Living the Lifestyle (LTL) - Wednesday, 4/4/18

minimyzeme

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 April are:

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

Today's Topic: "It's a lifestyle, not a diet."

The sentence has a great ring to it but in reality the concept can prove challenging at times. We all came from previous lives where our lifestyles were certainly not consistent with weight management. Now most of us have been in this lifestyle for quite some time.

What's your percentage--lifestyle to diet? Are you happy where you are or are you striving for a different percentage? What (if anything) is holding you back?

gadgetgirlIL

Good question. I'd say that with my current level of activity it is about 70% lifestyle and 30% diet. My activity does much to mitigate the work stress.

I'm at the point this year where much of my focus is on my cycling adventures because they are something within my control whereas everything seems up in the air and chaotic on the work front. My students are starting to figure out something is up since the current program director does not appear on the fall schedule. But I still don't have the permission to share anything with them yet. Not that I know much more than they do.

podkey

What holds me back? Me,me,me at times. Having said that this IS my current lifestyle warts and all. I have been doing this for over 10 years and at goal range for going on 10 years WHEW. Of course another way to look at it is that the "diet" is my lifestyle. No I don't count or journal but I still eat the same foods in the same amounts from habit and still have the same temptations and excursions. As long as I keep the car on the road and don't hit that semi-truck I am good with it.
Mental wanderings and teasing depression orboredom can play with it for sure.

88olds

Percentage?

Well, 90/10 comes to mind. I run mostly on habit but I’m not opposed to dieting if I need it. My new line in the sand is 175, 9lbs under my GW of 184lbs. I haven’t weighed in today. Diet mode may be here soon.

That said, my entire outlook has changed. I just need to operate within some limits. It’s the responsible thing to do. If we had never had kids, I’m not sure I would have ever embraced responsibility, but lucky I did.

So I guess I consider dieting a tool in my current lifestyle. And I’m pretty quick to pull it out of the toolbox.

beachwoman2006

I made the decision years ago that I would incorporate WW into MY lifestyle instead of the other way around. It's worked since 2002 so I think I'll stick with it.

myallforjcbill

The percentage is fluid since I refocused a month ago. At times it is 80/20 and other times it is closer to 50/50. Chronic pain issues the last two years have developed a habit of saying I don't give a damn right now during flare ups. Things are ok for a season now so I am now working with someone to develop some lifestyle habits and skills to hopefully endure better during tougher times. After 2 years of losing the battle, I find it is often as easy as it has ever been to stay "on plan" and other days I have to be very intentional and feel more diet like. I expect the balance to shift more and more to being easy and natural as the next few months roll by.

Al_Howard

4/7 I enjoy (probably too much) my weekends.

Calvin2008Brian

I've never embraced WW's marketing phrase "it's a lifestyle, not a diet," probably because in my professional life I rely on words having a distinct, honest, meaning. If you're in weight loss mode, you're following a weight loss diet. If you're in weight management/maintenance mode, it similarly seems a lie to say you're not following a weight management diet plan. You can say your diet plan is more forgiving or flexible than some others, but don't say it's not a diet plan.

That said, I need to get focused and on plan. I've been cheating a lot, tracking inconsistently, and being sloppy about choices.

imastar2

It's a 100% diet for me. Sorta all or nothing. I recently have done very poorly with trying to venture out in the world of eating what I and when I want it. Has never worked for me and it ain't gonna work now. So I'v been struggling to get back on my diet. Been a little iffy on and off mostly off since Fall of last year. This has resulted in a gain of over 30 lbs. I stayed at 295-300 lbs for most of 3 years and thought I would venture out seek help and get a accountability but life happens. So for me my diet really is my lifestyle. I take it as the norm and am satisfied that that's the way it is in my life and just have to keep on keeping on this journey till I get called home.

Right now I'm focused on the plan before me 1800 kcal balanced diet stay with it and don't get crazy with the sweets, deserts, and too many carbs. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

SW 400.8
CW 328.2
Next GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0

72.6 bs Total lost

Jimb376mfp

What's your percentage--lifestyle to diet? Are you happy where you are or are you striving for a different percentage?

I never bought into the Lifestyle during my adult Diets. I could lose weight but never changed LTL and went back to old habits and gained it alll back.

THIS TIME after joining WW 2013 I began to hear if you LTL then you never have to go on a diet ever again!

After five years I would say my Lifestyle is now changed to 60% and 40% “diet”

I was thinking about WL, the old % required activity vs eating. A new aqua aerobics guy said he wanted to join class to lose weight.
(I kept quiet but as time goes on I think most people are wrong thinking of activity is 70-80%. I think most people do not want to know that EATING is way more important than exercise! Diet 70% and Exercise 30%)

My LTL activity level is because I LIKE my exercise.
My “Diet” is because I know it works, I track, count points, know portions, limit RED FLAG foods (like pizza). Most of my meals are boring. Now eating out at a restaurant is a treat.

ETA:
LTL is 90%
BUT Dieting is just a WORD. Basically it takes whatever we call it.

minimyzeme

What's your percentage--lifestyle to diet? Are you happy where you are or are you striving for a different percentage? What (if anything) is holding you back?

High winds and power outage kept me from getting back to this yesterday.

Ironically enough, while I've come to accept my new behaviors as pretty much a lifestyle, yesterday almost seemed like I was starting over and one who couldn't or wouldn't stay on-plan. We had a Hazardous Weather Warning for wind, cold and snow. All three happened (after being around 50 for the previous couple days). I couldn't work in the woods yesterday for the real risk of limbs falling. I was pacing and doing my best to get other work done inside but antsy and agitated. A 2-pound gain overnight (probably due to too much maple cream the previous couple days and dinner out with a friend) gave me a slight case of the effits. I wasn't totally off the rails, but not far from it. That was maybe a first for me--something that I need to be aware of and pay attention to.

The last few days aside, I'd say the change in diet is probably 80% of the lifestyle for me. It is something that for the most part, I've sustained since I started in 2014. As a choice, I realize and accept the tradeoffs between my eating on WW compared with how I ate before then. For the most part, I'm fine with it. I'll take life in this smaller body any day (now that I got there).

While the primary emphasis is on the change in diet, the other 20% is not insignificant for me. Everything else body-related has improved. My bloodwork is better. I breathe and move more easily. I sleep better. I feel like I will live longer and better and have less risk of being a burden to my loved ones compared to my life prior to WW. While the percentage may be smaller, the increase in quality of life is big for me.

This concept of proportionality is one I revisit from time to time just as a check on where I am. I never say never but for the time being, I'm fine with the way that weight loss and management have rearranged my priorities and added value to my life.