[ http://atkinsdietbulletinboard.com ] New to group from Karen Lindsay on 2003-08-20 (html-tidy@w3.org from July to September 2003)

From: Karen Lindsay <karenl@180com.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:19:49 -0600
To: <cuynetatkins@yahoogroups.com>
Message-ID: <010601c366c9$eb6a0780$a3fca8c0@karen>

Mary,

This is a good group to hang with. Your story brought tears to my eyes
because I remember all those feelings. I wasn't obese until I got pregnant
in my early 20s. Two more children later and a few years of yo-yo dieting
myself, I was up to approximately 250 lb. I, out of desperation and
unhappiness with myself (just as you described), and because my insurance
company would pay for it, I had a gastric bypass in 1992. I lost down to
147 lb and was ecstatic with the "new old me". I was determined never to
get back to that place in my life again. 11 years later, however, and
having never really changed my eating habits or my relationship with food, I
found myself back at 187. That morning, as I stood on the scale, my heart
stopped for a moment and I broke down in tears, SO afraid that I was heading
back to that place, from which I had struggled so hard to avoid. I went out
that day, bought the new Atkins book, meat, eggs and cheese (having tried
Atkins a couple times in the past), came home and read the book through the
third phase and we, my husband and I, started the diet the next morning. My
husband, who was up to 279 lb, has lost 45 lb since 04/25/03. I've lost 22
lb...slow, but steady...and I'm happy. We're BOTH happy! We feel SO much
better than we did when we were piling in the carbs and loading on the
pounds. We're headed back down and are determined to stay with this WOE/WOL
(way of eating/way of life) for the rest of our lives. He's 65 and I'm 52,
so if we can have some quality years following this WOL, we're sure gonna
give it a shot.

Mary...you can do it too. I'm familiar with the feelings you describe. I
always felt "invisible" when I was so overweight. My experience was that
when I would say good morning to men (sometimes even women) I met in the
hallway at work, he would not answer and avert his eyes, like he thought
that if he replied, I might take it that he would be interested in a person
"such as me." When I lost all that weight after the bypass, all of a
sudden, I was visible again and I actually had "brains!" Now....that really
ticks me off because I KNOW I was the same person then as I am now, even
though I really didn't like myself either. I also know that, in my mind and
in reference to myself and how I think about myself..."Once a fat person,
always a fat person." I still make fat jokes about myself and I find myself
searching the womens' sizes in the department stores instead of the misses'
sizes. It's a shock to me when I realize what I've done.

So...you go for it, Mary! You'll find lots of support here and many stories
similar to your own. It's nice here, with all these people who understand.
We know we're not lazy. We know there are circumstances in our lives that
have led us to that sad, desperate feeling and that peak weight that brings
us to all the diets we try. Having done all the diets and had the surgery,
I do believe that Atkins is the way for me lose. I also believe that it's
got to be a way of life....most definitely. If I don't make it my WOL, I
know I'll end up right back where I don't want to be.

Join us in our journey to good health -- all you newbies or returnees to the
Atkins Diet have joined this group of people in all stages of the Atkins
diet looking for support and ideas. We'll walk together...

Karen
In Montana

****

Hello, My name is Mary, I found this group while surfing for
information on the Atkins diet. I will be starting the diet Monday
(tomorrow). All my life I have been a big girl, continually yo-yo
dieting without lasting effect. My weight problem has brought me to a
very uncomfortable place within myself. I have become socially
withdrawn with very low self esteem. I have lived a life time of
teasing, ridicule and being made to feel that just because I was
obese I wasn't as good as a "thin" person. I am intelligent and
realize this is an inner problem but I just can't live this unhappy
anymore.A friend told me about this Atkins Diet and knowing many who
have follwed it I decided to give it a try. One day I am hoping that
when I look into the mirror instead of seeing eyes full of tears and
frustration I will see a happy thinner me. Just the other day I had
to sit for two hours and listen to my finacee's friend tell me how
disgusting fat people were and that we were all just lazy. I am
determined to lose at least 50 pounds and am hoping this diet is the
answer. Any suggestions would be much appreciated or advice.

New!!!
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