I've been having trouble for the last 3 weeks sticking to my diet. Had been doing great since the beginning of may and had lost about 46 lbs. Now I've gained 8 lbs. back and am feeling horrible. Instead of the weight gain prompting me to get back on the diet, I seem to be spiraling out of control with my eating.
I know I eat when I'm depressed or upset and I think what helped to get me off track was the anniversary of 9/11 (it really upset me last year) and my son going off to kindergarten. (I don't like having the feeling that no matter how hard I try, it is sometimes impossible to protect my own kids!) But enough is enough or I'm going to end up at the weight I was at before I started!
Any words of encouragement would be helpfull!

Sorry to hear that you're in a rut and a little depressed. Also sorry its taken this long to respond to you. I'm very jealous that you had lost 46 lbs since May. Fantastic, it works!!! Now, what do you need to do to get that motivation back that you had in May?
Maybe an old picture, self esteem, or a healthier mom for those wonderful children...somewhere in you is the motivation!!!
Like they say at Nike...JUST DO IT!!!!!

I have ruts frequently as well. When I do, I try to refocus on what my short/long term goals are. When I fall short of my goals I try to not be hard on myself. It also helps me to realize, that for me, LC is a way of life (not a spirnt but a marathon).

Find your motivation and get back into your groove!!
Good luck!

Hi there Jandbsmom,

Abbe has given you some great advice there.

The main bit I'll enlarge on is the WOL (way of life) issue.
The main thing that struck me about your post was your mention of going on and off "the diet."

For low carb eating plan to be successful, you really have to adopt this way of eating for life. If you think you will be able to eat "normally" once all your weight has gone, you will be dooming yourself to failure. Reread Dr A's book about maintenance, and you'll see it will be very easy to eat this way permanently.

Personally, my weight loss has been very slow (on some meds that keep me slow, among other things), but I think of this as the way I eat now - weight loss is just a bonus!

It also helped me greatly to clear my house of all unnecessary carbs. No white flour, pasta, white rice etc.
If you have other family members who are not LCing, it may help to only buy whole grain products in future.

Some plans (Schwartzbein, Sugar Busters, Sommersizing etc) allow a lot more carbs than Atkins. Maybe one of those plans might suit you better. Have a look at "Which low carb plan is right for me?" at the right side of your screen, and have a think about it.
I'm just reading Sugar Busters at the moment and may well incorporate some aspects of their plan into my eating in the future.

Hang in there!

Rosebud

9/11 really affected me too. I travel quite a bit for work and happended to be in Boston on 9/11. All I wanted was comfort food---for me that means a really excellent bottle of red wine and huge plate of creamy risotto or polenta It's easy for people to give chipper advise when their day is going well. Just know that we all go through up's and down's on this diet at some point. For me, it took finally being congnizant of how emotionally I am effected by falling off the wagon. For several days after, I am listless, depressed and hopeless. Somehow, coming to the realization that I can greatly control my attitude and happiness by controlling the insulin rollercoaster has enabled me to be more focused and content with the wol choice. It's not a temporary diet to rebel against---it's the rest of my life. Plus it helps to have around a few of the new Malitol (sp?) LC products for days when you are tempted. Atkins now makes a really good substitute for peanut butter cups. They are self-regulating because if you eat too much it has a DRASTIC and IMMEDIATE effect on the bowels. At least for me it does..... Anyway, just know that you are not alone in the struggle

Not quite sure what you're referring to here, Tricia.
I, along, with most of the world, was deeply affected by September 11. Just because I didn't refer to it in my post does not mean I was not affected by it.

And I'm sorry to disagree with you again, but I cannot in all conscience advise anyone to eat products containing sugar alcohols such as maltitol. Have a look at Low Carb Tips on the orange bar at the top of the screen for more info on the sugar alcohols. Unfortunately, many, many people find their weight loss comes to a screaming halt when they eat products such as the low carb bars.

You'll find that most of the successful low carb losers are those who stick to pure, whole foods.

Rosebud

Sorry, Rosebud, was in no way referring to you with my comment. Simply meant that it's easy for those who are having a good day to say "Aw, hang in there--it's not so bad! Look at all the people who have had success! Stick to it". It's not so easy when a person is having a bad day to listen to that advice. Regarding the Malitol comment----I personally believe it's better to have a Malitol treat occasionally, with the mouth feel and satisfaction of a candy bar, than to go and binge on a quart of ice cream/bag of M & M's/Big Mac w/the bun and fries/box of donuts. In a perfect world we would all live happily on whole foods, but for some of us the reality is we are all not perfect low-carb beings. We wouldn't be here if so......

Hi there jandbsmom,

I hope things are going better for you.

I know what it's like to be depressed and want comfort food. You're probably not going to like my suggestion, but here it is....exercise. Believe me, I know how hard it is to pull yourself up and get moving when you feel so down in the dumps, but it does make all the difference.
Make yourself a workout tape full of fast pace, upbeat music. It really helps to me keep moving. (I couldn't imagine working out without music.) Plus, once I'm walking/biking, and listening to the music, all the other thoughts, feelings, ect, get put on hold. That doesn't mean they will go away completely, but of us need to take a break from the bad emotions once in awhile. Then, after you're done, you'll feel that much better knowing that you did something good for yourself.
The best thing to do is make a plan for the next day and stick to it. Lay out your workout clothes the night before to remind you. I find it best to go walking,ect. within an hour or two of getting up in the morning. If I put it off to the afternoon or evening, I'll never do it, and then I'll just end up feeling guilty.
As I write this, I know how irritating it can sound to someone that's really going through a hard time emotionally. But the endorphins that exercise produces, plus the sense of accomplishment you will get may really help you get over this difficult time. Don't think of it as a chore you have to do, but someing special that you are doing for yourself. Also, take it easy, you don't have to run a marathon. God knows, I couldn't

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I started again yesterday and am trying to fight the cravings. The daytime is always so much easier for me than the evenings. After the kids are in bed and my husband goes up I just want to sit infront of the t.v. to unwind and of course the urge to snack hits!
I've read some feedback that you shouldn't eat the lo-carb chocholate bars, but I would have one in the evening before when I was doing good with Atkins and seemed to still lose fine. Does anyone have any comments on these snacks?
Thanks again for responding, it really helped to get me back on the right track!