Hey everyone-I'm finishing up my 3rd week of Atkins-lost 10# in the first 2 weeks and I'm feeling so much better-EXCEPT-I decided to add peanut butter (not an induction food) to my menu today and now I'm consumed with guilt. "It's not an induction food-you have cheated-bad girl" keeps playing on and on in my little round head. I'm eating a natural no-sugar added pb with 3 carbs per 2 tablespoon.

This guilt stinks and I'm afraid if I contiue beating myself up about it I'll feel so bad that I'll dive head first into an Oreo cake.

I'm really just venting here, but has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice or suggestions? (and yes, I was reared Catholic!)

I would have to say...dont worry about it!!! It is just one day. We all deserve a little treat every now and then. But I could think of something better than diatetic peanut butter...YUK!!

I started Atkins...or I guess an Atkins type diet 4 days ago and I am down 7lbs already...WOOO HOOO!! I felt crappy yesterday. I think it was the carb crash thing, but I feel just peachy today. I am even due my period and am having NO cravings. I am just amazed. I have never EVER lost weight by diet alone. I lost 80lbs about 7 yrs ago and got preggy and gained it all back. Well, most of it...ok...all of it. The Dr told me a few months ago that I have metabolic syndrome. I have been battling hypoglycemia and diabetes...high BP, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. One day on this diet and the hypoglycemia and diabetes was GONE!! WOW!! I am going back to the DR on wednesday. I am so excited that I finally found the answer. I just dont know what to do with myself...except spread the word. So dont go letting the peanut butter get you down...just keep going. NEVER QUIT!! By the way...eating an oreo cake isnt the end of all things...it is just one day and you are going to feel like crap after eating it and wont want another for a good long time...lol You will probably throw up... Sugar doesnt taste so great after you havent had it for awhile...that is the good news!!

Actually the peanut butter was from Trader Joe's and quite delish. Congratulations on your success! I'm so glad that you're feeling so much better.

The peanut butter will probably stay as I was planning to add it in after week 8 of induction but, alas, I was too weak to wait.

From one peanut butter lover to another, I think this is a great peanut butter to choose! If it's not affecting your body I wouldn't worry sweetie. We're all different so you have to make this diet your own. If it working for you and you enjoy it then don't change a thing!

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Katalina:

I have 2 thoughts on this for you...

1) You are finishing up week 3, so you should not be in induction any longer. You should be moving on to "On-going weight loss." Staying in induction level too long is known to slow down or even stall weight loss. YES, I KNOW that Atkins says you can stay in it longer than 2 weeks, but from years of experience on this board, it is a common consensus that moving on after 2 weeks is a good idea. So, see? You have not broken induction or cheated in any way!

2)GUILT is your enemy when it comes to this way of eating.
Do not allow one slip-up (tho this was not one) to cause you to sink into weeks of eating badly. It can happen, faster than you might believe! You have to fight these feelings with everything you have. Even if you DO slip up (and again, this was NOT a slip-up!), you need to learn the lesson from the mistake ("why" did you succumb? How could you avoid doing so in the future?) and then move on.
Beating yourself up or obsessing about it will only lead to more problems.
I think you are doing just AWESOME!!
You should be proud of your progress. Keep up the great work!

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Summer

I have a saying that might help you - 'journal the drama, don't eat it!'

When things get overwhelming for me, I journal about it. It helps me to get the thoughts (positive and negative) out of my head. I also find looking back over what I've written gives me a good time line of how my emotions play havoc with my eating and I can plan better for the next time.

Don't beat yourself up, posting about it here was a very pro-active step to take!!

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Tara

"And that, Marjorie — just so you will know — and your children will someday know ---is the night the lights went out in Georgia!" Julia Sugarbaker

Gee everyone-I'm feeling better already-who knew that kvetching could bring such great advice and comfort? It's great to have a place to vent where others know what you're going through.

I didn't realize that staying on Induction too long could slow the metabolism, though I suppose the body would adapt and re-adjust to keep itself from losing too much weight-Darn!

Anyway, I'm feeling better and more balanced about the peanut butter. (Boy does that sound silly-getting unbalanced over some pb!) Thank you all for your help and advice.

kat-sometimes people with more to lose do successfully stay on induction longer than 2 weeks, and dr. a. says that's fine, but often people are afraid to move out of induction; so it's in individual thing. the folks that push induction too long, though, and try to kind of speed ahead through their ongoing loss phases, miss the most important part of the plan: learning to completely switch from "diet" to "just how you eat." they also run the risk of becoming tired of the restrictions and may be more likely to stray than when people can add different foods in their menu and continue experimenting. i like to see people move on because it's all about integrating this into your life, but others have had success sticking in induction longer. still others reported that their losses got harder sticking to induction for extended periods. it's a ymmv thing.

on the incident, though: i often say the guilt does FAR more damage than the offplan eating anybody does.

my best advice: don't sweat it. do NOT declare anything blown-i.e. when you eat something you feel you shouldn't have, don't say, "oh well, that's it for the day/week/whatever." that makes no sense, but we've all done it. it's an excuse.

if we expect "perfection" of ourselves, whatever we define it, we guarantee that sooner or later, we'll fall short. that's a pretty narrow definition of success: unattainable!

instead, expect steady progress as success. and you've definitely experienced that! the battle for weight is EVERY BIT as much (maybe more) in your head as it is what goes into your mouth. so try not to think like an overweight person, who might feel like a failure after a couple tablespoons of pb.

instead, think like a healthy person, who knows that a little peanut butter, without sugar, probably isn't going to be a big deal, so long as you don't make it your primary food group!

peace out.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

welcome, amy, also! and congrats on your good start. let us know what the doc says about your progress.

glad to have you with us.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Wise words goddess, thanks.

Katalina,

I can relate. 11 years of penguins (they called themselves Dominicans) and you tend to internalize that catholic guilt thing.

I am currently a devotee of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (and all things pirate) so I have learned - for the most part - to lose the guilt over self defeating stuff. You may find some of my attitude adjustments with respect to this way of eating to be helpful. I share some of my discoveries here.

Hope this gives you some hope.

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Maggie-read your essay twice and it not only gave me hope but also pointed out that I need an attitude overhaul. I realize that I have been looking at this as a diet rather than a way of life and that's what got me into trouble the last time I was on Atkins. It's a difficult mindset to lose especially for someone like me who has been on and off numerous diets for almost 50 years (No kidding).

I'm realizing that having a meltdown over 2 Tbs of peanut butter is the canary in the coal mine for me. Trouble ahead Katalina, step back and see if you want to continue this way. Lose the rigid mindset, see the big picture,and relax.

I have a lot to think about and work through. I thank all of you for all your help.

I for one can relate, I can't keep peanut butter in my house cause I will eat the whole jar in one day (no matter how big or small it is) so... learn that peanut butter is a red light food(as they say in ww) and keep it out of your area of living for a good while.

don't guilt trip about it learn from it... you will do good if you can continue to watch how things affect you and your way of eating.
carolyn

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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

Carolyn-I don't have a problem with eating too much pb-I was beating myself up for having the 2 cheesy tablespoons because I felt (wrongly) that I had gone off my diet. I do have problems with some cheeses though and don't allow them in the house.

PNB is not a guilt trip! A Big Mac & fries, now THAT'S a guilt trip!

Really, we shouldn't feel guilty about food. It's just food. Save the guilt for important things.

I love PNB but couldn't eat 2 tbs of it. Maybe 2 tsps, just enough to know I had some.

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Nita