In for the long haul

gullahthin

Hi, I just joined with the goal of losing 35 lbs. Two and a half years ago I had extensive reconstructive surgery on my left foot and was in a cast, crutches and a walker for over a year. Prior to the surgery I was active and able to maintain my weight fairly easily. During my recovery I continued to eat as I had before the surgery without honestly taking into account the fact that without the exercise I was taking in a excess of calories.And I was on disability, bored, in pain, and frustrated and turing to snacks to deal with those issues. So fast forward and I mnam up up by 45 lbs in 2 years! I started weight watchers on the points plus system which was working fine for me, and I am down 10 pounds. Now, all of a sudden along comes the smart points plan which tries to purge essentially all carbs and most of the fat from the diet. They want you to survive on lean protein, fruits and veggies. I could stand this to lose but its not real life.. I always ate lots of fruit and veggies but as a long as I am active whats wrong with occasional pasta or a slice of cake or a avocado once in a while! Moderation is the key and smart points is unrealistic in this regard. So, I came over to my fitness pal and started calorie counting. Even while exceeding my smart points on the WW plan, I found that I was consuming less than 1200 calories daily. I am also again able to do moderate exercise for an hour and a half daily , five days per week . I am burning about 600 calories per day through the exercise. And by the way I don't just view exercise as a way to eat more food. It is critical for maintaining health and cardiovascular fitness. So important in its own right. But at this point I think that I will go with calorie counting. I of course will continue to monitor my fat and carb intake and try to make sure that my nutrition is balanced. I find this a much less restrictive method and something that I can live with indefinitely. Im not knocking WW as a bad plan, because it is a good and healthy was to eat and it works for many people. I just want the freedom to make more choices and learn how to do this realistically.

thegreatcanook

You can do this! Feel free to add me for support!