redgirl1974's Journal, 02 Jan 16

You can do this ... just keep on tracking your food. It will take practice, practice, and more practice until you are in full swing again. I know what you are going through. 

I was on Atkins about 12 years ago and lost 80 pounds also. Got divorced and got off Atkins for a few days. I never could start on it again, and gained 60 pounds back. Now I'm on a calorie counting diet. My limit is 2000 calories a day. I usually eat 16 to 1800. I have lost 23 pounds so far. What a blessing it is not to starve my body from carbohydrates. Best of luck to you if you can start over with Atkins. If not don't get discouraged just try something else. 

one foot in front of the other. When your get out of line just get them back in order and march on.  

Maybe a bit drastic but what about chucking out the sugar stuffs, clearing the cupboards and buying in those foods that you want to eat on your plan? No easier way to avoid the naughty carbs if they aren't in your kitchen. I hope your mojo comes back soon x 

just threw away all the left over cookies , made a huge breakfast and a meal plan for the day. I think part of my problem is Im not eating enough early in the day so when the afternoon hits, Im set up for failure. Dreamer, I totally agree with your comment and started to wonder myself if it might be time for a change in direction. I want to give at least one more go before I try and move on to something new though.. Thank you everyone for your support...  

I agree with Kellym, drastic action is required! I feel the same way as you, I get half way through the day, and then at some point I'll start eating cookies, or chocolate. I had to set up some challenges to try and motivate myself. I know that once I get back into it, I'll be fine. It doesn't help when your routine is still out of kilter though. Maybe try a half-fast day, careful how you say that! Have a decent breakfast and lunch, and eat nothing after. If you can do that, you'll know you are in control again. Tell yourself it's good to be hungry! 

I live by my meal plan - and that includes snacks, etc. Usually first thing in the morning I fill out what I'm planning on eating the entire day, so I can see how calories and macros are balanced for each meal and what I need to adjust, if at all. You got this! 

Vigilantly tracking my food works for me (when I do it). When i "fall off the wagon" I stop tracking almost immediately, if not within a day or so. If i enter the crap food before I eat it, i find that I eat half of what I would have (which helps). Evenings are brutal for me too.  

do you like your raw veggies? Keep them on hand and munch away I find that the crunch and the volume help a lot with my stomach that I call the hungry beast, don't keep anything in the house that you crave i.e. chocolate, chips, etc 

You've done so well I bet if you get rid of the junk food you'll get back on track. I'm starting again with my surgeries behind me and I'm hoping if I keep reminding myself how much better I feel not eating junk carbs it will help. 

Everyone's comments are so good I can't add to them! But it's true. Tracking works. Planning meals and snacks help a lot--I've always got lots of things ready to eat whenever a snack attack hits. I've got into zucchini sticks with dip in a big way and I am astounded at how sweet they taste--I thought zucchini was so tasteless! But the less carbs and sweets I eat, the better everything else tastes. You said you lost 89 pounds WHICH IS AWESOME and so you know you can do it. You KNOW you can. And we know it, too. Go you! 

Red is it sugar ?,, do you need to detox .Sugar can throw you for a loop. its addictive girl,, you know that .  

Maybe take some time on here and read back through your journal entries from when you started. Reading how you overcame it before and how happy it has made you feel might help inspire you again.  

I found a site last night called zero Carb take a look ,,zerocarbzen.com . ketosis might help you . 

It's important to resist the urge to let go and indulge, because the restart is harder than starting. When I really let go back in 2008/2009 I had convinced myself that what I was doing was a normal part of maintenance, but I knew in my heart that I was just lying to myself. I would dabble off and on but finally just said to the devil with it around 2010 and completely embraced the same fast food, candy, processed snack cake lifestyle that I've followed my whole life. I had moments of clarity over the last five years and would sustain a restart for two or three months and lose some weight, but it wasn't until this past June, after battling a blood clot in my heart and DVT in both legs that I realized it was no longer optional. It's 80% in the kitchen and what you eat, but you have to be 100% mentally focused and until you're ready for a permanent seat on the wagon I wouldn't recommend hopping back on. You've done this, you know what it takes, but you know down to your toes that if you're not ready it won't work. Good luck, I hope you find your resolve, once you do it's as good as done!  

Switch to flexible dieting instead of low carb 

Sound like you need to detox from sugar to help the cravings go away. Also, I find that Bulletproof Coffee saves me time after time. When I feel "munchy" I fix me a cup of that and I am satisfied for hours. It might work for you too. 

Almonds fill the gap for the crunchies. I also keep a jar of dry roasted peanuts here. Like you, I picked a cut off date but began cutting back until the date when I was off everything. You're a pro. It will happen again.  

I fill up on fruit & nuts for breakfast and it tides me over to lunch. If you're working from home, maybe go for a quick walk around the block when you feel a premature hunger pang. Gets you away from your kitchen. You got this Grrrllll! 

Are fruits allowed on the Atkins diet? Just wondering