I have a different opinion on this. I don't know if you should be doing "low carb" im not saying it wouldn't be healthy....but I just think you need hands on help. I think you should find a nutritionist that will help you along the line of what you want. If you want low carb...find someone to help you with that. If you want low fat... find someone to help you with that.

I don't think you want "low low carb" --- you already said you want cereal and that type of thing, so maybe you should just aim at under 75 or 100 carbs per day. Thats low compared to some of the rest of the USA's. If you keep at a range of carbs your weight wont fluctuate with water weight as much if you eat a bowl of cereal. ... and on that note I don't see why your weight would fluctuate at all on an egg yolk. Meat has no carbs, eggs have minimal carbs...and I don't know if egg yolks have any or if its the whites or what - but either way it has less than lettuce....so..

I guess my main point is you need professional help. Im not trying to demean you or belittle you by saying that. I am very concerned and I would want someone to stress to my daughter that point if she came onto a message board asking for the types of advice that you are. I would feel very bad about myself if I offered any other advice that that because THATS the advice you need. PLEASE talk to them and do as they ask. Normally in a case I wouldn't tell someone that - but in this case I think it is the best option.

Hey Littleme,

Can I first just say sorry to hear you're suffering with an ED. I have had an ED for 4 years now and at one point I was exactly in your situation. I was 11 1/2 stone when I went on Atkins around the age of 17 and quickly dropped down to 6 stone in a matter of 9 months following Atkins. My body was extremely emaciated and at the time I was also posting on here for advice as even touching sugar free jello (as you've mentioned) made me panic and freak out. I was threatened that if I didn't sort my act out I'd be taken into an ED hospital and be fed the food they gave me. At the time I was still following atkins and very content with what I was eating, but I had to change that otherwise I would continue to lose weight. I was very strict with myself and so the weight loss didn't seem to be stopping.

So around christmas time that year I slowly but surely changed from low carb to moderate carbs. First it was just allowing myself sugar free jello, and some nuts. I then added in unallowed Atkins food, some breaded things, and maybe a bowl of cereal some days. Everyday was a panic and struggle in my head and I thank my mum for helping me get through it and constantly reassuring me that I wasn't putting on weight. And the odd thing was, I wasn't. My body was so malnourished that whatever I ate wasn't putting weight on, it was rebuilding my insides and the muscles that I'd wasted away. I began eating normal foods, but sensible options and everything was absolutely fine when I realised that despite the fact I'd put on a few pounds, it'd been in muscle mass since my clothes were fitting exactly the same. I fit in some exercise most days (but not excessive or obsessively) and I just maintained.

Unfortunately I did go through a rough patch in my life where I started to comfort eat and put some weight back on. Like I said, I do still have an eating disorder and until recently had been just starving myself to bring my weight down. I know damn well this isn't the right thing to do and that's why I'm back here today, to lose weight the right way and not take it too far this time.

I guess my whole point is, speaking from experience, that I'd been exactly where you are and know how you're feeling. And it's hard to allow yourself things that you've been restricting all this time. If you don't want to come off Atkins like your doctor advises, then just allow yourself the low carb treats and other flavoursome foods included in this WOE. I think if you relax a little and see that you don't gain weight, that those impulses to binge won't be there anymore, because you'll already be satisfied with the low carb foods you're eating.

I hope this helps in some way.

If your goal is not to lose weight, which it shouldnt be. Why not throw the scales away? (or put them in the cupboard:P)

Like everyone is saying, if you eat an apple or some carby food chances are the weight gain is water weight, just like when obese people start LC dieting they lose water weight really quickly - it works both ways. If you're not seeing 3 pounds of fat appear on your belly frome ating an apple (you wont !!!) then it's not fat

Why don't you do some reading of the science behind LC eating?

Once you learn how fat and carbs work then you won't be as afraid of fat, in addition I think you could eat some 'natural' carbs like fruit or potato, up to somewhere around 80-100g a day and eat a decent amount of fat(dietry) and not gain weight (body fat, not water weight) at all.

Information is power and with power is confidence!!

First thing first though, stop weighing your self imho

Good luck.

I just want to say ive ready everyones posts and thank you for all of your kind words and advice Its has made me feel a bit more positive about the whole thing I have made a few tiny changes (starting to have a bit of onion and red pepper) and its really really hard but hopefully i will get there. I still cant understand my phobia with the jello though

The good news is, there's no such thing as sf jello deficiency. So, you never have to eat it at all. I don't.
Now, I have to ask if your goal weight is listed right. Do you really want to weigh 100 pounds? How tall are you? Unless you're only five feet tall, you don't need to weigh that little. What does your nutritionist say you should weigh? Do you get enough protein? I'm not suggesting high protein, but adequate for your body type. The Eades' books and sites have the chart to determine it and his explanation of the chemistry of metabolism and blood sugar is easy to understand. He doesn't have the negative publicity that Atkins does, so if your nutritionist would look it over, he may be able to help you put it to good use for your own needs. The newer "Protein Power Life Plan" book should help you the most from what I've heard about it.
It may be very hard to find a professional who understands about fats but you should try to at least find someone who is open minded enough to read the book.

a part of me really wants to try the jelly- but i feel as though it would be a bad thing (to the extent id lose sleep over it bla bla) its just really difficult. A big part of me wishes i had never lost the weight in such a server way because now i feel so trapped :/

When you say you feel 'trapped' does it mean you are still eating to induction levels of carbs and food choices?

im scared of any carbs at all... i very rarley have any im usualy rigid with zero carbs.. living off chicken breast and a few egg whites. I feel very guilty if i add in some red peper or onion or anything really it just makes me feel awful. Im scared of cauliflour i tried that rice stuff with it once and freaked out when the scales went up a pound the next morning :/

Are you eating enough food of any kind, LittleMe?

I do worry about you getting enough nutrients.

This!