I like this thread

Have to say - I wouldn't be here if it weren't for those people who *didn't* disappear when they were struggling. Not kidding about this.

I don't know how to explain this, but seeing people hang in, despite all kinds of issues, made the difference for me. It's a lot more realistic to see someone talk about struggling, than to read nothing but seemingly perfect success stories.

If there were nothing but perfect success stories on here, I never would have gotten this far. It's actually kind of difficult to see the posts where someone's having fabulous success, right off the bat - because this isn't the reality for me. Believe it or not, seeing those 'perfect' success stories sometimes made me feel like a failure. It was the not-so-perfect stuff that gave me hope and got me believing that maybe I might be able to do this after all. Somehow, some way. Eventually.

Here's hoping more people will feel 'ok' about posting the real stuff - the struggles, the frustrations, the long hauls. About getting nowhere. What it's like to think, 'why bother?' or that it's just not possible. Yeah, I know - sounds weird, but if we don't talk about it then we're living in some kind of fairy-tale. We're telling ourselves that there's only one way, that we have to be 110% on plan all the time, for months, years or whatever. That we can't even breathe or mess up even in the slightest. Yikes!

I will admit, that in the beginning - I always looked to those seemingly 'perfect' success stories. It was exciting and motivating, just for a short while.

Thing is - real life got in the way. And then, it was the stories of struggle, disappointment and failure that became my inspiration. If they could do it, even only 2% of the time, then so could I.

And just for the record, it's taken me 1,642 days so far.

And, I feel like I just said something horribly wrong there because I didn't lose umpteen pounds in mere weeks. On July 1st, it will have been 4 and a half years.

Signed,

Official member of the Hills & Valleys club.

I too have sensed this. There seems to be a smugness about some.

One of the reasons I think most shy away from the main boards is this attitude that I talk about from time to time in my own journal. While they have many good tidbits of information, I can do without the "you have to listen to me or you'll be fat forever HAHAHAH".

"You have to follow the plan or else you won't lose" and then go on to tweak their own plan and call it something its not.

Signed,
Frustrated.

I usually don't post in the TD forum since I have ONLY 85 pounds to lose to be at my recommended weight but I wanted to respond to this thread so please forgive me.

I signed up in 2003 and have come and gone like others. Sometimes it was that I felt so ashamed that I had gained back the weight that I lost, at other times I have been so confused as to how to lose, and yet other times I have felt so tired that it seemed to much effort to think up a response to someone. But, like others, I have been able to keep trying because of those of you who have kept posting.

I will try to make more of an effort to post not only in my own journal but also post to other journals and threads. I also will make more of an effort to start threads although it don't usually feel I have much to offer.

It has been along journey and it will continue, and thanks to those who have been here and will continue to be here.

JAnn

Exactly. Well, 2004, but yes, all of that. I don't post very much, but I absolutely love reading threads from the vets around here. You insight and comments are invaluable to me--I would never be able to lose so well without it.

I will have to remember to share my struggles as well.

Thank you for this thread!

Thank you to all the people who have posted and shared their stories, or thoughts. It really does mean alot to so many people out there. I do think it's crucial for everyone to realize that the road isn't always perfect, but that there are ways to make it more so. Keeping a postitive attitude, even when faced with the different stresses that life throws at us is very important.

There are many people here who care and will support those in need. We're all in a different place in our journey. Sometimes we need the support, sometimes we can give the support.

Great thread Char!! Thank you!!

Ladies, ( or guys)
Please watch this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBkw...player_embedded
Its from a lady who lost over 100 lbs and her idea about some of her rules for weight loss...and its not about any diet in particluar.
Its very inspiring!!

I am one of the ones who has not been around, but hubby is here posting (capmikee - not in the TDC) so I get to hear alot about what goes on with folks from him (esp. Nancylc!).

I am struggling alot. I lost over 100 pounds and am currently heavily training for road races (running). It's REALLY, REALLY hard for me to train effectively to lower my times and a) not gain weight and b) not eat carbs. I am still very committed to certain aspects of my diet (no grains, high fat, very careful about sugar but I eat it), and I try to eat only so many carbs that I need.

But I have gained from my low of 178 (for about a minute) to about 204 this morning. I'm alot faster and alot stronger, and my endurance is great, but definitely fatter and don't necessarily feel like I have a lot of good advice. I can't figure out how to get skinnier running 14 miles straight and over 30 miles a week. I just get fatter and fatter, and fitter and fitter...

I love the TDC, too, and sometimes feel like my experiences are so foreign. I started out weighing almot 300 pounds and I was in terrible shape and totally clueless abou how I should proceed like many who come here for advice. Now I am getting ready to train for a marathon and I want to impart that wisdom of being able to achieve incredible things with our triple digit bodies, but it's gotten hard to sustain a triple digit loss. And who wants to be the one to pull the veil off of that reality?

I'll try to hang out more, but it's hard.

Jschwab- I'm glad you posted. You have done great things. You have lost alot of weight and kept most of it off. You have gone from being out of shape to running marathons. You think you have nothing to contribute here? You have loads of wonderful information to impart. Sure you're struggling. So am I. I still think I have good advice for people. I can show them, like you can, that even in our struggles we still learn, we still carry on and we can still accomplish great things. We don't give up! That's very important! It's crucial to success!

What Sara said in her post up above has really made me think. Sure I enjoy the success stories. They are motivating. But there is also something to be learned from those who struggle. It can teach us strategies to keep us going. It can give us hope that the things we do for our health are not in vain.

I want there to be a message of hope in this thread and by seeing so many people who maybe haven't been posting much, come out and post is a great thing. It makes me think that maybe everyone hasn't disappeared. Maybe there are alot of people out there lurking who are struggling and perhaps not feeling too great about themselves or thinking they don't have much to offer. You do! Trust me on this! There is something to be learned from everyone's experiences.

Does 3 years make me a relic too? lol
I'm still here, still fighting the good fight. I have a tendency to just click on UCP when I visit, to see if posts I've posted to have new posts, instead of browsing new posts.
Great thread Char.

I haven't been posting much but have been lurking, combination of crazy busy right now, plus just haven't seen that many things I feel the need to comment on (no offense at all), plus I've been tremendously STALLED for going on months now. I went back to LC in January and lost 22 pounds pretty easily and then just stopped dead in my tracks. I consulted here regularly, trying every tip for stalls that came down the pike, have adjusted and readjusted, analyzed and reanalyzed, exercised more, exercised less.... nothing. I haven't budged up or down. It's discouraging! A friend asked me yesterday why I'm even still doing LC, but I am, valiantly plugging along, though I sometimes really wonder why. Scratch that - I know why - because in the course of moving to LC I became absolutely, unequivocally convinced it is the only way I should be eating. Period. No illusions about any other way working for me. But there's the issue of that damned scale.....

So I guess I haven't disappeared - I still check the messages every day or so - still here. Just lurking in the background, munching on my ribeye and wondering when/if the weight loss will ever kick in again.

I love this thread!!!!!

All I was reading lately is someone upset that they only lost 2 pounds and yada yada...........when I have had no loss lately. My old self has been battling to come out and when that happens I am into CARBS bigtime.

Don't take the easy way out! Perseverance is what wins this in the end!
__________________
This quote helped because when you don't cheat and still don't loose week after week and read that more days than not someone cheats but then looses 3 pounds I was getting discouraged.

I have alot of weight to loose yet and know this is a journey and have been working on a graph to help me see that overalll~~~~ I can't remember who posted the graph~~~~~ but I worked on mine rather than the dots and I like it.......I am losing just not at a fast rate like others but at my pace.................I am not jealous if this sounds that way I am happy for anyone losing weight ........but I just don't think it is going to just fall off either.

I have made a choice to stick with this WOE for a year and this group but I have been not losing 3 weeks and have not found the support I need to help me through.........So thanks for the honesty and this new thread! I can tell out of this great topics will come!

Gloria...trying to stay on track even with my current stall............

The link I posted seems to have expired so I got a new one that works:
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/golde...t-loss/18962580

Really....please watch this!!

If you are stalled, I'd like to suggest that you evaluate where your carbs are coming from?
If you follow Atkins, up to 15 of your 20 carbs are supposed to be from the veggies on the Induction list...are yours?
If you've been doing M&E, maybe its time you went to low carb...and stop trying M&E.
And, last but not least, who is trying to do OWL phase of Atkins as your next step?

Please don't bash me for these ideas....I usually don't say anything because of fear that you'll beat me over the head.

I watched this and I liked it! Very good motivational tips in it! Thank you! I am also doing OWL phase of Atkins.

Foxy

HI,

Thanks Judy.........no beating up! I am grateful for all ideas that may help. It seems though, since I added Coconut oil my losses stopped so I put that away and am back to Olive Oil.

I am just wanting to figure out how to get back to losing weight and learn to accept the ups and downs as that is life!

Loved the video and she had good tips................

I was trying to go on to OWL but then I hit a snag and tried to go back to less carbs. My carbs are not from Vege's though some.... but more cheeses. Soooooo, I will relook at what I am eating and plan out better to help me get back to weight loss.
Thank you all who have given your time and valuable tips!

OK Gloria...I do believe that you've answered your own question, how to break your stall?
Make sure that you are getting most of your carbs from the veggie list and keep your cheese intake to a max of 3-4 ozs day per Atkins plan.

Also, I did notice that as I lost my weight, at about every 40 lbs down, I hit a stall and had to adjust my quantities down a bit to break through.
One time, I was totally stalled for 2 months and couldn't take it any longer....so I went to one who had succeeded before me and asked her what I should do....she told me to knock out all cheese and nuts for 2 weeks....and I did it...and it worked...somtimes just a shift can trigger your body back into losing.

Hey foxylady - Good that you've moved onto OWL!!!