Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Is There Any Hope Left For Me?
Hey there everyone and welcome to Teeeeeerrific Tuesday (aka "weigh-in day") here at The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge as we seek to spur each other on to lose at least a pound a week over the next 30 weeks (and beyond if you need it!). Is it too late to join, you ask? Heck no! I get e-mails all the time from people wanting to join, so hop right in and start this amazing low-carb weight loss journey for yourself. I lost over 180 pounds on it and so can YOU! :)
I want to talk with you today about a four-letter word that so many people going on a diet are desperately searching for. No, it's not "food," although I'm sure that four-letter word is on the minds of many dieters especially early on. Neither is it "luck" because finding a plan that will help you lose weight and keep it off forever takes a lot more than that. The word I am thinking of is "hope."
There's an acronym for this word that has always stuck with me:
Helping
Other
People
Excel
Helping other people excel at losing weight and improving their health is exactly what I am all about with my efforts here at this blog and elsewhere because I know what it's like to be in a seemingly helpless and hopeless situation.
When you weigh 410 pounds, wear size 62-inch waist pants and 5XL shirts, take three prescription medications, constantly feel ridiculed and scorned by staring onlookers, and wonder how much longer you'll have to keep living this miserable existence known as life, there's no other way to feel.
Trapped, imprisoned, and no way out--that was my life prior to 2004. I feigned happiness on the outside, but deep within I was screaming for help looking for just a small glimmer of hope. Oh God get me out of this wretched existence I am living so that I can move on with my life already. Is this the best that it gets? I don't want to die young and I feel like life has dealt me a raw deal!
Perhaps you think I just described how YOU feel. I'm sure my own personal experience with obesity has resonated with many of you because I see the exact same sentiments expressed in e-mail after e-mail from dear souls who want me to reassure them that they can find the same hope for overcoming their weight problem that I did. I never want to get used to hearing these gut-wrenching stories of pain and anguish and I don't think I ever will.
Here's one from a woman in San Diego, California that came this week:
Hi Jimmy,
I am one of probably thousands of e-mails that you get and hope that you somehow run into mine. I was online, yet again, seeking some help for my health, which is being ruined by my obesity.
I have tried them all--from Weight Watchers, to Jenny Craig, to the grapefruit diet, to the original Atkins diet, to LA Weight Loss, to most recently, Slim-Fast. None of them seem to work and I just keep getting bigger and bigger.
I now have high blood pressure and my feet, knees, and lower back bother me when I walk. I'm going to the gym and walking on the treadmill 50 minutes a day for the past month, and every other day, I add in weights, but I still see no improvements.
To make matters worse, I live in San Diego where it's verrrrry image conscious and if you're obese, you wind up being excluded from social situtations and even getting a good job!!
I'm at my wit's end and it's very depressing. In fact, the past few days have been so discouraging for me that I haven't even made it to the gym. UGH!
I have a mild allergy to wheat, so I am trying to elminate that from my diet, but don't know how or what to eat anymore to get the weight off. I've tried to find "The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper online to get his advice but he's nowhere to be found. What would you recommend??
Please...............help....................me....................
OUCH! There's a lot of agony and disappointment in that e-mail and you barely know where to start with one like this. Let me begin by saying to this dear lady that everything is going to be alright because you have shown that you care enough to want to do something productive about your weight and health problems. Many have just thrown their hands up in the air and completely given up, but you sincerely want to do something. I applaud your courage to make it happen for yourself!
I DO receive quite a bit of e-mail each week, but I still try to answer each one of them with some words of encouragement and hope (and you're getting an entire blog post devoted to your e-mail--aren't you special?). It's the least I can do for the miraculous turnaround that happened in my life 3 1/2 years ago.
When I started the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004, I didn't have a clue that this time the diet I chose was going to work for me. But what I did know was my dedication was not just to the diet itself which was temporary, but to make these new healthier habits I was learning a regular part of my life. And so the journey began and continues on to this day.
You can try all the diets in the world you want with nominal success, but you'll never reach your ultimate goal of lasting and permanent weight loss and health improvements until you make lifestyle changes that you can stick with forever. I too tried so many diets and failed at them, but it's because I lacked that sense of long-term thinking. If you're gonna eat healthy to lose weight, then you might as well keep eating that way for the rest of your life to STAY healthy, right? That's logical!
When you are in "diet" mode, you stay on it for a while and then STOP doing what made you successful. Word to the wise--DON'T DO THAT! Find a plan that will work for you, follow that plan exactly as prescribed by the author, and then keep doing that plan for the rest of you life. It sounds so simple, but weight loss really is that elementary when you break it down to the core elements that will give you the results you are looking for.
Regarding exercise, I think it's much more important at this point to get your diet right first and then start moving, wiggling, and shaking your body spontaneously as you begin to feel better from improving your health and shedding the pounds. Otherwise, you are causing unnecessary inflammation to build up in your body which is decidedly unhealthy for you.
Think about how you are quantifying your success, too. If it's just the scale and the total pounds you are losing, then that's an extremely shortsighted way to measure it. Instead, think about how you feel, whether your clothes are getting looser, that sudden burst of energy you get during the day, and other tangible changes that you may not have ever noticed before. There's a lot more to weight loss than a stupid machine that goes up and down on a whim! Don't let that scale dictate your attitude about your progress.
Forget about how you look right now because all of that is going to change for the better. IT WILL! I know you are hurting and want to look and feel the best that you can as soon as possible, but you can't let it get you so down in the dumps and depressed that you needlessly give up on this exciting adventure before it even starts. You're stronger than that and you've got a group of people here at the "30-In-30" blog who will stand behind you 100%!
As for your diet, I would definitely cut out the wheat products and find gluten-free ones because that could be hampering with your weight loss since you are allergic. I think people need to find the diet that's right for them and it needs to be something you can do today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your days here on Earth. There is a way for YOU to get healthy and you need to keep trying until you find it.
One of the things that attracted me to the healthy Atkins low-carb nutritional approach is the fact I could eat delicious and satisfying meals and STILL lose weight as well as improve my health problems. Avoiding sugar and starches is a must regardless of the diet plan you choose and getting adequate amounts of heart-healthy fats is critical as well. When you control your blood sugar levels, it seems the rest of your health falls into place, including weight loss.
So, what happened to my health and weight since I started low-carb in 2004? Today I weigh 225 pounds, wear size 38-inch waist pants and XL shirts, take ZERO drugs (and haven't for nearly three years!!!), feel more confident and optimistic about life, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am living a happier, healthier, and longer life than I ever thought was possible for me. Or, as I like to say, I'm Livin' La Vida Low-Carb!
I found my hope and want to share it with others who need it, too! Hang in there and keep pressing forward in your pursuit of weight loss and better health. It is SO worth it when you are finally able to accomplish what was once a seemingly impossible goal. IT CAN BE DONE and I'm here to cheer you on to success. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Do you feel like this person who e-mailed me and wonder if there is any hope left for you? I'd love to hear your story and help you any way that I can. When you feel like giving up is just the time that you were probably ready to experience your greatest breakthrough ever! DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
For those of you who have seen success, share your comments on this subject to uplift and edify those who are struggling. We're all in this together, so you are not alone as you travel on this great weight loss adventure.
Nothing would thrll me more than to see hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands capture the hope of a brighter future and then share it with those in their circle of friends until obesity is just a thing of the past. I'm dreaming, of course, but I am confident it can be done if we all band together. Won't you join me in this effort?
I want to talk with you today about a four-letter word that so many people going on a diet are desperately searching for. No, it's not "food," although I'm sure that four-letter word is on the minds of many dieters especially early on. Neither is it "luck" because finding a plan that will help you lose weight and keep it off forever takes a lot more than that. The word I am thinking of is "hope."
There's an acronym for this word that has always stuck with me:
Helping
Other
People
Excel
Helping other people excel at losing weight and improving their health is exactly what I am all about with my efforts here at this blog and elsewhere because I know what it's like to be in a seemingly helpless and hopeless situation.
When you weigh 410 pounds, wear size 62-inch waist pants and 5XL shirts, take three prescription medications, constantly feel ridiculed and scorned by staring onlookers, and wonder how much longer you'll have to keep living this miserable existence known as life, there's no other way to feel.
Trapped, imprisoned, and no way out--that was my life prior to 2004. I feigned happiness on the outside, but deep within I was screaming for help looking for just a small glimmer of hope. Oh God get me out of this wretched existence I am living so that I can move on with my life already. Is this the best that it gets? I don't want to die young and I feel like life has dealt me a raw deal!
Perhaps you think I just described how YOU feel. I'm sure my own personal experience with obesity has resonated with many of you because I see the exact same sentiments expressed in e-mail after e-mail from dear souls who want me to reassure them that they can find the same hope for overcoming their weight problem that I did. I never want to get used to hearing these gut-wrenching stories of pain and anguish and I don't think I ever will.
Here's one from a woman in San Diego, California that came this week:
Hi Jimmy,
I am one of probably thousands of e-mails that you get and hope that you somehow run into mine. I was online, yet again, seeking some help for my health, which is being ruined by my obesity.
I have tried them all--from Weight Watchers, to Jenny Craig, to the grapefruit diet, to the original Atkins diet, to LA Weight Loss, to most recently, Slim-Fast. None of them seem to work and I just keep getting bigger and bigger.
I now have high blood pressure and my feet, knees, and lower back bother me when I walk. I'm going to the gym and walking on the treadmill 50 minutes a day for the past month, and every other day, I add in weights, but I still see no improvements.
To make matters worse, I live in San Diego where it's verrrrry image conscious and if you're obese, you wind up being excluded from social situtations and even getting a good job!!
I'm at my wit's end and it's very depressing. In fact, the past few days have been so discouraging for me that I haven't even made it to the gym. UGH!
I have a mild allergy to wheat, so I am trying to elminate that from my diet, but don't know how or what to eat anymore to get the weight off. I've tried to find "The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper online to get his advice but he's nowhere to be found. What would you recommend??
Please...............help....................me....................
OUCH! There's a lot of agony and disappointment in that e-mail and you barely know where to start with one like this. Let me begin by saying to this dear lady that everything is going to be alright because you have shown that you care enough to want to do something productive about your weight and health problems. Many have just thrown their hands up in the air and completely given up, but you sincerely want to do something. I applaud your courage to make it happen for yourself!
I DO receive quite a bit of e-mail each week, but I still try to answer each one of them with some words of encouragement and hope (and you're getting an entire blog post devoted to your e-mail--aren't you special?). It's the least I can do for the miraculous turnaround that happened in my life 3 1/2 years ago.
When I started the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004, I didn't have a clue that this time the diet I chose was going to work for me. But what I did know was my dedication was not just to the diet itself which was temporary, but to make these new healthier habits I was learning a regular part of my life. And so the journey began and continues on to this day.
You can try all the diets in the world you want with nominal success, but you'll never reach your ultimate goal of lasting and permanent weight loss and health improvements until you make lifestyle changes that you can stick with forever. I too tried so many diets and failed at them, but it's because I lacked that sense of long-term thinking. If you're gonna eat healthy to lose weight, then you might as well keep eating that way for the rest of your life to STAY healthy, right? That's logical!
When you are in "diet" mode, you stay on it for a while and then STOP doing what made you successful. Word to the wise--DON'T DO THAT! Find a plan that will work for you, follow that plan exactly as prescribed by the author, and then keep doing that plan for the rest of you life. It sounds so simple, but weight loss really is that elementary when you break it down to the core elements that will give you the results you are looking for.
Regarding exercise, I think it's much more important at this point to get your diet right first and then start moving, wiggling, and shaking your body spontaneously as you begin to feel better from improving your health and shedding the pounds. Otherwise, you are causing unnecessary inflammation to build up in your body which is decidedly unhealthy for you.
Think about how you are quantifying your success, too. If it's just the scale and the total pounds you are losing, then that's an extremely shortsighted way to measure it. Instead, think about how you feel, whether your clothes are getting looser, that sudden burst of energy you get during the day, and other tangible changes that you may not have ever noticed before. There's a lot more to weight loss than a stupid machine that goes up and down on a whim! Don't let that scale dictate your attitude about your progress.
Forget about how you look right now because all of that is going to change for the better. IT WILL! I know you are hurting and want to look and feel the best that you can as soon as possible, but you can't let it get you so down in the dumps and depressed that you needlessly give up on this exciting adventure before it even starts. You're stronger than that and you've got a group of people here at the "30-In-30" blog who will stand behind you 100%!
As for your diet, I would definitely cut out the wheat products and find gluten-free ones because that could be hampering with your weight loss since you are allergic. I think people need to find the diet that's right for them and it needs to be something you can do today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your days here on Earth. There is a way for YOU to get healthy and you need to keep trying until you find it.
One of the things that attracted me to the healthy Atkins low-carb nutritional approach is the fact I could eat delicious and satisfying meals and STILL lose weight as well as improve my health problems. Avoiding sugar and starches is a must regardless of the diet plan you choose and getting adequate amounts of heart-healthy fats is critical as well. When you control your blood sugar levels, it seems the rest of your health falls into place, including weight loss.
So, what happened to my health and weight since I started low-carb in 2004? Today I weigh 225 pounds, wear size 38-inch waist pants and XL shirts, take ZERO drugs (and haven't for nearly three years!!!), feel more confident and optimistic about life, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am living a happier, healthier, and longer life than I ever thought was possible for me. Or, as I like to say, I'm Livin' La Vida Low-Carb!
I found my hope and want to share it with others who need it, too! Hang in there and keep pressing forward in your pursuit of weight loss and better health. It is SO worth it when you are finally able to accomplish what was once a seemingly impossible goal. IT CAN BE DONE and I'm here to cheer you on to success. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Do you feel like this person who e-mailed me and wonder if there is any hope left for you? I'd love to hear your story and help you any way that I can. When you feel like giving up is just the time that you were probably ready to experience your greatest breakthrough ever! DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
For those of you who have seen success, share your comments on this subject to uplift and edify those who are struggling. We're all in this together, so you are not alone as you travel on this great weight loss adventure.
Nothing would thrll me more than to see hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands capture the hope of a brighter future and then share it with those in their circle of friends until obesity is just a thing of the past. I'm dreaming, of course, but I am confident it can be done if we all band together. Won't you join me in this effort?
Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, encouragement, health, inspiration, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, motivation, obesity, weight loss
# posted by Jimmy Moore @ 5/15/2007 11:43:00 AM 
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Hi everyone!
Well first of all for the Tues update, I weighed myself but won't count it since....yet again I have been sick for most of the week. I got a few workouts done this week but then on the weekend came down with a high fever and sore throat which turned into strep. So the 5 pounds I lost I am not even counting since I am sure a couple will make it back when I start eating again. And even though I am sick, except for the orange juice I am craving I am staying low carb with my choices WHEN I choose to eat....anyway to your emails....
I know when I started SOMETHING hit me. I am not sure what but something did. I wasn't ready to go up another size and I wasn't ready to die young.
Many many nights I didn't want or feel like going to the gym but I did. I think the hardest part about the gym is just to get through the door when you don't want to go. Even being sick last week I just went out and listened to tunes while I walked but at least I went.
In all of my mind changing -whatever you call it!- I wasn't going to give myself permission to quit because it wasn't an option to me....it just wasn't.....and even as I thought about it a friend of mine asked me how much desire I had to get to where I wanted to be.
That is one big word in MY journey.
So hang in there everyone and just start somewhere, anywhere, just start and keep going.......
Wanda
Well first of all for the Tues update, I weighed myself but won't count it since....yet again I have been sick for most of the week. I got a few workouts done this week but then on the weekend came down with a high fever and sore throat which turned into strep. So the 5 pounds I lost I am not even counting since I am sure a couple will make it back when I start eating again. And even though I am sick, except for the orange juice I am craving I am staying low carb with my choices WHEN I choose to eat....anyway to your emails....
I know when I started SOMETHING hit me. I am not sure what but something did. I wasn't ready to go up another size and I wasn't ready to die young.
Many many nights I didn't want or feel like going to the gym but I did. I think the hardest part about the gym is just to get through the door when you don't want to go. Even being sick last week I just went out and listened to tunes while I walked but at least I went.
In all of my mind changing -whatever you call it!- I wasn't going to give myself permission to quit because it wasn't an option to me....it just wasn't.....and even as I thought about it a friend of mine asked me how much desire I had to get to where I wanted to be.
That is one big word in MY journey.
So hang in there everyone and just start somewhere, anywhere, just start and keep going.......
Wanda
# posted by 
: 5/15/2007 6:14 PM
: 5/15/2007 6:14 PM
Hi Everyone! I'm still the same, but back to exercising and eating right again.. so I should see some progress soon.
To the woman in San Diego: I know where you are coming from - it is hell to be obese with all of the complications that condition brings to your body.
While I understand your plight, I believe the last thing you need is another person to empathize with you.
I am about to say something that you need to read. I also really want you to think about what I am going to say because I do understand and care about you and your obesity problem. But I believe it must be said: You are in control. Yes, YOU!
As I read over your email to Jimmy, I was struck by the thread that runs through nearly every line. "I have tried..." , "None of them seem to work..." , "I still see no improvements...", "you wind up being excluded from social situations and even getting a good job", "In fact, the past few days have been so discouraging for me that I haven't even made it to the gym. UGH!", "...so I am trying to eliminate that from my diet, but don't know how or what to eat anymore to get the weight off.", "I've tried to find "the Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper online to get his advice, but he's no where to be found." "Please.....help....me....."
Do you see the thread I am talking about? You are "trying". Your entire thought process and focus is totally negative. What you focus on expands!
You are searching for answers and nothing seems to work, you are being excluded in social situations and even from getting a good job. You are even searching for Bob Harper to get his advice and then you end with Please help me. Hey!!! YOU ARE IN CONTROL! You are the ONLY ONE who can help you! Once you fully understand that, your life will change. No one can help you except you.
Jimmy Moore is a great inspiration, he provides a great deal of motivation and so many wonderful opportunities for learning and understanding how to lose weight through his blogs, podcasts, web site, etc. But Jimmy can not do this for you, Bob Harper can not do this for you, your doctor, family members, online buddies can not do this for you. You are in control.
You've got the answers. You need to decide. Decide to change your lifestyle - this one just ain't workin'.
It is not diet advice you need. You need to make a decision to change your lifestyle. You need to make a plan - a plan for that new lifestyle. A lifestyle that includes living differently, cleaning up your enviroment and getting rid of any and all junk food, starches, bakery, etc., that is in your home.
A lifestyle that focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, exercise -- nothing else fits.
You need to plan a diet (and that is not the same as going on a diet) of low carb foods and regular scheduled exercise.
Regularly scheduled exercise -- means that if you need to get up one or two hours earlier in the morning to get to the gym, you do it. You don't "try" to do it. You do it!
You need to commit to that lifestyle and not look back.
Oh and just in case you need a quick refresher course in low carbs: 15 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 carb. Find the number of daily carbs that are right for you - the number of carbs at which you will lose weight. Buy Barbara Kraus Calories and Carbohydrates book or any other book that gives you the number of carbs in any/all foods. Measure, measure, measure your foods at least for the first couple of months.
Join or continue at the gym. Set goals for yourself.
Plan your meals and stop snacking - instead of snacking pick up a couple of weights and work off the snack craving.
There now you have everything you need in terms of information. When you need inspiration, come to Jimmy's blogs, podcast, etc.
The good news is that you are in control. The bad news is that you are in control.
Your blood pressure will improve, your feet, knees and lower back will stop bothering you, you will get the job you are looking for, you will be accepted into social situations, you will no longer be depressed but joyful and full of energy and you will no longer be obese. Can you live with all those positives? Can you focus on achieving these things? I believe you can.
Now stop searching outside of yourself for an answer - you already have it.
Remember: YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
Post a Comment
While I understand your plight, I believe the last thing you need is another person to empathize with you.
I am about to say something that you need to read. I also really want you to think about what I am going to say because I do understand and care about you and your obesity problem. But I believe it must be said: You are in control. Yes, YOU!
As I read over your email to Jimmy, I was struck by the thread that runs through nearly every line. "I have tried..." , "None of them seem to work..." , "I still see no improvements...", "you wind up being excluded from social situations and even getting a good job", "In fact, the past few days have been so discouraging for me that I haven't even made it to the gym. UGH!", "...so I am trying to eliminate that from my diet, but don't know how or what to eat anymore to get the weight off.", "I've tried to find "the Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper online to get his advice, but he's no where to be found." "Please.....help....me....."
Do you see the thread I am talking about? You are "trying". Your entire thought process and focus is totally negative. What you focus on expands!
You are searching for answers and nothing seems to work, you are being excluded in social situations and even from getting a good job. You are even searching for Bob Harper to get his advice and then you end with Please help me. Hey!!! YOU ARE IN CONTROL! You are the ONLY ONE who can help you! Once you fully understand that, your life will change. No one can help you except you.
Jimmy Moore is a great inspiration, he provides a great deal of motivation and so many wonderful opportunities for learning and understanding how to lose weight through his blogs, podcasts, web site, etc. But Jimmy can not do this for you, Bob Harper can not do this for you, your doctor, family members, online buddies can not do this for you. You are in control.
You've got the answers. You need to decide. Decide to change your lifestyle - this one just ain't workin'.
It is not diet advice you need. You need to make a decision to change your lifestyle. You need to make a plan - a plan for that new lifestyle. A lifestyle that includes living differently, cleaning up your enviroment and getting rid of any and all junk food, starches, bakery, etc., that is in your home.
A lifestyle that focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, exercise -- nothing else fits.
You need to plan a diet (and that is not the same as going on a diet) of low carb foods and regular scheduled exercise.
Regularly scheduled exercise -- means that if you need to get up one or two hours earlier in the morning to get to the gym, you do it. You don't "try" to do it. You do it!
You need to commit to that lifestyle and not look back.
Oh and just in case you need a quick refresher course in low carbs: 15 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 carb. Find the number of daily carbs that are right for you - the number of carbs at which you will lose weight. Buy Barbara Kraus Calories and Carbohydrates book or any other book that gives you the number of carbs in any/all foods. Measure, measure, measure your foods at least for the first couple of months.
Join or continue at the gym. Set goals for yourself.
Plan your meals and stop snacking - instead of snacking pick up a couple of weights and work off the snack craving.
There now you have everything you need in terms of information. When you need inspiration, come to Jimmy's blogs, podcast, etc.
The good news is that you are in control. The bad news is that you are in control.
Your blood pressure will improve, your feet, knees and lower back will stop bothering you, you will get the job you are looking for, you will be accepted into social situations, you will no longer be depressed but joyful and full of energy and you will no longer be obese. Can you live with all those positives? Can you focus on achieving these things? I believe you can.
Now stop searching outside of yourself for an answer - you already have it.
Remember: YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
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