Tick tock... tick tock... "I know she's out there somewhere, I just know it."

"Who's out there?" you ask? Well up until about two years ago, I didn't know who either! Then as I read a low carb diet book one day, all was revealed!

All this time I thought that my weight was just stuck; that perhaps I was not drinking enough water, or that my body was recognizing my new weight as a place I had been in the past, and was reluctant to let go. While might both have some truth to them, I didn't know that this place — this purgatory — had a name: a "Stall." And better yet, that a good fairy would one day come and save me from this place, granting me a nice drop in weight all at once with a "Whoosh!"

Yes, it's true! She did arrive. Not when I expected it of course. Not when I thought I deserved it (by cutting back on my chief vice — low carb cookies and snacks); but when she was good and ready!

In the low carb world, a "stall" is another word for a plateau, and a "whoosh" is a sudden drop of two or more pounds all at once — seemingly overnight! While some of us would like to think that this happy drop of pounds comes from our diligence, tenacity and willpower, in some circles the "Whoosh Fairy" is the gal that gets the credit!

Either way, the moral of this fairytale (pardon the pun) is that slow and steady will win the race. While it would be wonderful to lose 5 pounds a week consistently until we reach our goal weight, not only is it not healthy for this to happen, but it is not realistic for us to expect it.

It probably did not take you 3 months to put on the weight you are hoping to lose. So it stands to reason that it will not come off that quickly either.

Low carb eating is a Way of Life. Not something that you "go on" to drop some weight, and that you "go off" once you have. It is a lifestyle — much like being a vegetarian is a lifestyle. And yes, while there are many different degrees of vegetarianism, there are also many degrees of low carb dieting. The journey is finding the degree that is comfortable for you. Then, you'll eat that way for the rest of your life!

Your body is smart! It knows when you are feeding it less than it thinks it needs to maintain your weight, and it holds onto every inch of it for dear life. Your mind will play tricks on you, and make you think that you may not live if you have to go sit in a theatre without munching on popcorn. But you know you'll get through just fine. And with every smart choice, you become stronger. Every crisis you get through without resorting to eating, or resorting to eating things that will sabotage all the hard work you have done to rid your body of those nasty carbohydrates, with make you stronger. And when you are stronger, the Whoosh Fairy will pay you a visit too!

Ways to get the Whoosh Fairy to come your way:

Drink your water. Water is the elixir of life! Every time you think you are hungry, whether you really are or not, drink a big ice-cold glass of water first. You'll be surprised to find that sometimes, water really is enough!

Go back to basics. Remember those first few weeks of your new low carb life? Remember Induction? Remember Phase I? While there are many names for those famous first few weeks (some are more colorful than others), they did serve a purpose. To cleanse your body of all those carbs, and get you ready to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. The Whoosh Fairy loves to burn fat, so stop eating those "low carb" cookies, cakes and chips, and go back to eating whole foods!

Get moving! If you don't have an exercise plan going yet, it's time to start. If you are already exercising regularly, then step it up a bit, or change it! Your body will get used to anything you do (or don't do), so shake things up a bit! Even fairies need some excitement!

I'll bet you didn't know this low carb life could be so fun! All you have to do is believe! Believe in yourself. Believe that you are doing the right thing for your body. Believe that even though you might not be dropping numbers on your scale, that you are still dropping inches. Believe that if you keep putting one foot in front of the other soon the Whoosh Fairy will be walking through your door too!