Brenda's Maintenance Journal Year 1
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arguablysamson wrote: »
Uh, well, I'm speaking from experience, so yes, it's definitely true. I'm not theorizing here.
If someone can't control themselves, then they won't have made it to maintenance. Or else they won't have lost much weight to learn to fully restructure their eating. Assuming someone stays cognizant of the need for the fasting life change, then meager efforts to maintain it will suffice. If a person has overcome their addictions through fasting, then they no longer have "food triggers" anymore.
see this the issue here, your personal success doesn't mean most will be able to replicate it, conscientious/non agreeable personality types, like you seem to have, can push through and make it work through thin and thick but not everyone has that psychological make up
there's also another thing in your particular case, you have other incentives, like leading this group/youtube channel/coaching services that provide extra motivation since it places you in a position to be an example/help others etc
I'd say that for the losing phase having trigger foods around MAY be feasible since the losing phase is a relatively short time but maintenance is a whole different ball game, we are taking decades down the road here
I predict that with the current guidelines as they are structured
1. most people wont even make it to the maintenance phase, this is already a reality when you look at the "graveyard of threads" in the community 90+% people that start a log disappear to not ever be seen again
2. from the few who make it to maintenance , most will get fat again at some point
now don't get me wrong OMAD is a terrific tool, just need the other half of the equation(abstinence from crap) to really work for most people, you cant just ignore the elephant in the room, which is the addictive super palatable foods in our modern environment and achieve success long term ,again for most people
of course I may be wrong but I guess time will tell
I think you have some good insights. I think a lot of what you said is valid. I do think that there are several variables that can get us to lose or maintain and that people can choose which variables to emphasize to get there. You just need to have the right combination and it will work. For example I think the variables are:
1. What you eat (low carb to no restrictions, plant only or meat products allowed)
2. When you eat (from growing continuously to OMAD, from applying those styles every day to only some days)
3. How much you eat (self explanitory, some meals more some less, some days more some days less, even every day)
I could write down 20 or more protocols with those variables and each of them would work. I think it depends on the person and what is most compatible with them. Some are going to be better for the majority of the people though like you've alluded to.
The main thing is people just have to pay attention and weigh themselves, make a plan of action, implement the plan of action, repeat tell it works. More than one way to skin the cat I think, although I think some ways will be better for the masses than others.
Also there are the variables of exercise (non to a lot) and getting enough sleep etc..
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I've found never allowing indulgences is also a trigger to a binge. I think it is perfectly fine to go ahead and have some very big indulgence days like on special occasions. Some minor indulgences maybe on a weekly basis. I don't want to give up sugar permanently but I do know I need to watch it. I agree with your point though that people need to be careful and if a person can't control it, it would be better to totally abstain than go off on the deep end.
that's how addiction works, you need to tough it out and give it a few weeks for your taste buds to down regulate the more time away from the problem foods the more hey will fade in your memory, now if you go back and indulge well you are still on the hook, matter of time before you backslide and gain the weight
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I've found never allowing indulgences is also a trigger to a binge. I think it is perfectly fine to go ahead and have some very big indulgence days like on special occasions. Some minor indulgences maybe on a weekly basis. I don't want to give up sugar permanently but I do know I need to watch it. I agree with your point though that people need to be careful and if a person can't control it, it would be better to totally abstain than go off on the deep end.
that's how addiction works, you need to tough it out and give it a few weeks for your taste buds to down regulate the more time away from the problem foods the more hey will fade in your memory, now if you go back and indulge well you are still on the hook, matter of time before you backslide and gain the weight
I already don't eat as much junk cause of the fasting but I have no desire to cut out some things completely forever. I want to be able to indulge on occasion on some yummy deserts etc.. I see nothing wrong with that (I'm talking food and not drugs and they are not equivalent) I've maintained for a year and I do allow some indulgences. Now if we were talking drugs, then I would say never indulge. Food is a celebration at times and I plan on doing that. People can go overboard and it really stinks to never be able to have some foods even on special occasion nor do I believe it is necessary to be that strict.2 -
that's how addiction works, you need to tough it out and give it a few weeks for your taste buds to down regulate the more time away from the problem foods the more hey will fade in your memory, now if you go back and indulge well you are still on the hook, matter of time before you backslide and gain the weight
If you read the MFP success stories area, the majority of those who have maintained for years, like Joe, and over a year and still going like Bob, they're the people who allowed small indulgences throughout their weight loss and continue the same while maintaining. Why? Because they've learned the art of control. Unless for moral or health reasons, most people who go on super restrictive diets to lose weight... they're the ones who end up gaining weight back because as soon as the weight was gone, they go back to all the foods they so heavily restricted while trying to lose. There are exceptions to the rule, there always is, but if you read stories of people who regained, that's what you're going to hear most often.3 -
@wsandy8512 MFP has around 170 mill downloads, a few dozen success stories is a drop in very very big bucket haha, yeah few privileged folks will keep the weight off in any diet, now what good is that when the majority is failing, what good would OMAD be if it has the same success of any run of the mill crash diet?0
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To me this isn't just a diet, it's my new way of eating and I'm never going to gain my weight back no matter what because that's what I choose to do
Its a beautiful day and I'm going to go enjoy it, I hope you all do as well 
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@wsandy8512 MFP has around 170 mill downloads, a few dozen success stories is a drop in very very big bucket haha, yeah few privileged folks will keep the weight off in any diet, now what good is that when the majority is failing, what good would OMAD be if it has the same success of any run of the mill crash diet?
What good is any diet then? LOL Should we all just throw in the towel because most people won't keep it off? No. It's all about calories in and calories out, period, regardless of diet. If one makes a lifestyle change while getting there, great! If not, maybe they'll find something another day.
Best to all of us, I say, as long as it's working for you is the most important thing. :-)
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brendagaudette wrote: »To me this isn't just a diet, it's my new way of eating and I'm never going to gain my weight back no matter what because that's what I choose to do Its a beautiful day and I'm going to go enjoy it, I hope you all do as well
I love your attitude, Brenda! Have fun enjoying your day, I know I am mine :-)1 -
I strenuously disagree with the bolded part. A person who eats 300 calories at five times equally spaced throughout the day will not have the same results as a person who eats 1500 calories at one meal, even though they have both consumed the same amount of calories. OMAD works for a reason, the narrowing of the eating window and greater duration in a fasted state.wsandy8512 wrote: »What good is any diet then? LOL Should we all just throw in the towel because most people won't keep it off? No. It's all about calories in and calories out, period, regardless of diet. If one makes a lifestyle change while getting there, great! If not, maybe they'll find something another day.
Best to all of us, I say, as long as it's working for you is the most important thing. :-)
Sorry to continue hijacking Brenda's thread!
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Hey, Jim, I meant in the sense that, regardless of diet, if you eat more than maintenance, daily--I'm not talking bulking to build muscle where it's done purposely--people gain their weight back. :-)0
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wsandy8512 wrote: »
What good is any diet then? LOL Should we all just throw in the towel because most people won't keep it off? No. It's all about calories in and calories out, period, regardless of diet. If one makes a lifestyle change while getting there, great! If not, maybe they'll find something another day.
Best to all of us, I say, as long as it's working for you is the most important thing. :-)
the solution is eat the appropriate diet for the human animal, which is whole natural foods with minimum processing, so you dont have to live for the rest of your life like you are a prisoner in a metabolic ward, weighting in every day and counting calories like a maniac, thats not sustainable haha
the only animals in the planet with weight problems are human and their pets, thats what eating an artificially high calorie concentration diet will do to you
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Lots of people aren't counting calories when they reach maintenance. Joe, Brenda, and Bob don't count calories. Joe recommends not weighing every day, he's pretty adamant about it, actually.
That's all I'll say. You remind me of myself when I've went all eating clean in the past, so I will be nice and drop this now. 1 -
I think you have some good insights. I think a lot of what you said is valid. I do think that there are several variables that can get us to lose or maintain and that people can choose which variables to emphasize to get there. You just need to have the right combination and it will work. For example I think the variables are:
1. What you eat (low carb to no restrictions, plant only or meat products allowed)
2. When you eat (from growing continuously to OMAD, from applying those styles every day to only some days)
3. How much you eat (self explanitory, some meals more some less, some days more some days less, even every day)
I could write down 20 or more protocols with those variables and each of them would work. I think it depends on the person and what is most compatible with them. Some are going to be better for the majority of the people though like you've alluded to.
The main thing is people just have to pay attention and weigh themselves, make a plan of action, implement the plan of action, repeat tell it works. More than one way to skin the cat I think, although I think some ways will be better for the masses than others.
Also there are the variables of exercise (non to a lot) and getting enough sleep etc..
I agree that it depends on the person, there's a range with what you can get way with and don't gain weight, in one extreme of the spectrum are the people that never gain weight, they stay skinny eating nothing but junk food, their satiety mechanisms are fined tuned enough that they don't over eat, the thing is that's not us (for the people trying to lose weight) then there's people that have some weight problems and then there's people that have huge weight problems
there's an underlying BIOLOGICAL reality, that an animal will seek the highest caloric food in the environment since it gives it the best chance of survival, in a a natural environment this works perfect , but when you artificially change the environment and alter the calorie concentration of the food you'll get fat and sick, throw some rat chow to the lab rats and they are fine, instead of rat chow throw them bread and chocolate and they gain weight, switch back to normal rat chow and they return to normal weight, this is millions of years of evolution,deep behavioral patterns built in all animals, unconscious processes now if you think you can win long term against that? good luck haha, your best chance is to alter the environment to the best of your ability and remove the trigger foods
similar as how addiction is treated, moderation wont work for an alcoholic, food pleasure is linked to dopamine centers on the brain sex/food=pleasure same pathways hardcore recreational drugs hijack
anyway... thanks everybody for their input I hope we all could learn a bit from this exchange, hey I may be flat out wrong and there's a better way
peace
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My OMAD meal tonight was 1/2 cup popcorn cooked in 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil and 2 Tbsp. Butter and that's it
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wsandy8512 wrote: »
What good is any diet then? LOL Should we all just throw in the towel because most people won't keep it off? No. It's all about calories in and calories out, period, regardless of diet. If one makes a lifestyle change while getting there, great! If not, maybe they'll find something another day.
Best to all of us, I say, as long as it's working for you is the most important thing. :-)
the solution is eat the appropriate diet for the human animal, which is whole natural foods with minimum processing, so you dont have to live for the rest of your life like you are a prisoner in a metabolic ward, weighting in every day and counting calories like a maniac, thats not sustainable haha
the only animals in the planet with weight problems are human and their pets, thats what eating an artificially high calorie concentration diet will do to you
Wild animals can get fat too. Look at bears. They get fat every year! Deer can get fat. I've caught some very fat fish before. I'm sure there are more.
I don't weigh my food and I refuse to ever do that. I will just shorten the eating window tell it works. Weighing myself isn't a biggie. I like doing it and seeing what I weigh. The only times I've gotten into trouble weight-wise was when I haven't been weighing or paying attention. When I was in high school and college running track, I would weight daily and I was between 155-160 (I was hoping to see some gains!). I don't count calories except in my head sometimes. I do think that the feedback systems for satiety work in some folks and not in others. I think I could still get very fat if I ate unlimited whole foods.1 -
wsandy8512 wrote: »
What good is any diet then? LOL Should we all just throw in the towel because most people won't keep it off? No. It's all about calories in and calories out, period, regardless of diet. If one makes a lifestyle change while getting there, great! If not, maybe they'll find something another day.
Best to all of us, I say, as long as it's working for you is the most important thing. :-)
the solution is eat the appropriate diet for the human animal, which is whole natural foods with minimum processing, so you dont have to live for the rest of your life like you are a prisoner in a metabolic ward, weighting in every day and counting calories like a maniac, thats not sustainable haha
the only animals in the planet with weight problems are human and their pets, thats what eating an artificially high calorie concentration diet will do to you
Wild animals can get fat too. Look at bears. They get fat every year! Deer can get fat. I've caught some very fat fish before. I'm sure there are more.
I don't weigh my food and I refuse to ever do that. I will just shorten the eating window tell it works. Weighing myself isn't a biggie. I like doing it and seeing what I weigh. The only times I've gotten into trouble weight-wise was when I haven't been weighing or paying attention. When I was in high school and college running track, I would weight daily and I was between 155-160 (I was hoping to see some gains!). I don't count calories except in my head sometimes. I do think that the feedback systems for satiety work in some folks and not in others. I think I could still get very fat if I ate unlimited whole foods.
Exactly. No one should get caught up on the false idea that healthy foods can't get you fat.1 -
I can, and have, got fat eating healthy foods!! It's all about portion size (aka calories!!) I always laugh to myself when I hear somebody say "nobody ever got fat eating <insert healthy food> and think "try me, I bet I could!!"
Daily weighing is definitely helpful in my case - as soon as I stop it likely means there is a problem! But everybody is different.3 -
Good job Brenda! Keep it up!
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Thanks everyone and I agree that if we overeat any food we will gain weight so let's do what works for us and enjoy life
I only need to lose .6th of a pound, so another day of OMAD should get me at or below what I weighed last Friday and then I plan to continue with my 3 Splurge days and 4 OMAD days with no counting anything If that stops working I will just tweak my plan again 1 -
Gosh...you guys rock at numbers, charts and the lot...not sure I will be going down that line for the time being I play it simple one meal a day and I try to get wiser with my food choices...
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Congratulations Brenda for all your success in weight drop and weight maintenance!!! hurrey! you are now an official alchemist! ha!1
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Hi Everyone...This morning I walked for an hour on my treadmill and then for my OMAD meal I had a big salad and then I walked for another hour, and now I'm going to go eat my Popcorn 1
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Sounds like a great down day for you! Btw, I wish I knew whether or not you were a Seinfeld fan because seeing "big salad" made me laugh. 0
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wsandy8512 wrote: »Sounds like a great down day for you! Btw, I wish I knew whether or not you were a Seinfeld fan because seeing "big salad" made me laugh.
I haven't seen Seinfeld in a long time and I don't remember that one so I just googled it, OMG that's too funny 1 -
brendagaudette wrote: »Hi Everyone...This morning I walked for an hour on my treadmill and then for my OMAD meal I had a big salad and then I walked for another hour, and now I'm going to go eat my Popcorn
Very good! Feels good to get out!1 -
Weekly Chart (Maintain between 125 and 135)
May 27th....130 GOAL Weight
June 3rd.....129 OMAD/4:3
June 10th...128 OMAD/4:3
June 17th...130 OMAD/5:2
June 23rd...128 OMAD/5:2
June 30th...128 OMAD/3 Splurge Days
My plan worked!!! I had 3 Splurge Days and 4 OMAD Days plus I didn't count calories and my weight stayed the same as last week 1 -
Awesome, Brenda!!1
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You are rocking Maintenance. Such an encouragement for those following behind1
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Do you vary your splurge days or have them on the same days each week?0
