Living the Lifestyle Wednesday 11/8/17

Rachel0778

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 - imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - Calvin2008Brian (Brian)
Wednesday - Rachel0778 (Rachel)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - jimb376 (Jim)

There are times in our journey when we feel on top of the world. We're getting our exercise in, our food choices are on point, and we feel like a million bucks. Looking back on your journey, when have you previously hit your groove? Are you in a good groove right now? What factors have caused you to get in a good groove and what factors have thrown you out of it?

Calvin2008Brian

I am in a good groove now. Thank you for asking.

I have thought quite a bit about what tips the balance between not even pretending to be on plan, going through the motions, and successfully working a plan. I've never really been able to put a finger on it. If I I knew what the magic "it" is, I would be living at or below goal weight. Also, if I could identify it, distill it, and bottle it, I would be a millionaire. I know it has to be something more than simply being unhappy with my weight or physical condition. There is something else - the elusive it - that turns desire into action. Damned if I know what it is.

goldenfrisbee

Desire to action, the ongoing struggle in most areas of my life

88olds

In a good groove because I have good activities.

I get thrown off by injuries. Nothing major but the kind where I feel like a dope going to the doc. Then I limp along for 2 months before- going to doc.

Signing off to go to my PT appt.

misterhub

My groove has some rough spots, which need to be sanded down.

Out_of_Bubblegum

There are times in our journey when we feel on top of the world. We're getting our exercise in, our food choices are on point, and we feel like a million bucks. Looking back on your journey, when have you previously hit your groove? Are you in a good groove right now? What factors have caused you to get in a good groove and what factors have thrown you out of it?

I hit the groove when I "Do the Things" aka log my meals, and work out consistently. As long as I do them, even when I don't want to.. The groove just "happens" - no magic whatsoever involved. Even when I have days where I eat too much - as long as I keep doing the things, then it just is a small blip on the journey and doesn't have much long term effect.

Conversely, when I stop doing the things, the groove melts away like a snowman in Tucson.

Now I can definitely say there are things that trigger me either way... Sometimes I put on some clothing and it doesn't fit right, and that is a clear reminder that I'm being a dumbass and not doing the things, and this is the result... Other times I'd be in the groove, and someone can make an offhand comment and for some reason that would throw me off for a while, and I'd ruminate over the stupid thing for way too long and stop doing the things.

I am trying to stay more focused on what I am doing for Me - so that the things that throw me off... can't.

gadgetgirlIL

I've been in a good grove for a long time in terms of tracking. I'm not currently in a good grove in terms of staying within my calorie budget on a consistent basis. The stress of the fall semester has thrown me out of it. But there have been times in the past when I was stressed such as during the year or so that I was working on my doctoral dissertation where I was in the grove with my eating. Not sure what exactly triggers that switch in my brain to stay on track in spite of external circumstances.

As far as activity, I've been in the groove of regular activity since May 2001. The amount and intensity has varied based on other demands on my time as well as various injuries and other medical issues. I am finally back in the groove of getting 3-4 solid weight training workouts in. That feels good.

I was knocked out of my groove of running with a psoas issue back in April. While that issue is now resolved, I just haven't found the mojo to pick up my running frequency/distance over the bare minimum. And I will pay the price for this lack of running mileage when I do a 25K trail race this Saturday. At least the cutoff times are very forgiving so that I can hike a substantial part of it and not be holding up the volunteers (a 50k event is also happening on the trails).

I'm looking forward to the end of the fall semester so that I can get more fully into the groove.

Jimb376mfp

Started in 2013 and was in losing mode for two years. After losing 100# my goal was to not gain it back. I lost 16# in 2015.

Then WW introduced SP and I decided to try and lose more weight. We moved in January and the activity I got kick started my weight loss. I got into a groove of swimming as an addition to my aqua aerobics classes.

Then my groove was interrupted by arthroscopic knee surgery in Fall 2016.
I lost 36# in 2016.

Recommitted to losing a pound a week Challenge and have lost 35# so far in 2017.

The psychological factors of knowing their is No Finish Line helps me stay in the groove 90% of the time.
That is one of many Truisms I have learned here on GOAD!

My Lifetime Goal is to not gain back what I have lost. That was what I did every time I lost weight on WW.

Join WW Lose Weight
Quit WW Gain it back
Gain more than I had lost

THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT.

This is the first time I have ever really changed my Lifestyle. All the other times I was just “on WWers” just like so many people going on a Diet. It works but only as long as your “ on a diet”. Who wants to live the rest of their life “on a diet”?

Changing my Lifestyle has been a great discovery at age 69!

minimyzeme

I feel lucky to have slipped right into a good groove when I started WW. That's not to say that every day has been a picnic (so to speak). But, the structure I needed was there. I am fortunate that my partner joined with me and even when she has strayed, she's willingly cooked foods that keep my on-plan. Those two things, combined with the fact that I was mentally ready to do this thing helped me move forward at a good and realistic pace. It also helped that by diving into the GOAD archives (when we were back on WW message boards), I got lots of common-sense help about the realities of LTL. It helped me develop realistic expectations, acknowledge the gig never ends and set my compass toward a future that would be better (and better for me) than my past. Not overnight, but over time.

I've had several challenges (work and personal) since I started. Ironically, I've found that staying in the groove some days is about the only thing that feels right. This despite the fact that I used to use food to celebrate one day and to mourn the next. I've come full circle to realizing that what I put in my mouth is about the only thing I do control in life. And on my worst days, if I'm being mindful, I can still make good food choices. I may not feel like I'm in my groove, but I am if I'm treading water or better. There's a lot of days I tread water, and that's OK. Now I'd rather do that than stuff my face and make myself fatter.

Good, fully engaged grooves are when all of life is going well AND I'm making good choices. It's those times when I'm not thinking about food or weight loss but enjoying the benefits of good choices and a lighter, more agile body. For example, this afternoon, I marked a property boundary--about three miles all totaled and one that I'd done annually for about a dozen years. There's a lot of steep terrain on the line and I remembered struggling and straining in past years. Today was gorgeous--a great day to be in the woods but also a great day to be mindful of how much more capable I am with 75-80 less pounds to pack around. My photography outings are similarly good groove experiences. I can "focus" more on what I'm there for which can include hiking the better part of a day. I have less aches and pains at the end of these experiences. I sleep better and feel better.

Good grooves can be thrown by stresses of any kind for me. For example, I've skipped several of the walks I was doing the last few months. I have my excuses but in reality that's probably all they really are. My old reaction to stresses was to reach for food to numb them. I still do but usually not stuff that's going to make me fat (though it does happen sometimes). I'm still weighing, measuring and tracking. I'm still going to WW meetings at least twice a month. While I may not be fully in the groove, I'm afraid to stop doing any of those things. Even being partway in the groove is better than the alternative for me, at least for one more day.

podkey

Doing ok. I was "ready" when WW came along. Of course I take nothing for granted.

imastar2

Currently I've been in a good grove till tonight. I've had a downward trend. However I got in kinda late this evening had a set back. We had some fun size bars left and I are 4 bars. Good news is their gone. Bad news is I ate them.

When I started WW I stayed in a great grove tilI lost the first hundred but then hit a plateu. Pretty much been in it for quite some time.

Working through it.