Cynical Anti-Dieter Crying Out For Help

Just when I feel like I've seen and heard from just about every kind of person in the world, along comes another e-mail from someone writing to me desperately seeking answers to their questions on dieting, weight loss and low-carb.

But today I got one from a lady who read my story that appeared in The Spartanburg Journal recently and it literally caused me to lose my breath for a few seconds I was so moved by the deep emotion that was conveyed. The pain she is experiencing right now because of her weight problem is something that I KNOW many of you can relate with because you've either been there yourself at one time or you still are hurting.

Here's what she wrote to me:

Diets of any sort...never work for me. Ever.

I'm 24 years old. I look like a walrus. I hate myself...and I hate waking up every morning just because of how I look.

I know what it felt like when you said those students made you feel like crying. I feel like that everyday. I don't have the will to do anything to save myself, and even though I have people in my life, I don't have anyone to help me feel confident enough to try anything that might actually work. I admit to being weak when it comes to doing anything about my weight.

How can I possibly save myself if I'm too weak? Some days, I wish I wouldn't wake up...it'd make things easier...maybe for everyone.

I realize hearing the whimperings of a 20-something most likely isn't what you want to have to read when you sign into your mailbox, but I really don't know anyone to talk to who would fully comprehend my troubles.

Heavy, heavy stuff, isn't it? I can certainly relate to how she feels. While I never got this low, I can certainly understand how being overweight or obese can drive you this far down that you start to wonder if anyone really cares about you and if there is any hope at all. Helplessness, hopelessness, desperation...all of these things are VERY REAL when you get to this point.

After a few minutes of prayer for this dear young lady who is looking for any glimmer of something positive to happen for her, here was my response:

THANK YOU so much for writing to me today. It took a lot of guts to approach someone you don't even know about a problem like this. Being overweight isn't any fun at all and I certainly will be praying for you to find a way to overcome this lifelong struggle as I did.

When you've been fat, it's hard to think there's any other way out there or that you've got any hope of being anything but that fat person that you are today. That's the way I felt when I allowed my weight to get up over 400 pounds.

When you reach this point, life pretty much sucks. You feel like everything's fine, but you know something's wrong. You WANT to be thin like everyone else and you are tired of people whispering behind your back about you. They'd never say it to your face (unless it's a 6th grade kid!), but people can be very hurtful.

So what do you do? Do you just give up thinking NOTHING will work? Do you just resign to the fact that you were destined to be fat and that's the way God wants you to stay for the rest of your life?

If that was my mentality, then I would have never lost over 180 pounds and kept it off for good. While I lost my weight on the low-carb lifestyle (note that I didn't call it a diet), I encourage people to find something (ANYTHING!) that can help them lose the weight and lose it for good this time. If you can't stick with the plan, then you need to find one that you can stick with.

Also, exercise has to become a part of your life. As dreaded as that sounds to you right now, believe me you will be craving exercise very soon. YOU WILL!

I wrote a book about my experience and I encourage you to read it if for no other reason than to be inspired by someone who has overcome. I poured my heart and soul out in that book so that others would be motivated to do the same as I did.

Of course, you can also browse around my blog at LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com where I write columns encouraging and educating people about healthy living principles, diet, nutrition, and, of course, low-carb.

THANK YOU again for writing to me today and I want you to feel comfortable enough to write me anytime. You are a special gift of God and I don't want you to ever forget that. Regardless of how much you weigh, you are precious in His sight because He created you for a purpose that you may not even realize yet. Never let go of THAT fact as you travel down this journey of life.

The Lord's not finished with you yet. In fact, He's just getting started!

YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU! NOW GO FOR IT!

I don't know what's gonna happen with this precious child of God, but I feel a burden for her and everyone like her out there. With two-thirds of the population dealing with a weight problem of some sort, this is not an uncommon issue we are talking about. There are a lot of cynical anti-dieters desperately crying out for help out there. SOMEBODY HELP ME, they're saying.

As someone who has overcome that struggle once and for all, I believe it is my duty to stand with these people who are hurting and to let them know it is going to be okay. It will take work and discipline on their part to become the success that I eventually became, but it can be done. I pray that God will heal their hurt and put a newfound desire in their hearts to do something about their weight before it is too late.

Will you commit to pray for this beloved one and others like her? These people feel they are worthless members of society, like they are worse than second-class citizens, and that nobody in the world gives a rip about them. How do I know this? BECAUSE I THOUGHT THOSE EXACT SAME THINGS AT ONE TIME IN MY LIFE! We need to show them our love and compassion so that they can find the light at the end of the tunnel waiting for them to climb through.

Maybe you feel like this person who e-mailed me today. If so, then let me share some GREAT NEWS with you: YOU ARE LOVED and YOU HAVE PEOPLE CHEERING FOR YOU in your weight loss efforts! If nobody else will be your friend in this battle, then you can count on me and the readers at my blog to be there for you. We are real people who know what you are going through because many of us have done it ourselves and will do whatever we can to help you lose weight and get healthy. It's our common goal and what has brought us together in this forum.

Feel free to write to me anytime for a special word of encouragement in your journey at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. And come back here often for encouragement and education about the low-carb lifestyle, which just so happens to be the best non-diet weight loss plan on the planet by the way! LOL! It's hard to argue with that statement when you've lost 180 pounds and kept it off for over a year!