Hi all, I've been on Atkins for around a week now. My trouble is low blood sugars due to having Type I diabetes. This causes me to be forced to eat sugar and carbs that I had not intended on eating. Well, what happens is I then feel guilty about eating the sugar and carbs since I went in this with a plan of not to cheat.
Then it hit me! If I am (and maybe even YOU reading this) are truly committed to this WOE, and we happen to cheat at times (which WILL happen), we must forgive ourselves for it. Then, get back on track immediately. This isn't like a diet you go on for a while. This is it, baby! The key is to make a commitment to stick it out for the rest of our lives! Wow, I am writing this to help others and it is helping me just reading it.
Please add your comments about not feeling guilty too.

Btw, if you know a Type I diabetic, the best insulins I know of are Humalog aka Lispro-short acting insulin, and Lantus-which is a long acting insulin. Write them down and give them to a person with diabetes and you may help them live a better life.
Thanks everyone, I have learned a lot from reading many of the posts. I
Sincerely,

Jimbo I

a big "I CONCUR" to you, Jimbo!

I don't care if I've blown the week -- as long as I don't blow THE LIFE, I'm cool!

Just today, the wife and I decided to go crazy hog wild and had full blown, carb laden chinese food.

Tomorrow is another day.. back to Atkins and being healthier.
No guilt. A little discomfort and queasiness, maybe, but definitely no guilt.

{abstract mode}
I'm afraid I don't recall the source -- but one of the great "existential crises" of life is the crisis of freedom -- the realization that no matter what, you're in complete control of what you do to yourself.

If you want to blow it, you and only you can make yourself screw up.
If you want to succeed, you're the one who controls that too, to a large extent.

Treat yourself right. Do what you know is best for you, and others, as often as you can. But don't expect to be perfect. Don't be ashamed when you're not. You don't deserve to feel ashamed. You deserve to feel happy.
Life's too short for shame and self-loathing.

Hogarth

OMG, I really needed to read this post. Thank you for starting it Jimbo and for your words too Hogarth! I am looking forward to reading more reponses because I have to say, I'm one who is REALLY hard on herself. I feel guilty about everything I do. Before I discovered this WOE, I would feel so guilty for having a rice krispy square or some chocolate, heck, or ice cream, now when I have an extra helping of veggies I feel really guilty (or a 3-egg omelette instead of a 2-egg one). And sheesh, veggies are good for you, even if I have a few too many once and a while it's WAY better than the cheats I used to have. We don't have "bad" foods in the house anymore, so if I feel like having something bad I'll have a LC bar or chocolate and practically beat myself up over it for the rest of the day. I need to read and re-read your posts you guys. You make SO much sense, this is NOT a diet, this is my life and I'm not cheating, I'm just making choices, some days better than others and I have many, many more days ahead of me. I have to stop living like I'm waiting for the next cheat (even though it may not be anywhere near a cheat by normal diet standards). My husband says I'm so hard on myself and it makes him very sad to see me do that to myself.

Thanks again for this thread, keep the responses coming!!

Lily

Jimbo I'm so glad you wrote that. I'm a moderate hypoglycemic and sometimes the low bs just happens. Last night I had an episode, I had a half box of mini raisins and a tb of peanut butter at 2 am. I decided to just keep going at 20carbs today, didn't even write it down.

I did decide to adjust my foodplan to have a protein shake with some peanut butter before I go to bed from now on.

Do you think you will adjust your insulin now that you're lowcarbing?

The one "cheat meal" I've had was planned for over 2 weeks. I'd decided that if the scale had not moved by a certain day, then I would try to "carb-shock" my system. I ended up eating about 126 carbs for the entire day. I was told later that a "carb-shock" would have been closer to 500 carbs in one day (GASP!). Oh, well...the scale started moving again anyway (coincidence probably).

I felt no guilt whatsoever over this meal...it was GREAT! Immediately after supper (the planned meal), I went straight back to lc. The next day, I was still in ketosis...all was well!

Earlier this week, I was in a meeting in Pensacola...no lc food. I had 1/2 cup macaroni salad and 1/2 cup coleslaw with my meal...it was great, too. As before, still in ketosis the next day.

I think a lot of folks worry over every single morsel that passes their lips (I was one at first)...maybe some folks need to (YMMV, etc)...but I've finally learned that as long as I eat wisely and more often that I did when I first started lc (I eat 4 to 5 small meals a day now), I keep losing those inches...the lbs will follow when my body decides it's OK to let them go.

Just my thoughts...

60s

nawchem...

I thought I was the only one who did the PB protein shakes...

2 scoops DW Chocolate, 1 tbsp pb, 1 cup SoySlender Cappuchino...I usually have one of these for breakfast (too busy to cook an egg, you know)...fills me right up!

60s

Hi nawchem,

Yes, I have already lowered my insulin dosages. I do what Dr. Bernstein recommends which is to document my blood sugars and adjust as necessary. They are much closer to normal levels with very little insulin. I have had diabetes for 31 years now, got it when I was 4 years old. (Please don't add those up!) LOL. So, I decided not to tell the doctor. Oh, I went on Atkins in 1999, after a month of being on it had Hemoglobin A1C test and other blood work. Dr. could not believe they were my tests! She said I was at NON-diabetic levels! Also, cholesterol was good. I have been searching for proof that Atkin's WOE is bad for your health, but I just can't find any. I've come close, but then the reasoning kind of "trails off" or gives unsupported findings.

From your post "I decided to just keep going at 20carbs today, didn't even write it down."
Good for you! Right back on track-no worries.

On a different note, I like Buddig meats, only 1 carb for whole package, don't know if you have that brand by everyone, but I just eat the whole package as a snack.