I went to Six Flags New England and at the water park I saw a very large mother and her twice as large daughter (both adults) the daughter had that look that you know she has trouble breathing, sleeping just existing. . .I am filled with guilt. . .I want to be able to tell people I see in obvious pain. . .it's not you it's the carbs. . .but how? I would love to craft a note that I could give people. . .but man I would have been insulted. . .but is it right to not share life saving information. . .and for people the size I am feeling obliged to help size is a life and death issue.

"Hi, First I would like to appoligise. If anyone had given me what I have handed you I would have been insulted and crushed. Please know I have no desire to sell you anything or am in no way trying to insult or hurt you. I too have been a big person (274) and I have lost alot of weigh low carbing (so far _) (I follow the Atkins plan but there are alot of low carb way of life's out there) The advantages of the low carb lifestyle are beyond compare. It will give you your life back. It causes you to not be hungry all the time. If you get nothing from this note please take this, it is not you. . .it's the carbohydrates. There is a wonderful resource on the net it is a forum for low carbing (it is free, I am not the founder and in no way associated with it other than a poster on the forum as 'redawn')
http://forum.lowcarber.org Please have a wonderful day and a joyous life. May laughter be the music you dance to. redawn"

What do you all think? My dh's opinion is the will reach out when they need it. He has a point. But it doesn't help the guilt feeling that you see someone drowning and you have a life line and don't throw it to them?

redawn

I know what you want to do and I agree and wish ti would work.... what I *think* would happen is that they would be very upset.... then later they'd think about it...maybe one day they'd try it.

Someone tried to gently talk me into doing this about 5 years ago and I thought NO WAY! but I was already doing great on my own too...until I had kids and gained it all back.... but between that old conversation and someone I know recently losing 13 lbs during induction...I just decided I WOULD do it!

if you do that letter just do a spell check on it first...

I think a lot of people (most) have no idea what the massive amounts of carbs is doing to their bodies. My mom has been telling me about Atkins for the past two years but I had in my head "how can you lose weight with all that fat?" boy was I wrong. Just imagine if I had taken up the gauntlet two years ago and 100 pounds ago...I would be fine as fine by now!

Oh well live and learn. I am an apostle and I want to tell the whole world about the WOL.

Hi neighbor!! I too have had to fight the urge to save someone... I just haven't known how to go about it and like you, I'm afraid of hurting feelings and possibly doing more harm than good.... each time I hear a breaking health story about how horrible fat is for the body I want to scream... there has got to be a way to get the message out to people... to tell everyone that it isn't fats that are killing you... <<sigh>> I just don't know how to do it

Patty

the guilt. . .~sigh~ sort of like the Matrix. . .you know the truth but you can't share it cause no one believes you till they experience it for themselves. My dh also said that this WOL does not work for everyone. .. I countered with there are 'types' that it works for. . .and when your body starts excessively storing fat. . .you ARE that type. . .pre type II diabetes. . .the exact type whom Atkins was designed to help. If the only thing that can fit in your lap is you. . .you are the type. If your body is folding in ways you never thought it would fold. . .you are the type. redawn

Oh yeah. . .spell check rocks. . .(that being said I had to manually correct two typos 'speel chack'. . .der!)

You'd never know I actually have a nice IQ. . .I am just an outside the box creative type. . .definatly B personality. Spelling, smelling. . .do you know what I mean? Great than I did what I set out to do. BUT I do realise when professionally interacting with the public putting my best foot forward is the best concept. redawn

Wow, this is a hard one.

I'm thinking about how the Christian evangelists work, sometimes preaching on a street corner, going where sinners are, visiting prisons. They reach some souls. Then there's Billy Graham, running revivals that reach many. In both cases, they are (mostly, not always) just sending their message to the world and the interested stop and listen and the rest walk by.

What about putting up flyers with the message, with little tear-off tabs with the website? If you can do it, a before and after picture would also be convincing, more than a # total, but I'd suggest making it pretty unrecognizable if possible. Shadow your face, or something. We all know the places people who need this message hang out.

Perhaps the best way to save anyone is to just be an example? Could work.
Where I work I am, without question the largest person by far. BUT there are others who could stand to lose a couple dozen pounds. I am not being judgemental...just setting the stage for the words that follow.
Well, the more I followed Atkins and continued eating great (and I do eat great!) and the more weight that fell off and the better my health became and my mobility returned...well...
Long story only slightly longer...at my work I know of 4 people now LCing. And doing it right. Maybe in part due to my success to date.

Hard for those dieting to sit eating rabbit food while I enjoy a couple of nice smoked pork chops and a big bowl of collards, some Atkins cornbread. Or perhaps a nice big serving of Italian sausage cooked with tomatoes? Or my favorite breakfast of Mock danish and fresh strawberries! I eat well. I lose weight. I do not feel deprived.

Oh, and they are all ALSO losing weight and very happy with the results. And people in their circle begin the dance. This just might catch on!
(wink)

My 2 cents worth....

I guess I have a problem telling some one "it's not you it's the carbs". The reason being it's both. Until YOU admit to youself that YOU are going to control what goes into your mouth, you won't lose weight. Granted we have been given some bad information in the past, but willpower is and will always be the key to eating healthy.

I know several people who could use LCing as a WOL and thrive. If they ask and many do, I will tell them how I've been losing and how it works. What they do with the information is up to them. I don't want LCing to be my Amway where no one wants to talk to me any more. I won't preach.

I had a boss a number of years ago who "got healthy" doing the Pritikin Diet. Any one remember it? It was popular in the 80's. Dr Pritikin's plan was a high carb, low fat plan. He preached this so much we went from good friends to the point where I couldn't work for him any more.

So I guess my opinion is that when the light bulb comes on and they decide it's time to lose weight, they will seek you out. Until then I think your spitting into the wind.

Cheers!

BrewWa

I totally understand the feeling behind your desire to do this. I have had those feelings too, many times. But, unfortunately, I really think it would probably backfire.

I was thinking about this when I was at the beach last weekend. Here I am at 240 lbs, prancing around in my swim dress, having a great old time. There were probably people there who saw me and either were disgusted, or felt sorry for me. But, what they don't know is that last summer I was 328 and pretty much glued to my chair (the one I could find that would hold me) No walks on the beach for me then! We never know what is going on in someone else's life, unless they are close to us, and if they are, then our example will speak for itself.

I'm glad I read your post before I responded. This is pretty much what I would have said myself. Thanks for saving me the typing.

I totally understand wanting to spread the word, but it's just not such a good idea. I know that in the past, even when I was only 12, I would be walking in the mall and a Jenny Craig representative would stop me and offer information. No matter how nice they were, all I could hear them say was "Hey fat girl, you need to shead some weight, and we want your money!"

Just as in anything that you find that changes your life and makes you feel better, you want to spread the word to everyone. But I've found out through experience, that dieting is something that noone else can talk you into, and if they do try it normally comes off as insulting. It's got to click in your head that you HAVE to do it for yourself, and that's just the only way that it will work.

Ok, so I've said my peice. Have a great day everyone!

There are times when the temptation is overwhelming for me... more so because I work in a book store.

I think when an overweight person comes into the store looking for diet books, they ask me for help because they look at my weight and decide I won't be judgmental. (I know that if I had to ask someone to help me find a diet book, I wouldn't want someone who weighed 85 pounds looking down their nose at me....)

The number of times I've had to bite my tongue when a customer asks me to help them find the "Ice Cream Diet" or the "Chocolate Pudding Diet" or even the more conventional high carb/low fat diets... But I do, because like a few other people have said, I HATE having others opinions shoved upon me.

But there are the good times, too. I always make a special effort to help the people interested in low carb books by explaining different plans and trying to help them find one they can stick to. And I always, ALWAYS, direct them to this website.

I think we just have to wait until someone gives us the chance to help them.

oh I did not say anything. .. but I so want to. . .this too shall pass? redawn