after having been on atkins diet for 22 months, got back into carbs in august. every day is another nightmare of trying to abstain from carbs again and get the old well being feeling back again. weight is piling on pretty fast. started a food addicts anon. meeting, thought being "in service" would help me get back on track. it's just not working and i need to get the carbs out of my system NOW. appreciate hearing from people as to how they talked to themselves to get a new start.

How about 1 day or 1 meal or even just 1 hour at a time. Or start with a program that allows some carbs, like CAD or Somersizing until you get back into it? How did I do it - check out my introduction - I had no where else to go! You can do it!

I agree...I started this LC-ing on Carb addicts Plan...it was a terrific way to get into this WOE. I have since changed over to atkins, just for a while. I would like to start seeing this fat melt off of me. After I start seeing some really dramatic results, I will go back to CAD because I like the idea of eating like that for the rest of my life.

Hi mariah974,

I like you, knew Dr Atkins worked, but went back to my old ways. I was fed up with how I felt everytime I indulged in too many carbs - weight gains and fatigue. The more I tried to wean myself from carbs the more I ate. I finally went cold turkey.
Best of all, I found this site just before I started Dr. Atkins again. It has inspired and motivated me to reach my goal. Now I know I will reach my goal!!!!

You need motivation? Checkout the "What's your motivation?" thread in the Daily Low Carbs area. Read the journals!!! They are great!!

You can do this mariah974!! Just do it!!! Remember your past victories!!! They are your strength for today!!!


DesertRose

Getting back into a program can be tough. There's always the temptation to say, "I'll restart tomorrow" and then the next day pop a piece of candy before breakfast and say, "Well I screwed it up already, so much for today." and keep putting it off.

The good news is that we are really in control of ourselves. It may not seem like it when those "voices" inside us are pushing the carbs at us. Also we have to remember that those symptoms are physical also. Your body has been getting carbs regularly and it thinks it's entitled to them. So, it's going to kick and scream for a while until it gets them, or forgets about them. As for how long until your body forgets about them, it's individual.

Methods for getting rid of those "voices":

Cold Turkey--the hardest but works the fastest and most reliably if you don't fall off the wagon. Vitamins can help you get over the cravings sooner on this method, especially chromium. Also, drinking lots of water will help.

Gradual--you get to keep some carbs and you can try to wean yourself off of them. One method I read about starts with just adding a protein serving to every meal. The protein counteracts some of the effects of the carbs your eating and helps to keep you satisfied longer with lessening of cravings.

Planned--you can plan how much carbs you're going to be eating, maybe it won't be very low carb at all. Try to stick to your original plan and not deviate. This would build some confidence that you can follow an eating plan and perhaps give you courage to try a slightly more extreme plan.

The only thing that works for me is the cold turkey. I just go back on the program at the next meal if I had something that wasn't part of the plan. Nowadays it doesn't happen very much to me but by taking the proper action when something does go wrong you can keep things under control in the long run.

Hope I've been helpful.

Elihnig

thank you so much to those you replied to my first post. it meant a lot to me this morning to get up at a time when the stress in my life is nearly at peak, my husband is terminal with cancer, i feel guilt at spending any time on my self, and you were here with your words of encouragement.

i know i can handle life better without the brain fog induced by too many carbs. i will today "stay "present", abstain by the hour, as mrsvvt suggested.

i have systemic candida albicans, i think i remember doing as atkins says when i re-started his program two years ago, and first eliminated the foods that feed the yeast. so i'll use this as my jumping-off point again.

thanks, will talk with you again soon.

Hang in there Mariah! You can do this! Just take it a day at a time as someone else said.

I am also coming back to this WOE after a relapse into the world of carbs. The first few days the carb addictions are so strong. It's almost as if they get stronger everytime I re-start but once I get past them, I know I will feel so much better and so will you. So, don't give up hope! This is my first full week back. I've slipped a couple times but I am determined this time so I try to come back to this forum every day or every few days for inspiration and motivation and to alleviate boredom eating. I've been rewarded with a 5 lb loss since 11/3.

Keep going Mariah and letting us know how you are doing.

BTW, what foods feed the yeast?

Hiya

I too fell off the bandwagon after going on holiday and putting on weight , I did what you did and came on the site a few days before restarting as I knew I wanted to shift this weight and the low fat way was the fattest way to go. S I am now in my third day , no cheats and blasting off those love handles . Hope this gives you encouragement. It is a lot easier than what you think it is going to be, after a few days you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner good luck

It really sucks doesn't it. I started on the diet again a week ago. My motivation came when I could only fit into two pairs of pants. I didn't want to buy new clothes, I wanted to fit into my old ones!
I will not lose the battle this time!

Good Luck!

hey all you helpful concerned people out there!! thanks so much! wow, just the stuff i need to hear.

i, too, am in my largest small clothes and sure don't want to go into a larger size. do all of you exercise on a regular basis? i think that's one of the "lacks" in my life right now. i'm doing 24-7 care of my husband, with some help from hospice. needless to say, i'm going to have to be creative to start exercising again.

foods that feed the yeast are basically simple carbs, plus foods with vinegar, aged cheeses, mushrooms, alcoholic beverages, even the lactose in dairy can cause a flare-up. the yeast free diet is one of the most restrictive a soul can imagine. crooks book, the yeast connection is good, also atkins covers it extensively. i buy a capsules of "yeast fighters". twin labs puts one out, they help keep it under control, but it's a must to keep out the carbs.

i haven't binged today so that's a step in the right direction. good luck to all of you, YES we CAN do it.

I would suggest you pick up a book called...Strong Women Stay Young....That is the program I am committed to doing right now. It doesn't take a lot of time...and it works very quickly without being overly strenuous...I actually...for the first time in my life enjoy it.

hi lilwannabe,

i will surely pick up a copy of the book next time i'm out. thank you.

when i re-started atkins 2 years ago after a 13 year bout with carbs, books were a source of real strength for me, og mandino, iyannla vanzant, to name a couple of authors. i had forgotten and your reminder is so timely.

good luck with your goals.

Thanks Mariah...

Good luck to you too...And stay strong...