Why Do We Fail?

[Tally]

I started low carbing in january, I lost 10 lbs. in 3 weeks....then I fell off the wagon, and here I sit 6 months later just as heavy as before and I wondering, where did I go wrong? How did I fail? Why did I fail? If it was working for me how could I not keep doing it? It isn't logical, it just doesn't make any sense. I want to lose weight so badly how could I not do aboslutely everything in my power to lose it? Anybody have an background in psychology?

[dpionk]

Maybe you don't want it bad enough! (Sorry if that sounded harsh...) I have been struggling for years with my weight. It seemed that every week I was coming up with some new way of eating to stick to or a workout plan, that I structured on my own. I hated myself in clothes and always called myself fat yet I sat there at 10 pm eating a huge bowl of ice cream and whatever else I felt like eating. June 9 2005 I woke up and said thats enough! I am starting my 6th week tomorrow and I have never stuck to something this long, as far as lifestyle goes. It amazes me everyday that I have the strength and motivation to actually to it this time. I really want it bad, and I don't care what I have to go through, I don't care if I never eat a spoobful of real ice cream again, I WANT IT BAD. That's what I keep telling myself.

This board is great for support, and quite honestly, I highly doubt I could do it without all these people!

[Aquamarina]

First of all you must realize something. Atkins is a WOL. If you see it as a diet you have failed before you even start.
The other thing that I have put in my head -and sometimes I can't understand how others don't get it- is that IF I CHEAT, I CHEAT MYSELF. Most people think that they cheat someone else when they do it. The only enemy of yourself is you. Nobody else will get those extra pounds. You will. It is hard to realize it but at the time you will, you will find no reason for cheating! :)

[Kristine]

Lots of reasons. :idea:

We fail because learning LC means learning the fine arts of cooking and self-sufficiency, and it takes time and effort. Eating crap out of plastic and boxes is easier, faster, cheaper, and more 'socially acceptable'.

We fail because there are much greater forces at work around us - the media, the junk food pushers - and it is really challenging to walk away and say, "I'm not going to be part of the herd of sheep-le anymore."

We fail because we assume weight loss is just a matter of eating off a specified menu for a while, and ignore that you have to change your entire mentality. There are so many other changes: your shopping habits, how you spend your time, your social life, how you'll be feeding your kids. It can be such a big change, it can upset relationships.

We fail because of our little bad habits like crap television, driving everywhere, and overfilling our schedules to the point where we're too pressured to deal with anything.

On the personal/psycological level:

We fail because we bring a black-and-white attitude into LCing; either you're "on" or "off" the "diet". You have to consider yourself low-carber for good, period, and just forget about the times where you eat off plan and get right back to business. Even cavemen found beehives every now and then and pigged out on sugar. Move on.

We fail because we focus on rapid weight loss rather than how cruddy it is to eat the "normal" standard diet. Eating LC is simply getting back to what our bodies were designed to eat, weight loss or not.

We fail because of unreasonable expectations.

Many of us fail because of an abusive relationship with food. Succeeding at LC means 'divorcing' the 'husband' and learning to form a friendship with 'him'. You have to say goodbye and live life on your own terms.

--

This is a rant that's been forming in my head for a long time. Hope you don't mind that I unleashed it in your thread, Tally. :lol:

What exactly do you think it was that got in your way? Are you too busy? Do you live with people who weren't being supportive? Financial pinch? :idea:

[kimberlyw]

I have one: This is NOT an excuse or a way to shirk ones responsibility for oneself BUT: I think one reason we fail is beause our WOE is NOT the standard. It just isn't. It truly is an uphill battle EVERY restaurant visit, EVERY dinner at the Family, EVERY vacation. It also goes against our "grain" (lol no pun intended, but that was FUNNY! Hee!) to avoid things likie potatoes, breads, etc. BECAUSE many of our families survived on these things when money was tight. Rice too, think of the Chinese.

These things we choose NOT to eat any longer are not necessarily BAD for us. They are just bad for us when we are addicted to them.

So, I think that battling a LIFELONG WOE and WOL is HARD, damn hard.

So, it boils down to: How much do you want it?

Just a few pence for the pot...

XO
K

[cs_carver]

I started low carbing in january, ....then I fell off the wagon, and here I sit 6 months later just as heavy as before and I wondering, where did I go wrong? ?

What took you six months to realize you weren't following the plan anymore? You went wrong when you didn't get right back on after the fall.

A friend said today: Stopping is not the problem. Stopping is only the beginning. There's a lot more that has to happen in order to stay stopped. You might want to look into something like OA to find help with the other issues that are going on that make us eat too much. Some towns may have therapists that work with disordered eating, as well.

I didn't gain weight overnight, and I had lots of reasons that fat was better than thin. Not all of these reasons are conscious, even now. Some are deeply physiological, and psychology can't address problems that are driven from the cellular level.

It's a long road, but LC sure smooths out a lot of the bumps.

[venters]

cs carver,
Sounds like you have been doing some soul searching. I liked your post. I am somewhere on this same journey with issues as to why I am not thin. I hope I can find the answers as well as solutions.

[Miss Katz]

Maybe you failed because you weren't ready, prepared or had a goal that motivated you. Maybe you failed to get back up again. This forum is great to motivate you, no matter how many times you fail, you always have us. I agree with the advice on this thread, this is a WOL. I believe the more carbs you eat the more you get a craving for carbs, which makes you overeat. I know it's hard and I ask myself-why did I eat all that chocolate? Maybe it was a self punishment or a way to punish others even.