I started Atkins 3-28-2010. When I did, I immediately joined an Atkins board for support. That board, which I shall not name, is more of a cult than a support board. No variations allowed. No flexibility. It's all by the book. Should you mention anything that indicates flexibility, you will spur an argument that involves word-for-word passages from the book. I guess I kinda liked that at first. It gave me comfort for the first hundred days or so of my stall.

I've been stalled on Atkins since early August 2010. Since starting last March, I've gone off plan exactly once, over Christmas, for two days. I've raised my carbs, lowered my carbs, cut out dairy, exercised more, exercised less, cut out nuts, spent weeks eating flax, spent months avoiding flax.

I started at 250 nearly a year ago and I have to date lost about 30 pounds. I've weighed between 217 and 225 since August. I've lost the same 5 pounds over and over. I also vary by 2 inches over my hips/waist.

Even when I lost the initial 30 Atkins pounds, I lost it in large wooshes. I've never lost consistently on Atkins.

One of the reasons I have not given up totally yet is that I love Atkins. I love how I feel while on the diet. I love not being ruled by cravings; I love the way I feel physically when my blood sugar levels are stable. Diabetes runs strong in my family and I fear if I don't get a handle on my diet now, I'll end up just like everyone else, carrying around bottles of insulin to keep me alive.

My goal is to be healthier, overall. I love the whole foods approach of Atkins.

I'd like to lose weight as part of this overall goal. I am not looking to become rail-thin, wear tank tops and/or booty shorts in public or anything... I just want to not be morbidly obese.

I found this forum while searching for information on the fat fast. I've intended to start this several times, only to be talked out of it. Within the cult, I was told I was doing something horrible and that I should just stick with the directions in the book.

I am at the point where I am tired. I've lost all excitement explaining the Atkins diet when someone asks why I can't have cake, or potatoes, or some of their prized macaroni salad. It was fun to tell people about my diet when I was new with the expectation of losing. I know that it's not wise to compare myself with others, but generally speaking, I know other middle-aged women who do something as simple as just cut out soda and have dropped more weight than I have within the last year; I've cut out soda, chips, pretzels, bread, cake, ice cream, brownies, cereal, most fruit, fast food, sugar, pasta, candy, muffins, tortillas, etc., etc. and I can't seem to drop an ounce. I know low-fat/low-cal doesn't work for me either, so I need to do something else. What I am doing now is merely frustrating me.

OK - back to why I am here. While looking for information on the fat fast, I came across a discussion on carb cycling. I found a really long thread here that I am excited about. Rather than the fat fast, I think I want to give this a try.

So, here I am. Are ya'll going to shoot me if I only drink 55 ounces of water one day, or have an extra sweetener on someone's birthday?