Re: For the Newbies........One Golden Shot.....READ

[Guest guest]

Give up and do what? Low fat? Stay fat?

For many of us, this is not just about vanity. It is about absolute health; and just as serious as any other 'recovery'. Look at your older family members, and see yourself in 10 - 15 - 20 years. You are only defeated, if you give up.

HJ

----- Original Message -----

I think this email is VERY depressing for those of us who have blown it gone off and back on again. It makes me want to give up.

[Guest guest]

My thoughts exactly, Cheryl, it is a very depressing

thing to read. IT makes me want to give up too. While

encouraging a few people not to go off the diet. This

posting may have encouraged some people to give up and

go off the diet. It has made me have second thoughts.

The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

just as well on a low fat diet.

--- Mata Hari wrote:

> I think this email is VERY depressing for those of

> us who have blown it gone off and back on again. It

> makes me want to give up.

> Cheryl Ü

>

> For the Newbies........One Golden

> Shot.....READ

>

>

> > [Lora's Column]

> ------------------------------------------

> >

> > " One Golden Shot "

> > (or " Ode to a Fudge Cake " ...)

> >

> > A frequent topic in letters we receive at Low

> Carb Luxury

> > deals in some form or another with results from

> multiple

> > attempts at low-carbing. A typical letter goes

> something

> > like this one I received this week:

> >

> > " About ten years ago, after the birth of my first

> son,

> > I went on the Atkins Diet for the first time. It

> was

> > really pretty easy and I dropped the weight

> quickly and

> > felt very good. Unfortunately, I went back to my

> old

> > ways and gained it back. By then the thing was

> " low fat "

> > and friends warned me off of Atkins so I tried it

> " their

> > way " and lost a few pounds, but felt terrible and

> starved.

> > I finally ended up quitting dieting altogether as

> I was

> > crabby, weak, and HUNGRY all the time.

> >

> > So, here I am ten years later, now needing to

> lose 50

> > pounds instead of the 15-20 I wanted to lose in

> the first

> > place. I am back to Atkins and once again a

> believer, but

> > this time around, I am not getting the results I

> did before.

> > The weight is coming off MUCH more slowly and I

> find I

> > need to stay at a lower carb level to stay in

> ketosis than

> > I did the first time around. What am I doing

> wrong this

> > time? "

> >

> > The answer is that this writer is probably not

> doing

> > ANYTHING wrong. She simply missed her " one

> golden shot " .

> > What " Golden Shot " , you ask?

> >

> > It's a phenomenon we hear about over, and over

> again. You

> > can count on it being a part of at least *one*

> letter we

> > get every day, so I can assure you it's not an

> aberration.

> >

> > For whatever reason -- and there are many

> theories -- we

> > all (especially females) seem to have this One

> Golden Shot.

> > The first time we *ever* embark on a low-carb

> eating plan

> > *if* we do it RIGHT and *if* we don't cheat, we

> get some

> > really amazing results without appreciable

> sacrifice or

> > difficulty. I often see people who lose quickly

> and

> > effortlessly while taking in around 35-55 grams

> of carbs

> > per day and staying in ketosis. But should you

> falter and

> > leave the diet for an appreciable amount of time

> -- especially

> > long enough to gain all or much of the weight

> back -- the

> > next time around takes more effort, weight loss

> is slower,

> > and it takes more carb restriction to get

> results.

> >

> > Indeed, once an individual has played this hand

> *multiple*

> > times, it can take great effort to get the

> desired results.

> >

> > I can attest to this as I am a many-time diet

> failure. My

> > " Golden Shot " was in the 70's. In a short amount

> of time I

> > lost 68 pounds and felt terrific. There were no

> low-carb

> > " specialty " foods, and no access to special

> ingredients to

> > make my own. There was no internet support, and

> indeed

> > I was living in a tenuous situation, so stress

> was high.

> > But I still managed to do well and to do so with

> little

> > effort. Then, one hot fudge cake in a Big Boy

> Restaurant

> > with a friend undid all that. I'd mentioned to

> the waitress

> > that I had not had a piece of bread, a bowl of

> cereal,

> > a glass of milk, or a slice of cake in an entire

> year. She

> > told me I'd surely EARNED a piece of that fudge

> cake for

> > all my hard work. And that was that. I never

> managed to

> > scramble back on the low-carb wagon. At least

> not for years.

> >

> > The next time I tried it, I had more difficulty

> and I could

> > not get those rapid results. The effort it took

> to get to

> > that ketosis-comfort-zone was considerably more.

> And like the

> > writers of my letters, I was being warned against

> the dangers

> > of Atkins. So I'd abandoned it again. Years of

> yo-yo dieting

> > ensued and each time strengthened my body's

> resolve to put up

> > one hell of a fight against losing an ounce.

> >

> > Two years ago I made the decision -- this was it.

> I HAD to

> > succeed this time, or I was going to have surgery

> instead. I

> > was scared to death of the idea of a gastric

> bypass, but I

> > could not -- and WOULD NOT -- continue to live my

> life as a

> > fat girl. I was sick and getting sicker. I knew

> I would not

> > be living a long life and every bite of sugar

> robbed me of

> > another day. And so I began.

> >

> > What a struggle. This time around was the

> hardest. My body

> > fought me tooth and nail. I had to get down to

> as little as

> > 5 grams of carbs a day in the beginning to lose.

> I learned

> > what stalled me and what my triggers were. The

> internet was

> > a Godsend. I read everything I could get my

> hands on. I

> > searched out reports and studies that hadn't made

> the

> > mainstream dogmatic press. I started a library

> that now fills

> > many shelves in my office.

> >

> > In short, this time I had to give this endeavor

> my heart and

> > soul. My " easy path " was long since spent. I

> can now look back

> > and know I am a success. I can say it with

> pride, with joy,

> > and with a knowledge that my life has been given

> back to me.

> > But I also am acutely aware that this was

> probably my *last

> > stand*. Success was my only option -- look at

> what the

> > alternative would have been. One hundred and six

> pounds later,

>

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I'm a newbie, I should have been delighted to read this email. But I am

not one of those losing lots and lots of weight - I lost 6 lbs the first

week of induction, which IS good, but then I gained 2 and am not getting

them off, even without cheating.

BUT - I don't think I could just as well be on a low fat diet. Because

I've tried that many times. I can't STAY on those diets. They don't

become a WOL. They're just a 'ok I'll do this for as long as I can and

then go back to eating all my junk'. So I never lose enough on them or

never keep the weight down. Again, I'm sure I'm not the only such

person.

And I always get stuck on those diets, suddenly not knowing what to eat

because it seems that the less food I eat, the less food my body needs

to lose weight.

So I'm staying on Atkins, because I can eat a lot, which is important to

me at least till I change my MIND somehow, and eat good things. I

wouldn't object, of course, to losing more quickly but even if it means

it takes me a year or two to get thin, without this WOE I don't think I

will EVER be thin and stick to it.

Ok, end of sermon . Hope I made sense,

Vered

(220)204/200/165

July 8, 2001

> My thoughts exactly, Cheryl, it is a very depressing

> thing to read. IT makes me want to give up too. While

> encouraging a few people not to go off the diet. This

> posting may have encouraged some people to give up and

> go off the diet. It has made me have second thoughts.

> The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

> and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

> loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

> morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

> just as well on a low fat diet.

>

>

> --- Mata Hari wrote:

> > I think this email is VERY depressing for those of

> > us who have blown it gone off and back on again. It

> > makes me want to give up.

> > Cheryl Ü

[Guest guest]

One thing that we've noticed on my turtles list is that many people with

slow weight loss have a history of yo-yo dieting in our past. Our bodies

just seem to be able to spot an attempt to lose weight a mile away and slow

down our metabolisms in an effort to maintain the current body weight.

But does that mean I should give up now because my loss will always be

slower than somebody else? NO WAY!!! I may not be a speed demon at weight

loss, but when I'm on Atkins I don't have heartburn, I get to eat wonderful

full fat treats like Brie and big steaks and sour cream and real butter.

I'm not hungry. And I'm gradually losing weight. The loss of a bagel and the

hunger that accompanies a low-fat diet to keep all those positives seems

like a good trade to me!

I don't know that everybody's bodies behave this way though. Robin almost

always loses 15 pounds on induction. Our rates of loss vary so much anyway.

But while losses on induction are generally larger than on other diets,

weekly loss rates are pretty much the same. The process of burning up the

glucose stores and switching to ketosis does release lots of water stored

with the glucose. Average on-going loss is 1-2 pounds a week (slightly

under 1 pound a week on average for those reporting on our weight loss

chart). Of course, at any given time, there are weight loss speed demons

like Lori losing much faster than the average and people who are stalled who

would kill to lose a pound a week!

If Atkins is a pleasant way to lose weight, use that email as a reminder

that anytime you abuse your body by yo-yo dieting it is bad for many aspects

of your health. Slow and steady WILL win the race.

Keep the faith :-)

Kirstie

[Guest guest]

I have never lost much weight on this progam anyway, but the inches melt

away plus I know I am healthier. Even though I cheated and gained back

some of my weight I won't quite. I just know it was a hard lesson to

learn and will not do it again. Now I have to pay the consequences and

struggle to get the rest of gain off. But I WILL do it. Yes it is

depressing but what is my alternative.

Laverne

[Guest guest]

Cheryl,

Don't you DARE give up!

Terry168/158.75/156 (minigoal)/ ? (To be determined)

Visit my web page at www.dtnorth.com

[Guest guest]

I haven't cheated (except for two bites of a red lobster biscuit last

Christmas) in the 15 months that I have been on Atkins. I don't believe that

Atkins is supposed to be a really quick loss diet... True-- some may lose great

amounts during induction, but on the whole I believe that most people lose one

or two pounds per week, and even then it isn't EVERY week.

You just can't go on this WOL thinking thta it is a quick weight loss diet...

for in fact it is a change of life style that should be permanent. The health

benifits far out weigh the taste of a morning bagel...

--- K C wrote:

> My thoughts exactly, Cheryl, it is a very depressing

> thing to read. IT makes me want to give up too. While

> encouraging a few people not to go off the diet. This

> posting may have encouraged some people to give up and

> go off the diet. It has made me have second thoughts.

> The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

> and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

> loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

> morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

> just as well on a low fat diet.

>

>

> --- Mata Hari wrote:

> > I think this email is VERY depressing for those of

> > us who have blown it gone off and back on again. It

> > makes me want to give up.

> > Cheryl Ü

> >

> > For the Newbies........One Golden

> > Shot.....READ

> >

> >

> > > [Lora's Column]

> > ------------------------------------------

> > >

> > > " One Golden Shot "

> > > (or " Ode to a Fudge Cake " ...)

> > >

> > > A frequent topic in letters we receive at Low

> > Carb Luxury

> > > deals in some form or another with results from

> > multiple

> > > attempts at low-carbing. A typical letter goes

> > something

> > > like this one I received this week:

> > >

> > > " About ten years ago, after the birth of my first

> > son,

> > > I went on the Atkins Diet for the first time. It

> > was

> > > really pretty easy and I dropped the weight

> > quickly and

> > > felt very good. Unfortunately, I went back to my

> > old

> > > ways and gained it back. By then the thing was

> > " low fat "

> > > and friends warned me off of Atkins so I tried it

> > " their

> > > way " and lost a few pounds, but felt terrible and

> > starved.

> > > I finally ended up quitting dieting altogether as

> > I was

> > > crabby, weak, and HUNGRY all the time.

> > >

> > > So, here I am ten years later, now needing to

> > lose 50

> > > pounds instead of the 15-20 I wanted to lose in

> > the first

> > > place. I am back to Atkins and once again a

> > believer, but

> > > this time around, I am not getting the results I

> > did before.

> > > The weight is coming off MUCH more slowly and I

> > find I

> > > need to stay at a lower carb level to stay in

> > ketosis than

> > > I did the first time around. What am I doing

> > wrong this

> > > time? "

> > >

> > > The answer is that this writer is probably not

> > doing

> > > ANYTHING wrong. She simply missed her " one

> > golden shot " .

> > > What " Golden Shot " , you ask?

> > >

> > > It's a phenomenon we hear about over, and over

> > again. You

> > > can count on it being a part of at least *one*

> > letter we

> > > get every day, so I can assure you it's not an

> > aberration.

> > >

> > > For whatever reason -- and there are many

> > theories -- we

> > > all (especially females) seem to have this One

> > Golden Shot.

> > > The first time we *ever* embark on a low-carb

> > eating plan

> > > *if* we do it RIGHT and *if* we don't cheat, we

> > get some

> > > really amazing results without appreciable

> > sacrifice or

> > > difficulty. I often see people who lose quickly

> > and

> > > effortlessly while taking in around 35-55 grams

> > of carbs

> > > per day and staying in ketosis. But should you

> > falter and

> > > leave the diet for an appreciable amount of time

> > -- especially

> > > long enough to gain all or much of the weight

> > back -- the

> > > next time around takes more effort, weight loss

> > is slower,

> > > and it takes more carb restriction to get

> > results.

> > >

> > > Indeed, once an individual has played this hand

> > *multiple*

> > > times, it can take great effort to get the

> > desired results.

> > >

> > > I can attest to this as I am a many-time diet

> > failure. My

> > > " Golden Shot " was in the 70's. In a short amount

> > of time I

> > > lost 68 pounds and felt terrific. There were no

> > low-carb

> > > " specialty " foods, and no access to special

> > ingredients to

> > > make my own. There was no internet support, and

> > indeed

> > > I was living in a tenuous situation, so stress

> > was high.

> > > But I still managed to do well and to do so with

> > little

> > > effort. Then, one hot fudge cake in a Big Boy

> > Restaurant

> > > with a friend undid all that. I'd mentioned to

> > the waitress

> > > that I had not had a piece of bread, a bowl of

> > cereal,

> > > a glass of milk, or a slice of cake in an entire

> > year. She

> > > told me I'd surely EARNED a piece of that fudge

> > cake for

> > > all my hard work. And that was that. I never

> > managed to

> > > scramble back on the low-carb wagon. At least

> > not for years.

> > >

> > > The next time I tried it, I had more difficulty

> > and I could

> > > not get those rapid results. The effort it took

> > to get to

> > > that ketosis-comfort-zone was considerably more.

> > And like the

> > > writers of my letters, I was being warned against

> > the dangers

> > > of Atkins. So I'd abandoned it again. Years of

> > yo-yo dieting

> > > ensued and each time strengthened my body's

> > resolve to put up

> > > one hell of a fight against losing an ounce.

> > >

> > > Two years ago I made the decision -- this was it.

> > I HAD to

> > > succeed this time, or I was going to have surgery

> > instead. I

> > > was scared to death of the idea of a gastric

> > bypass, but I

> > > could not -- and WOULD NOT -- continue to live my

> > life as a

> > > fat girl. I was sick and getting sicker. I knew

> > I would not

> > > be living a long life and every bite of sugar

> > robbed me of

> > > another day. And so I began.

> > >

> > > What a struggle. This time around was the

> > hardest. My body

> > > fought me tooth and nail. I had to get down to

> > as little as

> > > 5 grams of carbs a day in the beginning to lose.

> > I learned

> > > what stalled me and what my triggers were. The

> > internet was

> > > a Godsend. I read everything I could get my

> > hands on. I

> > > searched out reports and studies that hadn't made

> > the

> > > mainstream dogmatic press. I started a library

> > that now fills

> > > many shelves in my office.

> > >

> > > In short, this time I had to give this endeavor

>

=== message truncated ===

=====

Kathy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sorry if this is the second time this appears - Yahoo is weird today:

I'm a newbie, I should have been delighted to read this email. But I

am

not one of those losing lots and lots of weight - I lost 6 lbs the

first

week of induction, which IS good, but then I gained 2 and am not

getting

them off, even without cheating.

BUT - I don't think I could just as well be on a low fat diet. Because

I've tried that many times. I can't STAY on those diets. They don't

become a WOL. They're just a 'ok I'll do this for as long as I can and

then go back to eating all my junk'. So I never lose enough on them or

never keep the weight down. Again, I'm sure I'm not the only such

person.

And I always get stuck on those diets, suddenly not knowing what to

eat

because it seems that the less food I eat, the less food my body needs

to lose weight.

So I'm staying on Atkins, because I can eat a lot, which is important

to

me at least till I change my MIND somehow, and eat good things. I

wouldn't object, of course, to losing more quickly but even if it

means

it takes me a year or two to get thin, without this WOE I don't think

I

will EVER be thin and stick to it.

Ok, end of sermon . Hope I made sense,

Vered

(220)204/200/165

July 8, 2001

> My thoughts exactly, Cheryl, it is a very depressing

> thing to read. IT makes me want to give up too. While

> encouraging a few people not to go off the diet. This

> posting may have encouraged some people to give up and

> go off the diet. It has made me have second thoughts.

> The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

> and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

> loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

> morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

> just as well on a low fat diet.

>

>

> --- Mata Hari wrote:

> > I think this email is VERY depressing for those of

> > us who have blown it gone off and back on again. It

> > makes me want to give up.

> > Cheryl Ü

[Guest guest]

Okay it was late I was tired and I'm having some PMS depression. As my son

use to say, Be Happy to Me!!!

Cheryl Ü

>

>Reply-To: Atkins_Support_List

>To: <Atkins_Support_List >

>Subject: Re: For the Newbies........One Golden Shot.....READ

>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 22:35:51 -0500

>

>Give up and do what? Low fat? Stay fat?

>For many of us, this is not just about vanity. It is about absolute

>health; and just as serious as any other 'recovery'. Look at your older

>family members, and see yourself in 10 - 15 - 20 years. You are only

>defeated, if you give up.

>

>HJ

>

> ----- Original Message -----

>

> I think this email is VERY depressing for those of us who have blown it

>gone off and back on again. It makes me want to give up.

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

[Guest guest]

Yup Yup Yup

Agree wholeheartedly!

Cheryl Ü

>From: ecenet@...

>Reply-To: Atkins_Support_List

>To: Atkins_Support_List

>Subject: Re: For the Newbies........One Golden Shot.....READ

>Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 04:51:33 -0500 (CDT)

>

>I have never lost much weight on this progam anyway, but the inches melt

>away plus I know I am healthier. Even though I cheated and gained back

>some of my weight I won't quite. I just know it was a hard lesson to

>learn and will not do it again. Now I have to pay the consequences and

>struggle to get the rest of gain off. But I WILL do it. Yes it is

>depressing but what is my alternative.

>Laverne

>

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

[Guest guest]

To all of you who were depressed by the " Golden Shot " post:

Let me start off by saying I don't mean to be harsh, but I feel like I

have to say this. If something as simple as an e-mail that tries to

encapsulate the benefit of many long-term Atkids' experiences with

weightloss depresses you, then perhaps you're not ready to make the change

required to make Atkins a true WOL.

When I started Atkins the first time in 1997, I thought, " Wow! This is

gonna be a quick fix. I'm gonna lose a bunch of weight, and then I can go

back to eating the way I used to. " I didn't view it as a WOL, never even

thought to. And boy, did I have success with it! But eventually, I " fell

off the wagon " , and not only did I gain back the weight I'd lost, but I

tacked on some extra for good measure. When I decided to try again, I

found a mailing list and joined it. At that point, had someone sent the

" Golden Shot " e-mail, rather than being depressed, I would have been

elated! After all, perhaps I would have made the committment required to

lose the weight and change my whole lifestyle. Instead, I yo-yoed and

gained until I reached my all-time high this year of 262.5!

This time around, I've had the benefit of a lot of GREAT information. I

learned about the " Golden Shot " , and rather than getting depressed, it

made me even more committed to MAKING THIS WORK! Yes, the loss has been

slow this time, but I've had SO many victories too! I've truly made this a

WOL for myself, I've felt SO much better, and I've renewed my commitment

to myself and love for myself. After all, cereal, toast, and ice cream

JUST AREN'T WORTH dying young! And I have to attribute all these new ways

of thinking to the fact that this has been a struggle for me.

Thursday is my 4-month Atkinsversary. I've NEVER " stayed on a diet " that

long. Again, perhaps my success has come b/c I don't see this as a diet.

Perhaps my success has come b/c it's been hard enough this time; I don't

know what I'd do if it were even harder, so I'm taking the chance while I

have it!

I probably would have taken exception to this if someone had said it to me

a couple years ago while attempting Atkins, but gang, wanting to lose

weight just ISN'T ENOUGH! You have to be ready to change your life! You

have to be ready to do some major soul-searching to get healthy! I wasn't

ready to do that in the past... Scared the hell out of me! This time

though, I grabbed the bull by the horns, dove in, and now I'm here for the

long haul! I hope that some of you think seriously about what I and others

have said before you give up! We all love ya, and if you're not ready to

do it right now, then that's fine. But attribute your desire to give up

to the right things, not an e-mail that was sent in which someone was

trying to help.

I love all you guys!

--

in Indy

(262.5)253.5/229/150

3/26/01

[Guest guest]

Boy I started something didn't I (looking at Terry, getting ready to dodge

her wet low carb noodle) YIKES!!

over and over I have heard so many people come back to this way of life and

complain that " I lost so well the first time " ....... " I never lost this

slowly the first time I was on induction " .......

I was one of those lucky ones the first time around.......my body was so

used tn a strictly carb laden diet, pasta, rice, bread, sugar,

flour........that when I went low carb, it (my body) went into shock......I

had terrible, terrible withdrawls, but I also (smiling at Robin) lost 15 lbs

the first week. After that it slowed to a couple of pounds a

week.........but I had read the book, over and over, and Dr. A says a pound

a week is average after induction.

I was also one of the " lucky " ones. I could eat 50-70 carbs a day and still

lose.....at first..(remember I was new, I thought the heavy cream that said

0 carbs really was 0, as so on).. or maybe my body was just so used to

living on nothing but mass carbs to the point where going to that level was

carb starving to it......??

Then came my first cheat........I had only lost a pound that week, I don't

even remember what I cheated on, I think I was away from home, and didn't

" think " I had an option that was low carb so I just ate what was

there.......and ..........I lost 4 lbs the next day!! Oh, I thought this was

too good to be true.........cheat and lose?????? whoohoooooooo!!

This went from an occasional, to a once a week habit......and after a short

while I didn't cheat and lose any more, I cheated and gained my water weight

from knocking myself out of ketosis.....(why did I lose before you may ask?

I think I was in starvation mode and the cheat knocked me out temporarily)

Then, I started " playing " with this wol, adding bars and chocolate mousse

ect.......the 'legal treats' (I am a sugar addict, I love sweets, and I was

sure I could make this work and have sweets every day like " I wanted

to " ......NOT!!

from Aug of 2000 to Jan of 2001 I had lost 39 lbs........then the " playing "

started.........I never lost, or I should say, I bounced, up a couple, down

a couple, up a few, down a couple........till I had " played my way up 10

lbs "

then I went on vacation in June...........decided to do CALP while I was in

Vegas, thought, that was the way to go.......NOT!!!!

I came home with a five pound gain and one heck of a time getting back on

track.......I haven't been able to go 7 days with out a cheat since (stress

is playing a huge part in this right now.....KIDS ARG!!) but I have had to

finally address all the reasons I eat, cheat, stay on plan........and you

know what? Not one of them have to do with hungar!!

I can't say that about all the other diets I have been on.......aside from

perscription diet pills (speed and redux).........I couldn't do them because

I was HUNGRY!!!!!!!! ALL the time!!!!!!!

I can't say that with Atkins, never have.........it is emotional, stress,

boredom...........all kinds of things but hungar........

I have learned that the daily treats only trigger cravings, not hungar, but

" the I want somethings " ......which for me is more treats.......when I stay

away from them, I am fine.......

I have learned that simple is best, to avoid trigger food, intolerances

ect...........simple non processed meat, veggies......period.........is the

way to loss, no cravings, and feeling great........

I could bore you all with all the things I have learned about myself and

what makes me eat/what makes me crave/what food intolerances I think I have

uncovered, but my point is this........

if I may quote Di Bauer " Low carbing is not for sissy's " .........it is not a

quick fix so you can go back to " the other life " .......it is for a life

time..........most of us eat for every reason except the fact that we are

hungary....we need to find out what those reasons are and find alternate

solutions........we need to focus on the " other " things low carbing does for

our bodies..........

before low carbing I woke up almost every morning with heartburn so bad I

was ready to cry........my ankles were so swollen all the time they looked

like elephant feet, my face was always bloated.....the gas!!!!! you don't

want to know........I was lethargic every time I ate, I would stuff myself

just to get into a coma and sleep away the stress in my life.......or so I

thought. I was out of control with my eating, the more I ate, the more I

wanted........I didn't know why, I just felt like I couldn't do anything

right.......and failure after failure, lead to binges where I would make

myself literally sick from eating. Only to start some " new diet " the next

week. My self esteem was non existant........I was ashamed, I closet ate, I

wore huge clothes to " hide " the gains, I would starve myself for days to try

to undo what I had done........I would walk on the treadmill till my muscles

screamed in pain........crying the whole time, hating myself for being so

weak, such a pig, I couldn't control myself.......

then I found low carbing, and realized it wasn't me who was out of control,

it was carbohydrates that did this to me.........carbs? not me, not my lack

of control. I wasn't hopeless!!!!!!

On top of all the other benifits in the way I feel, my hair is thicker,

shiner, and my skin is too.........I don't look my age at all, which at 43

is important *wink*..........I know why I am fat and I know how to fix

it........and for the first time in my life, I have control.........

have I rambled enough????????

the only way to fail at this wol is to quit........

Annie

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

[Guest guest]

Yes, I do " get it " . But I have been on the diet(It is

called the Atkins diet) twice before for maybe no more

than four days at a time. I know that this is a life

change. This is not only a life style change for me,

IT IS MY LAST OPTION. I am 23 and weigh 377lbs. I

already have abunch of health problems. I have been on

diet pills and diets and even sunk to the point of

throwing up everything I eat. So, yes I do " get it " .

--- Karan Walters wrote:

> guys this is not a DIET but a way of life. If we

> all don't want to end up

> staying fat then we should not complain when we have

> to put in the hard

> work. Any of you looking for a quick fix and easy

> solution are just not

> " getting it " it takes allot of self loathing and

> self hate for the majority

> of us to become as fat as we are. Gaining

> thinness/slimness overnight is

> not going to solve the underlying problem of why we

> over eat in the first

> place. You need to adopt the WOL and work on your

> inner stuff also. No

> matter what " diet " you go on if you are eating in an

> unhealthy way and yo

> yoing back an forth from this diet to that diet then

> you really need to look

> within, and it doesn't matter what diet your going

> to keep going back on,

> low fat low carb high protein High fibre whatever

> the diet does not make a

> difference the FACT is it gets HARDER to loose

> weight the older you get it

> gets harder to loose the more often you keep trying

> because your metabolism

> has to adjust and adapt Yeah sure the email might

> not be the brightest ray

> of sunshine but it is the TRUTH something we cannot

> keep running to the

> fridge from but face it boldly and roar with

> determination at

>

> " I DON'T CARE HOW HARD ITS GOING TO BE ...I'M GOING

> TO DO IT BECAUSE I'M

> WORTH IT "

> For the Newbies........One Golden

> > Shot.....READ

> >

> >

> > > [Lora's Column]

> > ------------------------------------------

> > >

> > > " One Golden Shot "

> > > (or " Ode to a Fudge Cake " ...)

> > >

> > > A frequent topic in letters we receive at Low

> > Carb Luxury

> > > deals in some form or another with results from

> > multiple

> > > attempts at low-carbing. A typical letter goes

> > something

> > > like this one I received this week:

> > >

> > > " About ten years ago, after the birth of my

> first

> > son,

> > > I went on the Atkins Diet for the first time.

> It

> > was

> > > really pretty easy and I dropped the weight

> > quickly and

> > > felt very good. Unfortunately, I went back to

> my

> > old

> > > ways and gained it back. By then the thing was

> > " low fat "

> > > and friends warned me off of Atkins so I tried

> it

> > " their

> > > way " and lost a few pounds, but felt terrible

> and

> > starved.

> > > I finally ended up quitting dieting altogether

> as

> > I was

> > > crabby, weak, and HUNGRY all the time.

> > >

> > > So, here I am ten years later, now needing to

> > lose 50

> > > pounds instead of the 15-20 I wanted to lose in

> > the first

> > > place. I am back to Atkins and once again a

> > believer, but

> > > this time around, I am not getting the results

> I

> > did before.

> > > The weight is coming off MUCH more slowly and I

> > find I

> > > need to stay at a lower carb level to stay in

> > ketosis than

> > > I did the first time around. What am I doing

> > wrong this

> > > time? "

> > >

> > > The answer is that this writer is probably not

> > doing

> > > ANYTHING wrong. She simply missed her " one

> > golden shot " .

> > > What " Golden Shot " , you ask?

> > >

> > > It's a phenomenon we hear about over, and over

> > again. You

> > > can count on it being a part of at least *one*

> > letter we

> > > get every day, so I can assure you it's not an

> > aberration.

> > >

> > > For whatever reason -- and there are many

> > theories -- we

> > > all (especially females) seem to have this One

> > Golden Shot.

> > > The first time we *ever* embark on a low-carb

> > eating plan

> > > *if* we do it RIGHT and *if* we don't cheat, we

> > get some

> > > really amazing results without appreciable

> > sacrifice or

> > > difficulty. I often see people who lose

> quickly

> > and

> > > effortlessly while taking in around 35-55 grams

> > of carbs

> > > per day and staying in ketosis. But should you

> > falter and

> > > leave the diet for an appreciable amount of

> time

> > -- especially

> > > long enough to gain all or much of the weight

> > back -- the

> > > next time around takes more effort, weight loss

> > is slower,

> > > and it takes more carb restriction to get

> > results.

> > >

> > > Indeed, once an individual has played this hand

> > *multiple*

> > > times, it can take great effort to get the

> > desired results.

> > >

> > > I can attest to this as I am a many-time diet

> > failure. My

> > > " Golden Shot " was in the 70's. In a short

> amount

> > of time I

> > > lost 68 pounds and felt terrific. There were

> no

> > low-carb

> > > " specialty " foods, and no access to special

> > ingredients to

> > > make my own. There was no internet support,

> and

> > indeed

>

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

That is pretty harsh. Don't persume to know anything

about my determination. The funny thing actually is I

was ready this time, if I had not been I would not

have stayed on the diet this long. This a record for

me. Most people do lose weight fairly quickly and if I

am going to lose that slowly, then I feel like I would

do just as well on a crappy low fat diet or on diet

pills. My point is the email is depressing and

discouraging to me(an maybe to a few other people

also).

--- Wittekind

wrote:

> To all of you who were depressed by the " Golden

> Shot " post:

>

> Let me start off by saying I don't mean to be harsh,

> but I feel like I

> have to say this. If something as simple as an

> e-mail that tries to

> encapsulate the benefit of many long-term Atkids'

> experiences with

> weightloss depresses you, then perhaps you're not

> ready to make the change

> required to make Atkins a true WOL.

>

> When I started Atkins the first time in 1997, I

> thought, " Wow! This is

> gonna be a quick fix. I'm gonna lose a bunch of

> weight, and then I can go

> back to eating the way I used to. " I didn't view it

> as a WOL, never even

> thought to. And boy, did I have success with it!

> But eventually, I " fell

> off the wagon " , and not only did I gain back the

> weight I'd lost, but I

> tacked on some extra for good measure. When I

> decided to try again, I

> found a mailing list and joined it. At that point,

> had someone sent the

> " Golden Shot " e-mail, rather than being depressed, I

> would have been

> elated! After all, perhaps I would have made the

> committment required to

> lose the weight and change my whole lifestyle.

> Instead, I yo-yoed and

> gained until I reached my all-time high this year of

> 262.5!

>

> This time around, I've had the benefit of a lot of

> GREAT information. I

> learned about the " Golden Shot " , and rather than

> getting depressed, it

> made me even more committed to MAKING THIS WORK!

> Yes, the loss has been

> slow this time, but I've had SO many victories too!

> I've truly made this a

> WOL for myself, I've felt SO much better, and I've

> renewed my commitment

> to myself and love for myself. After all, cereal,

> toast, and ice cream

> JUST AREN'T WORTH dying young! And I have to

> attribute all these new ways

> of thinking to the fact that this has been a

> struggle for me.

>

> Thursday is my 4-month Atkinsversary. I've NEVER

> " stayed on a diet " that

> long. Again, perhaps my success has come b/c I

> don't see this as a diet.

> Perhaps my success has come b/c it's been hard

> enough this time; I don't

> know what I'd do if it were even harder, so I'm

> taking the chance while I

> have it!

>

> I probably would have taken exception to this if

> someone had said it to me

> a couple years ago while attempting Atkins, but

> gang, wanting to lose

> weight just ISN'T ENOUGH! You have to be ready to

> change your life! You

> have to be ready to do some major soul-searching to

> get healthy! I wasn't

> ready to do that in the past... Scared the hell out

> of me! This time

> though, I grabbed the bull by the horns, dove in,

> and now I'm here for the

> long haul! I hope that some of you think seriously

> about what I and others

> have said before you give up! We all love ya, and if

> you're not ready to

> do it right now, then that's fine. But attribute

> your desire to give up

> to the right things, not an e-mail that was sent in

> which someone was

> trying to help.

>

> I love all you guys!

>

> --

> in Indy

> (262.5)253.5/229/150

> 3/26/01

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

,

All I have to say to your posting is:

AMEN! Preach it, Sister!

Terry168/158.75/156 (minigoal)/ ? (To be determined)

Visit my web page at www.dtnorth.com

[Guest guest]

Annie,

You just tickle me! Hey, I love a good discussion. I particularly like it when they start and progress like this one. Have you noticed how everyone is able to express their opinions in such a polite way, even when there is disagreement.

I'm so glad all you wonderful people are grown-ups!

Annie, maybe you should start a discussion like this at least once a week. We learn so much about one another when you do!

Terry168/158.75/156 (minigoal)/ ? (To be determined)

Visit my web page at www.dtnorth.com

[Guest guest]

KC - when I went on induction, I didn't lose anywhere near the way

some people do. I lost maybe 2-3 pounds in the first couple weeks on

very strict (10) carbs. I didn't become discouraged fortunately

because people on this list just kept telling me to keep going. So I

did. I'm still not a super fast loser, but I'll tell you what...I am

not going to blow this, my golden chance, if that's what it is. And

I'll take LOSING 2 pounds during a 2 week period over the alternative

anyday.

Suzanne

> > To all of you who were depressed by the " Golden

> > Shot " post:

> >

> > Let me start off by saying I don't mean to be harsh,

> > but I feel like I

> > have to say this. If something as simple as an

> > e-mail that tries to

> > encapsulate the benefit of many long-term Atkids'

> > experiences with

> > weightloss depresses you, then perhaps you're not

> > ready to make the change

> > required to make Atkins a true WOL.

> >

> > When I started Atkins the first time in 1997, I

> > thought, " Wow! This is

> > gonna be a quick fix. I'm gonna lose a bunch of

> > weight, and then I can go

> > back to eating the way I used to. " I didn't view it

> > as a WOL, never even

> > thought to. And boy, did I have success with it!

> > But eventually, I " fell

> > off the wagon " , and not only did I gain back the

> > weight I'd lost, but I

> > tacked on some extra for good measure. When I

> > decided to try again, I

> > found a mailing list and joined it. At that point,

> > had someone sent the

> > " Golden Shot " e-mail, rather than being depressed, I

> > would have been

> > elated! After all, perhaps I would have made the

> > committment required to

> > lose the weight and change my whole lifestyle.

> > Instead, I yo-yoed and

> > gained until I reached my all-time high this year of

> > 262.5!

> >

> > This time around, I've had the benefit of a lot of

> > GREAT information. I

> > learned about the " Golden Shot " , and rather than

> > getting depressed, it

> > made me even more committed to MAKING THIS WORK!

> > Yes, the loss has been

> > slow this time, but I've had SO many victories too!

> > I've truly made this a

> > WOL for myself, I've felt SO much better, and I've

> > renewed my commitment

> > to myself and love for myself. After all, cereal,

> > toast, and ice cream

> > JUST AREN'T WORTH dying young! And I have to

> > attribute all these new ways

> > of thinking to the fact that this has been a

> > struggle for me.

> >

> > Thursday is my 4-month Atkinsversary. I've NEVER

> > " stayed on a diet " that

> > long. Again, perhaps my success has come b/c I

> > don't see this as a diet.

> > Perhaps my success has come b/c it's been hard

> > enough this time; I don't

> > know what I'd do if it were even harder, so I'm

> > taking the chance while I

> > have it!

> >

> > I probably would have taken exception to this if

> > someone had said it to me

> > a couple years ago while attempting Atkins, but

> > gang, wanting to lose

> > weight just ISN'T ENOUGH! You have to be ready to

> > change your life! You

> > have to be ready to do some major soul-searching to

> > get healthy! I wasn't

> > ready to do that in the past... Scared the hell out

> > of me! This time

> > though, I grabbed the bull by the horns, dove in,

> > and now I'm here for the

> > long haul! I hope that some of you think seriously

> > about what I and others

> > have said before you give up! We all love ya, and if

> > you're not ready to

> > do it right now, then that's fine. But attribute

> > your desire to give up

> > to the right things, not an e-mail that was sent in

> > which someone was

> > trying to help.

> >

> > I love all you guys!

> >

> > --

> > in Indy

> > (262.5)253.5/229/150

> > 3/26/01

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Okay, I've missed something here. Why was the info about the 'golden

shot' depressing? The only thing really left off of that was good ol'

YMMV.

I feel like after taking the 3-month break that I did, that I'm a

second-timer. I wish I'd had this information, because my expectation

when I had gained 30 lbs back was, I'll just lose 15 lbs during induction

and the remaining 15 lbs in, oh, 6-8 weeks, max. 7 months later, those 30

pounds are gone and I've learned the one shot lesson the REALLY HARD way.

And it was discouraging, to feel that I'd failed myself so significantly,

to feel that I was making up for a huge mistake, to have been so wrong.

And to not know why.

It's not over though. So it's not easy, so it's not quick, it's still the

best thing around. Losing weight without being hungry. As opposed to the

" see food " diet where you gain weight, and the low fat diet, where you

starve. Who cares if it's going to take a few years? In the meantime,

you're not suffering, you're feeling healthier, you know you're on the

right track. You have immediate benefits with blood sugar levels and

energy levels and blood pressure, and you're doing something way positive

for yourself, and you feel good about yourself for doing it.

And it's permanent. I don't see any reason to go back. Sure, there are

momentary lapses in judgement. Sure, a lot of patience and persistence

are required. But look what you're doing for yourself and how it feels,

and try to imagine *not* doing this and how *that* feels.

--jen

[Guest guest]

I don't know where you heard that Atkins was quick weight loss plan. You

lose weight quickly during the first 2 weeks because it is mostly retained

water. Each carb molecule travels with 2 water molecules, so by cutting the

carbs, you immediately cut the water retention.

After the retained water is gone, average loss for women is 1-2 lbs/wk, men

is 2-3 lbs/wk. The reality is usually bounce around a few pounds, drop 3

overnight, repeat. You didn't gain weight overnight, and you won't lose it

overnight...regardless of which plan you are on. If you don't want to be on

a 'diet' [structured eating plan], you will probably not be able to manage

your weight very well.

If you are on low fat, you will probably be hungry...a lot. You will

probably lose weight, if you follow it exactly. You will not be able to

have some of the foods you enjoy.

If you are on Atkins, you will NOT be hungry. You will probably lose

weight, if you follow it exactly. You will not be able to have some of the

foods you enjoy.

Notice anything different?

HJ

----- Original Message -----

> The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

> and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

> loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

> morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

> just as well on a low fat diet.

[Guest guest]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall reading that this is

supposed to take weight off quickly. It's a lifestyle change for those of

us metabolically resistant to losing the lowfat way, or who've done so much

yo-yo dieting (like me) that their systems are all goofed up and are carb

addicted. If what you're wanting is a quick fix to lose a few pounds then

to go back to your old way of eating you will be disappointed. The average

weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week, just like any other plan that one

sticks to. Some lose even less than that. While some have a good loss

during induction, not everyone even has this.

The enjoyable, fun part of Atkins is we can eat GOOD food, plenty of meat,

without worrying about fat intake.

Suzy

At 12:20 AM 7/24/01 -0700, you wrote:

>My thoughts exactly, Cheryl, it is a very depressing

>thing to read. IT makes me want to give up too. While

>encouraging a few people not to go off the diet. This

>posting may have encouraged some people to give up and

>go off the diet. It has made me have second thoughts.

>The Atkins diet is supposed to be enjoyable and fun

>and take weight off rather quickly. Without the quick

>loss of weight it seems pretty pointless to give up my

>morning bagel. If this posting is true, I would be

>just as well on a low fat diet.

[Guest guest]

This reminded me of something. I tend to lose a pound or two per week.

But last time around, as I kept with it without cheating, I started

getting small wooshes as I got nearer my goal. It's like my body finally

got the hint that it wasn't being deprived of anything, that it had had

the same types of foods for a while now and just started letting go.

Suzy

At 06:47 AM 7/24/01 -0300, you wrote:

I don't know that everybody's bodies behave this way though. Robin

almost

always loses 15 pounds on induction. Our rates of loss vary so much

anyway.

But while losses on induction are generally larger than on other

diets,

weekly loss rates are pretty much the same. The process of burning

up the

glucose stores and switching to ketosis does release lots of water

stored

with the glucose. Average on-going loss is 1-2 pounds a week

(slightly

under 1 pound a week on average for those reporting on our weight

loss

chart). Of course, at any given time, there are weight loss speed

demons

like Lori losing much faster than the average and people who are stalled

who

would kill to lose a pound a week!

[Guest guest]

That's how it is for me right now. I know eventually the number will

move, but my clothes are feeling much better already. Plus the heartburn

is gone, I have a lot of energy and just feel better.

Suzy

At 04:51 AM 7/24/01 -0500, you wrote:

I have never lost much weight on this

progam anyway, but the inches melt

away plus I know I am healthier.

[Guest guest]

YES, it makes sence to me!!! : )

. . .

> I have struggled with boredom on this diet...but the truth is, I

> cannot use food as entertainment anymore. Boredom is a bigger

issue,

> and I'm addressing that. Low fat will never satisfy my hunger, and

> eating can no longer satisfy my boredom. I'm learning to let go of

> the emotional attachment to food...using it to satisfy my

hunger . . .

> Does this make sense to anyone else?

>

> SuzanneG

> 193/168/150ish

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Suzanne, can you teach me how to let go of my emotional attachment to food?

I don't eat out of boredom, but I sure do when stressed. I have to learn

that eating the wrong things really doesn't make the stress go away, in fact

it adds to it if anything.

Jean

190/143.5./135

12/7/98

Friday Goal - 141

[Guest guest]

Ok, you obviously are not reading my posts. I said

that " most " people do lose fairly quickly on the

Atkins diet, not all, but most.

>>I don't know where you heard that Atkins was quick

weight loss plan. You

lose weight quickly during the first 2 weeks because

it is mostly retained

water. >>>

__________________________________________________