What keeps us going?

[IrishIrish]

No one understands that Atkins is a way of eating for life more than I do except I still have a long time to go in my life, hopefully!

Many of us who have spent time or spend time around Century Club truly know the battle of having long term health goals (health indicators or weight loss) with all the curves in the road, slippery slopes and mountains to climb. It has always reminded me of the difference between the marathon runner who runs the race in just over 2 hours versus the marathon runner who runs the race in 10 hours. Both accomplish the same goal but the duration to see the "finish" line takes a lot longer.

So, to all of us out there, how do you sustain your momentum to stick with Atkins every day as we reach our health goals?

For me, it is reminding myself every day of what I have accomplished and reading about all of you and seeing what you have accomplished. Secondly, I look at the healthy people I know and try to live like they do, not taking short cuts, but going the distance.

[niko772]

Re: What keeps us going?

I stay on...then fall off for a day or so...then back on again. No matter what happens, I always go back to plan because that's what *I* want for myself. What keeps me focused? My future grandchildren. No matter how often I may slip up, that's what it comes back to.

[Canderous]

Re: What keeps us going?

for me, so far, its because after 18 years of putting on weight and hating myself, im starting to feel better physically and emotionally.

every time i beat 1 temptation, or reach one goal, it just makes me want to stick with it even more.

this morning i reached my first goal, 30 lbs lost. it makes me want to cry.

a good friend once told me that every time i feel tempted, just remember that "Nothing will ever taste as good as feeling thin feels".

[Aways2Go]

Re: What keeps us going?

I see myself as an ongoing project. I don't go totally insane with tons of exercise and hard-core long term induction level carb restriction because I think that would only cause me to burn out and quit or backlash against it a few weeks later. Instead, I try to roll along steadily at 30ish carbs give or take 5 and chip away at the pounds while turning some things I have to work at now into habits that occur automatically. Food choices have been fairly easy thus far, turning low carb choices into an automatic habit, but I still have to work a lot at exercise and water intake on a regular basis. Not particularly successfully as of late, I might add. All things in good time, though, and I congratulate myself on the good choices I do make and just keep working on the areas I am weak in.

I rarely - and I do mean very rarely, as in I can name almost every food/instance I have eaten something off plan since last summer - feel tempted to eat something off plan, though I may sometimes eat more than I should of things on the plan. I don't beat myself up and label myself a failure in those instances, just allow that I am human and on rare occasion I really strongly want something not on my list. I eat a small bit of it and am done and immediately go back to my plan. Most of the time, I just talk myself out of it for the time being and find that 20 minutes later that desire is gone. In my case, and as far as I still have to go, I find this approach necessary to my success. I don't expect absolute perfection of myself for the entire year or two it will take from start to finish. If I have something off plan once every 5 or 6 weeks, it isn't a reason to throw in the towel, or carb out for the next several days and then re-start induction on Monday or whatever. It is all a process, and one item or meal doesn't make or break the whole deal, though it may slow down my progress a little. Small adjustments add up over time, and I look at the big picture as much as possible.

I think my main motivation originally was feeling bad physically - no energy, didn't feel strong and robust anymore, didn't like how I looked, and was starting to notice that I had to evaluate some activities based on whether I thought I could physically manage them or not... things that friends of mine never gave a second thought to, like taking a 3 mile stroll through an area botanical garden with some hilly sections in it or something like that. Before, I had always felt like my body was a helpful tool - I was quite strong when younger and could muscle my way through some things and save myself and others time, energy, or trouble in some way due to my strength. But increasingly, I had come to see my body as a hindrance instead of a help. It didn't help me do much of anything, and kept me from doing others.

These days, I am mostly motivated by feeling more comfortable in so many ways throughout the day. I sit, stand or walk about any way I choose and don't hurt, my clothes aren't binding me or leaving marks on me and are actually comfortable all day long, etc. I might not be the athlete I once was, but I wouldn't be afraid to try most things at this point on a non-competative level either. If friends wanted to try roller skating or canoeing or take a short mountain hike, I would go - I might not have said that a couple years ago, worried my size/physical condition might hold up the activity for others or whatever.

I still don't have as much energy as I would like, but it is improved and I assume will continue to. I truly love it when I drop into a new ten pound range, whether that took me 3 weeks or two months, and I am not willing to give that range up and go back up to the previous one. And to be honest, I'm starting to like the way I look in the mirror, LOL! I was recently informed that someone I barely know has a "crush" on me - how many years has it been since THAT happened! For a decade or more, someone would have to get to know me first, then would be interested DESPITE how overweight I was. I don't know that I am getting exactly vain yet, but I quite like passing mirrors or windows and seeing myself these days and thinking 'hmm, not bad, not bad at all!". ;-)

[JulieB]

Re: What keeps us going?

One thing that keeps me going is that this feels sustainable for the long-term. I love the food - it tastes good & I feel satisfied!

The other thing (this is pretty vain) is that I love cute clothes! I love being able to wear something pretty...

I also like all of the things that I am able to DO now that I have lost some weight...I can run a short distance & not feel like I am going to die. I can jog up a flight of stairs without sounding like a vaccum cleaner at the top. My thighs don't rub together when I walk - I can wear a skirt without shorts underneath...so many little things that other people take for granted.

I don't want to give these things up, and am looking forward to discovering other advantages of not being so big.

[Desertthorn]

Re: What keeps us going?

I just like the food choices.