"Luna" wrote in message
...
| In article ,
| (tara) wrote:
|
| i started doing atkins about 8 or 9 weeks ago. i didn't measure
| myself or anything. i'm 5'2 and weighed 165#. i'm 33. in the past 8
| to 9 weeks since i started, i've only lost 15#. BUT... i haven't been
| as strict as most people i read about. i've 'gone off' on a few
| occassions but then i get right back on and stick to it. if this is
| going to be a lifetime thing for me (and i plan on it to be) then i've
| got to reward myself or something. i haven't GAINED anything back
| from the few times that i've cheated. i'm just not losing real fast.
| as a matter of fact, i haven't really lost ANYTHING in 4 weeks. i'm
| increasing my activity too. but although i haven't lost a tremendous
| amount of weight in a short time like many do, i have gone from a
| size 12 to buying a size 10 now(pants and shorts)--and they FIT! AND
| it seems like people are seeing a difference. my husband does (and
| he's not lying just to make me feel good--LOL) and even my grand dad
| noticed today-and he's 86 years old. i guess why i'm typing this is
| to find out if there is anyone else out there that's approached it
| THIS way? everyone else seems so Gung-Ho (not that that's a bad
| thing). maybe i just need some more motivation.
|
| I cheated way too much last month, and lost 4 pounds instead of the
typical
| 7-8 since I started LC. The problem with cheating is that it can be a
| slippery slope, a little of this a little of that and if you don't pay
| attention you're right back where you started. What I've read on here
that
| seems to work is to have a planned cheat, maybe once a week have one meal
| where you go off plan. Or if there's some particular treat you like, such
| as ice cream, have a small 1/2 cup serving once a week. If you're on plan
| the rest of the time and increasing exercise, it shouldn't have too much
of
| an impact.
|
| The two things to watch out for, in my opinion, are binging and cravings.
| If you start allowing yourself planned cheats, and when you have them you
| lose control and pig out, it can make you feel like crap both physically
| and emotionally. Also, if you have your cheat meal and the next day
you're
| craving carbs all day, it can be hard to get back on plan. I think for a
| lifelong WOE it's self-defeating to say to yourself "I can never have such
| and such a food again" but you have to find the right balance for you.
| Maybe once a week will be too often, maybe once a month or every two weeks
| will work better. How strict you are really depends on how much and how
| quickly you want to change your life, no one can decide that for you.
|
| --
| -Michelle Levin (Luna)
| http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
| http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

Luna,
Excellent answer!
Chris B.