Thread: I feel so gross

Welcome to LCE! The greatest people frequent these board - you will find sooooo much support.

If you have too many things going on in your life now, but you have given up soda, ...then that is a start. Perhaps this is how you should approach the low carb lifestyle - ease into it gradually. Start with no soda (okay, check). Then drink more water. Then maybe start some exercise (something simple and enjoyable). And hang out here a lot. Read what others have posted. And when you are ready...you can begin your new Way of Eating (referred to as "WOE").

No one here can choose a diet for you. That you must decide on your own. But we are HUGE on support and encouragement, and we will help you to help yourself!

I know how you feel when you say you feel gross. That feeling was the impetus for me to change my eating habits. LC is working for me!

Good luck and welcome again!
Kelly

bud - welcome - I think you'll enjoy this forum. Everyone is very supportive and encouraging.

Whatever plan you choose (pick one you think you can live with because this is really about a way of eating for life - not a short term diet experience) be sure to buy and thoroughly read the book. I encourage buying it because you will refer back to it often and hopefully re-read it, too.

My body likes ketosis and the boundaries work for me so I've chosen Atkins. When I leave ketosis and am burning glucose for energy I usually end of with food cravings. I like the lack of hunger I experience on this plan. There are several to choose from - I suggest you check out their web sites for general info and then be sure to get the book.

Glad you're joining us.
Karen

Cheer up! Your on your way to reaching your goals. I started reading these posts back in August and I think most people here are doing Atkins. Myself included. Cutting out soda and drinking only water daily has been the key to my weightloss. I do have a social life so I will drink a beer once in a while but its so few that it has not stopped the progress. I started walking 6 days a week for 30 minutes three weeks ago and it is improving my results. Anyway you've come to the right place for support and advice. So read as much as you can. And you might want to buy a book on Atkins. When you read the book it's like a light bulb goes off in your head and you get it. Goodluck and keep going! We're here for ya!

bud- welcome to low carb eating. i'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time. i have found lots of info and encouragement at this site, and hope you find the same!

first off, you ask about what "diet" you should try and how to lose weight. as you may have surmised by the name, low-carb eating is a site that informs and supports the low carb lifestyle, and i use the term lifestyle intentionally. it's been my experience that diet's don't work by their nature: they are temporary changes and once you quit, normally the weight comes right back, as you seem to be finding. what you're really looking to do is make strategic lifestyle changes that will help you not only lose the weight to begin with, but maintian it and life your life free of that burden.

nobody can decide for you which plan to try. i would suggest you check out the beginners articles here to start getting an overview of plans. if you decide to go with low carb, select a plan and get the corresponding book, which you can use as a road map to chart your direction. usually, people will check with their doctors as well, particularly if they have health concerns or depression to address as well. doing everything you can to make it easier for you is really a wise decision at this point, because it all helps!

however, one of the most important componets i've found for my success is maintaining a positive attitude and coming from a place of self-love. feeling crummy is not compatible with good self-care! so please, start acknowledging EACH and every step you make in the right direction because it's not some sort of superhuman effort that's going to get you there, or mastering a specific tempation or whatever. it's day in day out, the choices you make most often, making every step count however small, moving always in the direction you want to go and letting go of the worries about how you're going to get there or what the scale says or exactly how it's going to work.

so in short, you wanna lose weight? get informed. and in the meantime, do something, do ANYTHING, to improve where you're at now. i don't care if you do the 1 mile walk away the pounds tape once a week, or you take the stairs 2 times extra in a month or you walk around the block after dinner instead of sitting down in front of the tv or if you dance around the house when you vaccuum or if you cut out some more sugar now that you've dropped the pop or you just drink one extra glass of water today. with each step, you empower yourself and you make progress and you build on that success. get informed and most of all, DO my friend! all the talking and thinking about it in the world will get you nowhere, but doing anything is a start.

best of luck to you!

Before I started this WOE. I went to the library and looked through many many "diet" books to see which fit me best. It took some time but it was worth it. I ultimately chose low carb eating. I did switch after a few weeks and reading the book a couple times to Atkins.

Eating poorly is so much easier than eating well. It's very easy to throw a frozen pizza into a basket at the store and go. I believe if you really want to change your lifestyle that you will take the extra time and make the effort. I'm a single mom that works full time and spends every other waking moment with my son. I know how time can be tight. But its worth it in the long run to change for the better.

As far as the exercise. I started posting that I was going to do a tape I had and from that it took me weeks to actually get it out and start. From that start I was able to get the WATP 1/2 dvd. Now I alternate the WATP and aerobics every other day six days a week. (Each is about 30 miutes.) I KNOW it's tough to get started and hard to keep going but you'll feel better. Now when I try and talk myself out of exercising for the evening I do the tape or dvd right then. I do take a regular day off from exercising though. I feel it helps me to look forward to a day of "rest".

Now I am just starting out with all of this. I started low carbing in August and only started exercising regularly about a month ago. But already I feel good. I'm not perfect, I've had my ups and downs but you can't beat yourself up, just get back on track.

Good luck finding a plan that suits you.

Welcome, budsvtec!

Laura Richard's book, The Secret To Low Carb Success, may help you decide what weight control plan you want to follow. The book compares and contrasts the major low carb diet plans like Atkins, Protein Power, the Zone, Carb Addicts, and others. It's also full of useful tips and hints, do's and don'ts.

Of course, if you start with one plan, there's nothing to stop you from switching later on as you learn more about nutrition and lifestyle changes that support weight loss and weight control. After dabbling with my own version of low carb, and the Carb Addicts program, I finally ended up with the Atkins program. It was easier for me to track and it did such a good job of eliminating my food cravings.

One caveat about Atkins (and other LC diet plans): don't go overboard on Atkins products or any other LC bars and "manufactured" foods. The sugar alcohols and glycerine in the "low carb" bars cause many people to stall in their weight loss efforts and they can result in food cravings until you get them out of your system. You will most like lose weight much faster and feel much better eating real foods.

Most of us do so much better eating real foods. Try to include a good helping or two low carb veggies in at least two meals a day. You can eat your veggies along with a fair amount of protein and fat foods, and with limited amounts of fruits and nuts. You'll probably avoid most grains, beans (other than green beans), and carby veggies like peas, corn, and winter squash. Some of those foods can be added back gradually (in moderate amounts) as you get closer to your maintenance goal weight.
Part of the fun of this way of eating (WOE) is learning about new foods or new ways to use familiar foods. I've found lots of tasty foods that are a snap to make and have handy. For example, I was so-so about cauliflower until I discovered Marcie's recipe for cauliflower mashed with cream cheese and brie - delish! It's a satisfying substitute for mashed potatos or rice.

Anyway, I just want to assure you that you can eat lots of tasty and delicious foods and still lose weight. I hope we'll be hearing more about you and your progress. Feel free to ask questions - folks here are very helpful and knowledgeable.

Welcome, budsvtec.

Can't add much to the excellent advice you've already gotten.

Hope you'll make yourself at home.

Welcome!

Another book you might check out is Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden. He also does an excellent job of describing and rating 14 different low carb plans.

As far as needing motivation - Join us in the Couch fauxtatoes Challenge on this forum. Here's a link to November's Challenge.

Couch Fauxtato November Activity Challenge

Hey Bud...
I just wanted to welcome you and also give one other tip. ALL of the advice here is great, and the support is KEY. Snoop around the website a while, and when you find the journals (under Special Interests: Journaling) Start yourself one. and you can list each of those steps that goddess mentioned. You can start with "I GAVE UP THE SODAS!!!" and add "took the stairs" "did the tape" whatever. Then when you are feeling not-so-high on yourself, you can look at what you HAVE done and focus on that. No one (I'm pretty sure) will tell you it is easy. But it is SO worth it.
YOU CAN!

hope mom is doing ok....
knowing that you have to eat out a lot, remember to eat salads.... Most fast food places now have some kind of salad... either large chef type ones or small side salads. If they just have the side ones, get one and get a grilled chicken sandwich and throw away the bun, and ask for some salad dressing.
that should help you with choices.... I know it is hard when you have to grab, eat and run....salads are not easy to eat in a car on the go, so, just stop on the side of the road for about 10 minutes and eat your salad....
so glad you gave up the sodas, I had to do that last year, I am still having trouble getting all my water in, but I try, and at least I don't grab for a soda(we keep them in the house for dh to drink)

Take care of yourself, while you are running back and forth to the hospital, remember to take some time for you... take a bath, do one of those tapes you bought, just sit and look out at the day....
You won't be able to help mom if you are so stressed out, or tired from all your running to and fro....
carolyn

Sorry to hear your mom isn't well. Welcome to the boards. I hope you make yourself at home. In trying times like you are going through, it is so helpful to have a supportive family. Good luck with all you are going through now.

I am sorry to hear that your mom has been in the hospitol...
one of the things that i noticed when my husband was hospitolized a couple times in the last 12 months was that the HOSPITOL CAFETERIA actually had some great choices...
i would grab a salad... a small pkg of almonds.. even a deli sandwich (they had LOW CARB BREAD) boiled eggs. ... bottled water... i even got a bowl of califlower and brocolli and brought it back to the hospitol room to much on (when my nerves are on edge i tend to want SOMETHING.. ANYTHING in my mouth...) best to have good choices to nibble on...
i wish your mother a speedy recovery...
i wish you much success in your endeavor to get healthy!