Oh, my. Your stats are close to mine the first time I did Atkins in '98. I started at 175 and ended at 135. My story is easy:

Got to goal when I graduated with my bachelors degree in Dec of '98. It was wierd , working so hard to acheive (both degree and weight) these and then it felt as if I had nothing to look forward to. Well, got a job as a PR Manager at an Internet Start-up (stress) and started having to eat lunch in a new environment, Started having crap for lunch now and then, crept up to 140-145 and thought no big deal. Start-up fell down and got ANOTHER job at an agency, working on the Apple Computer account. Major stress...Lots of working lunches, LOADED break room (free snacks, even beer in the fridge for us!). Went up to 150-155 (no big deal, I'll start again any day).

Got a new job closer to home after 10 months of that, and again, working lunches, "bagel Wednesday," Kings Cake during Mardi Gras, etc. Went up to a size 12 and about 165 (Really need to restart Atkins, maybe next week). Then DH hit 28 and after seven years together, started going out all the time and "wasn't sure if he was marriage material." Helped myself to lots of pasta and plenty of wine, thank you. Hit 175 and didn't give a s**t anymore (when he leaves me I will go back on Atkins...). Well, we worked it out and we are still together. Then I got LAID OFF in 2001. See the pattern? I stayed at 170-175 and a size 12 until last year, when my metablosim again blessed me with its silent changing and I gained 36 POUNDS IN SIX MONTHS and was diagnosed with high blood pressure (WHAT??!??!). I don't own a scale so I wasn't quite aware of how much I was gaining (hey my pants are getting tight...must have shrunk in the wash...). When I got on the scale at Curves for the first time in Feb, I was floored...209. Never have I been over 200. Not even close. I got a good routine going for a couple of months, then buckled up and went on Atkins Induction again in May. I am around 191 right now, and still going strong.

Now, you might think I had totally forgotten LCing, but no, I was a couple days on, a couple off this whole time, and never went back to sugar. Sometimes I would be LC for a few weeks, then I would break down again. That is probably the worst thing you can do...Think you can eat "normal" again. I now own both DANDR and Atkins for Life and I know I will always have to be conscious of what I put in my mouth. ALWAYS.

Hope this sheds some light as to why some of us regain after successfully losing all we wanted. All I can say is life happens and (obviously) food isn't the answer...

Happy LCing!!!