I realized I never exactly outlined the diet I would be doing! Well, its something familiar with me, and in fact, out of all the diets I've tried, this is the only one that really helps shrink my shape, and the number on the scale.
Back in high school, my mom introduced me to the Atkins method, or, "the meat diet," as she called it. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to pack on the bacon, cheeses, fats, butters, and meats, and STILL lose weight! As long as you stay under 20 g of carbs a day (for the first phase of the diet). Then as time goes on, you gradually introduce more carbs, and magically, you continue to lose weight. I started this diet with my mom, and in about a month and a half, I dropped 25 lbs. It was pretty incredible considering I had never lost that much weight that quickly before in my life. And when you have a mother who decides what you eat every meal, it was easy to follow the diet plan (especially since she was on it too). I didn't have to worry about it, I just ate whatever she cooked, and it was the easiest diet I've ever done.
The Atkins method is one of the more casual diets that I've been on. I definitely prefer counting carbs than counting calories. Calories to me, seems like a much slower way to lose weight. And given that exercise and low-carb diets are a great combination to lose fat fast, and maintain muscle; I knew this would be a good start for me! That, and any diet that lets me have lots of bacon is a diet I want to be on!
Yes, I've done Atkins before, multiple times. I've been saying this to myself for a long time now, but if I do this diet again, there's a chance I will fail... again. But it isn't the diets fault, its mine. Sometimes it was a quick way to drop 20 lbs in no time, and then other times it was a more serious way to lose permanently, but I'd slack off once I felt good about my weight loss (which wasn't what I really wanted). Like most diets, if you don't maintain afterwords, you gain it all back (quickly). I.... am.... BAD at maintaining after, mostly because of food that I love becomes suddenly available for me to eat again! That whole "what's one little bite?" mentality was my downfall, and I always ended right back where I started a few months later. For me, in the past when I've done Atkins, I stayed in phase 1 for longer than 2 weeks it suggests. I discovered this doesn't work. You hit a wall where you can't lose anymore. For me, I stopped losing at 205 lbs. You can't imagine how devastated I was to be so close to going under 200 lbs, and not being able to reach it. But, I was an idiot. I didn't follow the diet correctly, and I gained all the weight back.
Cheating with one meal a week. I'm trying to go by that saying 'Everything in moderation' here when I talk about a cheat meal. Now, this basically means, still keeping portions small, still choosing something remotely healthy, but with more carbs than usual. This meal would obviously put me over my carb limit, and I WILL NOT CHEAT until at least phase 2, when I'm allowed to add a few more carbs to my diet.
I've done a lot of research on this, and a lot of mixed reviews, but the general consensus is that 1 meal a week, is actually good for a diet. Now, I'm not gonna splurge. I'll keep my portions small, I'll stop when I'm full, and I won't go out of my way to get a sugar rush. In my mind, I see some friends inviting us over for dinner, and me, not wanting to be rude, eats the meal without infringing my diet on the cook. Or, if we go out to eat, and its a place I LOVE (like Olive Garden), I want my Chicken and Shrimp Carbanara with bread sticks and Alfredo sauce!
Now, the risks is my body is going to already be going through withdrawals with things like bread, pasta, milk, etc.. Like I said before, I'm not going to start my weekly cheat until at least phase 2 of Atkins, once my body has purged itself of that withdrawal and I have my cravings under control. I give in to my cravings, even for one meal, and I'm a lost cause. As long as I watch my carbs for a day or two before the meal, then only indulge in one high carb meal w/dessert, go strictly back to low carb the next day without deviation, it won't hurt me. In fact, my research shows that it won't even cause me to gain any weight back on!
The huge downsides to this diet (and any diet out there):
Your diet becomes everything in your life. I hate that. All my mind can think about is this diet, my carb intake, my weighing each day, and heck, even this blog is a reminder of this world I'm now living in. I wish you could diet without having to think about it every moment of the day, but you can't. Heck, I had a dream last night that I ate a ton of sweets, and I woke up feeling guilty! Haha!
With cooking, as easy as it was when my mom was cooking my meals, I'm an adult now, and I have to choose and prepare my own. Part of my problem is when it comes down to making myself a meal, I get so lazy or discouraged, that I'd much rather throw together some nachos, a cheese burrito, a microwave meal, or a pop tart (or worse, go out to eat at a fast food) than prepare something. We literally live next to a Taco Bell and a Little Caesars, within walking distance, so believe me when I say that the temptation to just go to these places is SO high.
Its not just being lazy for the process of making it (getting out ingredients, a cook book, following a recipe etc., cuz yeah that can be annoying too), but its the 'I want to eat something tasty, and I don't want to have to spend a lot of time preparing it' or 'I'll spend all this time making food, and it won't be what I'm really craving.' I let those thoughts rise now diet, I'll be munching on those cookies that are sitting out in the open on my counter right now as I type. :(
What seems like a perfect solution to that problem is those Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem type diets where your meals are sent to you and you have to just eat them, no strings attached, barely any preparation .. and you lose weight. I always thought, I'd definitely succeed if I didn't have to worry about cooking! My mom and my grandmother were both on it, and I remember when my grandmother dropped a ton of weight (she was skin and bones). It was because of Nutrisystem. The thought has crossed my mind to join, but its too darn expensive for our budget. :( Maybe one day.
I'm eating one thing, while my family eats another. I experienced this just last night when we had some friends over. I cooked a yummy pasta dish... that I couldn't eat. I had to substitute it with some Broccoli. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Broccoli, but situations like this makes it hard. And there will be more delicious foods to tempt me than just pasta. I always thought single people, who only have to worry about themselves, are the ones who succeed more at losing weight. You won't feel your missing out if there's no temptation.
Well, come what may, I'm doing this diet right this time. I'm hoping I can pull it off! :D
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