There are many reasons people adopt a low-carb lifestyle. My primary reasons were weight, out of control blood sugars that lead to type 2 diabetes and of course high blood pressure.
When I started researching what I could do about it I ultimately found the low carb community. There were lots of inspirational stories and examples of people losing vast amounts of weight in no time at all.
Which is great. It’s what I experienced. I didn’t have hundreds of pounds to lose, but my close to 60lbs weight loss was significant for me (I’ve still got another 26lbs to go to hit my first self determined goal)
But there is danger buried in all the good news stories.
The danger is you and I will compare our results with what other people have achieved and will undervalue our own efforts and progress. This is not ideal, but we’re probably all guilty of it.
I see it all the time on social media. It’s like a virtual peeing contest.
- Who can fast the longest.
- Who can get to the gym the earliest.
- Who can grill the biggest tomahawk steak.
- Who can eat the most eggs (or photograph them in a cast iron pan)
While all the above is perfectly fine and the enthusiasm is great to see, it’s not at all helpful to hold yourself up to the things you see on Social Media.
Thinking about how your progress compares to other people can lead to all sorts of doubt and painful thoughts.
The truth is, the only comparison you should make is to the internal goals you set for yourself.
A great mindset hack is to always view your progress in terms of your starting point, not your goal or target.
If weight loss is the initial aim of your low-carb journey then its good to think about the progress you have made from your starting weight not how far you are away from your goal weight.
If you are aiming to lose 100lbs and you have lost 3lbs so far, you should celebrate those 3lbs you have worked to lose and pay no heed to the remaining 97lbs you have still to go.
If you do the work and stick to the plan, you’ll get there as sure as the sun comes up in the morning. The fact that other people got there quicker should be of no concern, you have no control over what other people do or achieve, you only control what you do, so it makes sense that you are the only person you should compare yourself to.
If you lose 20lbs and then put 3lbs back on during a plateau, you should mentally acknowledge that you are still 17lbs down and celebrate that.
Never beat yourself up about the gain. Continue, or adjust, and carry on regardless.
You’ll be a lot happier.
Happiness ultimately drives success in anything including low-carbing. When you are happy about your progress, you’ll continue sticking to the plan and not give up and in our case reach for the Krispy Kremes.
By all means draw inspiration from what other people are doing and achieving but run your own race and take as much time as you need.
Do what you’re comfortable with.
Ignore the noise.
Good luck and thanks for reading.
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