Living the Lifestyle - Thursday, 9/29/16

MICHGOLFER2

Everyone says it, but just how do you do it? How do you take the guidelines of the WW program and turn them into a lifestyle you can live every day...from now on? That is what we are here to explore. Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Newbie? Join in! Veteran? Join in! Your thoughts may be just what someone else needs to hear.

Monday -- crewahl / Charlie
Tuesday --60in2017 / Millie
Wednesday -- minimyzeme / Kim
Thursday -- MICHGOLFER2 / Jane
Friday --Jimb376mfp / Jim

Topic: Surprises

Question: What surprises have you encountered while living your weight loss/maintenance lifestyle?

MICHGOLFER2

It was a surprise to me to realize a few months ago that I was not living the lifestyle. I said I was, and I thought I was, but I was not backing up my words and thoughts with my actions.

Even though I was eating foods that I liked, I was “dieting” (measuring, tracking, calculating points) from breakfast until after dinner. Then I was reverting to my old eating habits from that point on, only to start measuring, tracking, etc. the next morning.

It finally clicked in my mind that this was not a lifestyle, or if it was a lifestyle it wasn’t the one that I wanted to be living. So I have been focusing on changing some behaviors, replacing old eating habits with more thoughtful actions, and spending some time thinking about the “why” behind those habits and behaviors. Definitely a work in progress zone!

Rachel0778

I'm surprised by how much I'm actually allowed to eat. I'm pretty close to goal so my deficit is really small but as a 5'5 woman I still get to average over 2K calories a day. It definitely surprised me since women's magazines (I'm looking at you Women's Health) are always talking about their 1500 calorie a day plans (rarely do you see a diet place advertised towards women going higher).

Since I'm eating the extra food and keeping a smaller deficit it feels so much more like a lifestyle than it ever used to at 1400-1500 calories a day.

podkey

I was surprised by "patterns". Since I made goal and lifetime in 2008 I thought I "always" gained in summer and lost in fall and winter. Happened 2-3 years in a row where my average weight went up about 4LB in summer and down in fall and winter. No it doesn't always happen though and really is behavior driven. I bike more and often eat out more in summer but a few times I have lost in summer and gained a bit at other times.

I didn't have goals chiseled in granite or big expectations (maybe because of my age or personality?) and have been pleased to be at goal/healthy weight. Maybe I too am a bit surprised that it weighs on my mind as much as it does. I never assumed it would be automatic or that making it automatic should be the goal but it sure would be nice.

Oh I joined with friends without thinking about it other than the opportunity serendipitously arose on a morning bike ride. My friends stopped by for a weigh in while we were biking and I followed them into WW. My only thought was that "WW is a sensible plan" and that something positive could happen if I followed it. So far so good.

leeless511

My most recent surprise (maybe more re-recognition) is how NOT hungry or food focused I am when I am busy.

I work from home most days but even when I go to the office I think I am focused on my next meal or snack more because it is a break from sitting at my desk all day on conference/video calls a majority of the time. I do get up and walk etc., but sometimes there are time constraints and environmental factors that don't allow me to really get a good walk in...so the food breaks are my mental and entertainment break.

On the weekend I go all day Saturday running errands, cleaning, socializing and never really think about food until I get REAL hunger pangs.

I am currently working with how to capitalize on this "be busy/eat less" thing and recognizing real hunger over boredom or as a distraction during the work week.

gadgetgirlIL

I'm always surprised at how much less hungry I am when I pay better attention to increasing my protein and decreasing my carbs. This is not to say I do low carb - I don't. But if my carb to protein ratio is around 2:1, then my hunger levels are much more conducive to not making me overeat.

This ratio is fairly easy to attain during the workweek, but when I do my long distance activities on weekends, my fueling is very carb heavy.

beachwoman2006

MICHGOLFER2 wrote: »

Even though I was eating foods that I liked, I was “dieting” (measuring, tracking, calculating points) from breakfast until after dinner. Then I was reverting to my old eating habits from that point on, only to start measuring, tracking, etc. the next morning.

It finally clicked in my mind that this was not a lifestyle, or if it was a lifestyle it wasn’t the one that I wanted to be living. So I have been focusing on changing some behaviors, replacing old eating habits with more thoughtful actions, and spending some time thinking about the “why” behind those habits and behaviors. Definitely a work in progress zone!

And the exact reasons you mentioned are the reason I got away from thinking about food from the time I got up in the morning until I went to bed at night (weighing, measuring, counting, and tracking). That was NOT a lifestyle that I wanted for the rest of my life. I switched to Core (aka Simply Filling) and started eating things that gave me the most bang for my buck -- things that satisfied me and kept me satisfied for a long time.

The only thing I do now is track calories on MFP; but I don't obsess over it. There are times when I do weigh/measure some things. But they are things where I'm unsure about my perceivedserving size.

One thing I learned to do while following WW points plans was to weigh/measure some things (like Cheez-Its) as soon as I brought them into the house, package them in snack-size ziploc bags and put the bags back into the box. Then I knew that I was getting only one serving when I took that little ziploc bag out of the box.

I also learned to eat when I was hungry and not eat if I wasn't hungry. AND to stop eating when I was satisfied. Yes, this meant (and means) I sometimes leave food on my plate in restaurants because there are just some things that don't do well as leftovers so I don't bother to even bring them home.

Calvin2008Brian

I am surprised by how difficult it has been to keep my head in the game.

myallforjcbill

In this season of life, I am surprised that I can still let emotional times derail me and then I am surprised how easy it is to get back on track when I decide to

countcurt

I remember some model saying something like "I have to work hard to look this relaxed."

And that's been my surprise. I have to work hard to make being 'naturally thin' look so, well, natural.

More recently, I figured out how I knew it was time to redouble my engagement in managing my weight, even when the scale reading was at or below goal. Turns out, any time somebody comments on how much it seems I can eat and what crap it seems I can eat and never gain weight, that's a clarion call to action.

Jimb376mfp

Lots of surprises over the last four years.
1. When I joined WW @376# I figured the weight would just melt off fast. SURPRISE it came off slowly.
2. Sixteen months later After losing 106 Lbs I thought "I got this!" SURPRISE! Next eight months I lost only 2# because I was sorta on plan, so plan sorta worked.
3. Jan 2016 I joined a 52#in52weeks challenge thinking no problem I can do that! SURPRISE! At age 68 losing a pound a week is doable BUT not easy. I had lost 35# but then in Sept I gained 6 Lbs at ONE WI another SURPRISE! Today's WI I down 2.4# NO SURPRISE because I was back on track following the plan.

goldenfrisbee

Glad to see you are back on track, Jim

goldenfrisbee

No surprises here. I did WW for the first time in Mid 2014 and lost 50# in about 6 months. Then maintained that weight for about 6 months and then let mindless eating take over. For some reason I told myself unconsciously that I couldn't lose any more weight. Instead of being happy that I was lighter, I just let it all come back on me again once I had stalled out for awhile.

Now I'm reliving the past and re-experiencing the little NSV's along the way down. I hope I have learned my lesson that this is a lifestyle and there is no finish line. I'm going slow, but hopefully that will make it a lasting change.

88olds

I made goal and haven't blown it. 10 years.

Jerdtrmndone

It is a surprise to me that when I get to the next 5 lbs. lost I either Gain or maintain then start to lose after a couple of wks. also use to drink extra large pumpkin coffee with cream till I figured out the calories etc.

minimyzeme

A few come to mind:

1. I was surprised to learn how much weight I'd really have to lose to get to the 'normal' BMI range from where I first started. (It was much more than the five pounds my Dr. recommended I lose!)

2. I was surprised how quickly, given the first surprise, I decided not to worry about the big number and just focus on the five pounds.

3. I was surprised on how quickly having and executing a plan transformed something in my head to make me feel better even before I lost the first five pounds.

4. I was surprised to realize I really was going to have to do this the rest of my life. Then I immediately put that out of my mind (as in Surprise #2), and focus on one day at a time.

5. I was surprised at how little I needed to eat to sustain myself and conversely, how much I routinely ate prior to WW.

6. I was surprised at how much of the challenge I have with weight loss is mental. I would say a good 80% of it for me has been in figuring out and adjusting my head and behaviors rather than what I eat.