Staying on the diet again - my dumb psychological trick that helpsme

For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

Here is my basic psychological trick for staying on. Actually it's not
original with me. Many people have mentioned this in this newsgroup, I
just never paid attention to it:

After the first few days I stopped weighing myself!

Over the past six months or so I've begun to realize that my
starts-and-stops, whether low-carb or low-cal, have an important
psychological cause. If I am losing consistently I find it easy to stay
on the diet. I feel happy. I feel lighter. I feel like I'm getting
healthier. My entire outlook on life is better.

If, on the other hand, I weigh myself and see no weight loss or, worse,
a tick *upwards* on the scale, no matter how much I intellectually
realize that it is only natural for diets to slow down and have random
ups and downs, at the moment I see the scale numbers showing no progress
I am mentally doomed. I get depressed. I think "what's the point?" And I
often go off the diet then.

This is not really so conscious, but I think there is a lot of truth to
it. It's a strong *feeling* I have...

So.. I watched the scale just the first few days to give myself
encouragement and saw my weight go down a bit: 121 kg ... 120.5 kg...
120 kg... 119.5 kg (yay! back "from the brink"!)... 119.0 kg and then
118.5 kg. That was last Thursday.

Then I said to myself - "Ok - it's crazy to watch the scale every day
now. You know it's going to slow down. But you WILL see weight loss
every week, or every couple of weeks. So don't look at the scale for *at
least* one week."

And that's what I've done. The last time I looked, last Thursday, the
diet was working. What more do I need to know? If I check the scale
again next week - or the week after - surely I should see another
downward tick. Even if it's just another 0.5 kg it will be a lower
figure than I last saw and I should get a mental lift from that. Or
maybe I'll look next *month* (though I don't know if I can wait that long).

In the meantime, I'm feeling better. Sleeping better. Doing more execise
(particularly not ignoring a morning Bullworker workout). And I am being
more judicious about the low-carb foods I am eating, since I realize
that the only way to really lose weight is by not eating too many
calories! In other words, I'm assuming that as far as weight loss goes
ALL that low-carb does is help curb appetite (which nobody denies).

I'm avoiding all NUTS right now. I think that was always a diet-killer
in the past. Nuts just have too many calories! And I think I must be
more susceptible to the carbs in nuts than some people because the more
nuts I eat the more I want to eat.

I'm avoiding all fruits right now, to be safe. And while I'm eating
plenty of vegetables, I'm only currently eating a few of the lowest carb
green vegetables: broccoli, spinach and green beans. Also lettuce and
cucumber for some fresh, crispy salads.

I'm also avoiding most artificially-sweetened things, especially soft
drinks, and am drinking mostly green tea and mineral water.

A friend recently bought a bicycle and we're going to start doing weekly
long-ish bicycle rides along the Kanda River. After I get used to that
I'll try to do more cycling on other days. I have to start somewhere though.

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

Doug Lerner wrote:

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

That's all you can do Doug. I wish you the best in your journey. I know
how hard it can be.
Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/238.4/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
__________________________________________________ ______
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.



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Doug Lerner wrote:

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

That's all you can do Doug. I wish you the best in your journey. I know
how hard it can be.
Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/238.4/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
__________________________________________________ ______
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.



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This is excellent advice! A person's psychological mood does have a lot to
do with their ability to remain committed.
Something else I see so frequently on this NG is the use of ketostix. My
BF not only weighed himself several times a day, he also used the sticks
and was constantly discouraged when they didn't show the same colour all
day long. I think they're as bad as weighing yourself every day. I don't
see any value in them whatsoever.
And the scale isn't a good indicator of progress. I've been at my ideal
"weight" for a couple of months, but even now I fluctuate within 3 pounds
depending on the amount of sodium I'm consuming.
A much better indicator of progress is body measurements. They don't
fluctuate as widely as the scale, if at all. Even on days when my scale
has me at a higher weight, my measurements haven't changed.
So I think most people should throw away their scale and definitely throw
out the ketostix. The tape measure is the only tool you really need to
confirm fat loss.

on Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:51:12 +0900, Doug Lerner wrote:

For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

Here is my basic psychological trick for staying on. Actually it's not
original with me. Many people have mentioned this in this newsgroup, I
just never paid attention to it:

After the first few days I stopped weighing myself!

Over the past six months or so I've begun to realize that my
starts-and-stops, whether low-carb or low-cal, have an important
psychological cause. If I am losing consistently I find it easy to stay
on the diet. I feel happy. I feel lighter. I feel like I'm getting
healthier. My entire outlook on life is better.

If, on the other hand, I weigh myself and see no weight loss or, worse,
a tick *upwards* on the scale, no matter how much I intellectually
realize that it is only natural for diets to slow down and have random
ups and downs, at the moment I see the scale numbers showing no progress
I am mentally doomed. I get depressed. I think "what's the point?" And I
often go off the diet then.

This is not really so conscious, but I think there is a lot of truth to
it. It's a strong *feeling* I have...

So.. I watched the scale just the first few days to give myself
encouragement and saw my weight go down a bit: 121 kg ... 120.5 kg...
120 kg... 119.5 kg (yay! back "from the brink"!)... 119.0 kg and then
118.5 kg. That was last Thursday.

Then I said to myself - "Ok - it's crazy to watch the scale every day
now. You know it's going to slow down. But you WILL see weight loss
every week, or every couple of weeks. So don't look at the scale for *at
least* one week."

And that's what I've done. The last time I looked, last Thursday, the
diet was working. What more do I need to know? If I check the scale
again next week - or the week after - surely I should see another
downward tick. Even if it's just another 0.5 kg it will be a lower
figure than I last saw and I should get a mental lift from that. Or
maybe I'll look next *month* (though I don't know if I can wait that long).

In the meantime, I'm feeling better. Sleeping better. Doing more execise
(particularly not ignoring a morning Bullworker workout). And I am being
more judicious about the low-carb foods I am eating, since I realize
that the only way to really lose weight is by not eating too many
calories! In other words, I'm assuming that as far as weight loss goes
ALL that low-carb does is help curb appetite (which nobody denies).

I'm avoiding all NUTS right now. I think that was always a diet-killer
in the past. Nuts just have too many calories! And I think I must be
more susceptible to the carbs in nuts than some people because the more
nuts I eat the more I want to eat.

I'm avoiding all fruits right now, to be safe. And while I'm eating
plenty of vegetables, I'm only currently eating a few of the lowest carb
green vegetables: broccoli, spinach and green beans. Also lettuce and
cucumber for some fresh, crispy salads.

I'm also avoiding most artificially-sweetened things, especially soft
drinks, and am drinking mostly green tea and mineral water.

A friend recently bought a bicycle and we're going to start doing weekly
long-ish bicycle rides along the Kanda River. After I get used to that
I'll try to do more cycling on other days. I have to start somewhere though.

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

-----
Bev

This is excellent advice! A person's psychological mood does have a lot to
do with their ability to remain committed.
Something else I see so frequently on this NG is the use of ketostix. My
BF not only weighed himself several times a day, he also used the sticks
and was constantly discouraged when they didn't show the same colour all
day long. I think they're as bad as weighing yourself every day. I don't
see any value in them whatsoever.
And the scale isn't a good indicator of progress. I've been at my ideal
"weight" for a couple of months, but even now I fluctuate within 3 pounds
depending on the amount of sodium I'm consuming.
A much better indicator of progress is body measurements. They don't
fluctuate as widely as the scale, if at all. Even on days when my scale
has me at a higher weight, my measurements haven't changed.
So I think most people should throw away their scale and definitely throw
out the ketostix. The tape measure is the only tool you really need to
confirm fat loss.

on Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:51:12 +0900, Doug Lerner wrote:

For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

Here is my basic psychological trick for staying on. Actually it's not
original with me. Many people have mentioned this in this newsgroup, I
just never paid attention to it:

After the first few days I stopped weighing myself!

Over the past six months or so I've begun to realize that my
starts-and-stops, whether low-carb or low-cal, have an important
psychological cause. If I am losing consistently I find it easy to stay
on the diet. I feel happy. I feel lighter. I feel like I'm getting
healthier. My entire outlook on life is better.

If, on the other hand, I weigh myself and see no weight loss or, worse,
a tick *upwards* on the scale, no matter how much I intellectually
realize that it is only natural for diets to slow down and have random
ups and downs, at the moment I see the scale numbers showing no progress
I am mentally doomed. I get depressed. I think "what's the point?" And I
often go off the diet then.

This is not really so conscious, but I think there is a lot of truth to
it. It's a strong *feeling* I have...

So.. I watched the scale just the first few days to give myself
encouragement and saw my weight go down a bit: 121 kg ... 120.5 kg...
120 kg... 119.5 kg (yay! back "from the brink"!)... 119.0 kg and then
118.5 kg. That was last Thursday.

Then I said to myself - "Ok - it's crazy to watch the scale every day
now. You know it's going to slow down. But you WILL see weight loss
every week, or every couple of weeks. So don't look at the scale for *at
least* one week."

And that's what I've done. The last time I looked, last Thursday, the
diet was working. What more do I need to know? If I check the scale
again next week - or the week after - surely I should see another
downward tick. Even if it's just another 0.5 kg it will be a lower
figure than I last saw and I should get a mental lift from that. Or
maybe I'll look next *month* (though I don't know if I can wait that long).

In the meantime, I'm feeling better. Sleeping better. Doing more execise
(particularly not ignoring a morning Bullworker workout). And I am being
more judicious about the low-carb foods I am eating, since I realize
that the only way to really lose weight is by not eating too many
calories! In other words, I'm assuming that as far as weight loss goes
ALL that low-carb does is help curb appetite (which nobody denies).

I'm avoiding all NUTS right now. I think that was always a diet-killer
in the past. Nuts just have too many calories! And I think I must be
more susceptible to the carbs in nuts than some people because the more
nuts I eat the more I want to eat.

I'm avoiding all fruits right now, to be safe. And while I'm eating
plenty of vegetables, I'm only currently eating a few of the lowest carb
green vegetables: broccoli, spinach and green beans. Also lettuce and
cucumber for some fresh, crispy salads.

I'm also avoiding most artificially-sweetened things, especially soft
drinks, and am drinking mostly green tea and mineral water.

A friend recently bought a bicycle and we're going to start doing weekly
long-ish bicycle rides along the Kanda River. After I get used to that
I'll try to do more cycling on other days. I have to start somewhere though.

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

-----
Bev

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:51:12 +0900, Doug Lerner
wrote:

*major snippage*

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

Good for you! Your psychological trick isn't dumb. The scale probably
causes more people to quit ANY food plan than any other single item.
Anyone willing to stick in and track over time will realize that the
losses are there - they just don't always show up EVERY day. Took me a
long time to figure that out...LOL

Keep doing what you're doing. It's working for you!

Lybbe
Highest Weight - 308
Started Bernstein Diet October 2, 2004 - 243.0
Today's weight - 217.0
Goal - 150

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:51:12 +0900, Doug Lerner
wrote:

*major snippage*

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug

Good for you! Your psychological trick isn't dumb. The scale probably
causes more people to quit ANY food plan than any other single item.
Anyone willing to stick in and track over time will realize that the
losses are there - they just don't always show up EVERY day. Took me a
long time to figure that out...LOL

Keep doing what you're doing. It's working for you!

Lybbe
Highest Weight - 308
Started Bernstein Diet October 2, 2004 - 243.0
Today's weight - 217.0
Goal - 150

"Doug Lerner" wrote in message
...
For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

That's brilliant, Doug! Well done!

Don't forget that fat loss may be masked by muscle gain, if you rely on your
weekly weigh-ins to gauge progress - use a tape measure too. If you get a
baseline now, you will see real progress, particularly when your cycling
gets going. I'm not sure what are important measurements for a man - I do
chest, waist, hips & thighs weekly, and have so far always seen a drop in
size somewhere, even during long weight-loss stalls - very motivational ; )
And it doesn't count unless I measure it on a Monday!

Nicky.

--
HbA1c 10.5/6.4/6 Weight 95/80/72
1g Metformin, 75ug Thyroxine
T2 DX 05/2004

"Doug Lerner" wrote in message
...
For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

That's brilliant, Doug! Well done!

Don't forget that fat loss may be masked by muscle gain, if you rely on your
weekly weigh-ins to gauge progress - use a tape measure too. If you get a
baseline now, you will see real progress, particularly when your cycling
gets going. I'm not sure what are important measurements for a man - I do
chest, waist, hips & thighs weekly, and have so far always seen a drop in
size somewhere, even during long weight-loss stalls - very motivational ; )
And it doesn't count unless I measure it on a Monday!

Nicky.

--
HbA1c 10.5/6.4/6 Weight 95/80/72
1g Metformin, 75ug Thyroxine
T2 DX 05/2004

Many people fail at dieting. I suspect that stopping the daily measurements
is the first step toward regaining the weight.

Charting the weight measurements can make the trend apparent. Also, one can
watch not only the new lows, but, as daily weight ticks up, the high point
should be lower than the previous high point a week or two before. One can
perceive a lower high.

Seeing the short term upticks in weight is unpleasant, but the intellectual
understanding of the process should prevent despair. When I see an uptick,
I try harder. It is also a reminder to review my calorie averages. If my
calorie average is on track, I can be confident that the uptick on the scale
is just noise.

Cubit
311/206/165


"Doug Lerner" wrote in message
...
For the past 10 days I've been staying at induction-level Atkins
(basically) without hunger pangs or a desire to go off.

Here is my basic psychological trick for staying on. Actually it's not
original with me. Many people have mentioned this in this newsgroup, I
just never paid attention to it:

After the first few days I stopped weighing myself!

Over the past six months or so I've begun to realize that my
starts-and-stops, whether low-carb or low-cal, have an important
psychological cause. If I am losing consistently I find it easy to stay
on the diet. I feel happy. I feel lighter. I feel like I'm getting
healthier. My entire outlook on life is better.

If, on the other hand, I weigh myself and see no weight loss or, worse,
a tick *upwards* on the scale, no matter how much I intellectually
realize that it is only natural for diets to slow down and have random
ups and downs, at the moment I see the scale numbers showing no progress
I am mentally doomed. I get depressed. I think "what's the point?" And I
often go off the diet then.

This is not really so conscious, but I think there is a lot of truth to
it. It's a strong *feeling* I have...

So.. I watched the scale just the first few days to give myself
encouragement and saw my weight go down a bit: 121 kg ... 120.5 kg...
120 kg... 119.5 kg (yay! back "from the brink"!)... 119.0 kg and then
118.5 kg. That was last Thursday.

Then I said to myself - "Ok - it's crazy to watch the scale every day
now. You know it's going to slow down. But you WILL see weight loss
every week, or every couple of weeks. So don't look at the scale for *at
least* one week."

And that's what I've done. The last time I looked, last Thursday, the
diet was working. What more do I need to know? If I check the scale
again next week - or the week after - surely I should see another
downward tick. Even if it's just another 0.5 kg it will be a lower
figure than I last saw and I should get a mental lift from that. Or
maybe I'll look next *month* (though I don't know if I can wait that
long).

In the meantime, I'm feeling better. Sleeping better. Doing more execise
(particularly not ignoring a morning Bullworker workout). And I am being
more judicious about the low-carb foods I am eating, since I realize
that the only way to really lose weight is by not eating too many
calories! In other words, I'm assuming that as far as weight loss goes
ALL that low-carb does is help curb appetite (which nobody denies).

I'm avoiding all NUTS right now. I think that was always a diet-killer
in the past. Nuts just have too many calories! And I think I must be
more susceptible to the carbs in nuts than some people because the more
nuts I eat the more I want to eat.

I'm avoiding all fruits right now, to be safe. And while I'm eating
plenty of vegetables, I'm only currently eating a few of the lowest carb
green vegetables: broccoli, spinach and green beans. Also lettuce and
cucumber for some fresh, crispy salads.

I'm also avoiding most artificially-sweetened things, especially soft
drinks, and am drinking mostly green tea and mineral water.

A friend recently bought a bicycle and we're going to start doing weekly
long-ish bicycle rides along the Kanda River. After I get used to that
I'll try to do more cycling on other days. I have to start somewhere
though.

Anyway, I'm *trying*! What more can a person do than keep trying?

doug