DAY 17 Way of Eating & Way of Thinking

Good Afternoon Journal,

I have reached the last topic from my "need to be CONSISTENT" list...and that is: and don't forget my Low Carb way of eating.

(okay, that food pic is not low carb, but it was just too hilarious and weird!)

I feel like I have been on a treasure hunt all my life, and finally...at LAST, have found the treasure...the last piece to a puzzle. The last few years I have been consciously trying to make real, lasting changes. 

I've worked on my thinking and my emotions...trying to learn ways to handle stress other than using food...learning to exercise (when you start at 460, that's easier said than done, and you can get owies if not careful), learning the importance of support (not hose--people)...and much more.

But even while working on all that, I was still floundering around trying to find a way of eating that was do-able for life, for ME. I didn't want a "diet". That is something you go ON, then later you go OFF of it...and guess what happens then?? The same thing that has happened to me all my life: I regain it all, and then some. 

No, this had to be something that I could do and enjoy in the long run. Even though the mental stuff is of critical importance, I still needed to eat right, for me. I finally found it in a restricted-carbohydrate way of eating.

Since the purpose of my blog is to focus on the things that help keep my head straight, so I don't drift off into stinkin thinkin, I don't plan to repeat all the arguments for or against low carb eating. Anyone interested is welcome to do like I did...I read about 6 books on low carb, listened to a gazillion podcasts from Jimmy Moore's site, researched on several websites, joined a couple of low carb forums and went crosseyed reading archives of information! Oh, and I even got some cookbooks, and learned there are wonderful foods that are just as yummy as all my old favorites that were killing me! I had to be sure, so I did my homework, til I was satisfied.

Bottomline: I like it, it works, it's healthy, and that's all that matters to me.

I believe we are all so different....I have no problem with people doing different ways of eating...I just hope they are permanent ways of life, healthy in the long run....do-able for life.

In the past, I have tried all kind of plans...including "everything in moderation." Whatever it is in my head, I can't tell you, but for me it doesn't work. For ME, trying to stop at a "little bit" of sugar was like telling an alcoholic to enjoy just a little bit of booze every day...it fed my cravings and eventually led to a binge.

So for ME, I found that getting the sugar (and carbs that turned to sugar fast in the body) out of my system dramatically reduced the cravings. I felt like I finally had a fighting chance at saying no! Now that the physically cravings are handled, it's just a matter of learning to deal with emotions and the stress of life without turning to food...the same ANYONE else using any other plan must learn.

But for ANY plan to work...change must come from the inside. Any plan could work, but any plan can FAIL, too, if the thinking is wrong. Right thinking is a powerful foundation for that necessary change. Obviously, I had work to do in my thought and choice making processes or I would not have gotten up to 460 lbs!

A while back I was talking to my doctor, and said offhandedly "this weight is not a physical problem, is it a MENTAL problem." He looked right back at me, nodded his head and firmly said "Yes!"

So that is why I probably sound a bit redundant...always harping on the mental aspect of this journey...that The Battle Is Won Or Lost Between The Ears.

"I believe that what works in your life works because you make it work. You succeed because you make the right choices, you choose the right attitude, and you enact the right behavior to generate the right results. It is you who must create the life you want. And the choice is yours to make."--Dr Phil McGraw

"Work each day on your thoughts rather than concentrating on your behavior. It is your thinking that creates the feeling that you have and ultimately your actions as well." --Wayne Dyer

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
-- Norman Vincent Peale

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing....that's why we recommend it daily." --Zig Ziglar

"Whether you think you can...or you think you can't, either way you are right." --Henry Ford

"Don't stuff your face; face your stuff." --author unknown

Couldn't have said it better myself. :-)

From Dr Phil's book: "You cannot be wishy washy."


My verse for today: "As a man thinks, so is he."

My quote for today: "Never make the same mistake twice, or you'll never get around to all of them."

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

=^..^=