Living The Lifestyle Thursday 1/4/18

imastar2

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate, and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for January are:

Monday - GadgetGirlIL (Regina)

Tuesday - 88olds (George)

Wednesday - Beachwoman2006 (Cindy)

Thursday - Imastar2 (Derrick)

Friday - Jimb376mfp (Jim)

Today's topic: Through our weight journey we learn by our failures and our successes. Knowing what you know now after being on your journey for whatever length of time what would you do differently if anything the second time around.?

imastar2

It's been quite a while since I started this WL journey but it seems like yesterday. I know there were a lot of trials and errors but I quickly found my way and began to navigate through the WW site and read everything I could to help with the WL. I believe what I had was good success for around a year and lost 100 lbs. That would be my success so now on to my failures. As time went on I kept up a yo yo affect with my WL journey.

So what I would do different the second time around is to stick to the program as strictly as I had the first 12 months making adjustments as necessary with the program. One problem along the way not to make excuses is that WW changed their point system a couple of times and this effected the point values etc; just a they have done on Dec of 2017. So I figure it all boils down to going back to the basics and eating less to lose more weight.

Jerdtrmndone

This is my 3rd time around. The year I made Life-time 2005 was a great year losing 110lbs. Problem was and is I left my self slip away again and still trying to get on the right track to move forward . I need to be very strict with myself. I can gain very quickly. I don't want to be that way, but find a way it will work with out feeling pressured. Every day I try but always mess it up at night. I now am just taking baby steps and hopefully it will put me on the right track.

gadgetgirlIL

I've been at this since I was 16 and lost 40 pounds and thought I was cured. I've had 3 major weight losses since that time not to mention countless times when I would lose 10-20 pounds and then go off the rails.

I wish my 16 year old self knew what my finally successful 50+ year old self knew - that there is NO FINISH LINE. I will never be cured. I have to actively monitor what I put into my mouth as well as not take long breaks from the scale. And most importantly, I have to remain active. Exercise is the best mood booster I've ever found. Winters became so much more tolerable when I embraced running, hiking, snowshoeing, and even biking outside in the winter.

We are working hard here in the Chicago area to set a new record for the longest stretch below 20 degrees. As a result, I'm excited that this Sunday we should get up to 30 degrees or so. I'll be getting on the heavy bike with its studded snow tires to get some outdoor miles.

Al_Howard

gadgetgirlIL wrote: »

I've been at this since I was 16 and lost 40 pounds and thought I was cured. I've had 3 major weight losses since that time not to mention countless times when I would lose 10-20 pounds and then go off the rails.

I wish my 16 year old self knew what my finally successful 50+ year old self knew - that there is NO FINISH LINE. I will never be cured. I have to actively monitor what I put into my mouth as well as not take long breaks from the scale. And most importantly, I have to remain active. Exercise is the best mood booster I've ever found. Winters became so much more tolerable when I embraced running, hiking, snowshoeing, and even biking outside in the winter.

Well, I wasn't 16 the first time I lost weight, I was 17. Just cut back, and got wicked ripped with exercise. Then marriage, three kids, work, etc. TOL and I joined WW in 1978, and made lifetime in 1979. Then more "life" happened. Had quite a few restarts, WW, South Beach, and a diet program I bought from an internet company (which worked well on 16 Bit systems).
Back to WW in fall of 2008. I'm still working on it, and TOL has regained Lifetime. I've learned WW works, and that I really need the meetings.

88olds

I would have taken up tracking much sooner. Starting about 285lbs, I was stuck for years at around 215-220. Life was good. I trained with weights to the point people noticed. I ran my kids into the ground in the Orlando. My CPAP was history. BP was great.

But my feet hurt. My knees hurt. The nagging voice in my head, berating me from not getting to my initial goal of 204 wouldn’t shut up. I’d lost 65+ lbs, but could never close the deal on that next 10.

I read somewhere that writing down your intake was shown to be the most effective WL tool. I thought I ought to count something. My attempts at calorie counting hadn’t gone well. I joined WW.
I knew they kept a journal and counted something. A great decision. Changed my life.

Now who’s to say? I might not have been ready any sooner. I could have just ended up in the WW revolving door. There is such a thing as right place at the right time. No way to know.

beachwoman2006

I reached goal the first time sometime in the mid-70's after losing 100+ pounds in about a year. Then I reached goal and lifetime again in 1997 after losing 65 pounds in less than a year. Then I rejoined WW in 2002 (after several unsuccessful rejoins) needing to lose 55 pounds to get back to goal. I decided that this time around I would focus on doing things "right" and keeping the weight off instead of focusing on how quickly I could lose the weight.

I reclaimed my lifetime status in September 2004 (22 months to lose 55 pounds). Until sometime in 2015 I stayed WAY below my lifetime goal. Then I was put on some BP meds that have, as a side effect, weight gain <sigh> so I ended up above my goal weight. Fortunately, I've never been more than 10 pounds above my goal weight. So now, I'm striving to get back to my official goal weight and, once that happens, I'll strive to get back to my personal goal weight.

Soooooooo, after all that -- Don't do anything lose weight that you aren't willing to do to keep the weight off!! Thinking that I would ever be able to go back to eating "normally" was my downfall. I just had to change my normal.

lowbar31

Don't go away once you reach goal. I've learned there is no finish line.

podkey

No finish line for sure.

minimyzeme

My journey has had its ups and downs as expected but I can't say there's anything that stands out that I would change. I attribute this largely to the fact that I dug in and learned from GOAD of old. It was my first stop after joining WW and I learned a lot by going through the archives! So far, there's been no second time and I intend to keep it that way...