PJ described EXACTLY what it took for me to change from a frankeningestibles eater who had never wielded a saucepan in her life or eaten a vegetable that wasn't potatoes, and the focus required to do it. Knowing now what I didn't know then, I'm not sure I'd have the fortitude to do it all over again. Not to mention re-learning how to socialize with people, as someone who had literally never shared a table with others without eating the same total, utter, garbage they were eating and swigging down the same sugary, fruity cocktails.

This isn't just about giving up sugar and grains - it's an entire lifestyle change and it ain't for sissies.

It's true that ultimately there are drastic changes, but I also think you can start quietly, even gradually, and still improve your health a lot.

When I first started LC years ago I wasn't really aware of how important it was to focus on higher fat, better protein sources, etc. I just cut out the obvious high-carb foods and sugar and grains and I lost a great deal of weight fairly quickly and steadily (and kept it off). I had gained a lot of weight in a short time period (which I now attribute to eating "healthy" grains, especially wheat and brown rice) and had a lot of health problems, which improved so much.

Many tweaks and much self-education came later, along with mistakes, dealing with social pressures, and learning more about how my body thrives (not to mention hormonal adjustments with menopause).

You're right, it's a huge transformation and requires a lot of new ways of thinking and doing things, but I hope we don't scare off newcomers. Even simple changes can help a lot.

And many of us starting out have a heavy load of physical and mental/psychological problems due to reactions to high-carb eating, sugar addictions, etc. that may need healing in stages as we get stronger to persevere.

You're right Pazia. This can be approached very gradually and simply, and focusing on just one small thing at a time, and everything helps and is worth doing.

In my case, I was woken up from sleep and told (by my body) that I would be dead in 3 months if I didn't immediately shift to lowcarb eating. (You'll just have to trust me that my psychology is commonly weird like this!) I got up, filled 14 copy paper boxes with carby food from my kitchen, took it to my grandmother's the next day to give to family, and went LC. I believe it saved my life. Wasn't the only solution or rather, body likely needs a lot more health work than merely that, but it was drastic for me. So I probably got more trauma from the attempt at sudden shift than is necessary.

A far more gradual introduction to LC is certainly do-able.

PJ

I think this is why, as a species, we are given only glimpses of the future. Perfect precognition would paralyze us.

Oh my goodness, I'm sorry if what I said earlier would scare off a newcomer. No! Do it any way you can - but do it. The key is to "know thyself" and if you don't, then experiment if necessary to find what works for you.

I'm an all or nothing sort of person and that's often been my downfall, but not when it came to the two best things I ever did for my health: eating low carb and quitting smoking.

I quit all sugar, grains, and starch cold turkey because I had terrible blood test results. The cravings disappeared within a week. I stopped a 4-pack a day, 23-year smoking habit by white-knuckling for a long time and then, miraculously, never desired a puff again. I knew that FOR ME trying to get by with a few sugary grains or a puff or two of a cig would have sent me back into full-blown addictions within hours. Immediate, total elimination was what broke their power over me. But for someone else, my way might make the idea of getting started too daunting whereas for him/her easing the Band-Aid off slowly might be the more effective way to go.

I think we do get small or HUGE signs or warnings, not only from our body groaning but also with synchronicity and dreams. It's just that we can override them if we're numb or hardened by our addictions.

I smoked throughout my twenties, not heavily but steadily and it was getting worse. I also was coughing and getting sick a lot.

Then I left the city and went on vacation to a pretty place. Gazing at the ocean, lit up a cigarette. Then looked from the ocean to the cigarette. I swear for a moment the cigarette turned into a demonic-looking beastie and I heard the words in my head, DON'T SMOKE. The next day I had a session with an astrologer who looked at my chart and said, DON'T SMOKE (it was a Saturn thing). So I stopped cold and never smoked again (and can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke now but that's another kind of problem).

I wish it had worked with sugar. But sometimes as they say it pays to "heed the signs."