Low Carb Newbie Mistakes

[Karen]

This is a great thread I was reading on ASDLC. I was thinking of starting it here...and maybe I will!

Low-carb Newbie Mistakes...

My biggest mistakes? After lurking on ASDLC and reading about all the whipping cream and artificially sweetened desserts that were eaten on Atkins - oh how naive I was - I decided to start doing the same, after being super-successful with Protein Power. Big mistake!

Karen

[EllieEats]

Great idea, Karen!!

My mistake was in eating too little!! :o

I wasn't getting in enough carbs. Once someone pointed that out to me.... I added in some veggies and the weight started coming off again!! :D
I still have a problem sometimes... because I always feel full. But I manage to keep my carbs between 20- 25 and I'm steadily dropping a pound at a time!!

Ellie :wave:

[numberonewendy]

My biggest mistake:

To think I could relax over the holidays and then think I wouldn't want carbs again. Duh :rolleyes:

Like quitting smoking. To go without for such a time. Then to think one can take one puff and it won't bother you.

When will I learn :bash:

[crg66]

Me too, I thought I could relax over the holidays and easily get back to LC eating, but it took me weeks to recover! Also thinking that my Lo-Carb bars actually had only 2g carbs, but finding out that there were at least 20g of hidden carbs :mad:

These are the biggest so far, and it's only been a few months! Live and learn!!

[Karen]

I'm glad to see that all the "oldsters" here did not make any mistakes when they were low-carbing "newbies".

Amazing! ;)

Karen

[alto]

Mistakes? Me? Ah, had I but world enough and time....

My Journal is full of mistakes, trips, stumbles, falls, u-turns, rethinks, flubs and flops.

I think my biggest mistake was trying to do everything at once. I'm bright and capable, right? So I can get a book and follow everything to the letter instantly, right? Unfortunately, going from no structure, not eating three meals a day, eating only junk food and sandwiches and drinking soda, not drinking water, not exercising, not taking supplements -- it takes more than a day to change all that.

Close runner up -- plan hopping. This hasn't worked for six minutes, try That.

Still learning :) But down 19 pounds since November 1.

[lisaf]

Oh let's see...thinking I would never plateau (that was for other people)...malitol-sweetened chocolate bars on anything like a regualar basis was WAY too much (see above about the plateau). Apparently I can also say the same about mock danishes ... these things are now only very strict treats for me. The first and second times I tried to lose weight, I weighed myself 3 or 4 times a day. The number became more important than anything else. This time, I had my husband hide the scale and had to deal with seeing changes in other areas of my body and psyche.

Lisa

[amieK]

My biggest mistake was thinking I could be vegetarian again. Just plain does not work for me.

Also that Fit for Life eating fruit first in the morning is a no-no. Sets me up for bizarre blood sugar swings all day. GIVE ME PROTEIN!!! GRRRR!

Eating fruit by itself is not at all wise. I must balance it with protein and fat. Like 1/2 c blueberries with 1/3 c yogurt, 1 t flax oil. Or an apple and 6 soaked pecans.

Also I have to be careful of fruit intake altogether. Only 1 serving per day is best, from the lower glycemic choices.

I admire all you Atkins followers and don't want to offend with all this talk of "forbidden fruit". I'm very happy with Schwarzbein and it works well for me but I have to be careful.

And although I'm nowhere near advocating low-fat, it works better for me if I don't go hawg wild with it. I like to use just enough, not more. When I was drowning everything in 3 Tablespoons of flax oil each day, I put on weight but that may have been due to that horrible fruit in the morning thing.

And I just recently found out I should abstain from even the occasional cup of coffee. *sigh* My system just can't take it. It makes me feel edgy and sets up cravings that lead me astray. So no more coffee and whipped cream treats for me!

[jan9]

I am fairly new and Karen mentioned that she was eating deserts with whipped cream like the Atkins Diet. I do the same what is the problem with it. I have cream in my coffee and a desert at night with cream like ice cream. Is that why I still haven't lost weight? My ketones are moderate.

[Ruth]

Let's see:

1) Nuts: I can fall into a jar of peanut butter with a spoon & can't stop....Raw almonds - I luv em and can eat 2 cups without even thinking about it. :eek:
2) "legal" desserts with cr cheese, whipping cream, AS, yadda, yadda, yadda. :exclm: Does the whole batch count as 1 serving?
3) In the first month of Atkins, falling into the old 'low fat' way of thinking. It's awfully hard to beat the LF ways out of our systems, isn't it?

My oldster problems: eating way too much of legal treats, nuts, etc. I don't eat high carb foods, I just eat like a pig with legal LC food. AARRRRGGHHHH!

But since I've started BFL, I'm much better about what I eat. Why? Well, I'm working out 6 days a week, getting out of bed ~ 5:45 am on work days to hit the gym b4 work. There are 2 promises to myself at work here: 1) If I'm working at exercise that hard (and losing sleeptime :p ) then I'm not going to fail on the dietary side of things: I have an incentive to eat right and stay on plan. 2) And if I'm sticking to LC, no cheats or bad choices, then no way will I miss a workout. I had to remind myself of this only yesterday morning.

Good thread, Karen. I wonder how many more 'oldsters' you can flush out of the woods? ;) :p

[Tama]

...my biggest mistake. After I get settled into this new wol, and the cravings are subsiding, thinking that I can resist anything! I am invincible! Cookies and cake cannot touch me, for my cravings have disappeared! I will make my family a pie for dessert tonight and I will not touch it. Of course, I did touch it. I touched everything! It was a hard lesson to learn, that even though I am not craving it, that doesn't mean I can go hang out at the bakery and not be affected. Overconfidence got me into a lot of trouble!
Tama

[razzle]

Karen, surely you jest! This semi-oldster has mistakes galore--including the recurring mistake of wanting quick results on the scale and so losing focus on the process and how much better I feel.

Ruth, yes, one batch does count as one serving ;) , especially with LC cheesecake. In fact, I discovered it tastes pretty good raw, too...lol. No reason to wait for that one "serving" to get cooked! (can we say "trigger food?")

[tree]

A little too late for me! Would you believe I JUST finished my first ever sugar-free jello with whipped cream? I was soooooo excited :daze: and it tasted sooooo good! I thought I was being good?! :confused: I can still taste the strawberry in my mouth.... and now I just finished reading Karen's "mistake" :( . Wow, what timing. Well, gotta laugh. :wave: I'll know not to repeat this mistake now. It will explain a lag in weight loss over the next few days I guess. Thanks Karen and everyone else for the warnings.

[mariah974]

jan9, i had the same question. now, i've loaned my dandr book to my new son-in-law and can't reference a page number for you, but there is a place where d a advises that if you aren't losing, cut back a bit on fats. he says that perhaps we have taken him too literally about the fatty luxuries of this diet. i think you will find the pages referenced in the index.

hope this helps. my best friend's father used to say, "all things in moderation" and i believe it's a motto that could take the grief out of a lot of these situations.

[Karen]

"all things in moderation" and i believe it's a motto that could take the grief out of a lot of these situations.

The "thang" about moderation is that with food addicts or compulsive overeaters, there is no such thing as moderation. There are trigger foods that can set us off, and it doesn't matter if they are LC or not.

If you know yourself well enough to know that you are not an addict or CE, a little bit of something in moderation is fine. It's when you keep on going back to nibble on something sweet for example or make or eat sweets everyday that you're in trouble.

Karen

[allisonm]

Originally posted by Karen


The "thang" about moderation is that with food addicts or compulsive overeaters, there is no such thing as moderation. There are trigger foods that can set us off, and it doesn't matter if they are LC or not.
Well said!

One of my errors in the beginning was believing that low carbohydrate products are low in carbohydrates. I also had a problem with a low-fat fanatic who was doing a fair amount of the cooking and LYING about whether the sauce had been thickened with a bit of flour, whether there wasn't a bit of sugar in the salad dressing, etc. Beware of sabateurs! (And cook for yourself if you live with one.)

Allison

[Librarian]

I've only been on LC since January 2 and I've already made almost all these mistakes....sugar free desserts, switching plans, weighing every day, not eating enough, thinking I am invincible......


I've lost ten pounds, but it seems every day is a struggle. I'm not really having cravings or feeling overly hungry, it just seems like the LC way is so much trouble sometimes. It is soo easy to have coffee and doughnuts for breakfast, grab a hamburger for lunch, and sit in front of the TV and snack for three or four hours every evening!

My husband is getting bored and starting to rebel a little. I know if he caves I won't be able to go it alone.

Does it ever get easier?

[Karen]

Does it ever get easier?

It does, it does!

Remember the last time you had to learn something that seemed toatlly foriegn to you?

For me, it was driving because I learned how to drive 10 years ago. I was a die-hard passenger! It never even occured to me to learn how to drive.

First, I failed my learners permit twice. When I finally obtained it, I went to a very good driving school. There was classroom instruction and driving lessons. During my first lesson after driving around the neighborhood, the instructor took me on to a major road! I couldn't even tell where I was, stuff was going by me so quickly and my head was spinning from her instructions. It took a couple of months to learn and I even had to take extra lessons. During my road test, I encountered a configuration that I had never seen before and did the wrong thing, but because I did well on the rest of the test, I passed. Whew!

It's the same with LC. All is so new and strange and complicated at first. Your learning a new mindset, watching for "signs" and "signals", hitting dead ends and speed bumps, speeding and travelling the speed limit. Sometimes you drive under the speed limit!

It takes a while to figure everything out. As you go along figuring, you will develop a great new skill and a wonderful way of life. You will also be thinner, saner and healthier to boot!

Anything that challenges you - as well as improves your quality of life - is worthwhile learning. It's a frame of mind that as adults, we forget about what a joy it is to accomplish something we've never even thought of. LC makes you think. LC makes you get off your butt.

For some reason, I took to LC like a duck to water. Probably because it had a lot to do with food and eating! ;)

Karen

[Librarian]

Karen,

Thank you! It's really great to have a personal reply when you're feeling kind of down and discouraged. And your comparison really hits home with me! I never learned to drive until I was 30 years old. Like you, I had to take classes and it was so hard. I made many mistakes, had to take to test three times. And the first year I had more accidents that any teenager.

But now it's easy...as a matter of fact I can easily make the 12 miles to town with a coke in one hand and a candy bar in the other :D

Carolyn

[Karen]

But now it's easy...as a matter of fact I can easily make the 12 miles to town with a coke in one hand and a candy bar in the other

For me it was a Coke, a smoke, and a bag of ju-jubes! I've been rear ended twice, but I've never caused an accident and never been pulled over for speeding either! :p

LC will be just as easy with a bottle of water and a bag of pork rinds for the drive! :D

Karen

[smiley]

Are you not allowed to eat this,,,,or just not everyday???

HELP it's the only thing standing between me and chocolate!


:wave: Smiley

[jo_]

Are you not allowed to eat this,,,,or just not everyday???

smiley;
It all depends on you. If you can eat this and still lose weight then you can :D Others of us can only eat it occasionally or it slows or entirely stalls them. Then there are others, like me, who can't eat this at all and lose weight.

Actually for me the mere sweetness alone would lead me to cheat. So I stay away from sweet and notice that over the month the cravings for sweet, though strong at first, are more a distant memory. It's wonderful not to have to wrestle the sweet monster!
Jo

[razzle]

the other issue to consider, smiley, is about long term troublesome behavior and trying to examine then end habits that got us into trouble in the first place. If wanting a sweet after every meal is what got me fat, why would it pay me to keep that habit in place? Either I'll be eating sugar--carcinogenic, addictive, fat-producing--or artificial sweeteners--which cause two of the same three problems. If my whole life before LC revolved around acquiring "goodies," what's the difference in my new life still revolves around that? (okay, I'm in a smaller dress size, but in the final analysis, that doesn't change much.) What happens to me when I'm 'dying for' a dessert and s-f jello isn't around, only real chocolate chip cookies?

For me, I've decided it's crucial to be free of the food addictions, the compulsive eating, the old bad habits that--with very little inattention--will lead me back up to a size 20+, doubtless send me over the edge into diabetes, put me back that awful state of chronic exhaustion, keep me fixated on food, and so on. Each of us has to work through this issue for ourselves.

[kristin]

Oh, Razzle, thank you. That really hit me in the face like a nice, fluffy, yummy lemon-merengue pie! :D I'm now in a wonderful size 4 but have surrounded myself with Keto this and that and a life-time supply of heavy whipping cream and SF jello! I've obviously not conquered the Sweets Monster.

To keep with this thread, what I have learned is just because you've "cheated" doesn't mean that you've got to cross the line into binging. Lay your ground rules while you're sane and learn from each digression, and EXERCISE as soon as possible. Like was mentioned before, it's a way to get the good you back in control.

I've taught myself to contain the damage as quickly as possible because I know that, for good or for bad, all those sinful foods aren't going anywhere and will still be around for the rest of my life both to tempt me and to every great once in a while---if I've just really got to---allow me to revel in their glory. I've got to learn to live with them all and no matter how hard I try or would like to, I can't eat them all out of existence.

Regards,
K.

[razzle]

I can't eat them all out of existence.


I've tried. ;) Somehow, the grocery store keeps restocking.

And you're very welcome for the lemon pie. :)

[smiley]

as always,,good site and good advice


I find as long as I have that,,,,,,I have no desire for chocolate

And....I have a large pantry,,,,so I guess I have to make sure I always have it

In a pinch,,,,I chomp on a piece of sugar=free gum


Smiley :wave: :daze:

[mariah974]

hi razzle,

i'd say you really nailed this one. keep up the good work. it's when we let our emotions get in the way and still connect sweets with solace that we get into trouble. i've shared the trouble i'm in for giving into the old pattern and nurturing myself with destructive food during my husband's illness, "trapped" here with him and the refrigerator, caregiving. seemed like a good excuse at the time. now that it's over, i can see that it's the compulsive behavior that i was giving in to, and that i can use any excuse i want, only hope now that i can return to the conviction you spoke of so well.

thanks.

hugs to all of you.

[MissBecca]

Well, my newbie mistakes were TOO MUCH PEANUT BUTTER and TOO MANY SMOKED ALMONDS. I just love peanut butter and it's ok if I have a spoonful, but not a quarter-jar... hehe.

About the SF jelly/jello and cream thing - it hasn't caused me any problems. I have it a couple of times a week but I don't used sweetened cream, I just buy ordinary full-fat cream - either the thick dollopy type or the whipping type and whip it myself. YUM.

:D

[PatHawk]

I am traveling in New Zeland as I write this, and have not had enough time to keep up with the forum the last few weeks. This is a really good thread, as many have mentioned.
I also made lots of mistakes early on. I tried eating the low carb bars for lunch on days when I had not planned well enough, and had nothing LC in the fridge to eat - actually put weight on, didn't just stall! Also got into trouble with cashews - tried having a few at a time with no problem, next thing I knew, I was eating a cup at a time, with big time stall as a result. I am totally allergic to cheese, so snacks and quick things get tricky for me. I now find that I am better with raw almonds, than I was with cashews - you just have to keep trying until you find what works for you. I also use sugar free gum and sugar free mints from time to time, and that works for me.
I have been on maintenance for close to 2 years now, with no real dramatic problems. I really don't get into an HC stuff, and watch even my LC treats - like LC fruits etc. I do eat them, but still record my food intake everyday, and weigh myself every week. so far, it seems to be working! And I keep my exercise fairly regular too.

Cheers
Pat

[gapgirl420]

GREAT THREAD KAREN!!!


MY mistakes???? CHEESE....CHEESE.....CHEESE.....did I mention too much CHEESE????

I thought I could eat as much as I wanted as long as there was no sugar and the carb level was low! WRONG!!!!

I'm a died in the wool starch eater....bread...bread..and more bread!!! and that's
another RED FLAG for me..

I have read every book that has hit the shelves. I can direct anyone who wants to follow a particular WOE, but I [i]CAN'T PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH :eek:
I'm FINALLY getting my head together, and hopefully can accomplish this feat!
I've been [i]circling the drain (so to speak) heading straight forward into menopause, and have only recently found out that
the best WOE for this situation is none other than LOW CARB!!

I guess it takes something SMACKING ME IN THE HEAD to realize....I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ALL ALONG!!!

SO, when I yell for help....


GAP

[Sinlaila]

Excellent thread. This has given me great insight as I can see myself getting caught in the "Atkin sweet legal treat trap". I have been looking forward to my treat every night after work. Thanks for helping me to raise a red flag. :stop:

[lowcarbQT]

Here's something from the new DANDR that knock me over the head and it's a big mistake!

Going back to induction levels if you cheat even a little. Don't have a no no carb and then jump back to induction. Dr A says eventually induction will no longer work. He says to go back down 5-10 carbs but not to induction.

don't use up all your "get out of jail" free induction cards! Besides he mentions atkins will turn into just another yo-yo diet for you.

[jomil]

Karen, Congratulationa, you have done it again!!!

I had to stop in and visit this new thread of yours because it hit home so accuratley and decisevly.

I have not visited my log due to the fact that I have been unable to successefuly succumb all the chocolate, fruit. and sugar temptations, since Xmas.

I have started out fresh each morning with an excellent low carb light breakfast, but either lunch, dinner, or both have been my undoing. Posting my daily menu in my log would only prove my weakness.

It is very refreshing to learn that there have been a fair number of Low Carbers that have found themselves in my boat, since Xmas.

Here are samples of my downfall:

(a) one slice of thin rye toast either for breakfast or lunch, practically every day.
(b) a fresh large Washington juicy sweet 'Delicious' Apple nearly very day.
(c) Walk every afternnon to an outside Coffee window (with a neighbour and my Schnauzer) for a Cuban Coffee (with sugar).
This locally known "coffasitto" is drunk throughtout the Miami region. It really peps you up for the rest of the day. This has become a daily ritual.
(d) My wife has been baking excellent chocolate coated biscottis, and leaving them lying handily around the house.

The sad truth is that I don't seem to be trying very hard to change this WOE back to proper low carb.

Regards
Joe

P.S.- Karen, you must stay awake all night thinking up all your great "threads'. Keep up the good work.

[Karen]

LOL Jomil! I actually stay awake imagining my low-carb fantasy bootcamp!

You should start your journal again. It worked for you before, didn't it?

There is alway the Confession Booth for when you feel really guilty. ;)

Karen

[lcon109]

One of the mistakes I made with CAD was thinking the "Reward Meal" was a carbo-fest! I'd be really good all day, then get to dinner and have pasta, bread, and desert. Now I'm more careful to make sure I plan better so I can include what I crave and not go bonkers with a Carbohydrate Overdose! :rolleyes:

[kristin]

Ruh-roh! :eek:

Originally posted by lowcarbQT
Here's something from the new DANDR that knock me over the head and it's a big mistake!

Going back to induction levels if you cheat even a little. Don't have a no no carb and then jump back to induction...

lowcarbQT---could you give me a page reference on this, by chance? I guess I need a refresher, because I was remembering that Dr. A said that if you are bad, you MUST go back to induction levels before moving forward. So that's what I've been doing.

Thanks!
K.

[lesleyc]

nuts nuts nuts!

I couldn't wait to finish induction so I could get stuck into that previously forbidden wonder - nuts!

Two problems - can't say no to more once I've started, and they make me stall big time

They are a real treat every now and then these days ;)

lesley

[lowcarbQT]

Hi Kristen,

It's on page 215 of the new (white cover) DANDR. It's called 'Uses and Abuses' of induction. what I always have done is go back to induction level until ketosis(just a day or so) is back and then go right back where i was. He doesn't say this outright in this section of the book but it fits logically with his train of thought.

[MissBecca]

One of my newbie mistakes would have to be the couple of times I've felt a bit ill as a result of eating food that's rich and that I'd normally bulk out with rice or pasta. My tum can't quite take it the same if it's not balanced out with a bulky food - for example I ate Chinese food recently as a bit of a treat. Chinese food is quite rich and not ideal for low-carbing as a regular thing as they do put some carby things in it but is not bad as a once-in-a-blue-moon treat as long as you don't do rice/noodles or too many starchy beg. Well ... I might have eaten a bit too much of it because my tummy did NOT respond too well!!!

Rebecca :)

[Karen]

Just thought I'd bump up this thread so the newbies who are now oldbies could join in! :D

Karen

[Karen]

Wow! No one has made any mistakes? No one has low-carbed and learned? ;)

Karen

[Karla]

My big mistake was, after losing half the weight I wanted to, thinking I could go on Maintenance "for the summer" so I could eat a little more fruit. Well, the summer turned into 8 months! :eek:

Fortunately I only gained 7 or 8 pounds (most of that eating croissants and bread in France - you can't get anything else for breakfast there :thdown: ), but it was very difficult to get back to OWL. For one thing, I couldn't remember what I was eating when I was losing 2 pounds a week last year.

Thanks to this group and Lifeform (like Fitday), I realized I was eating too few calories and not enough fat, and now I am back on track.

As to the legal sweets on the Atkins diet, I think that is YMMV. While I was losing that 2 pounds a week I was eating sf jello with homemade whipped cream, LC cheesecake, LC pumpkin un-pie (baked without the crust), LC key lime pie, etc., etc.

I have found that knowing I can make and eat really yummy things somehow keeps me from eating high carb sweets away from home. My DH and I went to a company dinner at which the dessert comprised an enormously long table jam packed with cakes, pies, etc., but I ate the strawberries and canteloupe. And my knickname used to be "Cookie!"

But I really didn't care, because knew I could make desserts just as delicious as those that wouldn't blow my diet.

And somehow it also keeps me from going overboard on the LC sweets; as long as I know I can have a guilt-free piece of that cheesecake for dessert after dinner, I can let it sit unmolested in the refrigerator for as many days as it takes us to eat it. I can't explain it, but there it is. :wiggle:

This thread was a great idea, Karen!

Karla

[rgarlough]

OMG, I just put out a LONG post on this in the Daily LC area (OWL & Reflections...)

"Since I've converted to Atkins on 1/14/2002, I've really learned a lot about how foods make me feel, whether healthy and alive or sickly and tired.

Well, after I finished Induction (a quick 2 weeks after a couple days of carb withdrawls ) I was soon on OWL and trying to find my CCL. I started to add more complex carbs into my WOE and quicky realized that the weight loss slowed down for me. I accepted that and moved on. I didn't expect everything to come off as quickly as in Induction.

Then, I started to measure myself monthly to help myself understand that scales DO lie. I've steadily been losing inches (all be it not as fast as in the begining) and I've been overall very happy with my transition to low carb living.

However, I find myself getting a bit ill (tummy aches, headaches & a general feeling of fogginess) when I have more than 50 carbs (after substracting fiber) on one day and then go down to 20-30. I've been all over the place with my carbs on a daily/weekly basis to keep my body thinking I've read my Atkins book twice (as well as another one on LC for life).

It's almost like the Induction withdrawls all over again only I'm much more in-tune with how carbs effect my body and how I feel.

So far I've been able to get out of ketosis and get back in within 24-48 hours. I don't do ketostix so to be honest I don't really know if I'm in or out of ketosis. I used to have the keto breath but I got used to it after a while and with all the water I drink (120 ounces/day), it's hard to notice unless I eat really fatty foods like cheeses.

I've tried to figure out if it's my body going back through carb withdrawl or if I've just become so sensitive to higher amounts of carbs. I've noticed that it's really bad if I come off of a higher carb (50-70 grams/day) which is usually from eating less-than-desirable ("bad") foods like breaded chicken or white rice. I'm able to eat small amounts of things like rice, without going overboard and I'm certain that if I just go to a whole, brown rice, that I'd feel better. However, I've even noticed this "phenaminon" when I consume a bit of popcorn (<2 cups, loaded with butter = 3 T). The next day, I had a splitting headache.

On the days that I have 50-70 carbs, I don't feel ill at all. I still notice all the normal LC things like I can pick up on the smallest amount of sugar in something (like when I ordered chicken salad at a restaurant). It isn't until the next day that I feel ill when I go back down to 20-30 final carbs.

My basic reasoning behind moving my carbs all around is when I was doing my research for my CCL, I noticed that I can go up to 50-70 and still lose. But I didn't want my body to get used to a specific amount of carb grams so I decided to try to do like every 3rd day as a 50 gram day, then go back to 20-30 for a few days. Now, I've basically got myself doing 20-30 during the week, and on the Sat & Sun I eat around 50 and very occasionally I jump up ot 70.

I've been added some fruits (I love fresh melons and berries) which has been raising my carbs for those higher carb days. I also eat 1 slice of "Health Max" bread with tons of butter and 1 T all-natural peanut butter (guess what's in it... PEANUTS, that's it, no trans fatty acids for me ). I've also added back some starchier veggies and more nuts.

After all this chatter, what I'm trying to find out (from long time LCer's) is "Is this a "Normal" thing?" Or do I just have a huge hang up on "How do I feel right now?" Do I pay too much attention to how I'm feeling? Am I overanalyzing?

Guess I should read my Atkins book AGAIN. I must have skimmed that section or something.

So what is the RIGHT way to handle the OOPS situations? It seems like he's saying if you keep making mistakes, you'll just have to give up this WOL because you can't keep jumping back into Induction and think everything is OK.

And then how does that work since he also says that you can STAY in Induction for a longer period of time if that's what one should choose. Guess it seems like he's saying you can't yo-yo your carbs around but you can stay at an Induction level. Now does that seem right since I though finding your CCL is basically going up and down with your carbs.

Also, don't some people get stalled when they stay at the same carb level for a period of time? I've read that some people have to go ahead and add carbs and then go back down in order to get past their stall.

What's up with this? Just a big YMMV?

:confused:

Annie G.

[Lisa N]

My biggest mistake? Thinking I could "loosen up the restrictions" a bit during the holidays. Hey...a couple of high carb days can't do too much damage, right? It's the holidays...I deserve to have a little fun, right? WRONG! I gained 10 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Year and had a terrible time getting the scale moving in the downward direction again. I can't say I will NEVER do that again (cuz that's when it's gonna come and bite me in the butt), but I will certainly be a LOT closer to my goal weight before I even consider it again. Looking back, it really wasn't all that satisfying anyway and for sure wasn't worth all the frustration afterwards. I could just kick myself when I think how much closer to goal I'd be right now if I hadn't done that. :bash:

[fth_msktr]

One of my bigger mistakes was thinking that I had enough will power to "plan" for a day off the low carb diet. It made perfect sense to me that if I was good all week I could go off the diet for a birthday, halloween, the superbowl, dinner out, whatever the excuse than get right back on the plan. WRONG!!! everytime I tried I would end up on a 3 or 4 day, sometime even a week long binge, before I could get back in control.
Now I've learned it's better for me to stay pretty strict and if I want to cheat I try and eat a legal treat, LC chocalate bar, or LC ice cream, LC muffins or something similiar. I find, for me, these cheats don't lead to binges. :thup:

[Tiggerlou]

Only about a month into this new WOL, it amazes me as well what you have to keep learning. I, as well thought, once I read the book, I go and do it - period! WRONG! I lost so very nicely on the first two weeks of induction (8.5llbs). Then the lbs crept BACK, after only ONE no no. Back to induction - nothing! I found hidden carbs BIG TIME! My biggest weakness is coffee - black, but lots of it! Reading just the labels on the foods is so very misleading. I started FitDay, and what an eye opener!! I was consuming an extra 12carbs with coffee alone! Really having a hard time keeping it down to just a few cups a day (withdrawal symptoms), but I guess I have no choice... Anyone else dicovered hidden carbs as their mistake?

[committed]

I went on a road trip early on in my LCing WOL. Afraid to eat in any restaurants, I brought along lots of hard boiled eggs, lots of water and low carb bars. I also got some pork rinds at a gas stop. I tend not to eat them because I eat the entire bag anytime I open one but I knew I needed the fat.

Three days and I was just fine. On day four, I gained three pounds. I had not had one bite of food other than eggs, protein bar (1 or 2 daily) and the pork rinds. I know the pork rinds are salty but this wasn't water weight.

I couldn't get stabilized, feeling like I was in the LC flow again, for about a week.

That taught me a lesson about the low carb bars. I am not even going to keep one or two on hand for emergencies.

[Dale]

This is such a great thread.

This is my third time back at Atkins. This time, I am not trying to control the WOE, I am just going with the WOL. Meaning--after rereading Atkins book for the 6th time, I finally got that I must up my protein.

Coming from down under means we don't have access to those amazing 'low carb' products you guys do. We are about to have a company release FibreX cereal, low carb and gluten free, and the ingredients are all of what I would normally eat. Good news.

First 2 times, I ate cream, cream, cream, and cream. I also had way too much macadamias (before the price went sky high) then way too much almonds. Then because I wasn't having enough protein, I found I was looking for food, the addiction would take over and poof!

Before I was having 5 meals a day because I always looking for food, this time, 3 meals a day. Less food than before, but the choice is more protein, so I am not hungry, not looking for a snack and dealing with the emotions that keep coming up.

I will add that this week has been interesting because my 3 1/2 year old grandson is in hospital with meningitis and meningocochal (sp) so I find myself looking in the fridge. I picked it up very quickly and have been allowing myself to feel instead of swallowing the emotion with food.

He is slowly on the mend, and I am thrilled that I have been able to actually deal with the emotion of being helpless!

Once a month I make up a copy of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, once a month I make up chocolate chip cookies. I ensure I have treats, but one a week and if I find I am craving more, I will deal with it. It has been hard, on a day to day basis.

Third time is not for the weight. It is for the way of life. I don't have scales and only measure when I have to review a pattern for my job. So maybe once a month do I measure. I just notice my clothes and work hard to stop the obsession of weight/size.

In retrospect, I know i had to fail twice to 'get it'. Not a great way to learn the lesson, but there you go. Also, I learned that once I picked my plan, stick with it. 'There' is no different to 'here'.

I live on 20--25g carb a day (after two months) and about 90--100g protein a day.

Thanks for this thread. It has helped so much to see I am not alone :)

Dale

[sugarfree1]

I'm still new at this, but I notice a few things that will trigger me to want to eat non-stop!!

CHEESE!!! This is a hard one for me. I tend to nibble and nibble and I wind up eating way too much!!!

Those Atkins and other low carb bars! Tasty, but they really do trugger sugar cravings in me. I need to really limit them.

Nuts! I sit and much away without realizing it, I can easily eat the whole bag!!!

I think I do the best and loose the fastest when I do the plan exactally like how it was meant to be done!!! (duh!) :lol:

[aspreier30]

i also had a problem with eating anything with fake sugar and cream. it totally halted my progress.... but live and learn.. im losing weight now......

[Misty]

MISTAKE #1=The first time I did Atkins I only counted carbs and lost a lot of weight at first and was elated. Suddenly I quit losing and couldn't figure out why. I started counting calories, thinking I was eating too many. To my surprise, I was only eating between 600-900 calories a day. No wonder, I was starving myself and I was also exercising like a maniac. I didn't feel like I was starving because suddenly I wasn't constantly hungry like I had been while on low-fat. Naturally I gained a lot of weight when I started eating the amount of calories I should be.

MISTAKE #2=After gaining 1/2 of the weight I lost back, I tried eating 5-6 smaller meals rather than 3. Well, then portion control became an issue. Each meal was the same size and not what most would consider "small".

MISTAKE #3=Comparing myself to others. I was reading about others who were the same weight as me and I started eating like they were. I'm still struggling with this somewhat. I'm working on finding what works for ME. It's tough when I read about others being able to eat something I can't have, but I'm learning to prioritize my cravings vs. my desire to lose weight.

[PJ in Miam]

Great thread Karen.

Lessons learned the hard way:

1. Meal replacements. Low-Carb bars, and even protein shakes, are not "meals". They may be better than starving or eating carbs (well, that is questionable in the case of the bars...), but that does not make them into a real-food meal.

1b: Mock Danish is not a meal.

1c: Four mock danish is not a 'big' meal. LOL.

2. Milk. I would buy a little milk for my daughter on the way to school, and she wouldn't drink it all. Then I would have the 'clean your plate' issue and the 'yeah but I spent money on it' issue and the 'it's just a little, technically I could arrange my carbs to have just a few tablespoons of milk' issue. What really happened is that it sent my carb and sugar cravings into the stratosphere (and messed up my eating for the rest of the day, as I then couldn't have the carbs I'd planned in various meals).

2b: She can drink milk at school with lunch. If I can't have it, then at home, she can drink what I drink -- water. It not only won't kill her, it will be good for her. I have stuff she can eat that I can't, esp. fruit, fruity yogurts, and occasional treats. But in general, low-carb foods are not some bizarre specialty item like medicine, that is only for me. Eating meat dishes and salads with green veggies as her dominant foods (beyond the stuff I mentioned I keep around), and the megadose of carbs she gets in school (sigh), is not unreasonable of me nor unhealthy for her.

2c: My first responsibility food-wise is to myself. It is not unfair to expect that I will not cook and distribute high-carb stuff to others. We do not make recovering alcoholics bartenders, and it would be ludicrous to assign one to 'pick up the beer' for the family barbecue. Obesity KILLS. While others act like it is some kind of social game, for me it could be life and death. My survival is more important to me than other peoples' hurt feelings. If they are not adult enough to understand the seriousness of this issue, they can get stuffed. The people most likely to make lowcarbing difficult are the same people who tend to have the most opinions about my being obese, ironically.

2d: If somebody living with me wants to have high-carb food, I understand perfectly. I also understand that we can have our own areas of the refrigerator, and they can learn to cook. If I had my cousin TJ, the body-builder's ability to stand around food and have zero interest in anything but Tuna and Water (around his competition times), then hey, no big deal, let me make you some mashed potatoes! But if I don't, then asking others around me to be responsible for _themselves_, instead of indirectly causing me grevious harm by expecting me to babysit their eating habits differently than my own, is ridiculous. (Note: also, eating MY reserved food is a crime. Period.) I realize that women, especially those over 35, often have trouble with this with their husbands. I divorced my husband and a small part of it was because he sabotaged my attempts to get healthier by doing LC. At first it's just health, but at some point you realize it is really life and death -- not just medically, but psychologically and socially. Pretty ironic that many people quite literally have to die for the one person they love enough to die for. 'Nuff said.

3. Cheese. If cheese were a god, it would be my religion. Too much melted invokes my 'texture-snob' nausea, but otherwise, I think I could go on a mostly-cheese diet and be happy. Alas, probably the thing in milk I respond to, affects me with cheese too, at least if I'm eating it in quantity. It sparked cravings (much more mild than milk, though).

3b. I was using cheese to 'drown' a variety of things for taste, instead of learning to really enjoy a piece of chicken or steak, without dumping a boatload of cheese and sour cream or whatever on top of it. Those things are nice, and it's fine to have them in a meal if you can, but again, they're playing into the same taste-game as high-carb stuff. The beauty of low carb is that it can teach your body to be sensitive to and appreciate the sugar in a ring of raw onion, in a thin slice of tomato, and the very thought of asparagus (which I hated till LC) can be downright orgasmic when you are craving something lighter than meat. By making everything with immense amounts of cheeses and creams and so forth, one almost misses the chance to really TASTE these foods.

4. Fake anything. I am tempted to rename my 'mock' everythings to something else. As long as I think of something as 'almost-like-pizza', I sort of miss real pizza, and notice what is not quite the same. If all LC recipes are stand-alone, they are just fine, even wonderful. I'm reminded of this health bar I used to visit where I would have carob 'Hercules Flips'. Now, if you were expecting it to taste like a chocolate shake, it would frankly be sickening. But once you accepted it as a 'carob hercules flip', you realized it had its own distinct taste like nothing else, and was wonderful. My point is that psychologically, I don't want to be The Pretender when it comes to food. I don't want to spend my life "almost" having pizza and "almost" having this or that. I am thrilled there are so many awesome LC-variants on dishes we're used to. But the "almost-somethings" make me feel deprived on some level. Either it's a low-carb food when made one way and it's "the same thing", or it's a different, UNIQUE food that low-carbers came up with, and it is its OWN thing. I know this sounds like stupid semantics, but my psychology is a big thing when it comes to sticking with LC, so I take such subtle things seriously.

PJ

[asugar]

This really is a great thread. My big newbie mistake was mustard. The brand I was using had 2 grams of carbs per teaspoon! I might just as well have rolled my hamburger around in granulated sugar. And, yes, I have switched my brand of mustard.
asugar :wave:

[Tiggerlou]

PJ,

I am utterly impressed by your words, as well as the choice thereof! Hats off to you!

My biggest mistakes are the cals, which, unfortunately I cannot have unlimited amounts of! Carbs can go as high as in the 40's so far, but the cals...oh my!
Don't be fooled! For most of us, the cals DO count just as much as the carbs!

Good luck all!!

[PJ in Miam]

Really! Tiggerlou, what are you eating that you are going too high in calories? Good heavens, I can almost never go high ENOUGH! -- at least, not without feasting on predominantly bacon and cheese all day. :-)

PJ

[GatorGal93]

Years ago when I was in my 20's, I lost weight on the LC WOL successfully but did not stick with it. After "re-attempting" Atkins and gaining this February, here are my mistakes that I finally figured out.

NUMERO UNO!
**You cannot eat as much as you did 10 years ago and lose weight!
I was eating any amount of protein I wanted and was gaining. My 30 year old body cannot handle all the food that my 20-something body could. Limiting my daily calories to 800 has helped this. (After trial and error of 1200, 1000 then 800.)

Number 2:
**Get off the meds. (Talk to your doctor.)
I was on Prozec and a bp med that hindered my weight loss and even made me gain.

Number 3:
**Continue to drink water until you go to sleep.
I stopped drinking water after 4pm because I did not have a convenient water cooler at home. :rolleyes: I increased my water intake after 6pm and found that it curbs munchie cravings at night.

After limiting my calories to 800, stopping my meds and increasing my water, I have lost about 5 pounds in a week (I recently had hit my highest weight of 229.).

Good luck!
Julie http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/blackeye/nahaha_eh.gif

P.S. I know some will debate the calorie issue, but I think it is whatever works for you and my doctor agrees with this amount of calories for me.

[Tiggerlou]

Eating lots of cheeses, meats, eggs...but I can put'em away!!! 2 eggs + butter, 1 serv. meat, 1 oz. cheese and the rest veggies is already almost 600!!! Add cream in the coffee( I know, I know...) There are my 2000+ cals!!! I do believe it is my workout regiments that cause this! Upped my carbs a lot (relatively seen) and that seems to do the trick. I don't seem to be as hungry all the time. But 800 cals are NOT ENOUGH!!! Think about it - a 'normal'(?) persons burns around 2000 cals a day, 1500 cals should be the guideline. I burn about 3000-3500 cals a day because of my workouts and activity level. Sticking with 2000-2500 cals a day. A daily 500 cal deficit will cause about 1 lb of fat loss per week, and it should NOT go faster than that! Speed does not measure succes in this 'game'! Be careful, guys....

[slimmin]

I also eat about 2000 cals/day ... a 3 egg omlette with 1 oz cheese and some chopped ham for breakfast. a salad with ham or chicken and chopped bacon for lunch ... some pecans as a snack ... chicken or steak with broccoli or cauliflower and salad for dinner. Did I mention that I love to eat meat?

I workout at least 6 days a week for at least an hour a day ... according to fitday, I burn between 2600-3000 cals per day. I may not be losing as quickly as I'd like to (who is?), but I'm certainly not gaining!

[Karen]

Limiting my daily calories to 800 has helped this.

Say if you were 5'4" and weighed 170 lbs., spent 12 hours a day sleeping and the other 12 sitting in meetings, your calorie requirements just for those to things would be this:

Basal:1526
Activities:381
Total: 1907

With those numbers in mind, I cannot help but reply that 800 calories is dangerous. 800 calories is near starvation. Your body knows it needs the calories and will definitely tell you. Any sustained length of time is damaging and a not sustained length of time keeps you on the diet yo-yo.

Karen

[brooky]

Originally posted by amieK
My biggest mistake was thinking I could be vegetarian again. Just plain does not work for me.

Also that Fit for Life eating fruit first in the morning is a no-no. Sets me up for bizarre blood sugar swings all day. GIVE ME PROTEIN!!! GRRRR!

Eating fruit by itself is not at all wise. I must balance it with protein and fat. Like 1/2 c blueberries with 1/3 c yogurt, 1 t flax oil. Or an apple and 6 soaked pecans.

Also I have to be careful of fruit intake altogether. Only 1 serving per day is best, from the lower glycemic choices.

I admire all you Atkins followers and don't want to offend with all this talk of "forbidden fruit". I'm very happy with Schwarzbein and it works well for me but I have to be careful.

And although I'm nowhere near advocating low-fat, it works better for me if I don't go hawg wild with it. I like to use just enough, not more. When I was drowning everything in 3 Tablespoons of flax oil each day, I put on weight but that may have been due to that horrible fruit in the morning thing.

And I just recently found out I should abstain from even the occasional cup of coffee. *sigh* My system just can't take it. It makes me feel edgy and sets up cravings that lead me astray. So no more coffee and whipped cream treats for me!

No coffee???? I switched over to decaf and it seems to be working out fine.

[SusanKH]

My biggest mistake was emotional rather than physical. I have thought of myself as fat for so long that I make myself eat as though I am. What I mean is, instead of eating low carb until I'm satisfied, I keep eating because that is what a fat person is supposed to do. Learning to think of myself as a healthy person rather than a fat person has been hard. I'm having to forge a new identity. And what am I supposed to think about if I don't think about food all day? Hmmmmm. It's hard to change the mindset and go forward.

My second mistake was not putting myself first, but always putting my family's needs ahead of mine.

My third mistake was flirting with Weight Watchers. I know I can lose weight with them, but I never keep it off because first I don't know what moderation means, and second, I am always hungry on their plan.

[brooky]

Originally posted by SusanKH
My biggest mistake was emotional rather than physical. I have thought of myself as fat for so long that I make myself eat as though I am. What I mean is, instead of eating low carb until I'm satisfied, I keep eating because that is what a fat person is supposed to do. Learning to think of myself as a healthy person rather than a fat person has been hard. I'm having to forge a new identity. And what am I supposed to think about if I don't think about food all day? Hmmmmm. It's hard to change the mindset and go forward.

My second mistake was not putting myself first, but always putting my family's needs ahead of mine.

My third mistake was flirting with Weight Watchers. I know I can lose weight with them, but I never keep it off because first I don't know what moderation means, and second, I am always hungry on their plan.

:there:

First of all, I don't blame myself for my weight. It's the fault of those who have been passing on such false information about nutrition. Now that I have found the right road, I know I can lick this thing. Understanding how our bodies work clears the air considerably. :yay:

[AmberAA1]

My biggest mistake was not counting the carbs. I started to in the beginning, then I just guesstimated after that. I never looked anything up. When I went off induction and was suppose to add on 5 carbs, in increments. I just ate bigger portions. I still do it from time to time, only because I don't have the time to look it up. I can't really figure fitday out, because if you prepare it differently than they have it there, then how do you count it?
I am a mess about the counts but don't eat anything I am not suppose to. I'll eat another piece of meat instead of adding more veggies. Old habits die hard.

Amber

[Zuleikaa]

My biggest mistake the first time was diet soft drinks. The second time was carbo drifting at my reward meal and this time it was too much protein and the Atkins bars and shakes.

Any kind of fake sugar triggers a stall at best and craving at worst. The Atkins Bars with their fake sugars and their hidden carbs are also a big stall. I wasted most of this summer when I have my biggest weight losses in a stall because of the Atkins bars and shakes. Now I'm going into SAD for the winter and CAD. Thank God I found this site in September. I've had a good loss since I got off those bars. The bad thing is I had just bought 2 boxes of the things! I won't touch them now!

[DoubleD]

Here's the "mistakes" I have made and have found out and corrected for:

1) Do the math on the labels - especially for "low carb" products. I have a glycemic reaction to malitol and glycerine. If it creates calories... it needs to be counted. I therefore compute the calories from fat (grams of fat times 9), then add the calories from protein (grams of protein times 4) and then subtract this total from the total calories per serving... leaving the remaining calories that must be coming from CARBS. Divide this total by 4 and you have the REAL carb count per serving for this product. So...doing this.... an Atkins Advantage Bar (chocolate peanut butter bar) has 14 CARBS! not a net of 2 grams as indicated on the label. Until I am on maintenance... I can't afford to waste 14 grams of carbs on just one small item. I know that I have a reaction to them - not only because when I am using them do I stall - but also I recently went on a long cross country airplane trip... and used an Atkins Advantage bar to substitute for the HORRIBLE options I had in the airports and on the plane... as soon as I returned to my normal way of eating (true low carb)... I had a horrible carb withdrawal headache experience.

2) Occassional sugar free treats are okay - so long as they are not daily and I include ALL the carbs contained there in (see 1. above). I do better if I stay away from them... but I can still lose with an occassional legal treat... and heck... I want to enjoy eating so I do permit this - but only about twice per week - usually on the weekend.

3) HIDDEN carbs. I now use Fitday religiously. It serves two purposes... awareness of what I am eating and forces me to plan... and ... I truly see what my calories, fat, and CARBS are for each day. I tell the truth there... good or bad... and I know what the results are. I used to think eggs were 0 carbs, cream was 0 carbs, cheese was 0 carbs,... had no idea my 10 or 12 cups of coffee had carbs... you see the picture here. I have since cut my coffe down to 1 very large mug in the morning... and I account for all the "other" carbs. Huge difference... and was probably the most effective adjustment I have made to my WOE that got me back to losing.

4) Supplements Invest in really good quality supplements and take them religiously. I take Atkins Basic #3, Atkins Essential Oils... and if I were to go simple with supplements... this would be my minimum. However, I also take L-Carnitine, Chromium Picolinate, C0Q10, Tyrosine, and a calcium supplement. It's alot of pills - but I spread them out throughout the day - and I noticed another leap in loss since I began that regimen.

5) Don't fall prey to our old low fat thinking. I upped my fat intake as a total percentage of what I was eating - and I again lost more weight. I also feel more satisfied when eating more fat and thus actually eat less of the other items.

6) Be mindful of calories I can lose weight on much more calories with this WOE than I ever could on a low fat - calorie restricted diet - but it is not without some limit. I find I lose BEST if I keep my calories around 1,300 (2 lbs a week average). I can lose well on a 1,500 a day (1 lb a week average). I lose VERY SLOWLY on 1,600 a day (1/2 lb or less per week average). I maintain at 2,000 (no weight loss - but no gain either).

7) Keep learning. This is a personal journey for each of us. Our "machines" are all wired differently... and we have to find what works for us. I have come to view this as an experiment... try something... evaluate the results... and then act according to that new information.

Good post... sorry my response was so long... but I have learned alot so far... and expect to learn lots more.

[Karen]

No apologies necessary DoubleD! You have posted excellent information, especially point #7!

Karen

[Librarian]

My big mistake was thinking I could cook a huge family Easter Dinner with ten kinds of dessert, plus host an easter egg hunt with LOTS of candy and still stay low carb with my own eating. But my BIGGEST mistake was not getting back on track after Easter!

I was doing so well...I had lost 25 pounds and I was feeling good. But after Easter I started right back with my old habits and gained it all back. I started low carb again October 1 - the Farmer's Almanac said it was a good time to start. I'm doing okay - but it makes me so mad at myself to have to start all over again!

Carolyn

[lotuslaura]

6) Be mindful of calories I can lose weight on much more calories with this WOE than I ever could on a low fat - calorie restricted diet - but it is not without some limit. I find I lose BEST if I keep my calories around 1,300 (2 lbs a week average). I can lose well on a 1,500 a day (1 lb a week average). I lose VERY SLOWLY on 1,600 a day (1/2 lb or less per week average). I maintain at 2,000 (no weight loss - but no gain either).

OMG!!! This scares me!!! I eat at least 2,000 calories a day on Atkins!!!! :eek: I am new and I thought calories were not a concern on Atkins. :(

[brooky]

Originally posted by lotuslaura
OMG!!! This scares me!!! I eat at least 2,000 calories a day on Atkins!!!! :eek: I am new and I thought calories were not a concern on Atkins. :(

:confused: Keep in mind, everbody's body chemistry is different. Remember the person who seems to eat everything in sight and never gains an ounce? You'll find the balance that works best for you.

[Wendye]

What a great thread I have stumbled upon - just reading it is a great inspiration.

I think my problem is not staying committed for long enough - too many re-starts - but I think this is caused through slow losses in turn caused by..... drum roll please....

artificial sweetners and processed foods and not enough water

I am going to experiment and cut 'em all out and ap the water ...let's see what happens....fingers crossed. ;)

[Tiggerdy]

I think my biggest mistake is not taking in enough fat. I'll drift back into the mode of thinking that too much fat is bad from all the years that I was on low-fat/high-carb diets. I've been LCing for a little over a month now and it seems to be getting somewhat better. To help alleviate this, I ripped down the food pyramid that my former dietitian had me hang on my fridge. I truly relished that moment! Old habits are truly hard to break, but I try to keep this all in a 'work-in-progress' perspective.

I also found that I stayed at my daily carb count much easier when I started using the dry erase board in my kitchen to record a tick-mark for each carb consumed. Before that, I often lost track of my count and ended up hardly eating any at all!

All my best-
Nikki :daizy:

[AmberAA1]

My biggest mistake was not checking the sugars in frozen veggies. Just found out that there was sugar in all the frozen veggies I have been using and in my mayo. I went through eveything again for the third time. I was wondering why I have been stalled for 3 weeks. Then I went away for two days and didn't eat at home and noticed I lost 2 pounds. Thats when I knew it was something at my house that was wrong. READ THE LABELS OVER AND OVER. The first mayo I bought was sugar free, but the second one had sugar in it, and I was piling it on everything. just call me stuck for three weeks because of my own stupidity.

[Tiggerlou]

Amber!! Please - don't call youself stupid! We have all been there in some way or another. I have been LCing for 7 months and am just NOW beginning to feel that I am getting a grip on things! This whole thing is a learning process, which I think will never really end. Good for you that you DID find the problem - try to look at it that way! The next one is sure to come, and once again, you will master that as well!
I wish continuous good luck!

[brooky]

Originally posted by AmberAA1
My biggest mistake was not checking the sugars in frozen veggies. Just found out that there was sugar in all the frozen veggies I have been using and in my mayo.

Be careful when reading those labels. "Sugar" can be disguised in various ways. Dextrose is a biggy. Are you using a salad dressing-type mayo - like Miracle Whip. I had to give up using that because of the sugar content. :daze:

[AmberAA1]

Salad dressing, No I make my own. I love oil and vinegar and mix it up several different ways. I put feta cheese in and garlic. I do a bunch of different things. I do know to check for all the ose's. I have done that in all my vitamins etc. I posted it in the vitamin section. I feel like I am going to be 60 and still sitting here the same weight. It only took 3 months of eating anything and not working out to gain this weight. I didn't think after reading through everyones journals the first week that it would take this long. I am being patient. I didn't think I would lose the 30ish in a week, but nothing after 3 weeks. YUK, but you know I did lose 7 1/4 inches with no poundage loss. I also work out with weights and as we know muscle weighs more than fat, but most of all I feel a heck of alot better than I use to and that is pretty much worth it. I still want to fit into my gorgous clothes, but I do feel alot better.
Thanks for being so supportive and for your help.

http://members.aol.com/amberaa1/images/wf575.bmp

[kimberlina]

Thanks to all of you who posted what things you have learned along the way. i am getting back into the swing of things and feel SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!

here's what i learned last year in regards to "trick or treat" day. this year my son picked out something NON chocolate, so that i wouldnt be tempted to snitch while he was out collecting HIS goods! starburst sour suckers........YUCK!!!!!! it worked great! and his stash is somewhere out of my site.

see......we really can learn and move on! now i will start planning for thanksgiving. made an awesome pumpkin pie today with splenda! portion control is my problem today!

thanks again all!
kimberly

[leebase]

Originally posted by Librarian
and sit in front of the TV and snack for three or four hours every evening!

That's my weakness.....sitting in front of the tube and eating potato chips.

My real "sacrifice" in low carbbing is the desire for salty snacky replacements for chips. I have tried pork rinds, and they're "ok" -- but I'd love to discover something to sate my "chip thirst"

Lee

[TeriDoodle]

I've got an idea for you! Cheese chips! I've seen variations on these, but what I do is take some cheddar cheese and cut it up into small cubes. Put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and arrange the cubes about 2" apart from each other. Bake them in a 350-375 oven until they're a little toasted. Drain on paper towels. These will be a bit salty, but they are oh-so-yummy!

I've also heard people doing them in the microwave or a non-stick frying pan.

[AmberAA1]

Oh leebase did you ever try any beef jerky treats. They have so many variations, but beware of the labels though.
Some are as low as 2 grs of carbs per serving and they are as salty as chips, they come in so many different flavors now and you can even make your own. Something to check in to.

[freydis]

I use bacon as a snack when I'm craving something salty. We also do the cheese crackers made from American cheese. I used to eat pork rinds, but they bother me lately.

[AmberAA1]

Oh I forgot I went to Giant and they had salt and vinegar pork rinds. I love them.

[nicksmom]

I am bumping this thread up to keep current! :)

[lucyr]

Thanks Nicksmom, I had missed this thread and it is excellent.

My biggest mistake? Not concentrating hard enough, thinking I knew the carb values of most stuff well enough not to have to check. CASHEW NUTS?..oops.


However, I am now a lot more focussed and the stall has ended. I also think I don't always eat enough calories. or drink enough, but those are not so much a mistakes I have learned from as an ongoing challenges....

[Skamito]

FAKE SUGAR!!!

There are threads about sugar alcohols every day and yet I still sometimes allow myself to fall into what I call "fake sugar hell."

Beware of these demons! :devil:

[Jeffiner]

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing the mistakes they have made a long the way... it is a huge learning process especially since we all have been taught low-fat all our lives. I'm learning and feel inspiration now knowing that I'm not the only one who falls into the fake sugar trap. It's always good to know that you aren't in this alone and that there are many folks across the board who run into the same issues.

As for me the biggest mistake I ran into was letting the Metabostrips dictate my success and mood. I went from dark purple one day to nothing the next even though my diet didn't change. It was so crushing to think I was working so hard and could just fall out of Keotsis. Thank goodness I have a hubby who is supportive and always could lift me back up on the wagon. I had to throw them out because even though I was loosing if those strips weren't purple I would flip out!!!! I also have put my scale in the closet and learned to just go with the flow. I can tell that I'm in Ketosis by other signs my body produces and I just have to realize and tell myself everyday that this is now a life long battle I have taken on and not just a short lived diet.

Congrats to everyone on their losses and thanks again for sharing! :wave:

[jers52]

Thanks everyone for sharing this stuff. I have been lcing since 1-5-03, have reread portions of DANDR three and four times and still make some errors along the way. I can relate to the lure of those lccheesecakes - when they are in the fridge they have a special siren call for me... (just finished the last one tonight that I made on Saturday... one per night.) (HEY, can these 'babies' be frozen??? - maybe then it will be less likely they will be in field of vision or calling to me?) Well, I am getting better about seeing other desserts as not worth the sugar headaches... I passed by our FAT Tuesday pigout of desserts (salad bar and desert table even longer...) had 2 servings of salad instead. My other error is not using fitday AS the day progresses - waiting until evening to log in causes me to go overboard on the carbs at times --- it is such a helpful tool - so now I log on at work when I first get in and enter my breakfast - helps me stay on track!

thanks for everyone's ideas and support!
Jan :wave:

[lucky1]

My biggest mistake so far is not looking through my cupboards and pitching stuff I no longer have any business having around.

Case in point: I made a whole batch of cream cheese/nut Nirvana bars (which for me may be another mistake...). I went absolutely crazy about them, eating 10-12 servings a day for several days and STILL craving them! That resulted in a 7 lb weight gain in 3 days!! Then later that week I opened the fridge to find that my LC hazelnut syrup I had used to make the cream cheese bars was not my LC hazelnut syrup at all, but a sugary hazelnut syrup I still had lurking in the fridge from before LC! I didn't think to read the label while cooking, so I ended up dumping TONS of sugary syrup in this dessert.

The cravings, return of lethargy and swings, etc. should have tipped me off. It was pretty impressive how the old compulsion came back so dramatically. From now on if I feel like I can't get enough of something, I need to put it aside and look very carefully at what might be in it.

Live and learn.

[Lessara]

I didn't perpare/plan my meals ahead of time.
I would find myself having tuna and mayo for the forth time on a Thursday at work. I also found myself running out of food or being out on the road with no low carb options.
Not anymore.
I plan two different but special low carb lunches for the week, trying different recipes and tasting to see if I like them. I then freeze 5 of them for lunches at work in freezer bags. I thaw a bag at work and at lunch microwave it hot.
I love this! Atkins is more fun this way.

The other thing is water. Now I'm not going to tell you that you need water, you know that. What I learned is to not take no for an answer when it comes to drinking water. You have to do it so find a way or two that works. I drink caffeine free red tea for 16oz of water. I add 16oz of fruit2O. I drink a half liter when I take my meds and I drink a half liter for each of my meals. I sip water inbetween. I think I'm doing good when I get my 3 liters in.
Find a way to get water in. My daughter who is low carbing eats snow she catches in a pot. That's water. She also like shaved ice, hey that's water. Find you thing and make it sing.. Drink the water!

[napalil]

I'm only on my second week of LCing but last night I, too had sugar free jello-no whip cream. And I just re-read Atkins where it mentoned butter and realized I was over indulging on that; therefore my fats are way high! At least I've gone through boot camp now! Excellent thread-should be repeated occaisionally for everyone...
:wave: :daze: :spin: :roll:

[Melodie]

I am confused regarding the reference crg-66 made about the low carb bars being over 20g of carb. My understanding was the bars were approx. 3 g of net carbs. Based on that I have been using them during the week for a fast breakfast (also breaking the monotony of eggs everyday)
Can someone explain if crg-66 is quoting the correct carb count or is it the net carbs that count
I am on Aikens

[Kristine]

Hi Melodie. The reason is this: there's a loophole in the labelling laws. It allows for the sugar alcohols to *not* be counted as a carbohydrate, even though there's considerable debate about how the body metabolises them. Some people get the same blood sugar surge (and probably therefore insulin surge) that they'd get from sugar. :exclm: Other people don't. It's a YMMV thing. For more details, check the "truth about low carb sweeteners info" link under "quick links" on the tool bar over to the right --> .

Most people have more success if they avoid them.

[Skamito]

Bumping because this is a useful thread. :)

[jeanyyy]

Question: Is there any way to shave ice at home? When I saw it mentioned, my first thought was SF syrup over shaved ice... I forget what that's called (slushy?). Would be a nice LC treat!

[Skamito]

I actually have a snow cone machine (basically an ice shaver) at home. Good call about making slushies with SF syrup. Sounds yummy. :)

[jeanyyy]

I'm kinda curious - why is the SF jello and whipped cream a "mistake"? I haven't tried it yet, but thought it was a legal treat?

[AllysonneV]

Originally posted by jeanyyy
I'm kinda curious - why is the SF jello and whipped cream a "mistake"? I haven't tried it yet, but thought it was a legal treat?

i do not have dr atkins book--but i learned from the atkins center website and there the rules of induction are posted "induction 101 part 2", is where you will find the rules on sweeteners.

Treat aspartame (NutraSweet® or Equal®) with caution. Avoid whenever possible. This includes products sweetened with these ingredients, such as diet sodas and diet Jell-O. Instead use sucralose, (Splenda®) or saccharin (Sweet'n Low™).

Use more than three packets of sucralose (Splenda) daily. (More and more products are being made with Splenda so if you use any, don't forget to include those grams in your tally.)

Special Category Foods
To add variety, each day you can also eat 10 to 20 olives, half a small avocado, an ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream , as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks . If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.

Here is the link to the Acceptable Foods for Induction (http://atkinscenter.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html)

So 3 ounces of cream sweetened with Splenda or another suitable sweetener is ok. SF Jell-O is only made with aspartame. I make a dessert found on his site called Panna Cotta.

2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 pkg unflavored gelatin
1 vanilla bean
4 Packages Splenda
3 TBSP water
Place water in small dish, sprinkle gelatin over it to dissolve. Slice bean open, place in saucepan with cream. Scald cream, remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and splenda. Put in 6 custard cups and chill 3 hours. Net Carbs=3.5 :)

ally

[AllysonneV]

my MISTAKES...

wanting to weigh myself every day.
avoiding exercise.
forgetting (DOH!) to drink water.

AND...the one i hate the most:

Being invited to dinner at a the home of a new business aqaintance and being too shy to ask if there was sugar in anything. They did not know I was on Atkins, and they live in PA Dutch country and eat lots of sweets with dinner. I ate a cube steak with barely any gravy and green beans and passed on the rolls, jelly, homemade donuts, tapioca pudding, pinapple pudding, mashed potato casserole, and pound cake. I am not sure, but I think there was sugar in the green beans, sigh.

Ally

[Magicslr]

Hello Alley,

Rather than beating yourself up, congratulate yourself on passing up all those other foods.

Just count some carbs for the sugar in the green beans.

You go girl, you did great. :thup: Being a newbie and not eating those foods that are bad for you, I give you a lot of credit. Many people would have just eaten the food and stalled themselves for a long time.

Celebrate with an extra glass of water. :)

Magic :wave:

[AllysonneV]

i make extra strong decaf coffee with splenda and cream and freeze it, then shave it-the flavor is built in. make it a little sweeter than you like it - when desserts freeze they don't taste as sweet.

i think i'll go have that congratulatory glass of water!

ally

[Alina]

As a newbie I did this wrong:

- was afraid of fat, having 70-77% of it now and losing weight.
- weighted myself 4xday
- did not check all info about water fluctuations in the body, salt impact on water retention and many more.

My humble advice: get as much info as you can, from www.atkinscenter.com and this great forum.

Alina

[Sh'ra]

I have come back to LC after being gone from it (and this board) for a year, and was reading over some of Karen's "Hot Links," and came across this thread, and in particular the following quote. It rings SO true!! Take it from the girl who ditched out for a year for all the below reasons, and has come back with a much better - and SIMPLER attitude! I hate for the quote to get lost in the shuffle, so I'm re-posting it:

Originally posted by PJ in Miam
Great thread Karen.

Lessons learned the hard way:

1. Meal replacements. Low-Carb bars, and even protein shakes, are not "meals". They may be better than starving or eating carbs (well, that is questionable in the case of the bars...), but that does not make them into a real-food meal.

1b: Mock Danish is not a meal.

1c: Four mock danish is not a 'big' meal. LOL.

2. Milk. I would buy a little milk for my daughter on the way to school, and she wouldn't drink it all. Then I would have the 'clean your plate' issue and the 'yeah but I spent money on it' issue and the 'it's just a little, technically I could arrange my carbs to have just a few tablespoons of milk' issue. What really happened is that it sent my carb and sugar cravings into the stratosphere (and messed up my eating for the rest of the day, as I then couldn't have the carbs I'd planned in various meals).

2b: She can drink milk at school with lunch. If I can't have it, then at home, she can drink what I drink -- water. It not only won't kill her, it will be good for her. I have stuff she can eat that I can't, esp. fruit, fruity yogurts, and occasional treats. But in general, low-carb foods are not some bizarre specialty item like medicine, that is only for me. Eating meat dishes and salads with green veggies as her dominant foods (beyond the stuff I mentioned I keep around), and the megadose of carbs she gets in school (sigh), is not unreasonable of me nor unhealthy for her.

2c: My first responsibility food-wise is to myself. It is not unfair to expect that I will not cook and distribute high-carb stuff to others. We do not make recovering alcoholics bartenders, and it would be ludicrous to assign one to 'pick up the beer' for the family barbecue. Obesity KILLS. While others act like it is some kind of social game, for me it could be life and death. My survival is more important to me than other peoples' hurt feelings. If they are not adult enough to understand the seriousness of this issue, they can get stuffed. The people most likely to make lowcarbing difficult are the same people who tend to have the most opinions about my being obese, ironically.

2d: If somebody living with me wants to have high-carb food, I understand perfectly. I also understand that we can have our own areas of the refrigerator, and they can learn to cook. If I had my cousin TJ, the body-builder's ability to stand around food and have zero interest in anything but Tuna and Water (around his competition times), then hey, no big deal, let me make you some mashed potatoes! But if I don't, then asking others around me to be responsible for _themselves_, instead of indirectly causing me grevious harm by expecting me to babysit their eating habits differently than my own, is ridiculous. (Note: also, eating MY reserved food is a crime. Period.) I realize that women, especially those over 35, often have trouble with this with their husbands. I divorced my husband and a small part of it was because he sabotaged my attempts to get healthier by doing LC. At first it's just health, but at some point you realize it is really life and death -- not just medically, but psychologically and socially. Pretty ironic that many people quite literally have to die for the one person they love enough to die for. 'Nuff said.

3. Cheese. If cheese were a god, it would be my religion. Too much melted invokes my 'texture-snob' nausea, but otherwise, I think I could go on a mostly-cheese diet and be happy. Alas, probably the thing in milk I respond to, affects me with cheese too, at least if I'm eating it in quantity. It sparked cravings (much more mild than milk, though).

3b. I was using cheese to 'drown' a variety of things for taste, instead of learning to really enjoy a piece of chicken or steak, without dumping a boatload of cheese and sour cream or whatever on top of it. Those things are nice, and it's fine to have them in a meal if you can, but again, they're playing into the same taste-game as high-carb stuff. The beauty of low carb is that it can teach your body to be sensitive to and appreciate the sugar in a ring of raw onion, in a thin slice of tomato, and the very thought of asparagus (which I hated till LC) can be downright orgasmic when you are craving something lighter than meat. By making everything with immense amounts of cheeses and creams and so forth, one almost misses the chance to really TASTE these foods.

4. Fake anything. I am tempted to rename my 'mock' everythings to something else. As long as I think of something as 'almost-like-pizza', I sort of miss real pizza, and notice what is not quite the same. If all LC recipes are stand-alone, they are just fine, even wonderful. I'm reminded of this health bar I used to visit where I would have carob 'Hercules Flips'. Now, if you were expecting it to taste like a chocolate shake, it would frankly be sickening. But once you accepted it as a 'carob hercules flip', you realized it had its own distinct taste like nothing else, and was wonderful. My point is that psychologically, I don't want to be The Pretender when it comes to food. I don't want to spend my life "almost" having pizza and "almost" having this or that. I am thrilled there are so many awesome LC-variants on dishes we're used to. But the "almost-somethings" make me feel deprived on some level. Either it's a low-carb food when made one way and it's "the same thing", or it's a different, UNIQUE food that low-carbers came up with, and it is its OWN thing. I know this sounds like stupid semantics, but my psychology is a big thing when it comes to sticking with LC, so I take such subtle things seriously.

PJ

[junebug61]

The legal treats

1, sweetened whipped cream daily

2, homeade peanut butter cups

3, alcohol

All three things stalled me. I am trying to stay away from the 'legal treats' till I reach my goal. Then only occasionally.

[lawchik]

Now I'm freaked out. I thought I was doing fine. Sugar-free jello seems pretty harmless. Heavy cream NEVER seemed harmless to me ("Honey, I'm trying a new approach to healthy eating; would you pick up some heavy cream & diet rite while you're out?"), but I am eating it b/c it is supposedly okay; or is it? I'm real confused & discouraged now. Maybe I have done nothing right these past few days!

Please clarify re this newbie mistake!

[Lorri264]

Gap Girl,

How much cheese is too much? I have been eating as much as I want (about 5-10 slices a day). So far I have lose 5 pounds in 12 days. I am basically doing the following.

Meat- any type or kind (even lunch meat, hotdogs)
Veg - any green veg, squash, cauliflower
Salad - cheese, olives, ranch dressing
cottage cheese
cheese
eggs
butter
sugar free jello w/whipped cream
condiments, ketsup, relish,miracle whip, barbaque sause (I figue I get most of my carbs here)

Does this sound reasonable or am I fooling myself into thinking this will work. I don't eat any bread, pasta, cereal, fruit or sweets. So far no cravings. I feel good.

Lorri

[cyashpal]

What's the deal with whipped cream?

[Peterpan]

Me too!

Legal foods, but lots of them!

I agree with the LC whip cream pudding, sweet stuff..... one "recipe" = 3 servings (not in the real world, but in mine!)

Perhaps that has been part of my problem.

Sweets, nuts & nut butter, too many calories, and portion control (I have NONE :nono: )

Great Posts!!! :roll:

[LadyBelle]

I know the first week of induction I made all kinds of mistakes. It's a wonder I lost weight at all. I'm taking this WOL as a learning experience though and a work in progress. I have learned a ton of things about my body and have drasticaly changed my eating habits from when I first started LC.

1. I'm lactose intolerent. I thought this just ment putting up with gas and diareah. After cutting out dairy though my weight loss did much better. I was also probably eating way to much cream as I have always loved rich creamy things.

2. I probably have candidia. I havn't been to a doctor to test for sure. I started eating as Dr. A recomended for candidia cutting out cheese, mushrooms, and adding yogurt ect. Not only did it help weight loss, but I noticed that most of my acid reflux was triggered by no-no foods for yeast.

3. Thinking I had to eat less vegggies. I was trying to add more veggies into my diet pre LC, then when I went LC I would only occasionaly have them. I notived with the dairy gone though I had a ton of left over allowed carbs. I started finding creative ways to add veggies to almost every meal.

4. Thinking I didn't like certain foods. My tastes have changed so extreamly that things I used to love now turn my stomach and things I thought I disliked now taste great. Sweet bell peppers now taste really sweet, avacados are a treat, and I've been experimenting and learning new ways to cook many foods.

5. Any diet is expencive to follow. When I first started LC I bought all kinds of lc products and specialty items. I have barely touched them. Now I buy mostly produce and some meats/fish what ever is on sale. My soy milkj and yogurt are about the only 'treats'. I now leave the store with a few days worth of meals for under $20.

[KathyD]

Reading the book for my diet once and declaring myself an expert (so to speak). Instead of referencing as I went along, at least the first month or so.

I made so many mistakes in the beginning because I simply remember some details from the book wrong.

Read and reference the book for your diet... often.

[lotuslaura]

My mistakes (list always growing):

Too much cheese
pork rinds on induction
legal treats - to many mock danish, etc
Not eating enough veggies
Not following induction STRICTLY
THe "oh, just one bite won't hurt" syndrome
Wanting instant results/feeling like I am failing when I plateau.
NOT being rigorously honest regarding food content (ie, if a dressing at a restaurant has sugar, etc).

My biggest mistake - listening to all the negative hype about Atkins, and leaving this WOL to join WW/low fat eating because my family THINKS they know what is best for me *sigh*.

[MizSteaks]

This is a great thread! Thanks for starting it Karen, and for giving me the idea for my new handle! ("Mistakes'...MizSteaks'...groan!) Sorry about the pun, but it works well in so many ways. :)

My biggest mistake so far is buying every book I can find and ending up with 'paralysis by analysis'! I have still not chosen the right plan for me but have cut my carb intake by at least 80-90%. I have some post surgical problems/medications I have to deal with, but progress is happening slowly...and slow is good.

It is such a blessed relief to be here with people who AGREE with this WOE instead of having to
DEFEND it!!

[dreis1]

Am I missing a link somewhere about Newbie Mistakes or is everyone sharing their own mistakes stories? I would really like to read the Newbie Mistake List.

[Karen]

At the bottom of your your post you'll see this:

Pages (6): « (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=5&pp=20) 1 (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=1&pp=20) 2 (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=2&pp=20) 3 (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=3&pp=20) 4 (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=4&pp=20) 5 (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=30728&page=5&pp=20) [6]

Click page one and it will bring you to the beginning of the thread. It is a thread of personal, Newbie mistakes.

Karen

[tholian8]

My biggest newbie mistakes:

1. Trying to exercise too hard on Induction. I woke up in the middle of the night with agonizing cramps in my back and legs.

2. Failing to eat, because I just didn't get hungry.

3. Relying on the scale instead of on my clothes to gauge weight loss.


Emily

[Granmums]

"Don't hang out at a bakery" ...I own a restaurant with its own bakery...got this way from just smelling the sweets and food....but I am determined to get healthy. Good Luck

[Quest]

I had a couple of misperceptions that were hard to correct at first. One was that lean protein is always best. So I was, at first, eating mainly chicken for protein. Once I started eating hamburger (without concern for "leanness") and steak more often, my weight loss came easier, and I was more satisfied.

I had trouble learning that cottage cheese isn't really low carb. I associated it with protein and therefore it was "good." I notice that not too many succesful LCers who list meals in their journal seem to spend their carbs on cottage cheese.

[Granmums]

I found that if I use chicken one day and beef the next, and fish the next...it cuts a bit of the boredom out of meals ...I made a delicious chicken soup today with a chicken breast, my 1 cup of veggies and I added a bit of cream to thicken it..and boy was it good. And I could eat the whole small pot without feeling guilty...didn't even miss the egg noodles....!

[gawdess]

For me it was not eating enough veggies and eating too many low carb bars

[BonnieB]

the low carb bars are my downfall also - find myself craving them like I used to crave regular sweets, plus weighing a.m. & p.m. I also go a little bit overboard on pork rinds, but I guess like everyone says, you have to realize your mistakes and make changes for the better to succeed

[Isiar]

Wow! great thread, great posts and a lot of insights here... I'll start to fitday again! I m not eating my veggies lately...not sure if I eating enough fat and, even more..I'm not sure if I eating enough. :confused:
Thanks to all

[Iowagirl]

Thinking I could eat the equivalent of my weight in cashews and not stall.

[ICountToo]

Just from reading this thread I've found a bunch of things i'm doing wrong on induction. I am eating pork rinds, I've had sugar free jello, and yes I bought the chocolate Atkins bars - which are delicious but I do split them with my husband.

What a great thread - now I can adjust accordingly. Thanks!

[potatofree]

Just from reading this thread I've found a bunch of things i'm doing wrong on induction. I am eating pork rinds, I've had sugar free jello, and yes I bought the chocolate Atkins bars - which are delicious but I do split them with my husband.

What a great thread - now I can adjust accordingly. Thanks!

I just don't see that eating pork rinds is wrong on induction, or sugarfree jello either, for that matter. Pork rinds are pork...just like the bacon we all love on induction!

[Granmums]

I agree too....jello is fine with HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM>>>>NO CANNED STUFF! Pork rinds, I don't like em, but I was under the impression they are okay too...I would just check the brand you are using to see what kind of oil was used...check the carbs...Love those bars! Sure does get me out of a sugar craving..and who said you have to eat the whole thing? Keep up the good work!

[Margme]

Thank you for speaking for me (us) Karen! That unfamiliar word MODERATION has NEVER :nono: been in my psyche ever. I don't do ANYTHING in moderation. Be it exercise, eating, loving, having fun. I just am not a moderation kindof gal. Which is a trait most people love in me but can get me in trouble in some areas! :rolleyes:

The worst mistake I made on my new Dr. Atkins LCWOL was overdoing everything. I stayed on induction too long (8weeks) and (I've just recenlty learned) I've "overtrained" in my exercise routine. Getting my heart rate up too high for too long stops fat loss during exercise. Too much induction prohibits any kind of hunger so I ate too little, therefore being in starvation mode to boot. I'm loosening up and eating more veggies and other okay carbs as well as cutting back exercising about 35%. This behavior can lead to a lifetime of health as apposed to rapid weight loss or instant gratification.

I totally avoid scales by the way.....the way my clothes fit and my friends and family are better indicators of how well I'm doing!

Marg

[warrantman]

I used to eat a half gallon of ice cream in two days. Luckly that carving is solved with a 2g chocolate bar. I have to watch out for bards made ti (sic) metitlol. After the second bar I had stomach cramps for four hours. good luck. I do see there is hope in losing my nine month old pregent stomach. I though men could not get pregeht. tom

[LilaCotton]

I though men could not get pregeht. tom

*snickers* You shoulda seen my DH before starting Atkins! I declare! The man never tucks in a shirt, always wears t-shirts or polo-type-shirts, and the bottoms were hanging out away from his body! I was going to take a picture of him tonight (will get one later, though) and he asked, 'Why, so you could put it on the web?' And I said, 'Yeah, right beside that one of you sitting topless at your PC with the 'pregnant belly'! :lol: Before and after pictures, right? Anyway, he's sure looking a lot better and feeling so much better, too! It took him under two weeks to go down an entire pant size. Now, though, it's not coming off so fast, but he and I both know it will eventually. :)

[PurpleStix]

Mistakes
1. Having nuts in the house.
2. Taking NeoCitran (20g carbs).
3. Taking dizziness as a signal that I need more carbs.
4. Eating carbs so that I lose no more than 5# per week (chickened out after losing 5 for the week).
5. Accepting wheat bread, apple juice etc. when eating in restaurants: better to go without.

What I did right
1. Ate lots of vegetables.
2. Give preference to real foods.
3. Read tons of books.
4. Learned heaps about fat metabolism and nutrition.

[adkpam]

Mistakes:
*Buying cashews. Which always leads to eating cashews. Telling myself a "small child's fistful" is the size of a small child...
*Not drinking enough water to compensate for coffee drinking.
*Falling into the sameoldsameold trap. I had to learn to cook.
*My cravings went away so quickly and easily I didn't realize they could start up again as quickly. "Tortilla" creep was a problem since so many of my favorite restaurants do wraps. I learned to just get them without the wrap.

[laylagirl]

Did your bars say 2 net carbs. and where do you find hidden carbs?

[brownious]

I looked at several of the LC bars at GNC and it looked like they all really had about 20g carbs per bar. I just read the label. Maybe I'll take another look at them after a while. The "reward" for all the carbs just didn't seem tempting.

One mistake I made was mistaking thirst for hunger. On day three I ate lunch, ate more, and ate some more and was still hungry. I decided that maybe I was just thirsty, drank a liter of water and felt fine. I had a lot of calories that day learning though :>)

[potatofree]

Mistakes
1. Having nuts in the house.
2. Taking NeoCitran (20g carbs).
3. Taking dizziness as a signal that I need more carbs.
4. Eating carbs so that I lose no more than 5# per week (chickened out after losing 5 for the week).
5. Accepting wheat bread, apple juice etc. when eating in restaurants: better to go without.

What I did right
1. Ate lots of vegetables.
2. Give preference to real foods.
3. Read tons of books.
4. Learned heaps about fat metabolism and nutrition.

..but I thought dizziness WAS a sign you need a few more carbs? Also, losing more than 5 lbs a week is not only difficult but dangerous, IMHO... Everyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[orchidday]

This is my favorite thread and full of wisdom!

Here are mine:

1 - Weighing myself more than once a week.
2 - Nuts! Too hard to stop at the right time.
3 - The franken foods stop my weight loss everytime.
4 - Exercise does make a difference as much as I hate to admit it :).
5- The biggest mistake of all was thinking I could stop this WOE at anytime and return. Nope.

Orchid

[Paris]

What a great thread to find! Originally, I came to this site in July 2003 when I tried Atkins. I did everything WRONG.

1. Read the book, understood the book, but never referenced the book again... especially when I needed the scientific evidence to keep me working the program.

2. Too many legal treats - my entire meal plan revolved around sweet treats. I was coming down hard from my sugar addiction and using 5-10 Splenda packets a day along with 1/2-1 cup Da Vinci syrup to ease the withdrawal.

3. Way toooo much dairy. See above.

4. Fear of fat. 'Nuff said.

5. Not dealing with the emotional/mental aspects of being a food addict.

6. Being too obsessed to the point of compulsion with counting carbs - like I used to count WW points.

I am a newbie on PPLP now, but I feel like I have such a better handle on this WOL!

[mebenana]

Hi karen I don't understand the problem with the sugar free jello and whipped cream problem, could you explain it to me please. I am using lite whipped cream, if this makes a difference.

Thanks Denise

[Karen]

The problem is not with the Jell-o and whipped cream, it's with eating too much Jell-o and whipped cream and artificially sweetened foods. The fake stuff can make you think it's all fine because it's low-carb, but for a lot of people - like the ones posting about it in this 5 page thread - it's not.

Karen

[cori]

:thup: :thup:

This is an awesome thread. I'm a newbie (again) and this good down-to-earth was very needed. Thanks Karen (and company).

[Kruser3397]

This is a wonderful thread!! I only wish I would have found it earlier..

[neen]

things I did wrong

Cheese...' nuf said
weighing to often
too much splenda
not enough ,ok, ok no excercise.


things I did right

-hardly ever giving into low carb products (pizza crust, bars etc)
-never allowing myself to be seved hasbrowns, toast or other carbs in a restaraunt.

my personal fav

******a tattoo of a stained glass compass on the top of my foot, so that anytime I feel I have lost my way in life I can look down and find my path.

Neen

[corianin]

I have to say that one of my biggest mistakes is thinking that I could do it all overnight. That somehow this new WOE was the miracle cure and that I'd instantly become the twin of barbie and have a perfect body overnight. So of course when I woke up the next morning on my second day of Atkin's and didn't have a shapely size 2 1/2 under the covers I was discouraged...But after a healthy dose of reality and a shake of willpower and determination. I stayed the course and in two months I finally into those pre-prego pants that have collected so many layers of dust in my closet. I've finally learned good things are worth the wait...



~ Cori ~

[hairpin]

My biggest mistake was not coming out of the closet fast enough at work about Atkins. Some people still do tease me a little bit I think because of the way I eat, or think it is freakish. But I'm the one that's losing weight and not them, so :p.

Every choice you make should be for yourself and not to make someone else's life easier. If there is a possiblity that there won't be any good food for you to eat at a party, bring your own. Demand that for dinner's out that you go to a place where you can get a decent guilt-free meal.

[DerBlumers]

My biggest newbie mistake? Probably not eating often enough....I really struggle with that one. I just don't feel hungry any more.....so when I'm active (I work two jobs and have some volunteer activities) time doesn't often permit me to stop...and I don't even think about eating when I don't feel a hunger pang. I know it's not right, but without all the carbs to stimulate my appetite...I have a hard time remembering to eat....and I still inadvertently skip way too many meals...and almost never snack.

[vixen69]

My newbie mistakes (again!):

1. too many LC products like Atkins muffins and bread (cause cravings for me)
2. not eating regularly every 4-6 hrs (I sometimes don't eat for 7-8 hrs and then will get so ravenous that I'll eat anything that's not nailed down)
3. not eating LC when eating out (so easy to 'cheat' and justify it being really good)

I'm sure there's more, but those are my big ones.

[Atriana]

1) Not counting the .9 gram in a packet of Splenda.
2) Not realizing coffee has carbs.
3) Not drinking enough water.

[patricia1]

Wonderful thread! Thank you everyone!

Mistakes:
#1: Weighing myself everyday, sometimes many times a day!
#2: Giving up when the scale had not moved after three days!
#3: Too many "mock" recipes instead of real food
#4: Listening to everyone else's opinion about Atkins, and how they read "somewhere" that it was bad-In other words, feeeling like I have to justify my reasons for doing the WOL...
#5: Allowing myself to believe that this one time won't hurt ;
#6: Eating HC food someone else has prepared because I did not want to hurt their feelings;
#7: Eating whatever was served to me at a recent family gathering because I did not want to attract too much attention and too shameful to request something I sould have eaten... I still don't know what I am shameful about???

Maybe I am scared of failure and if this fails, I don't want a bunch of people telling me "I told you so" or "this diet of yours is unrealistic" or a bunch of crap like that when they are not there to help and support me to begin with!

[BadgerGirl]

What I did wrong:


Was very afraid of saturated fats
Ate too many peanuts
Ate too much cheese
Overindulged in alcoholic drinks
Ate standing up
Mindless eating in general (e.g., while working -- not taking a break from the computer)


What I'm (hopefully) doing right:


Keep the Atkins book with me at all times.
Eat real food instead of LC frankenfood.
Keep a wee eye on calories. Not counting, but being mindful of a series of high-calorie days.
Maintain an honest food journal.
Commit to exercise.

[DarthRaidr]

Well, I did EVERYONE elses mistakes! and still messing it up! I read the book and didn't get it right still.

I keep thinking as long as I'm under 20 carbs a day, I could eat anything I want,
buying anything and everything that has the name Atkins on it w/o reading the contents,
thinking I'll lose 20lbs in a week
and as of now..convincing myself I'm "comfortable" with my pants size.

Cheese question??? good or bad?? what does it do- stall??

[Rachelle]

One of my problem areas is definately water..
I DON"T DRINK ENOUGH... i'll go a week or two where i'm getting the right amount.. but then i continue to go astray :lol: I have yet to make that a new habit

Not exercising.. I've recently started and can tell that i would have been much farther and weigh much less if i'd have started exercising over a year ago when i started LowCarbing.

[stacie1305]

Bigest mistakes:
1. Too much peanut butter
2. Low carb hershey minis(stomach problems & stalls)
3. L.C Cheesecake (My trigger food!!!!!!)
4. being afraid to weigh-in and letting the problem get worse when I could've stoped it sooner.
5. Keeping my fat clothes(don't make it easy for yourself to gain some weight back)
6. Licking my fingers when making dinner or dessert for the family, hehe(those carbs really add up, LOL)

Things I've done right:
1. Drink a gallon of water a day
2. Walk 5 miles everyday
3. I eat every 3-4 hours
4. No frankenfoods
5. No mock desserts (trigger cravings)
6. I get at least 8 hour of sleep almost everynight

[dodg4kat]

I can say that my list of goods and bads is endless, and much like the rest of you.
Goods:
*Try as much as possible to stick to "real" foods
*Use a food journal every day to track carbs, cals, fats, protein
*Focus my fats to the monounsaturated kind
*Eat fish or shellfish at least 2x a week
*Take my multivitamins and mineral EVERY day

Bads:
*No excercise except chasing children
*Too many Splenda sweetened drinks
*Not enough water
*Giving in to "just one" McDonald's french fry--leads to finishing the rest

[VegoMum]

It's good to see that so many have made mistakes :lol: . I was begining to think I was the only one not quite understanding the do's and don'ts.

My Mistakes:
Weighing my self daily(still do :bash:)
Always looking at my shape in the mirror.
Listening to parents who think low fat and few calories is the way to go.
Eating soy products not realizing they had sugar.
Dissapointment when I don't lose weight each morning.
Being slack for a week when Mum visited(didn't want to offend)
Being obsesed with my new WOE

What I did right:
Lots of water,at least 3300mls.
Plenty of salad and vegies.
No LC products.All fresh homemade meals.
Cut down heaps on coffee.From 10cups to 2 cups a day(with cream not milk).
Eating at least every 6 hours even when I'm not hungry.
Excersising 3-5 times a week.
Planing my days food so no cheating can occur.
No sweets at all (Not hungry enough after three meals a day)

I have lost 6kgs in 4 weeks so I am happy that I am doing something right. Being vegetarian is difficult but I think I have it worked out. :wave:

[zedneser]

Wow.. I wish I found this thread two and a half weeks ago. This is my third and final week on induction and after reading this thread I realized that my biggest mistake was eating the SF jello with whipped cream each night for dinner and sometimes lunch too. I figured it was carb free so enjoy. I didn't realize it maybe the trigger to my sweets cravings. I'm sure I made other mistakes (like hidden carbs, cheese) but the biggest one is definitely the SF jello & whipped cream.

[Tex]

Thank you for this thread!
It's wonderful that many people have chosen a positive "What I've done right" in response to the "My mistakes" confessional.

My newbie mistakes are many, my main enemy is my impatience -

the inches have to melt with a minimum of effort from me!
all my clothes should just slide over my hips!
the weight needs to come off now!

In college, I ran about 5 miles a day - just because it felt good. When I first started, I would drop after a few quarter mile laps, and curse myself for even trying. I listened to my head, ignored my body, and didn't go too far. Somehow, with effort, I ran a little further each time, setting little goals, and before long, my roommate and friends thought I was nuts for runnng in the rain, in the cold, in early morning mist, and late evening fog. I loved it. I did it. I proved it to myself.

My latest journal entry helped me articulate a revelation. I plan to reach this goal . . . that's as clear in my mind as a blue summer sky - but what are my plans to maintain that goal? Not having this attitude when I started this WOL was my boo-boo!

This really was a turning point for me I'd like to share with others, in the hope that it will take the onus out of focusing on a goal weight. The goal is to be happy, to be comfortable with your body, and to do all you can to live a healthy life.

The route you take to get there is the path you choose to maintain, so the journey is a means to the end, or rather the beginning. Good Luck to everyone, and in response to the "Low Carb Newbie Mistakes" title, just remember, "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."

[GinaLeanne]

Before I found this site I lacked motivation on low carb, thx all!!!!

I just wanted to say that I would buy a bag of milky way minatures thinking I could just eat one.....????

NOw I totally stay away from buying anything that I may be tempted to eat more...

like the philly cream cheese turtle bars, I almost bought a box of those cause they are low in carbs....yet who could just eat one?

the same with any of my other candy favorites, I would be too scared to keep them around, I would eat the whole thing????? probably, I dont want to take that chance and ruin everything, I think this is why people drop off, they buy stuff that they use to indulge in and end up getting depressed cuz they could not eat a small amt of it.
The same with pizza...I dont think I could just eat the cheese, I tried that before, yea right, that lasted for one piece, lol :lol:

I am more confident now that I have my priorities set, and if anyone else here is like me, you may want to avoid buy those tempting items that you think you can have one little serving of....... :help:

Keep up the great work everyone!!! i luv this

[tardon]

Just browsing through the " best of posts " and thought this thread really deserved a bump to bring it to someones attention. I am sure we will all identify and relate to the things we've done right and wrong.
Hope you get something out of it as I have :agree:

[lajavableu]

one of my biggest mistakes....kind of silly, but, several weeks into it, my scale wouldn't budge for a long time. Turns out it was because i was using it on carpet, and I had been 10 pounds below where I thought I was. haha.

[Rosebud1]

My biggest problem is making a legal dessert and not being happy until all of it is gone. I am learning to make servings for 1!!!

[burgundy]

Me too, I thought I could relax over the holidays and easily get back to LC eating, but it took me weeks to recover! Also thinking that my Lo-Carb bars actually had only 2g carbs, but finding out that there were at least 20g of hidden carbs :mad:

These are the biggest so far, and it's only been a few months! Live and learn!!

Wow. Ok.

Yeah not that I was doing anything special before my vacation but I definitely went overboard and now have further to go.

[WyoDiva]

My biggest mistakes:

- too many Atkins products/bars/sweets
- eating too few carbs, thinking I would lose faster
- skipping the vegies almost entirely - don't really like 'em anyway
- staying on Induction for two months - probably didn't help
- hidden carbs in things I thought were 'legal'
- not exercising

Good things:

- I've always been a big water drinker - no problem!
- Going decaffeinated - as if I don't have enough addictions!
- I like to cook/bake - so LC has offered me a new and interesting challenge in that regard
- I don't cheat because I make sure I have plenty of LC stuff around (meat, eggs, cheese, vegies). Sometimes I indulge too much in LC stuff (like cheese or lc brownies), but I figure that beats eating a whole real pizza or whole pan of real brownies!
- Stay away from folks who are diligently trying to sabotage me (guess they are threatened by the impending thinner me!)
- I'm off my BP meds, have no more chest pain or arthritic pain, and need less sleep. These 3 things alone are worth doing this WOE.

I know I will slowly but surely achieve my goal - simply because this WOE is very doable and doesn't involve starving. I wish the weight loss would move faster, but I keep reminding myself I didn't slap those pounds on overnight either!

Good luck to everyone - glad to have found this thread!

[kevgar]

I have been through each and every one of these boo-boo's. This thread is great and I noticed it kinda died out so in an effort to revive it I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

LC foods were the most suprising mistake. I have been Atkins primarily until the last few months where I have migrated over to Protein Power. That is when I quit the LC food and started losing again. It has directed me back to real foods and I have to admit the slight cravings have vanished completely.

I found for myself if there is a food that I believe to be low carb but I have a difficult time controlling my portions I need to take a second look. A good example is nuts, pistachios, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, doesn't matter. The term "betcha can't just have one" comes to mind.

Unlike 007, LC doesn't give us a license to kill (or eat everything in sight labeled LC, which could lead to an untimely death). Exercise and eating right and sanely will prove results in time. It took 40 years to get my body all twisted and jacked up, I just hope it doesn't take as long to undo the damage. :yum:

[Sunflower7]

This thread is great and gives lots of information to us newbies.

[montanasun]

Wow! Thank you all for the information and Karen thank you for getting this started. I had no idea coffee had carbs, now I'm wondering if tea also has carbs? I'll have to do some research.

In the past I have made all the mistakes everyone else has - hey we're only human. I would get discourage if I didn't lose any weight in a week and switch to WW then back again. LC worked wonders for me a few years ago but I gave into stress and eating my problems away. Right?

Its only been a week eating LC and I feel so much better already. For me its baby steps each day and mini goals.

[onab]

Kevgar.. I know what u mean!

my problem has been portion controls. I've lost the discipline to eat at proper times...and that's scary. I fell off the wagon doing just that yesterday when I was so frustrated with my appetite not going away, so at the end of the day I zoomed in for bread, banana and chocolate cookies.

Am starting off today again with atkins (for I have seen the positive changes in my body shape despite frequent cheats) but with a resolution to be disciplined about portion sizez and timings of snacks and meals so that I get back into life long good eating habits.

[galatia]

I saw a quote the other day that I thought was great. Can't find it again now, but it was something like this:

"One bite of bad carbs is too much, and 1000 bites is never enough."

Maybe someone else knows exactly how that goes. :)

[Iowagirl]

I believe that is a variation of an old AA term -"one drink is too much and 1000 isn't enough."

[bsheets]

my problem has been portion controls. I've lost the discipline to eat at proper times...and that's scary. I fell off the wagon doing just that yesterday when I was so frustrated with my appetite not going away, so at the end of the day I zoomed in for bread, banana and chocolate cookies.

Did you find your appetite was satisfied after all those carby foods? Or it went through your system in a second and you were back to where you started?

e

[callahan]

Red Wine... Thinking 1 glass a couple of times a weeks doesnt add up...

-Callahan-

[feefighter]

My biggest mistake was wrecking my knee from soccer and then moving in with my MIL while waiting for our new home to be built. I think not exercising and also living not in my own surroundings were just too stressful and so I fell off the wagon. By the time the holidays came I was going overboard and binging on chocolates, cookies, cakes, etc and I didn't care...Well, come January of this year I took a hard look at the scale and got very mad at myself for putting on almost half the weight I had last the previous year.
This time 'round no more soccer for me...biking is the sport of choice. And only treat myself with stuff that's sugar free...Gotta keep up the exercise too.

[vixen69]

Taking couple of days off the 'diet' won't hurt.

[HalfPass]

Callahan, red wine was my downfall too. I drank a couple glasses every night and it finally caught up to me and I gained some weight in december. I went back to induction two weeks ago and I have lost what I gained, but it was scary to feel my jeans get tight and have some items not fit. I LOVE to have a glass of wine at night, but have trouble stopping with just one glass, so I am abstaining till I get down to a size ten.

[skinnyRay]

Great thread - thank you

I am still a newbie so I feel I haven't been around the block enough and Im sure there are more mistakes to come ...however for the 1st month I was doing really well. I was loosing and got complacent thinking i could cheat a little and it wouldn't really affect me. BIG MISTAKE!! :lol: I gained immediately and it's not moving as fast as before.

My bads
Alcohol - boy i miss wine with a meal
Desserts - only on special occasions (not worth the gain)
Cheese - OMG i love the stuff
Cream - maybe a little too rich to eat every day :yum:
Cheats - thinking I could slip them in everynow and then without a prob
Fake foods - they are not worth it
Not excersising - thinking the diet is working so why bother
Guilt - just makes me feel bad and leads to self sabotage
Impatience - wanting it all now! :o

:wave:
My good
Adding excersise - feels better
Journaling - really helps me see what is/isn't working and helps me get back on track quicker
Love - learning to love myself helps to treat myself with more respect and value what i put into my body
Real foods - you can feel the difference
Patience - understanding this is a WOL not a quick fix
Support - using this forum as a way to stick to the goal and being inspired by other's successes.
Boundaries - watching out for saboteurs, learning to say NO and stand in my power when I do it.
Responsibility - understanding I got unhealthy because of the choices I made. (Basically stop playing victim and blaming everyone and everything for my mental and physical state)

These are the things that have helped me not only start an new WOL but feel empowered enough to stick with it for the long term.

Good luck to everyone
:angel:

[mkduggan]

Karen, Hi my name is Mary Kay...and I am at my wits-end with this diet!!! I have tried patience but I have run out...Im on Day 9 of Induction and I have not lost one pound...I actually gained 3, but it was gone again this morning...Big Deal!!! I should have at least 5 or 6 gone.
I have received very good advice on this forum such as cutting out caffeine and increasing water. I am below or at 20 carbs a day. If I could just see a couple pounds off like everyone else here I would have the inspiration to keep going....In tears

[Citruskiss]

mkduggan,

I just wanted to pop in here and let you know that during the first entire week of induction, I didn't lose a single pound!

I was ready to give up on the idea, especially given how much I was struggling with carb withdrawal symptoms (the so-called "induction flu"), when I made the decision to stick with it for at least one month.

I went on to lose a total of 17 pounds during week 2 and 3 of induction.

For some reason, that first week of induction didn't "take" right away, and so I stayed on it for a few weeks more and ended up seeing the weight loss I was so hoping for.

Hang in there...you just might be amazed by the end of the month. You'll probably also be in a much better mood by the end of next week - the nasty side effects of carb withdrawal should be over by then, and you'll feel a resurgence of energy, a lowered appetite and more importantly...a nice weight loss.

[Jim Clark]

Mary Kay, hang in there. It takes a while. It probably took more than a few days to gain the weight, it'll take longer to lose it.

Low-carbing is a way to change your lifestyle. If you want to kick start your weight loss, exercise. Works for me, I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week.

Also, are you checking your ketosis? If you're not using the strips, you should.

[mkduggan]

I'm sorry...but I have to get off this plan....I am merely maintaining at 175 after 10days of Induction. This is way too much fat for me...I have been doing the strips since Tues. nite. First nite...negative....days thereafter only in the trace category...I absolutely believe that carbs are a killer and have always been aware of them in my diet...but the fat and calories are way too much for my sytem...I wish I could be like the others and worry about losing too much...Thanks for everything

[skinnyRay]

:wave: I'm sorry...but I have to get off this plan....I am merely maintaining at 175 after 10days of Induction. This is way too much fat for me...I have been doing the strips since Tues. nite. First nite...negative....days thereafter only in the trace category...I absolutely believe that carbs are a killer and have always been aware of them in my diet...but the fat and calories are way too much for my sytem...I wish I could be like the others and worry about losing too much...Thanks for everything


Hi MK

It is up to you if you go off it and only you know what is best for your own body. I am wondering tho if you have given it enough time? You can cut down on the fat if it is bothering you. (I find cheese hinders my weight loss.)

Some things to consider:
* Have you checked for hidden sugars? For me I was using sauces/dressings that had sugar in them. Because I am insulin resistent this is a real no-no for me.

* Another thing is you mentioned coffee. Coffee can really set you back because not only does it have carbs but it spikes up insulin.

*Stick with natural foods and avoid artificial foods. they can cause water retention

*Have you checked your measurements? Sometimes the scales show nothing but the inches show you are reducing body fat. Muscle weighs more that fat so you can easily gain muscle, loose fat and see little difference on the scales.

*what is your realistic time frame for loosing? You need at least a 12 week plan. Go through the success stories and you will see they didn't do it over night. even 3 months is short term IMHO. 10 days is not a long time i think you need more :)

* Are you journaling? Recording your daily food consumption is important in monitoring your success. I went great for 5 weeks and then gained. When i looked thru my journal i realised i had indeed sabotaged my program with too much cheese, sweets and alcohol in week 6. I think without it I would have thought i had been 100% commited when in fact I wasn't.

* Are you excersising?

food for thought anyway
:wave:
Good luck anyway

[MMiller26]

I'm sorry...but I have to get off this plan....I am merely maintaining at 175 after 10days of Induction. This is way too much fat for me...I have been doing the strips since Tues. nite. First nite...negative....days thereafter only in the trace category...I absolutely believe that carbs are a killer and have always been aware of them in my diet...but the fat and calories are way too much for my sytem...I wish I could be like the others and worry about losing too much...Thanks for everything


Nobody says you have to gorge yourself with fat. You could do the diet and eat lean turkey, tuna, fish, lean chicken breast or chicken without the skin, etc. It's not all red meat, pork and bacon.

You're right. Carbs are a killer. And if you go to a very low fat diet, carbs are mostly what you'll be eating. (Everything that says "low fat" has added sugar to make it taste better, btw).

As for the calories, vegetables are very low cal. Eating the meats I listed above, you could keep your calories around 1200-1400 easily.

Are you exercising? Are you drinking enough water? Used to be 64oz was the norm, but now most say that 100 oz minimum is best for your body to flush out the fat.

Are you losing inches? Sometimes the scale doesn't go down, but your fat cells are shrinking and you lose inches on your body (and not just in the waist either).

I think 10 days is a little soon to be giving up. Do you have much to lose? If not, chances are it will come off very slowly. Very heavy people generally lose faster than people who have very little to lose.

[vixen69]

I'm sorry...but I have to get off this plan....I am merely maintaining at 175 after 10days of Induction. This is way too much fat for me...I have been doing the strips since Tues. nite. First nite...negative....days thereafter only in the trace category...I absolutely believe that carbs are a killer and have always been aware of them in my diet...but the fat and calories are way too much for my sytem...I wish I could be like the others and worry about losing too much...Thanks for everything


Perhaps South Beach diet will be more to your liking. Slower loss but some people like it better that Atkins. Myself, I prefer Atkins because I lose better but everybody is different.

[chelles]

My biggest mistakes, leading me to come off Atkins and get fatter:

Fake foods, like the bars. 30 carbs minus 20 "free, non-absorbed" carbs = just 10 carbs? I don't think so.

Nuts. I can't stop eating them until they are all gone.

Not taking vitamins - I got very fatigued without them.

Eating sugar free candy. Never broke my sweets cravings.

Not preparing as much food in advance as possible, leading me to grab whatever was quickest when I was starving.

Having a cheat meal in order to break out of a plateau. Dumbest thing ever. It worked, but three days after my cheat I'd go to cheating full-time.

Too many splenda/equal packets. I drink a lot of coffee, so I have to use the carb-free liquid coffee flavors instead. Otherwise I'd get 15 carbs a day just from those packets.

Weighing myself all the time. I don't have a scale that works. Worrying about a 2-pound weight gain or loss day-to-day is useless for women, and can be upsetting. Weighing myself once a month or so is better for me.

[Russdawg]

My weight fell off as soon as I quit my morning coffee and started making sure that I drank 1 gallon of water a day. It was tough but boy did it come off fast.

I had no room hardly for food.

[Flgreg]

My mistake was thinking I had this whole wol under control and didn't need any support anymore. I am back and feeling so much better.

thanks everybody

cya Greg

[Goddessrhi]

Angsting about fat and thinking low-fat, yet trying to be low carb. Drove me nuts.

I'm rereading Dr. Atkins book and reminding myself once more of why it worked for me and realizing why I plateaued so badly.

[deirdra]

Even on previous LC diets I succumbed to other peoples' advice (on this & other boards) that reducing fat/cals was the way to get beyond a stall. It just lead to feelings of deprivation & binging & regaining. This time I decided to keep my fat at ~65% and eat 1700 cals throughout my diet & maintenance (so I never had to adjust from diet to maintenance). I also started researching food allergies/intolerances & found what works for me (after 35 years of diet failures & never maintaining for more than a week or two; it has now been 4 months).

I was where you are 1 year ago - so your goal is certainly achievable with this anti-lowfat attitude. Best wishes!

[Citruskiss]

Even on previous LC diets I succumbed to other peoples' advice (on this & other boards) that reducing fat/cals was the way to get beyond a stall. It just lead to feelings of deprivation & binging & regaining. This time I decided to keep my fat at ~65% and eat 1700 cals throughout my diet & maintenance (so I never had to adjust from diet to maintenance). I also started researching food allergies/intolerances & found what works for me (after 35 years of diet failures & never maintaining for more than a week or two; it has now been 4 months).

I was where you are 1 year ago - so your goal is certainly achievable with this anti-lowfat attitude. Best wishes!

This is really good advice!

I've found that the more I try to restrict fat cals, the higher my overall calories are. I know that doesn't make sense, but if I just allow myself that butter on my veggies or that dab of mayo in my tuna - I'm much more satisfied, and somehow this leads to a lower overall intake. When I tried lowering my fat calories, I was constantly hungry and ended up overeating on the protein. I also found it much harder to stick to plan...ended up cheating too often.

[Mousesmom]

To keep this thread alive I will add my biggest mistakes:

1) Alcohol - I thought that as long as I counted the carbs it was ok - what's this "moderation" thing anyway????????????
2) Frankenfoods - a bar is not a meal
3) Calories - eating too many of them - see #1
4) Treats - a portion is not a platterful or a whole recipe
5) Eating every 4-5 hours even if I wasn't hungry - now I eat only when I am hungry.
6) Clean your plate club - I have since shredded my membership card - full is full, even if there's food left over
7) Emotional eating - still working on this but it's better
8) Eating because it was "time" - breakfast time, lunch time, dinner time, or because someone ELSE was eating!

What I did right:

1) Veggies - I love salads and have learned to love other veggies
2) Embracing fat - letting go of the LF mentality
3) Not listening to people who think LC is deadly
4) Research - it's a life long learning process. Read everything
5) Water - 3-4 litres every day, more if it's hot or if I am working out
6) Exercise - maybe not as much as I should, but more than I used to LOL
7) Not being an expert - I've been at this a long time but still learn something new every time I come here
8) Speaking of "coming here" - I come here almost every day
9) Learning to cook


Best of luck everyone, we can ALL learn from each other no matter how long we've been here.

Julie

[santabarb]

This is really good advice!

I've found that the more I try to restrict fat cals, the higher my overall calories are. I know that doesn't make sense, but if I just allow myself that butter on my veggies or that dab of mayo in my tuna - I'm much more satisfied, and somehow this leads to a lower overall intake. When I tried lowering my fat calories, I was constantly hungry and ended up overeating on the protein. I also found it much harder to stick to plan...ended up cheating too often.
It is so true that fat is happifying! If I am hungry it's because I need protein and fat, once I have them hunger is banished for many long hours.

[Lessara]

As I look back over the last 5 years I have learned the following.

1. My way of eating healthy doesn't have to be like another person's way. My low carbing will not be the same as anothers.
You really have to listen to yourself and no excuses.

I flirted with AS, SA, eggs, cheese, milk, soy and found out that I can't eat them... I feel ill. So if you can. Feel fortunate as for me I don't think of it as something I can't eat more like those things make me sick!

2. Closeness with your friends and family doesn't mean you have to blow your way of eating and staying low carb can be easy if you bring something you can eat to share. Trust me, no one notices if you don't eat the bun or the potatoes. I used to blow my way of eating every Friday (friend gaming night) before believing this.

Examples of things I bring: Cream cheese, spinach and artichoke dip, Assorted finger veggies: mini carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, zuccini slices, celery, green (red, orange, yellow) bell pepper slices.. etc. People love that I bring veggies for they are often the missing dish when people get together for potlucks.

3. Speaking of veggies, EAT Them first to get your carbs then say potatoes, rice, fruit etc. I don't have the later without having at least three servings of veggies. I remember on low fat diets I hardly ate veggies at all. One thing I did learn for myself. Raw veggies are yummy and easy to port around.
(Yes I know some are no carbs but this is for those who are low carb)

4. I added this one for it is so true. I used to be a person who got prepared food often to save me time. Unfortunately it didn't save me unwanted carbs and calories. For me the more pure the food source the better my body feels.
I love my store for you can get chopped red onion, green peppers, or other vegges. I keep them, garlic, and minced tomatoes (ok they are in jar with olive oil) so when I need more for my meal I just toss them in.
I now limit my diet soda and coffee (no not cut them all out but only have one a day) As well as AS's.

[NixCarbos]

My biggest mistake is...eating the "serving sizes" of the legal "treats"... 5 or maybe 10 times a day :p

Which then turns into ... the awesome fresh loaf of bread my mom made, that would go so well with the jar of jam in the fridge...and once the fridge was opened, found the leftover fettuccine my husband brought home from his supper last night... which would go so well with some more of that fresh bread my mom made and some home made garlic toast...and a nice glass of coke would top it off so well becuase the sauce was chalky. But because I wanted the coke cold I took a frosty mug out of the freezer and discovered the chunky almond ice cream..........and on and on and on it goes.......oh when will I ever learn :o

[sldeal]

SF Jello! I love SF jello, it's become a staple in my diet. How am I suppose to live without it??? :help:

Just when I thought I was doing so well. :cry:

[wannadanc]

SF Jello! I love SF jello, it's become a staple in my diet. How am I suppose to live without it??? :help:

Just when I thought I was doing so well. :cry:

What are you telling me??? SF Jello isn't OK???? I tried finding the original post - assuming it was here - but gave up - thread is too long.

If Jello isn't OK - please tell me why!

Thanks!!!!!!!

[unitydkn]

how about seeing something and saying to myself..I will have to try that when I am done with my diet...this is for life not a diet ...it does not help that I am a grocery casher..*sigh*

[Calianna]

The SF jello problem is related to eating too much of it, because it's made with aspartame, which causes a lot of people to stall.

Also, a lot of them said they ate it with whipped cream - and eating too much of that, far too often, can also cause a stall.


Now, having said that, there are things you have to consider:

If you're eating SF jello (with or w/out whipped cream), are you having problems with your weight loss stalling?

If not, no problem then!

If you start to have a stall, it's worth cutting it out to see of that helps.

If you end up having to cut out the SF jello, as an alternate to the commercially available SF jello, you could use knox unflavored gelatine, with unsweetened KoolAid -and your choice of splenda, saccharin, or stevia to sweeten it. (No I don't have an exact recipe or know the proportions - you would have to figure sweetener equivalent amounts to use from the packages of knox and koolaid - unless there happens to be a recipe on this site somewhere)

[TX Stacy]

SF/0 Carb Jello is GREAT for me..

It's a life savor and I have never had a problem w/it..

Same goes for SF Jello Puddins..

Everyone is different, but I'm glad they don't make me stall.

Especially when on induction when ya don't have too many choices.

[.muse.]

The biggest milestone for me was setting my goal too high. No criticism intended, but I see a lot of people who are starting off at more than 250lbs who want to get down to 120 or 130 as their goal. For me, my goal (of 175) is so far away (205lbs from start), that I don't bother to keep that goal in my profile. If I look at such a daunting number, I will stagger quickly. My goals are always realistic. I can say "hey, 25lbs isn't much", and when I reach that goal, move it back some more. It's nice to see visible progress.

I also know that I cannot have certain foods in the house. If I have LC ice cream bars, or SF Jello, a can of whipped cream, or SF LC chocolate, I will sit there and eat them until they're gone. I can eat a whole 2lb can of nuts in a day without noticing. I do not have self control, which is why I started at 380lbs. I'm aware of this, and getting to the point that I could acknowledge it is when I started to lose weight.

This is not a diet to me. I will not ever be one of those people who can get to goal and then slowly carb back up and be OK. I like to eat. I like food. I like a lot of food. I can graze all day, and then eat a huge 4 course meal. If I want to ever get anywhere near a normal weight, it is going to be with the help of LC. This way of eating has taken away my desire to constantly shovel food into my mouth at all hours of the day.

I cannot plan cheat days. If I do, my cheat day will turn into a cheat marathon week, and I will gain back in 5 or 6 days what I lost in a month. Pizza Friday night ends up with left-overs Saturday morning, which turns into Chinese for dinner Saturday night, and waffles and syrup with chocolate milk on Sunday, ice cream for lunch, and then McDonald's to top it all off Sunday night. Cheats do me no good!

Most importantly, I am able to look at the scale and not nearly cry. I can say to my mother and my fiance, "I'm down to 324lbs" and not cringe. I have accepted that I have a weight problem, that everyone else who can see me is aware of it, and that now that I have confronted it I can work on it.

[deborah c]

Muse - Great hair cut, and oh my she didn't say that did she, pretty face! Your so right about the goal thing I need to slowwwww down and go for those 5 lb goals instead of, I want it all NOW thinking - thanks.

[.muse.]

Muse - Great hair cut, and oh my she didn't say that did she, pretty face! Your so right about the goal thing I need to slowwwww down and go for those 5 lb goals instead of, I want it all NOW thinking - thanks.

Thank you. I whacked off 26 inches :o

[jjj]

My biggest mistake the first time was quitting :)

Blowing things out of proportion and watching the scale too much. I know that if I take my focus away from my 'failures' and focus on my success... I will exploit the successes both in my mind and in the physical.

Nuts... gotta stay away from those.

Not enough veggies and fiber.

I still haven't quit caffeine.

NOT ENOUGH WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DietMonstr]

hhhmmm...
I was thinking about going out with the girls tonight, and i know vodka has no carbs... Am i safe, or am i about to risk a Low Carb Newbie Mistake? I'm on day 5 of induction...

[.muse.]

your body will burn alcohol instead of fat if alcohol is present...while it's not the best thing you can do, if you stick with a diet soda, you shouldn't re-gain..but you may stall for a day or so

[DietMonstr]

Thanks for the info Muse!

[SissyPoo]

I am new to low carb and this site has helped me alot. Thanks.

[Diane47]

Honest to God, I am going to publish my phone number. xxx-xxx-xxxx (*removed by mods*) (east coast time). I am so up and down, impatient and frustrated, that if any of you oldsters would kindly call, I would gladly call you right back, so you don't have to incur the charges.

Like someone who wrote up there, I am impatiently weighing myself 3 and 4 times a day. Yes. Okay, I'll stop. Got it. I will TRY to weigh myself once a day and stop. Maybe even once a week. I am just an impatient girl.

I have been emailing the blog at Atkins, and I truly don't think they know the answer (and boy am I tired of typing the questions to people). Has anyone found some kind of ratio between carbs/protein/fats that works? I have this feeling that therein lies the efficacy, if I may use that term.

Also, any reference books you want to recommend? I am investigating the metabolism of carbs vs the metabolism (meaning internal processing) of fats vs the met. of protein. I think there is something to is. I emailed the nutritionist at Atkins regarding ketones as a secondary process and she answered the question without using a verb--as in IS IT or ISN'T IT? No matter. I called one of my doctors who knows me, and I'll get to the bottom of this.

I'd just rather benefit from all of your knowledge. Your forum is filled with more "sages"! Kudos! Oops, that's a candy bar. Blessings!

I am trying to do this trial and error, as was posted to me on their blog, and it is frustrating. I DO keep my carbs to <=20 grams. I HAVE curtailed my intake of cheese to 1-2 oz daily. The rest is 2T-3T with my coffee, and now I have my coffee with food so it doesn't produce a glucose response. I only have 2 cups in the morning, and now that I understand it better, I only have my coffee with eggs and/or protein.

Some days, like yesterday for lunch, I ate 1/2 a steak (isn't it COOL-I wasn't HUNGRY enough to eat the whole thing, when I was eating carbs, I could have eaten the whole thing and a side of pasta!)--as a science experiment. 3 hours later, FINALLY, I got my pee to color the stick purple! Woo Hoo! I think it is because I ate NOTHING with the steak, just the steak! I just want to understand this/the chemistry better.

Karen, I swear I would fly out there to talk to you (and eat at the restaurant of course) if you told me you would give me an hour of your time!

You guys, I am an "achiever" and very smart (not trying to impress, just telling you that I "shouldn't have to struggle" like this ha ha). I have researched lots of diets, and I have decided that for me (I have PCOS), the answer has to be low carb. I do not crave sweets, I was never a "sugar" person, but my former favorite food was pasta.

I haven't cheated at all at all at all. I usually eat
some kind of eggs or an omlette in the morning (with coffee)
some kind of chicken salad or meat with about 4 romaine leaves for lunch
and more meat (I want to learn sauces too) with maybe a couple of stalks of celery for supper. I do have fats and mayo. I eat almost nothing processed--just pepperoni. Oh yeah, that turned the stick purple too!

So please, take pity on me and call!

Thanks so much--I'm going through all your tips and pointers now Karen. I really want to learn, I really want to do this. (In my HEAD, it's done already).

Oh yeah, P.S. one of the big reasons I'm doing this is the Harvard Study they finished up in Isreal--I saw Bob Bozell on NBC report this w/Brian Williams? You can read the full article in the NEJM July 16 issue. In the study, the low carb people lost more weight, kept it off, lower cholesterol, lower BP, the whole bit--more than a Mediterranean diet (calorie stricted) and a low fat diet (also calorie constricted).

I'm tired of typing.
Thanks!
Diane

[I<3splenda]

I just wanted to thank everyone who posted on this ancient thread.

I just had a total meltdown after realizing I burned through an entire case of diet rootbeer, 2 bags of pork rinds eaten with butter, splenda and cinnamon & 8 ounces of cream cheese with davinces syrup since YESTERDAY. That is in addition to my "regular" meals. "Regular!" HA!

I thought my trigger foods were carb related, but obviously they are also sweet related. Giving up the carbs has helped carb related cravings, but what's left is just as insane.

I also thought if I kept my carbs in check I could eat whatever I wanted. I'm still waiting for my atkins book to arrive in the mail. In the mean time I'm going to keep looking at threads & trying to eat low carb "normally," whatever that means.

Hello my name is Carley & I am a total freakish food addict & overeater. Help me.

[big_loser]

eating a tonne of zero carb cola bottles

[bsheets]

Honest to God, I am going to publish my phone number. xxx-xxx-xxxx (*removed by mods*) (east coast time). I am so up and down, impatient and frustrated, that if any of you oldsters would kindly call, I would gladly call you right back, so you don't have to incur the charges.
Hi Diane,

Do you keep a Journal or Blog anywhere?

Even if your phone number wasn't removed (I agree it's unsafe to have it listed), I couldn't call because I'm across the other side of the world, but I'm always happy to keep in touch with anyone that wants the contact. I love that too - bit isolated round here sometimes.

Let me know :)

Erika

[Entropy39]

I guess the biggest LC mistake is to think that nuts are a low carb food. I can be doing amazingly well on my plan and nuts be it salted, unsalted or even the all natural nut butters - without fail, I will abuse them and of course end up feeling terrible (like I'm hung over) an hour later.

I would advise anyone who is new or old to low carbing to stay away from nuts (especially salted ones).

------------------------------
I'm agree with something Carley said too - sometimes I like to eat scrambled eggs with cinnamon and splenda but too much splenda and I will also get cravings from that or I would have eaten less food had I not used the splenda.
-----------------------------------------------
the last time I had zero cravings I think my most popular and successful lunch was hard boiled eggs and laughing cow cheese wedges. I know - can you believe that? (I figured I'd end this post on a positive note, which is good cause that can hopefully correct any "mistakes" I have made.

Hugs to all!
love
Entropy

[Melesana]

Bump! Great thread.

My biggest mistake is too much salt, like I'm trying to use the taste of salt to replace the taste of sugar.

Not enough variety. I'm afraid to try anything sweet, so it's veggies and cheese and meat. Which means too much cheese.

I was vegetarian until this. Is all meat really so naturally salty?

Meg

[Blondie888]

Bump! Great thread.

My biggest mistake is too much salt, like I'm trying to use the taste of salt to replace the taste of sugar.

Not enough variety. I'm afraid to try anything sweet, so it's veggies and cheese and meat. Which means too much cheese.

I was vegetarian until this. Is all meat really so naturally salty?

Meg

I don't think so... what are you eating specifically? Natural meats are not salty, but processed meats (lunchmeat, bacon, etc.) are.

[daisywench]

I just came across this thread, and after reading the entire thing, I'm bumping it.

So much good information in here for us newbs.

[27Peach]

Here's one for me - thinking I can drink low carb beer on the weekends and still lose weight. Just doesn't work for me - it stalls weight loss and triggers cravings for carby foods. BAD idea!

[NrgQuest]

One of my problems is remembering to read lables. I got good at avoiding fat for the last decade. But, avoiding carbs is a different thing altogether. I didn't know how many carbs were in grapefruit for example, I would have never even looked it up if it wasn't for this forum. I found out there is potato starch in shredded mozzerella cheese, it isn't a problem for me, but when I saw it I was like uh oh that might trigger really sensitive people. I had no idea that spaghetti sauce had so much sugar in it. I am not freaking out over having used it on my low carb pizzas, but it was something I became aware of and I switched to sugar free tomato sauce, I like it just as much and I still feel like I am eating pizza. I know someday, I will look back my early new WOE days and think, how did I eat so much junk?

Sometimes I read about a newbie mistake and I think dude/dudette, you are being wayyyyyyyyyy too hard on yourself. Ha, maybe that is a newbie mistake, being to hard on yourself.

[Melesana]

Yes, overthinking things does seem like a newbie mistake. The other day I spent several hours fretting becaue I might have eaten too many Brussels sprouts. I don't even like them.

[NrgQuest]

Yes, overthinking things does seem like a newbie mistake. The other day I spent several hours fretting becaue I might have eaten too many Brussels sprouts. I don't even like them.


I think it is real easy to fall into carb terror. I am afraid of carbs now. Not as much as some people who are zero carbs or bust. But, if I see 7 grams in a tortilla, it's a no-no. I just keep cutting them down further and further. I guess I will keep doing that as long as I keep feeling better and I am making progress. But, I have to also remind myself that not all vegatables and fruits are evil, just potatoes mainly.

[ImOnMyWay]

Great thread Karen.

Lessons learned the hard way:

1. Meal replacements. Low-Carb bars, and even protein shakes, are not "meals". They may be better than starving or eating carbs (well, that is questionable in the case of the bars...), but that does not make them into a real-food meal.

1b: Mock Danish is not a meal.

1c: Four mock danish is not a 'big' meal. LOL.

2. Milk. I would buy a little milk for my daughter on the way to school, and she wouldn't drink it all. Then I would have the 'clean your plate' issue and the 'yeah but I spent money on it' issue and the 'it's just a little, technically I could arrange my carbs to have just a few tablespoons of milk' issue. What really happened is that it sent my carb and sugar cravings into the stratosphere (and messed up my eating for the rest of the day, as I then couldn't have the carbs I'd planned in various meals).

2b: She can drink milk at school with lunch. If I can't have it, then at home, she can drink what I drink -- water. It not only won't kill her, it will be good for her. I have stuff she can eat that I can't, esp. fruit, fruity yogurts, and occasional treats. But in general, low-carb foods are not some bizarre specialty item like medicine, that is only for me. Eating meat dishes and salads with green veggies as her dominant foods (beyond the stuff I mentioned I keep around), and the megadose of carbs she gets in school (sigh), is not unreasonable of me nor unhealthy for her.

2c: My first responsibility food-wise is to myself. It is not unfair to expect that I will not cook and distribute high-carb stuff to others. We do not make recovering alcoholics bartenders, and it would be ludicrous to assign one to 'pick up the beer' for the family barbecue. Obesity KILLS. While others act like it is some kind of social game, for me it could be life and death. My survival is more important to me than other peoples' hurt feelings. If they are not adult enough to understand the seriousness of this issue, they can get stuffed. The people most likely to make lowcarbing difficult are the same people who tend to have the most opinions about my being obese, ironically.

2d: If somebody living with me wants to have high-carb food, I understand perfectly. I also understand that we can have our own areas of the refrigerator, and they can learn to cook. If I had my cousin TJ, the body-builder's ability to stand around food and have zero interest in anything but Tuna and Water (around his competition times), then hey, no big deal, let me make you some mashed potatoes! But if I don't, then asking others around me to be responsible for _themselves_, instead of indirectly causing me grevious harm by expecting me to babysit their eating habits differently than my own, is ridiculous. (Note: also, eating MY reserved food is a crime. Period.) I realize that women, especially those over 35, often have trouble with this with their husbands. I divorced my husband and a small part of it was because he sabotaged my attempts to get healthier by doing LC. At first it's just health, but at some point you realize it is really life and death -- not just medically, but psychologically and socially. Pretty ironic that many people quite literally have to die for the one person they love enough to die for. 'Nuff said.

3. Cheese. If cheese were a god, it would be my religion. Too much melted invokes my 'texture-snob' nausea, but otherwise, I think I could go on a mostly-cheese diet and be happy. Alas, probably the thing in milk I respond to, affects me with cheese too, at least if I'm eating it in quantity. It sparked cravings (much more mild than milk, though).

3b. I was using cheese to 'drown' a variety of things for taste, instead of learning to really enjoy a piece of chicken or steak, without dumping a boatload of cheese and sour cream or whatever on top of it. Those things are nice, and it's fine to have them in a meal if you can, but again, they're playing into the same taste-game as high-carb stuff. The beauty of low carb is that it can teach your body to be sensitive to and appreciate the sugar in a ring of raw onion, in a thin slice of tomato, and the very thought of asparagus (which I hated till LC) can be downright orgasmic when you are craving something lighter than meat. By making everything with immense amounts of cheeses and creams and so forth, one almost misses the chance to really TASTE these foods.

4. Fake anything. I am tempted to rename my 'mock' everythings to something else. As long as I think of something as 'almost-like-pizza', I sort of miss real pizza, and notice what is not quite the same. If all LC recipes are stand-alone, they are just fine, even wonderful. I'm reminded of this health bar I used to visit where I would have carob 'Hercules Flips'. Now, if you were expecting it to taste like a chocolate shake, it would frankly be sickening. But once you accepted it as a 'carob hercules flip', you realized it had its own distinct taste like nothing else, and was wonderful. My point is that psychologically, I don't want to be The Pretender when it comes to food. I don't want to spend my life "almost" having pizza and "almost" having this or that. I am thrilled there are so many awesome LC-variants on dishes we're used to. But the "almost-somethings" make me feel deprived on some level. Either it's a low-carb food when made one way and it's "the same thing", or it's a different, UNIQUE food that low-carbers came up with, and it is its OWN thing. I know this sounds like stupid semantics, but my psychology is a big thing when it comes to sticking with LC, so I take such subtle things seriously.

PJ

This resonates with me a lot. Just one question: what's wrong with a "Mock Danish" being a meal? (Other than the use of the word "mock".) It's all legal ingredients...am I missing the point?

*

[baconater]

I consider myself a newbie even though I did low carb 5-6 years ago with great results. I had to post cause I just got done with my jello fluff with the HWC and read that it stalled someone (sorry, can't remember the name) But the reason I'm eating it is I actually lost 2 lbs the week I ate it last. So I am kind of experimenting. I will see what happens with the scale in the am.

[yabbaranks]

I think it is real easy to fall into carb terror. I am afraid of carbs now. Not as much as some people who are zero carbs or bust. But, if I see 7 grams in a tortilla, it's a no-no. I just keep cutting them down further and further. I guess I will keep doing that as long as I keep feeling better and I am making progress. But, I have to also remind myself that not all vegatables and fruits are evil, just potatoes mainly.


This is how I'm feeling at the moment. It's that fear of messing up and having to go back to the drawing board.. ugh

[yabbaranks]

I spent several hours fretting becaue I might have eaten too many Brussels sprouts. I don't even like them.


This made me laugh! :lol:

[Birddog]

8 years ago I did Atkins and had fabulous results. I kept the weight off for 5 years. Then my husband bullied me into eating some of his mother baked Christmas cookies. My MIL is a fabulous cook. Anyway, it was my undoing. So 3 years later I have gained back all the weight I had lost (65 lbs.) and gained an additional 20 lbs. I am back now and so far have lost 32 lbs. as of today. Next year at Christmas I will be stronger.