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Originally Posted by TucsonBill
It's a little different for me in that I never in my life really cared very much that I was overweight, even after I became obese. Until a couple of years ago when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes, I could not see that it was doing me any harm. Even then, it was "pre" diabetes, not "diabetes", so I just quit drinking coke, started buying "healthy bread", my weight went down a bit and stabilized and I figured I was OK. I was only recently forced to admit that I was mortal like everyone else lol. All these side effects of the diabetes just creeped up on me along with my A1C and I suddenly realized I was in a world of hurt.
As I understand it, many of these low carb diets permit you, at some point, to reintroduce more cabs back into your diet. I plan to try that once I reach my target weight. That does not mean I plan on going back to my old WOE that made me obese to begin with.
My wife and I have tried to grow a little mini Garden of Eden and we have nourished and loved these wonderful fruit trees we have growing in our yard. This year we had a bumper crop of the sweetest, juiciest peaches you ever put to your lips that ripened just as I started my low carb diet and I only got to eat one peach. To think I could never again eat any of those peaches, or a slice of fresh baked apple pie, or have a slice of watermelon on a hot summer day, I think I'd just say screw it and let my food kill me.
My goal at this point is to get well and to eventually adopt a WOE that will permit me to enjoy just enough of my garden without gaining weight. To find a proper balance between near total abstinence, (20 carbs a day), and the diet that made me sick to begin with. I really want to be able to eat more than one of those peaches next year  |
TB, although I am starting from a different place than you (thanks to genetics keeping me from obesity), I am with you 100% on hoping to find that balance between 20 carbs and the ability to enjoy a wide variety of good food.
I had previously experimented with a very simple approach to dieting, that involved nothing more than giving up the empty stuff I tended to eat such as fries, potato chips, corn chips, most sweets, some beer, and found that just with that my weight would over time start to drift down. I am on the road a lot, and that way I could buy fast food, skip the fries/chips, and hold the weight at bay. Of course, over time my firm resolve would fade....
I plan to be able to enjoy the things I have enjoyed again, such as pizza, sushi, beer, ice cream, although in moderation, once I finally kill off the man belly and get myself to Mt Rainier conquering weight. I am confident with adequate exercise and much better decisions on what carbohydrates to eat (hello, Five Guy burger in bun, no thanks to those great fries:-( ) I can stabilize below 190. Yes, I know, most plans do not survive initial contact with the carbohydrate army...time will tell.
What I will do differently this time is keep the LC diet as my safe harbor, and not hesitate to return to it if my weight pushes past my new red line (200 lbs). I successfully dropped some pounds 15 years ago on LC, and should have returned to LC way sooner than 220 lbs.
I guess, compared to some on this site, I am conflicted. I want to be able to wear 34 inch pants and eats some delicious carb loaded food too. But like most all here, my weight was impacting my quality of life (although in such a minimal way compared to some I am almost embarrassed to make that statement), and the LC way to weight loss has been a godsend.
I guess it just comes down, as all else, to life being a series of choices and compromises.
Anyway, glad you had a good time, and glad that you are back with resolve!