Oops, I Cheated On My Diet Again Print E-mail
by Jimmy Moore   
Wednesday, 21 March 2007

One of the best lessons I have learned since I started livin' la vida low-carb is that nothing you can eat will spell the end of your ability to lose weight ever again. If that were true, then my planned splurges would have spelled the end of my weight loss a LONG time ago. Thankfully, I know better and am 190 pounds lighter as a result! :)

But one desperate new reader was so upset by what I'm simply gonna call "the Pop-Tart and waffle incident" (shhhh, nobody has to know about it--hee hee!) that she wanted to know if she "blew it" after cheating on her low-carb diet.

Here's what she wrote:

Dear Jimmy,

I stumbled upon your web site and it is so encouraging to me! I began my low-carb journey one month ago. I learned that I could eat fruits and veggies and not just cream and butter and eggs all the time (although I like those too).

I am an "older" mother of 2 toddlers and a 12-year old and really thought that my metabolism was such that I could never lose weight. But I have lost 13 pounds so far. Yeah!

I am writing you today for some advice. You see, I feel like I blew my low-carb diet because I ate a Pop-Tart and a waffle! We live out in the country and I had no eggs or sausage and I was starving! Have I blown it for good?

I am very upset at myself. I would appreciate any advice at any time. I know that you are a busy person and a family man. Thanks for your web site and for helping out a fellow low-carber.


Have you ever thought these same kind of things whenever you have "messed up" while livin' la vida low-carb? I'm sure many of you can relate to this which is why I am printing this e-mail and my response to it at my blog today.

Here's what I wrote back to her:

THANK YOU so much for writing to me today and CONGRATULATIONS on making livin' la vida low-carb your preferred method for losing weight and getting healthy for good. YOU CAN DO THIS! :D

Regarding "the Pop-Tart and waffle incident" you had, I'm here to tell you it's all over for you. There's no hope for weight loss in your future so you might as well give up right now...JUST KIDDING! Seriously, messing up on your low-carb plan is natural, but try not to do it if you can by planning ahead of time.

Prepare yourself plenty of low-carb options and get rid of (if you can!) tempting foods like Pop-Tarts and waffles (although there are low-carb options available) so you won't grab for them in a pinch like you did. Keep at least some almonds or macadamia nuts on hand at ALL times as well as other low-carb snacks for when the hunger bug bites. Leaving yourself without options only sets you up for disaster.

So you had some sugar today, huh? That's okay and it's not the end of the world. Just get right back on plan and even go back to Induction-level carbs for a couple of weeks to kickstart ketosis again. Remember, this is a lifestyle change and not a get-thin-quick scheme. When you put in that perspective, then no matter what you do you've never totally "messed up."

Browse around my blog or read my book for more hints and tips on sticking with low-carb even when the going gets tough. You hang in there, my friend. One of these days you will think back fondly to that day you had a Pop-Tart and a waffle and realized you're not just on a diet, but a lasting and permanent health solution plan for your life.

Now get out there and GO FOR IT! :) THANKS so much for writing!


We really are our own worst enemy when it comes to this weight loss game we play with ourselves. People think strict adherence to the diet is the most important issue to bringing about permanent weight loss success and even one little mistake like eating Pop-Tarts and waffles is going to cause some kind of irreparable harm. The thinking goes, well I messed up one meal, I might as well mess up again!

Come on, people! One meal like this is not going to send you spiraling out of control unless you allow it! You still have the ability to come back from it stronger than ever. It's all a matter of keeping your head screwed on straight and never forget this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and not just a diet. My reader was right when she said her "diet" was destroyed--now it's time for her to begin living and eating the way she was meant to--the low-carb way, of course!

Be encouraged today, my friends, because you already know livin' la vida low-carb is a healthy way to eat. Even if you encounter a few bumps along the road, you ARE being successful and you WILL make it just like I did. Be smart, make good choices, and NEVER EVER EVER give up on this healthy way of life. Just look at the alternative--remaining obese and unhealthy--and it sorta puts it all in perspective for you.

Bookmark:
Delicious
Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Technorati
Digg
blogmarks
Stumble
Blinkbits
Trackback(0)
Comments (1)Add Comment
...
written by Jessie, April 08, 2007
I feel the same way today I had lasanga and garlic bread. It can't get worst than that.

Write comment

busy
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 March 2007 )
 
< Prev   Next >


home   |   about   |   privacy   |   advertising inquiries and policy   |   terms and conditions   |   contact   |   in the news   |   media/pr contacts

Contact the Diet Detective by email at info [at] DietDetective.com  if you have any questions or comments about the site or column.