Hi!
Today is November 4, 2002 -- Monday.

Due to various problems - over indulgence of food and other excuses, I found my way (weigh??) back to where I originally started almost 1 year ago.

After being upset, beating myself up and feeling sorry for myself and of course, indulging in the many bags of candy for Halloween, I can to many realizations.

I spent the last week, totally angry with myself and of course eating more junky foods. Feeling lousy and being in a horrible mood. In addition, my Mom put her two cents in and made me feel even worse, "all that special ordering, food requests and then you go and do this to yourself???? What a waste."

Today, I have decided that enough to enough and I am coming back to this WOL. Oh, I know what is ahead of me....believe me I know. I am not looking forward to it, the headaches, craves and things, but I know that I was so successful in the past, that the hardpart is worth it. I have to re-learn the right way of doing things, drinking water and saying NO!!!! to the craves.

Sure, I am so scared of failure as I have done so many times in the past..............

But, today is day one.
Pam

Today is the first day of the rest of your life and you are going to do great!

Welcome back!

One day at a time, Pam, one day at a time, and we will be here for you.

Hugs,
Kat

Ditto Pam!

One thing you need to do, is to relax a little. Tell yourself you can do it. Sure, you might fail. You might fail again and again. But you know something? The only REAL failure is when you quit trying. I've been doing this diet for going on three years now. I haven't been perfect. I've had times of falling off the plan and I've had times of being on it quite well.

The trick is to catch yourself before you fall all the way to the bottom. Recognize that you are ADDICTED to carbs like so many of the rest of us, and that there will be times when they will call to you. Times when you will sucumb to their beckoning call.

Focus on PROGRESS not perfection. There is no such thing as perfection. But suppose you start today and get through today, tomorrow you screw up one meal. GET RIGHT BACK on track the very next meal. Don't wait for "tomorrow" or "next week". It is much easier to catch yourself the next meal than it is to allow a few months to run their course and then find yourself back at square one.

Don't think in terms of "forever". Sure it has to become a way of life, but we don't have to think that we can NEVER have some of the foods we love again. All we have to think about it TODAY. Like an alcoholic, or someone who is trying to quit smoking all you can handle is ONE day at a time. One MEAL at a time sometimes. But that is all you can eat at one time anyway so don't stress it.

Don't think about past failures. Don't worry about failing again. I read somewhere (and I LOVED it) that most of the biggest most SUCCESSFUL people in the world have FAILED more times than anyone else also. Why? Because when they fail they try again, if they fail they try again. They keep doing this until they eventually Succeed! On the other hand people who are failures are those who have failed and then given up. They fail "fewer" times, but you know what? They are ULTIMATE failures because they have stopped trying.

Your mother's comment about what a waste? Yes in some ways it was a waste. In other ways you learned from it. You know it can be done. You KNOW you can do it again. Don't let her comment discourage you, you will be that eventual success because you aren't going to give up ARE YOU?

Sherry B ----That was some great advice. I also needed to hear it. Thanks.

Pam , I know you can do this. Believe it!

Pam,
Hello! I am in the same boat as you! Three years ago, I went on LC and lost about 60 pounds. I kept it off for about 6 months and then relapsed! I went right back to where I was and gained even more! I joined this forum about 7 months ago and was all gung-ho on succeeding again, but... It didn't last long at all that time! It is now November 7, 2002 and I am on my second day of LCing again. I AM GOING TO DO IT THIS TIME! I just need a lot of support!

Pam and coleman,
You know what works. Don't beat yourself up for past failures, just do the best you can today. And then tomorrow you have a brand new day to start another low carb day. It's one day at a time. I too consider all the expensive foods I've bought when I find myself tempted. It's a deterrent to blowing it...I don't want to feel guilty for eating special foods and then blow the whole day by eating some stupid sugary thing. It's all a learning experience.

SherryB...words to live by. Thank you. I appreciate your been there, doing that kind of sharing. We all learn from each other. Victoria

I wanted to offer my voice of support. I have started and restarted a few times myself. My first weight loss 350 to 280 was so amazing that I fell off the plan. I got scared. I gained to 325 and started again. I found myself at 190 and again got nervous.
Now backed with a counsillor I started again from 200 and so far I'm doing ok. No fear. I think it helps that I'm exercising more: dancing, walking and such so I like how my body moves. It helps alot!

Sorry I rambled. But my point is this. Keep trying. I noticed my downward weight loss. Be sure you are getting all your vitamins because that makes things easier. Just keep on trying. Low carbing isn't perfection. Its a tendency. I mean one day off and 6 days on won't hurt you. Not if you keep trying. Seriously though, stay away from sugar. I found that alone will cause me my addiction to go double time. I can handle a roll but not sugar. Just a thought.

Take care - I'm here for you

But I'm on day 5 or re-Induction and I feel great!

Pam, you're doing the right thing by giving this another chance. I did the same thing 2 years ago and ballooned up to my highest weight ever. But this year I'm down 92lbs and I've just re-committed, just like you.

I know we can both be LC success stories!

Keep posting, reading, staying in front of yourself by planning and preparing. Don't let yourself get caught without provisions. And by all means, find some time to relax, meditate a bit and accept that those nasty Halloween candies or _____ (fill in the blank) are not just bad for you, they're poison. For me, sugar is worse than poison...it's the devil.

Good luck and welcome back to the fold!

Donald