Self-knowledge is of primary importance in the battle for weight-loss. In a fit of philosophical year-end musing, I came up with this highly personal list of things I now know about my biological and psychological self, that are helping me on the road to health. It has been a voyage of discovery for me. I have learnt so much from the members here and on other low-carb fora. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I wish I had had access to this kind of information and support thirty years ago. But thats the way of life; wisdom comes with age, along with the sagging body parts and wrinkles

Your exerience or inner workings may be quite different from mine; it is knowing what works for you that is important.

So here is my list, in no particular order:

The importance of protein.
Whenever I dieted in the past, I focussed on calories without regard to the balance of macronutrients. I have always loved veggies. To lose weight I used to eat mostly vegetables, with very little protein, and hardly any fat. I thought this was healthy. I ended up losing lots of muscle, and that lowered my metabolism. When I re-gained the weight, I always had an increased body-fat percentage, so I looked worse at the same weight. Now I aim for 90-100 grams of protein a day.

The importance of micronutrients.
I used to get cracks around my mouth (lack of B6) and muscle cramps (elecrolyte loss, esp potassium) whenever I dieted in the past. Now I take my vitamins and minerals regularly.

The importance of exercise
My body likes to exercise in the morning. If I don't do it first thing, chances are I won't exercise at all that day. I love the increased energy I get from increasing my muscle strength and endurance; the buzz I get from feeling powerful affects my attitude to life. I spent 42 years on this planet avoiding exercise, and thinking I was not 'the athletic type' . If only they had taught weight-lifting for girls when I was at school, I might have spent less time being fat and feeling helpless.

What my trigger foods are
The things I can't eat or drink without spiralling out of control. I have to avoid them for evermore if I want to be normal weight and stay that way. I just label them 'poison', because having them in moderation is impossible for me.

The importance of keeping my blood sugar level steady
When faced with temptation, I think of the damage high blood glucose does to my body, and how cr*p I feel if I succumb. Getting into a BG/insulin rollercoaster is a nightmare I want to avoid.

Staying off the scales
I used to be a slave to the scales in my twenties. It ruled my life. Then I rebelled against its tyranny. If I get on the scales these days its because I know I've had a sizable loss, and want to quantify it. Otherwise, it just sends me into a depression, and that is a Bad Thing. Being depressed makes me turn to carby food for the seratonin feel-good boost it gives me. It also sets off the BG rollercoaster, and further depression. I can tell how I'm doing without getting on the scales.

Calories count for me
If I want to lose weight, I must count my calories very carefully.
I can maintain on low-carb without counting calories. This is a major breakthrough for me. My weight has been see-sawing for most of my adult life. I was either losing or gaining weight, but never did it stay steady for weeks or months at a time. But to move the scales lower, I have to keep the calories under 1500. That involves tracking every pat of butter, splash of cream, and nut kernel, as well as the meals. Forgetting to log a series of small items can easily add up to 200 calories per day, and thats is what stalls me.

Late-night snacking undoes a whole day on-plan
I can get to the evening and still be on plan. If I head to the fridge to reward myself for a good days work, even if I eat low-carb things, it takes me over my calorie limit and I don't lose.

I don't have the metabolism I had at twenty
Menopausal ladies like myself can't lose weight easily. It gets harder the older one is, but it can be done. Patience is the key. Being impatient means I think I'm failing when in fact I am winning. I just have to adjust my time-frame, and I'll get there.

neo_crone

Awesome! You've managed to outline just about every point I've learnt so far in this WOE, too!

The blood sugar thing is key to my emotional state, as well as my physical. I CAN'T afford to have my sugar go sky-high and then drop down through the floor. It sends me into a tailspin the likes of which I don't ever wish to endure again in this life. Others may be able to get away with eating a piece of cake/cookie/candy here or there, but not me. It's a tough thing to resign oneself to the fact that this is for the rest of one's life, but that's just the way it is for some of us.


I've watched my 14-year-old daughter (who is built very much like me, unfortunately) over her Christmas break as we've had loads of "goodies" in the house, time spent at others' homes with treats around, etc. and it's made me very sad. She's depressed, she's MOODY (way more than even your average 14 YOF!), she's not sleeping well, and she's gained (I'm guessing here) upwards of 10 lbs. So when she went shopping with the $$$ she'd received from others for Christmas gifts, she had a devil of a time finding any jeans that fit and it really ruined her shopping fun altogether.

What I've learnt is that I don't want to go there. I don't want to be that person who's up, up, up one minute and then crying and sad and down the next. I may be a grouchy person yet, but at least I'm a predictably grouchy person -- same from moment to moment and day to day...except of course for PMS which is an entirely different animal!!