[topbonusescod]

Hello everyone!
Here is my story: I am 28 years old and 5'8, weighing in at around 160lbs. Although I realize this isn't huge- it is certainly the biggest I have EVER been. I am uncomfortable and feel gross. I have been dieting (mostly low fat diets, alli, starvation,etc) on and off for the last couple of years. I never stick to anything for too long because I just get so damn sick of being hungry. I excersise (and always have) about 4 days a week for at least an hour and usually closer to 2. I am living proof that excersise, which i still believe is so important for many reasons, is NOT the key to weight loss. What I eat dictates what I weigh.
My roommate has been doing atkins for a long time with amazing results- I have always refused it because it goes against everything I have ever been taught about healthy eating. But, I have reached rock bottom and decided to give it a try. I am on day 3 and feel GREAT. So nice to be on a "diet" and not hungry! However, I am freaking out a bit-- I feel like I am consuming so much fat! This can't possibly work, can it?!? I have the atkins book and am following it to a T. I would like to lose 30lbs (and feel better) will this diet work for me even though I do not have a ton of weight to lose?
I keeping my fingers crossed that it will. I feel like this is a program that I can actually stick to. But I just cannot shake the worry that I will wake up in a couple weeks 40 lbs heavier from all the meat, eggs, and cheese!

I also wanted to add that I am so inspired by all of the posts on this forum--congratulations to all of you who have achieved so muh on this plan. The smiles on faces in the "after" pictures are fabulous

[sadgpokx]

It definitely works, I'm living proof. Forget what you've been taught, dietary fat isn't the enemy.

Fat may contain the most calories per gram, but there's something most people don't tell you - eating fat kills your appetite. Before I was on Atkins, I could easily slam 3000 calories a day of high carb stuff and still be on hungry. I don't think i could possibly eat that much of protein/fat. It's a struggle to even get up to my target of 1800 some days.

To tell you a little about my back story, I decided I needed to seriously start dieting in January of 2008. Over the course of that year, through vigorous exercise and constantly being hungry, I managed to lose approximately 26 pounds (and I fell off the wagon and didn't lose additional weight at all after October).

In January of 2009, I decided enough was enough and decided to try Atkins. I've lost an additional 33 pounds since then, and have never felt better.

So to recap:

9 months of starvation and feeling miserable = 26 pound loss
OR
3.5 months of feeling great = 33 pound loss

Which would you pick?

PS:

I don't want to complicate the issue, but I'm not really sure what those 26 pounds I lost in 2008 were. They may have been fat or they may have been muscle. I was too dumb to understand that not all weight loss is good weight loss back then.

In 2009, I'm a little smarter and have been paying attention and I can say with certainty that I'm actually gaining muscle, so in reality I've actually lost MORE THAN 33 pounds of fat.

[__CVineXPharm__]

Good Luck! You have made a good choice in Atkins. It does seem a little strange at first loading up on what we have always been told is "Bad" stuff. I have been eating this way for a little over a year and have lost over 80 lbs. I am a slow loser I think but I am only 30 lbs from my goal and I could never get close eating "Good" food.

I hope to see you around often and keep with it. Beginning Atkins is one of the best choices I have ever made and I don't ever plan to go back to eating that other stuff again.

[Shootohoist]

hey Soapy

should be quickly noted that women don't lose as quickly as men generally! doesn't mean you won't have success (you most certainly will!!!), but these lucky fellas have the advantage over we estrogen-types when it comes to speedy weightloss!

[rozettasmolanov]

Tracy, that makes a lot of sense. My husband and I made a bet a few months back. The first person to lose 20lbs would get 100 dollars from the other. All he did was cut back on the cereal (he loves Cocoa Puffs and Captain Crunch Peanut Butter crunch cereal) for a few weeks and he lost the extra weight! I, on the other hand, never made the 20lb loss.

[sarasaraseda]

Oh Nina... never compete with a man in weight loss. Unless they quit, we can never win. LOL It's kinda like suggesting a race against an Olympic sprinter. So please, don't beat yourself up over that 20# bet. You can beat him at keeping it off later.

Tril

[rozettasmolanov]

Wow... That puts things in perspective. Thanks, Tril.

[Shootohoist]

hope he bought you something nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11