I just finished watching an informerical for Richard Simmons products.

I could not believe these people he had on tv. One woman weighed 513 and she lost so much weight and only weighs 165 now!!! Another woman lost over 250 lbs. And so on and so on.
I thought these people would give me the inspiration to jump back on the wagon of LC - instead, it made me feel worse about my inability to LC.

I can't even get myself back together on the program of WOE/WOL. I fell off last week and I am treading my way back, but I just can not get on it!!!!!

Why don't I have the dedication, drive and strength like these people???? Why can't I suceed like these and the rest of the people here?? Why are they able to do it???

I was doing well, almost 50 lbs. Almost, and then I tried on clothes and nothing was loose and there was no visable weight lost on my body. Why???? WHY????

AM I such a loser (not in the sense of weight loss) that I can not stay on this??

Each morning, I wake up and say, okay today I will be LC good.
BY noon, I am LC off the wagon! Why?

I hate being angry at myself. I hate being fat, I hate being so overweight. I hate........ I hate.............. . I am so darn frustrated at myself and my lack of ability to do this.

Sorry to vent , rant and rave but I am so angry with my inability and lack of success and lack of commitment.

Thanks for reading.

Hi

Do you feel any better for getting it off your chest! I hope so.

I must first congratulate you on losing 50 lb so far. You have done this in a shorter time than I am going to do, so think positive about this.

What is frustrating you most at the moment not to enjoy low-carbing? Is anything else going on in your life that is getting in the way? Sometimes this WOL has to take second priority.

I don't know anything about the programme you mentioned, being in the UK, however don't think about them, think about you. If you wake up OK and it is lunchtime when things go wrong, have you got some great low-carb snacks and lunch ready to have. Something that you will enjoy and makes you feel full.

We are our own worst enemies when it comes to giving up. Think positive, think of what you have achieved so far and jump back firmly on the wagon. Teetering over the edge leads to all sorts of accidents!!

By the by I see we share the same birthday.

All the best and good luck.

Little Ann

Thin,

I know the agony of being so frustrated, you want to give up, but if you just take one day at a time, you can do it.

You should never compare yourself to others, because there will always be someone who is losing faster, is thinner, has more will power, etc...etc.....And there will always be some that are not doing as well as you.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, especially the very few that are picked for TV advertising, you should compare yourself now to where you were when you started. You are thinner!! You are a unique individual, unlike any other person on this earth. You have your own set of goals, your own history, your own set of unique problems to overcome, and strengths that many others do not have.

Decide that you are going to do it, and always come here when you need support.

We're all pulling for you.

Gator

Thin,
You have already lost 50 pounds! So you are a "loser" in the good sense. I think it's really important to look at what's happening, and when to understand why you aren't staying on the plan. Do you need to adjust HOW you are low carbing. Do you need to get the bad carbs out of your house? What is causing your weakness? Or are you being impatient with yourself. Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to start fresh. Keep doing the best that you know how and it will happen. We are all in the same boat. Trying to make it happen. Sometimes the fat seems to be sliding off and sometimes you feel like you are staying put. But I think that's the time to make sure you are doing everything you know to do. And read all that you can to keep the information flowing into your brain.

You are 50 pounds down. That is quite an accomplishment! The rest will come off. Just be patient with yourself and don't compare yourself with others! We are all different. Victoria

Thin,

The real will power and strength comes from people dealing with failure, not from easy success.

Those people that can go on this WOL and get to goal, and never stray or fall of the wagon - They really aren't dealing with anything too challenging.

It's like the gifted athlete and the fat kid in the race. Just because the gifted athlete finishes the race ahead of the fat kid - doesn't mean that the fat kid is using less will power or has any less of a struggle. In fact the fat kid is exherting himself way beyond anything the gifted athlete is doing!

So in terms of willpower coming into play, it's really what you do when you fall of the horse that matters!

I hope that helps?

LC_Dave

I must be missing something...

Thin, Your note touched me. I know how it feels to lose your grasp on the determination and drive and special mindset that's required to make a major change in life, such as your WOE.

I think it's even more bitter when you've had it but lost it. And even harder to regain.

But your success is all the evidence you need that you ARE capable!

My suggestion would be to find some quiet time to reflect upon what it was that made you get started before and evaluate why that/those reasons are no longer important. Something is going on and you'll need to be open to investigating what it is.

I hope you can recover the mindset and continue your transformation!

And LCDave...

"The real will power and strength comes from people dealing with failure, not from easy success.

Those people that can go on this WOL and get to goal, and never stray or fall of the wagon - They really aren't dealing with anything too challenging. "

I have to disagree. I haven't fallen off the wagon and my determination growns stronger every day. It in no way indicates that my life is easy or that I don't face daily challenges. It's not, and I do.

Donald

I have just a couple of things to add to the above.

1. STOP looking at the negative. LOOK for the positive. It is the little things that motivate me. I don't concentrate on how much weight I have YET to loose, and instead concentrate on how good I am feeling, how much energy I have. There is something called the Self-fulfilling prophecy...If you think you can or you think you can't...then you can! Turn you thinking around so your positive prophecy will be fulfilled.

2. I agree that you need to determine what is blocking you from staying LC. Once you determine what you believe it is, then deal with it. Don't let it control you. You can do this. You must believe.

Dee

It seems to me like you're focussing on the physical results. You don't know and can't see what it took for these people to reach their weight goals. Maybe they were dealing with food addiction, maybe they had days where they just wanted to lie down and cry. Maybe they gave up and came back more determined.

Look for your own strength within and allow it to flourish and grow. Change your way of thinking and it will change your life.

Karen

I can totally relate to your post. About a year ago I was at my heaviest at 315. It took me a whole year on a low fat diet to lose 50 pounds. You can't tell by looking at me that I lost any weight. No one has noticed(except for my husband, and he probably is just trying to make me feel better ) At first it really depressed me and I felt like "why am I doing this?". But then I got to thinking, 50 pounds.... 5-0. That is a lot of extra weight off, even if nobody else can tell, I can tell. And for the first time in a long time I had weighed less at the end of the year than I did in January.

I know you've probably heard this before, but try getting all the high carb snacks and foods out of the house if you can. Stock up on some of the tasty LC foods we can eat and enjoy. I just gave my mom the last of my "old food" and I really feel like I that was a huge step.

Take it one day at a time, otherwise you can become overwhelmed and discouraged. Hang in there and when you start to feel like you can't , come get some support in here. Everyone is so nice and willing to lend a hand.
We can do this.
~chris

TV programs rarely tell you the full story, afterall they are limited in time if nothing else. If we could hear each of these people tell their own stories I'm sure we'd hear them say they took one step forward and sometimes 10 steps backward many times before they reached their goal. It's a process, like any other behavior we want to change and it doesn't happen perfectly.

As a therapist I know that no one can truly change a behavior and expect lasting results unless they first understand what that behavior serves in their life. What emotional needs are trying to be met for me in food? What am I trying to avoid dealing with by going to the refrigerator? Its not what I do when I get to the frig, as much as what has taken be there to begin with that I have to look at. In AA they tell the alcoholic to call someone, reach out before they pick up a drink. So I am applying that with my problem with weight. Only I log on and read what others who are also struggling have to say and I find solace. Thank you for sharing your stories and being there for me night and day.

Donald,

Just to clarify what I said,

I meant that

Falling off the wagon a few times can actually make us stronger and more resolved, because we realise giving into temptations does not bring about the promised rewards.

A Single Success is built on a mountain of failures.

I hope that helps

LC_Dave

Thin

I hope you have gained some valuable inspiration from all the posts here. I know where you are coming from, it was just like reading about me before I started this WOE. I think what makes it work for me, and what makes me stick to it is that once I was over the two week induction for the first time since I can't remember, I had no overwhelming cravings for chocolate and sweet stuff. I hated being like that, having no control over what I was putting in my mouth and I was always hungry. My whole day used to revolve around food. I wouldn't look forward to going out for the pleasure of being with people, instead I would constantly think about what food would be there for me to eat, and eat I did. I am sure it was because I was totally addicted to carbohydrates. The very things we were being encouraged to eat on low-fat diets.

I have finally broken that cycle and you can too. You know you can do it, you have already lost 50 lbs. That in itself is a wonderful achievement. Set yourself mini goals and keep yourself occupied and most of all, organised. Have ready access to food that you can have and try different things so you don't get bored.

One day at a time... and we are all here to help you...

Keep smiling...

Maz

Hi Thin Me,

Boy...I can relate to your frustration. I low-fat dieted down from 350+ to 308 and then somehow lost the will to continue. I started in May of 01. By September I was down to 312....not really fast but steady. Then I plateaued between 308 and 312 I bounced around....and that is when I lost it! When I always lose it! I plateued for a couple months, and then I started gaining. I was frustrated and gained back up to 321.

I started thinking about it. I had worked my butt off to get to 308...and here I go, letting all of that hard work go down the tubes.

That is when I decided to check out LC. And, Luckily the numbers are going back down and I feel much better, but I have finally saw the light. This is not a miracle, and I'm not going to lose 150 pounds overnight. I'm not in a race! I'm trying to learn new long term habits, I'm not perfect and there are going to be bumps along the way.

When I weigh in on May 3rd of this year, I hope to be 50 lbs lighter. That will be my goal. I will be thrilled to make it because it is 50 lbs I don't plan on seeing ever again. I can't always see the change, and neither can my co-workers. That is because it is gradual and they are used to seeing me all the time. But, I have a picture of me at 350+, and I do look different.

I think it is important to realize that there is only one thing that stands in the way of suceeding. Attitude. You are the only thing that will make this plan suceed or fail. You have the power. It is ok to have down days....we all have them. It is ok to cheat or have a bad carb day. When that happens, you acknowledge it, try to figure out why it happened, forgive yourself and get right back on track.

That is what I am going to do from now on, and I'm not going to let my plateau's throw me off track.

Don't worry about what everyone else has done! This is about you and your journey!

Stay strong!

Shelly

I know those days, when all you see is the success of others and your own failures. It doesn't have to be weight issues, but somehow it's more frustrating when it is.

Something that I'm having to learn is to never measure myself by others. If I try to, I'll only ever see my failures, and I'll have to lower my standards to feel good about myself. If instead, I find that I must set my own goal and standards. So what if I'm not perfect... I am loved and treasured as I am. Look for the people who love you...and if you ever wonder if anyone values you, remember to come here. Look at all the support they've offered you! The more I read the posts here, the more convinced I am how much everyone cares about everyone here. Accept that encouragement, even if it seems too difficult to really believe that anyone could care about you.

I confess; I am richly blessed in my husband. Realising that he really did love me, no matter what, that he would stand beside me and carry me through anything and everything he could gave me a real sense of worth. Do you have someone in your life who unfailingly encourages you? Accept that; nothing in the world feels anywhere as good as being loved does. If you don't, start looking for people who will; it is the right of all people to have someone who loves them unconditionally. In the meantime, bask in the support offered here.