I know on this board we have some thinner people who are using LC as a way to recover from eating disorders. For them LC gives them control. Soem are doing great, but others keep falling back into habits such as binge and purge and my heart really goes out to them. Yes they may be thin, but the cost seems really high.

Hi Karen,

I really don't know what to say to a heavy person about adkins because coming from someone weighing 98lbs, I am sure it must sound rather ridiculous. We know we want to be healthy but others sometimes assume we are anorexic, etc... I had a very heavy person at work tell me that adkins ate her sister's liver. I simply said "That's impossible, you should read the book"

I respectfully disagree that luck has nothing to do with being thin. Some people DO work very hard to lose weight or maintain it at, but for a lot of thin people it comes down to a genetic flip of the coin as well.

It's not to say I'm blaming my genetics for reaching nearly 300 lbs at my highest point. I know I have a genetic predisposition to obesity, but it's up to ME to be vigilant and not let my weight get control of me.

My point being... and I do have one..some people are lucky enough to have inherited bodies that aren't as likely to store fat. Like an interview I once read with one of those supermodels where they asked her the secret to her tall, thin, beauty. She replied "Choose the right parents."

I have read this kind of comment too. And do you notice how often beautiful women have beautiful mothers? There is certainly luck involved in genetics. (Lucky for my daughter she has not inherited my build, whereas my son has--he was overweight at age 6, she has never been overweight, yet they live in the same food environment).

How about this myth -> Thin people are always happy, socially adept, etc.

I was one of those little girls who weighed about 20 lbs more than the other girls when I was growing up. I thought being overweight was responsible for all of my problems, especially socially.

Then I lost the weight during high school and I was in for the rude awakening that I was still the same person with the same issues and that losing weight was not the miracle answer I'd hoped it would be. That in fact, being overweight hadn't really even factored into a lot of my issues and that I was actually going to have to work on the inside and not just the external. As stupid as this sounds, that was the first time I realized that the thin girls I'd always been jealous of had the same difficulties as everyone else.

It's a cultural thing, it varies by region, and it's been going on for a LONG time. I was born and raised in the west, was fortunate to have attended college (my first time around, that is) in Northern Idaho amongst the hippies and back-to-the-landers in the late 70's/early 80's. At the local supermarket, whole grain bread and white bread was about equally represented on the shelves. Then I used my ROTC time to advantage and got posted to the deep south (Alabama for 4 months training, then Louisiana for the rest of my 3 year commitment). In a town with 3 supermarkets, one didn't carry ANY whole wheat bread, and the other two could be counted on to have between 2 and 6 LOAVES, usually fairly stale, at any one time in the entire store!! We couldn't have imagined anything quite so sickening as an entire row with nothing but various brands of white bread when we were living in Idaho.

When I started Atkins, I was hovering at 260, with knee problems, and sweet-smelling urine. I was scared. 5 days into it and I discovered that the heartburn that had been my coinstant companion after every meal for nearly 30 years was gone! I then found, at 10 days, that I could eat lettuce and/or bananas again without horrible GERD for 6 or more hours afterwards. That hooked me, let me tell you! What this has to do with the subject of this thread is simply this: Thin people have every bit as much right to feeling good after they eat as Fat people do--doing Atkins as a WOE or WOL will enable this feeling for anyone--Atkins, for me at least, and apparently for a whole lot of others out there, isn't about losing weight--that is merely a (much appreciated) side benefit!

Hi karin289, I think your sensitivity is commendable. I've been on both sides of this one, and in my experience it's very difficult for a thin person to extoll the virtues of any eating plan to a large person without it ending up sounding like "why don't you do something about yourself, lardo."

My own approach is not to talk about it unless asked. It's none of my business how other people eat, but if they bring it up (i.e. ask me how I lost weight or say they're changing their eating habits), I'm happy to talk about the health benefits of low carb. This way I don't feel like I'm prosletyzing to people with bad eating habits, but I have been able to share my experience with a few people who wanted to know, and that felt great.

Oh -- myths about thin people:

1. Thin people are all beautiful

2. Thin people can wear anything

3. Everyone likes thin people

4. Thin people are fit and have perfect bodies

5. Everything is easier for thin people

I firmly believed all of these 55 pounds ago

Thanks for the advice, SarahO. Seems that's what I've been doing out of default -- not mentioning Atkins because I (1) don't want people to be offended when I tell them how much I love it, or (2) don't want to be chewed out because obviously I don't need to lose weight.

That said, I just had a lovely big salad with full-fat ranch dressing and I feel AWESOME!

Ladybelle I agree with you wholeheartedly!!!

I see alot of parents talk about that on here and other places. "Well they are a growing boy with a high metabolism. I don't see why I should limit junk food since they don't have a problem"

Yes they don't have a problem now, but the eating habits instilled now will stay with them for life. It will be much easier for them at 40 whem metabolism slows if they are already eating a balanced diet instead of suddenly having to change the whole way they eat.

I'm low carbing my three little ones (5,3, and 2). While I'm not cutting out things like fruit, and milk, I'm limiting it. I'm also taking all sugar out and using Splenda to sweeten things. I am also making it a point (as they start to learn to cook) to teach them that low carb is the "normal" way to cook. I figure if they never know any different, they will grow up to eat healthy. I feel this is important. They are not in any way fat, I just want them to learn right, now. I wish my mother had known what I know now....maybe I wouldn't be here going through this.