"Harold Groot" wrote in message
...
I've decided that starting a diet in January is probably poor timing.
The holidays often leaves those with lots friends/family exhausted,
and those without lots of friends/family often feel lonely or
depressed. A lot of people also put on 5 or so pounds late in the year
- so they may be depressed about that as well.

So instead of waiting for New Years Resolutions and such, I'm starting
now. I'd like to hit the New Year with the diet already well under
way, and hopefully feeling good about having LOST some weight when
many times before I've GAINED weight at this time of year.

I've actually been ramping up to this for the past few weeks. I
haven't started lowcarb yet, but I'm aiming for it to begin soon. I
will PROBABLY start Atkins the day after Thanksgiving, though I'm
going to take a look at some of the other lowcarb plans before making
the final jump. But right now I'm in a prep phase.

Part one is nutritional supplements. Atkins (DANDR) mentions that many
people start out with nutritional deficits deep enough that it takes a
couple of weeks of supplementation before they get back to where they
should be. OK, I started taking the supplements several weeks ago. By
the time I actually begin the formal lowcarb diet I should not have
ANY nutritional deficits to hold me back - and I'll also be accustomed
to taking all those pills, so that won't be "One of the changes you
make when you start the lowcarb diet".

Part two is clearing the shelves. I really, really hate to throw out
food. So I've been clearing out the open containers of things with
carbs at a rate designed to be pretty much rid of them by the time I
start lowcarb. Those things that are UNOPENED, meanwhile, can get
donated to the local foodbanks. So instead of feeling bad about
throwing them out and just wasting them, I can feel good about having
them feed others who are hungry around the holidays.

Part three is exercise. Again, it's already underway. Sure, I'm
starting small and working my way up (today was walking for 30
minutes). It's not Earth-shattering, but it's a heck of a lot better
than nothing. And again, with the exercise already started it won't
be "One of the changes you make when you start the lowcarb diet."

Part four is mental prep. I've mentioned recently that I can generally
keep lowcarbing for a few months, but then go back to carbs. I'm
trying to get mentally ready. If it was martial arts it would be
"Building up my chi". There are always low spots when I do this, I
plan to be able to push through them better this time.

Part five has been lowering calories on the highcarb diet. It hasn't
been anything drastic, just some cutting down on portions and snacks.
So far I've lost 3 pounds in 3 weeks. Normally when I've started
Atkins it's been compared to my unrestricted "Maintain my extra
weight" way of eating. Perhaps if it directly follows a few weeks of
"Slowly lose weight the lowcal way" it will be more appealing.

Part six (now) is looking for a bit of Group Support. Maybe some will
want to lose weight with me. Maybe some will have successfully lost
weight and be on maintenance, but will still give support. Maybe
having made a public declaration that I'm starting, I'll feel less
willing to back out. This group hasn't been very active of late, but
it's certainly worth a try.

As I said, the current plan is to start lowcarb the day after
Thanksgiving. I want to be able to eat all the traditional family
dishes of that holiday. I hope to be able to keep portions under
control, but I don't want to feel deprived by saying that I can't have
any of this dish or that dish. Maybe I'll have lost another pound by
Thursday and feel I can afford to put that one pound back on. And any
"Take home the leftovers" will be limited to turkey.

I'm putting a lot more effort this time into making the transition
easy. I'll have a good excuse to turn down holiday cookies and
chocolates and pies and such, doing so when my motivation should be at
its highest. And January should be "Keep Up The Good Work" month
rather than "Let's make a whole mess of changes" month.

Anyone care to join me?

Sure. I'll join you. The holidays are sometimes tough to get through without
gaining, so starting Friday is a good idea.

Cheri