Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Once And Future Weight Loss Success
Hellllllllooooooooo everybody and welcome to Teeeeeerrific Tuesday her at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. If you missed my post from last Tuesday about the redirection of this blog, then please go back and read it to understand why the format has changed.
But the mission is still the same--encouraging people who are following the low-carb lifestyle to stick with the plan in an effort to lose 30 pounds over 30 weeks. If you need to lose less than that or much more than that, then simply adjust your goal to lose X pounds in X weeks.
For example, if you need to lose 10 pounds, then try to do it in the next 10 weeks. Or for 50 pounds, attempt to shed the weight in the next year. Sounds easy, doesn't it? :) SURE IT IS!
Weigh in on Tuesdays here and let us know how you are doing--good, bad, or ugly! It was a little disconcerting to learn that some people felt too ashamed to report their progress because their weight loss had stalled out or even gone in the other direction. It's hard to encourage you if we don't know what you're going through, so don't be a stranger. :)
You'll be pleased to know I made ONE change in my diet this past week that will surprise the bejeebies out of you when I tell you what it is and I lost 5 1/2 pounds to get back down to 223 1/2. I'm not gonna tell you right now what it is, but be looking for my post about it very soon at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. I couldn't believe it when it happened, but it did. Stay tuned.
What's my role now in this new and improved "30-In-30?" The same as it has always been...providing helpful encouragement to YOU while you are going through this journey. Today I have a message that is a little deep, but could get you over the hump of your struggle to lose weight once and for all. Stick around, because this is gonna be a good one!
We all know the secret to lasting weight loss and weight maintenance success is implementing a permanent lifestyle change, right? For us, that's low-carb living! But saying it is one thing and doing it is another concept altogether.
Did you know that RIGHT NOW you have all the power and ability within that body of yours to be successful at WHATEVER you want to achieve? You REALLY do! All you have to do is want it so badly that you can taste it and invariably it will happen for you. That was my mindset when I lost 180 pounds in 2004 and it has served me well over these past few years maintaining that weight loss.
Wanna know a secret, though? Shhhhh. If you want to lose weight, then DON'T focus on LOSING WEIGHT! HUH?! Say what?! Have you gone absolutely nuts on us, Jimmy? Well, maybe. LOL! But stick with me on this point because it's gonna blow your mind.
When you make weight loss the focal point of all that you are doing while on low-carb, guess what happens when you no longer need to lose weight? That's right, you keep wanting to LOSE WEIGHT even when you don't need to any longer. This can lead to frustration, a feeling a failure, and ultimately, gaining back the weight in absolute disgust because you could not accomplish your goal of weight loss.
Nevermind the fact that you may have lost 50, 100, or even 200 pounds! The fact that your mindset was on weight loss the entire time, that was what drove you either consciously or subliminally. This is why people who go on a "diet" invariably fall flat on their face because it's all about getting from Point A to Point B rather than having an open-ended timeline with no boundaries. Free yourself from ever being in "weight loss mode" again.
In a similar vein, think about this: The reason you got to be overweight or obese was because you thought like a fat person. Have you heard the old saying, "Whatever you think, you are?" Well, it's 100% true, no doubt about it! Even if you aren't actively thinking to yourself, "Yep, I'm gonna think and act like a fat person," you very well may be doing it automatically from years of indoctrinating yourself to it.
To remedy this, what should you do? Well, DUH, this one doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out! The answer is to meditate and dwell on being skinny. If you begin thinking this way, then something miraculous happens in your mind. You REALLY start to believe it and you BECOME it.
Even more freaky is the fact that as you lose weight, you will start to notice OTHER people calling you "skinny," "thin," or "good-looking." Just this past weekend at church, a guy came up to me all these years after I lost my weight and said, "Hey Skinny!" WOO HOO! THANK YOU! Not five minutes later, a woman said to me, "Are you still losing weight, Jimmy?" HA! How about that?
See, others will notice and convince you that you are on the right track even if you still feel like you are "fat." We are our own worst enemies when it comes to shedding the pounds and getting healthy. Get your thoughts in order and watch everything fall into place for you in ways you can only imagine right now. IT CAN HAPPEN if you exude the confidence necessary to produce results.
Stop making excuses for why you can't lose weight because ANYONE can do it. Your metabolism isn't slower, you don't have the "fat" gene from your family, you can't blame your low-carb diet for not working when you haven't given it a chance to work--those are all destructive negative fat thoughts that have no business being in the mind of a once and future weight loss success story!
Whatever you believe is true, whether it actually is or not, will become reality for you. If you think you CAN'T lose weight, then you are right. If you are confident that obesity will become a thing of the past for you, then you are right as well. If losing 30 pounds in a period of 30 weeks is what you strongly desire for your life, then guess what will happen? YOU WILL DO IT! Believe it, receive it, and then achieve it!
While we may think food is what caused us to get fat in the first place (and sugar, white flour, starchy foods, carby whole grains, and processed foods have certainly played an active role in it), the truth of the matter is YOU are what caused the weight to pour on by refusing to acknowledge your personal responsibility in it to begin with. We loathe in our own self-pity and mask our pain with the preferred drug of millions--FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD!
Why do we do this to ourselves, hmmmm? If you throw in the towel every time the water gets a little hot in your life, then you will never progress forward with ANYTHING you wanted to do in your limited time on Earth. Your hopes, your dreams, and future plans--POOF! Instantly vanquished, suddenly disappear, dissipating like a foggy mist on a cool morning when the sunshine starts bearing down.
If you fret over needing to weigh 150 pounds when 175 feels good for you, then don't be surprised when your weight goes up above 200 in the not-too-distant future. That's why I am not a bit concerned about my weight hovering around 220 right now although I have a goal of 199 that I'd love to meet. It'll happen when it happens since the bulk of my weight loss has already been accomplished. I'm not dwelling on my weight loss because I feel healthy and plan on staying healthy for the rest of my long and prosperous lifespan (thanks to the low-carb lifestyle, of course!).
Worrying about my weight will merely put the focus back on the weight loss rather than on the change that has happened within me. Who cares what anyone else thinks about YOUR weight and health because frankly it is NONE of their business. If you feel comfortable at the weight you are at, then GOOD FOR YOU! Don't let ANYONE discourage you or guilt trip you into thinking you must weigh a certain amount. You do what's right for YOU!
Yes, I know this is a bit of a deep message, but one that needed to be said. Eat like you are already a thin person and simply try to make healthy choices for yourself. Forget the weight loss and zero in on those nutrient-dense low-carb foods that will allow you to eat deliciously and better than you have in your entire life. It really is the best "diet" you will ever go on in your entire life!
Do you know what will happen next? You'll reach your weight loss goals faster than you ever thought possible, feel happier and healthier than EVER before, and see life through the eyes of someone who KNOWS he can be anything he sets his mind to without limitations. You deserve that in your life and should never compromise and just settle for second best. YOU CAN DO IT!
I know I've given you a lot to think about today, but I welcome any comments, feedback, or stories related to anything I have shared in this column. Remember, if you want to leave a comment, but don't feel comfortable giving your name, that's okay! You can do so anonymously and nobody will know who you are.
Just let us hear from you today, okay? I look forward to your response!
But the mission is still the same--encouraging people who are following the low-carb lifestyle to stick with the plan in an effort to lose 30 pounds over 30 weeks. If you need to lose less than that or much more than that, then simply adjust your goal to lose X pounds in X weeks.
For example, if you need to lose 10 pounds, then try to do it in the next 10 weeks. Or for 50 pounds, attempt to shed the weight in the next year. Sounds easy, doesn't it? :) SURE IT IS!
Weigh in on Tuesdays here and let us know how you are doing--good, bad, or ugly! It was a little disconcerting to learn that some people felt too ashamed to report their progress because their weight loss had stalled out or even gone in the other direction. It's hard to encourage you if we don't know what you're going through, so don't be a stranger. :)
You'll be pleased to know I made ONE change in my diet this past week that will surprise the bejeebies out of you when I tell you what it is and I lost 5 1/2 pounds to get back down to 223 1/2. I'm not gonna tell you right now what it is, but be looking for my post about it very soon at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. I couldn't believe it when it happened, but it did. Stay tuned.
What's my role now in this new and improved "30-In-30?" The same as it has always been...providing helpful encouragement to YOU while you are going through this journey. Today I have a message that is a little deep, but could get you over the hump of your struggle to lose weight once and for all. Stick around, because this is gonna be a good one!
We all know the secret to lasting weight loss and weight maintenance success is implementing a permanent lifestyle change, right? For us, that's low-carb living! But saying it is one thing and doing it is another concept altogether.
Did you know that RIGHT NOW you have all the power and ability within that body of yours to be successful at WHATEVER you want to achieve? You REALLY do! All you have to do is want it so badly that you can taste it and invariably it will happen for you. That was my mindset when I lost 180 pounds in 2004 and it has served me well over these past few years maintaining that weight loss.
Wanna know a secret, though? Shhhhh. If you want to lose weight, then DON'T focus on LOSING WEIGHT! HUH?! Say what?! Have you gone absolutely nuts on us, Jimmy? Well, maybe. LOL! But stick with me on this point because it's gonna blow your mind.
When you make weight loss the focal point of all that you are doing while on low-carb, guess what happens when you no longer need to lose weight? That's right, you keep wanting to LOSE WEIGHT even when you don't need to any longer. This can lead to frustration, a feeling a failure, and ultimately, gaining back the weight in absolute disgust because you could not accomplish your goal of weight loss.
Nevermind the fact that you may have lost 50, 100, or even 200 pounds! The fact that your mindset was on weight loss the entire time, that was what drove you either consciously or subliminally. This is why people who go on a "diet" invariably fall flat on their face because it's all about getting from Point A to Point B rather than having an open-ended timeline with no boundaries. Free yourself from ever being in "weight loss mode" again.
In a similar vein, think about this: The reason you got to be overweight or obese was because you thought like a fat person. Have you heard the old saying, "Whatever you think, you are?" Well, it's 100% true, no doubt about it! Even if you aren't actively thinking to yourself, "Yep, I'm gonna think and act like a fat person," you very well may be doing it automatically from years of indoctrinating yourself to it.
To remedy this, what should you do? Well, DUH, this one doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out! The answer is to meditate and dwell on being skinny. If you begin thinking this way, then something miraculous happens in your mind. You REALLY start to believe it and you BECOME it.
Even more freaky is the fact that as you lose weight, you will start to notice OTHER people calling you "skinny," "thin," or "good-looking." Just this past weekend at church, a guy came up to me all these years after I lost my weight and said, "Hey Skinny!" WOO HOO! THANK YOU! Not five minutes later, a woman said to me, "Are you still losing weight, Jimmy?" HA! How about that?
See, others will notice and convince you that you are on the right track even if you still feel like you are "fat." We are our own worst enemies when it comes to shedding the pounds and getting healthy. Get your thoughts in order and watch everything fall into place for you in ways you can only imagine right now. IT CAN HAPPEN if you exude the confidence necessary to produce results.
Stop making excuses for why you can't lose weight because ANYONE can do it. Your metabolism isn't slower, you don't have the "fat" gene from your family, you can't blame your low-carb diet for not working when you haven't given it a chance to work--those are all destructive negative fat thoughts that have no business being in the mind of a once and future weight loss success story!
Whatever you believe is true, whether it actually is or not, will become reality for you. If you think you CAN'T lose weight, then you are right. If you are confident that obesity will become a thing of the past for you, then you are right as well. If losing 30 pounds in a period of 30 weeks is what you strongly desire for your life, then guess what will happen? YOU WILL DO IT! Believe it, receive it, and then achieve it!
While we may think food is what caused us to get fat in the first place (and sugar, white flour, starchy foods, carby whole grains, and processed foods have certainly played an active role in it), the truth of the matter is YOU are what caused the weight to pour on by refusing to acknowledge your personal responsibility in it to begin with. We loathe in our own self-pity and mask our pain with the preferred drug of millions--FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD!
Why do we do this to ourselves, hmmmm? If you throw in the towel every time the water gets a little hot in your life, then you will never progress forward with ANYTHING you wanted to do in your limited time on Earth. Your hopes, your dreams, and future plans--POOF! Instantly vanquished, suddenly disappear, dissipating like a foggy mist on a cool morning when the sunshine starts bearing down.
If you fret over needing to weigh 150 pounds when 175 feels good for you, then don't be surprised when your weight goes up above 200 in the not-too-distant future. That's why I am not a bit concerned about my weight hovering around 220 right now although I have a goal of 199 that I'd love to meet. It'll happen when it happens since the bulk of my weight loss has already been accomplished. I'm not dwelling on my weight loss because I feel healthy and plan on staying healthy for the rest of my long and prosperous lifespan (thanks to the low-carb lifestyle, of course!).
Worrying about my weight will merely put the focus back on the weight loss rather than on the change that has happened within me. Who cares what anyone else thinks about YOUR weight and health because frankly it is NONE of their business. If you feel comfortable at the weight you are at, then GOOD FOR YOU! Don't let ANYONE discourage you or guilt trip you into thinking you must weigh a certain amount. You do what's right for YOU!
Yes, I know this is a bit of a deep message, but one that needed to be said. Eat like you are already a thin person and simply try to make healthy choices for yourself. Forget the weight loss and zero in on those nutrient-dense low-carb foods that will allow you to eat deliciously and better than you have in your entire life. It really is the best "diet" you will ever go on in your entire life!
Do you know what will happen next? You'll reach your weight loss goals faster than you ever thought possible, feel happier and healthier than EVER before, and see life through the eyes of someone who KNOWS he can be anything he sets his mind to without limitations. You deserve that in your life and should never compromise and just settle for second best. YOU CAN DO IT!
I know I've given you a lot to think about today, but I welcome any comments, feedback, or stories related to anything I have shared in this column. Remember, if you want to leave a comment, but don't feel comfortable giving your name, that's okay! You can do so anonymously and nobody will know who you are.
Just let us hear from you today, okay? I look forward to your response!
Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, health, inspiration, low-carb, motivation, weight loss
# posted by Jimmy Moore @ 2/06/2007 10:38:00 AM 
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I guess this is where we weigh in? I started back on plan in Mid Jan. and am down 12.5 lbs and one dress size! :0) I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
WOW, Sparky's Girl! That's a LOT of poundage lost in the past few weeks. WAY TO GO! This is INDEED where you weigh in and I appreciate that you did. Keep it up, my friend, and stay encouraged.
Anyone else?
Anyone else?
Jimmy, it sounds as if you have watched "The Secret". I watched it at least 3 or 4 times a week and what you say is exactly right on point. What you fear and focus on is exactly what you get. If you fear fat or debt or whatever that is exactly what you get. I have focused on weighing 165 by February and I am only 20 pounds away now. Focus on the positive and you will get there no matter what it is in life.
Hmmm, I've never heard of "The Secret," Angela. But I'll look into that. Sounds like this common sense approach is already out there...but MORE people need to heed it to help themselves. THANKS for sharing!
Well I had a pretty good week.
I know it's not the 30 in 30 but I am still on track at 23 in 23 weeks losing 2 pounds this week.
I had a very small piece of cake last night for my son's birthday (even he asked me if that was wise!) and not even 30 minutes later I could feel that I wanted a nap and was a light headed..........hmmmmmmmmm won't be doing that anytime soon.
Jimmy you are right about the worrying part.I find the weeks that I don't worry and just live life, I walk with more energy and a spring in my step. Almost like it's a "freeing" time. Funny how that happens.
I think it's the little thinks that makes it all easier.
great message there today, I love the deep you!lol!
Everyone have a great week.
Wanda
I know it's not the 30 in 30 but I am still on track at 23 in 23 weeks losing 2 pounds this week.
I had a very small piece of cake last night for my son's birthday (even he asked me if that was wise!) and not even 30 minutes later I could feel that I wanted a nap and was a light headed..........hmmmmmmmmm won't be doing that anytime soon.
Jimmy you are right about the worrying part.I find the weeks that I don't worry and just live life, I walk with more energy and a spring in my step. Almost like it's a "freeing" time. Funny how that happens.
I think it's the little thinks that makes it all easier.
great message there today, I love the deep you!lol!
Everyone have a great week.
Wanda
# posted by 
: 2/06/2007 8:43 PM
: 2/06/2007 8:43 PM
Smart kid ya got there, Wanda! Sounds like you should listen to him next time. :D THANKS for checking in!
I forgot to make a comment about worrying about your goals. I agree completely Jimmy! I've found if I relax and just live I do much better than if I'm obsessing. You can put yourself into bondage over your goals. Then if you mess up.. even just a little, you are so terribly hard on yourself that you just throw in the towel. Part of my problem with maintainence last time was I kept worrying I'd gain the weight back, instead of just living and doing what I knew I needed to do. Suddenly my "diet" was no fun anymore and it felt like a trap instead of freedom. I'm NOT letting that happen this time!
EXACTLY Sparky's Girl! When the focus transitions from weight loss to living healthy, then you have made the transition from fat thoughts to thin thoughts which will lead to permanent and lasting weight maintenance.
YEAH, YOU GET IT!!! :D
YEAH, YOU GET IT!!! :D
I guess I'm the odd one out, because I decided to take a break from recording everything I ate and counting every carb... and I'm back up 2 lbs this week! (groan)
I don't know for sure what the problem is. I know I had some meals that were higher in salt than usual, and I probably ate more than usual, even if it was all low carb, since even that adds up after a while.
The reason I decided to take a break from all the recording and counting was that I just felt like I was starting to obsess. I also thought that surely I could just maintain. Apparently I need more structure than that though.
I don't know for sure what the problem is. I know I had some meals that were higher in salt than usual, and I probably ate more than usual, even if it was all low carb, since even that adds up after a while.
The reason I decided to take a break from all the recording and counting was that I just felt like I was starting to obsess. I also thought that surely I could just maintain. Apparently I need more structure than that though.
Hey Calianna,
I have noticed that as you get closer to the weight you need to be at, it may be necessary to be keen to the lessons you have learned during your weight loss. Again, it goes from changing your habits from fat ones to skinny ones. Nobody said it was easy, but it needs to happen. And it will. :)
I have noticed that as you get closer to the weight you need to be at, it may be necessary to be keen to the lessons you have learned during your weight loss. Again, it goes from changing your habits from fat ones to skinny ones. Nobody said it was easy, but it needs to happen. And it will. :)
I'm not anywhere near goal yet, not by a loooooooooooong shot!
I need to tweak things a bit here and there, and probably really need to go back to recording and counting again. I'm just trying to convince myself to do it in earnest - without becoming absolutely obsessed about it. Fine line between the two, I guess.
I need to tweak things a bit here and there, and probably really need to go back to recording and counting again. I'm just trying to convince myself to do it in earnest - without becoming absolutely obsessed about it. Fine line between the two, I guess.
Jimmy, congrats on your WHOOSH this week! I knew it'd happen for you since I knew you were sticking with it. I did well this week, another loss of 1.6 lbs. I really love having switched to a digital scale - it's SO much easier to gauge progress, 'cause I don't have to guess at where the needle's at!
I'm new to the low-carb lifestyle. Based on a Type II Diaabetes diagnosis a month ago, my doctor recommended the Akins approach to improve my diet. I started out approx 20 lbs over weight (trying to reach BMI of 23 or so). Returning this morning to my doctor, a month later, I've lost 9 lbs, my blood sugar dropped 44 points, A1C dropped .6 (at least now I can see the in-range number as part of mine). However, as a side benefit my HDL improved 15%, Triglycerides dropped by 39%, LDL dropped by 10% and the TC/HDL ratio dropped to 4.9 (the lowest in been years). So when I read the bad press regarding a low-carb lifestyle for diabetics, I have to wonder what's wrong with these people? Even the ADA promotes a low-fat, heavy fruit diet for diabetics. It's very confusing for a newly diagnosed diabetic. But I'm sticking with my doctor's advice. He and I both like what we're seeing. Just wish I could find controlled-carb stuff in my grocery store, i.e. flour, corn meal, etc.
PS
PS
# posted by : 3/07/2007 2:27 PM
: 3/07/2007 2:27 PM
You are exactly right, PS! CONGRATULATIONS on your health improvements. I discussed the diabetes diet on my low-carb podcast show recently at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com.
As far as finding products, have you tried CarbSmart.com, Low-Carb.com, Viva-Low-Carb.com, LOCARBU.com, etc. :)
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As far as finding products, have you tried CarbSmart.com, Low-Carb.com, Viva-Low-Carb.com, LOCARBU.com, etc. :)
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