If You Are Struggling Please Read This

[HarlemUSA]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Your the best Jess, a true inspiration.

Angela, I want to be here in a year too. I used that as my mantra for a whole year...I visualized myself a year after I started, and I never dreamed I'd be wearing very skinny jeans, size 6 in some locations, size 8-9 in other locations. I never dreamed I'd be competeing in triathlons, let alone ever run...it never entered my mind. The energy and the CONFIDENCE i carry today has chanced my whole life....
I have applied for a job, and it's all up to if I can get certififed, they'd love it to be by Jan, and I can try, but it was my confidence and how I held myself that made me a potential employee in their business..... that's all due to the confidence I got from keeping my word, TO MYSELF, and working hard....
I met with someone yesterday and I said, "ive not had bread, or sugars or pasta or potatoes for over 14 months..." it can be done, and one day I want to say, "IT CAN BE KEPT OFF"...

[tulsanurse1]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Wow, what an incredible story of hope and inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

[TIME2SHINE4-08]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Angela~ I think this is one of the best posts I've ever read! I'm permanently book marking it! Thanks so much for sharing!

[cincywbbw]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

thank you so much for this post, it has reinforced me to start my WOE all over again too!!

[lc_angel_08]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

This post could not have come at a better time for me. I woke up this morning got on the scale and had one of thoese I am so frustrated I just want to cry moments. As I looked down at the number on the scale I thought why am I doing this working out everyday trying so hard to keep my food on track and I am still not losing weight. After I sat down and had a nice long cry I had to get back to reality and realize if I am struggling with my weight now just to maintain it and I am faithfully putting in 30 minutes on my treadmill almost everyday plus weight training 3 or more days a week and I am trying hard to keep my food in check imagine what my weight would be otherwise. The last 5 years have been a constant struggle for me with my weight. 5 years ago I developed life threatening anemia. Because of my inability to barely walk 10 feet without passing out for 6 months I gained almost 50 pounds and my bodyfat rose to a dangerously high 49%. I also developed several conditions including hypothyrodism that make losing that weight very hard for me. its a daily struggle for me just to maintain my wieght much less lose more. Anyway to make this long story shorter I had to realize that right now for me maybe I need to change the focus of my goals. I can only control what I can control. What that number on the scale says is something I can not control and I just need to accept that as the fact it is. What I can control however is working out faithfully atleast 5 days a week. I can control the food I choice to eat, I can control the amount of water I drink And finally I can control how I choose to define success. So from today on I am going to try my best to stop looking at what I can't control that number on the scale and start judging my success or failure by the things I can control. As long as I am meeting my exercise and diet goals I am going to learn to be happy with that.

[angelawillbethinagain]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Ic angel 08,

You're story touched me. I hear your determination and the frustration. I understand it. Please toss your scale away... Don't even look at it right now. Focus on becoming healthy. Focus on eating the right foods and drinking the water. For your health, like me, you must get healthier. Don't focus on losing weight, focus on getting healthier and eating better. The weight will come off, slowly but surely. Like you I have developed some health issues that make it extremly important to become healthier. I am not going to be concerned with a number at this point. I know that if I change my eating habits, drink the appropriate amount of water and get some sort of daily exercise in, then I am on my way to becoming a healthier person again. The weight loss is an extra bonus!!

You will do this. You sound very determined. I am proud of you for posting. I have realized that my weight is not gonna just fly off... It took time to become overweight, it's gonna take some time to get it off as well. I tossed my scale because I was allowing the scale to determine what kind of a day I would have, how I felt about myself, what kind of mood I would be in. The scale is not a friend when you are overweight. Do me a favor, just hide it for a month. Don't weight yourself for a whole month. Continue to focus your energy on becoming healthy. With the thyroid issue, it is going to be slower for you to lose the weight, so again focus on becoming healthier. The weight will come off my friend. Picture yourself in a years time, or even two years time. With being faithful to the atkins lifestyle, 100% dedicated, you will do this!!

Blessings headed your way,

[angelawillbethinagain]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

I am glad that my post has motivated some of you, encouraged some of you. I got to work and felt I needed to post that. I was writing from my heart when I created that post. I wanted to help those of you that are struggling. I felt the love and the support from all of you and it helped me to regain my strength to win my battle with my weight problem. I want to tell the world how good I feel and how excited I am. It is nice to see that some of you will print it out and read it when you are having "one of those days".

[angelawillbethinagain]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

HarlemUSA,

Yes, I know at times it can be frustrating to see some lose so quickly while others like you and I seem to see sssllloooowww results. Just remember are bodies are all different. Some of us are also dealing with health issues, metabolism may be slower than others. I don't think age is a factor anymore, I always heard people say it's harder after the age of 30 to lose weight. Looking on here at the before and afters and reading posts, I do not think that is true any longer. As long as you are following the atkins lifestyle and are 100% dedicated, the weight will come off. You're right, it tooktime to put it on, same for taking it off. It is a slow process. In the meantime you are becoming a healthier, happier you!! You will get there.

Best wishes and blessings to you

[chrisabel45]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Angela,

You are just what I needed to read. Inspiration and I am placing myself back on track. I am a diabetic and I feel so much better since starting Atkins. I fell off the wagon over the weekend. I am starting over. I will do it this time. I was on it for an entire that is longer than I have ever been on it.

You have truly inspired me. Thanks.

Christina

[angelawillbethinagain]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

chrisabel45,

I am so glad you are starting over on Atkins. You know what, you may fall off the wagon again. The important thing is that you start over and get right back on track! I am glad that my words inspired you. I felt pretty inspired to write it. It's doing exactly what I hoped it would. People are reading it and relating to it. It is giving them hope and encouragement. That is what everyone needs. Best of luck to you Christina. You will succeed. Even if you fall off the wagon, it's never too late to hop back on and keep ridin! Just don't ever give up on yourself and your goals, you are so important and worth it!!

Angela

[DebOnAtkins]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

OMG Angela you were talking to me. Now more than ever I needed to hear what you were trying to get across about commitment. I have stopped and started Atkins so many times also. I was in the STAC and posting regularly then I dropped off, came back and dropped off again. I am so ashamed and embarrased I don't even want to face anyone in that forum again. I feel like a failure.

Tonight reading your post I knew I wasn't alone in my struggle. You also made me realize that I have to give this diet 100% . I made all the excuses like you were writing about. Stress eating, boredom, blah..blah...blah.

Thank you for your post. I needed to hear this tonight. I am jumping back in 100% this time. I want to make it.

Debby

[Pie4me]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

I also have let the scales control my life and have been on and off Atkins so many times I have lost count. I am embarrassed and feel like a failure because I can't seem to stay on Atkins for any great length of time.

I am such a perfectionist that if I cannot do something (like stay on Atkins) perfectly I mentally beat myself up and of course fail.

I really detest that character in myself and mentally am always trying to overcome
it. Wish I could be content and live with it. Any ideas?

I hate that food has its own control over me. Like a drug.

The bad food I put in my mouth controls my mood and my life I am sorry to say.

I know I am not alone.

I am not even that overweight--but mentally since food controls me I feel HUGE.
So the number on the scales is irrelevent-its how you percieve yourself.

I want to start Atkins over...I need to-to be happy and gain some control.
But I am fearful of failing again.

Any advice? What can I do?

[lc_angel_08]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Hi pie4me I have a suggestion I am like you I have to do things perfectly I am always so hard on myself all the time for everything. Well I should say I used to be like you now I am learning how to treat myself a lot better. These days if I eat something I know I shouldn't have I say to myself ok I really shouldn't have eaten that but I it's not the end of the world I can make a better choice at the next meal and I just pick myself up and go on from there. I no longer tell myself how stupid I am how I always fail how I can never do anything right so I should just quit trying. Ok so how did I get from where you are and I used to be to this new place where I talk to and treat myself like I would anyone of my friend? Well this is going to sound silly but trust me its a lot harder then it sounds. A friend pointed out to me that I would never talk to or treat anyone else the way I treated myself and that I needed to work on accepting myself for who I am. She suggested that every time I stood in front of a mirror like when I washed my face or brushed my hair that I looked myself in the eye and say " I love and accept myself exactly as I am today" Sounds really easy and silly doesn't it but when I tried to do it I felt uncomfortable. I might have said I love and accept myself exactly as I am today but that sure wasn't even close to what I was thinking. At first it didn't seem to make much difference except I hated doing it I felt so uncomfortable and well like a liar but over time the suggestion started to sink in. When I would do something I was unhappy with I found how I talked to myself starting to change. I know this sounds to simple to work but trust me it does. It takes awhile you might have to tell yourself that hunderdes of times over months but gradually you will start to change how you talk to yourself how you feel about yourself. You have to get to the point where you accept that your not perfect that you are going to make poor choices sometimes I do everyone on this board does. You are not going to be able to change your weight, if you stay on atkins long term , or anything else in yoru life until you change how you feel and talk to yourself. Try this I promise you it will work and once you start talking to yourself with more love and acceptance you are going to find life is a whole lot better on this side of the fence.

[angelawillbethinagain]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

I am so pleased with the number of people viewing this post. Even though there aren't many new replys, I see the number of views expanding everyday. That means that people are reading it and it is helping to give them courage and strength. That is why I posted it. Check out part two which I posted recently. You may find some more encouragement. Best of luck to ALL of you!!!

[tacfla]

Re: If You Are Struggling Please Read This

Thanks for shareing, very inspirational.

Robin