Hello everyone!!

I'm basically looking encouragement, suggestions and support!!

I was a newbie in May of 2001 after my one year old son weaned himself. I was a tried and true low carber for 3 years and lost a total of 39 pounds during that time. I felt great and sang the praises of the LCE lifestyle often.

However in the last 8 months I've fallen off the wagon and have gained back 18 of the 39 pounds. I don't know how it happened. I guess I realized my clothes were fitting more snugly, etc., but with vacations and sweets abounding, I was weak!!! It happened so slowly...a handful of chips here, a few fries there...you know the story...

After trying a low fat/low calorie diet and failing miserably, I have decided to go back to what I know works for my body. I re-read most of Dr. A's book and feel I'm ready to go to the grocery store and do what I must. I just have a couple of questions. It's funny to me as you add carbs in, you drift further and further from the basic idea of LOW CARBS.

1. According to the book, I think I am interpreting correctly when I say that regular salad dressing (Kraft Ranch is my fave), is not allowed on induction. I'm worried, because I love salad, but can't hardly stand it without dressing and oil and vinegar just don't do the trick. Can I use it in my 20g per day?

2. Can someone recommend a good supplement? I took one bottle full my first time around and didn't keep it up. I don't really know why, but I hope to do so this time.

I guess that's it for now.

Thanks to you all. This is such a good site and I really think I will need it to get through the next two weeks...and then some!!

I'm really excited about the idea of a leaner, healthier body.

KFain
Cincinnati, Oh
181/161/142

Welcome KFain

I'm new here but been on and off Atkins for a year. I believe there is a recipie for a good dressing in the book - otherwise why not spice up some mayo mixed with half and half - use garlic, onion, salt, pepper, sweetner if you like it sweet, other "ranch" type seasonings. (Might check some recipe books.) Personally I love blue cheese but a year ago we started buying a good quality extra virgin olive oil at Costco and I have actually learned to love it with a little red wine vinegar. I have even given up adding blue cheese crumbs to my salad. This is amazing because I was hard core and blue cheese is even allowed on the diet (if I make it). I've found I really need my salad each day to help me keep regular. Dark leafy lettuce, spinach greens are so low in carbs after induction you can get away with a big salad with little carb increase.

You really are in the right forum - I love reading other's posts and replys - lots of encouragement and hope for success here.

Karen

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k- on dressing, i used regular on induction, but some don't because of the sugar. i think in dandr, it says it's not too big a deal? you have to look, they talk about that there.

but more importantly, PLEASE DON"T characterize yourself as "weak" for falling off the wagon. more like "distracted," or maybe "inattentive for a while," ok? because honestly, it's not about strength and weakness. yes, you slipped and made a mistake, but that does not define you as a person and you need to send your brain messages of power and success, not anything less.

not to mention i think it often takes more strength to admit you've slipped and more importantly, move to correct it than to ignore it forever and give up. so you're already strong and a success for taking care of yourself. don't you forget it!!

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Thanks!! That makes me feel better. By the way, what's dandr?

Duh!! Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution!!

Welcome back to this WOE!

As far as the dressing goes, I used regular Italian dressing on Induction. But now, they've got the Carb Options dressing out which is no carbs and made with Splenda. They make it in a variety of flavors - including Ranch. You might look for that if you're worried about the carb content. It might be a little on the expensive side, but I found mine at Wal-Mart for $1.98 a bottle - which is a really good deal considering those bottles usually run $3.59 a piece.

Good luck to you!

Sheyla
186/119/105

Don't knock yourself over it. I fell off for over a year and gained all my weight back. It took me 4 months of telling myself I was getting fatter again while I still packed on the pounds. The end of September, I rejoined curves and started atkins again. Its slower this time but it will catch up. I am positive about the way I'm going-when the time is right, you jump back on. Just remember, everyone falls off once in awhile no matter what they say-difference is, pick yourself back up and climb back on the next day not days later. Good luck-I know how you're feeling.
I also use Carb well dressing and its pretty good. I use the Italian-did not notice if it is in Ranch.

Ok, just to let you know, you don't have to opt for the carb well ranch dressings. Hidden Valley Ranch is only 1 net carb per serving. If you don't wanna use up the carbs, carb well makes all varieties of dressing and most are 0 carb. Good luck and come back here if you have questions or need any help. Sounds like you are on the right track.

carb well tastes great. I love it... and welcome back.

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In the cookies of life, we are the chocolate chips.

Hi Everyone,

I too am back on the Atkins wagon -

I'm thread-hopping here... Here I am in day 19 of Atkins...still NO weight loss...absolutely nothing. I thought I'd lost a pound on day 3, but I think I was just trying to see something that wasn't there. I can't say that I feel any thinner - just tired and very discouraged. I guess I'm looking for another person who has experienced absolutely ZERO weight loss! I don't want to give up :( Low calorie starvation diets don't work for me. I'd be 50 lbs lighter today if I'd never tried to lose weight that way.

Should I throw in the towel, and just be fat and contented? Yeah, right.

Kat

Keep at it Kat...surely you'll get a whoosh soon!!!

and Kfain, we are about the same place. Our stats are really close. I just started back yesterday. and I KNOW I'm on it for sure now. I tried a couple of other times, for a day or two here and there.

so, climb aboard, back on the wagon we go...

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Heather
182-2/27/08

Kfain, welcome back, you are on the right track...
Kat, you might want to post a couple days of what you eat so we can tweek it
c

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http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak
carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

kat- have you checked with your doc and read dr. atkins book? the doc can verify medical issues, and the book has lots of potential issues that can keep people from losing it discusses. it's highly unusual not to have lost any weight following the plan for that long. there is most likely some other factors at play.

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Hi: I use just Extra Virgin Olive Oil on my salads. To salad I add green olives stuffed with garlic for taste. I use only raw spinach.
peg

Hi Heather, Carolyn and Goddess,

Thanks for the support - I weighed myself, and I'm down 1 pound today... I think I have to agree Goddess - there's something up with me, I've been in denial...I've got to go to the doctor. I think I may be insulin resistant. I don't have diabetes, but I am hypoglycemic. Is there medication for that? I don't really want to be dependant on meds - I've managed to be entirely med-free until now. Something must have really changed in my body chemistry. I was on Atkins 3 years ago and I managed to shed almost 50 lbs. (40 more to go...) I'm not the type to shed weight quickly - two pounds per week was my average in the beginning - but this metabolic resistance is torture. I read DANDR before I started last time and have partially re-read before starting up again this time...maybe I should take the time to re-read cover to cover. I pretty sure my diet's on the up and up - I'm stick to non-processed whole food with lots of lc veggies and Atkins sauces to spruce up the meat. I do eat the occasional Atkins bar -but they certainly didn't prevent me from losing weight the first time around! I'm in ketosis (pale pink only) and my cravings have definately left me.

I totally believe I can do it - I've got will-power to spare! It's just trying to convince my body to drop this !@$&*weight - now, there's the challenge.

I'm doctor-phobic but I think I don't have any choice but to go...

Thanks again - I'll definately keep you posted. Hopefully great news will follow.
Kat