You didn't "Fall Off the Wagon".

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by Carrollkay

Thanks Tooter for the reminder....I personally needed to hear this today...
Lisa

I need to hear it myself, at times, too!

[AllieCat0817]

bump

[hummingbird11]

WELL SAID! we can still make healthy choices after a unhealthy choice or two.

[hummingbird11]

Aloha! After my Big B'Day Bash on May 31 - we left for Kona on 6/6.

I returned on 6/15 w/ a nice virus that kept me pretty sick for a week.
AND eating "carby": LOTS of Ezekiel bread cinnamon toast + hot tea w/ honey.
FINALLY started feeling "human" again this weekend...

Here's to GETTING BACK ON TRACK w/ FOCUSED DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES !!!!!
(for me, back to LC yesterday)

Brief "diet breaks" can be good for your metabolism. Btinc advised me to "shake it up" while I was "away": Alternate eating low/high calories on different days + eating at different times of day + Alternate days of high fat/low carb + low fat/high carb. I ate pretty LC (most days) but there were a LOT of "adult beverages"! And of course I did NOT track ANY of this! No time/No energy. In fact, I'm not gonna start tracking my “macros” again till July 1st. No time/No energy. (end of fiscal year at work…ugh)

Anyway, I think the “shake it up” approach is what helped me to basically eat/drink whatever/whenever I wanted, yet not gain any "real" weight over the 10 days while I was "away" (not even going to refer to it as "vacation" as we worked our ARSES off!) We're going back in November (over Thanksgiving w/ my MOM) to RELAX & ENJOY the fruits of our labor during this trip!



I came back on 6/15 at 171 lbs ~ but it was ALL lymph fluid - all 6 lbs!
Within a week, I'm back down to my profile weight of 165 lbs!
And determined to see 159 SOON !!!!!

XO,
HB

[AllieCat0817]

bump

[roamer723]

thanks allie, and thanks toot. good to see this again.

God grant me the serenity to accept what I can not change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by roamer723

thanks allie, and thanks toot. good to see this again.

God grant me the serenity to accept what I can not change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Roamer, that's on my Key Chain. That little prayer is so deep and profound. Just when you think you understand it, you realize you have just touched one Layer. It truly applies to every thing (Situations) in our lives.

AMEN!

[AllieCat0817]

I have that prayer inside my car.

[roamer723]

picked up that little gem at AA

[Tooter]

*Bump*

[kiwikid]

Originally Posted by Tooter

I so agree about the "Perfectionist" thing. Heck, my parents used to say "If you can't do it right, don't do it at all"!! Man, is that the WRONG advice!!! It took me a long time to get over that.

This reminds me of my friend who gave me the opposite advice. She said "If something is worth doing, then it is worth doing badly." At first i didn't get this as I thought she was telling me to do things badly, but actually she was saying that we can't do everything perfectly. This should not stop us doing something worthwhile, even if our best isn't going to be that brilliant, it is still worth doing it. Better to be done in part than not at all.

This is so true I think for this WOE, we shouldn't let some poor choice derail us, move on and make a new choice. Even if you only make small modifications to alter the severly high carb diet you previously ate, it will help.

On another side, I started a Cheat-free thread. My feelings on the name are altering over time, but we allow each person to choose their own WOE, treat, thresholds and breaks. I am not there to play police, but to encourage the members. Whether or not they count their choices as bad or good is totally up to them to determine. I think this is important as we each need to develop our own food consciousness, we cannot rely on others to police us.

[oobladee]

Thanks for the reminder, tooter! Wish I had really understood this years ago when one bad choice led to another, then a whole day's worth of eating, which morphed into a week...I feel sad for that person i was. All u young mamas out here...take heed! It does not get easier!

Once I realized that I CHOSE that food, time and again, it started to make sense. Eating good food first left very little room or desire for the crappiest stuff.

Today when I go off plan, it is for food that is worth it, which was also not the case before. I make sure this choice is a palate pleasing, rare treat.

[monica64]

Thanks for posting this!!!!

[JBo]

I've been on the wagon for a long time, unfortunatly, the wagon is being pulled by clydesdales.

[ArmyBella]

When I first did LC last yr I never ever cheated. I did everything to the letter. It was choice but willpower had something to do with it too.
This time its been a bit hard and I don't even have to lose over 100 pounds anymore. It's just 30ish and it's been a pain in the butt.

[oobladee]

bella, I've LOST weight like 100x! That is the easy part when we stick to any plan. I know there are folks who did not lose any weight doing other plans, but those are truly in the minority. For most of us, being 100% on ______ plan is success.

Wouldn't you agree that the true test is being around all food that others eat and staying on track, then keeping it off? I am doubly wow'ed when I see that! I am fascinated by those who got it off, then keep it off. Thye are rarely 100% on plan - they found ways to field errors!

[kiwikid]

Originally Posted by oobladee

I am fascinated by those who got it off, then keep it off. Thye are rarely 100% on plan - they found ways to field errors!

Good point.

[Goldenrod]

Originally Posted by Tooter

I just wanted to Clarify my Use of the term "Will power" and why I hate that term.

It seems that when people talk about "Will Power" it's this mystical thing that only a few people have. Like it's some sort of "Super Power" and God seemed to pass most of us up, when he was handing it out. That it's something you are either born with or not.

True "Will Power" is nothing more then STOPPING the conversations in your head (mind games) and realistically Going through the Pro's and Con's of a "choice". Then following through with it. Nothing Mystical about it.

The funny thing is, we always use the excuse, to make poor choices and to continue making poor choices, by the fact that we "Don't want to THINK about it anymore". How many times have you said that or heard someone else say that? The Ironic thing is...When you are in a habit of Making poor choices (or falling off the wagon) That's all you DO is THINK about your bad choices. You are constantly reminded of them, by how you feel, diet related symptoms and diseases etc... Then the guilt gets stronger and stronger and our attitude gets worse.

So much for "Not wanting to think about it" anymore, eh?

It's so much easier, just to take it "choice" by "Choice". Always striving to make the "Better Choice", no matter what circumstance you are in. (Notice I didn't say the "Perfect" choice, because there is no such thing). Not only will you get Physically thinner, living choice by choice, but you will also be "Lighter" mentally and emotionally, because you aren't carrying around all that baggage from the "Mind games" anymore.

I'm a latecomer to this thread, but I had to pop in here and say WOW. Just WOW. This is the kind of logic that is so simple, yet so powerful. Low carb is not rocket science. People who make good choices don't have anything inside them anyone else doesn't have. They're not some superhuman, special kind of race that was born with the magic gene to say no to the not-so-good things, and yes to the better things.

Stop waiting for an epiphany. Stop waiting for an "ah-ha moment" that will make everything click. Maybe one will come, maybe one won't. But don't hold your breath. Face each choice with your goal in mind. You might make some poor choices, but as has been said time and time again here, one poor choice doesn't negate days or weeks of good choices, and it doesn't have to open the gates to four days of terrible choices.

Let's take pride in being responsible for ourselves.

(Sorry if any of this comes off as harsh. In the last few weeks, the tough love mentality has really been speaking to me. I can make excuses all I want, and blame a lot of my "shortcomings" on circumstances outside myself, but really, I can always do better, regardless.)

[monica64]

Goldenrod,
Thank-You for posting that.

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by Goldenrod

I'm a latecomer to this thread, but I had to pop in here and say WOW. Just WOW. This is the kind of logic that is so simple, yet so powerful. Low carb is not rocket science. People who make good choices don't have anything inside them anyone else doesn't have. They're not some superhuman, special kind of race that was born with the magic gene to say no to the not-so-good things, and yes to the better things.

Stop waiting for an epiphany. Stop waiting for an "ah-ha moment" that will make everything click. Maybe one will come, maybe one won't. But don't hold your breath. Face each choice with your goal in mind. You might make some poor choices, but as has been said time and time again here, one poor choice doesn't negate days or weeks of good choices, and it doesn't have to open the gates to four days of terrible choices.

Let's take pride in being responsible for ourselves.



(Sorry if any of this comes off as harsh. In the last few weeks, the tough love mentality has really been speaking to me. I can make excuses all I want, and blame a lot of my "shortcomings" on circumstances outside myself, but really, I can always do better, regardless.)

[iakaren]

Originally Posted by kiwikid

This reminds me of my friend who gave me the opposite advice. She said "If something is worth doing, then it is worth doing badly." At first i didn't get this as I thought she was telling me to do things badly, but actually she was saying that we can't do everything perfectly. This should not stop us doing something worthwhile, even if our best isn't going to be that brilliant, it is still worth doing it. Better to be done in part than not at all.

This is so true I think for this WOE, we shouldn't let some poor choice derail us, move on and make a new choice. Even if you only make small modifications to alter the severly high carb diet you previously ate, it will help.

I would have to say I have had a combination of things. I had the "ah-ha" moment that got me to seriously start looking at weight loss options. I got serious and lost that first 15 lbs with Low Carb. Nothing else had ever been so easy. Now I am still, 2 years later, at that 15 lbs gone. I have not managed to go down any further, even though I would like to. But I do know that I am eating healthier, and as a result of that, my family is eating healthier. So the long-term effects are there. I have spent the last year basically at the same weight. I have learned that if I ignore what I learned with low carb, my weight increases. If I apply some will power and pay attention, that weight leaves.

I would love to wave the wand and make the next 15 go away, but this is a life-long process, and sometimes, life seems to get in the way, at my house............ But this thread is an excellent reminder and good reading.

I am hoping to get another 5 lbs for sure, yet this year, and my goal is 10 lbs gone yet this year. If I break that down, that is 2.5 lbs per month.

This is an excellent thread. Keep it going, ladies.

[ew1]

You didn't "Fall Off the Wagon"

You are correct; I jumped off Getting back on is not a problem. It's a choice

[Tooter]

I thought I'd "Bump" this, for anyone who might need to read it today.

Have a FANTASTIC day, filled with "Better Choices"!

[binga]

ITA

[roamer723]

thanks toot, I've been making some bad choices lately. time to get back with the program.

[CARLINI]

Great post!! I agree it's mostly about choices. I do feel there can be a physical component which can lead to uncontrollable cravings, but it's still up to us to get ourselves right so the cravings are not there in the first place. Do the diet cure, or seek professional help if you need it (for depression, anxiety, etc). There is so much information and help out there these days. If we have problems or hurdles along the way, there's really no excuse why we can't get past them if we choose to.

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by CARLINI

Great post!! I agree it's mostly about choices. I do feel there can be a physical component which can lead to uncontrollable cravings, but it's still up to us to get ourselves right so the cravings are not there in the first place. Do the diet cure, or seek professional help if you need it (for depression, anxiety, etc). There is so much information and help out there these days. If we have problems or hurdles along the way, there's really no excuse why we can't get past them if we choose to.

[sugarless4life]

I love this thread.

All I can add to it is this: I've been maintaining for nearly 7 years, below my original goal weight. Most people would think "wow, she's MADE it" ... allow me to disagree.

I have not and will not ever accept the idea that I have "made it". You see, its not about making IT, whatever IT is. Its about day-by-day, meal-by meal choices. I am fully aware that this is a journey without a finish line; that all it would take are a few poor choices and I'd slide right on down to the bottom of that slippery slope.

So I never view myself as a success; only a work in progress on my way to better health. When I hear folks ask "what will you do when you're at goal?" I think to myself: "STAY THERE". To achieve that, it takes 100% vigilance and discipline. Everyday. You don't wake up one day and say "I made it" ... no, you MAKE it everyday .. day by day, choice by choice.

THERE IS NO FINISH LINE HERE.


Betty

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by sugarless4life

I love this thread.

All I can add to it is this: I've been maintaining for nearly 7 years, below my original goal weight. Most people would think "wow, she's MADE it" ... allow me to disagree.

I have not and will not ever accept the idea that I have "made it". You see, its not about making IT, whatever IT is. Its about day-by-day, meal-by meal choices. I am fully aware that this is a journey without a finish line; that all it would take are a few poor choices and I'd slide right on down to the bottom of that slippery slope.

So I never view myself as a success; only a work in progress on my way to better health. When I hear folks ask "what will you do when you're at goal?" I think to myself: "STAY THERE". To achieve that, it takes 100% vigilance and discipline. Everyday. You don't wake up one day and say "I made it" ... no, you MAKE it everyday .. day by day, choice by choice.

THERE IS NO FINISH LINE HERE.


Betty

Amen and AMEN!!!


Betty, your words are SO true!

[smudgepot]

Awesome post! I was berating myself for "falling off the wagon" today. I was out all day and by the time I got home, I was so hungry (and low blood sugar) that I made LOADS of poor choices.

I acknowledge that tomorrow is another day, and I have learnt to be more prepared. Thank goodness for the affirmation that this is a WOE, and not a "all or nothing" situation!