Living The Lifestyle Thursday 7/11/24

imastar2

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.

Monday - crewahl (Charlie)
Tuesday – Wildcard
Wednesday-misterhub (Greg)
Thursday -imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday - Wildcard

Today's Topic: Frustration/ Frustrations? Sometimes it hard to figure out why weight loss occurs or doesn't occur even when your focusing on it.
The question here is not what your doing with your program but how do you mentally handle your frustrations when it hard to figure out a no lost long period.

misterhub

Speaking only for me;

1. Return to Basics: Actual portion size vs Perceived portion size
2. Proper preparation - Am I ready for the week, or am I set up just to wing it. Winging it does not work for me.
3. Am I eating out or eating my own homecooked meals. If I eat out, I'll gain weight. Treats are nice, but the vast majority of meals have to be from home.
4. Am I moving? My target is 6500 steps per day, which is fine for non-athletes.
5. If all that is in place, do I have an underlying medical issue that needs to be addressed.

All of that gives me the proper mental attitude. If I know I am doing what I need to do, then I do not feel the anxiety of always feeling there is something else I can do. Proper preparation is the key to a positive outlook on weight loss. If I am not prepared for the week, or I deviate, then my mind is filled with self-doubt at every decision point. If I am prepared, then I just do it.

Over simplified, but the crux of it for me.

steve0mania

Frustration isn't helpful, but that's easier said than avoided! I find that I tend to get frustrated when things are out of my control. In some ways, weight loss is out of your control. You can control the "process" (eating, exercise, etc.), but you can't actually control the outcome. As we've discussed before, there are a lot of "inputs" that determine anyone's weight at any given moment.

With this framework in mind, I find that the best cure for frustration is to take control of something I actually can control. I try to take a good hard look at myself, and try to be honest with the answer to the key question: am I following my plan?

If I'm not managing my weight, it's either because I'm not following my plan very well, or my weight is lagging behind my intake (or there's a medical/medication reason).

So, I try to make sure I'm following my plan, and then I try to recognize that I have to be patient. If I'm really following my plan, the weight will come off at some point. It may not be tomorrow, but within a couple of weeks I'm sure to start seeing results on the scale.

crewahl

I think Greg and Steve hit some excellent approaches. Greg’s “first I check my process before I look at potential medical issues” combined with Steve’s “what am I doing different” resonate with me. I’ve always said that when there’s a problem, I generally know which end of the fork is the issue.

I’ve been dealing with this a bit lately, since I’ve been eating the same but seeing my weight creep up. At the same time, I’ve been having some bladder issues leading to minor surgery last week. Since then, my weight seems to be headed back to normal.

But the key here is that I took a long term view and trusted the process. I know it works if I follow it. I didn’t look elsewhere but, as Steve said, focused on what I could control.

Flintwinch

Frustrations a part of the mind game of weight loss/management. In the classic book, "The Inner Game of Tennis" the author writes,

“The player of the inner game comes to value the art of relaxed concentration above all other skills; he discovers a true basis for self-confidence; and he learns that the secret to winning any game lies in not trying too hard.”

This says a lot. Trying harder when it comes to the expected and unexpected in weight loss doesn't work for me. I will end up continually frustrated. Revisiting my day-to-day plan, tweaking as needed, and focusing on the long goal works. I do not know exactly when I will reach goal weight, but I have confidence that I will, not by more effort, but by the "art of relaxed concentration".

crewahl

Flintwinch wrote: »

” . . . he discovers a true basis for self-confidence . . .

I think this says a lot, Tim. When we start to overfocus, we end up correcting things that aren’t the issue - and complicating the solution because of that.

I’m generally happier with my input into the program than I am the output of the program, and I think that’s a good place to be. “Am I up? Yes. Did I do the right things? Yes. Okay, carry on.”