Hi all!!

Just writing to share some scale depression. Last month I lost 7 pounds. Then I went on holiday to meet my boyfriend's family in Puglia. (We live in Italy). Puglia is a region in the south of Italy which is full of kind hospitable people who get horribly offended if you don't eat. On the other hand women get up early to prepare home made pasta especially cos they know yo're coming to lunch. Portions are hypergalactic and of course irresistable. Anyway, I knew what was coming and I accepted the fact that I would put some weight back on. I also decided to enjoy my holiday and not drive myself crazy thinking about my weight all the time. Believe me, low carb is IMPOSSIBLE there and not because of willpower. Anyway I DID have a great time and put all 7 pounds back on!!!! Now my pants are tight and I'm always hungry. How is it that the more I eat the hungrier I get..... Anyway, next week I'm going to Paris for a week for a French full immersion, and I'm staying at somebody's house so I can't choose the menu...

Sorry for whining, I'm really happy to have the opportunity to do all these things, but when I whine to anyone else they just tell me I look fine, stop being fixated.

Bye
Silvia

PS. How is it that the people in Puglia are all pretty thin considering what they eat?!?!? The girls all have tiny bottoms and gorgeous busts... I'm the opposite....

Well if you knew you were going to eat off plan and expected that you would gain the weight back, then no sense in beating yourself up over it. It was a choice you made. So just dust yourself back off and jump right back on track

Paris eh? Wow that sounds like so much fun! Have a great time!

Hi Tinakaye,

Thanks for your post. Actually, just after writing out my whine I read your very inspirational post and was going to write you. It did a lot of good and got me back going. I really admire your strength and willpower and I guess you had a lot of it to lose all that weight.... and in your photo you look so energetic and VIBRANT. Well done... hope to get there too.

Bye for now
S

hi slivia,

It's so hard when you don't have control over the menu. So, consider these challenges as a "pause" or "break" from lowcarbing, with the intent of hopping right back on the wagon the minute this international eating extravaganza is over. Savour the deliciousness of every bite; tell your body that these meals are out of the ordinary, special occasions. Smile, tell the chefs how delicious it is, and move on. If you shove each bite in with all kind of guilt and "oh, I shouldn't be eating this" your body will hear. Don't punish yourself. Yes, you will likely gain a few lbs, but you have the secret, you KNOW that lowcarbing will undo all of this. And when you are successfully lowcarbing once again, at the end of all this, and you catch up to where you were before with the weight loss, you will feel so good about yourself. You can do it. ..

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, well, you know what I mean .... it's not at all the same thing as choosing to snarf down a box of chocolates and a bag of Doritos at home, because you're having a "bad day".

p.s.- I suspect those slender shapely ladies do not eat the big feasts and celebration meals every day. No doubt the big meals are out-of-the-ordinary because a special guest (you) is coming to dinner. I'm sure they eat very simply on other days.

Doreen

HI Doreen!!

Thanks so much! You always seem to have the perfect words to say..... and you made me feel so much better!!!

I guess I was so busy bawling all over myself I sort of forgot that I'm going to PARIS!!!! Yeah!!!! with all expenses paid. I feel a bit like a sulky kid. You're so right... I'm just going to enjoy it and appreciate it... and get back to my life when I get back!!!

Thanks again
God bless
S.

You must ask yourself this question ... "What is more important, what I think of myself or what others think". No more people pleasing for me... now I go for me. People pleasing made me fat.

As for placing yourself in difficult situations, someone once told me if I don't want to get hit by a train - stay off the railroad tracks.

Every successful person here has to make difficult, hard decisions everyday. I have found that although this is a relatively simple plan - there is some sacrifice nonetheless. I hope you find the strength to make the right decisions for yourself.

Good Luck. dankar

First I want to say to Silvia that I wish I were going with her. And I agree that you should enjoy
yourself and when you return get back to the Ol Grind .


Next I want to say that Doreen is so motivating. You always have some sort of helpful wisdom to pass on (which I could use often considering I'm only on day 2 of induction. Wish me luck). I have read lots of post from you and have notice your very happy, uplifting and helpful attitude. I am sure you are having a very big impact on a lot of lives more than you will ever know. This goes for others on this site as well. I hope you guys realize that having a place like this to go and get answers, be able to vent about things and just find people that maybe going through similar things that you are is Just Wonderful.


TinaKaye I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I was so impressed with the pictures on your web site that I forward it to my Mom, Aunt, Cousins and a host of others. Not only were your words inspirational but so are your photos. I gives people like myself hope that it can happen.


Latta all

Silvia, as I have said before and I am sure I will many many times in the future, do not feel badly for going off this way of eating. If you gain the weight back don't sweat it.

I think everyone is putting WAAAAAAYYYYY to much pressure on themselves to stick with this and when they vary off it even a bit they expect someone to chastize them. We are not the carbohydrate police. We are people with the same goal in life.....to lose the weight.

Enjoy your visit to Paris. Enjoy the foods, wines, people and scenes. That is what life is, to enjoy every part of it. When you return from your holiday, then continue back on the induction phase and get back into the groove

Had a few more thoughts to share on this. Vacations, weddings, holiday feasts, being a guest in someone else's home, travelling in foreign countries ... these are real challenges, and indeed we cannot always control the menu or even choose what goes on our plate. Also, no one wants to appear to be an ungrateful guest (especially when the host is a "stranger"). On the other hand, Dan is right, it's not a license to go hog-wild either.

Here are some practical ideas that might be helpful -

• eat something lowcarb before you go to the special feast, some meat, cheese, a salad.
  
• pack some portable lowcarb snacks in your tote bag - nuts, dried meat jerky, individual cheese portions, if you can find the lowcarb protein shake mixes in Italy (probably in a sports nutrition shop) do up some individual pouches, to mix or shake up in a Rubbermaid-type container with bottled water
  
• at the dinner, eat the protein and vegetables first, if possible. You'll be partly full, and less tempted to overdo the carbs
  
• set your carb priorities, and stick to them. For instance, a french baguette is nice, but common. Why waste your carbs on "common" white bread? Enjoy a small piece of the lovely dessert instead
  
• drink lots and lots of water. If there's a before-dinner gathering, where wine and alcohol are flowing, enjoy some dry wine, but alternate with a glass of sparkling water and wedge of lemon. It's very trendy .. .. Or, mix the wine with sparkling water for a nice spritzer
  
• get lots of exercise. Walk and walk some more.

Think of it this way --- What memory do you want to have next year of your time away?? That you spent a lovely holiday meeting lovely people and ate some really delicious foods that you'll never forget? Or that you blew your "diet" and felt so guilty and all you remember is the carb count of every mouthful?

Take care,

Doreen