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!!!
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