Living the Lifestyle 19 April

Jimb376mfp

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 below:

Monday - imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday- jimb376mfp (Jim)

Today's Topic: Does your body fight against you?

I was at my Dr office and saw a poster about weight loss. One item was Why Does Weight Loss so hard to not regain the weight.

It said “hormones” fought to regain the weight to be back at your old heavier weight. I was surprised to see this and it brought back previous GOAD LTL discussion on a “Set Weight”.

I know there have been studies that show how the weight comes back after a “Diet”.

Question: Do you accept the concept that your “body” fights against you LTL?

How often do you think about how your internal body makeup affects your weight?

Jimb376mfp

I know the tendency to gain is “normal” if I lived without a thought about LTL. The pounds would come back very easy and fast.

The small portions I have changed is a big change that would cause my weight gain faster. The CICO still makes me think it can overcome my internal body/hormones.

minimyzeme

Question: Do you accept the concept that your “body” fights against you LTL?

In my case, I think it would be a combination of mind and body working against me. I'm almost 60 years old. The natural evolution of things would have me unraveling at this stage in my life without being mindful of calories in and out. My own inclination toward eating too much and less healthy is as likely to come back as not as I age. It takes some effort to stay mindful enough to make my lifestyle choices consistent with my objectives. In another day and time, it's certainly not out of the question that I'd revert back toward my own relatively poor health as I age.

I think it comes down to choices. Passive choices might well be to go back to the way I used to be: eating and drinking with no thought of the health consequences. My active choices will help my body to maintain the benefits of my current lifestyle (if all goes as planned).

imastar2

I'm pretty much in the same camp with Ken @minimyzeme on this one. At age 71 it's mind and body both fighting against me. The end results however is to remember that more intake than you burn is going to create a gain and less intake than you burn creates a loss. It's all the interference in the middle that makes this difficult.

88olds

My metabolism performs as designed. If I eat excess calories, they get stored as fat. It’s a good thing. No being able to gain weight is a problem.

The Motivation & Support board is loaded with people cursing their “slow” metabolism. Actually slow is more efficient.

I think my brain is more of a hindrance than the rest of my body. My brain, even after all this time, doesn’t seem to like this LTL thing so much. It’s answer to every question is eat.

Al_Howard

I tend towards the "set point" theory. Your body has a weight it "likes". Biatric surgery lowers it some, but not to a "healthy BMI'. I lost dowmn below 224#, from 335# weight, at home, and now struggle between 235 and 250, the weight I was most of my adult life.

Jimb376mfp

My “set point” for most of my adult life was 240-250. After losing over 100# My efforts to get below 200 took me two years to lose 80#. My goal for a pound a week Goal. My losses were -37 -43,

My year of Maintenance below GW 184 has been successful BUT the struggle to not gain is a daily effort to LTL.

podkey

I very much felt that I was living with a set point of around 178LB ish even though I got up close to 220 LB at some point. Of course I have a slower metabolism since I am over 70 y/o and not 18 y/o anymore. Duh. Having said that once I got my first real job after graduate school I started being more active than I was.
Honestly I was more than willing to get a Dr's note for a higher weight goal with WW if my body rebelled. I was very very surprised when I sailed through my typical ceiling and dropped below 180 and below 170.

I feel less compelled by a higher set point for the most part. I am this year right around the upper limit of my "healthy BMI" weight. I haven't upgraded my height for WW which would probably put me a pound or two above what I should be. It feels close to a good place for now.

Maybe my new eating habits plus activity are allowing this lower weight of about 164 to 167.
For me dwelling on a set point doesn't help. Listening to my body does.
Activity doesn't help me lose weight that much but it does stabilize blood sugar and make maintenance workable.

gadgetgirlIL

I really don't think my body is fighting my attempts to maintain. Rather it is what several have already mentioned about being less active as we get older. In addition, there is age-related muscle loss which will play into reducing the body's need for calories as well as make it harder to do some of the more vigorous activities that we did when younger.

I'd say what tries to sabotage maintenance is my mind. My mind will go to the default response of dealing with stress or other uncomfortable emotions by wanting to eat when I'm not physically hungry. And the food that my mind seeks in those times is sweets or crunchy snacks.

Jimb376mfp

@gadgetgirlIL

“already mentioned about being less active as we get older. In addition, there is age-related muscle loss which will play into reducing the body's need for calories as well as make it harder to do some of the more vigorous activities that we did when younger.”

THAT!! 2018 I turned 70, since then I have been facing the fact of age related medical and dental issues have affected my mental attitude.

I am grateful that I’m at GW but realizing that other issues can be out of my control. I know there are other more important issues than weight loss but at least it is one personal factor I can control what goes into my pie hole and how often I go to aqua aerobics and walk the dog.

Trying to tell myself
“SNAP OUT OF IT!”