Okay, I really had three. I'm not beating myself up about this because it is all about CHANGE. But I would love some coping advice. I am a self-proclaimed pig, love all food and drink. I have a background in foods and nutrition and for 20 years I have been on the low-fat bandwagon, funny that it never worked for me!!! I've shelled out major $$ to weightwatchers over the years. Finally, Consumer Reports did an article about dieting (very, very interesting) which gave me hope. They discussed Dr. Atkins approach in their article with a "hmmm, maybe he's on to something" and proclaimed it safe. So, finally, I decided to give it a whirl 10 days ago and here I am. Tons of energy, and nil cravings. The problem I have is habit - my DH and I work together in our own business. On Fridays we have traditionally had a couple of drinks together to wind down and discuss the weeks' happenings. We've done this for years. I knew this was coming. I had Diet, caffeine-free Coke on hand. But I chose the lovely cold beer offered to me. My DH has been pretty supportive of this, I was a little ticked as I had told him that wine was a little more acceptable than beer, but beer is what he brought home. Any ideas to give me enough strength to say "no" next Friday?? I love this program and feel I can finally be successful. Thanks!!

Hello Sew!

Congrats on your weight loss! I know it feels great! It is amazing isn't it - how we quickly associate food and drink with reward! Pretty sick when you consider how many Americans are obese. And we learn it in childhood - that treats are rewards! To those of us struggling with obesity, offering a treat as a reward, is not so different from offering a rock of crack as a celebration. Obesity kills - we know that. I only have one suggestion really - just remember that the cold beer will always be there if you want one. No one is punishing you by now allowing you to have it. You are rewarding yourself with the big diet coke and celebration lemon slice! It is just one day at a time and today we choose to pass on the beer! Hang in there Sew you are doing very well!

Cindi

Hi Cindi!
Thank you for your kind words!! I ended up having a great LC weekend, and as my 18 year old daughter would say, "I'm pumped" about the week to come. I read another post in here where a person said with regards to rewards - "you are not a dog. Dogs are rewarded with food", I thought that was a neat perspective. Anyway, today I am wearing pants that I have not been in for a couple of years and I am only on day 12 of induction. Amazing the difference a few pounds can make. Have a great day!!

My, your being awful hard on yourself. You had a few beers? With your hubby? Good for you - quality time together and a time to chat a laugh. Lots of LC beers out there - so don't beat yourself up!

My take on this is that having a couple beers on a Friday night is that you need to adjust your WOE to fit your lifestyle. Since this is something that you and your husband enjoy, I would switch to the Michelob ultra light beer and enjoy a couple beers on Friday nights without feeling guilty over it. It may take you longer to reach your numerical goal, but isn't the overall goal controlling your weight with a WOE that works for you? I know many folks probably disagree, but that's what I would do.
asugar

Sew

Congrats on your weight loss

I agree with everything said here. Since you are going to keep this WOE for a long time to come then there are options available for LCers who wish to reward themselves on occasion.

I agree with finding the lowest carb beer there is, from what my son tells me (he lost 50lbs on Atkins) they are now making beers to fit the LC WOE. He still enjoys his beer on Friday nights with the guys (not excessive) but goes to induction level for a day or two to get back on track.

HN

Thank you all for the wonderful support!! The reason I was so worried about having "cheated" that evening was that I had only recently started this WOE and did not know if I had the gumption to stick to it. Now that it has been about 3 weeks, I know that I feel so much better that the odd slip-up won't send me into a tailspin. I have never in my whole life been able to stick with something for this long. I know I can do this. The best news - my DH noted my increased energy and good humour, and my mildly decreased waist and a week ago he asked if he could join me in this WOE, and it has been wonderful. He is excited about feeling better. He needs to lose about 30 lbs.
So last week - he did not bring home beer, he brought home a lovely bottle of white wine, and I thoroughly enjoyed my two glasses. We live in Canada and Michelob ultra-light is not available here, but we do live near the US and next time we travel southward I'll be looking for it!!!