Hi Laureen,

Glad you are back with us and really to get back on track!

Does your permission to give you an a.s whippin' if you disappear again
apply to the rest of us? :)

I've been on Atkins since 08/01/03 I weighed 405 when I started. I blew
it at Christmas to, my aunt's fruitcake was my downfall. I ate 3 slices.
When I weighed last Saturday I'd gained 5 pounds. My all time high
weight was 420.  I was down to 348 before the fruitcake. I was so happy
to be under 350. After seelng that 353 on the scale I realized that darn
fruitcake wasn't worth out. I've back low carbing I hope those 5 pounds
leave as fast as they showed up.

hji Laureen,

I'm so glad that you're still with us; I was wondering what happened to you.
How's Larry doing?

I had gotten lax with my carbs also (although I didn't really bine) and the
pounds were starting to creep back on.  3-1/2 weeks ago I dove back into
low-carb headfirst -- restricting carlories more than the first time
around -- and have lost 22 pounds since then! (Really!)  I had always heard
that it was harder to restart the second time, but I actually have found
that it's much, much easier.  I hope it's the same for you.  Welcome back
and good luck to you.  Keep posing Laureen!

Laureen,

The important thing is that you came back.

Do post every day.  And take some time to analyze what it was the set you
off course, so you don't make the same mistake again when the same issues
arise.  Rather than relying on willpower--which rarely works--it is alway
more effective to figure out where you are prone to cave and then ask other
people for help in devising strategies that can help you get through.  They
may be technical (eat different things, meds, schedules, who knows) or
emotional (handle people who put you off course differently) but there are
solutions.

Posting here definitely helps too

Best wishes for renewed success!

-- Jenny  - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.2.
Cut the carbs to respond to my  email address!

Low carb facts and figures, my weight-loss photos, tips, recipes, Diabetes
information, and more at http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit  http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm

Laureen, it's good to see you posting and committed to making healthy
food choices again!

I really want to encourage you to take a look at the work of Geneen
Roth.  She's written quite a bit about emotional eating (and
overeating), and you might find her work helpful as you try to figure
out how, and why, you undermine your own efforts to get fit and
healthy.

Best of luck for 2004.  Keep posting!

Best,

T.

Hi Laureen......good to see you again.  How's the lil' one?  And Larry?
Here's you a big hug for getting back on track and with us {{{Laureen}}} and
I'll save the butt kicking if you ever decide to leave us again.  Even if
you do slip, don't leave us......we miss you.  Is Larry back to LCing also?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Vickie

245/168/145
LCing 09/30/02

Its really good to see you back again.

For me, its all about habits. Please do stick to the habit of checking
in here regularly and maybe that will help you keep up other good
habits -- it does for me.

I hope you don't mind this is rather a long email -- something of a
cathartic confession for me...I'm new to posting here -- was looking
for support as I am restarting Atkins this week.

I wanted to express my empathy for you Laureen, as I went through
something very similar the last couple months. I had been on Atkins
last year, doing relatively well, for several months. Although I lose
weight extremely slowly, I was definitely becoming leaner, to the
point of buying new clothes, and I certainly felt better on low carbs.
Then in Oct, completely fell of the wagon and stayed off for 2 months,
and as a result zoomed up  15 pounds! I know what the trigger was -- a
weeklong visit from my parents.  Not their fault -- was entirely my
responsibility for taking the "easier" road of eating what they ate --
mainly because of my desire to minimze conflict in what is sometimes a
stressful relationship (partic with one parent for whom food is very
impt.). Carbs are like speed for me -- a drug. I also stayed off the
scale the whole time.

Knowing I had  a long trip and visting for a couple weeks at Xmas, I
was able to rationalize staying off Atkins until the holidays were
over. But once I was back to my normal routine (and I could feel my
clothes were tighter), I knew I had to to get back on the scale, as a
first step to acknowleding responsibility for my health and well
being. It was not a happy experience, and I started Atkins for one
day, then binged thoroughly on carbs for two days. But I knew this was
a prelude -- a bit of "jitters," and immediately started over -- and
have gotten through that critical first three days one more time.

I found that the withdrawal symptoms were much less this time -- the
first time I did Atkins, the first three days felt like what I
imagined a drug detox would --- every cell in my body screaming CARBS.
One thing that I think helped was a new product on the market from
South Africa, called Kalahari Red Tea -- it is from a plant called
rooibos -- naturally caffeine free and higher level of antioxidants
than green tea. The peppermint esp. helps with carb cravings. I also
tried eating a higher fat to protein ratio this time over the first
few days and that seemed to help.

Laureen, I would say that it is very important to start with getting
on the scale, no matter what it says, otherwise you can kid yourself
that you are making progress when you aren't (I know, I've tried that
route). And don't think of yourself as having been "bad" -- creating
categories like "good" and "bad" eating just adds to the emotional
weight you put on food.  After all, carbs are addictive, and addiction
in any form is very difficult to overcome. What's more important is
that no matter how often you fall off the wagon, you can always get
back on!  For me, acknowledging the addictive component of my eating
and weight problems gives me a starting point to work on learning how
to deal with this as an addiction, rather than seeing it as some sort
of personality or character flaw because I can't lose weight. When I
first learned how addictive carbs were, and the impact of high-carb
eating on the body, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my
shoulders -- that I wasn't overweight simply because I had no
willpower, but because I needed to understand my metabolism and how
food works in the body.

Best wishes, rebeq

I remember you well.  You were one of my heros.  When people started all
worrying what might have happened to you, I thought, "She's probably
back in the carbs."  BTDT.

I don't think it's very fair to make people heros, really, as they are
just real people after all, so I'll just welcome you back as a fellow
traveler.  It's great to see you again!

Barb