Seems like I've had a month like that. I am a college student a semster away from graduating and I don't know what I'm going to do with my life. I have ideas and options, but it's the scariest place I've been in in my life.

My boyfriend and I had lunch about an hour ago, and he told me he thinks I have a stress problem/ emotional problem - NOT a binge eating problem. I don't binge when I'm relaxed, when I've had a fairly easy week. It's only when I'm under high anxiety or stress that I binge eat or eat off plan. My problem is stress/anxiety - eating the wrong food is a side effect. When I am craving sweets or other junk it's something with my emotions brewing , not hunger.

My boyfriend and I made a game plan: I call or text him when I get cravings, or when I'm being antsy to get off plan. Here is the breakdow. Of defeating cheats plan:

- Breathing: Count to 50, breath deep, clear your mind.
- Visualization: I picture myself in a bikini, in Fiji, on my honeymoon
- Distraction: what events am I looking forward to? That movie date? A trip?
- Call/ text for support; talk out what is bothering me at the moment.

So this is my plan. I'm tired of making this transition harder than it has to be. I gave up carbs like I gave up smoking, spending money recklessly, just like any other habit. My new habits are letting myself feel my emtions without self medicating with food, and following through on the promises to myself.

I deserve to be thin - to look on the outside how I feel on the inside.

Wow - your boyfriend is a keeper! That is great advice - and he really cares about you.

Thanks for the reply - it helps to see the answer is to feel things instead of stuffing them down.

I left out the word, "flavoring". It is not syrup. It is chocolate flavoring. The popsicles are artificially sweetened, NO CHOCOLATE in the bag, no FUDGE, no sugar, just 8 grams of carbs. I don't know if Atkins allows this or not. I am so used to the old W. W. diet. If I count carbs, and no more than 20 a day, I thought I would lose weight. Sorry, if I am on the wrong page.

For all products you need to look at the actual list of ingredients to decide if they are allowed on whichever plan you are following allows.

So if your own 'just counting carbs' plan allows the ingredients then it is fine if it does not take you over whatever number of carbs you are allowing yourself.

hey thanks for posIting on my sight.. and then i read urs.. and the other posters comments.. Today is the day i am restarting it. .sticking to it. I love the quote: Progress Not Perfection. Plus. its fifth of may, Cinco De Mayo Sounds like a good day to start. I am even going to jump on the treadmill, well stretch first..lol my body will thank me later.. I even had enough nerve to check the scale after two weeks.. 218. but i was 223. so Progress not perfection. Thanks for stopping by .. I will be reading your thread. and what is ur degree in and what will u be doing with ur degree? what kind of exercersing do u do?
Well talk later time to move my butt! Shannan

Hi grannyL. For Atkins, and especially critical during induction, it is not just the number of carbs, but where those carbs are coming from. For example, artifical sweetner is to be limited. They syrup and the fudge pops will be loaded with them. The pops especially because they likely have sugar alcohols in them. The bread, which is probably somewhat low in carbs, likely contains some type of wheat or other grains. Grains are not allowed until the final step of the second phase of Atkins (there are 9 rungs to what is called the "carb ladder"), and some people are never able to reintroduce them...and if they are, it's to be eaten from very rarely. The egg beaters are mostly egg whites, with other flavorings added to supplement the lack of yolk. For Atkins, or really any low carb plan, the consumption of fat is critical to keep your body functioning, and 60-70% of your calories consumed should be coming from fat. This is why eggbeaters and the fat free shakes don't fit in. Fruit is also a big no no during induction, although some low GI fruits are allowed (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) fairly early on in the second phase.

Again, I don't mean to be sounding harsh. As someone else mentioned, if you are just counting carbs, then what you are selecting is fine. Atkins is a pretty structured program where carbs are very limited to certain sources in the beginning (mostly from vegetables) and then you begin to expand your options in the second phase, but very slowly. Where the carbs are coming from is key - not just the number you are having.

To Krystair,
Never, never, never "CHOCOLATE SYRUP". CHOCOLATE FLAVORING, only! The word "flavoring" was supposed to follow "chocolate". Certainly not chocolate syrup. I never use chocolate syrup...... The popsicles were not "fudge", they were sugar-free, low carb.....

Ok, I will try Atkins for 2 wks. I have to leave off buying fruit. It's too tempting for me. I began reading Atkins Diet yesterday.

Flavoring syrup is what I meant. Quite a few of us here use DaVinci sugar free syrups...they aren't a sauce, but a liquid flavoring. Same thing. Still artifical sweetners, which need to be kept limited during Atkins induction. The pops, while sugar free, probably had quite a bit of artifical sweetners as well as they have 8g carbs. Like I said, counting carbs only, that's fine. Just not good for Atkins induction.

If you want to give Atkins a go, see if you can find a copy of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. It's a really good read, will give you all the science behind why certain carbs are allowed while others are not. Very interesting and super informative

I wish it was just the DD3! I slogged along for most of the first 2 weeks! No problems with the cravings dept-just could barely put one foot in front of the other. I even called in sick one day because I just felt so incredibly exhausted. But I did not cheat or go off plan and sure enough! BINGO! eureka! fireworks! after that it was high energy and feeling great! I have continued to feel wonderful and am still loosing-I am slow due to daily steroid use-but could not be happier!