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MyFitnessPal Community

Living the Lifestyle - Friday, 2/23/2018

jasper60103

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 February are:

Monday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Tuesday - 88olds (George)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - jasper60103 (Jasper)

Topic: Feedback or advice

We all get it. Sometimes positive, negative, and unfortunately hurtful at times.

What is the most constructive advice you have received
during your weight loss journey?

How did you act upon it?

Do you have any helpful advice or lessons learned to share?

Replies

jasper60103

I had a really great WW leader that always encouraged us in many ways, but I recall the meeting making goal and I was feeling pretty emotional. She hugged me and said..."keep your head in the game". I reflect on that often. 6+ years at lifetime and counting...

steve0mania

The best advice I got was "there is no finish line." In other words, I needed to get out of the mind-set that I would focus on losing weight, and once I got to where I wanted to be, that I would simply go back to the old way of eating (or perhaps, a different way of eating). Instead, the "there is no finish line" concept suggests that what you're really trying to do is to get into an eating habit that you can maintain forever.

This idea also translated in another very interesting way. Instead of setting a weight-goal for yourself, why not set an "eating goal" for yourself. If you're happy eating how your eating during weight-loss (and it's healthy, manageable, sustainable, etc.), just keep eating that way forever. In that case, your weight will settle out wherever it will based on your sustainable eating, rather than based on some numerical goal.

Hard words to live by, but I've tried my best.

GoRun2

Someone suggested that I watch how my thin (women) co-workers ate. We spent a lot of time together in lunch meetings, conferences etc. I noticed that the thin women would really watch their portion side at work events where they couldn't control what they ate. They skipped the deserts etc. They were always on top of what they ate. My plumper women friends, not so much.

When I'm doing well on my eating plan and we are at a social event (my weak spot), I watch what the thin women eat. I tell myself I'm a thin woman and sometimes this helps.

Of course sometimes my thin friends use the social event to have extra treats

88olds

Write down what you eat. This is the best advice I’ve gotten and the best advice I pass on. And best advice I’ve acted on.

As of the last time I’ve seen him, the guy who gave me this advice has never taken it.

Al_Howard

Tracking, tracking, tracking. Was, and is, and ever will be!

Jimb376mfp

What is the most constructive advice you received during your weight loss journey?

When I hit -100# my WW Mtg Ldr said “ Now don’t you quit!” That comment has stayed with me because every time I quit WW (tracking, WIs, meetings) Zi Gained back what I had lost PLUS more.

I know what happens when I quit trying.

How did you act upon it?
Have not quit and learned there is no Finish Line.

Do you have any helpful advice or lessons learned to share?

When I learned the definition of Mindless Eating here on GOAD it changed my snacking habits.

Learned pitfalls of timed weigh loss goals. I learned WL is NOT linear. Still don’t like the yo yo WL pattern but at least I now know it is Normal. Acceptable and part of losing weight is occasionally gaining weight!

linmueller

What is the most constructive advice you have received
during your weight loss journey?

Week 3 on WW, my meeting leader told me not to give up anything that I'm not willing to give up forever. The point being that I needed to stop eating all diety and learn to work in my favorite foods. In other words, develop a new lifestyle.

How did you act upon it?

I went out to eat, ordered lasagna, took half home and weighed it so I could track it as accurately as possible. I'm still eating my favorites, just less of them and less often then pre-WW.

Do you have any helpful advice or lessons learned to share?

One if my favorite strategies for social eating is to be mindful of the food I'm eating. Not just how much, but paying attention to the taste so I can decide if it's 'point worthy'. It often takes just one bite to realize something isn't that great.

And I've found "sometimes it's easier to say 'no' then to say 'no more'.

beachwoman2006

What is the most constructive advice you have received during your weight loss journey?

I remember posting on the WW GOAD board one day about using I Can't Believe It's Butter and how much I hated it. M_in_MD replied to my post asking, "Why, if you hate it, do you use it?" To which I responded, "Because it's fewer points." Next question, "So you plan to eat it for the rest of your life?" to which I responded, "Hell No!!" She told me to never give up anything to lose weight that I wasn't willing to give up to keep the weight off.

How did you act upon it?

I threw out the ICBINB that night and went back to using real butter -- just less of it. Then I found Land-o-Lakes Light butter. I found that I liked it just as much as real butter and that's all I've used since then.

Do you have any helpful advice or lessons learned to share?

There were so many "words of wisdom" from the WW GOAD board. I can't remember all of them; but another one was from Dockanz, "Make the better choice". We can't always make the BEST choice, but we CAN make the better choice.

podkey

No finish line,then again didn't imagine one.

gadgetgirlIL

100% agree about there being no finish line. Wish my 16 year old self had known that. I really did think I was cured. HAH.

My leader always said "Track on the days that you want to lose weight".

minimyzeme

What is the most constructive advice you have received during your weight loss journey?

Many have already been discussed here so I'll add Charlie's advice as I approached my goal weight: "Just remember you're not cured. You're just a fat guy in remission." I knew I wasn't cured but I hadn't thought about my situation in this matter-of-fact way.

How did you act upon it?

I am actually really grateful for his statement of fact. I usually circle back to it at least once a day. It's one of many 'guard rails' on my road to weight management, so many of which have come from GOAD!

Do you have any helpful advice or lessons learned to share?

I try not to make a big deal of this weight loss thing. I do it as a means to an end, not a mission in its own right. I am glad it has thus far worked out for me because having lost and kept off a significant amount of weight, the life I live now is a daily reminder that I don't want to go back to my old life. That said, it still takes some focus and certainly mindfulness in stressful times. It's well worth the journey. Once over that hump, it's a lot easier not to go backwards (but probably only if I heed Charlie's advice).

countcurt

The no finish line sticks with me as well. A prior GOAD participant worded it differently: “It’s a death march.” Which some days, it feels like.

The how do you I act on it took a long time to figure out. For a long time, I felt like I had to have eating decisions be the front and center of my life ALL the time. It was exhausting. In the last couple of years I realized I can go to a restaurant without first checking the menu online and if I’m at a function where I have no control over the menu that I can just go with the flow, use a little bit of judgment and proceed. All is not lost if I eat something overindulgent or not really part of a good/smart eating plan.

Which leads me to my helpful advice: Make the better choice. Which I’ve modified: Make the better choice and realize that sometimes the better choice isn’t the best choice.

whathapnd

The "no finish line" and "don't give up anything you're not willing to give up forever" were definitely helpful to me.

A couple that haven't been mentioned that remain especially meaningful for me are, "You have to be ready to lose the weight," and "Don't beat yourself up for a bad day or two. Get back on the horse and move on."

myallforjcbill

I agree on the "no finish line" as well as the various lifestyle ones. Make the The Better Choice still resonates with me in times of trouble.