What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

[cleochatra]

If you could save someone from making the same error you did, what might it be?

Mine would be that you don't have to be perfect to deserve to be fit and happy. So maybe there were black beans in the taco salad, and you found this out too late. So you're suddenly feeling like a failure and chase down the error with cheesecake and a 5-day binge!

Don't do it!

Weight loss isn't about perfection. It's about doing your best, making mistakes and moving on anyway. If errors happen, it's because humans just aren't perfect. We don't have to be. Nowhere is Dr Atkins rolling in his grave because you didn't know the white sauce was heavily laced with sugar.

Learning experiences are positive and not negative. They don't require a screw-up-further-then-reset button.

Or, in the words of Dorie...

Just keep swimming
Just keep swimming
Just keep swimming swimming swimming'
What do we do? We swim!



What one piece of advice would you like to pass on to others?

[Desertthorn]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

Mine was not believing. Not believing that coffee would stall my weight loss. Not believeing that exercise was important, not believing that I needed to drink my water.

[julirama723]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

My mistake was giving up when the going got tough, way back in 2004. So what if I had to student teach 40 hours a week AND work at Wal-Mart another 30+ hours to pay rent and bills? That doesn't mean I had to eat pizza and burgers. I really messed up by letting a hectic and incredibly stressful schedule be an excuse to eat poorly. Starting over, 85lb. heavier, I realized this mistake.

My advice--STAY WITH THE PLAN! DON'T MAKE EXCUSES! A HECTICE SCHEDULE IS NO EXCUSE TO FAIL!

It's just as easy, if not easier, to make a salad than it is a frozen pizza.

[Chris]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

I'm going to go with the (to me, at least) obvious one, first. Don't allow yourself that first cheat, because it can lead to a looooooooooooong downhill slide. How well I know!

The second is, much like Julie's, don't let the stressors of life stop you from doing what's right for you. You very well may have unexpected health issues show up, you may have real problems at work, and a close family member may die. These are not reasons to eat everything you see, they are reasons that you should work even harder to be the healthiest, and in control, person that you can be.

Great thread, Jamie!

[cleochatra]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

I love reading what you guys have to say about what you wish you could drill into someone else! I know it's so heart-breaking seeing someone make the same mistakes I've made.

Especially when we want success for everyone!

You guys are the best!

[ValidRouge]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

Don't allow your food to be boring. Actively seek out recipes that makes what you are eating BETTER than what everyone around you is having.

Don't fall victim to Frankenfood, especially the "low carb" candies, drinks, bars, shakes, etc.

Don't be afraid to move into OWL. There are too many people who spend so much resource trying to stay on an extended induction, but trying to find loopholes to eat foods that are not induction friendly....that they might as well just move into OWL to begin with!

LOL I can say all these things because I've done them all BEFORE...and failed BEFORE. Not this time though.

[2big4mysize]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

once you have had some initial success believe in your plan even when the scale stops moving during your first stall ( stalls are 4+ weeks of no scale nor inches loss) and if you do make any changes make only one at a time so you know for sure what that change be it a food medication or exercise does to you and your Atkins. if it didn't work put it back and make a different change.

[Terry]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

My biggest mistake was after losing 65# my loss slowed down to

n.o.t.h.i.n.g.

I exercised daily and then some. I drank water like a fish.

The one thing I did not do was come to the realization until it was too late that, as I lost, my food intake had to change. At my starting weight I could eat much more food. When I had lost so much weight I really needed to change the quantities.

I let myself become increasingly frustrated and began to "dabble" in low carb more than follow plan. A year and a half later I had gained it all back.

And it 'ain't as easy to come off as it was the first time.

[abstractillusions]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

1) Learn to listen to your body and your mind not your thoughts. Thoughts are what brings forth your wants instead of your needs. Thoughts are wants, they will cause you to lose perspective of your goals and override what your body and mind are actually telling you about the REAL state of your body. In order to overcome temptation you have to stop thinking and start listening. This is a significant difference between the two.

2) Realize that once you think you have learned it all, tuck it all away and start at the beginning again because more than likely you have missed something or there is someone who has been through the same thing you have. Sorta like this thread. If you get cocky and thing you can just start flying by the seat of your pants because you "know" it all, you will soon find the strong walls of your plan crumbling because you got careless, cocky, and arrogant. This plan takes CONSTANT reinforcement of what you know, need to know, and do.

[Outback Jess]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

I would say, balance...by that I mean, taking rest days, giving your body down time. Change up foods alot! I am strict to a "t"...I am driven and very focused, and I give myself a rest day a week, from exercise only. That is very very hard to keep. I love to eat the same foods over and over...I am bringing balance there too, changing things up.
Listen to my body not my mind...There's the grumble and there's the mumble...

[soappedaler]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

Don't bring food you shouldn't eat into the house. If other family members want it they can go get it. Nobody needs junk food. Maybe this is unrealistic for some but if the kids want ice cream let them ride there bikes to the convience store to get it. Only buy high carb foods for the rest of the family that you know you won't eat. I could care less for pasta and potatoes so I fix that for my husband, but no way I'm I bringing cookies or brownies into the house.

[Chris]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

no way I'm I bringing cookies or brownies into the house.

You can only improve the health of the rest of the family members by that tactic, as well. Nobody needs refined sugar in their diet -- NOBODY!

[dotsamantha]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

My biggest mistake was eating sugar free chocolates and their relatives. Besides the gas, it did nothing for my loss.

[knicknack]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

My biggest mistake was thinking that once I reached goal I could relax my vigilance. I maintained for probably about a year and then slowly but surely all the stuff snuck its way back into my diet.

Just because you're the weight you want to be doesn't mean you can go back to eating whatever you want. You can eat more of that, sure, but you have to keep an eye on it and don't let the scale creep upwards again!

[cleochatra]

Re: What mistake have you made that you'd like others not to make?

You guys so totally rock! I love reading your words of advice! I know they will help someone, and it's also nice seeing that I'm not the only one whose faced these struggles before!

{{{you cool people}}}