i lke this better than the success thread

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2

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    I think exercise was my missing link all along. Food is important, but my eating was never THAT bad. I just wasn't active enough to be able to eat like I wanted.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    I think exercise was my missing link all along. Food is important, but my eating was never THAT bad. I just wasn't active enough to be able to eat like I wanted.

    Same here
  • perfect_storm
    perfect_storm Posts: 326 Member
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    Once I reached my goal through diet and exercise I stopped logging food but continued to exercise I have maintained my weight w/o a problem for 2 years. I also enjoy wine and occasional treats but I do still eat healthy just eat more of it than the 1200 I was assigned. So basically what I am saying is I need to exercise to keep the weight off but diet is less of a concern now.
  • crisbabe81
    crisbabe81 Posts: 170
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    ... Is there life after the diet? ...

    I was never on a diet. I made a lifestyle change. There's no "after" with a lifestyle change. Life just goes on. :smile:

    If by diet you mean calorie deficit, then yes, life goes on once you reach goal. You just adjust your calories up to maintenance and keep making healthy choices more often than not. Make little adjustments as needed. :drinker:

    QFT..
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    bcattoes wrote: »
    Exercise was and is the key for me. I've never been a binge eater and I've eat a pretty healthy diet for decades. But I am not satisfied eating little enough to get to or maintain a healthy weight without exercise.

    This is a good thing, because it keeps me motivated to exercise and it is necessary for long term good health.

    ^^ totally agree with this ☺
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    jlapey wrote: »
    I think exercise was my missing link all along. Food is important, but my eating was never THAT bad. I just wasn't active enough to be able to eat like I wanted.

    Same here


    ^^ .this ☺
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    edited November 2014
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    elisa123gal wrote: »
    because i see you folks who have done it and what you're doing to keep it off. I have always wondered if any of you were out there. Is there life after the diet? Does it work for anyone?

    Question... do you find exercise if more important in keeping the weight off? Or was it more important in taking it off.

    Thanks.

    I think it's important either way....because fitness is important to your general health and overall well being. I don't tend to view my exercise as a weight control tool...that said, if I didn't exercise regularly, my maintenance calories would not be nearly enough for me to eat the way I like to eat.

    I have maintained for over 18 months now without logging...I developed an abundance of healthful habits when I was losing weight which I took with me into maintenance...It's the combination of those healthful habits as well as being continuously mindful and aware that have been the key to my maintenance thus far.

    In the end, it all comes down to energy balance and consumption...you can exercise all you want, but if you're consuming more energy (calories) than your body requires, you will gain weight. There are plenty of fat people out there who exercise religiously...

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Yes, exercise is crucial. It makes my maintenance calories high enough that I don't fall off the wagon, and the fitness goals I've created give me a reason to stick to my calorie/macro goals.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    you cant outrun your fork. Or at least I cant. So watching what I eat is way more important than working out.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    edited November 2014
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    elisa123gal wrote: »
    because i see you folks who have done it and what you're doing to keep it off. I have always wondered if any of you were out there. Is there life after the diet? Does it work for anyone?

    Question... do you find exercise if more important in keeping the weight off? Or was it more important in taking it off.

    Thanks.
    I lost my weight over a 2 year period - 93 pounds total in 2010-2011.
    I have maintained weight for 3 years now since November of 2011.

    Though a huge believer in exercise - both cardio and strength - nutrition is 70% of the equation when it comes to health and wellness.
    When it comes to fitness and physique, exercise is a must, or you end up just some skinny, little healthy person.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    I don't know if I'd say exercise is *more* important, but it definitely is *an* important part of keeping the weight in control for a few reasons.

    First comes the issue that it's part of the overall lifestyle change. Once you reach your maintenance goal, you can adjust your exercise level along with your food consumption to fit your daily routine. (It also means that, as we approach the traditionally food-heavy holidays, you have more flexibility to enjoy all the goodies people are making.)

    If you don't keep exercise as part of the change, then your only option is to manipulate your food intake.

    Second, there are multiple other benefits to exercise like increased strength and improved athletic performance. After being injured a number of years ago, I can tell you that it is very frustrating to look at a list of things you "used to be able to do". So the ability to maintain or improve your performance can be a large motivator to continue exercising.

  • CGreen177
    CGreen177 Posts: 45 Member
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    Some great posts here. For me I tried maintenance this year and failed (put on 4-5 lbs over a few months) - mainly because I too can't outrun my fork. I like eating waaaay too much. So the scales are also very important for me as a sanity check. Exercise - well I like bits (like lifting) and I hate bits (like running, most days) - but the bits I hate allow me to enjoy life (and specifically hill walking) much more - and all of it allows me to eat or drink more (or at the moment to lose those last few difficult pounds again more quickly).

    Hoping I can figure out maintenance better this time, which I think means LOG food!! For me, that's where I went wrong last time - let's the bad eating habits slip in without notice! Exercise is a given - it's just what I do now, whether I want to or not :)
  • stephenson2012
    stephenson2012 Posts: 94 Member
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    I exercised before I lost weight. I lost the first 20 lbs with just watching my diet. However, the last 30 lbs and the biggest body difference was after I started weight training. I like having muscles. I want to be strong and fit as I get older. Plus the exercise lets me blow off some of the stress from work.
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
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    I'm about to bob out of maintenance and back into weight loss for another 5-10lb. Part of why I picked maintenance when I did is that I had health issues that kept me from my preferred exercise.

    You'll lose less muscle without exercise if you aren't also losing weight.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I don't exercise at the gym, but I bought a fitbit when I hit maintainance and try hard to hit my step goals. It buys me more calories and I like to eat. It's part of keeping my head on staying healthy.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    "do you find exercise if more important in keeping the weight off? Or was it more important in taking it off."

    I gotta be honest, I have no idea. Because I was aiming for a lifestyle I could maintain, exercise has been vital all along. I dont know if it is keeping the weight off because I couldn't bear to stop and find out.

    Since hitting the level I want to maintain, I have been more and more involved in the athletic activities I wanted so bad when I was out of shape. So it's even more important now that I am always in training, vs 'trying to lose weight'. ya know?
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I've been finding my maintenance feet for only a month, BUT all I know is, counting calories lost me 70 lbs, but I get more enjoyment from exercising and moving my body than I ever thought I would. Watching what you put into your mouth, which I accept I shall always do now, isn't half as much fun as getting your heart rate up and feeling your body working hard, or lifting/pushing heavier weights than you thought you could. It's pleasurable. I can't say the same for calorie counting really, although that is a different kind of interesting challenge.
  • cliffodom1
    cliffodom1 Posts: 57 Member
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    I find that when I got to my target weight (190 pounds) the weight kept coming off. I COULDN'T STOP LOSING WEIGHT!!! There were no brakes. I settled around 185 and I found that the exercise was changing my dynamic. I had to control my calories out.
  • maria0elisa
    maria0elisa Posts: 199 Member
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    bump :)
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    waldo56 wrote: »
    Regularly watching the scale is the most important thing to do.


    ^^This is it for me as well. I do, and have been, at the very least, walking for at least an hour per day, for over 2 years now. (Gym M-F) I have to watch the scale closely, with a cushion of 5 pounds. If I go under (admittedly, not very often) I can splurge on calories a little. If I go over, I cut calories.
    I am 63 and was morbidly obese 3 years ago. I am in the best shape of my adult life right now. I have not been this size since my early 30's.

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