Desperation strikes..............again..........
 

Ok so I started Atkins, lost 4 pounds in one week, then proceeded to have 3 months with no loss - nothing, I felt horrid with so much fat in my diet, switched to protein power, lost a pound. Eventually lost interest. So here I am under a mound of chocolate, with the 5 pounds back firmly in place where they once were and wondering how the hell to get motivated again. I cooked up a storm today to fill my home with no/low carb foods so I can officially cross that excuse off my list. Any suggestions? Thoughts ideas? I do work out twice a week with a trainer, and I have added walking periodically into the regime.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
How do you get back on track after being so derailed you no longer remember which route you started.
Thanks,
Tammy

There is no going back. That's my motivation. I worked hard to get where I am and I'm not going to undo it.

I don't think I'm going to be able to help you, because my answer is I gut it up and do it. However, I want you to know that I understand your plea and wish I had more to offer.

There's hope
 

I feel your plight. I fell of the wagon two years ago, and never got the motivation to start, because I had so little to loose. I think looking at
photos is motivation enough when you have a lot to loose. For us who only look pudgy, not really fat, there's no motivation, especially if you exercise.
Face it, you are eating chocolate, exercising, feeling good, why the hell would you go back to restricting yourself?
I tell you what did it for me: Seeing photos of my belly getting bigger, finding clothes that I adore, but didn't fit anymore and a general feeling of depression whenever I looked at myself naked in the mirror.
With the trigger of summer and the reward of maybe having courage to wear a bikini again, after 15 pounds lost, I started again.
Hope this helps, take care.

Oh, and another thing that did it as well for me: the uncontrollable carb binging after dinner. It made me depressed and guilty that I could not control myself, and I like being in control. Completely disappeared after I started again.
Cheers,

F.

You have to believe in LCing. It becomes a way of life rather then a diet. It might take a few times of off and on for you to be completely convinced this is it and maybe you will find something else that works for you but if this really is right for you there will come a time when you are completely convinced and you will be able to stick with it and keep going. Sure I miss a few foods BUT they just aren't good for me, give me pain, make me fat. etc. I know that this WOE makes me feel good and have lots more energy.

Try to think of all the good things you can eat and make menus around that.
Don't get hungry ! Ever! Eat low carb and drink lots of water and keep your tummy full so there won't be room for STUFF that isn't supposed to go in there.

For me it isn't so much motivated anymore because I know there is no going back to eating any grains at all. They give me pain or make me exhausted so I just know they are totally off the list . It makes it much easier to stay away from them because I pay if I eat them. I just gave all my grains away to a friend yesterday and most of them were gluten free but they still bother me so I was happy to release them for good.

I used to feel like I was giving stuff up if I HAD to LC but now I am happy to give that stuff up to feel good. Maybe you have to read the different LC plans and find one that fits you better. Good luck with your new start at LCing.

My motivation is that I know I feel great now - I know I felt awful before. I don't want to go back to feeling awful - so I avoid those things that I know make me feel awful. It helps a lot when staring down a carton of ice cream to know that it is going to make me feel like crap for days - or even weeks. When I put it in that perspective, it becomes a no brainer for me.

Motivation is very difficult.... I tried Atkins for two months and lost 7 pounds...and became frustrated myself....but I stuck to the plan... Then I switched to CAD lost 5 pounds and started sneaking sugar in. Low carb is the way to go I think the issue with some of us is simply finding what works for you. You have to keep trying or tweaking in some cases until the pounds start coming off.

Some people have found that they are even allergic and that is the reason they weren't losing... Some people are eating too many calories....some people are insulin resistant and have to eat more often...five meals a day....some people don't eat enough calories.....it's complicated lol...

I know, however, that I'm sick of being fat and want the weight off and don't want to gain back the 13 pounds so I just keep trying.... If I mess up, I start over at the next meal...

Good luck to you....

TJ

Did you consider your "failure" with Atkins was too much fat?

If you want to lose (i.e. burn body fat) then, in addition to keeping your carbs under control you need to watch the fat intake. If you are not supplying your body with enough fat it will turn to the fat stores ... I just now FINALLY figured this one out.

I did consider the fat issue - infact felt ill on Atkins, but I felt like the whole philosophy of atkins was embracing fats and protein and I embraced more butter and fat then I have in a long time. I am still not on any plan - eating junk. Trying to get motivated, I know its as simple as just putting the food down and doing it - but knowing and doing ... well

I must admit that embracing the eat fat thing is still a difficult concept for me... However, I noticed something the other day... I normally don't use butter on my food, but took a chance and slathered it on a steak and in some green beans that I cooked.... After the meal....usally I have zero energy all the time, I had this new found energy... Now on the flip side I started taking some new supplements this week so I was also wondering if that was it, but the next day zero energy was back... So, perhaps we do need to embrace the fat and add more to our menus and see how it shakes out.... :confused: Maybe my weight loss will speed up...we shall see! :q:

TJ :rheart:

You also may have been experiencing "induction flu" ... The only time I got nauseous from fat was when I ate too much coconut oil in one sitting. oops. Tummy did NOT like that much all at once.

And THAT might be your problem.

Also, do you still have your gallbladder? If not, that could be part of the problem. Although mine's long gone, it's been long enough that I don't have a problem with all that fat.

It may be an issue of individual metabolism. My wife and I have been on a moderate Paleo diet, compromising only on dairy (low carb dairy).

On a regular basis, we'd eat fatty meat including bacon, pork rinds and Spam, as well as heavy cream, butter and coconut milk.

I had my blood work done at the start of my diet and then precisely 4 weeks later. In just 4 weeks, not only did I lose 18 lbs without exercising (and it was very steady loss), but I my total cholesterol dropped 31%, my LDL dropped 37% and my triglycerides dropped a whopping 41%!

I have plenty of energy despite having a calorie deficit, I sleep better, have more energy when I awaken, I think more clearly, have healthier skin and nails and gums, my digestion is more regular... Not a single negative in my entire health. And I am far from being the only person on the board who experiences this. We eat a mostly ketogenic diet, but with plenty of fat, including saturated fat. And we are vastly more healthy in a mere 4 weeks.

So, if you feel lousy, as others suggested, it might be a food allergy issue? Or you might simply have a different metabolism. You have to experiment a bit to find what works for you! Best of luck! :read::thup: