debbra's Journal, 05 Feb 09

I (personally) think that Weight Watchers is the healthiest (keep for life) way of eating and losing weight. If you like carbs, then you cannot and will not go without them for the rest of your life, so why not stick with WW, but cut out carbs for a week or so...just to give your body a jolt. I think you will find that you will see results. 

I'm gonna give Atkins a try. I'm going to stay away from the bad fats, try to just have lean meats and healthy oils. I am going to also watch my calories, which I've never done before on Atkins when I've tried it in the past. I think I need something drastic at this point. But we'll see. I'm going to consider this a new beginning. :) 

I have tried Weight Watchers, South Beach, etc. and had some success with them but not much. South Beach is a lower carb diet, but it gave me too much leniency with carbs. Give me an inch with carbs and I take a mile! LOL When I eat carbs and sugar, I so the same thing that you do, want to eat and eat and eat even though I'm not hungry! I've had some success with Atkins since it's more restrictive with carbs and it makes me feel full. I also like the foods I can eat on Atkins. But you do NOT eat just protein and fat on the Atkins plan. There is a method to the Atkins plan. You should get all the information on the plan before starting. Atkins wants you to eat certain vegetables along with the protein and fat from the get go! If you don't have the book and don't really want to buy it, go to their website which explains the plan extensively. At the end of my comment is a link to their website. You might have to copy and paste it to your browser. It sounds like Atkins might help you get on track. My suggestion would be to read about the plan (there are 4 phases), stock your pantry with the proper foods, and give it a go! Good luck!! You CAN do it! http://www.atkins.com/Program/FourPhases.aspx 

P.S. You will also find that you do NOT go without carbs the rest of your life on Atkins. You gradually add back GOOD carbs like whole grains, fruits, etc. as you get to the later phases of the plan. I cannot stress enough, though, that you should read about the plan and get all the information about how it works before you start! Again, good luck!  

I have the books and have read them, but I guess I didn't get it. I even have been to their site. I think what I didn't understand (or maybe I did, now that I think about it. ) I'm remembering now. You are supposed to stop when you feel full. And they want you to have some low carb veggies, like salad and broccoli, enough but not to go over 20 carbs. I remember that. I think the thing that will work for me this time that didn't the last time I tried it is that I'm going to watch my calories also. I mainly just want to push myself totally away from carbs. I will eat veggies, though, because I want to be healthy. I'm going to stick to fish and lean meats and let my fat come from healthy oil. I might indulge in some animal fats but only occasionally. Anyway, that's my plan right now. 

It seems to be that being addicted to carbs and then wanting to go to a plan that cuts them all out completely (at least in the beginning stages) sounds like a recipe for failure if you go off of it. But that's just my logic. If you think this is what you need, then by all means, try it! Only YOU can decide what works for you and what doesn't. Good luck on your new plan if you do decide to do it. 

there is nothing wrong w/ being addicted to carbs! as long as they are the healthy ones... choose 100% whole wheat! i lost weight EATING carbs! i love them too much to give them up!  

IMHO, above all else, if you really want to lose, watch your calorie intake since the bottom line for all of these diets is calories in vs. calories out. That way you can eat anything and know that you have a solid grip. There are approximately 3500 calories in one pound. How much did you lose yesterday? If you keep a general idea of how many calories you have consumed in mind you will know almost exactly what you have lost/gained. The scale becomes an instrument at your command. TheDailyPlate.com's MyPlate Calorie Counter can be particularly helpful with an endeavor of this kind. This approach can be combined with almost any diet plan you choose. Whatever you do, Good Luck with it Debbra.  

amen info... 

eh, you seem to really want to switch over to Atkins and so i dont think we can convince you otherwise but I personally feel that Weight Watchers is the healthier choice. Everyone I know who has done Atkins has gained it all back once they stop doing Atkins and if you love carbs as much as you say I just dont see how you could never go back to them. I dont think its the diet that you choose to do. I really think its your mind set. Its very easy for us to say "I want to lose weight", its completely different to put it into action. You and i have that late night want to eat thing in common and what ive had to do is just pay attention to what ime doing. Sometimes i find myself walking to the kitchen to get food and i have to stop myself. Dieting sucks, but its all about will power and you yourself said you werent hungry, you just couldnt get that want to eat to go away. Try to focus on other things. Think yeah i want to eat but im not going to. Just think of how much better youll feel when you are thin. 

Amen, Karen!!! You said it better than I could. I should do that, too.  

And by "I should do that, too" I mean try to focus on other things when I get the urge to overeat. 

Thanks, guys, so much for all your comments. I am definitely listening to what everyone is saying. I'm going to do two things -- try to stay away from carbs by eating a lot of protein and veggies, and watch my calories. I'm going to just consider it my own diet, but with an Atkins emphasis. I know I can't give up carbs forever, but I think I need to really yank them out of my system for a while. And I figure that the best thing to do is to fall heavily on the protein and healthy fats and veggies, and, of course, water. I am gonna give it a try. Because what I've been doing up until now has not been working for me. :) 

Hi Debbra - you have to do what works best for you. Calories in/Calories out is a huge component of weight loss. But the beauty of Atkins is that it stabilizes your insulin and blood sugar levels allowing you to control the cravings. Plus the added bonus of ketosis. I realize it can be big change for someone and Atkins is greatly misunderstood by many people. But as mbhpro stated above - you DON'T give up carbs forever. The first 2 weeks are the most restrictive. After that, you can start to add some of those restricted foods back into your diet. Granted, you probably won’t be eating bread with every meal or have pasta often. But Atkins will teach you to consume lean meats, good fats, fresh veggies, and eventually whole grains. Now a question for you – do you journal? I mean write EVERYTHING down…not just have a vague idea of what you ate that day? If not, maybe try journaling foods and amounts for a few days. You may come to realize that WW isn’t working for you because you are off track somewhere. If not, journaling will serve you well when/if you get started on Atkins. With Atkins you want to eat until you are satisfied; not stuffed. So journaling will give you an idea if you are eating too much. Good luck to you …and know that whatever choice you make we are here to support you. 

Since you are already well versed in the WW points counting, why not eat an Atkins based diet following your WW points target for the day. That way you will control your calories AND eat low carb without having to count calories. You know the basics of Atkins so you should find it easy. Best of luck to you and I hope you get the results you are seeking! 

Wow, lots of info there. We have all come to be experts on different ways to lose. In fact, when followed all of them work. It's sticking with it that is hard. I think the plan you have in mind seems like a good idea. The less sugary sweets you eat too, the less you will end up craving them. If you focus on things that are healthy for you that seems to make the most sense. Less processed, more natural if you can go that way. The natural foods are naturally good for you and are naturally low in calories for the most part. Veggies and lean proteins definately are your friends! Keep up your good work on the treadmill too and I challenge you to try adding in a few minutes of running (like 5 mph or 5.5) on a 0 incline for maybe 2-3 minutes at a time, walk then do it again for 3 times in a row. These little bursts coupled with your awesome walking and inclines will be very effective. 

I have followed Atkin's for years but let myself go for a couple of years and the weight went back on. On induction the list is pretty basic. Fill up on things like egg salad or chicken salad. Once you get the desire for sweet things out of your system you can try 1 Tlb of unsweetened cocoa (try a good brand) for 1 net carb in coffee. At first this is a little bitter but gradually you develop a taste for it and it really satisfies a chocolate craving. If you have a tendency to drink diet pop, etc. with artificial sweeteners you may not lose no matter how many carbs you drop. I allow artificial sweeteners sparingly. I do not ever count calories. Some days I am over 2000 calories and I am never under 1500 with Atkins. I am always full. In induction I eat a larger serving of meat but I have found once I am in OWLs I eat 4 - 6 ounces and am satisfied. I buy good quality cheese with nearly no carb count and enjoy it. I am losing slowly but I am losing. On owls you eat loads of veggies. Once I hit my low weight then I occasionally allow myself treats with higher carb count. This is not going to be anytime soon. If you really are calculating correctly and eating no carbs then something is off. You probably need to really study Atkins and read his book to find out what to try. I know I am addicted to carbs and my body doesn't like sugars or refined flours at all. My stomach is comfortable when I follow basic Atkins and if I let myself go I pay for it. I have loads of energy and am healthier on Atkins than any other way. Once I start eating starchy or sugary carbs I have difficulty stopping...not at one setting but indulging many times over. Do eat some carbs. A minimum of 10 is what I remember. Go to Atkins.com and try to figure out what your obstacles are. Good luck to you! 

when you said that you followed ATKiNS and didn't eat any carbs yet you say you ate aloot of FAT you have to know that even if atkins doesn't highlight the Fat or calories count you have to know by yourself (Common sense) that you won't lose weight if you eat alot more calories than you usually do of course you won't lose weight. and i suggest that you read about the system of atkins you have to know that the first 2 weeks are the most important 12- 15 grams of net carbs of vegetables << can't be clearer than this. YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR VEGGIES. otherwise you'll keep eating fat which is not going to make you gain but won't make you lose either. the beauty of eating these 12 -15 g of net carbs of veggies is that it helps you not to crave any carbs or any fat for that matter. plus once you start eating carbs (giving up to your temptations) you should know for sure that your diet is going to be ruined. once you eat carbs on atkins you won't stop.