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I honestly do not know how much I weigh (I close my eyes when I am weighted at the doctor's office and told them not to tell me). I did the Fen/phen and after that I said no more. I told my doctor I was tired of hitting my head against the diet brick wall and I quit. He never said a word. He knows I have battled my weight all may life. Well I went shopping this past week and was shocked at the dress size I am now and knew something had got to give. So Atkins is my very last shot.

My cousin was at 304 lbs. 3 or 4 mos. ago. She just started
taking it a meal at a time. Eating regular food, but making
changes. Eat the lean burger patty, leave off the bun, have
a small piece of the cheesecake instead of a large one, just
cutting down. She has already lost over 60 lbs. painlessly
and never could before. I'm just thankful for enough to eat.
My mom went to bed hungry many times as a child.

So Atkins is my very last shot.

Don't go on it immediately. Take your time, read the book TWICE. Get a list of recipes, make a menu, find out which snack foods you like. Take the time to read the nutrient section. Be sure to get magnesium and potassium supplements because the diet will have a diuretic effect early on and make you feel bad.

Most of all, stay the course! No matter what the book or anyone on this thread says you will feel like you are DYING FOR A COKE OR DONUT on the 3rd or 4th day. Take some fast walks and eat a lot of fat and you will get past that. Once you get into ketosis real good you will feel good.

This diet works. Just don't be afraid to eat the yummy foods you have been told to avoid. Eat the fat early on. Your body doesn't know how to mobilize its own fats well at the beginning and to stay in a fat burning mode you will need to eat a bunch early on. Once your body is fully in fat burning mode you will eat a lot less.

Get a blood sugar monitor and ketostix too. It allows you to see the diet working. Use the blood sugar monitor before you go on the diet to see how you are changing your bodies reaction to food.

Good luck this diet really works!

Stick with the Atkins and you will feel better than you have in years. I think if you read through these threads the people that are anti-Atkins are the ones who never tried it, or those that failed to really accept that it is a life style change, and not just a diet.

On the other hand, the people who are pro-Atkins have made the changes and can see and feel the success it brings. The first week or two is hard, but it gets easier every day. Read the book, and then read it again so that you understand what is going to happen. Keep it handy for easy reference. Also, this program is a lot easier if every one in your household is part of it. They may not immediatly buy into it, but if you stick with it and they start seeing the dramatic changes in your weight and energy levels it won't take them long to come on board.

Best of luck to you and a healthier future!!!!

I don't know if you've tried this or not but try walking at least 10,000 steps per day in addition to your new diet. Get a pedometer and wear it on your waist. They go for about $30 at your local sporting goods store.

I think this is what turned the corner for me. I started walking everyday back on March 1. I started out by walking 3 miles a day at lunch. By April, I started getting up an hour early so I could walk three miles in the morning as well. So I now walk at least six miles a day and I am now dropping 2-3 pounds a week.

Why 10,000 steps? It is roughly five miles a day and it is the benchmark to shoot for when you are losing weight. Anything over 10,000 steps is gravy. Now I don't know anything about you and it might take you considerably longer than I to work up to 10,000 steps a day. But I can tell you that this is the only thing that has ever worked for me with respect to losing weight. My new diet plays a role as well (elimination of processed and junk foods from my diet) but I know that wouldn't be as successful by itself. You really need the exercise as well. Also, all the walking I am doing actually decreases my hunger. Good luck.