jsfantome's Journal, 28 June 2011

3 more days (including today)...and a wake-up... and then I am off! I can hear the waves calling my name :)

Been poking around journals, food logs, forums, etc... this morning, and putting my two cents in where I can. Probably not what people want to hear... but based on my own experiences. It brought to memory something that happened to me in the beginning of this journey, and I've decided to share it here... in case someone else can benefit from it.

So - when I started I went full force totally CLEAN induction for 3 weeks and lost about 12 lbs. Then I went on a 3 week vacation (took my mom to Alabama to visit her sister's.) I did great on the road trip down there... but during the time I was there, I ate Induction most of the time, but not all of the time. I kept giving in to more and more options of things I knew I wasn't supposed to have, but thought of it as a vacation, and I would get back to 'normal' when I got home.

Well, when I got home I had gained back ALL of the weight I had lost. First 3 weeks of Atkins = 12 lbs lost. 3 Weeks of vacation - 12 lbs gained! YIKES.

This experience set in motion my desire to figure out 'why' so many people on the Atkins site would say ..."this is my 2nd time, or 3rd, time, etc.. doing atkins, and this time I hope to stick w/ it". I knew if I was going to CHANGE MY LIFE - this was going to have to be a PERMANENT change in my way of eating, and become a new lifestyle for me, or I would most certainly regain the weight. This was a defining moment!!! This was not a diet. This literally had to be a new way of eating. If I couldn't accept that, then THAT WAS the time to say NO to Atkins, and move on to something else, because otherwise I would end up like the myriad of posters who a year or two or three...would be coming back to say 'I'll try it again'. I didn't want to 'try' it... I wanted to LIVE it!

Ok, so I started again.

100% Effort, totally clean induction, doing all things according to plan. Lost one-to-two pounds over the first two weeks. WHAT??? What happened to my 12 lbs during induction losses? Oh boy, the HARD work had just begun!

Stick w/ it Paula... something has to give... you lost it the first time, it'll come back off... another week goes by, then another, still no losses.

So, I find my way here to FatSecret in the meantime... meet some really nice people, experienced people... and this one woman was kind enough to offer to look at my food menus and offer to help me.

I would venture to say I was around 3-4 weeks into my RE-Induction period after the vacation debacle. I told her honestly about my recent past experiences - and opened up my food log for her to look thru. I was rather happy about the fact that I knew - I KNEW she would not be able to criticize it, or pick it apart, as I was completely committed to making this work... and knew I had not cheated.

So, I opened an email from her, and much to my surprise it said "Lose the Jello!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I have had to give up everything under the sun, and I find one thing that I like, that 1000 other people are eating and losing on... that cannot be the one thing that is causing me to not lose weight! That's ridiculous!

That's exactly what I told her.

She nicely wrote me back - gave me now scientific explanation about sweetners, artifical ingredients, etc... and then CHALLENGED ME. How many times BEFORE atkins... did I eat SF Jello in the last 12 months??? - My answer: 0

So, then she said - can you give it 30 days? If your body again starts losing at the end of the 30 days, then you can honestly say the SF Jello had something to do with. Because EVERYTHING else I was eating at the time was wholesome, natural, real food. (eggs, meat, cheese, veggies, butter.)

Ok, she had a point. Since normally I was not a SF JELLO eater... yes, I could give it up for 30 days! But I didn't want to!!! I ATE the JELLO in the beginning and lost the first 12 lbs eating it...it couldn't be the jello! (this brain arguement went on for days :)

Another week - faithfully following Induction - still nothing.

Ok, it became far more painful to stay the same then to change!

So, I gave up the jello.

First week out of the gate, down a pound. Next week, another pound. Following week 2 lbs... then consistently 1-2 lbs every week, week in and week out... UNBELIEVEABLE. I literally almost gave up my success with this new lifestyle and way of eating over something that never meant anything to me before. Just the thought of having to give up one more thing ... well, it was the right advice for me, and I am glad she gave it to me.

Not everyone has to worry about this issue. Most people are not affected. But about 25% of people eating low carb are very intolerant to artificial sweetners, sugar alcohols, fillers, gelatins, etc. This experience taught me sooooo much about myself, my stubborn will, and my new found way of eating.

When you learn from them... it makes each experience, INVALUABLE!

Hope you guys have a great day!!! Never stop looking for answers, and seeking the BEST for yourself! You deserve it :)