Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Why Ask The Question 'What Am I Doing Wrong?'
Welcome to Teeeeeerrrific Tuesday here at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge as we join hand-in-hand with one another to help bring about the shedding of pounds and take the journey together to better health and ultimately a better life. THANK YOU for taking the adventure and sharing your experience with us all here.
Today's inspirational message features two similar e-mails that I recently received from people who have decided to start the low-carb lifestyle in earnest, but...
Don't you just love how we take that little word "but" to justify how we feel. That's exactly what both of my readers did when they went on a low-carb diet. They were all gung ho and excited about what this lifestyle change can do for them until their short-term expectations regarding weight loss didn't match the reality.
Here's the first e-mail:
Hi Jimmy,
I am 25 and after my 2nd and final child I am trying to get my body back into shape and gain some energy. My mom lost over 100 pounds on the Atkins diet and I thought what better way.
Atkins to me is a no-brainer you don't have to think a lot since you don't weigh your foods or count calories. It's very appealing for my lifestyle. Well, I started out at 219 and started Induction gung-ho and yesterday was 2 weeks. My husband is doing this with me so we keep each other motivated.
We both weighed and he had of course lost 14 pounds. However, when I went to weigh I was sure I had lost as much if not more than my husband because I had stuck to it a lot more then he had. But when I stepped on the scale, imagine my disappointment when I only weighed 216.
Aaaaack! What did I do wrong?!
I did do the shakes for breakfast because I'm not a breakfast person but I drank all my water and even pre-cooked meat for lunches. I didn't overeat!
This so disgusted me that I got off the scale and walked to kitchen to eat what was left of my son's chocolate ice cream and I had my favorite chip and dip with triscuits. UGH!
Where do I go from here? Is it okay to start again tomorrow and go back through Induction and try to just stick to meat, lettuce and 3 oz of cheese daily? I start the gym tomorrow I am just so upset with myself that I have done something wrong.
We were eating a lot of zuchinni before and I'm going to cut that out as well as tomatoes. I'll stick with eating just lettuce for my veggies and maybe some celery. So can I start Induction again and lose like I would if I was starting for the first time?
I'm not a quiter and I hate setbacks. I ate that junk out of frustration but I have made peace with my lower than expected weight loss and would like to proceed to try again to get better results. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. At least I didn't gain, but I told myself I just know I should have lost more!
Whew, did that strike a nerve anyone? How many of us have engaged in this kind of self-sabotage because we put the bar so high that we quite literally set ourselves up for failure? That's why I created "30-In-30" to give people a modest goal of a pound a week for 30 weeks. You don't feel pressured to lose 10 pounds a week and are encouraged to just do the plan. I'll have some more words to share about this e-mail in just a moment.
But let's read that second e-mail with similar concerns:
For the first time in my life I decided to actually change my lifestyle rather than go on a diet. I thought long and hard about it because I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it and that would be the end of it.
I have always been a "pleasantly plump" girl (now that I look back on it, I would be elated to be 140 again). After some bad dietary habits as a teenager and young adult, a surgery, and a very sickly pregnancy I was up to 266 after my weight settled. I don't remember doing it but I somehow got down to 246 which is my current weight.
Here is my problem: I have been living a low-carb lifestyle now for 3 weeks now. I decided because of difficulty losing weight in the past that I would stay at Atkins Induction of no more than 20g carbs/day (I don't consider myself on Atkins, however I do follow his advice closely).
I have lost 10 pounds in three weeks and cannot figure out why that is all I have lost. I have been taking long walks nearly everyday and have aggressively stepped up my level of physical activity, mainly with cardio. I don't go over 20g carbs/day and am not losing the way I have witnessed others doing.
Until now I was just thinking, well 10 pounds in 3 weeks is way more than I have been doing, so I will just be happy with that. But it doesn't seem right for the level of carbs I am taking in and with my increased amount of physical activity. Do you have any ideas?
While this e-mailer didn't go off on a carb-eating bonanza like the first one did, you can still see the utter frustration she is going through. The title of her e-mail to me was "What Am I Doing Wrong?"
Let's examine that for a moment. The first person lost 3 pounds and the second one lost 10 pounds when they first started on a low-carb diet. Since when is THAT failing? Sounds to me like you're doing everything RIGHT and you should keep it up!
Those of us who have struggled with our weight for most of our lives are quite literally our own worst enemies because of the unreasonable expectations we place on ourselves. While it is nice to set goals to give you something to shoot for, if they only end up causing your grief and disappointment when you don't reach them then they are actually counterproductive to your overall goal to lose weight and get healthy.
It's a shame how many would-be weight loss success stories prematurely end their improved nutritional habits because something went awry during their journey that they thought pegged them as a failure. Listen to me--if you are in the game and sticking with the plan, then you ARE well on your way to making it. Yes, it can seem dark and lonely at times, but you're making it happen and should NEVER give up!
That's how it is in life. We think everything should go a certain way and when it doesn't we pitch a fit about it. Come on, people! Stop doing that to yourself and start living life with the confidence that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing. You have the right dietary plan, so now it's time to just live. The weight loss and improved health will come...it WILL!
Here was my response to these e-mailers about their woes:
THANKS for writing and GREAT JOB on your weight loss. It's just too bad that you allowed your expectations for weight loss to become your reality rather than accepting that those pounds that are gone are gone forever.
Most of weight loss I have found is mental. Sure, you need to eat the right way (low-carb, IMHO!), but not letting your mind convince you that you are a failure is just as important. If the scale discourages you, then don't get on it for a month or two.
Just get on the plan and do it like the book tells you to do it. No straying away doing your own thing...STICK WITH THE PLAN! Yes, stick with Induction and forget about your weight loss for now. It's not about that right now. You need to start burning stored fat for fuel rather than carbs, so stick with it. Don't bemoan a seemingly small loss because moving in the loss direction is awesome!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
Shortly after sending this response to the e-mailer who lost 10 pounds, she quickly relented and realized how jaded she had allowed herself to become. Here was her e-mail back to me:
Thank you so much for the great advice. How silly of me not to think of NOT using the scale. I guess my e-mail was not as well thought out as it could have been.
Just as a kudos to the low-carb lifestyle, it was and really still isn't only about weight loss--it's a new way of living that gives me more energy, and strangely enough empowers me with the will to want to move more. I feel better in ways that I haven't in many years.
I was telling my sister recently that although weight loss is a goal, it isn't the only one and it is hard not to get caught up in the weight loss when I am watching so closely the things I put into my body. Micromanagement has become too easy.
Thank you for everything that I see you do for everyone, and for me as well. Going on the low-carb lifestyle has been an awakening for myself both mentally and physically. One of the most important things I have taken from this is a much greater respect for my body and how I take care of it.
It's a life I want to live because for once in my life I want to be HEALTHY and not just lose weight. I wish my e-mail hadn't sounded so vain...oi. I was just worried that I was doing something wrong. I can see why people get so excited about living this way! It really is one of the most amazing things I have ever done for myself.
So again...thank you so much for being the support system you are to many.
It's my pleasure and I'm glad to see you realize you are doing perfectly fine on your low-carb plan. Now it's just time to work and keep working it for the rest of your life. NEVER GIVE UP regardless of how tempting it will be because the payoff in the end is beyond anything you could ever hope or dream about! YOU CAN DO THIS!
Got any comments or stories to share about wanting to give up on your low-carb weight loss? What got you through those times and how did you keep yourself from falling completely off the wagon? Share your feedback as well as your updates on the progress you are making with your "30-In-30" challenge.
Today's inspirational message features two similar e-mails that I recently received from people who have decided to start the low-carb lifestyle in earnest, but...
Don't you just love how we take that little word "but" to justify how we feel. That's exactly what both of my readers did when they went on a low-carb diet. They were all gung ho and excited about what this lifestyle change can do for them until their short-term expectations regarding weight loss didn't match the reality.
Here's the first e-mail:
Hi Jimmy,
I am 25 and after my 2nd and final child I am trying to get my body back into shape and gain some energy. My mom lost over 100 pounds on the Atkins diet and I thought what better way.
Atkins to me is a no-brainer you don't have to think a lot since you don't weigh your foods or count calories. It's very appealing for my lifestyle. Well, I started out at 219 and started Induction gung-ho and yesterday was 2 weeks. My husband is doing this with me so we keep each other motivated.
We both weighed and he had of course lost 14 pounds. However, when I went to weigh I was sure I had lost as much if not more than my husband because I had stuck to it a lot more then he had. But when I stepped on the scale, imagine my disappointment when I only weighed 216.
Aaaaack! What did I do wrong?!
I did do the shakes for breakfast because I'm not a breakfast person but I drank all my water and even pre-cooked meat for lunches. I didn't overeat!
This so disgusted me that I got off the scale and walked to kitchen to eat what was left of my son's chocolate ice cream and I had my favorite chip and dip with triscuits. UGH!
Where do I go from here? Is it okay to start again tomorrow and go back through Induction and try to just stick to meat, lettuce and 3 oz of cheese daily? I start the gym tomorrow I am just so upset with myself that I have done something wrong.
We were eating a lot of zuchinni before and I'm going to cut that out as well as tomatoes. I'll stick with eating just lettuce for my veggies and maybe some celery. So can I start Induction again and lose like I would if I was starting for the first time?
I'm not a quiter and I hate setbacks. I ate that junk out of frustration but I have made peace with my lower than expected weight loss and would like to proceed to try again to get better results. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. At least I didn't gain, but I told myself I just know I should have lost more!
Whew, did that strike a nerve anyone? How many of us have engaged in this kind of self-sabotage because we put the bar so high that we quite literally set ourselves up for failure? That's why I created "30-In-30" to give people a modest goal of a pound a week for 30 weeks. You don't feel pressured to lose 10 pounds a week and are encouraged to just do the plan. I'll have some more words to share about this e-mail in just a moment.
But let's read that second e-mail with similar concerns:
For the first time in my life I decided to actually change my lifestyle rather than go on a diet. I thought long and hard about it because I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it and that would be the end of it.
I have always been a "pleasantly plump" girl (now that I look back on it, I would be elated to be 140 again). After some bad dietary habits as a teenager and young adult, a surgery, and a very sickly pregnancy I was up to 266 after my weight settled. I don't remember doing it but I somehow got down to 246 which is my current weight.
Here is my problem: I have been living a low-carb lifestyle now for 3 weeks now. I decided because of difficulty losing weight in the past that I would stay at Atkins Induction of no more than 20g carbs/day (I don't consider myself on Atkins, however I do follow his advice closely).
I have lost 10 pounds in three weeks and cannot figure out why that is all I have lost. I have been taking long walks nearly everyday and have aggressively stepped up my level of physical activity, mainly with cardio. I don't go over 20g carbs/day and am not losing the way I have witnessed others doing.
Until now I was just thinking, well 10 pounds in 3 weeks is way more than I have been doing, so I will just be happy with that. But it doesn't seem right for the level of carbs I am taking in and with my increased amount of physical activity. Do you have any ideas?
While this e-mailer didn't go off on a carb-eating bonanza like the first one did, you can still see the utter frustration she is going through. The title of her e-mail to me was "What Am I Doing Wrong?"
Let's examine that for a moment. The first person lost 3 pounds and the second one lost 10 pounds when they first started on a low-carb diet. Since when is THAT failing? Sounds to me like you're doing everything RIGHT and you should keep it up!
Those of us who have struggled with our weight for most of our lives are quite literally our own worst enemies because of the unreasonable expectations we place on ourselves. While it is nice to set goals to give you something to shoot for, if they only end up causing your grief and disappointment when you don't reach them then they are actually counterproductive to your overall goal to lose weight and get healthy.
It's a shame how many would-be weight loss success stories prematurely end their improved nutritional habits because something went awry during their journey that they thought pegged them as a failure. Listen to me--if you are in the game and sticking with the plan, then you ARE well on your way to making it. Yes, it can seem dark and lonely at times, but you're making it happen and should NEVER give up!
That's how it is in life. We think everything should go a certain way and when it doesn't we pitch a fit about it. Come on, people! Stop doing that to yourself and start living life with the confidence that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing. You have the right dietary plan, so now it's time to just live. The weight loss and improved health will come...it WILL!
Here was my response to these e-mailers about their woes:
THANKS for writing and GREAT JOB on your weight loss. It's just too bad that you allowed your expectations for weight loss to become your reality rather than accepting that those pounds that are gone are gone forever.
Most of weight loss I have found is mental. Sure, you need to eat the right way (low-carb, IMHO!), but not letting your mind convince you that you are a failure is just as important. If the scale discourages you, then don't get on it for a month or two.
Just get on the plan and do it like the book tells you to do it. No straying away doing your own thing...STICK WITH THE PLAN! Yes, stick with Induction and forget about your weight loss for now. It's not about that right now. You need to start burning stored fat for fuel rather than carbs, so stick with it. Don't bemoan a seemingly small loss because moving in the loss direction is awesome!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
Shortly after sending this response to the e-mailer who lost 10 pounds, she quickly relented and realized how jaded she had allowed herself to become. Here was her e-mail back to me:
Thank you so much for the great advice. How silly of me not to think of NOT using the scale. I guess my e-mail was not as well thought out as it could have been.
Just as a kudos to the low-carb lifestyle, it was and really still isn't only about weight loss--it's a new way of living that gives me more energy, and strangely enough empowers me with the will to want to move more. I feel better in ways that I haven't in many years.
I was telling my sister recently that although weight loss is a goal, it isn't the only one and it is hard not to get caught up in the weight loss when I am watching so closely the things I put into my body. Micromanagement has become too easy.
Thank you for everything that I see you do for everyone, and for me as well. Going on the low-carb lifestyle has been an awakening for myself both mentally and physically. One of the most important things I have taken from this is a much greater respect for my body and how I take care of it.
It's a life I want to live because for once in my life I want to be HEALTHY and not just lose weight. I wish my e-mail hadn't sounded so vain...oi. I was just worried that I was doing something wrong. I can see why people get so excited about living this way! It really is one of the most amazing things I have ever done for myself.
So again...thank you so much for being the support system you are to many.
It's my pleasure and I'm glad to see you realize you are doing perfectly fine on your low-carb plan. Now it's just time to work and keep working it for the rest of your life. NEVER GIVE UP regardless of how tempting it will be because the payoff in the end is beyond anything you could ever hope or dream about! YOU CAN DO THIS!
Got any comments or stories to share about wanting to give up on your low-carb weight loss? What got you through those times and how did you keep yourself from falling completely off the wagon? Share your feedback as well as your updates on the progress you are making with your "30-In-30" challenge.
Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, diet, failure, inspiration, low-carb, motivation, success, weight loss
# posted by Jimmy Moore @ 4/24/2007 10:26:00 AM 
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I can certainly identify with both of the email writers!
Except that I'm not on induction, I'm just stumbling along on this... and still bouncing around in the same 3 pounds or so that I've been bouncing around in for the last (nearly) 4 months. But life and life's stresses keep happening (which is why I haven't been here in a while, just so busy. And then the emotions went reeling with the Va Tech shootings, which hit particularly hard in this household - we all have a lot of connections to not only the university, but that entire area of Va.), and even though I didn't go off plan and have a carb fest, I certainly have done a good bit of emotional eating in the last month or so. Even the calories from low carb foods can add up after a while - but one thing to remember - If you're an emotional eater, try to stick only to low carb foods, because they don't do nearly the damage (to your body, your mind, your diet) that a high carb food would do!
So with nothing good to report about any progress (I've completely lost track of what my weight was the last time I had a chance to come by here and report it), I can understand their disappointment very well.
One thing they both need to realize is that most women simply have a much more difficult time losing weight than men do. Our bodies are geared to hold on to fat stores at all costs, because they might be needed to nourish a baby.
Also, even though they didn't lose as much as they'd hoped during the first couple of weeks on this new way of life, they still lost a good bit more than they could have expected if they'd followed a low fat diet... not to mention that they were able to actually feel full and satisfied, rather than ravenously hungry and miserable all the time! Combined with the increased energy that comes from a low carb way of eating, there's reason enough (in my mind) to stick with it for the long haul - even if the weight loss is slow going, or hits stalls, like mine has done.
Except that I'm not on induction, I'm just stumbling along on this... and still bouncing around in the same 3 pounds or so that I've been bouncing around in for the last (nearly) 4 months. But life and life's stresses keep happening (which is why I haven't been here in a while, just so busy. And then the emotions went reeling with the Va Tech shootings, which hit particularly hard in this household - we all have a lot of connections to not only the university, but that entire area of Va.), and even though I didn't go off plan and have a carb fest, I certainly have done a good bit of emotional eating in the last month or so. Even the calories from low carb foods can add up after a while - but one thing to remember - If you're an emotional eater, try to stick only to low carb foods, because they don't do nearly the damage (to your body, your mind, your diet) that a high carb food would do!
So with nothing good to report about any progress (I've completely lost track of what my weight was the last time I had a chance to come by here and report it), I can understand their disappointment very well.
One thing they both need to realize is that most women simply have a much more difficult time losing weight than men do. Our bodies are geared to hold on to fat stores at all costs, because they might be needed to nourish a baby.
Also, even though they didn't lose as much as they'd hoped during the first couple of weeks on this new way of life, they still lost a good bit more than they could have expected if they'd followed a low fat diet... not to mention that they were able to actually feel full and satisfied, rather than ravenously hungry and miserable all the time! Combined with the increased energy that comes from a low carb way of eating, there's reason enough (in my mind) to stick with it for the long haul - even if the weight loss is slow going, or hits stalls, like mine has done.
THANKS for your insights, Calianna! You're doing GREAT in your plan and I'm cheering you on to great long-term success. At least you're not gaining! :D
I lost 1.6 pounds the week you missed posting and 1 pound this week. Total loss of 11 pounds on NutriSystem so far. Only 6 more to go! :)
And I got my 10 pound bear. (NS sends you a bear for every 10 pounds you lose.)
Still picking lower-carb meals. My free weeks are gone so now I can go back to eating the meals I picked with lower-carb meals.
And I got my 10 pound bear. (NS sends you a bear for every 10 pounds you lose.)
Still picking lower-carb meals. My free weeks are gone so now I can go back to eating the meals I picked with lower-carb meals.
Jimmy---we as a nation are in a hurry in everything we do---why do you think WLS has become so popular--I know of women who have put rolls of quaters in their pockets and worn ankle weights just so they could weigh enough to qualify---I did so I wouldn't die
I can understan the ladies frustration about not losing that much---I gained over 30 lbs a few months ago and have had the most difficult time getting it off---so 3 weeks ago I went on induction--the first 2 weeks were pretty good---but I was so disappointed when I got on the scale today and it had not moved---but I am a firm believer in the whoosh fairy---so I'll just keep doing what I'm suppose to do--
as for the emails---I wonder if they are realy eating ENOUGH food---I know too many people who try a low carb way of eating and immediately cut their calories too--only to slow their weight loss down---they still have that minsd set that you have to eat less to lose weight---it just isn't the case in most people---especially when they first start out--
as for the lasy who went on the carb binge---I know that feeling--but just because you drop one egg--do you throw the whole dozen down too---no you clean up the one and move on....
I can understan the ladies frustration about not losing that much---I gained over 30 lbs a few months ago and have had the most difficult time getting it off---so 3 weeks ago I went on induction--the first 2 weeks were pretty good---but I was so disappointed when I got on the scale today and it had not moved---but I am a firm believer in the whoosh fairy---so I'll just keep doing what I'm suppose to do--
as for the emails---I wonder if they are realy eating ENOUGH food---I know too many people who try a low carb way of eating and immediately cut their calories too--only to slow their weight loss down---they still have that minsd set that you have to eat less to lose weight---it just isn't the case in most people---especially when they first start out--
as for the lasy who went on the carb binge---I know that feeling--but just because you drop one egg--do you throw the whole dozen down too---no you clean up the one and move on....
THANKS for your comments, BamaGirl! You're probably right. They don't sound like they're eating near enough.
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