I cheated today with... *2 packegs* of the best chocloate ever! ..........I feel like I broke all rules and my adiction got all over me - really-like doing drugs!....I thought I got read of it ....I need a treat ...and I was doing so, so, so good for the past 8 weeks.....where is the place that Ill find all my energy back?.... I feel so weak and such a looser!

Is it happen to anyone else here? or am I the"weakest link" in this forum?

Thank so very much to all of you.

Don't be down. Everyone faces some craving. It's not that you gave in to it, but that you realize that you're going to do better.

Today is the first time since I started a couple weeks ago, that I have been craving--I mean gotta have it -- a big glass of milk. I'm not over it; I'm still feeling like I need to just run down there and guzzle right from the gallon jug. I know it's not quite in the same league, but I wanted you to know that you're far from alone in feeling like that.

I'm going to go for a walk. And take a large water bottle with me.

That milk still sounds good.

Drat.

Don't worry. After 6 months on this WOE I have had 3 major lapses. The last was this weekend which was a bit of a junk fest.

Each time I have jumped back on and kept losing. Obviously it's better if you don't fall off but you can always get back on.

Comparing yourself to anyone else doen't help at all. The sugar, and carbs and calories all went into your body; not ours. I think you need to ask yourself why you "cheated" and why you didn't use any of the tactics outlined in the Atkins book for coping with such emotions. What is your real goal; and how much do you want to achieve it?

After eight weeks your physical ravings should be either gone or considerably diminished. So you really need to look into yourself and try to ascertain just why you so willingly gobbled up all that chocolate. It certainly didn't make you feel better, did it? You are obviously contrite, and I'm sure you know that it just took you one step further away from you desire to weigh 130 lbs.

When you fall, you must get up and start again. But don't do it blindly as if just feeling bad takes care of the problem. Get in touch with yourself and ask why you slipped. And recommit to your goal. Go back to the Atkins book and read all of the relevant information on how to cope with cravings and weakness. Take some positive action. How else are you doing to reach your goal weight, and then maintain it? Atkins is easier than other diets but it still isn't "easy". It requires your total commitment.

Picaboo...

You're not weak. You're human. Nobody makes the best choice or the wisest decision 100% of the time.
The difference between those that fail and those that don't isn't that those who achieve their goals never slipped or made a mistake. It's that those who achieve their goals learn from their mistakes, get up and keep on going. Those that fail, never get back up again.
If you treat a mistake or a slip up as an opportunity to learn about what motivates you instead of berating yourself for a less than stellar decision, it changes the whole perspective of the situation. Look for the trigger and then try to eliminate it. Learn from what happened.
After 8 weeks, most of your cravings should have dissipated. Are you using artificial sweeteners or consuming low carb treats that could continue the cravings? How about diet sodas? It's possible that you are eating a food that you are sensitive to (dairy comes to mind) that can also trigger cravings.
Now is the time to go back and examine what you've been eating for the past few days along with any possible stressful situations to see if you can identify what triggered your craving.
Above all...get right back on track again with the next thing you eat. Don't use a slip as an excuse to keep right on going with the carb binge.

Thank you all so, so, so very much....I really needed to hear that.....
All the best to you all

Hi Picabo,

In my view, I don't think you should feel too badly having given into your cravings. We are all human and prone to certain culinary temptations that simply must be indulged in occasionally. For instance, I have never felt--still don't--and never will feel it is feasible to give up chocolate, ice cream, or any of the foods we particularly like for all of eternity. That simply isn't practical nor desirable, in my view. I think indulging in moderation from time to time to be a much better option than complete abstinance for the rest of your life. Naturally, this might delay weight loss, but there certainly isn't any irreversible harm done--unless one has a medical condition which prohibits certain foods.

From time to time, we ought to eat what we like. I think this eating regimen is a means to an end. For instance, it is a way for us to lose some weight. Once the weight has been lost, consider the following scenario. Eat a chocolate cake, then run an extra mile or two to burn it off. No harm, no foul. In my view, that would be maintenance.

Best of luck!

Picaboo,

Dont beat yourself up about it! You cant change the past, but whatever you do in the present determines your future. Get up, dust yourself off, and keep going! you can do it

Absolutely not! All the weakest links have left and are off in Carbage-land, stumbling around in a carb induced coma and becoming fatter and more brain-dead on a daily basis.

You're still here aren't you?

Karen

If maintaining weight is all we are talking about, that would work just fine. However, even at normal weights, sugar produces some nasty chemical reactions in your body that you really don't want. Even thin people can develop heart disease through eating the wrong things.
Another problem with going back to your old eating habits, even in moderation, once you reach your goal weight is that the old sugar addiction along with insulin resistance can quicly rear its ugly head again and before long that occasional indulgence becomes a daily thing again.
Will I never have my favorite high carb foods again? I Probably will. But if I do choose to eat something that I know is full of sugar, it will be with the thought in mind that this is a rare treat and not something that I plan to do more than a few times a year.

Like Karen stated the failures give up. We all are human that means we make mistakes and learn from them. I gave up on this WOE one night after a stall got me down. I made a choice and ate **big** carbs. I felt miserable (physically) the next day. Then it took several days to get back into fat burning mode. But I had chosen to binge and for the first time in my life I chose not to feel guilty. I have chosen this as a WOL not a fad that passes in one month. So I figure 1 day out of 365 ain't bad. Saddle up baby and ride again!
Jules

Again thank you all so much.

Well this early morning I went to the gyn and did my running....and I back again....lots of thanks.

I actually have to have a cheat day every once in a while to shock my body back into losing. I'll have one meal or two of whatever I want then the next day back to the plan and I start to lose again. I agree with the above post, moderation after you start losing is the key.

As long as you're going down and not up over the long run you shouldn't be too over concerned about a few mishaps along the way

That's interseting what you just said about having to go off the LC for a couple of meals (days?) to "jumpstart" your weight loss... last night I was reading the small diet plan book given out at Curves. It is basically a LC type but I'm an Atkins believer, so I didn't pay much attention to the eating plan itself. What did hit me was the repeated idea by the author (sorry, can't even remember his name.. founder of Curves..) anyway, he kept saying that on any diet plan you will eventually trigger the 'starvation mode' message to your body if you are losing wieght... and that it is neccessary to stop losing and actually gain about two pounds every so often to knock yourself out of starvation metabolism message. I may not be relaying his info correctly (stop in a Curves and grab his book if you're curious), but the thought of intentionally gaining two pounds is a bit of a fright to me!! Still.... he may very well have something there. He puts forth a "scientific" base for this...?? I think this balance between losing and starvation messages to our bodies is critical and very involved with stalls, etc... I'm just not sure I would go to the place of purposefully gaining weight on a routine basis. (Although he says only two lounds and it will come off quickly again. Hmmm... wondering about trying it...) We would have to be very careful not to start the cravings again etc... be very motivated to control it all and get back on track.. any ideas or experience with this from any of you?

Cheers,

Wow there are some great points made here!!

Pica,



That guilt alone will deter you from the next time. It gets easier to resist as time goes on. Karen is right (as usual) the weakest links are shoving carbs into their faces as we speak!!

Scott, <~~that was it right?

As for the milk. I used to drink at LEAST a gallon a day, now if I ever get a STRING urge for a glass of cold milk, I grab some whipping cream and mix it with water and pour it over ice. It has done the trick.