I know that we all go through stalls / plateaus in our weight loss endeavours, but how do you handle a motivational stall? Maybe none of you loose your motivation like I do. Having company is one of my biggest threat to sticking to my WOE (we host lots of people & they all want to help bring food, treats, etc ...even though I try to tell them not to bother. -maybe I'm not forceful enough). Because of having travelled a lot, I have been exposed to a wide variety of tastes, and when something new comes my way, I struggle with the "I gotta have it" syndrome. As you've likely guessed, most of these foods contain way more carbs than should enter the body.

What pulls you off the 'straight & narrow' path of low carbing? What helps you get back on track? Any kind of tip or trick to help my struggling motivation is appreciated.

There may already be a thread of this nature somewhere in the forum ...I couldn't find it. If you're able to direct me, that would be great.

To be perfectly honest what gets me on the straight and narrow is the weight gain that comes with not sticking to the correct way of eating!

I was "bad" yesterday and I will pay for it within the next few days...

Gatherings used to be a problem for me, but when I finally adopted the fact that this was a WOL for me it got easier, each time I made the choice not to eat something, the easier it got. Do I still eat the dips, sure, I usea chip as the scoop and set it on my plate and use another as a scoop, when they sit on your plate for a bit, they get soggy from what's left on them and aren't appetising at all!

There is so much that you can eat without all the crackers and chips served to supposedly compliment them!!! Sure I have to eat the spinach and artichoke dip with a spoon, but mmm it is so good that way!

Funny thing the brain is, as soon as I stopped telling people to not bring things, and just let them do what they wanted, I no longer really cared about those goodies that they brought, I just made plenty of what I could eat. Also eating before guest arrive helps big time!! I will have my own munchies while I am preparing the dishes to put out, then I'm usually so stuffed I don't want anything else, and can then just concentrate on my guests!

I use strong mental images when I see the forbidden food on the table.... I visualize it as a heap of poison, or vizualize that garlic bread as sitting right on my hips!!

Eating before the party begins is a great idea, mbs!!

Okay. Swartz, I hope this doesn't sound stupid. Have you ever watched Ally McBeal on TV? One season she was REALLY into a theme song. Well, I love music and it MOTIVATES me if it's the right kind. So, I picked one that is the over all theme of my diet plan. When I'm really getting down or whatever, I listen to it. As loud and many times as it takes (which isn't many). My song is CONTROL by Janet Jackson. It's on her Rhythm Nation CD. It's old, but VERY motivating to ME! You ought to give it a try! If there isn't one song that's particularly motivating, make a whole CD of various songs that inspire you.

Also, I have a inspirational saying that get's me going. Here is mine..."With God, If I can see it, I can achieve it!"

I try to visualize the thin me too. I see myself in my favorite clothes and in CONTROL! It's great and very motivating for me. I like what was said earlier about visualizing tempting foods and making them poisonous or sticking to you. I think I'm going to do that one. Some people call it prayer or meditation. But it's a powerful way of keeping motivated!

The other thing is this forum! It's great to read tips and how others overcome their obstacles in this new WOL.

Good luck. Hang in there!

See that thin you? It's worth it ... isn't it?

These are really good ideas. I tried eating before going away to a dinner party ...it at least kept me from eating a lot. I have to refine that one yet. The theme song sounds good. Gotta find one that's "me".

Do you ever find that when you're really exhausted you tend to not feel you can add anything other thing in your day like 'dieting' or exercising? I know, I know ....LCing is not a diet but a WOL, but I'm still in the 'concentration' stage (have to still be very conscious about what I'm doing). I tend to struggle with exhaustion (burned out 6 years ago ...slow recovery) especially when a lot gets put into my life (we're a family of 7, consisting of 3 hormonally-challenged teenagers, and a high-metabo hubby). I try to keep faithful to my suppliments and water, but still, when exhaustion sets in I tend to neglect myself (I know! ...I shouldn't do that either! )

Anyway keep on with ideas ...I'm all ears!

About the exhaustion Schwarz.... you already know this, but it is so important that you get enough sleep. Is there any way you can adjust your schedule so that you get more? If so, I think you'll find over the course of a couple of weeks, your zest for life will return. Then it will be time to add some exercise (like a little weight lifting and walking?) and you'll start feeling like SuperWoman!! Just take it one day at a time....set mini-goals for the day....and try to make sleep your #1 priority. The rest will fall into place.

Hope that helps!!!

I struggle with this myself. I was LC last year, and had great, but slow success. Then at Christmas I blew it, and just couldn't seem to get it back. I think I have it now. Something that has helped over the last few days ( I'm still in withdrawls), was remembering something that Dr Phil said on Oprah. "Immediate reward is very powerful, recognize that. But it is also a very immature way of getting your gratification. " In otherwords, if we think about what we will gain from not cheating, instead of instantaniously gratifying the child in us, we will have accomplished a small goal for ourselves. ( That may not be his exact words, just my notes...and I thought that it made a lot of sense.) I think about that now, each time I see something I want...and I have managed so far.

anyhow...just my 2 cents

This is a very powerful statement when your take time to contemplate it. Isn't that what keeps most of us going to reach our goals ...some kind of a reward 'at the end of the tunnel'? And when the goal seems to have vanished from our eyes, how do we keep ourselves striving forward? For me, going on this WOE was for the goal of 1) loosing weight so that I can be fair to my body, 2) get a new lease on life ...energy to fulfil the daily requirements of being a human being, 3) be alive for my family (didn't want to die of some disease I could have avoided). Being on a 4 month weight-loss stall does affect my motivation to a degree, but I felt that if I could at least see evidence in other areas ...feeling better, the way my clothing fit, etc, ...then I could still keep mentally motivated. But alas ...my motivation IS dwindling. The war is real.

I realize that there are many out there who have medical conditions that prevent regular weight loss ...the mega discussions that I've read reveal that to me. There are also many of you that have still trudged onward inspite of the seeming physical / mental barriers ...finally arriving at your goals (my utmost admiration to your folks!) I want to be among the bunch of you that are able to do that. How did you all do it when the 'gold carrot' seemed to disappear from your sight? (continuing to 'run the race' when the finish line either got moved or hidden away)

It's true that many of us don't stop to think that cheating is actually "instantaniously gratifying the child in us" ....we're acting immaturely by giving in to our selfishness [children are automatically selfish ...it's just part of immaturity]. It can be challenging to act like mature adults when the child within us wants to jump out.

How did you folk tame the 'childishness' within you? (that 'I want it', 'I gotta have it', etc mentality). How did you 'grow up' in order to keep motivated to become an overcomer ...a winner?

I'm not going to pretend I know what you're going through exactly.... I've never experienced a 4-month stall, but in the hopes that this is worth something to you, I'll pass this along:

After experiencing my post induction stall (which is always a shocker to newbies) I realized I had to get off my butt and start exercising, and in a big way. Totally unlike me, I chose the very challenging and disciplined Body for LIfe program. My focus changed then from the numbers on the scale to how my body feels....and it was feeling stronger and healthier every week. I felt more powerful and in control, but I never lost a pound. That didnt really matter to me though because I knew I was doing a very good thing for my body and the results would come in time.... I'd have to be a freak for them NOT to! But I became very conscioiusly aware of every thing I was putting in my mouth, making good use of my free time, and focusing on getting 8+ hours of sleep every day (that's a requirement). I'm now sidetracked because of a back injury I sustained and realize now just how important all of that was to me. I miss it terribly.

I guess my point is to suggest that perhaps you can find a new focus, a new way of measuring progress.... ?

Just my $.02.... I do hope it helps.

I've been on and off low carbing for 10 months. I will tell you what keeps me coming back.
My health not my appearance.
Its as simple as this:
Regular eating makes me athmatic, lethargic, groggy, and waking with pain. It always will. We won't even mention digestion problems. Oh and brittle nails! (Much to my dismay)

Low carb makes me breath so much easier and I have more energy and my health is so great... and can I mention my beautiful nails?

Now you might think this is not much.
But for me, what makes my health the best is exercise.
If I can walk a mile a day, I can focus better (I'm hyperactive) I also don't surcome to bordom muching. (If you know what I mean)
Also I tend to get up and get the remote without asking someone else to get it.

Lately I've been trying just to reduce my sweet tooth and I was rather pleased that I was able to not have sugar or artifical sweetners. I was still eating the hot dog roll, the hamberger bun, the english muffin from the egg sandwhich and the pasta under the chicken broccoli. No problem right?

Wrong. Yesterday I walked home from my game which is a mile from my house, no hills, flat as can be. I had to rest several times, my back hurt, my feet, my legs.. oh the pain. You would think I was 90 years old. I'm not in shape anymore.
So No more rolls. I have allowed two packets of spenda back in my life and its in my morning coffee.

A friend said it best. "Would you give alchol to and alcholic? So why would I let myself eat bread if I'm a carbaholic? Especially if I'm intolerant of wheat?"

Lessara...

I have to agree with you on the exercise. I tried to do this for a long time without it because I hate to sweat and, well...let's face it...I admit to being lazy about it too. BUT...now that I've taken the dive and started working out, I feel SO much better. I don't even mind sweating anymore....well...not too much anyway and if I have to skip a workout, I honestly miss it.
It's hard to keep going when you don't see immediate and tangible results, but I keep at it even through a 4 month stall (which I just got off of) because I KNOW that this is better for me than what I was doing. The alternative is to go back to the way I was eating before when I felt like crap 99.9% of the time and my blood sugar and blood pressure were out of control. No thanks. Even if I never lost another pound, I'd stick with this because of how much better I feel. Maybe that's a true mark of maturity...being able to stick with something because you know in your heart that it's the right thing to do even if you don't see positive results immediately or even within a few weeks.