ConniebytheSea's Journal, 29 May 2012

Connie ..... I'm trying to do the same, but i have discovered it's not that easy. I rarely crave a meat or vegetables, but when it comes to carbs my eyes/soul are drawn to them. Yesterday my spouse & I went out to dinner ..... And the host placed a basket of chips on the table, great chips by the way. I was only going to eat one .... But by the time our food arrived I had done serious damage to this basket of temptation. Old habits are tough to break. I know that if I'm going to be successful this habit has to die. Good luck as you find healthy alternatives to your carbs.  

I have tried low carb in the past and found it too difficult to be successful with outside of my home. Plus, I'm a confirmed wine lover so I can't make that kind of program work. What I've learned from my past is that, for me, what I do to lose the weight has to be something I can modify and do for the rest of my life to keep it off. There is no "on a diet" or "off a diet" for me any more. I'm not trying to discourage you if it is something that you've found really works.... just sharing my experience in case it helps any. Good luck!  

I'm the same as you evelyn. The minute I say "diet" my stomach growls. I think the trick this time is my committment to eating less, making better choices and accepting it won't be perfect and I'm gonna have days where I fail! I still eat everything but I try very hard to ignore the Devil and listen to the little Angel who keeps saying "That's enough Tammy!" You can do it Connie!! one day at a time!!  

Glen - There are days when I do okay with a basket of chips on the table that others are eating and I don't even have one, and then there are days where I know they better not even bring chips to my table or I'm in trouble! Evelyn - I've found that I do better with my eating out when I'm trying to cut carbs because steak/fish/chicken are always on the menu with salad and veggies. What WILL get me later is that I love fruit! So I will have to get back to a place where I can add some in. However, I'm willing to say "no" for now in order to get to where I want to be. :-) Tammy - That is exactly why I said I'm "eating low-carb" and not "I'm on a low carb diet". I've had such a history of yo-yo dieting that I have to consciously be aware of the mentality of being on a diet or off a diet. Because my OFF days can be really bad when I get into that mode of thinking! So for me it's reprogramming my thinking from "being on a diet" to "making healthy choices". 

Life is about making "choices" ..... Better choices. I grew up in a family where too many of the choices were unhealthy. I've watched family members lose their health prematurely because of those choices. I don't have to look too far to find some incentives to stay in the daily battle .... And a battle it is .... But one worth fighting.  

Glen - Are we related? Sadly, I've also watched several family members not only lose their health, but their lives prematurely because of poor health decisions. My mom died at age 60 because she refused to quit smoking. That was enough to motivate ME to quit. If only my own high blood pressure and joint issues were enough to motivate me NOW to always make the right choices with food. Somehow, they are not. But I want to be the "fun grandma" when my newly married daughter starts having kids! I want to be able to go and DO things with my grandkids.....fun things!!!! And I still have a 12 year old son at home, I want to be the FUN MOM!!!! If only I could see food for it's nutritional value only, and detach the emotional associations I have, I'd have no difficulty. For some reason I associate not having to track calories or what I'm eating with a fun carefree way of life. So when a basket of chips arrives at the table and I decide that I'm just going to have fun, then I'm eating the chips along with everyone else until they are gone! If I could just wrap my mind around how NOT eating the chips will actually provide me with more of a fun carefree life, because once I get home and I'm stuffed and feel like doing nothing but chilling out on the couch, that's not much fun! When I wake up in the morning with a stomach ache because I overindulged the night before, I am less likely to want to get out and be active. However, if I refuse the chips and eat a healthy meal, my body will be full of energy, I might want to stop by the park for a walk before going home, or maybe take an evening stroll with hubby through the neighborhood. I sleep better because I'm not digesting a bunch of excess food, and I wake up feeling GOOD! That motivates me to want to keep doing good for my body! I just wish I could remain in that frame of thinking all the time.