I am back on induction after losing 30lbs I put 10 back on. A combination of too many nuts, no many low-carb bars and low-carb candies and cream cheese (not to mention the week of vacation where all bets were off).

Our family seems to have addictive personalities. Our motto is moderation is a myth...it has to be either abstinance or indulgence. It has held true throughout my adult life. I find it is easier to abstain from questionable foods than stop myself once I have begun eating something I enjoy.

My husband has joined me on induction again. In five days we have lost 6 & 8 lbs. respectively. I am not hungry and it is not the usually battle of constant cravings. Some times it helps to go back to the basics before things started to go wrong. I am hopeful once again.

Hi there.......

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting back to LCing!!

I have a question for you....What do you mean by "modified Atkins"?

Marlaine

Welcome back, Susan I see your journal is still active in the R-S section... looking forward to reading more! And I hear you loud and clear on the moderation issue - it can be a struggle.

Nat

I'm inclined to agree that moderation is a myth - though that said, I think the mods on this forum are wonderful! Sorry, awful pun ....

Seriously, though, I think that a good way to think of it is that you've done it once before, so you know how to do it again, and you learn from the experience. Take care.

i tend to disagree...sorry i am very good at disagreeing

i do in fact have a friend who did atkins religiously for 3 months(she lost all of her weight)... then went back to eating carbs in moderation... it has been three years now and she still has kept the weight off, and i have seen her eat cake, ice cream, soda...you name it she still enjoys it, however in moderation... it can work, it is all in that lil thing called self control... and the fact that some people are born with a good motabalizm...although i am jealous... i have not been born with such a thing. anyway just my two cents...

SusanD--I have to agree with you. For me I know that there are some foods that I have made the decision NEVER to have again. Even a small bite for me will make my body go into binge mode. People persist in saying you will be okay with a little; but would they tell an alcoholic to have just one drink and it would be okay? I get crazy when people try to convince me otherwise--some foods are poison for me. Why would I continue to do the same thing and expect different results?

Thanks for letting me sound off.

Lee

Everyone is different, some people could just have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. For me, I am on Atkins because it is the most strict in carb intake. I know myself well enough that I can avoid the problem foods all together with no problem. But if I were to taste just a little.... well I am afriad I couldn't have just a litle. So in that sense I am like an alcoholic - not having any is the best for ME.

Congratulations on getting back on board!

I think the secret to success in this lifestyle is to figure out how your individual body works and to make adjustments accordingly.

Best of luck to you!

Kari

....on the person. For those who are addicted to carbs and/or sugar, moderation may be as impossible as an alcoholic having just one drink and then stopping. For those that are not alcoholics (or carb addicts), this isn't a problem...they can have one drink (or one piece of cake, cookie, etc...) and not go on a bender.
It's important to know yourself and know what your limitations and boundaries are. If you know that just one taste of your "addiction" will send you off the deep end on a binge, avoid it like a recovering alcoholic would avoid alcohol. I'm one of those people. I know that I will never be able to go back to eating high carb foods in moderation, especially sugar-sweetened desserts, so for me there is no "moderation" in that area; it's either binge or abstain. On the other hand, I can't seriously ever see me being a "veggie junkie", so moderation there is quite easy. Some foods are even self-limiting, like fat. Try eating a whole stick of butter some time and you'll see what I mean. After a couple of tablespoons of butter all by itself, you probably won't want any more for a good bit.
I think that's one of the most important functions of OWL and pre-maintainance as well as a good argument for why you shouldn't stay on induction until you reach your weight loss goal...for you to experiment and find out what you (YOU, not somebody else) can and can't handle without having cravings as well as developing a plan of action for what to do when those cravings DO hit.

I just remembered something....

I used to work with a girl who could sit with a (small) piece of cake or a bag of M&M's on her desk ALL afternoon....just have a bite here and a bite there.... that used to drive me crazy!! That is impossible with me...if it's there I will eat it until it's gone.

She is probably great at the moderation thing. For me, it's better just to stay away from it altogether.

I agree that moderation isn't for me either.

After I went off induction, I started adding nuts and a bit more cheese... well, that's what ruined it for me. I was a nut junkie, binging on them constantly. If I can binge on LC food, I just know that I won't be able to handle just one taste of cake/pasta/rice/etc.

It's great that we're finally getting to know what our bodies can handle, isn't it?

I have to agree with the original poster of this thread--moderation is not always possible in all areas. I have long had a compulsive eating disorder. This is the flip side of the same coin as anorexia. If you know anything about anorexia, you know that you can't just say to the person---"Eat more and diet and exercise in moderation."

There is so much that is NOT understood about eating disorders. It is more than a psychological issue. It is not just about will power or acting on your beliefs.

The way I see it, if you can identify the triggers that send you out of control--for me they are large carb doses, extreme stress, and on the flip side, extreme feelings of deprivation--then you have the keys you need.

It is not about using will power to be moderate. It is about knowing yourself, and what the "lessor of evils" is for you, so to speak. I am finding that low carbing gives me a feeling of freedom rather than deprivation--as I can have as much meat and veggies as I can fit into my stomach. Also, because of the low carb nature of meat and veggies, I don't get triggered to eat them compulsively, so consequently, I feel neither deprived, nor a compulsion to binge with this WOL.

And I have the energy and will to exercise, for a change. In fact, the exercise (water aerobics and swimming laps) is my way of relaxing--of having some fun in my day, and relieving stress. Going to the pool has become my "get away" from the things that are eating me! And I get the extra benefit of feeling graceful, like when I was a dancer and gymnast, a long long time ago. That feels sooooo good.

kaelen

Kaelen, you're right on for me. Low-carbing has given me the freedom and control to moderate where I can and actually abstain where I need to without feeling deprived in any way.

And the energy benefit is the most dramatic for me. I never enjoyed exercising of any kind until I started low-carbing. Now I feel deprived if I don't get to do my exercising.

Go figure!

;-Deb

From the sound of a lot of the posts--there might be some compulsive overeaters here. I myself am one and have found freedom for the first time in the LC lifestyle. In the past any lack of binging would be the result of shear "white knuckling" Would anyone like to start a topic specifically for overeaters? I am not that good at organizing (or my life wouldn't be so disorganized), but I would definitely contribute. I am actually going to a ED group in the next week in an attempt to try and figure out "this whole thing." Please feel free to email me directly if you would like to talk. uanoel~ivillage.com. I am going to be away on business for a few days, but I will respond on Thursday.

Thanks for listening,

Lee

well here is something i have learned... when you have a bag of something a treat or whatever... only put a little in a bowl and put the rest away, that way you can only eat so much, granted i know some people have trouble with self control... so it doesn't always work i suppose... but from what i understand if you have a lot of stuff in front of you it is easier to eat it all...if you portion it out it is easier to only eat what is allowed... i use zip lock baggies so whenever i buy something i want to keep from eating all of it, i put it into baggies and just have one every now and then....it works very well. like i said i understand everyone is different, but i think we are all capable human beings that if we want to can have self control...it just takes lots and lots of practice for some of us.