I really don't deal well with changes to my routine. I had jury duty Wednesday of this week which necessitated my getting up much earlier than I usually do (I have weird work hours) and spending a day at the courthouse with only what I could get into one bag with me (I didn't want to get hassled by security.) Also, I slept terribly the night before.

A few hours after I got home I ended up with a raging craving for a Cinnapie from Papa John's and my defenses were weak from fatigue and having my day be so unusual. So I ordered one and freaking INHALED it. All but the end pieces. Then I ate most of the cheese sticks I ordered just to bring my order amount to the minimum for delivery.

Of course I gained back the two pounds I lost the three days previous.

Here's my biggest worry: that low carb dieting is just another repeat of the last two years of low-calorie dieting. I restrict, restrict, restrict until I can't deprive myself any more, then go on a food bender and promptly consume all the calories I didn't when I was following the diet, negating my effort.

This is where I should probably point out that I did a week of induction at about 1800 calories a day and didn't lose an ounce. When I made an effort to lower my caloric intake to 1500, the weight started coming off. Eating only 1500/day of low carb foods is much easier than eating 1500/day of high-carb, low-fat foods, but it still does me little good if I can't do it consistently without these mad binges.

Obviously, I need to give it more time to sure. But I'm concerned.

Makes you wonder eh... can't just be the pie, I mean I don't have a clue what a cinnapie is but there just can't be that many calories in it to gain 2lbs.

Did you weigh yourself at the same time of the day each time? Are you due on, could it be water weight??

Don't let it get you down, keep up your hard work. This diet works so well for people and doesn't leave you starving so if you're looking to lose weight I think this is the way forward.

Good luck

Cinnapie is a pizza crust covered with cinnamon, sugar and icing. The thing is at least 1000 calories. Add the cheesesticks and it could be up to 2000 in one sitting.

Today I'd lost a pound, which was encouraging. My official weigh in day in Tuesday - hopefully that other extra pound will be gone by then.

Okay so I propose to you that you stop caring about calories. Focus on HEALTH instead of weightloss. If you stop 'restricting' and start feeding your body what it needs and what is BEST for it, it won't be so much about the food you can't have anymore. You won't WANT that food because you will know it makes you feel like poop.

If you are overweight, weightloss will be a symptom of health not the 'goal'. It will happen all by itself.

The problem is that I am healthy. Have been for years, just fat. Except I'm a healthy woman who wears a circus freak bra size, suffers constant neck pain and is being put in the poorhouse by the cost of bras. And who has been told by her insurance company that they won't cover breast reduction surgery until she loses 40 pounds. The whole point of low-carbing for me is to lose pounds. Inches don't count and even healthy doesn't count. My insurance company doesn't give a rat's you-know-what if I'm healthy, just that I lose 40 pounds.

You keep your goal in mind, you've not been at this long so you need to give yourself a break and some time for adjustment. I believe you will do it and you should to... one little slip up isn't going to stop you getting what you want. Keep you chin up and I hope you feel better x

I understand what you are saying...what I am telling you is that the pounds will move when you a) stop stressing b) focus on ANYTHING else other than the deprivation c) eat the right ratio of food and forget about the calories - they will fall into place naturally (when you settle down and just pay attention, you will naturally be full when you've had enough fat/protein/bloating from veggies in addition to plenty of water).

Anyway, thats all I'll say cause I don't want to sound like I'm badgering - I just know that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to stay on track when I have to count anything. I also feel the deprivation and rawk out to a frenzy of garbage eating...where I'm left with my head spinning and wondering what everything even tasted like. Then comes the self guilt trip, self loathing...bad attitude that says 'why bother', etc. If I just 'listen' to my body and do what 'it' tells me to, the weight literally melts away.

I haven't read everyone else's replies, but I think that if the most strict version of the Atkin's diet isn't working, add a few carbs in and experiment with how to keep yourself feeling satisfied and preventing the binges. Believe me, I have the same problem as you had when I completely deprive myself of everything.

I also think that you could consider adding "quick foods" to your arsenal so you can eat before the cravings get to their strongest point. I'm talking about things like salami, cheese sticks, sliced roast beef, almonds, macadamia nuts, you get the idea.

We all have slip-ups, especially more than once, but it is par for the course. Just think of it as a learning experience :-)

Encouraging reading this thread!
I binged for.....3 MONTHS, not 3 days!
Birthday, then guests, then busy, then social events, then then then....
Now, back on track or its BIG trouble.
Gained back 7 pounds in those months.
My prob was icecream and danish with coffee.

Feeling MUCH better, back to active, eating less and right.
walked 8 kilometers today.

Cinnapies are the devil. I used to work next to a PJ and when I was closing alone, I'd order a Cinnapie at 7PM. The intention was to eat a piece or two and bring the rest back for the kids as a treat. Nope, never happened. So, the next time, I'd order another SURE I'd be able to withstand the temptation and "bring the kids a treat."

Evil, evil, evil PJs...

Just a thought. If you could have your personal physician write a letter of medical necessity for your breast reduction, the insurance company should cover it. Unless your policy specifially excludes it. I am not sure where you live, but weight discrimination is illegal. They cannot deny you a surgery that they would cover for someone thinner. This is illegal. If you continue to pursue, they should approve it. Most insurance companies make it difficult to get prior authorizations as they do not want to pay. Your stats do not seem that out of range. Call your Dr. request that they write the letter. Get a second opinion from orthopedist and another letter. Submit these to the insurance company and appeal if necessary. If they still deny, have what is called a peer to peer consult. Your primary care Dr. will talk directly to the medical director at your insurance company. He presents your case and it is finally reviewed. Usually by this time they get sick of you and are likely to approve. The letter of medical necessity needs to state severe back pain interferring with activies of daily life, neck pain and possible altered mental state and possible depression due to chronic pain and lack of sleep due to excess weight caused by misporportioned breasts. Take pictures of the bra marks left and any other pictures that would prove your case and submit it all. They don't expect you to fight. If you are a big enough pain in the ass, hopefully they will give in. Good luck

Agree also on the medical necessity. Sheesh, you could lose the 40 pounds just by having the surgery. I know, not funny.

I don't agree with coconutz. I have been a binger and disagree that it will go away with a) focusing on health (already am), b) stress management (main stress is food change which must happen), c) counting on being naturally full (appetite signals awry).
Those things might work for some people, sure, but did not for me.

I found it helpful to count grams of protein, fat, and carb, and to eat smaller regular meals. Blech.
I say counting grams because my problems were mostly not wanting to stop to eat, so I could easily get not the right mix of protein/fat/carb so then my energy was too low.

But it does seem as if the total avoidance of deprivation at the cellular level is what keeps bingeing away.
What was best for me was to have enough to avoid restriction (in my body's view, not necessarily my head's), while also eating just right for fat loss.

Hey! Another Optimal dieter! I discovered this diet through a poster called 'Scorpion' at another forum (GLP).Lots of greatadvice. i agree with you, the above advice dosn't work for me cuz I'm such an EMOTIONAL EATER. I get blind sided by an emotionally stressful event and its binge time to feel better. Hence, yo yo scale.

Yah, I get ya - but I believe even "emotional" eating is physical first. And then after the physical we "learn" that it works and there is the behavior part.

Did you know that eating fast fuel is the body's fastest way to biochemically answer the "stress" call from hormones and turn off the fire alarm to tell the body the stress is handled? See, we really have been smart all along.

Stress, doesn't matter if it's emotional or physical, it leads to
adrenaline, hypothalamus, pituitary fight-flight-feed-freeze hormonal squirt, which leads to
Sudden need for sugar, which leads to
Burning sugar from blood or squirting sugar from liver, or
Alarm bells at the cellular level if there's no fast sugar like if we're low carb or low cal or fatty liver.

Pretty cool really.

Made a cheesecake today, all low carb ingreds.
And, no sugar.

3 eggs
Cana'an cheese, (kinda like Israeli style ricotta)
full fat sour cream
butter and crushed almonds (for crust)

Whipped cream and strawberries for top

sweetened with Sugar-like

bake 45 minutes

not bad