My name is Judy and I am a carb addict. Over the last four days I have eaten more sugar than in the entire previous year. I was .5 away from my upper goal limit, and blew away the entire last month's progess on egg nog, rock road chocolates, and on and on and on. I am so glad that all the company is gone and that I can now get back to clean eating. I've got to find some poor unsuspecting soul to dump the rest of the carb bombs on. I don't know that my will power is back to where it should be yet.

So how did everyone else do over the Carbmas Holiday?

Judy (today/141)

180/138.5/135-138...almost there!
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Oh Judy honey look at all you have accomplished! Everyone has a slip up now and then. Just get back on there and keep being an inspiration to us all.
I love your sig and I always look to see if your .5 has fallen off yet. It will along with the slip up weight. It may be easier this time around to do it. It might have jump started your metabolism and those few pounds will just melt away!

Here's to ya!

Jen

See my sig with my slip up weight added as well.

Atkins since 11/11/03

140/136/115

As one carb addict to another...I really understand...but girl lets just get back on the wagon and let go of our carb binge...the more distance we can get from it the better....and lets move on to new healthy places we haven"t seen before...and a few we have!

Judy, I know you are disappointed in yourself right now, but I assure you, you do have the power to get back on track right now.

In fact, what you have experienced is a very, very normal part of the learning curve for maintenance. Fact is, this is exactly the kind of situation we learn most from now. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to assess the situation non-judgementally and think of strategies that you'll employ in the next similar situation. Next time, you'll be able to remember this experience and be stronger and more prepared.

For me, at least, and I suspect for many others, the maintenance road isn't a straight one. It's still a climb, and there's lots of new territory to cover. It can be more difficult in some ways than losing. But this is truly where the rubber meets the road, when you stumble and find the inner strength to still love yourself enough to get up and continue on the path rather than turn back.

Concentrate on what you can learn and use in the future and not on what you have done. I know you can do this.



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98

Three days later....... The candy is still in the house, but I haven't eaten any of it. I did one semi-induction day to try to get past the carbs. The calories were HIGH, and the carbs were low. I'm still stuck around 141, but feel like I'm getting back in control. I go back to work (school) Monday so I know things will get back to "normal", and will be easier.

Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments. I'm really afraid of this maintaining thing. I think it may be harder than losing. I've managed it before for a while, but always gained back in a few years. This time I'm not going to do that! My big resolution for this year is to get to goal and stay there.

Judy

180/138.5/135-138...almost there!
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Judy, I truly understand your fear, but if you go into maintenance understanding the challenges, and understanding that each challenge is an opportunity to grow and to become whole, you will be well prepared. Getting to goal is not the end, but rather the beginning.

Successful maintenance requires eventually confronting, understanding, and resolving all of the issues that made us overweight, all of the reasons we ate instead of thinking, feeling, or acting. It requires truly knowing ourselves, accepting ourselves, and learning how to make good choices every single day, no matter how we feel, or what stresses life brings. Fortunately, we don't have do accomplish all of this immediately. The infinitely wise universe gives us ample opportunities to learn on a regular basis.

That's ok. And it's certainly better than the alternative. You can do it.



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98

Hi, my name is Peg and I'm a carb addict too! Judy, it's good to see this post, but I am sad for you. However, I have to admit that I've been going through some of the same stuff, as you know.

The high carb stuff is still in the house. Yesterday I avoided it until 11:00 pm when I had to have a chocolate.

We'll do it together! Don't worry.
Peg

Well, as for me its a different story...

I was only 1kg (2.2 pounds?) off from my goal weight in November and I was so thrilled to have made it this far. So i figure its time to relax a bit and go into my pre-maintenance stage (which i did). I enjoyed the pre-maintenance because i wasn't as strict in my eating habit and i was still loosing my weight very slowly (maybe on a snail pace but hey its still loosing rite?)

So, this went very smoothly during november and the first 2 weeks of December, until xmas holiday...and then BAM! i had 2 weeks of Carb fest!

So by the end of december reluctantly i went on the scales again...i was dreading this because i was very sure i would've gain some of those weight i lost because of what i ate during the last 2 weeks (although my clothes still fit nicely).

And guess what??! I was very puzzled that i only gain 0.4kg back (not even 1/2 kg which is about 1.1 pound?). And to make it even more confusing, i measured myself and i was still loosing the inches! even more inches than when i was on OWL! Isn't this strange or what??

How could this be? i ate everything i wasn't allowed to eat during my 2 weeks carb fest! Chocolate, ice cream, pasta, rice, bread, potato...EVERYTHING! and i didn't gain that much weight back and how come i still loose the inches???

Does this ever happen to anyone on maintenance?
The only bad thing about the carb fest was that my period went haywire (maybe my body not used to that much carb anymore?).

I'm just counting my blessings that nothing extremely bad happened to me because i did feel very guilty while i was cheating during my xmas holiday. Everytime i put that food in my mouth i kept thinking "i shouldn't be eating this" but i went ahead and ate it anyway! However i did noticed something else, those food does not taste as good as it used to (well, as far as i remember anyway).

Just thought i share this experience with you all because this is my first holiday season while on Atkins and its a relieved that i'm not the only carb addict out there.

I'm glad to say that i'm back on the wagon since the new year, and i'm planning to stay on the wagon for as long as i can (or at least until i'm pregnant and then i might have to re-evaluate and change my Atkins to suit my condition).

Happy New Year everyone!
Hope this new year will be the year for reaching your goals and dreams!

[This message was edited by KiwiGaL on 01-05-04 at 05:46 PM.]

[This message was edited by KiwiGaL on 01-05-04 at 05:49 PM.]

KIWI, you were just plain fortunate that by LC'ing you'd rev'ed up your metabolism enough to get by with your carbfest. So far. Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to catch up with you, too. Count your blessings; but don't count on the same free ride again, ok? It might not happen next time.



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98

Ditto, your brain can play tricks on you and make you think "I got away with it last time, I can do it again" I'm someone who got cocky after easily losing 50 lbs and never made it back to the wagon.

I didn't have all this good support then either.

Hi BC & Kerry, yeah i'm gonna try my damnest not to do that again...i still feel guilty about the carbfest.

I'm really counting my blessings this time around, and i'm sure my body will not be able to handle going on and off LC. Surely its not good for the body and it will be like doing the yoyo dieting again....and i never want to go thru that again!

I will try my hardest to stay on the wagon this time

Thanks for your advice

For me, the danger isnt in the original binge. My weight usually doesn't change much after the first binge. What is a danger for me, is telling myself, I can " have an occasional" treat. Ive got it undercontrol. I dont. Once I start, unless I stop right away, it leads to continued binging and sluggishness,hypoglycemia problems.THEN the weight piles on.

I suppose it is the nature of being a carb addict..sigh..

Deborah
171/140/137

Deb,
I totally understand that. I have done the "I can have an occasional treat" slippery slope too many times. My goal is not only to get to goal, but to keep from sliding into the "Oh well, one won't matter......" well.

Judy (today 140)

180/was 138.5/135-138
"How long does getting thin take?"
Winnie the Pooh,Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

My DH gained back 15 lbs on that slippery slope. He is back on program and relosing the weight.He told me that he only had been doing lipservice to the need for this to become a WOL.
His gain really shook him up. Its a rough learning curve sometimes!

Deborah
171/139/137

Ain't it the truth, Deb.



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98