what made it click?

[ladyhairg]

There are so many of us who have started and failed, started and failed . . . more times than we can count. So my question is for those of you who have made it work: What made it "click" for you? What was the event or motivation or kind word or whatever that made it work for you on the second or third or eighty-seventh time?

I know the health risks of not doing this. I understand how easy the program can be. I've watched the success stories, and read the book, and chatted here. So far, none of these things has hit the right button for me, so to speak.

So, what did it for you?

[stellawasadiver]

Re: what made it click?

ive only been on this for a few days (for the second time, though), so im probably not in the position to be answering this question. but quite literally... i woke up one morning and thought 'this has to stop'. im so tired of being overweight. my destiny is in *my* hands and my hands only. no one else can do this for me. the only solution is to do this... i can sit around and whine about how overweight i am, how unhealthy i am, how horrible i feel... but talk is cheap. this is *my* body and its time to take charge. i have so many things to look forward to... i'm 26 and ultimately im going to want marriage, children, a family... can i afford to do all of that being the size i am now? no. i owe it to myself. im accountable to myself and myself only. the buck has to stop here.
as for an event... im in a new (ish) relationship and i was meeting my boyfriends friends for the first time. i felt so... big. they were all small and dainty and pretty and i felt enormous. i hated that feeling. i hate, that feeling. thats enough incentive for me. i dont want to be ashamed anymore. im tired of having to go to 'bigger' stores. i want to buy something off the rack and be able to fit into it. i want to be fit and healthy. i dont want to be puffed when i walk down the street. i figure it will take around 6 months. i should have stuck with atkins the first time. had i done that, i wouldnt be going through this right now. 6 months... one year, even, isnt that long when you put it in relative terms to the rest of your life. (not suggesting this is all short term, but you know what i mean)
i dont have any great words of wisdom. im not going to be able to say anything thats going to make it click for anyone else. but... im devoted. i have to be. i cant afford not to be. the pain im going through now will be far outweighed by the benefits ill receive for the rest of my life. that for me, is enough incentive for me.
huzzah! (or something... heh)

[dreamof145]

Re: what made it click?

I can answer it from a different point of view. I didn't restart Atkins, but I've restarted diets and other measures to lose weight a thousand times. I think the difference this time around had to do with not only my age (I was 1 mo from 49 when I started this time) and weight had become the only thing I thought about. I felt horrible, I looked horrible, I didn't feel like doing anything. I reached that point in my life when I knew something had to change. Thats why I started Atkins and committed to do it, regardless of how much I liked high carb foods, or what others around me were eating. Once I put my mind to it and didn't feel deprived, I found I could do it. I really think that 1/2+ is attitude.

[cleochatra]

Re: what made it click?

This and this and this and this made it stick.

It's a lot of clickin' going on with me.

[lowcarbing4ever]

Re: what made it click?

I have re-started Atkins, I would say, at least 12 times. Seriously. But you know what? I never took any of the attemps as real; I paid a lot of lip service to losing weight and following Atkins but I never really, in the end, committed to it. I think the biggest thing that gets everybody who does any kind of "diet" of lifestyle change, is that they cheat and at a piece of candy, a junk food meal or anything that is not on Atkins, they feel "that's it, I can't do it. I really blew it; what is the point of doing it anyway". That's where the problem lays. I was reading a lowcarb magazine a couple of weeks ago that has really helped me with changing how I look at cheating (unfortunately, they just filed for bankruptcy--so no more magazine). They had an article that talked about why we cheat on Atkins/low carb and how to get back on. The biggest thing that struck me and changed my life was the paragraph that said, "just because you cheat a few times on your plan, doesn't mean that you are not following a low carb way of life. It is a lifechange and style that you chose to lose weight and to follow beyond that for health. Cheating does not change that. There are some of us that can do low carb and not cheat but that is not 98% of us. "I sooooo agree with that. There are many here who do this WOE and have never cheated; how I envy them but I had to learn, that is not me and now that I know that, I feel so much pressure is lifted off me. I have cheated only once since I have been back on and don't plan on doing it again. I am not perfect on Atkins by no means but I did realize that in order to make this work for me, that I really have to take it seriously this time and want it more than anything else; more than that bowl of ice cream that I know I can;t stop eating, more than that pizza in the middle of the night, more than eating that first piece of cake. I can tell you some of the things that are helping me, if you want.

1. Always, always be prepared. I make sure that the night before, I make my breakfast and put it in Gladware or plastic baggies so I can grab it and go. I make sure that I plan my meals ahead by at least 3 days or a week in advance. At night, I sit down and make a list of things I like to eat (low carb, of course!) and I write down what day I am gonna eat what. Then on my days off, I try to make as many of them that can be cooked and frozen as I can. Then I put them in freezer bags and label them. Then I have a quick way to make food I can eat or take with me and it can thaw at work in my backpack and I can heat it up there. I put my vitamins in a pill taker (you can get at any pharmacy) and put it in my purse with a water bottle empty, so I can fill at work or full, to drink on the way to work. You have to really work hard at not letting yourself get hungry because if you do, that is your most vulnerable time to cheat and blow all reason out of your head. You almost have to be a fanatic about making sure that you eat breakfast, not missing meals, drinking your water and taking your vitamins. Well, I have to be a fanatic about it or I won't do it.

2. Try not to get bored with induction food. I truly think I cheated on my last attempt was because I was bored with what I was eating. I never changed the same three meals. So I am learning to experiment more with combinations of foods I had never thought of before. I am also exploring the recipes here on the board and finding some on other low carb boards. That has made a big difference. There is a great yahoo group that just does low carb recipes and they literally have thousands of recipes to look at and copy! I have gotten many good ones from there and it has helped a lot. Look for easy, simple recipes that you can experiment or enjoy to break up the monotomy of eggs, bacon, meat, salad.

3. If you can't exercise much in the beginning, don't. I really, really HATE exercise. I know it is good for me, helps to lose weight, etc, etc. I still hate it but I have to do it. I tried doing 5 days a week but I kept making excuses to not do it a few days a week. Then I tried 3 days; no dice. For now, my committment is to do only 2 days a week, any days I choose as long as I do them. Reason is, I am a very sedentary person plus now that I work, my weight is causing issues with my feet (swelling and things) and I can't muster the energy to do 4 or 5 days. But I know that with more loss and keeping up my two days for a while, I will naturally up my activity to 4 or 5 days when I feel better physically. If you can't commit to 100% execise 4 to 5 days a week, don't beat yourslf up. Do what you can and up the days later.

4. Keep a written journal. I never believed people who said you should keep a journal. I now know how wrong I was. It really helps to keep me focused and on track. I have had moments when I wanted to cheat so bad and seen my journal on the table and immediately went there and poured out my frustration on not being able to eat this thing or whatever and within minutes, the craving has toned down a lot to where it was more managable. Sure it doesn't work every single time but most of the time it does and that is all that matters. I use my journal as a combination food and feelings journal because let's face it; we are what we are, because of feelings and how we deal with food. I write in it everyday and actually look forward to it. So go out and buy a nice beautiful journal and use it everyday. And buy a nice pen to go with it--that helps too!

5. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. There are people on this board who have lost buckets of fat in their first weeks or months on Atkins, while others drip slowly 1 or 2 lbs a week, if at all. We are all not alike; our bodies, metabolisms, and even our lives are different. We are not going to lose weight at the same speed or the same way. We all have to stop thinking that losing 2 lb a week or 8 lbs in a month is a bad thing and "how come so-and-so lost X-amount of weight and I didn't." We don't know how hard the other person worked to lose that X amount of weight during induction or whenever. We have to learn to be okay with and accept ourselves as who we are before we can ever hope to lose weight. And when we do lose 4 lbs or 6lbs, we gripe or get depressed or disappointed because it was not enough in our eyes compared to others. DO you know how hard it was for your body to release that 4 or 8 lbs? It was not easy plus all your hard work made that happen! Losing 4 or 8 lbs adds up very quickly, even if thats all you lose every month!

6. Stop the all or nothing thinking syndrome. So many people I have seen on the board, myself included, get into this all or nothing thinking. We think that one cookie or one junk food meal and we have blown all our good intentions and hard work. This is very negative and defeatists thinking and helps feed our cheat. We think "well, I ate this, so I might as well....." you get the picture. We are not perfect and changing your whole lifestyle, eating and activity; after years of eating unhealthy, no exercise, etc. is by no means an easy task. Some people here did it in a snap, but that is not all of us. Some of us take a bit longer and struggle a bit harder to do that. I am one of them. As the mantra of ADBB and Atkins goes, if you cheat, get back on your very very next meal. Don't even pay too much attention to the cheat. Now, if I cheat, I try very hard to ignore it and eat my next meal like nothing ever happened. Of course, the next day, I pay for it with increased cravings out of this world but it is a slap that tells me don't do that anymore and to keep trying. Low carbing is not a short term goal, it is a lifetime one and a few cheats in the grand scheme of things will not be a big deal. Just go on and stop beating yourself up. You will find that you will cheat less and less. Low carbing is not 100% fail proof or everyone would be doing it and be doing great at it.

7. Don't let emotional things be an excuse. A death in the family, you lost a friend, you didn't get the job you wanted, your car broke down, whatever; those are not reasons to stop eating low carb. You still have to eat don't cha? Remeber, lifetime lifestyle; not my cat died so I might as well eat a Big Mac. You just have to be extra diligent during the emotional times and take care to stay away from all foods that you know you will use as an excuse to get off plan. Because really, that is what it will be, won't it? I am having serious marriage problems right now but I refuse to let it control my eating or use it as an excuse to stop eating low carb. At first, I did and then I thought why? It has no bearing on any of it. So back to low carb eating the way I was supposed to.

8. Post here and read the boards. I tell ya, this is the best place I have ever found on the net, in my eyes. I would have never, ever, ever gotten back on Atkins at all if it weren't for this place. The support running thru this place is absolutely amazing and you can have all your questions answered, you feelings supported, results encouraged and that swift kick in the can when you need it most. You can find inspirational stories and pics of members who have lost phenomenal amounts of weight, and you can find someone who is struggling with the same issues as you, like us right here at STAC. Use the boards, that's what its here for. I have come in here posting about dying to cheat and have people talk me out of it and make me feel better. Use this as your lifeline! If you cheat, own up to it or need help, ask for it. We are not here to bully you or embarrass because you cheated or fell off for months. Don't be afraid to come back and say, I blew it and get help getting your low carb life back.

9. Know that you CAN DO THIS! You have to make yourself believe everyday that you can do this. No matter what, tell yourself that you can do this; no matter what happens, no matter how many times you cheated, no matter what.

10. One day at a time. That old chestnut still rings true. You have to take one day at a time or you will feel overwhelmed. When you wake up in the morning, only focus on doing your low carbing for that day. Heck, even that first meal! I have to go meal by meal because I am an easy cheater. So it is important for me to concentrate on one meal at a time for a while.

Well, i am going on toooo long but this is what is helping me. Am I perfect? No way. Will I never cheat again? I could never say that (don't want to but you never know). DO I have a greatest chances of losing weight, exercising 5 times a week and changing my life forever? You bet! But like you, I have to work at it very hard and really, really want it more than anything. Changing your life and eating takes work. Not now but forever. People think that once the weight is gone, it is maintenance free. Sorry to say, it is not. The hard work that it will take to get you there, will take your hardest work to stay there and nobody (even me) wants to hear that part. I guess the bottom line is, that until something deep inside you really, really wants to do this and to lose the weight, something wakes you up and says, Oh my God, I can't live this way anymore, then you will keep failing. For some it was going up two sizes and not realizing it or a picture of themselves not realizing how fat they were til that moment or looking at their kids and thinking they may not be around to see them grow up or a doctor's diagnosis (the most common reason), or something as simple as just not being able to take it anymore. Either way, it became gut-wrenchingly real to them to make them take action. You have to have something to make you take action, as Dr. Phil says. You have that one thing to make you say, I will not live this way anymore. You can find it if you really look. Good luck, I hope that you stay on this time and that what I said can help you or anyone else here.

[slimndown]

Re: what made it click?

I've been on induction for 14 days as of tomorrow. I've hung around this WOE for years but have my vices. For me, the difference is in my attitude. I approach most things with the "all or nothing" thought in my head, but it doesn't get anywhere, like lowcarbing4ever said. First of all, I kept lying to myself by telling myself that once I lose this weight, I can eat my favorite foods again. The reaction would inevitably be that I would decide I could not go without them for that long. This time, I've read the boards and stuck to journals of those who have lost 100lbs - those are the ones who know what it's all about and the determination it takes. What have I learned from these? My favorite food can never be touched again - ever. I've been on and off this diet enough times to know that my favorite foods aren't really satisfying but I have still tried to convince myself that I need them. Remembering that this addiction has to be handled not much differently than a recovering alcoholic handles theirs to stay sober, I actually avoid thinking about those foods as much as possible. I just let myself know that I have the tool in my hands to fix my problem and all I need to do is use it.

[ladyhairg]

Re: what made it click?

Wow, what an inspiring bunch of answers! Thanks, guys, for giving me a kick in the butt ( and a lump in my throat, I have to admit). I've made it through most of one day so far . . . not a lot, but better than I've done recently. And I was alone at work with a fully-loaded snack box and no witnesses for FOUR HOURS this morning.

One day at a time, I guess.

[cleochatra]

Re: what made it click?

{{{lady}}} It's good to have you home again.

[allierw26]

Re: what made it click?

I have been on again, off again as well, since this summer...I have been cheat free for over a month now, though, and finally starting to see some positive scale results. I finally realized that, as far as "cheat" foods go, I have been "cheating" all my life. I didn't get up to 300 lbs + by eating healthily. So when I want that slice of pizza, or that piece of cake, I remind myself that I have already had more than enough and it isn't worth it!!! It never tastes as good as you think, anyway. So my husband and I have committed to this WOE and vowed with one another that cheating IS NOT WORTH IT. I have higher carb days than others, and that's ok. Variety is key, as lowcarbingforever said. My lifelines have been low carb recipe books as well as online resources like on this forum. It's not all about meat and eggs and salad! Embrace this WOE and all the variety it gives you. Good luck!!

[ladyhairg]

Re: what made it click?

Not sure, but I think I just heard it:

"CLICK"

[goin2Bgood]

Re: what made it click?

When I first did Atkins the summer of 2003, I was doing pretty good. I did cheat a couple times but nothing that affected my weight loss and I kept right on going. Overall I followed the rules and was happy with my progress. But even though I said I looked at it as a "way of life" or "lifestyle change" I think deep down I wasn't buying it yet.

Then I quit smoking Jan. 2004. It went pretty good, was still on Atkins but getting more lethargic and tired by the day. That energy was gone and I felt like crap. Around Easter I started snacking on chocolate. I also saw a Dr. who checked my thyroid levels because quitting smoking can affect them. My TSH was pretty high at 23 or so (I've been hyperthyroid for years but meds were stable) and he upped my dose. But by then I felt so sick and tired I didn't care and I plunged into the cadbury egg/Easter candy diet and that switched to the pound of M&Ms a day diet. This went on until Christmas of 2004.

I gained all the weight I had previously lost (I was down to 222 or 223 from 260ish) and then some. I tried to stave the weight gain off by joining Curves Aug 2004, but I only kept gaining. In fact, I gained 30 pounds from Aug 2004-Dec 2004. My high weight at Curves in December was 284. I felt horrible, started getting huge anxiety attacks because it was difficult to breath, I was horribly depressed and I just wanted to die. At that point something clicked. I had hit bottom and it was a do or die thing in my mind. Food is NOT worth it. It's not worth my mental, physical or spirtual well being. I saw how much of life I had missed out on over the years due to my weight and how much I hid behind it. I was literally eating myself to death and it scared the crap out of me.

I restarted Atkins again Jan 2005, and this time I really live it not just follow it. There have been no cheats, and for every family/holiday function I bring my own food with no apologies. The sight of people eating cake, candy or other goodies does NOT bother me. I can bake for a bake sale and that does not bother me either. My life, my health is worth so much more than stuffing crap in my mouth. I make my dinners and if the family isn't happy with it, they're welcome to make something of their own. This actually hasn't been the issue I thougth it would be. In the past I made 'their" food and "my" food, but I told them they can damn well eat my food and no one gave me grief. Weilding a butcher knife at that point probably helps (joking!) I guess I'm putting myself before them in that respect and that's totally new. In the past everyone else came first, then me.

Things still aren't peachy. I become too obsessed with health sometimes now. My meds were too high for a while and I went hyperthyroid which sucked (anxiety, heart palpitations, buzzed feeling) and it took most the summer to change that. Dr's were lowering the meds now and I just had my thyroid levels checked last week and the TSH came back at 22. I've now come full freaking circle in almost 2 years. Difference though, this time I'm not turning to candy and I am staying the course and still working out. I also found out I have Hashimotos and that can cause your thyroid to do weird things when you think it's adjusted, it surprises you. So it's nothing I'm doing wrong (I used to worry, what am I doing to keep causing this??) I will be patient and let the Dr's keep adjusting my meds and have faith that at some point I will feel great again.

[cleochatra]

Re: what made it click?

Have I said how wonderful you guys are today?! You are! I learn so much from each and every one of you.

[Terry]

Re: what made it click?

Another bump up from the archives

Hope it can help someone......

[cleochatra]

Re: what made it click?

AWESOME bump, Terry!