Living the Lifestyle Monday January 8

gadgetgirlIL

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: Do you have an inner rebel?

A friend of mine posted that one of her goals for January was to limit her sugary treats to 3 times a week. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, this limit has turned her into a "bingey, insane person". So now she is just focusing on getting in more veggies and staying within her calorie budget.

How do you react when you try to put absolute limits on your intake of a particular item?

gadgetgirlIL

I absolutely have an inner rebel. I once tried to do a weight loss plan through my old fitness center. The premise was that it gave you various items to choose from for your 3 meals and 2 snacks. I lasted a week as items that I really wanted to eat weren't on that list, i.e. sweets. I personally do much better having a calorie budget and then choosing how to spend those calories. Over the recent years, I've evolved to spend more of those calories on vegetables and lean proteins. But I still spend some calories every day on my treats. Tell me I can't have something and my inner rebel immediately starts to obsess about those items. Not logical, but it is my reality.

Rachel0778

I don't do well at all. I fixate on it until I binge. I am definitely an all things in moderation person to be successful.

beachwoman2006

How do you react when you try to put absolute limits on your intake of a particular item?

I have a hard time answering this because I don't put absolute limits on anything. Maybe I did MANY years ago (like when I did my time with Atkins), but it has been so long I don't even remember. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do well though.

Jerdtrmndone

If It is something I crave and try to refuse to have it I just crave that much more then I over indulge. So I have it because it would do less damage then not having it all.

Out_of_Bubblegum

The inner rebel is strong within me... my best bet is to guide, rather than put strong rules on. If I MUST have something, I will have it within a reasonable amount... otherwise I may just go ahead and have it "tomorrow" - and sometimes that tomorrow is in a day.. .sometimes in a month.

podkey

That sort of thinking I suspect would be about as useful/useless to me as vowing to try any new behavior. You know the ones. " I am going to try to go to the gym x times a week".
I do much better not thinking about it so much and spending more time in the healthier direction. That and NOT keeping the sirens of temptation in the house close at hand. Vowing to limit succumbing to temptation is not the best strategy.
NO. I have no absolutes on any particular food. I just don't eat some often at all. I see cutting back to 3 times a week as similar to "trying" to limit alcoholic imbibition to just one drink.

I suppose it might be contradictory but I agree with the idea for me and me alone that if I really want to have something I have it and get over it. I can see where that might not work for the individual above. I just don't plan and allocate this several times a week.

88olds

How do I do?

It’s a mixed bag. I generally I don’t do well with absolute no. But just the same, I don’t do fried, I don’t eat red meat, I rarely drink, I rarely eat pizza, I don’t eat donuts or most kinds of candy.

That said, when I showed up at a cookout last year the choices were hotdog or burger. I ate the burger.

Somehow I manage to get something out of blurring the line between rarely and never. It’s a big help that the stuff I’ve moved away from has lost its appeal. I don’t feel deprived.

minimyzeme

Do you have an inner rebel?

How do you react when you try to put absolute limits on your intake of a particular item?

I think my attitude is similar to @podkey . I enjoy spontaneity and flexibility. Like @beachwoman2006 , I haven't put any limits on food though there are some that I eat practically none of compared to pre-WW. Maybe those are more mental limits than anything I've deliberately set. I don't crave them; it fact I barely think about them (e.g. Chinese food, baked goods, BBQ, etc.). Once in a while they'll be in my sphere and I'll have some and enjoy them. The rest of the time they're barely on the radar

imastar2

I'm not real sure that I have rebel streak although I know I don't do well with people telling me what to do thus for most of my life I've been self employed. That being said last February 24th I began working with a dietitian and we set up working with the 5 food groups. with an 1800 kcal per day limit. I didn't take it as being told what to do because there are so many choices within working with the 5 food groups. Now the part that began to be challenging was the controlling the portions inside those food groups. The concept and the way you execute are pretty much the same as WW except that now WW ha their new freestyle food zones. All that being said?

How do you react when you try to put absolute limits on your intake of a particular item?

This is where the rebel most likely comes out in me. Here again if you tell me I can have one cookie I probably will tell you to go to the bad place. Even though I know that 2 cookies lead to 3 and so forth. But give me an option of making the decision for myself I probably would take the option of not eating the cookie at all. Working with the dietitian is not that difficult because we have many/choices options to work with. All said and done I don't like limits but we have to live with them or suffer the consequences as far weight loss is concern for sure.

SW 400.8
CW 324.6
Next GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0

76.2 lbs Total lost

linmueller

I most definitely have an inner rebel. About everything. For example, if my husband has to take my car to work because his is in the shop, I want to run errands all day long. And it isn't because I am always on the go. I have no problem staying home, unless I have to. This translates to everything in my life, including food.