Ticks

The last few weeks I have had facial ticks occurring, uncontrolled twitching of muscles around my mouth. Concurrently the past few days I have had pain in my lower left back, which my wife informs me is a Kidney infection. My pee stinks lately so I thought it was just ketosis, but I guess the wife may be right after all.

The ticks are likely due to both diet issues and severe stress at work and at home. I read up on it and it appears that Magnesium deficiency may be the culprit. I haven't been supplementing with vitamins as much lately. Reading up on this they recommend bananas, almonds, and supplementation. So I have noticed that eating bananas and almonds make it go away, but the ticks come back later. So off to the store for vitamin and nutritional supplements with Magnesium, and more bananas and almonds.

I have been worried that this is more than diet, more than just stress. Things run through your mind. I was hoping this would just blow over but it has persisted for so long now. On the other hand, Magnesium seems to ward it off a little.

So I will wait and see what happens. Hopefully, it's nothing major. But it just goes to show you that you need to carefully watch your diet and to supplement with vitamins and essential good-stuff when your diet is restricted. Especially when stress, lack of sleep, etc is taxing your bod!

Hope all is well with all the low carb friends I have out there in Internet land.

Sustainable Weight Loss

I've been pondering the extraordinarily high failure rate quoted often enough for folks who diet or lose weight (perhaps via vigorous excercise). There was a study last year - one of these mega-studies that studies the outcome of lots of other studies, then draws conclusions.

I have seen different numbers quoted in different studies. It certainly sounds like a doomsday scenario for those who are trying to lose weight or make lasting changes in thier lives.

"You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back.""We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more," she added.The researchers found a very small minority of study participants managed to sustain weight loss, while the majority put all the weight back on, and more in the longer term."Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people," said Dr Mann." http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/67422.php
UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study, Traci Mann

So, most folks lose and then regain their lost weight. The Majority put all the weight back on, AND MORE IN THE LONG TERM.

That is amazing!! So how do you plan your life, and how do you live your life so that you are in the few percentage point minority that has lasting change in their weight and life and health? So that it is a LASTING CHANGE without rebound or relapse?

Here's what I've come up with:

1.) Model behaviours of the few long term successful people. Do what *they* do. Learn what they know. Put their "life goggles" on and see the world like they do. If they are permanently changing what they eat - you must do so too! If they are permanently changing the level of activity in their lives - you need to too! If they are studying and coming to grips with why they eat in unhealthy ways (emotional triggers, etc) you must too! If they are adopting strategies that help them, we must also do so. There are folks living successfully after losing hundreds of pounds and successfully maintaining over multiple years of time. We must learn from them!

2.) Lasting change means new ways of looking at old things. One fellow commented recently online in one of my favorite low carb forums that we need to treat sugars and carbohydrates as vegitarians do meat. They don't cheat. They don't all of a sudden give in to cravings for a big giant juicy steak. They just cross this kind of food off the list from now on. It is as if it doesn't exist anymore for them. Not because they *can't* do it, but because they do not want to anymore! I can't agree more.

3.) Some long term low carbers refer to carbs and sugars as poison. I used to think that was just a gross overstatement and almost reckless and irresponsible. As I have learned about the effects of sugars, and sweet syrups, and carbs on our bodies in so many ways it has made me re-evaluate my initial assessment of that kind of language. Certainly the advent of so much obeisity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc, has it's roots in metabolic problems resulting from overconsumption of sugars, carbohydrates, and insulin response. People ARE DYING FROM THIS, PEOPLE!!! It's time to wake up and smell the coffee! I am not saying that everyone has the same problems, but certainly some of us do! Carbs and sugars in such great abundance in our diets are killing us.

4.) I am such a big believer in the power of positive thinking. I am really against negativity and negative thinking in such a big way. I simply cannot stand depressive thinking. I cannot stand loser thinking. Quiting. Giving up. Seeing everything you cannot have, instead of all that you can have. Seeing all the reasons you will fail. Cutting yourself excuses for your behavior. Cutting yourself too much slack. We will reap what we sow. Responsibility means seeing our way through and past problems by ensuring consistent good decisions and behavior on a consistent basis. We have to visualize success. We need to pick ourselves up after each mistake and failure and press on to the goal. We have to have laser-like focus. We need to stick with making the right decisions even when we don't feel like it. This is work. This is commitment. This has to be lasting change. We have to see our way through to success. It has to result from making good decisions over and over again. Not viewing or trying to win the entire battle in any single moment, just making the next decision the best one you can, and putting your foot in front of the other on each step of your low carb journey. Never really arriving. Never quitting. We need to find new things to give us pleasure in life - to replace the sweet foods that satisfy carby cravings. Finding new things that satisfy. New tastes. New levels of accomplishement. New achievements.

6.) Keep making Continuous goals! They don't all have to be losing hundreds of pounds of weight, or losing inches around the waist. They could be about the *next* ten pounds. Or maintaining weight over a certain interval of time. The next fitness goal. Walking a block. Walking a mile. Doing 30 situps. Doing 10 pushups. Doing a hundred pushups in a day. Climbing flights of stairs. The next 10,000 steps on a pedometer. Bench pressing some weight. Riding a bike. It could be some of the direct benefits of losing weight - fitting into a booth or a theater seat or doing something that was impossible before!

7.) Keep reading and learning all the time! Study and learn about metabolism, and low carb living, and psychology, and about low carb foods and recipies, and successful eating and healthy-living strategies.

I haven't really encapulated all the things I have been thinking. But it's a start. You "weigh-in" too! What do you think contributes to lasting success??? Your comments are welcome!

Are *YOU* Making Low Carb New Years Resolutions?

I thought it would be a great idea to post a quick link to those just starting out - making new years resolutions for 2008 to begin eating (or resume) the low carb way of life.

You too can be successful, lose weight, feel better and achieve better health by simply changing WHAT YOU EAT!

The great thing about low carb is that it is a way of life where you can lose weight and still EAT! In fact, if you are hungry on this diet you are NOT EATING ENOUGH, and YOU NEED TO EAT!!! And if you are having intense cravings, you are definitely not getting enough FAT IN YOUR DIET!!! When I began this diet at 410 lbs, I was eating 4500 calories a day and losing weight like crazy!! While that is not the case anymore, I still eat till I am content and full (No White-Knuckle, test of willpower here) and I am not feeling deprived or like I am doing without.

And you can eat practically all you want (or all you can stand) of tasteful foods like meat (steaks, chicken, tuna, salmon, burgers, pork chops, ham, bacon, etc). And you get to eat NUTRITIOUS MEALS full of low glycemic VEGGIES like broccolli, green beans, calliflower, asparagus, etc!!!

How to do this and be successful:

1.) Pick a low carb plan that is right for you. Research them and pick one. I prefer Atkins, but there are South Beach, Protien Power, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, the Zone, Primitive Diets, etc. to choose from. Read the books. Follow the plan to the letter.

2.) Carefully track everything you stick in your mouth. Especially at first. You need to not "wing it" but to "know it" as far as carb counts go, and permitted foods in the phase of whatever low carb eating plan you are on.

3.) Get committed. Tell people. Announce it. Make it official. Stick with it.

4.) Get support and information from one of the low carb forums. Join. Start a journal. Post often. Make friends. Get to know folks there going through the same things you are. Get to know the seasoned veterans who have been successful over many years! Start a low carb blog. Get accountable. Some folks blog everything they eat and do (activity wise) on a daily basis.

5.) Read and understand all you can about this way of life. Lots of information is online.

6.) Focus on what you CAN EAT, not on what you cannot. Find some of the tons of low carb recipies out there in the forums and in cookbooks and on the Internet. Try new things. Learn how to eat and survive in any setting. You can eat low carb in almost any restaurant or situation if you are determined to!!

7.) Make sure you get into ketosis and through your initial period on the new lifestyle - as it takes a week or two or three to make changes in your body. Be prepared to get through it. You body may have to switch from fueling itself from dietary sugars to other metabolic processes and there is a certain period for that changeover to take place (as fuels are depleted in stored muscle cells and in the liver).

8.) Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. Low carb probably isn't the best for developing little babies and little kids, pregnant women, and folks with certain health problems (like liver problems, certain diabetes conditions need to be carefully managed, etc). See a doctor if you are not sure and ensure that you are not putting your health at risk. This isn't a scary or seriously risky proposition for most folks, but one size does not fit all, and proper medical/health advice is probably recommended for some folks in certain situations!!

I am not a doctor and do not even pretend to play one on TV. I am enthusiastic about this way of life as I believe it is the way to eat best without endangering your health (compared to the heavy sugar laden typical western diet) if it is done right, and if necessary, with medical supervision.

Follow many of the links on this page and you will learn lots to help you be successful. One thing about this way of eating is that it is a technique that I believe *CAN* enable you to be successful over the long haul (compared to most other diets and ways of eating). Of course, if you get off this way of eating and go back to going face-down in the ice cream, sugary drinks, and donuts - don't be surprised if you Blurrrp! right back up to where you started, or even above that weight!!

Low-Carb Lollygagging in 2007 & 2008!

I am so excited to have completed my first complete year *and* calendar year of low carbing it! I started in November of 2006, and have continued Atkins-style low-carb living through all of 2007!!

2007 was wonderful and an absolute banner year for me to reach new levels of weight loss and health through changing the way that I eat. I am now convinced more than ever that (for at least some of us), low carb is the way to go! Throughout 2007 I have lost over a hundred pounds (almost 110 lbs), and have gone from a 62" waist to a 50" waist. My neck size on my shirts has shrunk a couple inches as well from a 22" neck to comfortably fitting in shirts with a 19" neck. Very productive lollygagging there!!

I can tell you I feel so much better, fit into clothes better, look better and just feel like it's been an all around improvement so far!

For 2008 I am planning on gradually implementing moderate excercise and more consistent and vigorous physical activity into my life. We purchased a used low-end elliptical machine from a local Goodwill store which I have begun making good use of (it was broken and fixed with an $0.80 part), and I recovered some old dumbells from the in-laws (that I had left there for the use of others in the family). I may start back with some light free-weight workouts as well in 2008.

I will be continuing to monitor, manage, track, and maintain a low carb way of eating. I may be spending more time weighing my food and preparing meals ahead of time this year than I did in 2007. I suspect I may have to pay more attention to portion control, calories, and foods that may trip me up (like cheese, etc) when I overdo them. Carb creep may be a problem as I slack up on the fascist level of control once in a while - to my own detriment.

Thanks to my family and to all of my low carb friends and supporters who have shared so much encouragement, support, advice, information and research, etc!!!

In 2008 I hope to be joined by a number of family members including my oldest stepson (who has been back on Atkins style low carb for a couple months now with great results), and my wife who is also planning on beginning low carb living in 2008! I have a brother-in law and possibly two brothers (and a sister in-law) who may also be low carbing it in 2008!!

Origins of Low Carb: Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."

Brillat-Savarin

In reading the book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes I am pleasantly surprised to find a good deal of the long history around low carb and low carb science. One of the "fathers" of the low carb premise was Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French lawyer and physician who lived from 1755 to 1826 (to be 70 yrs and 10 months of age at his death).

And in stumbling around the Internet looking for writings of low carb superheros (like William Banting, and Dr. Atkins, and Dr.'s Eades, etc) I found the famous writing (see the web link below) of the aformentioned low carb supergenius.

It is an excellent read, and well worth spending some time perusing! I have included a handy glossary below for some of the excellent words found within the translated version of this low carb treatise.

The Physiology of Taste

by Brillat-Savarin

MEDITATION XXI.
OBESITY

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/brillat/savarin/b85p/part26.html

Word Fun - Glossary

(not in any alphabetical order):

.............................................................

Corpulent:

fat, obese, overweight

Gastrophoria:

One kind of obesity that is restricted to the stomach

Gastrophorous:

Those afflicted with the aforementioned condition

Obesity:

that state of greasy congestion in which without the sufferer being sick, the limbs gradually increase in volume, and lose their form and harmony.

farinacious: (it means starchy)

1 : having a mealy texture or surface
2 : containing or rich in starch

feculent:

foul with impurities, fecal

feculaferous:

see feculent

embonpoint :

plumpness of person : stoutness

apoplexy:

crippled by a stroke

dropsy :

retention of water, edema (perhaps as a result of congestive heart failure)

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=13311

The discovery of a new dish

does more for human happiness

than the discovery of a new star.

.

-----------

.

By this and similar conversations I elucidate a theory

I have formed about the human race, viz:

Greasy corpulence always has, as its first cause,

a diet with too much farinacious or feculent substance.

I am sure the same regime will always have the same effect.

.

Carniverous animals never become fat.

One has only to look at the wolf, jackal, lion, eagle, etc.
Herbiverous animals do not either become fat

until age has made repose a necessity.

They, however, fatten quickly when fed on potatoes, farinacious grain, etc.

.

-----------

.

The second of the causes of obesity, is the fact that farinacious and

feculaferous matter is the basis of our daily food.

.

We have already said that all animals that live on

farinaceous substances become fat;

man obeys the common law.
.

The fecula is more prompt in its action when it is mingled with sugar.

Sugar and grease are alike in containing large

quantities of hydrogen, and are both inflammable.

.

This combination is the more powerful,

from the fact that it flatters the taste,

and that we never eat sweet things

until the appetite is already satisfied,

so that we are forced to court the luxury

of eating by every refinement of temptation.

.

-----------

.

INCONVENIENCE OF OBESITY (excerpt)

Obesity has a lamentable influence on the two sexes,

inasmuch as it is most injurious to strength and beauty.

...
It lessens strength because it increases the weight to be moved,

while the motive power is unchanged.

...

It injures respiration, and makes all labor requiring

prolonged muscular power impossible.

...
Obesity destroys beauty by annihilating the harmony

of primitive proportions, for all the limbs do not proportionately fatten.

...

It destroys beauty by filling up cavities nature’s hand itself designed.

...
Nothing is so common as to see faces,

once very interesting,

made common–place by obesity.

Live from Hectic-Ville

Well, I have been busy the past few weeks which is causing me to post a bit less frequently.

Still low carbing it, but it has been more of a struggle of late. PORTION CONTROL is the name of the game. That and increasing my activity levels. I am gradually cutting back on the portions and gradually increasing my activity.

What worked to get me from 410 lbs past 350 lbs is not getting it done at the same level at 310 lbs. I need to cut back to smallerish portions, and that is hard for me psychologically more than physically. I am doing it slowly as I am deep down inside afraid of awful hunger, starvation, doing without, stalling my metabolism out, etc.

I have read about alot of successful folks and read what they are eating (quantity of food) and it's alot less than what I am now eating. I am finding myself slowly cycling above and below 310 lbs. I have been as low as 307.6 lbs recently and also above 310 lbs as my weight fluctuates up and down.

I am cutting back on sizes. A coworker told me about Body for Life - a book that advocates pumping up the metabolism and eating more regular, smaller meals. I am trying to do some of those kinds of things, low carb. Eat less. Do more.

It's a slow process right now as I am not cutting back enough to really create a huge calorie deficit. I am still losing on average, but slower. It's OK. It's still in the right direction. It is still showing me the main thing - that this way of life is SUSTAINABLE. That is the biggie for me!!

Keeping the faith! Keeping my chin up! Smallerish portions! More activity!

Thanks for pulling for me and with me on this low carb life-journey!!!

Low-Carb Diet As a Treatment for Cancer?

Time and CNN have a really interesting article found here:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1662484,00.html

It is entitled "Can a High-Fat Diet Beat Cancer?"

In the article scientists are speculating that a high-fat ketogenic diet can help folks with cancer! A German doctor named Otto Warburg (a winner of Alfred Nobel's Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1931) studied cellular metabolism and respiration of cancer cells.

Based on his research and discoveries, scientists are wondering if switching a body from a carbohydrate rich diet to a ketogenic diet would be beneficial for folks suffering from certain cancers. Doctor Warburg discovered that cancer cells can live even in the absence of oxygen and that the cancers fueled themselves exclusively by a process called glycolysis - creating energy through the fermentation of sugars in the cytoplasm.

You can read about him here:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1931/warburg-bio.html

You can read about his ideas here:

The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer, Otto Warburg
http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Loxygen2.htm

"Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. Almost anything can cause cancer. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause.

The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen (oxidation of sugar) in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar.

All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes.

From the standpoint of the physics and chemistry of life this difference between normal and cancer cells is so great that one can scarcely picture a greater difference. Oxygen gas, the donor of energy in plants and animals, is dethroned in the cancer cells and replaced by the energy yielding reaction of the lowest living forms, namely the fermentation of sugar.

In every case, during the cancer development, the oxygen respiration always falls, fermentation appears, and the highly differentiated cells are transformed into fermenting anaerobes, which have lost all their body functions and retain only the now useless property of growth and replication. Thus, when respiration disappears, life does not disappear, but the meaning of life disappears, and what remains are growing machines that destroy the body in which they grow."
The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer, Dr. Otto Warburg, June 30, 1966

Reading all this and trying (in my own way and at my own level) to understand it - let's face it I am not a scientist and don't even play one on TV) it sure makes me think that the low carb folks who say "SUGAR IS POISON", might be on to something. Kudos to those who took their education to a level where they can actually contemplate the cellular chemistry, metabolism, and biological activities described by Doctor Warburg and in related papers and understand it and apply that in meaningful ways.

Carbohydrates and sugars in all their various forms are certainly ready fuel for the body, but maybe it wasn't intended to be consumed at the tremendously high level we do it (here in the the present day United States) without serious negative consequences to your health - think diabetes, various digestive conditions, high blood sugars, etc.

And reading things like Nancy Appleton's list of "147 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health" (found here: http://www.nancyappleton.com/ ) and frequent research found on Jimmy Moore's Livin Lavida Low Carb Site (http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/) it seems to add up in study after study to be shown to cause or be related to numerous health problems. I read the article at Time/CNN with great interest and will be very interested in watching and learning from this study as it progresses.

Your two cents of input is appreciated! What say you?

All About Fat

As I go along the way in the low carb life I am constantly trying to learn about diet and nutrition, metabolism, body processes, and about the body in general. In my meanderings I have found a number of articles on human body fat, and how it works. Really interesting stuff. I recommend this kind of reading for anyone looking to master their own body by understanding it better and controlling their decisions. This is really essential reading for anyone serious about low carb life or just simply better health and fitness.

Some great links about fat cells and how they work:

What is Bodyfat?
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/Miscarticles/whatisbodyfat.html

How Fat Cells Work
http://health.howstuffworks.com/fat-cell.htm

The Death of Fat Cells
-- and --
Understanding how obese fat cells work
http://kudosforlowcarb.blogspot.com/

And one more about the metabolic process at play here...

What If A Calorie Isn't Just A Calorie After All?

http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=7617

The Stone-Age Diet

While I am not on the "Stone Age" or Paleo Diet, this diet encompasses many ideas that are part of various low carb diet programs. Basically it is sticking to eating low carb and "natural" types of food. It is about avoiding all the "Frankenfoods" (man-made, often high carb, processed foods that don't exist in nature - hydrogenated, chemically treated, enriched, enhanced, etc, foods) is another common theme.

There is so much artificial junk we stick down our gullet. Trans-fats (hydrogenated this and that). Artificial sweeteners and High Fructose Corn Syrups and other sugary stuff. Processed meats and cheese. Chemical cardboard high sugar cereals. Artificial flavors and artificial colors. Preservatives and chemicals of all kinds. MSG. Sulfates. Nitrites and Nitrates. Animal hormones. Pesticides. ARGH! Certainly no self respecting primitive would bother to eat junk like this!

Anyhow, you can find an interesting article about several online blog posts and articles regarding the "stoneage" diet here:

http://community.wddty.com/blogs/birdseye/archive/2007/08/17/The-stone-age-diet_3A00_-How-to-eliminate-the-health-problems-of-modern-life.aspx

I would think that any low carber who is serious about their health and nutrition, and about learning the low carb way of life ought to read and learn all they can about it. And even when something isn't your bag (say in learning about bodybuilding, or advanced nutritional science or studies, etc) you can still read and learn something of value. I would assume that you are obviously this kind of interested and "highly evolved" person yourself, since you have found your way here!

"Eat the watermelon, spit out the seeds", a wise man once said. So with that as my point of view I think I can read about all kinds of aspects of diet, nutrition and excercise and learn something. Probably no one has a complete corner on the 100% of "the truth" in this area.

While I am personally interested in continuing to follow the Atkins plan myself (now and in the immediate future - "Dance with the one that brung ya"), for the long-haul I am reading about a vareity of low-carb diets and alternatives that will hopefully help me be successful in the long run.

I want to know about South Beach and Protien Power and the Carbohydrates Addicts Diet. I want to understand the science behind metabolism and ketosis and nutrition and excercise. And while a PSP (Protien Sparing Fast) is not for me right now, maybe someday I'll try it as an alternative for a very short period of time, just to shake things up a little. While Carb Cycling or CKD isn't something I am doing now either, it is something I am interested in a little, and have noticed some folks are having great results on - going carb up and then carb down at intervals. Maybe I will try that if my losses stall out at some point for too long, and carb control and or carb/calorie control isn't getting it. The body does adapt, and it may be important to change just to keep things cookin at some point.

I think that by reading alot I can learn about the many ideas, tools, techniques that are available, I can learn more about this bod I live in, and how I can be more healthy and happy in the long run. Eventually I may even get to the point where I am working out again and excercising. Right now I am simply trying to continue with moderate (but increasing) levels of activity to ease into a more healthy and active life.

Like Finding Money in Your Pocket!

Found Money! Isn't that the best most exciting thing? You are going through some of your old stuff, maybe an old suitcoat or pants or a jacket you haven't worn in a long, long time - and there it is! A wad of money long forgotten. HUZZAH! WONDER OF WONDERS! It is like winning the lottery on a much smaller scale (of course). This hasn't happened to me often in my entire life, but found money is a wonderful thing!

So, ...I didn't actually find money. What I did find (still in it's original unopened plastic wrapper) a box called "The Essential Atkins for Life Kit", that my wife had purchased long ago and stuck on a counter next to alot of our cookbooks and similar books. I just noticed it for the first time! I could hardly wait to open it and thumb through all the secrets and hidden treasures that lay inside.

It contained an Audio CD called "Atkins - Staying Motivated for Life", some handy references ("Choosing the Right Carbs for Life" and "Staying on Track for Life - Tools, Tips, and Techniques for Lifetime Maintenance"), a bunch of LC recipes, and alot of good advice on living the low carb life. I will probably be going through this for the next month or more pouring over things and maybe trying a recipe or two or three.

Kindof a very nice surprise! My wife got it on sale at "Books a Million" ages ago, she said. I had no idea!!! "Tools, Tips, and Techniques for Maintaining a Low Carb Lifestyle, Permament Weight Loss, and Optimal Health", it reads on the front cover. For some reason I had never ever seen this before! Opening the wrapper was a little like Christmas!

I have already listened to the first few tracks on the CD and it was kinda nice to hear the voice of Doctor Robert C. Atkins himself as well as some others talking about the Atkins program, the results seen, and about the program itself and how it works.

Now this is really a kit for ongoing maintenance as the carb counts indicated are for 45, 60, 80, and 100 Net Carbs - something WAAAAAY Waaaaay beyond what I need to be doing right now. I am needing to be alot closer to induction levels to continue to lose. Recently my carbs creeped up to the levels mentioned in this program and my losses slowed and probably even stopped. Ketosis was extinguished or at the very least slowed down. Now I think I am getting back on track and am watching closely as my weight is once again moving downwards. It has taken a bit for me to tweak my menu hard enough to put the breaks on the excessive carbs and get things back in swing again. It probably took a week to get rockin again - and the juries still out. I will be convinced when I break past my last low to new territory and start seeing my losses at the old familiar level.

Someone else indicated that a phrase had already been coined for this phenomena - carb creep. Well, that's just what I let happen around the magins (no donuts, just cheese, nuts, and other things a little too much, too often). And so I am now doing something that is proving to undue carb creep - some personalized course correction and mental adjustment, and increased metrics on what I am doing. Holding myself accountable. Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. God's absolute law in effect, You reap what you sow! Sowing higher carbs reaps a stall. ARGH!

Anyhow, even though this Kit is meant probably for Ongoing Maintenance, and is not for the phase of Atkins where I am at right now (at least not by my own tracking and measurement) it is still appreciated and a neat find! I can still learn how to eat low carb for life, and to maintain whatever I manage to lose (hopefully a great deal more than I have lost already)!

And it is motivational! One thing I have noticed that many low carb heros (I admire) do, is to constantly read and learn about this way of eating/living. They read the science and studies going on. Books by experts. Information about related diet plans. Books about the psychology of changing how we think and act.

Some are nearly amatuer nutritional experts, and a few actually are recognized experts. Others mearly learn a little more info, techniques, tips, etc, as they continue eating low carb to ensure that they make better choices, they stay motivated and on-track, and so that they avoid pitfalls. There is nothing like thinking you have arrived to derail you in whatever you are doing! You always have to continually work to improve at everything!! I have found that true in many areas of my life. You are either going forwards or backwards. Making progress or losing ground.

WOW! Fitday Rocks! I STINK!

OK. So I logged my food today. All of it I could remember.
:Hangs Head in Shame:
Man - was I off track! I dunno if this is a typical thing tho or just an exception.

I was catering my own meal today and probably overdid it. Fear of starvation I think. Totally unreasonable. But probably something STUPID like that made me overcompensate. ARGH! I don't normally do this but I am going to learn to make my meals myself. I am a pretty clutsy cook. I burn stuff. I ruin it. I make major mistakes doing the best I can. My best just HAS to be better than today!!!

Anyhow - here's to tomorrow!
To measuring, tracking, and tweaking.
I need a good swift kick in the head evidently!!
Back on track!!!

Abandon Hope... All Ye Who Enter Here!

The other day (OK, more than a couple days ago), some super sharp expert-like people at some University somewhere (in California) reported in major publications everywhere that on the basis of SCIENTIFIC reviews of many major weight loss studies (Brace yourself, here comes the hard part...) ..DIETS DON'T WORK!

Now who am **I** to argue with the REALLY SMART folks like all these experts who did all this crackerjack analysis and studying using the latest in scientific methods and statistical analysis (I'm Sure)?!!

After all, they are probably RIGHT. I am DOOOOOMMMMMEED! Doomed to a hopeless existence in some enormous carcass. Probably better lay down on the couch right now and start barking to the family to run and get me some LARGE SUPER VALUE BURGER MEALS, so I can hurry up and GROW my skin into the sofa(http://www.wftv.com/news/3643877/detail.html), and wait for the Fire Department to come RESCUE FAT ME cutting large holes in the side of my house and so they can take me to a hospital on a FLATBED TRUCK! :sigh:

So they can X-RAY me at the ZOO, and weigh me on some scales at a truck stop somewhere. ARGH! So Richard Simmons can rush to my aid and maybe feature my pitiful story on an infomercial somewhere. PERSPIRING to the Oldies. Doctors can intervene with some magical weight loss shakes.

I mean WHY TRY?!! It's Hopeless!! Might as well start looking on eBay for some 17-X Shirts and I dunno if they make pants that big. Wow, I guess I should start PLANNING FOR MY INEVITABLE FUTURE! I am doomed, after all (if you are to believe all the super geniuses). Better find a good PIANO BOX for a casket and a good COUPLE ACRES to plant myself in!

OK. I am being a little dramatic and more than a little sarcastic. I admit it.

I actually haven't lost hope! At all!!

Like I said in my prior posts - I have met folks who have been there, done that, and they got the WAAAAAY Smallerish T-Shirts to prove it! There is no way I am going to get discouraged by all that negativity! In fact, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the reports and analysis. Most folks probably do start and then quit on some diet, and rebound right back to above where they started. I have noticed this for years in my own life and with others all around me. So it is real. Just not for me. :snicker:

I am changing the equation. I am not going back to the way things were. I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT! I am rewriting my future (not simply accepting the past as the equation for my future). I am learning to eat differently. I am learning to live differently. Over the long haul. Not a diet. Not a temporary thing I GET ON, and then GET OFF.

I saw this piece (entitled "Dieting Doesn't Work") over at CNN's homepage (linked to "The Onion" - An online satirical look at the news) and it inspired me to vent a little. http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/dieting_doesnt_work?utm_source=cnn00

Actually, lots of folks are writing about this directly or indirectly. Jimmy Moore is writing about someone who told him he couldn't do something (to find out what, read his blog at http://livinlavidalowcarb.blogspot.com/) and follow the links.

I am impressed and challenged too by people too who tell you that you cannot do something. I always remind the fellows who work for me that Henry Ford was told by his engineers that the V-8 engine was absolutely impossible (till they figured out how to invent the camshaft and make it happen). He kept sending them back to the drawing board till they made it work! At least that is how I recall the story.

Anyhow - it is your choice! Wallow in self pity and doubt and dispair, eating donuts and canollis or get up off yer large behind and go do something about it. Make some changes. Rewrite history... that is, your future. The script for your life. If you are to buy what all the super-scientific folks in the University of California are writing for your script, or if you want to rewrite it to be something else. That is my choice. And I am so glad I decided to try the low carb lifestyle! It has allowed me to take control of my decisions and eat in ways that have resulted in a healthier me. THANK YOU DOCTOR ATKINS!!!! THANKS JIMMY MOORE!!! THANKS J13, ValerieL, Victoria (size8), Bob2112, Calianna, Diemde, JudyNYC, SparkysGirl, PJ, and so many many other really super (ordinary but still majorly overachieving) awesome people online!!! You guys give me HOPE! You guys give me encouragement! I CAN DO THIS!

YOU CAN TOO!

Interesting Related Articles/Reading:

Certain Factors Associated With Weight Regain After Weight Loss http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558092

Dieting Does Not Work, Researchers Report http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070404162428.htm

Why dieters have fat chance of losing weight http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2054265,00.html

Dieting does not work, researchers report http://www.physorg.com/pdf94906931.pdf

AND LAST, ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECENT ARTICLES:

What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E2D61F3EF934A35754C0A9649C8B63&sec=health

NY Times: The Hideous Masters of Gluttony

The New York Times (the Sports Section of all things) has an interesting article about the world of competitive eating, and in particular, the Nathans Hot Dog eating contest entitled "The Hideous Masters of Gluttony". It is a funny name for the NY Times article in and of itself, just thinking about that alone.

You can read this article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/sports/othersports/06sandomir.html?ref=sports

It is kinda interesting reading and thinking about these world champion competitors that prepare their bodies for so much food, so fast - food that they cram by the handfuls into their gullets (Hot Dogs in their Buns, Twinkies and Cannoli's, Pies, Quesadillas, Jalapeno Peppers, SPAM, donuts, etc.).

It is an intentional spectacle of gluttony to the point of pain, and to the point where containment of the massive quantities of food ingested becomes a problem. The most skilled eaters even study and practice the science and techniques of eating so much food so fast, and at keeping it down.

I suppose we have all had times where we have overindulged, and eaten too much in one sitting, for the shear pleasure of the tastes, and textures, and simple satisfaction of eating pleasant food - though it is doubtful many of us have gone to such extremes as competitive eaters do. Watching these things or reading about them has kind of a tabloid or Jerry Springer quality to it. Like a bad accident you stop and watch amazed and revolted and shocked at the same time. In this instance it entertains us and disgusts us at the same time. Sort of like watching the freak show at the fair, or seeing someone eating glass or swallowing swords.

So much of our lives revolve around food. The connections we have with food are so visceral we remember vividly the great meals we have had, and we even build much of our lives around food. Birthdays, celebrations, wedding receptions, closing business deals, anniversaries, dates, picnics, parties, fairs, carnivals, pot lucks, and other great times would not be the same without food.

Now that I am low carbing it, working hard to watch (be aware of and control) what I eat, and how much I eat, and even when I eat, I probably find more of interest in reading about these competitive eaters than I would have ever had before. Watching them eat with a passion to try to surpass perhaps even their human limits reminds me that I have overeaten myself in the past. Eaten myself into a condition testing my own limits and impacting my own health in the process. Reaching a whopping 410 pounds (or so).

Too much good food. Great food. Too much stuffing high carb sugary stuff down my gullet. Too much fast food. Too many Cokes. Too much desert. Too much bread and pasta and rice and potatoes. Too many good times. Too many excellent restaraunts. Looking back on it, though I did not eat the volume of these competitive eaters, I wasn't eating right and I was eating too much of the wrong stuff over a long period of time. To me, today, looking back on it - it is just as much as spectacle and just as disgusting.

Now I am celebrating low carb heros - more than these spectacles of overindulgence. I celebrate those who have carefully considered and controlled what they eat. Cutting out the carbs and sugars, and controlling their portions. Making wiser choices. Eating meat and eggs and veggies and other low carb choices. Cutting out the sweets and the sugary drinks. And the potatoes, and rice, and bread, and pastas that so quicky turn to sugars in our body.

It's funny too that a number of these competitive overeaters are thin. Kobiyashi (sp?) and others are not the big heavy & overweight folks you might imagine. And I got enormous and I never once ate giant plates full of hot dogs or pies like they do. I often ate no more or no more often than the folks I was with, though occasionally I did just a little.

That tells me that the consistancy over the long run is so very important, and that the food choices I make are so important. I got huge eating a little more than I should, too often, for too long. I got seriously overweight and in seriously lousey health eating foods that satisfied my desire for taste and sugar and texture (with lots of carbohydrates) for too long. Now I am reversing the trend.

By eating great food, great meat (steaks, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, pork, turkey, chicken, tuna, salmon, tilapia, turkey, etc) and plenty of good low glycemic veggies, nuts, and lots of eggs - I am full and satisfied and still losing weight. I am never suffering. No white-knuckle test-of-will diets here. I eat till I am satisfied. I eat healthier foods than ever before. My health has improved. I even snack. I eat low carb deserts - low carb cheesecake and low carb ice cream.
I no longer have blood sugar issues: where I get shaky if I haven't eaten, and sleepy if I eat alot. I no longer have acid reflux and esophageal spasms. I no longer have gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). My blood pressure is lower. I have more energy. I feel so much better - better all the time. I am wearing smaller clothes. I fit in booths and chairs and tight spaces better. I have lost the better part of a hundred pounds so far, in less than a year.

Without suffering. Without really going without or feeling that I am. Without missing the sugars. Without being hungry. Without that starving sensation where you are about to gnaw your arm off (you are so hungry).

It is wonderful!! If you find yourself in the same situation I did last November (and haven't necessarily personally set any world eating records in your recollection) - and want to improve your lot, this is the absolute best way to do it. I highly recommend the Atkins or other similar low carb way of eating for you (Atkins, South Beach, Protien Power, Carbohydrates Addicts Diet, Kimkins, Sugar Busters, etc). You too can have great results and better health before you know it!

YOU CAN DO THIS!
IT IS EASY!

IT WORKS!

If you want to jump in on the low carb way of life I recommend the following:

1.) Get one of the good low carb books and read it - and follow the directions to the letter. Wait to modify the program once you have been on it a good while. Keep your carbs low 20 grams or less each day to start - and get into ketosis (not to be confused with ketoacidosis - a potentially life threatening condition that is *NOT* associated with these low carb diets) and stay in ketosis.
2.) Get some online support from other low carbers. There are about 4 or 5 online low carb support sites available - some linked off this site! Introduce yourself. Participate. Setup a journal. Post often.
3.) Remove the low carb temptations from your environment
4.) Plan ahead and work hard to learn about all the low carb and low glycemic options and recipes out there. Try them. Learn what to avoid.
5.) To start do not count calories or fat grams or anything else - just count carbs and keep them low. Make sure you are making good choices with your carbs - eat healthy and satisfying veggies!
6.) Get a scale or find some place to weigh. Weigh yourself and keep track of your weight daily or weekly (or at some interval that works for you).
7.) Drink lots of water each day!
8.) Visit low carb web sites and read and learn all you can about this amazing way of life!!

Good luck on *YOUR* low carb journey!!!!

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!!!