of my diet, but not since...only 8th day now. Make sure you drink plenty of water..i drink 3 to 4 liters (12 to 16 glasses a day), but that may be too much for you. If i drink less, i feel like crap and get a headache from dehydration. If you gave up coffee, that can cause the headache.

Some very good information posted for you by all, BlondeAmbition.

I'd like to add two things though...

1. If it is your ToM, cravings (and headaches) are going to be expected. Unfortunately that is part of life for *most* females.
2. I've been on this WoE for over 3 months and can tell you from my own personal experience...while the cravings are far far less than they were during, say, week 2, I still have the occasional days where I'm eyeing that bag of Ruffles in the checkout line at the grocery store. I alone have the control to get my body into the shape I want it to be in. The difference between now and before I started is that now I make conscious choices and I exercise my willpower, so the eyeing usually looks more like a brief glance now where when I started it was a full fledged stare.

Good luck to you. Believe you have the strength in you, because you do!

Oops...I missed that one! lol

LOL! Get with the program SaskNewfie! LOL!!!

I think you need to pay attention to keeping your fats up high enough if your starting to crave......it really helps to be sure your taking in about 70% of your calories from fats......fitday will let you know if your keeping it up high enough.

Carbs WAYYYY down Fats WAYYY up and it should balance out if it's not just a passing week of the month. A couple months into this and you'll see a pattern if that's what's happening. Hang in.......life is good on Atkins!! I'm much farther along on this (isn't 14 grand?) issue and thought at my age (64) I'd never be able to lose weight but man it's been so easy with just reasonable effort and daily exercise on this program I can't believe it yet.

I didn't realize you had to take on that much...I guess I should actually read the Atkins book (which I own) instead of glancing at a page here and there getting the basic point behind it.

Thanks for all the great replies!

It's hard to draw the line between the extra food needed because of the exercise and eating so much one erases the results.

Today I'm feeling pretty good and actually looking forward to going to the gym.

(And I have read the book, that's the first thing I did before starting this.)