Atkins has benefited you; then I want you to use that knowledge as a form of self-empowerment. A conscious realization of how important your health is can actually overcome your old, bad habits. In the game of life, good reasons can trump old habits.
Settle down in a nice comfortable armchair with a pencil and a pad and ask yourself this short series of questions:
• What did I want to achieve by doing Atkins?
• Am I getting there?
• Do I feel good?
• Do I understand why Atkins makes me healthy?
• Is it worth controlling my carb consumption for a lifetime to maintain the weight control and get the health advantages I ' m experiencing?
Let ' s assume your answers are largely favorable. Turn them into a list of positives. For instance:
• I ' m losing weight steadily without starving myself.
• I ' m enjoying the foods I ' m eating.
• I feel more energetic and more focused than I have in years.
• I no longer suffer mood swings, afternoon fatigue or _______( fill in your own symptoms). Look at the " Blood-Sugar Symptom Test " on pages 150-151; it may remind you of some irritating symptoms you ' ve already put behind you.
• My lab tests show that doing Atkins is good for my cardiovascular health.
The list that you draw up should reflect your answers to the question of what you believe Atkins is doing for you. Now don ' t lose those answers. Ponder them. Refine them down to a short list that you thoroughly understand and believe in. If I were you, I ' d recite that list daily, a sort of morning mantra, even before your first bite of the day-perhaps while you ' re putting on your makeup or shaving. Would so much conscious preparation embarrass you? It shouldn ' t.
It ' s by consciously preparing yourself for the challenges of the day that you outflank the powerful world of habit. If you know why you ' re doing things differently, you ' ll have a far better prospect of doing them long enough so that they, in turn, become habitual. Once doing Atkins is a habit, you will really be able to bask in your success. Until that happy day arrives, those of us who are all too familiar with weight loss failure must use our brains to survive.
Remember my suggestion to continually visualize yourself at your goal weight. Think about how much you deserve to look and feel good, to enjoy the happiness, health and sense of wellbeing that will come with weight loss. Eating healthily is something you ' re doing for you-a gift to yourself, not a punishment. Value yourself and you ' ll be able to enjoy and succeed at this endeavor.
Finally, don ' t be afraid to get help from a counselor or psychotherapist. The reasons we all overeat are so complicated and challenging that the emotional support and insight a professional can offer can be invaluable.
175