Why do most major changes in diet fail? Because people quit. In fact, I think one measure of the benefits of a diet ought to be how many people are able to stick with it. The most intensive of diets may have the best results, but if the majority of people quit after a week, odds are it won't be successful for you, either.

Of course, a certain percentage of people quit every weight-loss effort they ever start. Add to that people who claim to be on such-and-such plan, and yet apparently misread the instructions, because there they are, eating something they're not supposed to. Pile on top of that the doubt and self-recrimination that most overweight people have developed over the years, and it is not surprising that it's hard for most people to lose weight. One the other hand, someone with a strong will can lose weight on just about any diet plan, even eating only food from McDonald's. (I don't recommend this, by the way.)

Why do people quit? Sometimes it is because they did not carefully count the cost before beginning, a problem I addressed last week. Sometimes, however, it is because the results don't turn out as they expect, and they lose faith in the plan. Many people expect weight loss to be smooth and uninterrupted, but we don't tend to notice the fits and starts with which we gain weight. Many things affect daily or weekly weight, which is why I think it is important to set a time limit and then stick with it, no matter what. If things don't go as you'd like one week, just wait. The next week may see great progress, or perhaps the progress isn't coming as you expect.

I can probably illustrate this best with a personal update.

Personal Update

This week I lost "only" two pounds, which was slightly disappointing, but I also lost two inches from my waist. In fact, I wish I had taken measurements on Day One, because the only reason I noticed progress is that I bought a new belt two weeks ago. I deliberately bought the belt on the small side, so I started at one shy of the largest notch on the belt. After one week, I was cinching it two inches tighter, and now after one more week, I am cinching it four inches tighter, and by next weigh-in day, I might need to poke new holes in the belt.

If I was discouraged about the slowdown in weight loss, the realization that I should be able to wear my old black shorts now more than offset it. (I'm wearing them now!) A few t-shirts that I had "outgrown" fit again, too.

I had expected a poor weigh-in, for three reasons. Two of them I may be able to change, while one is just something I'll have to deal with.

First, the most embarrassing reason, and the big downside to a low-carb diet: constipation. I'm consuming a far smaller quantity of food than I used to, so there's less material to work with, and what I am consuming has almost no fiber at all. Most people are affected by this challenge eventually, and I managed to dodge it for a few weeks, but eventually it caught up to me. For those who generally think I'm "full of it," on weigh-in day and for a day or two before that, you were right! I'm turning to an herbal tea for now, though I'm also looking into more suitable long-term solutions. This may have cost me a pound or two, and is generally not a good thing in any case.