dharper1's Journal, 03 December 2007

Maybe I'm in the same boat you are... I don't know what you could do unless you wanted to try the Fat Fast, I did it once but I only lasted for about 4 days or so and although you get to it... it's harder (for me) to eat like that than to just go on a full blown crash diet! I don't know why, but it is. Have you tried cutting your eating time off 2 hours before bed and drinking more water or crystal light than diet cokes??? I drink green tea (w/ splenda) too.. I don't know that it "really" makes you burn anything or whatever but I just like it... the Lipton, mixed berries kind is my favorite. I've also cut my evening meal in half and make up sugar free jello, just in case. If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to let you know!! 

It looks like you are getting very close to your goal. The less you have to lose, the harder and longer it can take to get the weight off. It took a friend of mine 6 months to lose the last 10 pounds. I wouldn't do anything "drastic", but maybe change up some of the things you are doing. Are you eating enough food? If you don't eat enough, sometimes your body holds on to whatever it has because it thinks it's starving. Change up your exercise plan (maybe bump up the intensity level a few times a week). Any kind of crash diet might work in the short term, but won't help you keep it off in the long term. I know it's hard, but keep eating healthy and exercising and it will eventually come off. Good luck! 

seriously check out www.sugarfreesheila.com it is so inspiring. You don't need anything drastic, you just need to get yourself motivated and committed. Let me know if I can help. Try re-reading the Atkins book for motivation too. 

You ask a great question. For me, doing something 'drastic' is going backwards. Extremes for me are not good and leads to my 'all or nothing' defeats. Some would say that my following Atkins strictly is an example of drastic behavior. So my comments aren't black and white. For me, a straightforward perspective has worked. I have struggled with weight and weight loss my entire life. I underwent cancer treatment and recovery--early menopause, weight gain. I started and stopped more diets than I can count. Frankly, many failed because my metabolism didn't respond to that particular diet--I could eat as few as 900 calories and lose only a pound a month. Others failed because of my lack of detrmination. I was determined to know with certainty that Atkins could work. The only way to do that was to follow it as perfectly as I could. I did. It works. I now know that if I take in minimal carbs (20-50), don't eat between meals for the most part, exercize fairly religiously, drink water as a matter of course, stop drinking wine if I am not losing weight, stop eating when I am full vs when the plate is empty, etc. that I will be successful. When it isn't working, it isn't working because of something that I am doing too much or too little of. No one can motivate me other than me. On the other hand, I have every right to eat what I want when I want--I only have myself to look to for success or failure. I do know now though, that, for my metabolism, Atkins is an effective weight loss and weight control method. Thanks for the sugarfreesheila lead--I believe I will always need to keep an eye on my level of motivation--a fine line between fanaticism and motivation sometimes. A degree of self-honesty is required in all things.