Ready to quit

I've been lurking here for quite a while, and have gotten much support
and information from this group (thank you!) But now I've reached the
end of my rope and need some advice, and I thought some of you might
be able to give me some words of wisdom.

I started low-carbing in May 2002, one year ahead of my wedding, at
the weight of 152 (I am 5'6"). By my wedding date, I was 25 pounds
lighter, at 127 (yay!) On my two-week honeymoon in Tahiti, I put on
14 pounds (yikes!), 7 pounds of which I was able to take off the first
week back.

Since then (one year and four months) I have been basically taking one
step forward and two steps back. During my pre-wedding weight loss, I
was pretty much keeping around 30-40 carbs a day. Almost a year ago I
cut back to 20 grams a day, and rarely go over that. Once every
couple of months, either on a business trip or a weekend getaway, I
eat whatever I want, gain about 4 pounds, and then over the next few
weeks lose about 3 of them, so I've been slowly going backwards. I am
now at 142. Even when I go for months at a time staying faithfully at
20 grams or less, I can't lose anything, and often gain.

I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
rules, and still…I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is that
all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it. I'm ready
to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain weight staying at
20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit? I don't want to be
one of those statistics that gain back everything they lose and then
some.

Can anybody out there give me any advice?

Thank you in advance,
Linda

My best advice is that you have to count calories too, especially when
trying to maintain, at least that's been my experience. Good luck.

--
Cheri
Type 2, no meds for now.



I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
rules, and still…I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is that
all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it. I'm ready
to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain weight staying at
20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit? I don't want to be
one of those statistics that gain back everything they lose and then
some.

Can anybody out there give me any advice?

Thank you in advance,
Linda

1) get control of your head. You can't eat everything you want and also not
be fat. You have to decide which one you really want to do. I know it is
hard, but having a love affair with food will make things very difficult.
try to beat it down.

2) start paying attention to how much you're eating, not just carbs. decide
that not matter what, you won't let your weight creep more than 5 lbs over
where you want to be (well, you must be realistic about this - 127 may just
be too little for you. Why not compromise at 135 with 140 being your "i'm
going to quit eating now" point.) Seriously, don't ever let yourself think
that you won't have to struggle to not be fat. That is the plight of a
formerly fat person, sadly.

3) look at your workout program. What are you doing? Perhaps it's time to
revise it - notch up the intensity. Add some real muscle mass to boost your
BMR.

4) you know exactly what will happen if you quit. think long and hard about
that -- try to visualize yourself naked while in front of a mirror. Yep, do
that every morning....

5) quit lurking. hanging out here will help you keep your focus. keeping
focus is very important, believe it or not.

Linda wrote:
:: I've been lurking here for quite a while, and have gotten much
:: support and information from this group (thank you!) But now I've
:: reached the end of my rope and need some advice, and I thought some
:: of you might be able to give me some words of wisdom.
::
:: I started low-carbing in May 2002, one year ahead of my wedding, at
:: the weight of 152 (I am 5'6"). By my wedding date, I was 25 pounds
:: lighter, at 127 (yay!) On my two-week honeymoon in Tahiti, I put on
:: 14 pounds (yikes!), 7 pounds of which I was able to take off the
:: first week back.
::
:: Since then (one year and four months) I have been basically taking
:: one step forward and two steps back. During my pre-wedding weight
:: loss, I was pretty much keeping around 30-40 carbs a day. Almost a
:: year ago I cut back to 20 grams a day, and rarely go over that.
:: Once every couple of months, either on a business trip or a weekend
:: getaway, I eat whatever I want, gain about 4 pounds, and then over
:: the next few weeks lose about 3 of them, so I've been slowly going
:: backwards. I am now at 142. Even when I go for months at a time
:: staying faithfully at 20 grams or less, I can't lose anything, and
:: often gain.
::
:: I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
:: really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
:: rules, and still.I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is
:: that all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it.
:: I'm ready to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain
:: weight staying at 20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit?
:: I don't want to be one of those statistics that gain back everything
:: they lose and then some.
::
:: Can anybody out there give me any advice?
::
:: Thank you in advance,
:: Linda

Linda wrote:

I've been lurking here for quite a while, and have gotten much support
and information from this group (thank you!) But now I've reached the
end of my rope and need some advice, and I thought some of you might
be able to give me some words of wisdom.

I started low-carbing in May 2002, one year ahead of my wedding, at
the weight of 152 (I am 5'6"). By my wedding date, I was 25 pounds
lighter, at 127 (yay!) On my two-week honeymoon in Tahiti, I put on
14 pounds (yikes!), 7 pounds of which I was able to take off the first
week back.

Since then (one year and four months) I have been basically taking one
step forward and two steps back. During my pre-wedding weight loss, I
was pretty much keeping around 30-40 carbs a day. Almost a year ago I
cut back to 20 grams a day, and rarely go over that. Once every
couple of months, either on a business trip or a weekend getaway, I
eat whatever I want, gain about 4 pounds, and then over the next few
weeks lose about 3 of them, so I've been slowly going backwards. I am
now at 142. Even when I go for months at a time staying faithfully at
20 grams or less, I can't lose anything, and often gain.

I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
rules, and still…I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is that
all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it. I'm ready
to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain weight staying at
20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit? I don't want to be
one of those statistics that gain back everything they lose and then
some.

Can anybody out there give me any advice?

i'd advise you to pull your head out of your ass. at 142 you're not
overweight by any stretch of the imagination.

I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
rules, and still?I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is that
all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it. I'm ready
to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain weight staying at
20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit? I don't want to be
one of those statistics that gain back everything they lose and then
some.

Can anybody out there give me any advice?

i'd advise you to pull your head out of your ass. at 142 you're not
overweight by any stretch of the imagination.


Minus the less-than-positive comment, I whole-heartedly agree! Linda,
I think it is a matter of perception. I am 5'6" and my GOAL is 142. I
am 163 now. When I got married (21 years ago), I was 115. LOL, I can't
go by the "pre-married" weight as a goal. I'd have to be sickly to
reach that. Funny how things change. Back then I could eat anything
and never gain. Then over the next couple years of married life, I
gained up to "normal" weight (135). I was horrified then, because I
had gained 20 pounds (then babies came and *bam* I was 200 lbs.). But
now I'd LOVE to be 135. If you really want to lose more try doing more
intense exercise on the 3 days or add a day and make it 4 days.

Don't quit! Quitting is not an option. Do you want to feel more
depressed and and discouraged? You do NOT want to "go there" and you
know it. Make small changes to your diet and exercise and see if more
pounds drop, but even if you maintain, you are still doing great at
that weight.

Peggy

Peggy

I feel so frustrated, and deprived and angry at passing up the food I
really want to eat, exercising 3 times a week, following all the
rules, and still?I gained two pounds this week! What the heck is that
all about? I eat meat, cheese, salad, and that's about it. I'm ready
to chuck it all, but I'm afraid to because if I gain weight staying at
20 carbs a day, what's going to happen if I quit? I don't want to be
one of those statistics that gain back everything they lose and then
some.

Can anybody out there give me any advice?

i'd advise you to pull your head out of your ass. at 142 you're not
overweight by any stretch of the imagination.


Minus the less-than-positive comment, I whole-heartedly agree! Linda,
I think it is a matter of perception. I am 5'6" and my GOAL is 142. I
am 163 now. When I got married (21 years ago), I was 115. LOL, I can't
go by the "pre-married" weight as a goal. I'd have to be sickly to
reach that. Funny how things change. Back then I could eat anything
and never gain. Then over the next couple years of married life, I
gained up to "normal" weight (135). I was horrified then, because I
had gained 20 pounds (then babies came and *bam* I was 200 lbs.). But
now I'd LOVE to be 135. If you really want to lose more try doing more
intense exercise on the 3 days or add a day and make it 4 days.

Don't quit! Quitting is not an option. Do you want to feel more
depressed and and discouraged? You do NOT want to "go there" and you
know it. Make small changes to your diet and exercise and see if more
pounds drop, but even if you maintain, you are still doing great at
that weight.

Peggy

Peggy

Linda wrote:

Almost a year ago I
cut back to 20 grams a day, and rarely go over that.

Have you considered trying Atkins? In the book where it says it
is safe to stay at 20 for as long as six months if you satisfy
a long list if qualifications. I notice at least 3 from the
list that you miss, thus you aren't qualified to stay that low.

The ones I notice a 1) It continues to work at 20. 2) You
have "a lot" to lose (and general experience says he means 100+
to mean a lot). 3) Six months except for folks who are under
direct supervision and still have a lot to lose.

There are several other qualifying questions in that section
and you may well fail even more of them.

Less is not more. Remember that you did better at 30-40 than
you are now doing at 20.

Are you still in ketosis? If yes then move up and find your
CCLL by spending a week out of ketosis, then settling in at
5-10 lower than that. Sure, right now you want to quote the
book that CCLL is about loss rate, but your stall just
conclusively disproved that for you.

(Doug Freyburger) wrote in message . com...
Linda wrote:

Almost a year ago I
cut back to 20 grams a day, and rarely go over that.

Have you considered trying Atkins? In the book where it says it
is safe to stay at 20 for as long as six months if you satisfy
a long list if qualifications. I notice at least 3 from the
list that you miss, thus you aren't qualified to stay that low.

The ones I notice a 1) It continues to work at 20. 2) You
have "a lot" to lose (and general experience says he means 100+
to mean a lot). 3) Six months except for folks who are under
direct supervision and still have a lot to lose.

There are several other qualifying questions in that section
and you may well fail even more of them.

Less is not more. Remember that you did better at 30-40 than
you are now doing at 20.

Are you still in ketosis? If yes then move up and find your
CCLL by spending a week out of ketosis, then settling in at
5-10 lower than that. Sure, right now you want to quote the
book that CCLL is about loss rate, but your stall just
conclusively disproved that for you.

No, I'm not in ketosis. I've NEVER been in ketosis. Even during my
active weight loss period, I've never registered anything on the
strip. I've always wondered about that. I thought maybe I got a bad
batch of strips so I bought another bottle, and still nothing.

I'm afraid to increase my carb intake because I know my body pretty
well, and I'll start gaining immediately. I mean, obviously if I'm
gaining at 20 grams, I'll gain more at 40, won't I? It just makes
sense to me.

(Linda) wrote:

I'm afraid to increase my carb intake because I know my body pretty
well, and I'll start gaining immediately. I mean, obviously if I'm
gaining at 20 grams, I'll gain more at 40, won't I? It just makes
sense to me.

I don't pretend to know the specifics of why, but if I stay at very,
very low carbs, like 20 or less, I don't lose weight. I don't gain,
but I don't lose. I have to eat about 40 grams a day to lose weight,
which for me means adding at least a cup of yogurt or 1/4 of a
cantaloupe a day to boost it up a little. Weird, but that's how it
goes, so maybe you should try it for a week or two?

It's probably mentioned why in Atkins' book somewhere, but I'm on the
Anti-X diet, from the book "Syndrome X," and it doesn't get into that
sort of detail.

Hope that helps,

Kristen

--
"Who is the patriot, I ask you? Those who wrap themselves in the flag and pledge
allegiance to it, or those who keep the pledge and wrap themselves in what the
flag represents?" -Ira Glasser

In article ,
(Linda) wrote:


I'm afraid to increase my carb intake because I know my body pretty
well, and I'll start gaining immediately. I mean, obviously if I'm
gaining at 20 grams, I'll gain more at 40, won't I? It just makes
sense to me.

It depends. I view low-carb as a tool for lowering overall calories.
While there have been some studies showing that you may be able to lose at
a higher caloric intake on low-carb than on low-fat, it makes sense to me
that this will only work up to a point.

The reason I think low-carb works in general is that you end up eating less
because low-carb foods are more satisfying. But, this doesn't lead to
weight loss for everyone. My father, for example, can eat obscene amounts
of meat. He got used to huge portions when he was a young man with a high
metabolism, when he was much more active. He was one of those muscular,
athletic guys who could eat huge amounts of food and not get fat. Once he
got hurt, got older, and got less active, it started to catch up with him.

Now, if you're staying at 20g but your portions are small, then it
shouldn't hurt you. But, you may run into the same trap my dad did, if you
have a big appetite. Instead of having a side salad and some steamed
broccoli with his steak, he'd rather have another steak. It could very well
add up to too many calories to lose weight. Some people find that if they
add more vegetables (which all have some carbs) they can keep the bulk of
the food the same, while lowering calories, and result in more weight loss.

It's all about finding the balance that works for you. Some people can get
full at 20g and at whatever calorie level they need to eat at to lose
weight, and some people need to add more carbs in order to keep calories
low enough.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.