I just thought I would post what has got me remotivated. I have been on atkins since last July so almost a year. I was a lifetime weight watchers member before that. I spent a lot of time as a weight watchers member coming up with all these different things to make within the points range. When I decided to try atkins I decided not to bother with recipes. I just stuck with the basics. I basically ate eggs and bacon for breakfast, salad for lunch, and either pork chops/steak/chicken etc. for dinner. Now I just wasn't interested in going to the kitchen section of this site and trying to find all these nifty ways to come up with alternatives the way I did with weight watchers. I guess I got tired of putting effort into diets that always failed me. Anyway this diet has not failed me. When I started atkins I was a size 26. I was at a point where I literally had to order most of my clothes off the internet and for the women out there you know that once you get to a certain size good luck ever finding a bra in an actual store that fits. I am now a size 16. It is really amazing but I stalled out a size 18/20 and I stayed there for about 3 months. I got very bored eating the same stuff over and over again so like always I went back to eating a lot of the same old things that were bad for me. I craved donuts I would eat one. That is a slippery slope to go down. So I spent 3 months gaining and losing the same 10 pounds over and over again. I thought I would never get past an 18. Then for some reason I finally decided to try and find some substitutes for the things I was eating. That is when I realized the kitchen section of this website is a gold mine. Yes there are some recipes that are complicated but there are TONS of recipes that are very easy. For me the less ingredients the easier it is to cook the more likely I am to do it. I had no idea of all these little tricks. Like nuking cheese to make taco shells and crackers. Here I have been cheating with real taco shells and all this time I could have been doing this little trick!!! Since I started really going through this forum I have found that no matter what I crave there is someone out there who has come up with a good alternative. I would bet there isn't anything a person can crave that you can't find at least somewhat of a decent alternative to it. That is when it kicked me back into the losing mode and now I am a size 16 but quickly getting to that day where I can see the 14 in sight. For the first time in 10 YEARS I can walk into a store and buy clothes off the rack. OFF THE RACK. I can buy a bra in a STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing. For once I can buy clothes b/c I like them not only because they fit me. For so many years I go in and buy whatever fits no matter what it looks like. What an amazing feeling to actually have a choice. To say no to a shirt or a pair of pants EVEN though they fit you!!! If I had found any pair of pants that fit me a year ago I would have bought them in a snap even if they were ugly. So for those out there who need that extra motivation I would highly recommend getting involved in these recipe sections. They have totally changed my life. Today alone I had donuts for breakfast, crockpot country spare ribs WITH luscious sauce for lunch, a mocha shake and a jello cheesecake. And hardly any of it had a lick of carbs!!!!!! At this point there doesn't even seem to be a reason to cheat. Who needs to?? Not when we have so many people coming up with so much great stuff to eat that tastes awesome!

Your post is some great motivation and a load of truth too. I am an amateur chef who also spent a great deal of time developing low-fat recipes to fit into my WW points. Now that I am LCing, I've had to relearn how to cook. At first I thought this would be heartbreaking... but no! If anything, I have found my love for cooking and creating new meals intensified and reinvigorated.

Plus, with low carb cooking I get to use real ingredients - no more ICBINB spray of fat-free half and half for this girl!

I totally 100% agree! I have finally started trying some lc recipes and it is so great. It really brings the point home that this can be (is) a way of life. You dont suffer for anything. Someone will find a way! I truly am so thankful for this site. After going from August through January without it, I realize this is a gift. Thanks all!

WOW - great post armywife3 - you are totally right! I started in a 26 as well, and was in a 5x penningtons shirt - it was so depressing - all us "fat" girls at work shop at the same place and had the same outfits. I still feel like I am a size 26, and hope to get myhead arund being smaller some day.

What a great post. I love cooking and experimenting but never thought of using it in this way. I have been having a rough couple of days. I think I'll check out those recipies.

You are so right!!!! I love this WOL!!

This is so amazing isn't it? My first few times in the "regular" section of the store, I bought all sorts of things I didn't really like because I was still stunned they fit and I was still in the if-it-fits-you-better-buy-it mode.

Thanks for the motivational post!

Armywife well said.
angie

great post armywife3, proud for ya! i need to check out that site for recipes.. for all the atkins haters
get over it! atkins works

Thank you for that post. It's just what I needed to hear.

Good post!! Didn't even realize that this forum was there. I am going to check it out. Everyone needs some variety no matter how you are dieting or what eating lifestyle you have chosen. Like the sound of those taco shells and crackers. Jello cheesecake sounds yummy too. Must check it out.


Happy LCing!!!
Marilyn

I'm just starting to use low carb recipes too, at first I kept it simple but now I'm feeling the energy to put some effort into cooking. I'm having some fun with it and it gives a little variety which is nice although I wasn't feeling particularly deprived before.

I've yet to go shopping for anything but a bra(which is a fiscal nightmare - they really love to soak you once you get into the larger sizes) it's always been too depressing and I don't feel like I've lost enough to look much better in anything... maybe I'll take a look next month

Cat

Your post was motivation enough! Reading about your accomplishments and struggles has given me a renewed energy and the tools to not get so discouraged! Thanks!