I would simply ask one question.

How badly do you want to lose weight?

Your answer is your answer. I can tell you, that when away with the boys I stayed on plan, and put up with the ribbing I got in the restaurant for leaving all my food, and the ribbing I got for drinking vodka and diet coke.

But that was for me to deal with and has no relevance to you.

If you choose to ditch the diet, I hope it does not become permanent :-)

Me too.......................................

Aside from your "cheat week" topic, if your plan is to use the Atkins diet to reach your goal weight and then return to eating a "normal" diet that includes all the things you've "deprived yourself" from while on Atkins - I can give you a forecast of the results... You will gain back everything you lost and then start packing on more weight. That is the diet you were on while you were gaining the weight. Why would the results be any different? The statistics on losing weight and keeping it off are grim. Most people don't do the maintenance part -- they just return to their old way of eating.

I've done several LC "diets" over the years -- always thinking of them as having an end date when I reach my goal. I only hit my goal one time and I did return to my old way of eating. I did manage to maintain for 4 years by running 5+ miles a day and going back to LC eating for a few weeks when my pants got too tight. Eventually I lost the battle, started putting the weight back on and stopped the rigorous exercise routine. Over the years, I've lost from 50 to 90 pounds 5 or 6 times and always gained it back because I returned to the diet that got me fat.

I wish it had not taken me so long to figure out, but I finally got it through my head that I have to change the way I eat forever if there is any hope of reaching my goal and staying there. Since I now view what I'm doing as a lifestyle change, I don't look at the foods I don't eat the same way anymore. I'm not depriving myself -- I am saving myself -- by not eating them.

No. Absolutely not my plan. I'm doing atkins for life, except for rare circumstances.

Honestly, no. I want to know what happens if I do return to plan. As I understand it I'll be back in ketosis in 3 days.

but it could take longer. It depends on how hog-wild you go and for how long. And of course, how stubborn your body is.

If the cravings don't get to you first, you will be back in ketosis within a few days. But what most of us are getting at, is that is hard for many to get right back on plan and the cravings tend to get to us first. My first week back on plan were always the worst, major cravings and I usually gave up and binged before I even hit that first week.

There is a reason so many gain weight back and its not because they are capable of eating a "cheat" meal without issues on occasion. They gain that weight back because that one meal or that week long vacation turns the cravings loose and that sugar monster is back on the loose and going nuts again. Very hard for many people to control.

It is called yo-yo diet. Google it.

Well, that is good to hear. In all those years of failure that I endured, I never actually read the full Atkins plan and really had no end-game for maintenance. This time I'm going to do it the right way.

I hope you don't feel like we are all ganging up on you. It is just that your topic hits upon the very core of what we are all trying to accomplish - staying on plan, eating healhty, and reaching our goals. Nobody ever failed by sticking with the program. But every failure -- another ride up and down the weight rollercoaster -- started with something like what you first posted -- trying to justify or rationalize a cheat. You may not have the carb craving issues that a lot of us have. You may be one of those who can take a short break and get right back on plan. But I have a feeling that it will not be as easy as you think it will be. That is the word of warning that I think we are all trying to drive home.

I've stuck with my plan for 4 1/2 months now with no cheats. I'd never gone longer than a month without a "break" or "reward" on previous attempts. What I've learned is that this program gets easier and easier the longer you stay low carb. Six months ago, I could not imagine a life without bread, pizza, pasta, sweet treats, etc. The first month or two, I kind of felt like I was in a food desert -- with nothing I was eating giving me the same pleasure and excitement of those old carby favorites. As time went on, I lost weight at a nice clip, started feeling a whole lot better, and missed those old carby favorites less and less. I've learned to do more with lc food and make the diet more interesting. The temptation to go off plan is less and less everyday. I like the place where I am now -- kind of on LC cruise control. Eating low carb is my life now and I enjoy it more every day. For the first time in a long time, I see myself reaching my goal. I would never have experienced this if I hadn't made a point to avoid cheating at all cost.

Over Christmas I went normal carb. Here is what happened:


Frankly no one knows what will happen to you. Well, we do know that you will gain the water weight back. You'll gain back some fat too. After that? Dunno. Some find LC to be slower the second time around. Going low to high for a week and back to low did little or nothing for me.

This.
As someone else said, no one really knows what will happen if you go off Atkins for a week then back on. Everyone's different.
However, for a lot of us, doing something like that led to disaster, so that's why most of us are not recommending it.

Okay. I will carefully consider your warnings. I never considered myself "carb addicted" but now you have me thinking of carbs like cigarettes or heroine. I don't feel at all compelled to leave plan. I'm very happy eating red meat all the time. Just thought I'd enjoy some waffles / doughnuts / beer on vacation... My naturally thin g/f has me taking her to a food and wine festival on our vacation. I don't mind, and it doesn't bother me to see other people eat pasta / cake in front of me.

You may have talked me out of leaving plan. If i dont crave carbs, why eat them? Thanks forum.

I think that's a good point. Coming back from the holidays I found I just didn't want to eat carbs.

You need to do what you feel is right for you. Nobody can decide this for you.

As for me, I went off for a week, (we went on a cruise) and I ate anything and everything that I wanted. I really did not drink a lot of regular soda, did not have the taste for it, so I just stuck with coffee/tea/milk/juice.

When I got home this last Friday night, I knew that I was going back low carb on Saturday, and I did just that. The only thing that I really noticed is that I was more hungry though out the day again, still feel this after being back on 5 days, it does seem to be getting better now though.


When I weighed in on 6-6, I was 204, and on 2-14 I was up to 211.5, 7.5 pound gain for me. As of this morning, I was back down to 208, so down 3.5.

Would I do it again, you bet! I will be going off again for vacation in December and possibly for my birthday in October for a day or two. This is a WOE for life, however I do not think that you have to pass up a vacation or a holiday here and there for the rest of your life. The key is, always set a date to get back on plan and stick to it!

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

This is more or less the experience I'm anticipating.