Interesting article, but I have a bone to pick with the subject. A vegetarian doesn't eat fish/seafood.

Thanks for the article, it's the second one I've read today that has made me think. I read an article in the TBT (a free paper here in Tampa) about the 10 Fitness Myths:
http://tbteedition.tampabay.com/ee/tampabaytimes/index.php

And both articles are helping me consider my perspective on not having lost weight in the past (almost) two years but have gained during this time. The past almost year alone needs perspective. The #1 myth they talked about in the TBT article is that the higher number on the scale means you're getting fatter. Super Trainer has been trying to dispel this for me (so far she hasn't gotten through to my brain about the number on the scale or that I've gone back up a size in clothes) and it gets through for a bit but then something triggers that disappointment in myself and I get discouraged all over again. Well, like the article said and Penny realized when she had a year that she only lost a total of 9 pounds (and granted she doesn't say if she plateaued or if she had gains in between losses) is that the difference is in where those pounds are coming from: with all the exercise I've been doing, some of those pounds (and now hopefully more of them) are coming from MUSCLE not fat like they were last time and yes, I still need to lose the fat in there that is competing with the muscle for space now, but if I can get it through my head that those numbers on the scale aren't important (at least for now) because that's pounds of muscle and eventually those muscles will win out over the pounds of fat and those numbers will start coming down (and so will the the size I wear)

Hi everyone! I fell off the wagon and am trying to get back up so this is a great start for me. I need all the encouragement I can get! I can't get on the site at work but can't wait to read it when I get home...

And thank you WarriorCupcak That article had some interesting information in it! Definitely stuff to think about

Thanks Again! :happy:

You're welcome, I don't usually read TBT, but when I saw this on the cover something drew me to picking it up to read it. This group is a group to be in if you need encouragement, it's a great group!

Penny: Change how you are looking at weight loss and eating healthy. You are looking at it wrong. Don't look at is as what do I have to give up? You can make those less healthy choices your "treats" until you find new healthier "treats" to replace them...and then you get healthier and healthier foods in your diet and you won't "miss" your favorites or you will have healthier choices that satisfy you. NEVER stop looking for alternatives.

I won't lie at all to ya'll I used to think of it as what I had to give up. I was quite cranky too! But over the years I began to change my tune. Now I do include a lot of healthy items in my diet but I still miss eating certain things but I know they are not healthy for me so I choose to be good to my body not bad...I guess I am not like some folk...I will admit I still like cake, chips, fried anything, so to say my brain does not think of it at all is a lie for me. I just make mental choices for the better. I do totally believe you can find more healthy alternatives to foods you like...instead of shakes I make smoothies...you get the idea...like today instead of chips I had carrots with my sandwich Ha!

I agree WW I always thought of it as what I had to give up because with all those "diets" I did, that's what they told me and there were no compromises, you had to give it up and giving up something you enjoy is a hard thing to do. This would be what would break me with the "diet" was I couldn't stand the though of never having certain things again... ever.... then right into the cycle of giving up and discouragement and why bothers. Now, while I still have trouble with it, I'm getting better because my perspective is better: it's not that I CAN'T have something, it's do I really want it? I make better choices more often than not (I have baby carrots with my sandwich at lunch every day) and now I when I'm in the situation where I could be making a bad choice, I think it out a lot more and while I may not be making the best choice, I'm making a better choice than before (an example: I would have mexican food once a week, get the 2 beef tacos and chips, now I get one enchilada (either chicken or steak) and a side of black beans (it comes with black beans and rice, but thankfully, in the to go containers they package them separately so I can set the rice aside to eat with another meal or I can give it to one of my friends) So I still enjoy my "treat meal" but I made it a better choice than I did before (like I said, not great, but better) and I make sure that I have my treat meal on a day that I am execising so that way I can get a little balance between the calories in/calories out. And last week I realized something: my treat meal was always once a week (every Friday for lunch) I actually had gone over two weeks without my treat meal and I didn't miss it!!!!
So, again like you said: it takes tme and after a while you start instinctively start choosing healthier items and you start not missing the not so healthy things, I think this is because you've subconsciously decide that you CAN have it in moderation IF you want it, and having that permission to do it make it less desireable to you (kinda like when we were kids, we always wanted to do the things we weren't allowed to do, right up until we got permission to do them, then it wasn't so much fun any more and we didn't want to do it anymore)