My husband Etienne loves running. I feel sorry for him when it comes time to train for a race. He starts with short distances and then go further and further and start running longer times and further. It seems pure agony and when he lays here on the floor after a run... he is exhausted but so inspired and fired up to do it again and again. For me the Low Carb Diet and way of Eating is like practicing for a marathon. I started out slow and then through practice and failure at the end I have been able to loose weight.
Even myself in the morning when I go out for exercise all down the street my mind speaks all kind of reasons why it is not a good time or good thing to do ;) I know if I'm not going to take short distances of exercise I'm never going to get to a point where I could go further and further pushing myself to exercise more. Hard but true Low Carb Eating and Exercising go together as a great team to loose weight.
When I started out with Low Car Eating I didn't know a thing to loose weight and make it a lifestyle, or rather I tried so many diets and ways of dieting that I didn't know what was the right thing to do. I have failed so many times over years to loose weight that I lost motivation and courage in myself to be able to do it.
I have read the Atkins book and read more on the diet but I was confuse in many ways to apply it to my daily life. I didn't know how to feed my family, sidestep all the temptations they eat and loose weight at the same time. How to live a life in a world of CARBS!
My first best step was to join a few websites with forums where there were old timers, well peppered and experienced Low Carb loosers. People that have lost even 50 to 60 pounds over years. It made me feel they know all the answers, have walked the path and learned all the tricks. I hanged around and read their daily posts on what they eat and studied their recipes.
I started collecting low carb recipes that were realistic for my way of life but also my way of eating. I started this brown covered note book that says "Low Carb Recipes". When I'm not sure what to eat I go there and find something interesting.
Then I realized these Low Carb "specialists" on these blogs often know how many carbs are in each fruit, vegetable etc. That they only eat a certain amount of food a day from the high carb group. Through questions and much errors and gaining on the scale I discovered that 5net carbs at a time and 20 net carbs a day is my limit.
I bought a second hand book from a basaar on low carb food counting and will go back and forth often to make sure how much I could have. I know this sound agonizing... but it is part of the race. Sugar drags me in like a monster I can not just eat one cube of dark chocolate... No! I eat the whole slab EASY! When I discovered that a whole slab of chocolate could have up to 45 net carbs! Hallo!!!!!! That is not loosing any weight for a few days. I went back and forth with my cravings for sweets for months. I allow myself a bit of chocolate ones or twice a week.
I joined a few blogs and facebook pages where people were struggling but loosing weight with the Low Carb way. I was so encourage with people's hearts to answer my nitty gritty questions. The internet is a great place to find answers by just searching the question I have.
Slowly I had to make peace that my family was not going to give up their cake, ice cream with sauces and great tasting food. I had to give up what they eat and just cook on the side for myself. I cook for myself and make the best of it. When they have toasted cheese sandwiches I have the ham, cheese wrapped up in lettuce leafs. When they have spagetti bolognaise with pasta I have the sauce in a bowl with cheese over and a salad on the side. When eating out at a restaurant I try to stay with salads or ask for the main dish without pasta or rice. Not always nice and often I have to be persistant.
What turned me totally from going back and forth over months.....and what stopped me from eating a magnum ice cream, snacking on cookies and eating chocolate was when I read a book on Diabetes and shockingly discovered that I was probably insulin resistant struggling to loose weight. After trying for years on different diets and just loosing a bit with a lot of effort. Thinking of myself in a life where I was battling DIABETICS and probably will struggle with it in my old age gave me a good opportunity to re evaluate my life goals.
I decided this is enough I'm going to loose weight. I was so tired of looking in the mirror and be discouraged or fitting something new on and it just looks terrible with fat bulging out over the edges. Pounding myself with bad head talk on how ugly I was. Walking past a mirror looking with disgust at my bulging big stomach. Seeing myself on photos and being shocked on how fat I look.
My getting going and running this race started six months ago and I have only lost 8.5 kg. But I know I really want to do this. That the cookie or chocolate are not worth it.
Having people cheer you on when you run is the best thing for a tired athlete in a marathon to get new vision and energy. Writing on my blog and facebook page sharing with my friends in this race with me is great ACCOUNTABILITY! Having to come and write my weight keeps me saying NO! to those temptations.
I am very new in eating Low Carb and tasting success. As I go along I learn daily about cooking and eating for best weight loss. I will try as much as I can to come and post here what I learn to encourage you and make it practical. It is very overwhelming in the beginning but as I live like this and eat the Low Carb way it gets easier and I gain confidence as I loose more.
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