I’ve been LCing for 6 months. Early on in my journey I was blessed by experiencing the mental shift that this is the way I will be eating for the rest of my life. When I fully accepted that reality everything got easier.

I looked around here and saw that there were long-term LCers that were steadily working their way toward their goal weight. Some were getting there faster than others, but very few (if any) were moving in the wrong direction. Some had even stalled for months at a time, but persisted.

These were powerful lessons for me. Suddenly I realized that I may not reach my goal of ____ by ____ date. Was I okay with that? Did I have much choice? Sure, there are things a person can do to make the weight come off faster, but at what cost? Was I willing to sacrifice certain foods? Was I willing to commit to a vigorous exercise program? Was I willing to experiment with sometimes costly supplements? Was I willing to commit the time required to analyzing every single morsel I put in my mouth?

Like many, my “quality of life” is closely tied to the foods I’m allowed to eat. With LC I have found a plan that I can truly live with and be very happy. I have traded rapid weight loss for my definition of a higher quality of life, as I still eat artificial sweeteners, cheese, nuts, some caffeine, moderate alcohol, a little fruit, and I don’t obsess over every little carb (I try to keep them under 30 net…40’s okay too sometimes). I do things this way so that I don’t feel deprived, so that I can persist on towards my long term goal of 145….maybe even 140!

The pressure is off as long as I don’t worry too much about the time line…. I just steadily work toward it. One day at a time. And every day is a good day.

I also beleive that the "Mental Shift" to looking at this as a way of eating and not a diet, was a key factor in my keeping with this also. The other mental shift I had to go through was that "Fat is our friend" after so many years of being bombarded with fat is our enemy - my mind had to overcome its adversion and also my taste buds - my tastes buds were just not coniditioned to loving fat.

They are now though!

Good topic Terri.

I started LC as a way to lose weight fast. As the weeks have passed, and my weight has not changed, my attitude has changed.

This is not a diet, it is a WOE that I can continue indefinitely. Because I now feel this way, the fact that I haven't lost weight for 6 or 7 weeks isn't about to cause me to abandon LC. It took 13 years to put on the weight, and if it takes another year (or two) to take off the last 10 pounds, so what? As someone else said in another thread, at least I know how to do maintenance now

As of yet I haven't decided whether or not low carbing will be a permanent WOL for me. That being, said, I can fully relate to the mental shift regarding quality of life versus timeline. When I was younger, I would go on any one of the numerous fad diets and practically melt overnight. This is no longer an acceptable option. I would like to be thin, but I don't want to be thin with a haggard sunken face and I don't want to be weak and I don't want to be a target for every virus or bacteria that I come in contact with.

Another reason I don't like timelines is that I inevitably set myself up for failure.

I'm not really ambitious in the goal department, either. Currently, my short term goal is to lose just one pound. Each and every pound is a major breakthrough and each and every pound lost shows up more than the previous lost pound.

It's wonderful that you have found a WOL that works for you and I wish you every success with it.
asugar

Well said, Teri.
When and what to eat is one of the earliest things we're taught; so it's incredibly difficult to do a 180 on one's eating habits. The other reason that the "permanant WOL" idea is difficult to accept is that it's contrary to what's sold to us commercially. "Melt away x pounds in x days!" "The the 48-hour Hollywood diet!" "Eat whatever you want and still lose weight!!" Everyone wants a quick fix, no one wants to be in for the long haul. At least most people don't - there are, of course, those of us who have figured out that the 'long haul' is a pretty sweet deal considering you eat fantastic food, maintain a healthy body, and feel like a million bucks.

I too am having a hard time changing my old way of thinking about eating low fat, fat free, etc. After doing Weight Watchers for over 20 yrs and always being hungry I really feel I can make low carb my woe!
Old habits die hard, but I will work daily on changing my attitude about this new woe! People at work still think that fat is the enemy, but we know that sugar is!

That was a great way to put it, Terri!
I look at this as a journey. Some days on the journay will be fun and full of excitement, some will hold disappointment and frustration, but all of them will take me towards my destination slowly but surely. A lot of what happens on this journey will depend on me, some of it will be out of my control. I will do what is in my power to keep moving towards my destination and learn to accept those things that are beyond my power to control.
There may be times when it seems like I'm going nowhere, but my body is really forcing me to stop and rest and I need to accept that. Very few, if any, people can embark on a long journey and not rest a few times along the way.
What is my destination? I have a general idea, but I'm not completely sure at this point. My "map" is not yet complete, but pieces are being added to it every day as I gain knowledge and adjust my course by it.
How long is it going to take for me to get there? I don't know that, either. It may take me a lifetime, but for now I'm just relaxing and enjoying the journey.

I gotta be the only one that still thinks of Atkins as a diet sort of. I guess I think of it as a diet because induction is the first 2 weeks, and that's hella strict.. then theres the other steps.. where you're still watching and counting CARBS. It's like instead of counting calories and fat grams, we're counting carbs... That still sounds like a diet.

I guess I won't think of at as a WOE untill I reach my ultimate goal and continue to eat low carb..in general ( I just won't be following a perticular plan like atkins)

Yea, I guess I'm with SlimShady for now - it's been about 3 1/2 weeks, I'm down 8 lbs, and haven't been following things too too closely for the whole duration. I find it frustrating to always have to think about food - it occurs as such a chore! And it's frustrating to be watching what I eat this closely and still be losing so slowly. (I'm thinking I'm going a little overboard with the cheese maybe?)

And I'm wondering about the acquired taste for fat - I guess through so many years of "low-fatting", I've lost the taste, and now I get almost a kind of gag reflex if I eat something too creamy or greasy (funny how this doesn't apply to ice cream, but I can't eat beef for some reason - even the lean kind makes me feel kind of ill...)

So for me I guess it's a bit of a struggly between the quality of life issue, and actually getting a bit more of a dramatic weight loss result.

I really admire the people who keep doing this for years and a WOL and persevere. I guess I'm still waiting to make the mental shift, since for me this is REALLY HARD right now...

Thanks for writing thought - I find the motivation and inspiration I get from seeing how other folks do it to be tremendous.

Inna

That a good point, but as part of my mental shift, I no longer count carbs either - I know what is low in carbs, I know what is low in sugars etc in general - so I stay away. On occasion I will sit down and count things out, just to make sure I am on target. But after doing this so long, it becomes second nature.

Thanks Teri! I really needed to hear those words of wisdom today.

I agree with some of the posts that it does seem like a diet when you keep track of everything so carefully. That is why I have decided not to do a journal. It is too easy for me to become too obsessive about things and if I am going to adapt this as a lifestyle - I need to practice moderation in all things. I can keep track of 30 or less carbs in my head and remember to exercise several times a week. And drink water! Reading and posting on the forum helps me, I learn a lot from other people's experiences. Cindi

it's more than just changing a way of eating for me. I've learned a lot of things about myself since July 24, 2002. My relationship with food is changing, and that in turn is causing other changes in me too. I'm trying to become moderate in my actions and thoughts, rather than choosing to freak out over the little stuff. I am starting to win my battle with the scale because I just don't want to worry about it anymore. Starting to change my outlook on food has started to change me in other positive ways. Release is my current motto.

Nice post Terri -- very positive. Thanks.

Thanks for listening everybody -- Ginger

Teri,

I remember the motivation you gave me in my journal weeks ago about taking my time, starting over etc. It was a strange summer, perhaps a bad time to take on a weight loss project, but at least I got comfy with the idea of LC. But as much as I try and try and try, I wake up again this week to my starting weight all over again. Last night I got so disgusted I completely blew out all stops and had pie and ice cream right before bed. My head has not stopped banging yet this morning. I think I did it as punishment to myself - to make myself feel sick and guilty as an attempt to start over yet again.

I am with you on the mental shift - I am surely taking my time and am sacrificing the immediate pound loss for the leisure of having my sweeteners and coffee...but now that NOTHING has worked for me, and I'm just as fat and miserable as ever deep inside - I'm wondering whether I shouldn't get off the slow leisure boat and just do Atkins as a "diet". Count and measure every damned thing I put in my mouth and stop when I get to the limit. Suffer without my coffee, no creamer, no sweetner, no soda, cheese, sausage, etc. But the very thought of even more restrictions is making me want to throw the towel in, especially when I don't really think it would make any difference.

For months I've been saying "yes, I drink enough water", "yes, I take vitamins", etc. I know the plan, I follow the basic rules as a way of life, but since April, don't you think I'd be down more than 5 pounds? This is no plateau...this thing just aint workin' for me. I'm more and more convinced of that every day that I do well and get disappointed with no results in the end. I suppose I could be 30 pounds heavier the way I've been eating on LC, and that's something I always remind myself...these are real foods, no fake spray butter, or any other junk like that...makes me feel better!

Do you think that this long of LC'ing and really no progress to speak of is in keeping with that long-term mental shift? Or is it just something that I keep telling myself (I'm on the slow boat so I can have some of the things I like) when there really is no weight loss happening for me on this WOE?

Give me your wisdom so I can stop whipping myself

Donna - I'll pop over to your journal to see what's been going on with you, OK? We'll get you going, don't worry!

Teri and everyone else, this is just so inspiring. Thanks so much for putting it down in writing.

kiwi