that I used to be a PIG. It seems now that I have gained control of my eating that I used to eat each meal like it was my last. I was never satisfied with just being full. I would always eat til I was stuffed. I know before that I thought I was not eating "that much". Boy, was I wrong. When I reflect back on it, I remember how many times I had nausea, diarrhea, reflux, bloating and the need for a nap after meals. I don't ever want to feel like that again. I used to think a buffet was for eating as much as you possibly could. I guess, deep down, that I thought if I didn't eat a whole lot , that I feared I wouldn't get to eat again for a long time. This seems silly now. I do now know that if I eat smaller meals and need a snack later that I can get one. I know that food is plentiful in this country and will be accessible for me as needed. I don't know if anyone else has had these feelings or not. I think I was always in denial that I had an eating problem. I used to tell myself that I had a slow metabolism, that my medicines were making me fat, that it was genetic (cause my mom was fat), that I was too short of breath to exercise, that I didn't have time to prepare healthy meals or exercise, that I was just too stressed to worry about my weight. I have just now came to the realization that I was just fat and lazy and didn't care enough about myself to change the one thing in life that was making me so depressed. Sorry to be so long-winded. I wouldn't have felt comfortable admitting these things to any one else.

I know what you mean! I still have a tendency to always put as much food on my plate as I can and try to eat ALL of it. Fortunately, I haven't been able to finish my whole meals lately because I get full really fast. But that "eating like it's your last meal" bit, I completely relate to!

Your first sentence made me laugh, but I realize too how true it is. Both for me and I'm sure many who are starting a healthier life style. After meals now I don't feel like I need to sit down, I still feel like I have energy. It's been years since I felt like that! In previous weight loss attempts I've gone on very very low calorie diets that left me with as little energy as my high calorie diet. I would get slimmer but stayed flabby and feeling poorly. This time I've lost slower but I feel stronger. I hate to even think how many calories I must have used to consume on a daily basis in soda alone.

It sure is nice to know that I am not the only one that feels like this. I guess it was a clarifying moment for me to come to my big realization. It is great now that I feel full before stuffing myself. I used to drink about 6 mt. dew's a day for a total of 1500 calories from soda alone. Probably was eating at least 3000 calories most days. Didn't even read the carbs on anything.

One thing that fasting seems to be teaching me is how little food we really need. Not that anyone need NO food, but we eat more from habit and boredom (I think) than we absolutely need.

The guys at work said something to me about "starvation diet" and I said I don't really think of it that way, then I touched my stomach and said "I have plenty of fuel here". The boss laughed, said "that's a good way to put it, fuel. Most people call it by that other 'f' word."

Yep, I totally relate. Once on Atkins for a while I didn't have as much of an appetite, but I still kept piling food on my plate. I was raised in a clean your plate family and felt guilty throwing food away, so I tried to eat it all even when I was full and it made me feel bad. It's like it didn't occur to me to go back into the kitchen and get more, or have a snack later if I was hungry - duh! I also remember thinking "I don't eat that much" YOWZA! It's amazing how this way of eating takes the blinders off after a while, huh?

Tenn

I can relate to the soda comments completely. Amazing how not drinking them cuts out so many calories.
I grew up in a potatos every day family. As well as clean your plate family. And the ever popular hearty eater family. Really a bad combination. My mom still thinks I just don't eat enough now. She has a great metabolism, unfortunately i don't.
The thing I enjoy about Atkins is I can get full and satisfied and not want anything else.

I will agree. I call eating my food most times as mindless eating no thought but how much I can stuff in my face untill I get sick. I have the tendancy to do that and boy oh boy have I paid for it wishing I could have the guts enough to purge. (and glad that I did not) what is the sence of eating 2 big macks?? am I never going to get one again?? and eating all 2 pies that you can get for a 1$ am I never going to get one again??? or is it better to buy the 2 instead of saving $0.50 or saving it for later?? I laugh at me now but I agree what was I thinking?????

My problem with food started when I was a kid. We didn't have much, so food was really important to me. My parents did the best they could, but we didn't always eat regular meals. So now I always have to have a full pantry, and like you, I think I over ate because I was afraid that I wouldn't eat again for awhile. Of course it is completely crazy, we have always had plenty of food because I have always made sure. I think now I have trained myself to relax a little and if I need a snack I can have one. It's amazing how much emotional baggage I brought into my adult life. Judy

I think my problems with food started as a young child also. l had 5 siblings and we all would fill our plates quickly to make sure we got as much as everyone else. My parents thought each of us should clean our plates to make sure we weren't wasteful. I grew up always cleaning my plate and trying to unlearn some of these behaviors is hard. I also had an older brother that always told me I was fat even when I only weighed 118 lbs. I would try to starve to lose weight, then I would end up binging. I don't do this with Atkins. I get as much food as I need and never really feel very hungry
except for when I first wake up. Then, I fix me a good breakfast that will stay with me for a while. Good luck to everyone on this lifestyle change.