According to Jim Cathcart, “There are eight words to motivate.” Ask yourself these eight questions to tap into your motivation.

TARGET – What are your most intense personal motivators? Use them effectively to your advantage. Write them down, post them and review them often! Long time fitness fanatic, Richard Simmons still does this.

TOOLS – Do you have all the correct and valid information needed to succeed? When you are losing weight you need accurate advice and a good healthy food plan. You don’t need another unhealthy fad diet. Check out all of Nutrition Data’s good information on the home page specifically dedicated to diet and weight loss. Everything you need is there!

TRAINING – Do you know how to use your weight loss tools well? If you are using a book have you read it through or have you just taken parts of it that you like? If you are using Nutrition Data’s tools have you explored them all and know which ones to use correctly?

“The way you think today will shape the way you live tomorrow.”- Jim Cathcart.

TIME – Have you had enough time for learning everything you need to implement for weight loss? Have you given up too soon before you have had time to make this a true lifestyle? (Do you have the correct carbs, tportion control, healthy snacking, food planning and shopping, socializing in a healthy way, emotional eating, etc. all in place?)

TRUTH – Do you know how all of the above fits together successfully? You know by how much weight you are losing.

TRACKING – Is someone adequately giving you the proper feedback for you to stay on track? Are you keeping a food diary to track your food intake? Record keeping is one of the most successful behavioral techniques for weight loss and maintenance according to the National Institute of Health. I recommend using FitDay.

TOUCH – Do you have enough support and encouragement in order for you to succeed?

TRUST – How do you know if your tracking is accurate? Do you have someone who understands what you are doing and who can help you?

I’ve done low carb since 1998 – off and on. I have to admit that it’s the best food plan for me – even if I do stray every once in awhile.

Here’s a few things about low carb that I’ve discovered over the last 11 years.

• It’s NOT a meat diet. I eat more vegetables while doing low carb than I ever eat when I’ve strayed.
• Low carb is based on “real” food and not packaged convenience foods. If it comes in a box or has an ingredient I can’t pronounce or spell – I don’t buy it. Real meat – real vegetables – real dairy.
• If you are like me (female and over 40), it’s the best way to lose weight since I don’t want to starve myself and exercise every day.
• I can find something to eat in any restaurant – anywhere. You can’t tell me you don’t get to eat out while low-carb’ing … unless the reason is your will power and not the menu.
• While it’s difficult to be frugal while on low carb, it can be done. It just takes more work.
• It’s the only food plan I know of that expects you to continue using it after you reach your goal weight. Meaning … IT’S NOT A DIET that you quit when you get where you are going.
• Don’t try to force your low carb food plan into becoming a packaged food substitute of your old way of eating.
• Finding a group of people who believe the way I do helps when the going gets tough or I need help with meal planning, etc.

I’m hoping that we can have some fun with this blog! It’s intended to be a place where those that low carb as well as those who are thinking about it can read about someone who’s doing it from Day 1 of Induction and see what types of roadblocks there are out there. They exist and I’ve probably hit all of them before.

I look forward to my journey – you are welcome to tag along!