Roll Call 7/20

[Outback Jess]

Good morning STACers.

I come here this morning, because it's part of my life style. I come here often to remind myself of a way of living! If you are here for the diet, you are missing a bigger picture. Diets are short term, a lifestyle is a skill set that allows you to keep your success instead of throwing it away.

For me it's been near impossible to keep the skill set with the greater amount of carbs allowed at later phases. But I am working on that. Because I want to sustain the healthy active lifestyle I have. I want to keep the weight down to where I can still achieve things I have always dreamed up and of.

For me it took a whole year to really get myself function in a lifestyle....Life happened in the middle of that transforming year. My mother took ill and after 6 mos of being in and out of hospitals and me living round the clock as her primary caregiver she did the unthinkable, she died. Right in the middle of my diet! My make over year....The grief that followed and the darkness also happened right in the middle of my make over year!

Because I had worked so hard at getting a skill set developed I endured. If I made it all about arrival at a number, going as fast as I could go, I doubt I would have been able to be where I am today.

We easily get tangled up with the numbers. I prefer the number of days I've been here, committed. I prefer the number of times I exercised this week. I prefer the number of glasses of water I drank.

Yesterday I was at an amusement park here in Atlanta. I watched people all day long while a pack of teenagers rode the rides. American has huge weight issues, and eating issues! Only one place offered salad. It was largely a carb world out there and people are wearing their food choices and I guess since I had so much time to take it in, I was overwhelmed by it.

I just want to be active and healthly and happy with my choices. I want to be out with the sunrise and sleeping well at night, confident and dreaming up new things to do.

[SandyL2002]

Hi Jess... I do that when I am at the parks too...and I know that I am one of those overweight people My daughter was at Busch Gardens on Friday and 2 different people had to get off the ride because they were too big. One was a teenage boy and another a father with his little girl. Brittany's boyfriend said you would think it would motivate them to do something.. I told him you just don't understand..its soooooooooooo hard... I wish some magic fairy would come and just motivate me to stick to it all the time....

[Sheepie]

Good morning guys.
Yes, yes, and yes! I agree with everything this morning. It is a lifestyle and not just a diet.

We think we're on the verge of moving to Florida (like in a matter of weeks) and dh and I have agreed that we are not just moving our lives from one place to another. This is going to be a whole lifestyle change. We are going to transform the way we live. I don't know if we can do it, but I'm going under the assumption that we can. We are currently giving away or throwing away a ton of stuff. We are going simplify and organize and change how the whole family eats and exercises. We going to be one of those organized and active families that I know are out there! And this all started with Atkins...

And yes, grief can be all-consuming, affecting every aspect of your life. Almost 8 years ago my infant daughter died. I am still dealing with the effects of that and I probably always will be. I wasn't on Atkins back then and my diet was affected in a very bad way. I'm still working off those pounds. I suspect that if I had already started this lifestyle, that maybe it would have helped me through somewhat. At least given me some structure.

Numbers. Sometimes I feel like the only one without goals and minigoals. My goal weight is not fixed in stone. I'm not looking to be a certain weight at a certain time or for a certain event. This is more like a long walk for me. Sometimes I stop to smell the flowers and sometimes I run from a scary bug, but if I keep going, eventually I'll get there. Or maybe not. Maybe there is no "there" and the walk just goes on and on and that's okay too!

Fat Americans. Yes again. Just yesterday I pointed out a cute "skinny" girl to my husband and commented that even the skinny girls have a guts these days. They still have the skinny girl aura, but they definitely have a little gut. My ds is overweight and I'm addressing that, but I want to prevent it from happening to my dd. She's only 3yrs. It's really hard to keep children in this country on the right path. We have to remember that whatever treat we let them have is in addition to all the junk they get at school, camp and even church.

I'm counting on this family makeover. We don't usually have dessert in our family, but someone recommended having one night a week be dessert night. If the kids get excited about it and know it's a special treat once a week, they will learn it's not a normal everyday part of our diet to eat sweets. I'm thinking about it. Dh is talking about riding his bike to his new job and we will probably be within walking distance to my parents, so I expect lots of walking and bike riding. I am open to any and all suggestions for our upcoming family lifestyle change.

Hmm, a lot on my mind this morning. Just rambling I guess. Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great weekend and we're all one day closer to a healthier, happier day!

[plsmachic]

Great way to start the day Jess. Especially for me...

Yesterday I went off my diet, because my relationship with my fiance is coming to an end... Not because of either one of us, but because his parents refuse to bless the marriage because I have a kid.

So, my emotions got the best of me and I ate... and ate... whatever I wanted yesterday. Although "wanting" it was negotiable. As I was eating I was getting madder and madder at myself, almost like I was punishing myself for ever getting into a relationship with someone from a totally different culture anyway.

Today, I'm back. I won't be cheating. I will learn to endure and develop a skill set.
Very nicely put.

Good Morning everyone!

I'm here

[OzLover]

Good morning everyone!

Great posts this AM! Hope everyone has a great day!

Yesterday I ate homeade pasta salad to bring to a b-b-que at my sons. I knew having it in the house would probably pose a problem. I was bored & unmotivated to do anything yesterday despite a list of things I needed to do. I kicked the voice of reason to the curb & ate. So I learned a few things about myself & will chalk this up to one more of life's lessons. Today is a new day & a new beginning. Back to basics!

Have a great day everyone & be kind to yourself!

[armywife38]

Good morning Jess and everyone! Just wanted to pipe in since it's been awhile since I've posted.

I'm still trudging along! I haven't cheated not one time since restarting this WOL Feb. 25th! The worse Ive done is jumped some rungs before I was there! I'm restarting Rung 2 to get back on track.

I do beleive that you cant see this as a "diet", but a lifestyle change. I think I've succeeded this time around because I'm making more realistic goals for myself and not rushing it. I've lost a total 25 pounds already and I feel GREAT! It's been slow this time, but Im sticking with it!

Congrats to all the "big losers"! You give me inspiration to continue this way of eating. Good luck to all the newcomers!

[kellymch2006]

I think Atkins as a lifestyle is much easier to maintain than say, Weight Watchers as a lifestyle.

I have only to remember the dreaded carb hangover and when I'm really doing good like I am now, they are a killer. If I endulge on sugar, I WILL wake up with a pounding headache, dry mouth, and eyes swollen shut.

You know, I should take a picture of myself with a carb hangover for motivation...Post it on the Moose Tracks ice cream...

Anyway, life is just better without the processed sugar and flour. Anyway you look at it. My skin is clearer (and combine that with quitting smoking and I walk around glowing all the time. ) I have more energy.

And might I say that after the past couple of years of eating a LOT of sugar free products, the past twelve days have been gloriously GAS FREE. How could I have forgotten that? I noticed the package of GasX in my makeup bag yesterday and it dawned on me. I wonder if my husband has noticed that I'm not leaving the room all the time like I used to.. I'm NOT going to ask him...

Anyway, cheers to the Good Doctor for developing this life changing plan.

[colleenieweenie]

Morning all!

Great post Jess - I totally agree with it all! I am really sorry for your loss, as well as Sheepies - I can't imagine. I am trying to prepare myself for my Dad's passing (He has Alzheimer's) Is that even possible? I grieve everyday - even though my Dad is still here physically, he's been gone for 2 years. Breaks my heart..
So I'm trying to find something to do with the kiddies - get them out of the house, kill some time, let them run around and wear themselves out. I might take them to the zoo? I will probably end up at the pool...

OK, I'm off to hang with the children of the corn. Have a great Sunday all!!

[chinadoll]

Jess, I always look forward to your words of wisdom. I can't say I have been perfect on this go round with Atkins. But where a cheat before would have been something off plan, this time it has been a diet soda now and then or eating a taste of a food from the next rung before I should. And it isn't an everyday occurrence. It has happened very rarely.

I appreciate what you say about lifestyle. I think that is why I seem to have a more steadfast, positive attitude this time. I have put no time limit on my losses.I don't have that piece of clothing to fit into by (enter date here). Instead, I am more focused on my fitday totals and getting my exercise in. Meet those daily goals of not straying and getting up and moving and those longterm goals will take care of themselves.

I weigh weekly (sometimes more) but if the numbers are up I don't analyze it. I check it a couple days later after tightening things up a bit, and I am usually rewarded with it dropping back down.

I am not dropping the pounds off quickly. It has taken four months to lose 17 pounds. That's OK. It took years to put it on. I started in Aug 2002 at very close to 300 pounds. It took me two and a half years to lose 70 pounds. Then I got sidetracked with some of the same issues as Jess.

Sometime in the next few months I will again reach my halfway mark to goal. Six years to get this far. Even though it has taken so long, I am healthier, look better, stronger, and happier with myself. So I would rather focus on that rather than on how long this is taking me.

One thing I did really helped my like myself more. The YWCA in Hong Kong had a style consultant. I took her seminar and she taught me how to dress my body. She went through my closet and made me try every single thing in it. I learned what did and didn't work for my shape and coloring. It made me feel good in clothes even at my current weight. It has allowed me to dress the body I have now rather than buy baggy sacks while waiting for a body I want. If you don't have access to something like this, there are great books available on how to dress your body shape. Have a girl party with low carb foods, get out the book and work it out. It does wonders for your confidence. Then when you need new smaller clothes, you will get something that shows off your loss.

I used to feel like my life would restart when I lost my weight. I realize now that I am living life on the road. It's about who you become on the journey that will decide your ultimate success, not just reaching the destination.

[chinadoll]

Colleen, Hugs to you. Alzheimers is so tough because you lose them twice. My heart goes out to you.