Temporary changes

1PatientBear
1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
"I'm not going to drink for XX days/weeks/months"

"I'm only going to eat XX food on XX day"

"I'm not going to drink another Coke/soda/pop/whatever you call it until I hit my goal"

"I've giving up desserts"

Blah blah blah blah blah. You CANNOT change your lifestyle temporarily and expect to get permanent results. Guess what folks? Pizza, alcohol, burgers, chicken wings, bacon, Coke, cake, cookies.....NONE of it is bad for you IN MODERATION. If you see what you are doing here as a "diet" that you are trying, then you're going to have a tough time sustaining any progress you make.

MFP is a lifestyle change. Many of us are changing our habits, our attitudes and our bodies. I don't know about you, but I prefer that those changes be permanent. Instead of temporary bans on whatever, create habits that you can live with for the rest of your life. Because once that temporary ban is done, there is a very good chance that you will be back to where you were before the ban. No more dieting. Change your attitude and your outlook and your habits and I promise that your body will follow suit.

Replies

  • texasgal7
    texasgal7 Posts: 13 Member
    I totally agree with you except for one little thing. If any of the foods you listed is a trigger food for someone, then it would be best to stay away from it. I know my sister stays away from all sugar because it triggers her to go on eating binges. She has lost over 100 pounds and successfully kept it off.
  • Serendipityunt
    Serendipityunt Posts: 120 Member
    Bravo! Perfectly said! :drinker:
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    IN for sound advice!
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    I totally agree with you except for one little thing. If any of the foods you listed is a trigger food for someone, then it would be best to stay away from it. I know my sister stays away from all sugar because it triggers her to go on eating binges. She has lost over 100 pounds and successfully kept it off.

    So, she made a sustainable life change, not a temporary fix. That supports my point.
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
    High-Five-GIF-1.gif
  • Lil_Lanie
    Lil_Lanie Posts: 333 Member
    I could not agree more!!! I don't give up anything I enjoy...but I've learned to control my intake of the things I enjoy.
  • yarinathan
    yarinathan Posts: 36 Member
    I agree!!!
    People need to get out of the habit of saying they are on a diet -- to I am changing my lifestyle.
  • MrsCZM138
    MrsCZM138 Posts: 116
    Agree 1000%.

    I still eat everything I love, just not 4 portions of it in one sitting.
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
    I went from garbage food to 100% clean food. I have a cheat day once in a while, but for the most part I eat clean. You can't really make blanket statements about what works. Everybody is different. Some people would benefit from setting short-term goals.

    This whole, "I eat everything I love" garbage may work for you. If it does, great!. However, some people are like alcoholics when it comes to junk food. For those individuals, it may be beneficial to cut those items out of their diet completely for a period of time.
  • Mellyajc
    Mellyajc Posts: 142 Member
    Yes...AND some people find it easier to follow strict rules. If moderation feels like permission to cheat once, then suddenly they're cheating 20 times..

    Temporary changes can be helpful for 'kickstarting' a lifestyle change, breaking habits/addictions, etc. As is true with everything, YMMV.

    My partner occasionally cuts out sugar for a month or two at a time. He finds that froyo etc things taste 'too sweet' and become unappealing by month-end. I'm assuming that's his goal, to break the sugar addiction, even if it doesn't have any lasting results like weight loss. No he doesn't want to give up sugar completely, but he wants it to become more choice than default, so temporary change works for that.

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