Sam's 30 Day Atkins Blog

Why do people do blogs? Why on Earth would anyone put something on public display as personal as an attempt to lose weight?
I think some people want a pat on the back from others and need approval as motivation to keep going. These are the people that go to weight watchers and stay for the meetings.
I think some need accountability. Their motivation comes from embarrasment if they don't stay on track. A few others do this as a "dear diary" kind of thing, oblivious to the fact that there may be hundreds/thousands/millions of people peering into their world. Fewer still are those that want to educate. By writing their thoughts, actions and experiences they hope to help others doing the same thing. Me? I am all those things. I need a pat on the back sometimes, a kick in the ass others. I want to help if I can and I know by keeping a journal it helps me keep on track and realize what I am shoveling down my throat.

Tomorrow morning is the first day of my 30 day third time trial of Atkins. The first time I did it I got far too involved with ways of getting around being low carb and sabotaged any chance I had of allowing the diet to work. I bought every "low carb" sauce, syrup, snack, bread replacement and sweet I could find. Rather than eating clean and adding a few things in down the raod I set out to eat as I always have and suffer little. Truth is, most of the low carb stuff out there tastes like crap so I suffered anyway, and the portions were so small that the actual carb count wasn't far from the non-low carb original. Who eats one teaspoon of salad dressing?
The second time I tried I went the other way and had NO carbs for six days. I felt like crap. The "Atkins Flu" didn't go away after two days like it was supposed to, and I had three weeks of training for a new job Monday and needed to be sharp and alert. Sunday morning I went off the diet and back to my old way of eating and felt better by the afternoon, and have not been on any particular diet since.
This time I have no training classes, nothing down the road that would force me (or allow me) to go off this way of eating, so I have decided to give it another try. This time I will follow the book to the letter. I will eat some salad measured out to the cup and I will keep a public food log to make sure I am under but right at 20 grams of carbs per day.
IF after 30 days I don't get over the "Atkins Flu" and feel like I have the energy that Dr. Atkins promises in his book I will realize I am just one of those that cannot do this way of eating and walk away from Low Carbing forever. Tonight I am doing what a lot of people do before they go on a low carb diet....I am having a last meal of all the stuff I love but won't be able to have anytime soon. Chinese buffet for dinner, hot fudge cake for dessert and a just before midnight Blizzard from Sonic. Tisk tisk. I should get sick to my stomach for eating all this crap but I won't. I'll just hit the sack here in a few minutes and have nightmares all night. Sleep tight!