New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

[Sookie]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Hmmmm... yeah, Where is Norah? Wonder if her ISP went out again?
How's the knee Liss? Getting more motion out of it?

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

My knee is doing really really well. The pain is almost completely gone...I'm down to two to three Lortabs a day. I'm able to slowly get up and down the stairs now. Therapy, though painful, is doing wonders. I'm now able to completely bend my knee (very painful) and put slight weight on it (though I haven't been cleared to do that yet...)

Thanks for asking =)

[Sookie]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

You know Liss, I'm very impressed how you have stuck to Atkins through all of this. A lot of people ( maybe that would include me) would have given in at some point when things got difficult. I'm so glad I found this site because everyone's experiences here have been a tremendous inspiration to me. I think I would have felt more discouraged by my less than miraculous weight loss if I didn't have the perspective everyone here has given me. Okay, I'm a teensy bit discouraged but no way am I giving in!

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Sookie I've been where you are (discouraged) on this diet. I think we've all hit that rough patch, and some more than others. And you know what? I can't take all the credit to sticking to this diet when it was hard because it was the people and support I got here that made me know I had it in me.

When I first started I thought I would "schedule" in cheat days...you know for those special days...birthdays, girls night out, holidays... So my first cheat day was coming up, my own birthday. This would have been the first birthday I've had since my mother passed away, and I thought it would be ok for me to have a piece of her Texas sheet cake in memeory of her (but also because it is my favorit cake). Anyhow I posted my question ...to cheat or not to cheat ...and the answers that made me stop and REALLY think about my desire to lose weight were these:

If you are committed to your weight loss and becoming a healthier person you will chose to not have cake. You have to tell yourself something important-something I tell myself whenever I have been tempted by something... "I am more important than cake, cookies, ice cream, etc.. (whatever the temptation is...) " Then ask your self, "Can the cake, cookies, ice cream, etc... take my kids to the park? can it go to their highschool graduation? can it see them get married and have grandkids?" The answer is a resounding no. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how important you are to yourself and to all others in your life! Not trying to sound preachy... but this is what works for me... good luck and Happy Birthday – MammaRuthie

That's up to you. rRght now you have to decide what is more important to you and you have to decide if you are willing to accept the responsibility 100% for the outcome---good or bad.

If a "few bites" of sheet cake or sushi is more important to you than losing your weight and getting healthy, then there's nothing anyone here can do to convince you otherwise.

Likewise, if you are willing to accept the responsibility 100% that you might fall off the diet completely with those "few bites" and/or gain weight, then there's nothing anyone here can do to convince you not to cheat.

I know that sounds mean and cold-hearted, but that's the truth. You have to make your own decisions, you have to accept full responsibility for them and you have to live with the consequences. – not2late (Megs)

hey. i lost my mom almost 6 years ago. i know what it is like to want to have those familiar experiences that bring make those memories.....BUT....

if you are truly committed to your good health, (and i bet your mom would be VERY supportive of what you are doing), then find another way to celebrate your day and honor your mom

when you start to plan cheats, you are heading yourself down a path of disappointment. "just this one time" turns into trouble, at least for most of us. like the others, i don't want to sound preachy. i just know from my own experience.

in my own blunt and honest opinion, atkins works ONLY when you make it a LIFESTYLE........it becomes totally second nature.

and i might add that eating all that sugar after cleaning it all out of your system may cause you lots of tummy troubles...i know it did for me. after eating something high carb (after not having any for a while) i become terribly sick and my stomach did not forgive me

for future thought too....there are lots of really good, healthy, low carb dessert treats you can enjoy when you are a little higher up in the rungs! low carb cheesecake is to die for!

enjoy your healthy birthday! – Misplaced southerner

and though all those replies are amamzing this one hit home, and I’ll tell you why in a sec.

I think mom would be more proud if you skip the cake and continue to lose weight. Eating a slice of cake may make you happy for a day, but it'll follow with several days of despair. Weight loss may make you slightly less happy on your birthday, but the happiness continues to grow daily as you continue towards success. So basically it boils down to whether you want to be happy or sad a week after your birthday? That's a pretty easy question for me. – Greeneggs&gham (Eric)


The reason Eric's reply was a breath taker for me was because before my mother passed away she had my aunt record a video for each of on my mother's five children. On the video she told our birth story and little things about us that she loved. She told us how much she loved us and she also gave each one of us something to accomplish in our lives. My hunny do list was for me to "get healthy" for my family because I needed to live for them.

Wow, what an eye opener that was for me. I knew I was fat but I didn't realize how bad it really was. So when Eric said that my mom would be more proud of me for NOT eating the cake...I knew he was right.

And so my strength to keep true is my mother (I can't hide it from her if I cheat , lol), my children, my husband and of course me. But it took the amazing people here to get me to truely see what my goals were.

Sorry for the novel, the TOM makes me a bit over emotional..lol.

[FLdoodette]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Hai frenz! Liss, Razzle, Sookie, Michelle and everyone ... Sorry I've been missing in action lately ... sometimes life happens, y'know? I promise to catch up soon!

[Sookie]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Wow amazing post Liss, thank you! I agree with everything said there in it. While I'm not tempted to cheat ( at this moment, heh), I guess I have this niggling fear of " Oh, will I really lose the weight or is this going to be like every diet I have been on since I was eight years old?' Yep, that's right I was put on a diet at 8, can you imagine that? So essentially, I have been dieting and starving myself up to 200+ pounds for forty+ years and each time it seems like it's not working, it's soooooo depressing to think that I may not get to where I can be truly happy about my body.
I think I must be a little hormonally challenged today as well. Bleagh! I'm just out of sorts because it's pouring and cold outside and I can't take my walk.
But really those posts you quoted had some very profound wisdom in them and I will definitely call them to mind in the future when I feel tempted. I especially like the truth about how eating something may be enjoyable at the moment but then afterwards....

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Soooo happy to hear you are okay Norah =)

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

I'm glad you found wisdom in them also Sookie =)

[FLdoodette]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Hello again!

Liss, glad your recovery is progressing and I agree with Sookie ... very impressive how you've "stayed with the program" even through the pain and misery. Now THAT'S an Atkineer! There should be a special award for people like you who resist temptation under trying circumstances! Way to go, girlfriend

It's been one of those weeks ... sort of up and down, emotionally. I basically didn't eat for three days 'cos I had no appetite. I had a whoosy because of it, but I don't recommend turmoil as a way to do it ! Anyway, everything worked out and it's all better now .

And I am definitely making Michelle's salmon cakes now that I have my appetite back!

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Oh Norah, I'm so sorry you hit a rough patch. I think I'll be in your boat of not being able to eat for a few days. =(

[FLdoodette]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

Oh Norah, I'm so sorry you hit a rough patch. I think I'll be in your boat of not being able to eat for a few days. =(

Oh noes! You've hit a rough patch too, Liss?

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

I'm sure it's nothing compaired to real life, lol....My dog attacked my daughter this morning. So now we are having to give my dog away. We've raised her from a puppy (6wks old) and had her nearly 4 years. I feel like I'm trying to re-home one of my own children. I've cried buckets all day.

My daughter got away with a black eye and a bruised nose.... So sad for the both of them.

[FLdoodette]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

I'm sure it's nothing compaired to real life, lol....My dog attacked my daughter this morning. So now we are having to give my dog away. We've raised her from a puppy (6wks old) and had her nearly 4 years. I feel like I'm trying to re-home one of my own children. I've cried buckets all day.

My daughter got away with a black eye and a bruised nose.... So sad for the both of them.

That is so sad! I'm glad your daughter is ok, though, and naturally you're thinking of her safety and well being; still, it's difficult to let our "little kids in fur pajamas" go, for whatever reason. Go ahead and cry those buckets, sweet Liss .... you have the right to mourn. I'm sure you'll find her a good home. What set the dog off, do you know?

[MissLiss4u]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

I have no idea what happened =(

[FLdoodette]

Re: New YOU in the New Year's Challenge

I have no idea what happened =(

... I'm so sorry, Liss.