Is it just me or do you ladies(and gentlemen as I think there are a few here) ever get blasted by friends and family for this WOE? I had a rather heated discussion with a friend recently. She first off noticed that I had lost some weight. She bugged me and bugged me to tell her how. I did not want to tell her I was doing Atkins because I knew she'd disapprove.

She has been trying to lose weight forever and together we've tried EVERY diet and EVERY "This-is-not-a-diet" program under the sun.

We had met to eat lunch together. I opened up my nice salad which had chicken, bacon, eggs, walnuts, cheese, and full fat dressing. She opened up her yogurt, celery and carrot sticks along with some kind of wheat roll and a Jamba Juice to drink.
We each stared at each other's food with horrified looks on our faces. Me -- because I was mentally counting all the carbs in HER food and her because she saw all the fat and calories in mine!

She pointed her finger at me and exclaimed "YOU ARE DOING ATKINS AREN'T YOU?"

To which I calmly replied yes and took a big old bite of my salad.

Well, this started her off with "Don't you know how you will ruin your health? Don't you know you can't eat anything except meat and eggs? Don't you know you will ruin your kidneys? I can't believe you are so stupid. You know better. You're going to give yourself a heart attack." and yada yada yada.

I calmly pointed to my salad and showed her I had a lot more than meat and eggs. I also pulled out my low carb cheesecake topped with raspberries sweetened with splenda and asked her if she'd like a bite. She was horrified. "No way! That has heavy cream and sour cream and eggs in it! Are you crazy?"

We argued back and forth over our entire lunch.
I tried to point out to her that before Atkins I ate a constant diet of junk. I could not eat one cookie -- I ate dozens. I lived on Icecream. I probably spent 2 weeks working my way through EVERY flavor of Ben and Jerry's and Hagan Daz icecream in my supermarket. I ate a whole carton of it in one sitting -- sometimes two or three a day! I NEVER ate veggies or salads. I now eat them daily. Before Low Carb I spent the day obsessed with food. I thought about it constantly. I planned where to get my next sugar fix. I would DRINK Karo syrup if there wasn't anything in the house to satisfy my intense cravings. Those are now gone. And she keeps telling me how much I am ruining my health NOW???

My doctor told me I was a step away from diabetes because my blood sugars were so high. That is now under control.

When we finally agreed to disagree I left feeling full and satisfied. She left mumbling that she was still hungry.

And who is the crazy one???

Hi Michelle,

glad you stuck to your guns!

I see that you are from Utah, maybe we are close to each other. I live in Salt Lake City.

I'm happy for you, that you have your blood sugar under control. That is great!

Maybe you can have your friend read up on low-carbing. She might change her mind and her own life. You never know. After all your results don't lie.

See ya later!

Never give up! Never surrender!

Katrin

Hi Katrin,

I live is Taylorsville which is pretty close to you.

I imagine once I lose all my weight, continue to feel great, and have all kinds of energy then my friend will take another look at Low Carbing.

Until then.... I relish my cheesecake.

Nice to meet you!!!

Hi Michelle,

I live in Midvale. My in-laws live in Taylorsville. Good to have you on-board. Have you been to "Good Things 2 Eat" yet? They have some really cool things there.

Never give up! Never surrender!

Katrin

I loved your post. Sometimes it is hard to just let people go and think whatever they feel they have to think. We know this WOE is good, we know we feel terrific, we know we are losing weight, and best of all we know we are freed of the awful cravings. You are not crazy!

Shortie19
224+/201/130
Since 1/1/03
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

I eat lunch with a Weight Watcher everyday. We do not discuss our diets, we both agree we want to lose weight and we each respect each other's methods for getting there. I'm sure she has the same thoughts as your friend, Michelle, and I have to admit watching her eat low fat yogurt and granola every day for lunch just reminds me how happy I am to be following Atkins now.



Victors are really just temporary quitters who then regroup with a vengeance.

When I am with my "critical" friends, I like to eat things I am "allowed" to eat, but that they have no concept of. Say, strawberries or such...

Then, if they make some silly remark, I can come back with some snide comment of my own. Of course, that kind of violates my live and let live philosophy, but I figure if that is the extent of my hypocrisy, it'll be OK I guess.

--jim

Michelle, what a fantastic post!

You used to DRINK Karo syrup? Good grief! I’d say your eating habits have definitely improved.

When it comes to friends who disagree, the best thing to do is NOT talk about it and then just wait to see their face after you’ve lost 50 pounds.



Member since 2001
http://www.ilovelowcarb.com
Size 24(start lowfat)/Size 18(start LC)/Size 14/Size 8

Congratulations for sticking to your beliefs and all your hard work! Yea!!

Kelly
Heathly Mom to a 1 year old

I've had so many of those arguments they don't have any appeal to me anymore. I would just tell somebody like that, "Shut up and eat your Snackwells." The Atkins diet has had a stigma for a VERY long time. But the length of time of the stigma is also as long as the success of the diet -- successful because it works, unlike a gazillion other fad diets.

You know, back in the 70's, people thought that eating cholesterol raised your blood cholesterol. It's been disproven for decades. Even the most ardent low-fat doctors know this. But it still remains a "proven fact" in the mind of the average person. People are still eating margarine because it's "better for your heart" than butter. What can you do? Ignorance has its own inertia.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

When my coworker/friend told me Adkins was bad for me I simply said, "How can anything that makes you feel so good be bad for you?" This shut her up. I eat lunch with several people everyday. One is doing WW and the others should be but are not doing anything to lose weight. At this point most of them are impressed by my weight loss, but still think they cannot live without the carbs. I tell them if I can anyone can. I don't push my WOE on them if they want advise I would gladly give it!

Susan ( AKA Northwest)
207/173.5/160/
size 16/12/8
LC since 4/03

Wow, this hit home:

"I tried to point out to her that before Atkins I ate a constant diet of junk. I could not eat one cookie -- I ate dozens. I lived on Icecream. I probably spent 2 weeks working my way through EVERY flavor of Ben and Jerry's and Hagan Daz icecream in my supermarket. I ate a whole carton of it in one sitting -- sometimes two or three a day! I NEVER ate veggies or salads. I now eat them daily. Before Low Carb I spent the day obsessed with food. I thought about it constantly. I planned where to get my next sugar fix. I would DRINK Karo syrup if there wasn't anything in the house to satisfy my intense cravings. Those are now gone. "

Just 5 months ago, I was home on leave after having my DS. Every night, I would sit down to eat 1/2 a 15 oz. bag of Hershey Nuggets (either the ones with almonds or toffee). On occasion, I would eat the entire bag! Every night, sitting watching tv, with my Diet Coke, open bag next to me.

Now, and for the past 3 months? I have better self control (thanks to this WOE) and I sit with ONE Sugar Free Russell Stover Pecan Cluster (NOT the bag, that would cause bathroom problems) and a D. Coke to watch tv at the end of the day.

I do remember scavenging my cupboards for something sweet before this WOE.

I love that 'food' is not hanging over my head every minute of every day!

Valerie, 35
Wife to Shaun,36,
Mother to Madison, 2, and Jackson, 8 mo
Weakness? CHOCOLATE!

5'4" - LC 7/1/03
243(pregnant)/216 (prepregnancy)/205(now)/145 goal

If anyone tries to tell me about the impending death of my kidneys, I tell them "I don't know if lc will kill me, but I know for damn sure that carrying around 450 pounds will!"

I just say uh-huh and eat my cheese and salad.

LOL Beansmom! You hit the nail on the head with that one!!!

This is an ongoing topic with my sister and I..she is doing WW and I do LCWOL She looks at me like Im nuts...how can you do that...only eat meat blah blah....She likes the idea of being able to keep her pasta, bread, pretzels...whatever in her points range...well Good for her...she only needs to lose maybe 10 lbs....I need something MORE..I have much more to lose than her! My Will is Strong and My spirits are SUPER HIGH!...... Im not giving up this time....gonna make it to my goal!!!!!
and Im not alone!!!!! THanks to all of you!!!
HUGS, Lisa

lc since 8-8-03
298/264
want to be 175 at least LOL