2 Years Down! A lifetime to go...

[Kent]

Today marks the two year anniversary of my starting to goal. Some people mark the day of achieving their goal weight as the important date, but I mark or celebrate the first day I started. It was at that moment the goal became only a matter of time and perserverence. I might not have known it at the time I started or battled through a case of Induction flu and negativity for the loss of a number of comfort foods, but for the first time in my life, something just clicked that made the subsequent success assured.

Before March 31, 2004, I was Atkins-hater. I dismissed the diet as a fad and a "trick" to lose weight. The people who followed couldn't do it long term, and I certainly was not of them. I scoffed at my 400+ pound brother for starting it and kept waiting inside when the shoe was going to drop. As bad as it sounds, I expected him to fail and and semi-hoped he would because that would validate my thoughts I was beyond hope and surgery was my only hope. Thankfully for me, he did not. He lost 75 pounds in 4 months, and one way-too cramped airplane flight from Utah convinced me I was in trouble and I couldn't live like this anymore. I finally came to the conclusion I would at least try it -- what could it hurt.

I had two things going for me. I had the example of someone (my brother) going before me blazing the trail and I had the fortune of finding this board on the Internet to answer my questions. I may have stumbled out of the chute - March 30th I started Induction by having a low carb yogurt, but I restarted the next day after commiting to the Acceptable Foods List to memory. I realized Induction was more than just carb control, but it was food control too. It was about giving up a number of bad habits, and living according to someone else's limits. In the beginning, it was tough for a stubborn guy like myself. Funny thing happened though. I found out I was not the best judge of what I should be eating, and the scale was telling me that daily.

15 months and 186 pounds later, I found myself at my goal weight and celebrating a whole new attitude and many new things I learned along the journey:

• I learned how to make such things, like low carb fried chicken, chicken fajita salads, and brined Turkey. Being in the kitchen became a joy again as a whole new world of foods opened up to me. It also became a place attached with good feelings rather than brief feelings of pleasure followed by disgust. It's funny there were so many things in the kitchen that shocked me I could go on and on, but I still remember making the post about how happiness was not knowing where your pizza cutter was. (The pizza cutter just happened to be my most used kitchen utensil for the previous 5 years.)
• I learned the pleasure of what long bike rides can do for a Sunday afternoon. I pushed myself to go farther and faster than I ever had before and dreamed big dreams. Having everything back within your grasp as opposed to having your life keep slipping through fat fingers just drove me more and more. I discovered as well the joy of wading through freezing Iowan streams on a late November trail run and of finishing a 10k when the longest I had run was 5k. I enjoyed life so much more, and my family life improved.
• I also earned the happiness that is helping others achieve their goals. While technology mentoring was always part of my background, I discovered the joy of being a Atkins boot camp drill sergeant.
• I also learned the difficulties or the work necessary at staying low carb in all situations. In the last year, I have been in a number of different places where the diet was seemingly not low carb friendly, the army dining facility just being one example. I knew though that I was on a journey that could point in only two directions forward or behind, meaning I could either be the guy who stayed on target or the guy who was on the path to return to my old ways. The same resolve that got me to goal is still carrying me to stay at goal and below.

I didn't know any of this day one, but the journey allowed and is still allowing me to discover new things. Am I done learning? Far from it. I am still learning the art of how to control things at goal weight and maintaining the same drive to exercise. I am trying to learn how to run a half marathon, and so far I seem to be falling behind. That is alright as I have lifetime to learn all the ways and means of what it means to be low carb.

That is why I celebrate the start and not the finish. For if I was to celebrate the goal weight, I might delude my subconscious to consider this WOE was done and over, and that real life could begin again. The saving grace is that there are always Atkins detractors like my former self waiting in the wings looking for me or any Atkineer fail to validate their preconceived notions about Atkins. That fact alone keeps me going to prove at least for one more meal/day/month that this way of eating is not trick and will indeed be a lifetime WOE.

[Discolemonade]

A huge congratulations to you! Thank you for sharing your story. You're a motivation for so many.

[ValidRouge]

Great post Kent! Congratulations on your continuing successes!

[Lady_Hawke]

what a awesome post Kent. Awesome.
Thank you for sharing it with us.

Thanks so much for sharing that Kent !!!! ever the inspiration!!!!


I like part about figuring out the kitchen best
how cool is that?

I thing you made a good point ..there is a huge difference between planning for, preparing and enjoying wonderful healthy food to fuel the only body you have....

and eating crap to get buzz and fill a moment that is for sure....


we all have to eat...why not do the aboslute best for ourselves when we do?

[iwannabealoser2]

Wow. Thanks Ken. Your story is an inspiration to me.

[divaindubai]

Thank you for sharing Kent, very inspirational indeed

[ttdriver]

Kent, you and Rich are my ultimate heroes. Its amazing what you guys have accomplished. I am privileged to know you!!!

What an outstanding example you are of what commitment to Atkins will do. I just know that the good Doc himself is looking down and beaming with pride over your amazing achievement.

Betty

[Barbde]

Awesome post Kent. Good for you! You are truly an inspiration!!

[Elizellen]

Thank you for posting such an inspirational thread, Kent!