Hi everyone!
I have tried low carb on and off for many years. When I do it, I love it. I KNOW it needs to be a way of life, but somehow I always make my way back to carbs. Now, here I sit, needing to lose about 140 pounds and I am just over 5ft tall...So I have really gotten out of control. I sometimes feel like I can hardly move and now I am not sleeping well at night because I am so uncomfortable. Then, of course there are the joint problems! I am sure everyone in the triple digits club knows these problems well. I know that if I can do this, I will start feeling better almost immediately. But HOW do you stay motivated to keep going? I know that the results should keep me inspired but I think I must want to fail. Has anyone else felt like this? I guess I have alot of emotional work to do in addition to my physical work. For me, the carbs are truly an addiction. I really feel like I know what a crack or heroine addict deals with...the anxious feeling about not knowing where to get your next fix....always thinking what the next meal will be. Enough of this! I am better than this and stronger than this and I owe it to myself to take care fo myself!

Okay, so this is it. I am going to do this! I have been thinking about this for weeks and starting right now I am a LC'er again. I bought lots of good LC foods at the store today and so I am feeling well prepared. But I would love some encouragement! Anyone have any advice? I just need to know that I am not alone in this.

Thanks,
Beane

Hey, you've found dozens of carb addicts, many of which have had amazing successes. I've got nearly 300 pounds to lose and I'm actually *gasp* jogging. Albeit in one minute intervals surrounded by 4 minutes of fast walking, but I've got the energy to do it.

You have to make the following decisions:

1) I'm worth it. The frustration, the initial cravings, the other stuff will put you off, but you have to love yourself enough to make some sacrifices.

2) I will not quit. Make a firm promise to yourself and others. I personally swore that short of having a stroke, I would do Atkins for 6 weeks, no matter how bad or horrible. I'm 5 weeks in and deciding what my next commitement will be.

3) Set mini-goals and not scale oriented. The next blouse size, being able to walk/run for X minutes, etc.

Check in often and support others too and you'll be amazed at how you have to stay with your program.

Hang in there Beanie. I first tried the Atkins Low Carb plan several years ago when his first book came out. It was hard and there wasn't nearly the support and food choices we have today. I never had any success back then but today I am amazed at all the tools and support that we have out there. Back then I don't think they had the ECC but maybe they did and I just didn't read the entire book. I'm good at doing things my own way. I tried to do zero carbs for the first two weeks and almost went insane.

Take this all "one day at a time," to coin a phrase. Stay with it just for today and soon this will be a way of life and you will shudder at the thought of going back to the way you used to live (and eat).

BTW, this is my very first post in here. I saw your message, read it and just had to register and tell you I'm pulling for you!!!!!

Congratulations first on joining the forum and deciding to take control over your body back. Welcome and we are all here to give you support and encourgement.

You can do this and your not alone.

What is more important to you, eating a potato or living a healthy life?

You ask what motivates people. After being athletic most of my life I became sedentary and my weight creeped up to 326 pounds. The main problem for me, in letting that weight stay on for too long, was even at that weight I was so darn healthy. I had relatively low blood pressue and cholesterol for my weight. Both my parents were overweight most of their adult lives. thye are both in their mid 80s and relatively healthy. thus, my family is both genetically healthy but genetically programmed to be that way and be healthy. My father slimmed down in the last few years. My mother has not and her weight problem has finally caught up with her. She is now in a wheelchair for the only reason that she is too heavy to exist without it. I am single with no children. I know I will live a long life and I better had been in good shape, otherwise, I will be in real trouble. Besides that, being overweight, for those of us who are single, is no picknicking to dating.

Good for you for starting again! We are here to tell you that this way of eating works if you work it. How bad do you want it? The first few weeks is the hard part. Soon, though, it really will become a way of life and those carb cravings will be gone.

I highly recommend starting a journal here and using Fitday.com to log your foods. I find that popping onto the boards 2 to 3 times per day keeps me plugged into the support system that I need to stay motivated. Hearing about other folks success is a great motivator.

Good luck!

you can do it! It's all mental! I know I could not have stuck to program without the support of this board... Make sure you use your journal and if support isnt coming to you seek it out whenever you need it! thats what this site is for.

Try to really believe that being healthy feels better than any foods taste... Also there are about 10 low carb plans... read about them and pick the one thats best for you and then stick to it. I guess the most important thing for stciking to it is to monitor your weight closely...especially if you start cheating and then once you've gained 3-5 pounds make sure its your MISSION to get back on track... never letting it get out of control. gooood luck!!!

Hello Beannie:

Sometimes it is hard to find that motivation. It was hard for me to find the motivation to come back when my life is happy and my health good.

Two things did it for me. I flew on business in October and had to get a seat extender for the first time. And, I was so uncomfortable in that plant it was ridiculous because I was all scrunched up in those seats. When my obesity is causing me pain, it is time to do something.

Also, we had a roommate for two years that was about 400 pounds. She had to use the breathing machine at night due to sleep apnea and she could hardly move. One day she sat on the floor to get something, and she could not get up. She is ten years older than I am and I realized that I was going the same direction. When you see your future up close, it can be enough to scare you to death. It was my future because I have spent the last few years gaining.

The only real advice I have for you is to take it one day at a time! Yesterday is gone and we know nothing about tomorrow. Just try to make today a good low-carb day and keep going!

I wish you every success! Orchid

I think recovery for *any* type of addict is the adage stated above.."one day at a time."...Like any other group, we all need each other's support...whether we're succeeding or having a setback...We have a *plan of recovery*....all of the above suggestions are steps in carrying out that plan....My stronger moments are more frequent...I keep trying to figure out what occurs when the weaker ones present themselves....I know I haven't said anything new...it's simple when stated....I try to build on each successful day to carry me through to the next...Come here 50 times a day if you have too!!!! Make yourself worth it!!!

Hi Beanie,

All the posts above say it all. You are worth it! At some times in our lives, we have to face up to the reality that nobody else can lose our weight, nobody else is to blame but ourselves but also the reality is that we are all lovable people and need to love ourselves so much that we do what we can to live our lives to the fullest.

Savour every little step along the way. You don't need to lose every pound to see the transformation -- a sleeve that no longer bites your arm, pants where the elastic is not stretched as much, and more and more.

You are worth it! And if you have hard times, please let us know. You can guarantee that everyone in the TDC can completely understand the pain and hardship you go through and we'll help you face it.

Good luck and come back to visit often!

Beanie Welcome you have found a good place to be. I noticed in your introduction you made referance to having a lot of emotional work to do, which suggest to me you already have an idea of what keeps you where you are. I understand that because fat can be a good hidding place or it can protect you from things you are not ready to or don't want to deal with. It would be nice if we could unzip the suit and step out of it but we can't sadly. We have built this wall around ourselves and only We can decide if we are ready and able to handle taking it off. Fortunately though we can't unzip it, we have to work to take it off and as we do we learn to face the challenges that meet us along the way. What are you afraid of? whatever it is there is plenty of help here to work through it with you .Soo you have reached out already Now here we are offering you a hand back. Come on up on the wagon honey ther is plenty of room for you.

Thank you everyone for all of your replies. I made it through the first day and am into the second day. I am realizing how important it is to take this one day at a time. I also need to really focus on how much better I will feel, even to just get 10 pounds or so off. If I know that I will start feeling better with that little of a weight loss, then I feel better because I know that it is not hopeless. I know that I will start sleeping better and my clothes will fit better and then think of how good that will feel!
So thanks again. I will be glued to these boards I think!
Beanie

Hey Beanie! Congratulations on starting today!! For me, I knew I HAD to do something about my weight and since "dieting" seemed so hard, I thought I'd have to get a stomach operation. So after I turned 40, I started to tell myself it was time to get that operation, and when I finally looked into it -- yuck!!!!!

I thought it was crazy to do that if low-carbing would work for me. So I decided to try it. But it sure helps me to know that if I fail at this, that I'll be facing the operating table!!! That sure keeps me motivated!!!

But then I started actually enjoying this new WOE!! Because I don't cheat, I've gotten used to the food I eat and I'm no longer a carb addict like I used to be. Now my family can eat all sorts of junk in front of me and it doesn't bother me. I have MY food to eat and iI like it.

Plus, eating low-carb ice cream is just amazing to me!! How can this be called a diet when you get to eat stuff like that?!!! Amazing!!

Go for it all the way Beanie!!!

I too have often self-sabotaged myself and then I feel horrible, it's like when I see myself losing, my brain says no, and I do something stupid to mess myself up. But, I refuse to give up this time. I am going all the way...my wake-up call was fearing that the numbness I kept feeling in my arm was in fact a stroke. That's my big fear that I would have a heartattack or a stroke. I knew a guy who died right before he was to graduate college and sell this computer program he had developed. I don't want that too be me. So, I am going to make it this time!!!

I like to watch shows on the Discovery Health about obese people because I see myself and I want to change. I was supposed to have the Gastric Bypass surgery but it was cancelled 2 days before, so my only chance to lose weight and feel good about myself is Atkins. I lost 2 dress sizes before and then I quit it, and now I refuse to quit. I'm going all the way this time and so can you! Just decide today that this will be the last day you feel this way about yourself!!!