Hi there! I'm Kristal, and my husband and I are starting on Atkins again. Today is our 1st day of induction. I tried this 3 years ago, gave it about a week, caved in to the cravings and felt tortured. That was before my hubby had gastric bypass surgery. He has lost 100+ pounds, but has stalled on the last 40 once he started adding things like pasta and rice and diet soda back into his diet. While this was going on, I was pregnant and nursing a baby, now 10 months old. (And took his 1st real steps last night, yay!) I didn't try to diet, and was no real support to my poor hubby. I have now stopped nursing and noticed that I put on more weight! I asked for and recieved new jeans for Christmas because my pre-baby jeans no longer fit. I asked for size 18, and got some very nice jeans, but all are tight and I have to lie down to zip them. So, Hubby and I sat down and had a long talk about what worked best for us, what have we tried in the past, yadda, yadda. We have read the Atkins book, The South Beach Diet Book, and the Carbohydrates Addicts Book. We decided Atkins was easier and we would see more results if we did it together. So, here I am. Smile on my face, feeling positive that this time it will work because I'm stronger, I'm wiser, and I have support from my best friend.

__________________

Kristal, first of all--welcome!
Secondly, you are a good woman to go on a "diet" in order to help your husband stay on his.

Don't give into those cravings this time. The first two weeks, with nothing but meat, meat, meat, meat, meat ... and a tiny salad, are not easy. I thought they would never end! And then...I went on OWL and haven't even felt like I've been on a diet. I'm not hungry. I don't feel deprived. In fact, I feel better than I have in a long time.

Hang in there...and if you feel the need to cave, run to this board and seek help. We'll all be here for you!!

__________________
Melissa

Welcome Kristol. How cool is that to have your husband/best friend to start this woe with you!. Hang in there during induction, the first two weeks are the hardest while you fight those sugar/carb cravings. But each day gets easier and easier and you are going to love how good you feel after just a few days.

__________________
Shimmer
my blog

Welcome Kristal! I am a Crystal Rose too! Nice to see you on the boards. Post often so we know how you are doing.

__________________
Started Atkins-1/2/04
174 lbs at heaviest



5'0 154/136.5/130

Welcome, Kristal. Glad your on board. Choosing this way of eating should work well for you and your husband. The week will be very tough but if you can get through it it gets easier with time and being rid of the bad carbs that linger in the body.

This should help your husband out a lot. I have known people to gain their bypass surgery weight back so this will help him reach his goal and stay there.

Congrats on the baby's steps. Now that you are done breastfeeding you should do great with low carb. I waited until DS was a year old then started low carbing two days later once I was done breastfeeding.

Again, welcome and post often. This board is very helpful.

__________________
Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Welcome back it isn't as hard the second time around atleast thats what I have been expiriencing. Good Luck

__________________
Stacy I hope to lose 56 lbs

Yes I lost 8 lbs already

Hi there Kristal and welcome back to LC. Congratulations on the baby steps. Wish u all the best on your journey.

__________________
Started LC 1-10-04

302/199/160, 103lbs down, 39 to go, simply remarkable.

Restart- 8-19-07
242/226/160


405 points to date ( HOLIDAY CHALLENGE )

krystil- it took me the second time around for atkins to "take" myself, but it's certainly worth the effort! it's great that you're reading the book. that's your roadmap.

something important, too, it to make sure you get enough variety in your food. if you find yourself wanting something, look for a lower-carb alternative. that was one of the problems with my first go, not enough imagination and it felt like i was dieting, which isn't fun!

but after doing this a while and getting adjusted to the changes in how you eat, it doesn't feel like a diet anymore. it's just the way i eat now, just like some people eat junk all the time, i don't.

keep going one step at a time and you can do it! good luck.

__________________


Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Welcome back, we seem to have a lot of "not-so-newbies" hopping back aboard!

You'll find some great advice and support here.

__________________




Re-start 1/2/05
I'm back :silly: Chase

Welcome back -- this is my husband and I's 2nd go around on this as well. We are in day 6 of induction. I think Goddess hit it on the nail when she said - variety - variety. There are so many things you CAN have that the stuff that you CAN'T have is insignifigant. Tell your dear husband to STEP AWAY FROM THE DIET COKE! I can't prove it - but have seen lots of well meaning friends who drink Diet Coke because they are trying to be 'healthy'. I can't stand it, so am not speaking from expereince, but I think that if you can do without it - it has a positive effect. Water, Water, Water!! I'm going to write a poem about it.

Water Water All the Time
Water Water It's so Fine
Drink it up now and then
Fill your glass again and again
Add a piece of lemon before you go insane
Then fill your glass again and again.

If your from Texas (like me) that Insane and again will rhyme. If not -- oh well. I don't write poetry for a livin'. ;-)

Congrats, welcome back, and good luck. Post often!

__________________
261 - 211 - 155 :jumpgreen

LOVE the poem RahlVahn

__________________
Shimmer
my blog

Kristal, welcome, welcome, welcome!!!! With a support system in place like your hubby, you two will do FABULOUS!!!!!! It's GREAT that you have read those books. You might want to add Protein Power to your arsenal too. I thoroughly enjoyed that one. It works very well with Atkins. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!!!!

May I suggest adding green to to your beverage lineup??? I've been doing it for almost 2 months and have FINALLY broken an 8 month long stall. It's miraculous!!!!! (I do no less than 3 cups and really try for 4 per day.) I flavor mine with other teas that have some pizazz, like Chai. add some sweetener (I use Stevia, jest a pinch 'll do yer) and a dash of vanilla sugar free syrup either Davinci or Torani. I find the torani at Cost Plus World Market and can't live without them. I have a zillion flavors for whatever whim I am having at the time. I haven't had diet pop or coffee (well ONE) since doing the green tea. I just haven't had the desire..........I opt for the tea instead. And the tea is full of antioxidants too..........great healing and anti-cancer properties.

Be sure and read everything you can on this site.........up at the top there are links to the recipe data base, success stories (mine's there), GREAT articles, beginner information............just anything you could possibly need to know. Andrea has created a wonderfully supportive environment here. We're all like family, welcome any newbies with open arms. So I hope you and hubby stay a spell and make this your second home, get to know all of us, feel most welcome and get ALL the support you need. We're birds of a feather here.

Once again, WELCOME!!!!!!!

__________________

Hi Kristal - glad you are joining us. I just want to encourage you to have lc snack foods prepared to help you through the first week or two. I made angel eggs (some people call them deviled eggs but I think on lc they are little angels), chicken thighs, cheese - all ready to munch on when I needed it just to get through the adjustment period. Then I slowed way down and only snacked when necessary.

Also, remember you can have 2 cups salad and 1 cup cooked vegies - there is a great list in the Atkins book. Be sure to include your vegies - they help keep you regular - if you know what I mean. And then this feels more like normal eating instead of some extreme meat and cheese diet.

Also, it really helps me to remember that this is a way of eating for life. That way I get through the ups and downs. If I think in terms of "diet" - I go on and off them - and then re-gain. But when its for life, if I do have a bad meal / day - then I just go right back to my good habit of low carb eating.

Karen

__________________

Welcome Kristal! How wonderful that you have found this site and have your husband as a LC buddy! Please visit often. I have found that this site was a major ingredient in my success. There is a lot of info here. Check out the success stories, the recipes, and the threads that interest you. LCE is a great support team!

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Thanks y'all for the great welcome! So far, so good. I re-read the chapter on induction last night to hubby, (who can't figure out for the life of him why he has to give up caffiene and fruit! LOL) We went to Wal-Mart and bought those Metabo-stix, and mine turned a rosey pink,while his stayed brown. I said, "See!! I told you so!!" (I don't get many moments like that, he's a very intelligent man and sometimes I go off half-cocked, and he's the one saying "Told ya so!") So this morning, just to see if I really was loosing, I got on the scales. I had weighed in on Tuesday, so I didn't expect anything, but I'd lost 6 pounds!!! Now, to be fair, I know it's all water weight, I know that I just came off my TOM, but still, it was like the sun came out, the birdies sang, and everything's beautiful in Carolina today! LOL

Now I'm at work, sipping my water and fighting to keep my eyes open. I litterally feel like there's sand in them. I'm glad it's a quiet day and no one is asking me to concentrate. LOL I haven't had any cafiene since the iced tea yesterday morning. I have a slight headache, but took some tylenol, so that's just left me with this sleepy, lethargic feeling. I'm waiting for that energy burst Dr. Atkins talks about after about three-four days. LOL

Anyway, thanks again for the welcome.

__________________