Cori, I hear your pain and discouragement. I think success breeds success. When I first started Atkins after watching people at work lose weight over the course of about a year, I didn't commit to do this forever. My goal was to do it for Lent (those 40 days prior to Easter). I usually would give up sweets in a vain attempt to try and lose weight. It wasn't easy but I took one day at a time and then when Easter came I had lost almost 20 pounds and decided to keep doing it because it wasn't that hard and the SUCCESS felt so good. Right now I am in the beginning of an 'upward' spiral. The sugar free chocolate has taken over my life and the scale is beginning to move up. I'm hoping to find the strength again this Lent to get back on track. Its scary to think I could lose all this progress. Why not try it for a day, a week, whatever you think you can handle and see what happens. good luck.