Message from the front lines...

Day 17 on Atkin's.  I'm surrounded by forbidden carbs everywhere I look.  Even innocent children offer them to me.  But so far, I have remained strong.  The actual weight loss has tapered off but Ray, my underground carb control contact, assures me that it will start again.   Ray is an Atkin's Legend.  He was so deep into ketosis the other night, he smelled like a cantaloupe that had spent a few too many weeks under the hot sun.  He had to go and eat a couple of rolls.  I should be that lucky.  The thirst and dehydration got to the point where even I wanted a drink of water.  Prior to this week the only water that ever entered my mouth was to brush my teeth.  I've had several glasses so far, with no apparent ill effects.  I discovered that it goes down a lot easier when it's ice cold.  It doesn't hurt my stomach as much and I can't feel it sloshing around while I walk.  I should have read more of the Atkin's Book before I started  this diet.  I had thought that the Induction Phase only lasted for 2 weeks.  That's the first part of the diet where you eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day.  I used to eat 20 grams every ten minutes.   But I picked the book up again last night to see what things I could eat in Phase Two.  After trembling with anticipation I was shocked and rather disappointed to see that Dr. Atkin's recommends a MINIMUM of 2 weeks in Induction.  He says that a person can safely stay in this phase for more than 6 months.   SIX MONTHS!  I guess if I was dying of some fatal disease, and my doctor told me I only had 6 months to live, the time would just fly by.  I am going to try to stay on this God forsaken diet as long as I can.  How I miss the days when I used to pop just about anything put in front of me into my mouth.   And I never, ever read food labels.  Now I spend most of my time boiling eggs, mixing up chicken salad and making sugar free Jell-O and home made whipped cream.  Who knows?  Maybe next year I'll be chopping my own fire wood.