Hi All. I am an AMerican living in the Netherlands...North Holland, 20 miles NE of Amsterdam. I just started Atkins 6 days ago and my Dutch husband is SO supportive. Just today I saw salt and vinegar Pringles...which I have NEVER seen here. I begged him to buy them for a 20 pound loss celebration! lol How embarrassing! But, he said no and our marriage is stronger for it I think! I just have a few problems.....

Here in Holland it seems as if there is virtually NO weight problems. The women are tall and VERY slender for the most part. How horrible. I cannot wear ANY of the clothes! And, they eat so much darn bread and potatos! I cannot BELIEVE it! And, well, the sweets are unbelievable....Believe what they say about Belgian chocolates...we have TONS here. These people (including my hubby) eat chocolate sprinkles on bread for breakfast, lunch, snacks...EVERYTHING! Unbelievable that they aren't all HUGE.

So, since they are not, it is virtually impossible to find things to help me with this way of eating...besides whole fresh food. They ARE best, but sometimes you are on the go and an Atkins Bar would be nice! The only diet product I have found marketed here is Slimfast! EWWWW! The sugar...the CARBS! (It is a Unilever product and Unilever is Dutch...they HATE ATkins and Lo Carb because it is KILLING their Slimfast line everywhere but Europe!)

I have looked everywhere and cannot find Atkins followers here either. I think Atkins is almost totally unheard of here in "continental" Europe. I need BUDDIES!!!! Anyone want to help me???

OK..I am finished. I had to get this out. I look forward ot some replies. If you cannot Private Message me....and I have had some problems.....feel free to email at ***********
Charlotte

Hi Charlif!

It was so nice to read your message!!! I am in a similar situation as you but in reverse. My husband is also Dutch from Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, but he moved here to Chicago so we are living here now.

I totally understand about the no weight problems in Holland. When I visited him for a few months at a time before we got married, I think I was the biggest person everywhere I went!! And his mother did make potatoes every night for dinner and bread was breakfast and lunch!! You are very strong to resist all that delicious temptation there! I know when we go back to visit his family I don't now if I will be able to keep all the delicious bakery and chocolate away! And yes doesn't that chocolate spinkles with butter on a croissant taste delicious!

As for the bars I don't think you are missing out on much to be honest they don't taste that good and they tend to stall a lot of people.

One thing I do like about Holland is the delicious cheeses they have there. mmmm we do not have cheese like that here.

Well anyways good luck on your low carb journey! It was nice to hear from a Dutch connection!

HI there! I am so gladf to hear from you!!!! WOW! You drug your Dutchy back to the US...good for you. There's lots I can say about living here...some good and much NOT. EVen my husban dis fed up with some aspects of the culture he hadn't recognized till marrying a "buitenlander" (foreigner). I'll have to tell you about my experiences here sometime OFF the message boards. Email or when I am able, private messaging. Suffice it to say that it has been most difficult fo rme here in MANY ways...especially professionally. I see you are an art teacher...I was a substitute teacher in Reading, English, Special Ed and Social Studies in the DC area while I was in Acupuncture school. I loved subbing but could never be full time...too much crap from the school boards!!! Anyway, I am working hard on this diet. You are right...the cheese is EXCELLENT. But, my best friend here has a husband who is a baker......the best one in my town......he is ALWAYS bringing us treats and delicious sunflower bread....I no longer can have.

We are in Hoorn, 20 minutes northeast of Amsterdam, near Enkhuizen. It's wonderful living in a town by the inner lake of the Neth. I LOVE water...right place for me right?

Anyway, NO low carb stuff here, but I am thinking of contacting Atkins to ask about starting a distributer in Europe. That would be cool, huh? For now, I am having stuff delivered to the US and brought over by packmule (my friends) or shipped the lowest cost wat. Not much...just Advantage and Morning Start...which I will use almost NEVER.....But, I am quite busy and travel some her, so I guess one of those is better than a "Broodje met kass" (bread with cheese)! lol

Feel free to email me on yahoo...same name as here....*****
Look forward to hearing from you again!

Char