Atkins

[Kevy Baby]

Wow; Two threads started in one day.

I'm fat.

Not pudgy, I don't have "love handles," I'm not carrying "a little extra"; I'm obese

About 50 pounds overweight but my own estimation (screw the doctors - I would look emaciated at 185!).

I'm not really concerned about my outward appearance - I prefer that people judge me by the butthead that I am. But I have been becoming more and more physically uncomfortable about my girth (and it's not adding any "girth" in the good place). Clothes keep getting tighter, I've had to go to yet another notch on the belt in the wrong direction, and I just don't feel good.

I've been wanting to do something about it for a long time. Problem is, I truly enjoy eating. I've tried to make efforts to limit portions, but years of NOT doing that make it a challenge. I decided I needed to do something where a definitive and significant change happened. But it needed to be something that I could actually do.

So after more than a year of thinking about it, talking about it, asking questions about it, I just decided that I would start the Atkins diet today.

(For the Atkins detractors out there: I know that this diet has significant potential health risks, but my obesity is a REAL threat to my health that I need to change NOW.)

For all the thinking about, I really haven't done any solid research into what is okay and what isn't. My co-worker (who has had excellent success with Atkins) previously told me a couple of things, such as the low-carb breakfast from Carl's Jr. (which is what I started the day with), no sugar, bread, pasta, blah, blah, blah.

So I started the day with the aforementioned Carl's, had a steak for lunch, no bread (and I LOVE the rolls they serve where I went), Ceaser salad with no croutons, no taters or rice (had vegetables instead, but only had a small amount of those) and iced tea (no sweetener). Had chicken and a salad for dinner.

(Although as I write this, I just now realized I DID slip today: I always grab one of the red swirl mints on the way out of the restaurant at lunch and that was a no-no.)

So day one was a success. I started the day saying that was all I needed to worry about: today's meals.

So now I gotta figure out what I am going to have tomorrow. Later, I will start having a list of acceptable things, but for now, I have told my co-worker that I am going to ask for her help on a regular basis.

One day at a time.

We'll see how things go.