Success as a Journey not a Destination
 

I'm writing the first chapter of my success story here today at the request of a new found friend in the forum!

On September 13, 2001 at 9AM I visited my doctor with the purpose of asking for her help with losing weight. I'd been trying low calorie/low fat and just wasn't getting anywhere. I weighed about 230 pounds - an all time high. I was frustrated and depressed by my physical condition and appearance. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I begged her...HELP me.....

Someone is looking after me. My doctor didn't even miss a beat when she said: "Go on the Atkins Diet. Get the book. It's the diet for you."

I trust this wonderful lady so on my walk home I stopped at the local book store and again the Gods smiled on me. The book was there. I read it cover to cover that afternoon and evening...skipped ahead far enough to be able to start Induction right away. Made a trip to the grocery store that afternoon to get supplies. I decided that whether it was going to work for me or not I was going to give it a 100% honest try. 14 days is a very short time in the big scheme of things and I was willing to invest that in myself!

I felt things shifting right away and by the end of the first week I was down 12 pounds. I was jubilant! At this rate I figured I'd be where I wanted to be in no time flat! Visions of a new wardrobe danced in my head.

Then I rebounded. Up two pounds and then up another 6 at the end of two weeks. I was following the LC plan 100%. I couldn't understand why I went up again. I thought my nightmare was starting again. Gaining weight on a diet. I wailed when I saw my Doc again and she asked me to do two things. Stay on the diet for two more weeks and not weigh myself. I reluctantly agreed. When I got home from that visit, I was devastated and knew that I was going to need help. A lot of help. Again I seemed to be 'standing in the light'. I don't even remember now how I searched, but I found this forum right away.

I started a journal that day and thanks to the encouragement from Karen and Nat in those early days, I'm still here.....two months later. When things appeared to be at their worst with me and LC as a WOL I made the committment to myself to give it an honest 100% try until January. Once again, I believed that I am worth that. It took a full month of following the plan for my body to adjust. I'd hate to think how much longer it might have taken if I'd been cheating on myself.

Doing the Atkins Induction did what he promised. I lost all interest in the nastier carbs during induction. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. And it's paying dividends. I've been eating LC for 2.5 months now. Yesterday I reached a 20 pound milestone and today I'm down another 2.5 pounds for a total of 22.5 pounds.

I allow myself every little success. I congratulate myself for every sip of water, with every trip to the gym, with every length swum. I'm successful every step of the way. I'm not waiting to get to my goal weight to call myself a success. I'm not putting off my happiness one more minute! This is a journey of success for me.

I'm so glad you posted that, and I hope everybody who's struggling with stalls or weight gains reads it. Marlaine, I would NOT have had the fortitude to stick to the plan with that history. I really admire that -- and thanks to your doctor. If your doctor hadn't been a low carb person, her advice to you might have been very different.

Maybe your body just had to settle itself after a lot of attempts to lose weighit? Whatever, it's in shrink mode now and I hope that continues.

If I had it to do again, I think I'd start with Atkins and switch to Protein Power after two weeks. I think there's a lot to be said for "going cold turkey," which induction does.

Anyway, it's a very instructive story. I've enjoyed reading your journal, too, but it's nice to see it in this form as well.

Re: Success as a Journey not a Destination
 

Small battles won, win the war. :thup: Congratulations. :thup: Thanks so much for sharing. I expect we'll be seeing you long after January rolls past

You've got that right. I'm here for the duration.

M

Thanks for sharing Marlaine
 

I always love reading success stories. I look forward to reading further insights and thoughts as you add more "chapters" to your success story.

And I agree with you--enjoy the success along the way. I too feel so good every time I exercise (I am not an exercise person), every half pound or pound lost, every time I reflect on how good I feel as opposed to tired and lethargic and every time I think about how far I've come.

Hey, we go, girl! (LOL)

Great message in the importance of patience, Marlaine! Glad you posted it, your story will inspire many, many low-carbers who struggle for that goal.

Awesome!!
 

Thank you for sharing, being a newbie, I need to hear the opinions of the pros, the cons and especially the successes! I too was at the end of my rope and when my scale hit 190, I thought OMG I weigh 40 pounds more today than I did the day I delivered my son 28 years ago, and I was 30 pounds overweight then!

I am here because I am tired of battling the yo-yo syndrome, tired of being tired and would like to finally be the best I can be.

May you enjoy the rest of your journey!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Congratulation on your success!
 

Marlaine,

Down 22.5 pounds - how awesome! Thanks for sharing your success and thanks for sharing the things that have kept you successful. I'm new to the boards but I've been LCing since the middle of August. I agree...it's so important to acknowledge your success along the way. I'm so happy everytime I exercise, drink the water, stay on program and take measurements!

So, I'll be here for a while (actually, hopefully a long while since I hope to make this a way of life). I look forward to meeting you on the boards!
Way To Go
:Party:

congrats
 

You have more faith and patience than I ever would have! If Atkins had not worked right away, I think I would have given up. It takes a special person to have that kind of hope and faith! :clap:

Thanks for the kind words Cher!! It's taken two whole weeks since I posted that chapter for me to loose more weight, but in the last four days, three more pounds have come off making the total 25.5 pounds now.

Two weeks of no loss flew by this time and I was a lot less frantic than the last time I had to wait because I now KNOW that if I follow the plan the weight will come off!

Marlaine

Wow Marlaine...you are an inspiration
 

It's actually a few days later (than your last post). Congratulations on the additional weight loss...and right before Christmas. That must really feel good. I look forward to hearing more about your success. I'll keep looking for you on the boards. By the way, I had 2 months with no weight loss...so, I totally understand the initial frustration...that's why I'm so glad that both of us stuck with it :cheer:

Marlaine, That was so inspiring, I especially liked that you congratulate yourself on your small victories, We all need to learn to do that. Too often, We don't give ourselves the credit, or praise we deserve, then we also don't accept it from others. Thanks for such an inspirational sharing. Chris :wave:

Thank you so much for sharing this! It is such a great motivator and source of inspiration! I am so thankful to know to prepare myself for this possibility and to not get discouraged. Congratulations on all your success and on the success that is bound to come. :)

This is the kind of Christmas story that touches my heart. I know this way of eating isn't for everyone, but for those of us who feel like it has saved our lives, it is a gift from God. I too have been struggling, but time and patience.....Happy Holidays everyone.

What a beautiful, well written success story. You are so right, every step toward the right way is a success.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderul story I look forward to reading more of your post and reading about your journey.