Living the Lifestyle (LTL) - Wed., Feb. 13, 2019

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 February are below:

Monday - imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - gadgetgirlIL (Regina)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - jerdtrmndone (Jerry)

Today's Topic: Knowing what you know now, what single trait or set of circumstances would have kept you out of this mess?

We are who we are. We'e all been doing this awhile. We perceive ourselves as people who didn't or can't manage their eating like "normal" people who don't need the support and guidance of a weight management program.

If that's true, what's one thing--trait or circumstance that you think you might have changed that would have prevented you from overeating (drinking) to the point of needing a weight management program?

Discuss!

Jimb376mfp

First thing that popped in my mind was when I realized Mindless Eating was a way of life before WW.
I look back on how much I would eat nightly watching TV and massive amounts on weekends watching football.

When GoaDs taught me Mindless Eating was a real thing and I changed.

There are many more like Fast Food and junk food that was always a part of me.

gadgetgirlIL

Well, hell, I was doomed from about age 7 when I started to exceed the norms for weight for girls my age. And thus began my lifelong battle with the scale.

My mother also struggled with her weight all her life. My father was always normal weight. So were genetics stacked against me? Or was it environment? My mother was an emotional eater and was always making homemade breads, cakes, cookies, etc. My preference for sweets was encoded at an early age. My father also had a sweet tooth but he always seemed to burn off what ever he ate. He worked in a factory and also had a huge vegetable garden. He was always very active.

I got nothing as to what I could have done differently to have avoid a lifelong struggle with my weight.

jasper60103

I loved to eat and made poor food choices which led to my obesity.
We ate a lot fast food in those days, and fewer home cooked meals.

I've lived with hurtful comments about my weight
from family mostly, pretending it didn't bother me.
And I watched the scale go up and up for years before I decided to do something
about it.
I'm not sure what could have help me get on the right track sooner.

Al_Howard

I was an eating commuter. Always had food in the car. Drive-thru, conveinience store, what ever. Lots of peanuts and chips (and often accompanied with a beer or two).
However, I was way above the "norm" as long as I can remember (and before, looking at pictures). Always "fatty fatty two by four".

88olds

Well, different things at different times.

But the idea that set the table for everything that followed was thinking I was fat when I weighed 180lbs. The first time that is.

What I needed was fitness. What I needed for fitness was weight training. What I needed to do that was to not weigh myself the morning after I started and freak out if I gained a lb or 2.

One thing leads to another.

Jerdtrmndone

I was always a sweets eater. I would also do fast foods super sizes and doubled up. Thank god I stopped doing that taking better control of myself. I have gained almost half the weight back that I lost but at least lately I am losing small amounts or maintaining buy checking my calorie expenditure and my food intake and it has helped to get back on the tracks.

minimyzeme

I don't know exactly how it evolved but I think emotional (stress / anxiety) started at an early age--and I didn't eat carrots. Count me as another sweets eater. We always had cookies or candy around and I latched right onto that stuff.

As I got older and the stresses or anxieties changed, so did my food choices. I added wings, burgers, pizza and beer to the mix. I ate often and a lot. I guess it just kept going. For many years I had field jobs that involved a lot of hiking. Maybe that helped moderate things a bit but as I got into more managerial / administrative jobs, whatever offset that provided fell by the wayside. At the same time, the stresses became bigger and the opportunities for overeating and drinking increased.

In retrospect, if I'd chosen a healthier way to deal with the challenges, I might not have found myself where I did when I started WW. Now that I have dissected my behaviors and modified some of them, I think I manage those challenges in much healthier ways. I never say never though...

steve0mania

Hubris. I had to prove that everything I did was *more* than everyone else. I could out-eat, out-drink, out-stay-up-late, out-get-up-early, out-waste-time, out-everything than everyone. Boy am I stupid.

cakeman21k

Genetics! I would have needed to be born with a different set of genes! Overweight was a way of life in my family, not just my parents but my aunts uncles and cousins as well. It still is for those of us who are still around. I don't mean to make it sound like I am dodging the question because the reason we were all overweight was also tied to what, how, when and how much we ate.
For me personally I did not start to have a weight problem till I was in college and I have struggled ever since. Its tough to get past some of that child good learning.

linmueller

I never had a real problem until i was in my 40s, tho I always thought I was heavy, I was actually in normal range. Then I injured my foot and became pretty sedentary. So I ate. Looking back I can see that I always saw food a comfort, celebratory, a reward (thanks Mom 🙄).

One thing I could have done was to reshape my view of food. To find the balance between eating to live, and enjoying every bite. To not turn to food for comfort. ... It's an ongoing struggle.