Living the Lifestyle (LTL) - Wednesday, 10/10/18

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 October below:

Monday imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - Jerdtrmndone (Jerry)

Today's Topic: One eating challenge and how you overcame it.

Weight loss, no matter what the method, is a long-term game. We all know how stumbled in the door to our respective weight loss routines. In order to achieve long-term success, I think it's fair to say we have to find ways to change our behavior and make healthier choices than we used to.

What is one eating challenge you had before starting your weight management program and how have you overcome it for long-term success?

minimyzeme

So, for whatever reason, I'm seeing ads for Wegmans pasta on sale at stores now.

Holy smokes, do I ever eat way less pasta than I used to! It was not uncommon for me to consume most or all of a package of Wegmans sausage ravioli smothered in sauce back in the day. And I might have done that two or more times in an average week. One huge bowl, and then another. Often with garlic bread. And beer. I never added up the WW points for it, but it had to be out-of-this-world. And that was before the sauce and the beer!

I simply don't do this anymore. I track my food and for the most part, stay within the allotted points. However, the reality is I choose not to eat pasta as a routine thing. I'll have it once in a while and appreciate the flavor and texture, but way far less of it than I did before starting WW. It's a choice, but one that's worked well with my other choice of losing weight.

88olds

Pizza.

Probably 25%+ of my meals were pizza. And some snacks. If we ordered pizza twice per week, there was probably pizza available in the house 5-6 days per week. If you had asked me, I likely would have told you that I thought life without pizza was not worth living.

Strategy- I didn’t know at the time, but my basic strategy was reframing. It was a news magazine spot. 20-20 or something. A 500 lb guy on a diet. “My favorite foods are pizza and baby carrots” he said. Pizza? It was some sort of crust thing, a dab of sauce, and a bit of cheese. That was his pizza.

Bought some WW English muffins. Put on a dab of sauce, some LF cheese- I had point friendly pizza. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t really pizza. It was close enough for me to make a good faith argument with my brain that it was pizza.

In the old days, I would have turned up my nose at Pizza Hut. But through study I figured out that I could work some PH thin crust veggie into my plan now and again. It was enough.

I rarely eat pizza now. Rarely think about it. Maybe 4 times per year we get a small veggie from somewhere. Last month I think. It was great. Maybe in the next couple of weeks.

This was a big step for me in the control my thinking control my behavior strategy.

countcurt

I used to eat pretty much anything. Getting past that was a challenge because it was a behavior rooted in something other than hunger. Or necessarily pleasure. I'm mostly past that but I find the behavior (eating food I don't necessarily like that much) does crop up every now and then. Often it's a good 'tell' that something has gone wrong somewhere in my eating plan (or life).

Here's a more detailed description from the archives:

https://countcurtblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/picky-picky-picky/



*I excuse myself for eating things I don't like that much if I'm truly hungry. Which doesn't happen too often, but, hey, life.

podkey

Getting past hedonic pleasure eating. Not sure I ever get away completely. Could be cashews, pizza, whatever. Better to not get started or bring it home.

savignr

I had to fight the unholy one - alcohol. Not that I drank too much, but having a scotch or beer or wine was a huge trigger to start snacking. Or should I say gorging. We live out in the country, or else there would have been a parade of delivery cars in my driveway - pizza, Chinese, you name it. And following a drink with snacking often started another cycle: “I guess I need another beer to wash down this pizza”.

I still drink but very rarely have a drink alone. Most are with s meal, and the portion control is there. I may have one during football but really have to make sure I stay out of the kitchen.

Jimb376mfp

“What is one eating challenge you had before starting your weight management program and how have you overcome it for long-term success?”

Mindless eating was a common nightly event. Sunday football was a marathon of eating.

GoaD made me realize that Mindless Eating was just a bad habit. Now when I have a rare visit to back to bad habits I know that it’s a bad habit. I know when it occurs I now STOP and really know it’s not hunger it’s something that feels good for a very short time.

The remorse outweighs the pleasure of Mindless Eating ( pun intended)

Jerdtrmndone

Always fast foods eat at BK's an hour later go to McDonald's. 2 large sandwich's extra large fries extra large shake. I was, so I thought, hungry. Today when I do go out it' sensible eating and I do not over order or over eat, and I am completely satisfied.

minimyzeme

countcurt wrote: »

Here's a more detailed description from the archives:

https://countcurtblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/picky-picky-picky/

I can totally relate to this! I used to say I deprioritized food--from the be-all, end-all to 'it's just food'. My sister, also a WW offered a correction: I RE-prioritized food...and that was true. However, now that I read your post, I think like you, @countcurt , I re-prioritized eating moreso than food. (I know this because I can still slip into that old behavior from time to time. Sometimes the (mindless) choices from hand-to-mouth are astounding.)

Thanks for the insight; still learning after being at this for several years...

countcurt

minimyzeme wrote: »

Thanks for the insight; still learning after being at this for several years...

Yes. But I'm still re-learning after these years. It's not that I'll never learn, more like there's a sell-by date on each lesson.

Al_Howard

countcurt wrote: »

minimyzeme wrote: »

Thanks for the insight; still learning after being at this for several years...

Yes. But I'm still re-learning after these years. It's not that I'll never learn, more like there's a sell-by date on each lesson.

ROFLMAO

imastar2

After I got my sleep apnea diagnosed and began sleeping with my bi/pap things really began to change. My unbelievable appetite when away for the most part and I was no longer dealing with a monsterous appetite.

I gave up my favorite food which I had eaten all my life fried chicken and other fried foods. I was raised on fried food (it was a southern thing). Even as an adult and losing weight on Atkins 4 times I continued to eat it. When I got on WW I still ate chicken but I dropped the fried part and dropped the skin. My DW said when she met me she had never seen anybody eat as much chicken as I had.

I also put a halt to the amount of steak DW and I consumed. We went from 24 oz's splitting it to splitting a 6-oz filet. Deserts went out the window and I closed the day out with 2 kisses and a 8 oz class of skim milk.

Not sure if boredom, tired of, stress or rebellion happened but I've slipped away from these basic principles in the last year. Results 45 + - gain. Working on figuring out what's going on between my ears.

Just need to get back to this to finish what I started.

SW 400.8
CW 344.0🙂
Next 1 GW 340.0
Next 2 GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0

56.8 lbs Total Loss