From Far Away to Here, With Oh..., So Long to Go!

I have been at the low carb lifestyle not quite a year now. OK, according to the date calculator (http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html) it has been 233 days, or 5592 hours, or 335,520 minutes, or 20,131,200 seconds so far, to be a little more exact (but still off by some margin of error).

It seems like I ought to have arrived already at some level, and yet at another I know I have probably another couple of years ahead of me just to reach goal, and a bunch of years after that just to be able to say that this isn't some kind of yo-yo thing (diet followed by failing miserably and rapidly and massively regaining the weight lost).

Altogether I am trying to lose about 240 lbs give or take, which is a whole person. A whole entire very large person. Like trying to lose a linebacker or something. (smile).

My wife and I compared pix from September before I started and more recent pix. It is startling in some ways, but also kinda depressing too at the same time. Even tho I have lost ~87 lbs to this point, it hardly looks like it to me. Sure I see my face a little better defined, and my guts are smaller. I know my belt is tighter and I am lighter. But I still sorta look just the same. (sigh).

Anyhow - I am in this for the long long haul. For days and weeks and months and years more, if Lord Willing, I should be fortunate enough to live that long. So this is just a tiny pit stop on the road to where I am going. The road to better health, a fitter me. A higher quality of life. Hopefully here with my wife and my kids, and my friends and those I rub shoulders with in life.

Water Weight

I guess you can't try dieting and losing weight too long before you encounter the concept of "water weight". After all, our bodies are made up of mostly water, they say. And like oil in your car, you need it just to survive. What do they say? Three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food? Something like that! Anyhow we are made up of alot of water, and our body has some sort of built in regulation of the water level in our bodies "tank" - so to speak.

If you just start a diet, then you will drop a good bit, before your weight loss often slows to a certain level that is consistent for awhile. That first big drop everyone is quick to assure us is "water weight". The slow ebbing away that you struggle with after that first rapid loss is fatty tissue.

If you eat too much salt in your diet you will find that your body will retain water. Beware of processed meats (lunchmeats, hot dogs and sausages, bacon), dill pickles and some other pickled foods, as they are highly salty! They dope these things up with so much salt that I suppose you could have them sit out for a while in a buffet or picnic serving with little (or less) worry of spoilage or bacterial contamination.

I have been tracking my own weight loss and it tends to cycle up and down and up and down. Each cycle I hit lower new weights, and then my weight rides up, up, up, then back down, down, down. For more people on a low carb diet they observe a similar body behavior on their scales. Typically it is 4-5 lbs for many. For me I fly up and down at least ten pounds each cycle. Occasionally I will only have a five pound variance, but mostly more.

So it got me to thinking. Just how much does water weigh???!!! I mean, ten pounds is alot. How much water is that exactly? Well I went to the source of all information (Google) and "Googled it" - and found a bunch of helpful answers at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_one_gallon_of_water_weigh.

It turns out that the helpful phrase "a pint is a pound, the world around" is an easy way to remember water weight at a rough approximation of it's weight. "Close enough for government work", as they used to say when I was in the military ages ago. So a gallon of water is somewhere between 8.34lbs or 8.35 lbs if you were to weight it, with a pint actually being a smidge over a pound.

That is interesting to put into perspective, as that means the difference between a "water-lean" me and a "water-porky" me it actually about a gallon and a couple pints or so. Hmmm. And a 5 pound weight shift on account of water retention is a pint or so more than half a gallon (or a pint or so more than two quarts).

I have noticed a few things about when I am water-lean. My skin is tighter. I look better. People comment on my weight loss more. I also get leg cramps on occasion when I wake up in the morning. My belt goes a notch or more tighter.

When I am water-heavy, my skin looks baggier all over - but especially in my face. I feel a little demoralized too. It's depressing to go from better looking to jowly and baggy looking. And the scale - ARGH! It is so depressing and frustrating to see it ride up ten pounds over my new low weight.

Anyhow, that's life. Low carb life for me. But I have a little visualization of the amount of water that I now trade on and off in these weight loss cycles. Hope this helps you too!!

Tellin' on Myself...

One of the things I have done since I started is occasionally find and save off to my computer the BEFORE, IN PROGRESS, and AFTER pictures of folks on the low carb way of life. I really enjoy reading their stories and seeing the remarkable tranformations people have made in their lives. It keeps me pumped up and motivated. It stokes the fires within and I often marvel at what people have done for themselves.

Sometimes it just simply looks like another person altogether, the change is so great - and you wouldn't even believe it unless or until you see the various pix of in-progress steps the person went through.

I hope one day to have a set of those kind of pix myself. In a couple of years or more maybe. Right now I am making daily progress and trying to stay on track. But seeing so many average Janes and Joes doing so remarkably well at this way of life inspires me. I know it will inspire you too! If you are feeling a little low, take an hour or so and go online to one of the low carb forums. Check out the success stories. Meet some of these awesome people that have conquered huge health issues and who have lost tremendous amounts of weight (and kept it off)!!

Although I am on the fence about the whole Kimkins diet thing, they have lots of low carb success stories on their site. Jimmy Moore features lots of low carbers off his low carb links site. Check those out! In the end, you might just stoke your own fires, and charge your own motivational batteries.

Good luck on your own low carb Journey!! Here's to our LC success!!!

An Awesome Quote from one of My Low Carb Heros!

"One foot in front of the other, dissassociating food from emotions, my weight from my self-worth and my progress from my results. Associating success with making good decisions regardless of the short-term outcome, controlling what I can control and leaving the rest to the whims of the great magnet (to quote Hunter Thompson). Worrying about chipping away on the rock in front of me instead of the mountain behind it."

This from Jake (aka J13) one of my low carb heros! He is the same fellow who has espoused online really tremendous thoughts such as:

"Own Your Decisions!"

With this statement Jake has fought against the excuses people make and the ways that they undermine themselves. Many times people blame their problems or situation on everything and everyone else - but not on themselves and the decisions they have made. They fail to take ownership of their own decisions and the consequences. Jake maintains, I believe, that there is no "cheating", but only conscious decisions one makes with consequences that come from them.

-- and --

"Character is that force that enables an individual to carry out a resolution once the mood in which that resolution was born has died."

That's all about character and commitment to stay motivated and on-track to be a long-term success. Not a 90-day weight loss wonder that loses and gains it all back and then some, living life and eating on yo-yo diets and unsuccessful eating habits.

Jake has lost an enormous amount of weight on low carb living and is a constant source of encouragement to me and to others. He sets his own bar high and helps others keep things in-check as well. One thing that is wonderful about Jake is that he doesn't allow himself or others to live in a land of excuses, negative self talk, living with bad habits, or failing to live consistently and on-track all the time.

You can find Jake in the Low Carb Support Forum and TDC (Triple Digits Club) linked on the right hand side of my blog!

This is essentially what I was talking about in my last blog post. How important successful thinking, successful self-talk, positive mental attitude, commitment, focus, and developing good new habits are to your continued success.

I urge any of you on the low carb lifestyle to pause and take stock of yourselves and your thinking and your daily habits.

Look to others who are successes and who have made great strides and been successful in the long run!

What are they doing right? What habits and thinking can you borrow from these successful people? How can you change things and adapt new ways of eating, thinking, measuring, excercising, tracking, and visualizing to help you achieve your goals long term? How can you get more motivated? How can you change things for yourself? What can you do more consistently - day in and day out? Are you defeating yourself with negative self talk? With bad habits? With allowing yourself too much wiggle room and too much slack? Are you cheating?

I find that learning and sharing with others, and having the right mindset helps me. I hope that if you stop and think about you life right now, and make the right changes in your life by taking a moment to consider these things - it will help you too!

To quote a verse and an idea from the Bible:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Galatians 6:7

This principle is a spiritual priniciple but is also broadly applicable in all aspects of one's life. If you are not reaping the results you want today, what did you sow yesterday and the days before? And what kind of tomorrow are you sowing for today?

And I don't know about the "Great Magnet" in the quote tho. The only "Great Magnet" in life I know is Jesus.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32

Mentally Winning or Mentally Losing the Game

We all know that a lot of top sports performance is the mental-body connection. Where the Winning Spirit and attitude separate the difference between the greats, the almost greats, and those that are not successful at what they set out to do. It is amazing to me to see myself and others struggle through rough spots on this journey, and the mental gymnastics that it takes to stay on track, focused on the goal, and committed to this as a way of eating for life. I am fascinated by how people think, and especially by how successful low carbers think and live their lives.

Not to say that it is especially difficult, or especially easy either. I think it may be different for one person compared to another too! But one of the biggest factors may be one's attitude. I have heard it said that "One's attitude determines ones altitude". That is really true in the workplace. Speaking with other veteran managers it is one of the main things one looks for in hiring new people (after making lots of hiring mistakes over the years and learning what works and what doesn't). A positive mental attitude is a very high percentage of a winning package in the workplace. If you can get someone with a positive attitude who is honest and reliable, is willing to work hard, can learn new things well, and is good with people, ...you about have the total package for a great employee.

And we have all probably watched a big football game that gets down to the clutch moments at the end of the game where the focus and effort makes the difference and the team that has more of it (focus, effort, and attitude) pulls out the win in the end.

The same thing is true for low carb living I think. Being focussed on the goal, staying in the game and committed to succeeding, and maintaining a positive attitude are so important. The quality of one's self-talk goes a long way to helping one succeed. Visualizing success and achievement of one's goals. Seeing through temptation and realizing that the momentary reward of going off-plan is less fulfilling and rewarding than staying on plan and meeting ones goals.

Folks that are really struggling seem to have one thing in common. Folks that are frustrated with this way of eating are looking at what they don't have and are focussing on that - instead of what they can have. When they look at their food choices all they see is what is verboten and forbidden. They see themselves denied everything and only able to eat some smallish amount of lesser satisfying foods. The ones who are successful focus on what they CAN have. And they focus on all the many varieties of what can be made of those things - wonderful dishes and meals and snacks!

I personally see juicy and sizzling steaks and burgers and fish and brats and sausage and pork and turkey and chicken and so many other things that I CAN EAT. They moan over only being able to eat burgers without the bun and bemoan the loss of bread and pasta and potatoes and REAL COKES, etc. I have learned about new choices cram packed with flavor and that are really satisfying. Pepsi One, Lipton Diet Green and White Teas, Coke Zero, Diet Mt. Dew, Crystal Light, Sobe, Fuse, etc. Frustrated folks feel restricted. Instead I feel like there are many choices, and the longer I am at this and work at learning about them, the more and more choices of awesome, tasty, excellent food there are that I learn I can eat and live on (and live WELL)!

I really enjoy Dannon low carb yogurts and Sugar Free Jellos and Breyers Low Carb Ice Cream and Ice Cream Bars! Low carb Cheesecake made with Splenda is AWESOMELY EXCELLENT! There are so many flavored cheeses and nuts and beef jerkies and beef sticks to eat. String Cheese. Sargento "Stcksters" Cheese sticks of all kinds of cheese flavors. And I am eating more veggies than I have eaten in my whole entire life. Tasty veggies smothered in cheese or cream or in rich flavorful broths, or mixed with mushrooms and herbs.

If you want to succeed at this lifestyle and way of eating you need to have your head in the game. You need to explore and love all the many choices YOU DO HAVE, and stop thinking about what you do not have. You need to be good to yourself and EAT WELL. Hot steaming juicy steaks and fillets and chicken. Cooked with herbs. Melted with cheese or flavorful low carb sauce.

Other Low Carb heros out there have invested in sugar free and low carb syrups and are putting chocolate syrups and fruit over their food. They are experimenting with all kinds of tasty flavors and textures in their food. You really need to get out there and try to make recipes other low carbers have developed. Only beware as some folks have labeled dishes low carb when they have 30-100 grams of carbs or more in the dish - WAAAAY over induction or OWL levels and likely to knock you out of ketosis and fat burning Gluconeogenesis.

One other thing that makes a difference in my mind is whether you see this as a temporary diet (till you reach some goal) or as a way of life and eating from here on out.

It does make a difference I think to how much effort you put into learning about the options you do have. About how well you prepare in advance for the day and week ahead of you. And it does translate to learning and implementing lasting changes into your life. It also makes the difference between long-term serious guilt ridden depression over falling off the wagon, and dusting ones self off and getting back on the program (if one overdoes it or gets off the program at any point).

The person who has a long term focus to low carb eating doesn't wonder if they can't do this. They are sticking this out even through stalls, temporary gains, and hard times. This is the long term deal for them. And either through persistance, trial and error, or tinkering and tweaking they see themselves through the times where the body reaches plateaus or fights back against us in our weight loss efforts.

Successful low carbers hold themselves accountable. They don't allow negative self talk. They understand when rationalizations and excuses are occurring and nip it in the bud. "OWN YOUR DECISIONS", one successful low carb hero I admire tags his posts. And he also tags them with, "Character is that force that enables an individual to carry out a resolution once the mood in which that resolution was born has died." Super thoughts!

Some other last few things that I think makes a difference between winners and losers in this low carb journey is being consistent, making an effort, and willingness to make and accept changes to ones life.

Consistency makes this way of eating easier and easier. You get used to portion sizes and ways of eating (habits) that are successful and help you meet your goals. You try not to eat late at night, and you snack to keep your energy up and stay on track through the day. Consistency means that you learn by force of habit how to do successful things, in easy to learn and remember ways. You get used to portions and types of food that "work" for you, and learn to avoid those that don't.

Making an effort means you go the extra mile and put in the work and time to learn about this way of life. You read the books (Atkins, South Beach, Protien Power, etc) and you study and learn from the experts how to be successful. You read the blogs and web sites and other resources. You look hard for tasty solutions for meals, snacks, drinks, and deserts that are permissible for your stage in this way of eating. It means that if faced with lousey choices you make the best ones or simply wait to eat to do something better. You settle for a diet drink for now, or drink some water. You grab a bag of peanuts. You do what you can instead of breaking down and having what you cannot.

One of the best ways to make an effort is to make preparation. Buy some low carb groceries. Order some LC foods online. Boil some eggs. Make some chicken salad and tuna salad. Have low carb snacks on hand. Get rid of the tempting sugary things in the house, or at least have low carb alternatives at hand.

The last thing is making changes. Everybody hates change. It is awful. We are all creatures of habit. In some cases we are trying to change a lifetime of developed habits that have been unsuccessful in meeting our objectives (good health, a desired weight, happiness with ourselves, etc). But unlearning old poor habits and learning new good ones is a key factor in being successful. Learning to drink water and other low carb beverages if one has drank the SUPERSIZED COKES and other sugary drinks every day for years and years is a big change.

We have to learn new habits. Practice desired behaviors till they become part of us. They say if you do some new thing for several weeks it will become a habit and they way you do things. We need to work at this too.

OK. One last thing. Get some support. Go online and meet other low carbers. Learn from them. Encourage them when they are struggling. Share ideas. Make friends. Help others and get some help too. Find some of the many success stories online, and make/meet some low carb heros in your life.

Hope you find something here that can help. Keep you on-track. Keep you focused. Remind you of good things that work. Encourage you to make a little greater effort.

Make yourself a success story and become a low carb hero yourself! Good luck on your low carb journey!!!