Hi everyone,
Just thought I would quickly introduce myself as I am starting on Atkins / low carb tomorrow
I am 23 and cannot remember a time in my life when I have not been on the dieting merry-go-round. I was a 'podgey' child, certainly not fat, but even at primary school I remember being very concerned about my weight. My first diet was when I was 10 / 11 where my parents encouraged me to cut out rubbish and eat more fruit, but I was already at that point secretly weighing myself. I spent the next 6 years swinging between gorging on sweet stuff when no-one was looking, to going all day at school without food and just eating evening meal with my parents.
At 15, I Joined WW, didn't follow the diet, and instead starved myself, refusing to eat more than 500cals a day. Then I regained it. then I lost it. then i regained it.... etc. As a result, my weights over the past 8 years has swung from 12stone4 to 7stone 13.
This summer, I married my childhood sweetheart, who loves me for me and has stood by me through both ends of the weight spectrum. The motivation of getting into a wedding dress saw me join slimming world, and then move to weight watchers, and I steadily lost 3stones over 18 months. I thought I had finally cracked my weight problems through being 'sensible' and not putting unrealistic demands on my body and I felt like a princcess on our wedding day in a fitted fishtaily style dress, size 10, but even then needed taking in!!!! (never in a million years did i think this would happen!) Unfortunately, I have gone off the rails since the wedding, and have re-gained 10lbs. Granted, not loads, but I am short and petite, so it shows. I feel like I never kicked my carb / sugar habits, and as such now I am craving them more than ever. Also, my IBS has come back - partly due to stress, partly food. I have started my teacher training this year, and have been in the habit of grabbing a croissant / sandwich / crisps between lessons. Now, I understand that a low carb diet can really help with IBS symptoms, so I am going to try and kill two birds with one stone. I want to get the 10lbs off, but I don't mind it being slow so long as I am learning new habits and kicking my 'addiction' to junky carbs at the same time. What I really don't want to happen is to use Atkins to shift the weight, only to return to my old eating habits. I have been reading these forums with interest, and the book, and really do hope I too can look at a table of buffet food and think, 'you know what, I'm not interested'
Anyway, because I have less than a stone to lose, apparently, I should start in OWL, I am just going to try and keep my carbs under 20g for two weeks, then re-assess from there. Should mean I won't need to stick so strictly to induction foods, but I will still be incorporating lots of veg (I do really enjoy veg - the lack of fruit may be a problem for me though, as most days I eat at least 6 pieces of fruit, hmmmm...)
So, thats a bit about me - thought I would introduce myself as no doubt I will have plenty of questions over the coming weeks / months. I really want this to become a way of life for me
have a lovely Sunday everyone! xx
Just thought I would quickly introduce myself as I am starting on Atkins / low carb tomorrow
I am 23 and cannot remember a time in my life when I have not been on the dieting merry-go-round. I was a 'podgey' child, certainly not fat, but even at primary school I remember being very concerned about my weight. My first diet was when I was 10 / 11 where my parents encouraged me to cut out rubbish and eat more fruit, but I was already at that point secretly weighing myself. I spent the next 6 years swinging between gorging on sweet stuff when no-one was looking, to going all day at school without food and just eating evening meal with my parents.
At 15, I Joined WW, didn't follow the diet, and instead starved myself, refusing to eat more than 500cals a day. Then I regained it. then I lost it. then i regained it.... etc. As a result, my weights over the past 8 years has swung from 12stone4 to 7stone 13.
This summer, I married my childhood sweetheart, who loves me for me and has stood by me through both ends of the weight spectrum. The motivation of getting into a wedding dress saw me join slimming world, and then move to weight watchers, and I steadily lost 3stones over 18 months. I thought I had finally cracked my weight problems through being 'sensible' and not putting unrealistic demands on my body and I felt like a princcess on our wedding day in a fitted fishtaily style dress, size 10, but even then needed taking in!!!! (never in a million years did i think this would happen!) Unfortunately, I have gone off the rails since the wedding, and have re-gained 10lbs. Granted, not loads, but I am short and petite, so it shows. I feel like I never kicked my carb / sugar habits, and as such now I am craving them more than ever. Also, my IBS has come back - partly due to stress, partly food. I have started my teacher training this year, and have been in the habit of grabbing a croissant / sandwich / crisps between lessons. Now, I understand that a low carb diet can really help with IBS symptoms, so I am going to try and kill two birds with one stone. I want to get the 10lbs off, but I don't mind it being slow so long as I am learning new habits and kicking my 'addiction' to junky carbs at the same time. What I really don't want to happen is to use Atkins to shift the weight, only to return to my old eating habits. I have been reading these forums with interest, and the book, and really do hope I too can look at a table of buffet food and think, 'you know what, I'm not interested'
Anyway, because I have less than a stone to lose, apparently, I should start in OWL, I am just going to try and keep my carbs under 20g for two weeks, then re-assess from there. Should mean I won't need to stick so strictly to induction foods, but I will still be incorporating lots of veg (I do really enjoy veg - the lack of fruit may be a problem for me though, as most days I eat at least 6 pieces of fruit, hmmmm...)
So, thats a bit about me - thought I would introduce myself as no doubt I will have plenty of questions over the coming weeks / months. I really want this to become a way of life for me
have a lovely Sunday everyone! xx