With this WOE, it's just so different from other "diets" I've tried. I'm not hungry all the time, and I think that's what has allowed me to stand back and sort of examine the "issues" I have had with food. For example, this week I was very stressed and busy at work -- I found my self thinking -- what can I eat? Not because I was hungry -- it was a nervous reaction. Also, I try very hard to focus on what I CAN eat, instead of what i can't, but at the grocery store, I still have a hard time. I dream of chocolate every night. I was a major carb addict, and although I no longer crave sugar in a physical way -- there is a strong psychological craving. It reminds me of when I quite smoking -- the desire to smoke after the first week had nothing to do with physical addiction. It was a comfort, that's all. Anyhow, does anyone else find themself thinking more clearly about issues you've had in the past with food?

ABSOLUTELY! without the carb monster controlling me, I'm realizing when I am "really" hungry as oppossed to using food for comfort etc.
I used to turn to high carb comfort foods to deal with anything from boredom, depression, stress etc and now I'm learning to deal with these issues emotionally by journaling, exercizing, talking things out rather than reach for the closest bag of chips and dip. Its very liberating knowing that I'm in control and I can funtion, heal and express myself without stuffing my face with unhealthy foods. flutter

I was thinking this very thing yesterday. Once your full into the WOE, then you have to deal with everything that your old WOE covered up. Personally I used food for everything: celebration, depression, when I was rejected, upset, bored. And I know have to begin to look at those issues. Atkins doesn't deal with them....

I always thought I was a comfort eater. Come to find out I am not an emotional eater at all. Without my blood sugar levels all over the place, I never think about food until I am hungry. And now I KNOW when I'm hungry and when I am full, which is a totally new experience for me.

The other thing I've noticed is that only fresh foods appeal to me now, where before I found anything in a package so tempting I just couldnt resist. This WOL is just so much better!

I'm definitely thinking more clearly about these issues -- probably more than I have in years. I used to be ultra-thin (5'9" and 115 pounds in college -- yikes!) but started gaining weight when I got a high-stress job. Looking back, now I can see that my weight gain resulted from two separate issues:

1. I ate when I was stressed out or tired, which was most of the time. And of course, the weight gain stressed me out more and made me more tired...so this pattern increased with time. Luckily, my job required a lot of activity so I didn't REALLY start to gain fast until I started working on my Ph.D. and spending huge amounts of time in front of the computer.

2. I ate high carb foods because they were so "easy." It was much easier to stop at the McDonald's drive through on the way home than to try to cook myself a healthy meal. This pattern abated somewhat after I got married (I married a man who COOKS!!) but whenever he traveled for his job I'd hit the drive throughs again.

Consequently, I became a complete carb addict. I could polish off a package of cookies or a full bag of candy in one sitting -- no problem. When I started Atkins, I had SEVERE carb withdrawl -- actual physical illness -- for four days.

And I still obsess with food. This morning I went grocery shopping when I was a bit hungry -- always a dangerous thing to do. But as I was cruising down the cookie aisle with my cart, I kept reminding myself that yes, the choc chip cookies looked good, but I was wearing shorts that haven't fit me in 2 years. And instead of being the slightest bit tempted to buy the goodies, I grabbed a diet coke from the store cooler and drank it while I shopped.

Mary: I started low-carbing the day before you -- on 6/15. You're doing GREAT!! Good luck!

Jeannie

My experience EXACTLY! Ain't it grand? Who knew?

Jinx

This WOL enables you to be in control of food and not the other way around...

I, too, have learned a lot about myself in relation to eating. I am an emotional eater sometimes. But an even bigger revelation to me was that I just don't really miss bread very much. I also don't miss rice or stuffing. I am lucky enuf to be able to eat potatoes sometimes.

And I must have a sweet something, even if it's just s/f jello. But it's easy for me to do this, which I would never have predicted!

This WOE really rocks!!

I'm so torn on this issue! I have been LCing for six weeks but I have a stock of Carb Solution bars, LeCarb chocolate almond ice cream, and have tried some low-carb desserts in the Atkins book as well as sweetening sour kraut with Splenda (I was a sugar junkie). I have NOT lost my sweet tooth but I have NOT budged when it comes to what I eat to help with those cravings. I have found some great substitutes to ease the pain of quitting all of those candy bars, sodas, ice creams, etc. I was never a bread eater so that didn't bother me at all. I like pasta but if I don't go to the Olive Garden, I am fine. I only ate rice with chinesse food & after finding a roach in my food about eight months ago, I have totally deleted chinesse from my diet so that problem is also solved. I love potatoes but only really ate them when I went out to eat so now I eat ALL of my salad & tell the waitress to keep the potatoe & bring me a different, low-carb veggie to substitute. This really is a great way of living/eating & I hope I have the will power to sustain it for life, not just through the summer!

Good luck everybody!!!

I totally know what you're talking about!

I used to read about people who would "forget to eat" and I could never imagine myself doing that. I'd be thinking about my next meal while finishing my current meal! But now that my blood sugar is stabilized on this WOE, I find myself going hours and hours without thinking about food. WOW!

I have had this exact same experience in the past. When I'm eating very low carbs, i.e. induction (20 or under) I will get busy and forget to eat. This is really an odd this for me because normally I obess (literally) about food. I have little panick attacks about food. But not with Atkins.

I do still have to deal with the emotional eating. This is tough.