Okay, I ve been reading low carb books. I get it, I believe it, I understand it...BUT I have such a hard time commiting to things. I give up and give in so easily. I'm afraid to even start a plan for fear of failing due to my own lack of will power and determination.

Do I sound crazy?

Dawn,
You don't sound crazy, but, to me, you sound hesitant. Perhaps you simply need to *jump in, feet first*, as they say, and give yourself a true and honest attempt, "by the book" for say, 6 weeks. In the grand scheme of things, 6 weeks isn't a long time committment, but you should see fairly good results in that length of time, and that should give you incentive to continue.
If you still can't commit to a LC eating plan, perhaps you just aren't ready to eat healthy and lose weight. You've definitely got to have your head in the game, for any eating plan to work, yanno? If you are most certain you are going to fail, then you probably will. The "negative" self talk has derailed many a soul. Try to think of yourself as a success, right out of the gate...taking it one day at a time...even one meal at a time if that's what it takes. Set smaller goals for yourself to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

We're cheering for you!

hth
s

__________________
Shelley


Visit Kassie's Korner


"A goal without a plan is just a wish."
--Antoine de Saint Exupery

I’m SOONER born,
And SOONER bred,
And when I die,
I’ll be SOONER dead!
GO SOONERS!
I be ready for some football!

One little walker-runner Dude for every 10 miles!

Shelley the Wise speaks truly.

Start by eliminating the negative self-talk. Post Stickies all over the place that say I CAN DO IT!!

Besides, you'll find that low-carb eating can be so much easier, pleasanter, and more fulfilling than other "diets" you may have tried. Even Atkins Induction, with all its "restrictions," provides the delicious flavors of non-lean meat, eggs cooked in butter, mayonnaise sauces, and toasted cheese. Will power and determination are inadequate. What you need for commitment are pleasure and delight.

So dive right in! Pick a plan, devise some meal menus, make a shopping list, and you're on your way. Come back here and tell us what you decided.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

You are both correct, of course.

Well I've read Atkins, Schwarzbien, Groves, Eades, and a book by Christine Lydon (which I don't think many have heard of). I'm not reading any more books. If I can't find a plan of action in one of those books then I may as well forget it. They are all very different in what they believe one MUST do to lose. How can they all be right? How in the world do you narrow it down to one plan? I don't want to be negative....but gosh I'm afraid of them all. I know, I know...think positive. I will carefully consider what they each have to say and pick a plan. One thing they've all taught me over the past few months is that I must keep away from sugar and starches. Which I am presently trying to do.

I have one more book to recommend to you, since you seem to be an enthusiastic researcher. That would be Laura Richard's The Secret to Low Carb Success, published in 2001. This book provides a simple explanation of how "low carb" works (there are a million hypotheses out there--so don't worry about which one is "right"). Then Richard goes on to explain each plan very simply, and she creates a chart comparing the specs of each plan side-by-side. And more! At the end, there's a long list of resources from recipes to websites.

Also in this book are numerous "Voice of experience" sections which give real world advice. Chapter 4--Take Action--might be just the jumpstart you need. By eliminating sugar and starches already, you're a step ahead.

In fact, there is no "absolutely right" plan. The plan that's right for you is the one you choose--and follow for a fair period of time. Give it at least a month--better six months. What have you got to lose, as it were?

The goal is NOT fast weight loss. It's learning a lifetime way of eating that will keep you from regaining. The only way to do that is with a plan you love. NOBODY can "diet" forever.

With all that, I still say Atkins is great. Simple. Effective. A fun book to read. A good champion to follow. Lots of company along the way.

Best wishes.
P. S. Exactly what are you afraid of? Failing? Dying? The only real failure is failure to begin. If you have health concerns, by all means do what all the diet gurus say: Check with your doctor.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

I guess I am afraid to invest in them and then find they don't work or that I don't work (I know that sometimes diets fail because people only give a half a@# attempt).

But as stated before, I've got to change my mindset from fear and failure to determination and success. I can do this...I have to do this. I've seen too many family members struggling with diabetes and fat bellies and frustration. I am on my way there and I'm ready to switch directions.

I will see if I can locate that book at the library.

And yes I love to read and research, which is how I ran into the low-carb idea in the first place.

Dawn,
Good advice from Barb, also!

More incentive, right there! If you accomplish nothing else but stabilizing your blood glucose levels and avoid becoming a diabetic, then that alone is worth your effort, wouldn't you say? But, you will get more wonderful benefits as well...
more energy and weight loss, to name a few!

Good luck!

hth
s

__________________
Shelley


Visit Kassie's Korner


"A goal without a plan is just a wish."
--Antoine de Saint Exupery

I’m SOONER born,
And SOONER bred,
And when I die,
I’ll be SOONER dead!
GO SOONERS!
I be ready for some football!

One little walker-runner Dude for every 10 miles!

welcome, dawn.

the thing to remember in picking a plan is that you're not MARRYING the darned thing! you are trying it out for size in your life. there is no one "perfect" plan for everyone. people are different - lifestyles, individual preferences, and how their bodies react to various nutritional changes all vary from person to person. there are some aspects (as you've identified) that are similar for most of us. and that's a great place to start. in other words, you don't have to determine which one is "right." what you're looking for is which is right for YOU, right now. that's a much easier task.

we do always suggest people pick some plan and go with it to start, because those that do almost always do better than those that don't. but please remember, since you've already eliminated sugar and starches, you HAVE already started and you have already made some healthy changes in your lifestyle - i count that as a SUCCESS!

if you've read a lot of plans and feel unsure of which to try, pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you and commit you brain to a set period of time as shell suggested earlier; then re-evaluate how it's working for you at your check-in point that you've selected. if you don't feel healthy, energetic, happy with what you're eating, and (lastly) having the scale or tape measure indicating your progress on weight goals, then maybe pick another one.

think of it as a constant learning practice. even after you get a plan, you may find that something the plan recommends doesn't work exactly the same for you. that's fine...it's an ongoing learning process. the point is that doing SOMETHING to improve where you're at will always be more effective than thinking about it.

it's great to get informed and helps make your chances for success go up dramatically. but at a certain point, research becomes a euphemism for procrastination.

good luck. we're rooting for you!

__________________

You are correct, which is why I am not reading anybody else's diet plan.
Too much research also leads to information overload and I start to loose it all.

Dawn, when I started Atkins, I did not know if it would work for me. However, from the research I did, I knew that if it did work for me it was something I would have to follow for the rest of my life because I knew that if I stopped following it, I would regain the weight I lost on the plan. Unlike you, I did not do any research into other low carb plans. A friend had lost a noticable amount following the Atkins approach and he suggested that I read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. I did, and it made sense. It also seemed to set out a methodology for what should be a seamless transition from weight loss to weight maintenance. However, I was unsure that it would work for me given my yo-yo weight loss experience. Nevertheless, I decided to commit to it for an unspecified time to see if it worked. I looked for suitable recipes to replace or substitute for my old high carb favorites and jumped right in. I saw results almost immediately and that reinforced my decision to stay with the program. I have never looked back and do not regret my decision and will continue this WOE. It only took me over 55 years to finally figure out that the only thing my body really did efficiently was convert carbs to fat. Good Luck on implementing your decision.

__________________
Henry

Dawn, whatever plan you follow....as the saying goes, "Just do it." Get started now and give it a fair chance. What is the worse that can happen if you follow it for 2 weeks? I know for me......within 3 days of starting Atkins my health improved very much. That alone did it for me. If you've read Atkins' book he asks you to just try it for the induction period and then make up your mind whether you want to go on with it or not.

Welcome! Hope to see you on here often!

katlupe