Hello all!

[clamshell7]

I am a new member today and will welcome all advice to a Sr. Citizen who has lapsed badly and gained back 20 of 40 lbs lost. Help! How do I get back on track and stay there?

[MissScruff]

Welcome to the boards! I am in kinda the same boat...I gained ten pounds back over the last year when I was so close to my goal. Getting back into this is really hard to do, but I decided about 34 hours ago that I was tired of feeling the jiggle and decided to drop sugar! The withdraws have been terrible, but I know it will be well worth it! So, the only advice I can give is to just do it! Decide you want to lose the weight and keep it off and it just isn't worth eating all that junk anymore! Besides, there are so many yummy low carb treats to be discovered! :yum:

[connie7]

What she said!

[Kisal]

Welcome to the forums, Clamshell! The best advice I can offer is to find your Atkins book (buy a new one if you have to!), read it, and then follow it to the letter. Only you can decide when you've "had enough" of being overweight.

You will find a lot of support, information and encouragement on this site. Visit as often as you can, read the success stories, the new threads and the old threads.

Use My P.L.A.N. (just click on the words highlighted in yellow on the green tool bar at the top of each page), or go to fitday.com, to track the foods you eat each day.

Start a journal! There's a Sticky at the top of this forum that explains how to do it. It's a great way to keep yourself accountable!

Best of luck to you! :wave:

[clamshell7]

Thank you all for the encouragements - please don't stop!!!! It's hard to break the bad habit of eating to compensate for the stresses of life - eating seems to stop the stress triggers. Anyone find relief for this dilemma without using food? It happens once during a day - no specific time of day - the rest of the time is easy. Help

[Kisal]

It happens once during a day - no specific time of day - the rest of the time is easy.Before you eat to relieve the stress, try to identify where the stress is coming from and what your real feelings are. Are you actually hungry? On the Atkins Plan, you're supposed to eat when you're hungry. Make sure you always have quick foods available in advance, so you can just grab something out of your fridge and eat it when the need strikes! I always like to keep a roasted chicken and some hard-boiled eggs in my fridge for such times. A plate of celery stuffed with cream cheese is good to have around, too. Even a big bowl of tuna salad or chicken salad is handy. :yum: :yum:

Make sure you get plenty of sleep. I usually have the most difficult time staying on plan when I allow myself to become overtired. As you say, it occurs about once a day, but not always at the same time.

Some members have posted that they think they're hungry, when in fact, they're thirsty. Be sure you drink plenty of water every day. I try to drink a minimum of 68 ounces of water every day, and I often drink as much as 90 ounces.

If you live alone, it should be an easy matter to get rid of all the foods in your pantry that aren't suitable for your eating plan.

Reread your Atkins book, and keep it close at hand so you can refer to it often. Take it with you when you shop for groceries, so you don't accidentally buy some food that isn't acceptable for your plan.

Buy only fresh, whole foods. Avoid processed foods as much as you can, because they almost always contain added sugars and other substances that can stall your weight loss.

Use My P.L.A.N (the link is highlighted in yellow on the right hand end of the green tool bar at the top of every page here) to track what you eat every day. It really helps one to see what they have really eaten. Unless you choose to make it public, no one will see it except you, so be honest with yourself! Some members prefer Fitday.com, which is a separate web site. Just use your browser to get there. It does the same things as My P.L.A.N.

Start a journal! It's amazing how much it helps to be accountable! But not only that, if you have a journal, we'll always know where we can find you. Lots of members will pop in for a little visit to see what you're up to, say "hi," and offer support and encouragement if you seem to need it.

HTH! :wave:

[sleeknslim]

Hi Clamshell,
I'm new to this board but I've found the way to change a bad habit is to get into the habit of doing something else - so instead of eating (as long as it's not real hunger) you could make it a habit to first read 2 pages of some book or do the dishes or anything that will substitute. Make sure you congratulate yourself every time you succeed too and don't worry about the times you don't. Hope this helps.

[bob2112]

Welcome to the forums. Wishing you all the best on your journey.

[SlowNStedy]

Give yourself a pat on the back for getting on track before you re-gained all 40 pounds...or more.

[clamshell7]

Thank you all for the helpful advice - so many good ideas that I have printed them out for my kitchen counter. I promise to try them all and will keep you all posted. Many thanks again - I have hope!!