How do you keep the momentum going?

[Mab]

For those doing this for some time, how do you keep the momentum up with this WOE/WOL?
Next month marks one year on my low carb journey. I did this once before with some success and kept saying to myself when I went off plan, why did you stop? you could have been at your goal weight by now! But with six months of just bouncing around with my weight and no real substantial success it gets easier and easier to get off plan.
Suggestions for how to really do this for the rest of my life without getting bored, tying it into weight loss, and getting frustrated?
I know I can't be the only person who has gone through this so any advice would be truly appreciated.
Thanks!

[celest24209]

I Am So Feeling You On This. I Did This A Couple Of Years Ago. Did A Really Great Job And Lost Was Great. Ive Just Really Gotten Back Into This About 3 Weeks Ago. If I Can Remember Correctly, I Read That The First Go Around Is Usually The Most Successful.

The One Thing Thats Really Keeping Me Motivated This Time Is How Great I Feel When Im Eating The Im Supposed To. The Great Glow I Have In My Eyes And Skin Tells Me That Lc Is What My Body Likes.

So My Suggestion Is Just Keep The Prize In Mind, Sure Some Of That Off Limit Stuff Is Great, But Is The Consequence Worth The Sacrifice. Also I Know That If I Keep Eating The Junk, It'll Keep Going Straight To My Trunk, Lol.

Even If I Dont Lose Another Lb, I Certainly Dont Want Gain Any More. The Emotional Backlash Is Just Much More Than I Want To Deal With.

[Mab]

I know what you are talking about with the emotional backlash. But the problem with it for me is even when I eat completely on plan and my weight goes up that emotional voice in my head starts beating me up!
For instance, I was working on plan and suddenly retained a whole lot of water (I know this now and the signs were there, but didn't realize it at the time) So my weight went up when I was being "perfect" so the vicious cycle for me is well if I was perfect and it didn't work, why try?
However, I got it back together and after 2 days of induction I am back down 6 pounds. Should be elated right? Well no. I am still a pound higher than I was three weeks ago. So it is this constant up and down that is allowing me to slip back into old patterns.
When I weighed myself this morning for the first time in two days I was elated. Then I started thinking, well this is sad, the scale is controling me. But I could tell with those six pounds on that I felt terrible. I felt bloated and gross. Now I know a lot of it was water weight, no seriously, I retained a lot of water to the point that my ankles were swollen and my shoes were all tight. This morning my TOM came and I think that was part of it all too.
It is easy to be rational and think these things through once the scale and my clothes say what I want them to again, not so easy when I am in the middle of it and beating myself up.
I'm wondering for those who are doing this long term how you ride out the emotional ups and downs. I can pep talk myself sometimes, but this is a long journey and I think right now I am tired... and need to see how others have handled the same thing. I know I am not the only one going through this or has been through this!

[QueenMama]

Mab, I've been there many, many times. My weight loss the last couple of years has been just a crawl, and I often have a bounce back up a few lbs, for no apparent reason, eating on plan, etc. Yes, it's frustrating, but I know I'm eating right, I'm slowly improving my health, so I've learned to not get upset by the scales, not to let that pile of metal and plastic control my mood. If I see a few lbs up, I just continue on plan. I know that if I cheat once, I'll cheat twice, then it will snowball into one major carbfest. I can't afford that. No, I haven't seen phenomenonally fast losses, it's been slower than molasses in January, but I have felt major health improvements that I'm sure I wouldn't have if I'd gone off my plan every time I had a little gain.

Oh, and I can retain water like you wouldn't believe. It was worse before menopause, but I still have the problem to a certain extent. Two things I do to help: First, drink lots of water. Sounds counterproductive, but you need to drink water to get rid of the water in your cells. Second, I take an amino acid called taurine. This is what Dr. Atkins gave his patients who had congestive heart problems to rid their cells of the excess fluids. It really does work, but it's something I take every day.

I also find that I have a bit of depression, not the kind that puts me into a blue funk, but the kind that causes negative feelings about myself, and sometimes about others. I take St. John's Wort every day for that. It keeps me on an even keel, helps me cope. I found a great website that explains depression and this herb, www.hypericum.com, with a really good overview of depression and how the herb works. Of course, before I took either the taurine or the St. John's Wort, I did research on them. Everyone needs to do research before they take any supplement, just like we do research on low carb plans before we decide which one we want to follow.

Last thing, you're doing a great thing just posting here, asking questions, asking for help. We aren't medical experts, or nutritionists, but we know what has worked for each of us, and we're all willing to share our experiences if it will help someone else.

We all beat ourselves up at one time or another, sometimes many times, but it isn't productive. If you have an off plan day, just forget about it, get back on plan, keep coming here for support, and above all, don't let those scales control you life!

[Sweet_p]

Mab, I feel all the feelings you are talking about almost every day and I have got off plan so many times. My sisters spent a week with me and we had a great time and although I tried to stay on plan there were times I just said heck with it and gained back 10 pounds just that easy. So now I'm working my butt off to get back to where I was. I'm finding that is getting old and is so much easier to stay with it. So I just have to take one day at a time and feel good about it when I have stayed on plan. I know my health is so much better this way and my blood work at the doctor's office proves it. I guess there are no magic ways to accomplish this never ending task but thank God we can feel good and maybe slowly see some results. Hang in there one day at a time.

Carrole

[Shelleyg]

How do you keep the momentum going?

several things come to mind, and not neccessarily in the order of importance for me.

• Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

I ask myself this often times when I am about to choose an off plan food.
Often times the answer is, nah.....that <insert food item here> won't be worth the pound or two I will probably gain from eating that food. Or...I've tasted it before, so it's not like something I've never had. I'll pass...re-focus, and lock in on my goal.

• I'm doing it for my HEALTH

Honestly, this time it is for my health. I've learned the hard way...the OLDER you get, the harder it is, especially if you are female. Lots of things work against you...hormones, physical ailments, stress...you name it, it all can cause failure when it comes to dieting.

• I remember how far I've come and how hard it was to get here.

I've been AGGRESSIVELY trying to lose weight since 2003. That's over 4 years with minimal to no success. until this year. It's true for me that some other health issues were hindering my efforts, but when it comes right down to it...it's been a hard fought battle...and I don't intend to lose ground at this point!

• Forgive yourself if you stray, but don't wallow in self pitty; get back on the right road and re-focus!

This does *feed*(no pun intended) back to the first of my list. Some days can be just darn hard and a good dose of chocolate is the only cure. You ate it, it's done...move on.

So, even though I'm still not at goal at this point, I think I am understanding more about myself than I have in a very long time. It's definitely a journey...new discoveries everyday...live and learn, eat to live, not live to eat, and above all....watch out for those darn carbs!!! LOL!

hth

s

[motherto6]

I think the first thing you should do is carefully look at your eating plan again. Make sure you're not adding carbs without realizing it. When I first started I was extremely careful to measure everything. As time went on I start eyeballing it.

You should also stop considering yourself a failure because the scale went up. The number on the scale goes up and down a couple of pounds for tons of reasons that have nothing to do with going off plan. Eating more saltly foods one day or drinking less water another day can do it. You might have gained a pound of muscle if you're moving around more then you used to. Another thing I've learned is to NOT weigh myself everyday. A trick I've sometimes used is to drink a huge glass of water when I first get up. After I drink all that water, I don't really want to know how much I weigh anymore

Mostly, I wanted to congratulate you on sticking with the program through thick and thin. It's hard to stay with it when you aren't seeing the results you wanted. After a while you really have to fight for it. Have you added exercises in? What about mixing up your carb counts? I seem to do best when I have a higher carb count every other day. That doesn't mean eating off plan, but I can throw in a strawberry or two or some extra veggies, maybe even some nuts on those days.

Anyway, keep on posting here and sticking with it. You will get there.
Michelle

[Mab]

Thanks guys, I knew other folks must be going through this or had been through it.
I really appreciate the advice, I am going to see what I can do to stir things up.
I know I have to keep going and that this is for my health, but sometimes the road is long and the path is narrow!

[kelly]

this really is a great post! some days are darker than others and it really helps if you can look back from where your journey started, dust yourself off and move forward - keep your eyes on the prize!

i think my motivation for geting back to LC is health and my family!

[CarolynInTexas]

It is so important to remember why you are on this journey, to be healthy....

I did it this weekend, went to a birthday party and ate carrot cake and chocholate pecan pie... I knew there would be sweets at the party, and thought I would resist.... duh.... how often do I resist sweets.... I could have been happpy with one helping of each (tho I made those small) but noooooooooooI had to have two or three small helpings.....and you know what, even tho it tasted great on my tounge and lips, my inner self was still yelling at me for doing it....I know I want to lose this weight, I know I want to succeed this year and drop 100 lbs. and I can't beat myself up over a little indescretion....cause if I do, I would have been into more and more than I really did.... I would have stopped on the way home and gotten some ice cream (I almost did) I would have ate the bag of dark chocholate kisses i have stashed for dh , but I didn't.... I knew that if I did either of those, I would have blown everything I have bben working for in the last two weeks....

So you tell youself you are worth being healthy, you are worth being able to make the decisions you make, and to remember that just cause you ate or drank something you shouldn't, there is no reason to continue on that path, and the sooner (like next food in your mouth) you get back on track the better you are.... Rome wasn't built in a day, you didn't gain all this weight over night, and you won't lose it in a month.....

There are many here that have lost lots, ... how about some of them pipe in here and help with your stories....

carolyn

ps. I did lose 4 lbs this week....

[kelly]

Carolyn, you are so right! Beating yourself up only makes it worse for me. I know I would not yell at my children for slipping up and eating a forbiddin 'cookie' before dinner. Because I love them, I'd be disappointed, and ask them to make better choices. We need to learn to treat ourselves in the same way.


Wooo Hooo! WTG! Congrats on your loss this week!

[BC]

That little voice in our head that tells us "a little bit won't hurt," or "I'll worry about tomorrow," or "I deserve this," "I need that," the voice that says "this will make it all feel better"....You know, that voice?
That voice is a lier.
Always.

[CarolynInTexas]

BC does that little voice ever go away.... or is it there always....

[BC]

My opinion, or at least my experience? We can't ignore the voice because that makes it louder and louder, screaming until we succumb. I imagine we've all experienced that, right? But I know that when we face the voice and respond with compassion (after all, this voice is a part of ourselves), we can begin making other choices and seeing other options.

At first it may mean literally talking to that voice in yourself. Sometimes I say "I know you're fill in the blank scared, anxious, angry, craving, disgusted, sad, etc., but eating that whatever won't help. We can make a better choice. What do you really need now." Sometimes I say "let's talk about it again in 20 minutes." Sometimes I say "thank you for the information" You get the idea. Whatever, as long as it's with compassion. The point is that the more often we're able to make better decisions, the less power that voice has over us and the less often we hear it. Does it ever go away? In my case I don't think so, not entirely or at least not yet. Stress has a way of turning up the frequency and volume. But I do know we are more and more able to recognize the voice for what it is and choose (yes, it IS a choice) not to blindly obey or fool ourselves with rationalizations. We remember more and more often that we have options and power.

Obeying the voice is a habit and a strong, seductive one. The good news is that like any habit, consistently good choices form new pathways in our brains and our behavior. The task at first is loving ourselves enough and often, with persistence not necessarily perfection so that a new way of being can emerge and thrive HTH

[CarolynInTexas]

thanks BC, I guess that was what I wanted to hear... you put it there in easy to understand terms....I am working on the 15=20 rule, if I can wait that long and still want something, well... but lately I have been able to say no I don't want it and in 15 min still have no desire.... of course, I am only back on track for about 18 days... and am having to be really strict with myself or I can easily falter, but I am proud of my determination to change habits that have been instilled for over 50 years....
so we had a lunch brought into work today... manditory lunch for all....anyway they brought in pasta primavera, grilled chicken, salad, rolls, and cookies....
I ate salad, chicken, and brought some greek yogurt and blackberries and by passed the rolls (they were cold, if they were hot...not sure) and the cookies... that felt great when everyone else was munching on cookies, I had this wonderful thick blackberry yogurt to munch on....

having the right tools is important... the food around you to eat, and the people around you to help you on your journey.
c