Some people worry that if they "slip" and gain weight that they should just give up on eating healthily. They look at dieting as a one-time, straight line task that they will do, finish with, and then ignore.

It's really important to look at eating as a long term, eternal, healthy way of life. You need to eat healthily for your entire life. The older you get, the more important it is to eat healthy food. You need to develop a lifestyle that you can maintain.

If you hate exercising, find a form of motion you DO enjoy - maybe walking, maybe dancing. It doesn't matter what it is, but it matters that you will keep doing it and enjoy it. If you hate green beans, well then find other veggies that you do enjoy and make them a normal part of your weekly menu. You can't just say "well I'll eat this way for a few months until I lose the weight, and then I'll go back to eating junk food!" That won't get you anywhere.

Sure, I go to wine dinners and I eat the food that's presented. Sometimes I gain a few pounds as a result. Then I go back to my normal eating, and the weight equalizes right back to where I want it to be. It's not the end of the world. In fact, with a bit of planning, I can schedule the wine dinner on a weekend when I'm out biking or hiking, and the intake and exercise balance each other right out.

It's important to think long term! This is your own life and health you're taking care of - and it also affects every person who loves you. You want to be around for them.


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
Low Carb Forum