How do you do it?

2

Replies

  • newhealthykim
    newhealthykim Posts: 192 Member

    That is my plan. Exercise more, I mean (hence my username).

    But why do you think yo-yoing is 'much unhealthier' than remaining overweight? It doesn't seem logical to me. Being overweight puts stress on your body. Losing weight reduces that stress. Less stress seems like it would be a good thing, even if it's temporary.

    Yo-yoing screws with your metabolism. Read the "guide to sexy pants". I believe it explains this phenomenon.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member

    That is my plan. Exercise more, I mean (hence my username).

    But why do you think yo-yoing is 'much unhealthier' than remaining overweight? It doesn't seem logical to me. Being overweight puts stress on your body. Losing weight reduces that stress. Less stress seems like it would be a good thing, even if it's temporary.

    Yo-yoing screws with your metabolism. Read the "guide to sexy pants". I believe it explains this phenomenon.

    Interesting. I've yo-yo'd most of my adult life, but have never noticed any problems with my metabolism, though honestly I'm not sure what a symptoms I should notice if I'd messed with it.

    What is "guide to sexy pants"??

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    What is it about your current lifestyle that you feel would be a struggle to give up in order to lose 20 lbs. and keep it off? Is it the booze?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Branstin wrote: »
    What is it about your current lifestyle that you feel would be a struggle to give up in order to lose 20 lbs. and keep it off? Is it the booze?

    Yes, and no. I don't know, really. I don't want to drink less, or switch to liquor and diet drinks just to get less calories (I don't care for the taste of either). I don't want to give up my precious free time to exercise.

    I guess I'm just whining because I don't want to change anything at all. Except my weight. Geez, when did I become such a big baby??

  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member
    Because I don't want to die young of preventable health conditions.

    Yep, That's pretty much it.
  • PixieMidoriKitten
    PixieMidoriKitten Posts: 21 Member
    Branstin wrote: »
    What is it about your current lifestyle that you feel would be a struggle to give up in order to lose 20 lbs. and keep it off? Is it the booze?

    Yes, and no. I don't know, really. I don't want to drink less, or switch to liquor and diet drinks just to get less calories (I don't care for the taste of either). I don't want to give up my precious free time to exercise.

    I guess I'm just whining because I don't want to change anything at all. Except my weight. Geez, when did I become such a big baby??

    Bless you! We all feel a bit sorry for ourselves from time to time.

    You don't need to "give up precious free time to exercise", you need to get exercise buddies and change the view from chore to fun. I love walking, especially in the countryside and have even learned to enjoy jogging, though I'm still very much at the "couch" end of the "couch to 5k" plan...

    There are some very nice low-calorie wines out there. You can also alternate booze with softies (lime and soda is a big favourite of mine) so you're not giving it up, just cutting it back a bit. Saves on hangovers too.

    Best of luck :)
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Branstin wrote: »
    What is it about your current lifestyle that you feel would be a struggle to give up in order to lose 20 lbs. and keep it off? Is it the booze?

    Yes, and no. I don't know, really. I don't want to drink less, or switch to liquor and diet drinks just to get less calories (I don't care for the taste of either). I don't want to give up my precious free time to exercise.

    I guess I'm just whining because I don't want to change anything at all. Except my weight. Geez, when did I become such a big baby??


    I agree with those who have stated you simply aren't ready and that's fine. When you are ready, you know the drill. The thought of losing a lot of weight and changing your lifestyle could be overwhelming to some people so my advice is to start with small changes.

  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
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  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I get where you're at. I was about 20 pounds from goal this spring, now I'm up to being closer to 30 pounds from goal. It was a summer of lots of indulging and not nearly enough exercising and not logging consistently enough to pay attention to what I was doing and being in denial about the extra pounds being "water weight. I've restarted about 4 times and am working on my 5th.

    For me, it was total lack of motivation and I'm trying to get back on track with both more intense exercise and tracking consistently. Go back to basics - set small goals, put it in writing, whatever works to get you in the right mindset.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    @need2exerc1se
    Regaining it causes more stress than just maintaining, or losing and keeping it off.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I guess I'm just whining because I don't want to change anything at all. Except my weight. Geez, when did I become such a big baby??
    Precisely what I was wondering. It's a good question to think about. Is that what you are? Who you are?
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    You want to know what people who lose weight and keep it off do? Take a look at results from the National Weight Control Registry: http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm
  • parsonsk64
    parsonsk64 Posts: 75 Member
    At some point you will dislike the way your body feels or the condition of your health way more than you like your current lifestyle or little indulgences. As people have said, you do not have to give it all up, you will just need to balance things within your daily macro goals. Over time, little changes will become habits, and eventually, a whole new lifestyle will emerge that enables you to feel healthier, stronger, more energetic and alive. :) You will wonder what on earth made you feel you had to cling to things that did not contribute to this new overall feeling of wellness. But until that balance tips (the one where you value wanting to feel and be healthy more than clinging to favorite foods, drinks and current lifestyle choices) you will not be ready to begin those small changes. Everyone has a threshold - it sounds as if you have not hit yours just yet.
  • thatgirlkellib
    thatgirlkellib Posts: 150 Member
    i would've loved to have graduated college without cracking a single book. but i couldn't expect to get a degree without studying. so i had to do something that i didn't love, to get something that would make me happy.


    I second that^^^^^^^^
    THe Juice was and always is worth the squeeze, when Life hands you Lemons, make lemonaide : )
  • alska
    alska Posts: 300 Member
    You do it in baby steps ... change a lil bit at a time, not all at once.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited October 2014
    dbmata wrote: »
    @need2exerc1se
    Regaining it causes more stress than just maintaining, or losing and keeping it off.

    In what way?

    If this is true, then why should anyone even try to lose weight, given the extraordinarily high percentage of people who regain?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    @need2exerc1se
    Regaining it causes more stress than just maintaining, or losing and keeping it off.

    In what way?

    If this is true, then why should anyone even try to lose weight, given the extraordinarily high percentage of people who regain?


    I don't necessarily think keeping the weight on is healthier, but chronic yo-yo dieters will try anything. Some of the options are downright dangerous and I know for me, when I read about certain weight loss methods I really did say, "screw it, I'd rather be fat". Maybe you're simply still in that stage even though we think our methods are so "simple" and only require little tweaks.

    Just a few months back I came across a lady complaining about how hard it is to stay thin and her diet pills and having to put up with an*l leakage so long as she got to stay thin. Holy *kitten*!! Literally! Put me down for a rather be fat right there!! :noway:
  • Feistycat
    Feistycat Posts: 12,868 Member
    Gosh, this is such a great discussion thread! I credit it with getting me out the door this morning for a CrossFit session when I was strongly considering blowing it off.

    You see, I'm a whiner too, who also wants to have it both ways. But your motivating comments helped me remember that, hey, those weights aren't going to lift themselves. Thanks for the extra push, everyone!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    @need2exerc1se
    Regaining it causes more stress than just maintaining, or losing and keeping it off.

    In what way?

    If this is true, then why should anyone even try to lose weight, given the extraordinarily high percentage of people who regain?


    I don't necessarily think keeping the weight on is healthier, but chronic yo-yo dieters will try anything. Some of the options are downright dangerous and I know for me, when I read about certain weight loss methods I really did say, "screw it, I'd rather be fat". Maybe you're simply still in that stage even though we think our methods are so "simple" and only require little tweaks.

    Just a few months back I came across a lady complaining about how hard it is to stay thin and her diet pills and having to put up with an*l leakage so long as she got to stay thin. Holy *kitten*!! Literally! Put me down for a rather be fat right there!! :noway:

    Is that really the norm, though? I've never done a poll or anything, but if I was a betting gal, I'd bet that more people just diet (eat less, maybe exercise more) to lose weight. Then they gradually slack off and slowly regain. Then they do it again.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    I'm just like that...I don't want to do what I know needs to be done because...well, I just don't want to make the effort all the time. At 60 years old, still a cry baby.

    But there are four points I would make (to myself as well as the OP):

    1- Nothing changes if nothing changes.

    2 - That term "lifestyle change" is overused and, I think, misused a lot. It implies a wholesale change to all that makes your life what it is. Things like where you live, who you live with, who you associate with, what you do for a living, what you do for fun, your income....stuff like that. Some of us need only to change a habit or our schedule or our attitude.

    3 - Consider whether you really need to lose those last 20 pounds. Some of us think that what we weighed in high school is what our goal should be when that's not realistic or necessary.

    4 - Think about what you had to do to lose weight and why you stopped doing it. If it was making you miserable so much that you couldn't wait to be finished with it, then maybe it was the wrong approach for you.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I'm just like that...I don't want to do what I know needs to be done because...well, I just don't want to make the effort all the time. At 60 years old, still a cry baby.

    But there are four points I would make (to myself as well as the OP):

    1- Nothing changes if nothing changes.

    2 - That term "lifestyle change" is overused and, I think, misused a lot. It implies a wholesale change to all that makes your life what it is. Things like where you live, who you live with, who you associate with, what you do for a living, what you do for fun, your income....stuff like that. Some of us need only to change a habit or our schedule or our attitude.

    3 - Consider whether you really need to lose those last 20 pounds. Some of us think that what we weighed in high school is what our goal should be when that's not realistic or necessary.

    4 - Think about what you had to do to lose weight and why you stopped doing it. If it was making you miserable so much that you couldn't wait to be finished with it, then maybe it was the wrong approach for you.

    Thank you. These are very helpful.

  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    The only advice on this I have.. is that after two weeks of going through the motions of logging..(yet make tasty food it is like not dieting ).. all of a sudden a switch will flip, and you will want to do it. For me it took two or maybe three weeks. I'm on day 75...and now i eat like a skinny person without thinking about it. Such a huge change from when I started. I am naturally wanting more healthy food.. i make better choices and can put my fork down. I want to work out… gosh..who would have thought?

    … good luck..just do it.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some non-fat (muscle, bone, even blood volume, etc.). When you gain weight back, it's mostly fat.

    Lose fat + muscle...gain fat...repeat a few times...

    You end up with a proportionally higher % of body fat than you started with. That's why yo-yo-ing is bad.
  • MomTo3Lovez
    MomTo3Lovez Posts: 800 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some non-fat (muscle, bone, even blood volume, etc.). When you gain weight back, it's mostly fat.

    Lose fat + muscle...gain fat...repeat a few times...

    You end up with a proportionally higher % of body fat than you started with. That's why yo-yo-ing is bad.

    The OP is actually at a healthy BF% as she had stated in another thread, it's the number on the scale that is the problem for her.

    OP as I said in your other thread, don't worry so much about what the number on the scale shows, if you are already in a healthy BF% then you probably don't "need" to lose those 20lbs, not for health reasons anyway. The BF% is more important then what the scale shows or what your BMI is. Good luck
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    Calories are king when it comes to weight loss. That being said, this isn't the first time I've counted calories. In previous attempts, I've stopped after losing 20 lbs.

    This is however, the first time that I've found an exercise that I enjoy. That I actually look forward to the part of the day that I can exercise. This change in attitude has changed everything. I eat better because I don't want to feel like crap when I exercise. I will count calories forever this time because I want to continue to improve in my new hobby.

    So calories is what matters in weight loss, but for me, finding the right exercise is what keeps me going.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    @need2exerc1se
    Regaining it causes more stress than just maintaining, or losing and keeping it off.

    In what way?

    If this is true, then why should anyone even try to lose weight, given the extraordinarily high percentage of people who regain?


    I don't necessarily think keeping the weight on is healthier, but chronic yo-yo dieters will try anything. Some of the options are downright dangerous and I know for me, when I read about certain weight loss methods I really did say, "screw it, I'd rather be fat". Maybe you're simply still in that stage even though we think our methods are so "simple" and only require little tweaks.

    Just a few months back I came across a lady complaining about how hard it is to stay thin and her diet pills and having to put up with an*l leakage so long as she got to stay thin. Holy *kitten*!! Literally! Put me down for a rather be fat right there!! :noway:

    Is that really the norm, though? I've never done a poll or anything, but if I was a betting gal, I'd bet that more people just diet (eat less, maybe exercise more) to lose weight. Then they gradually slack off and slowly regain. Then they do it again.

    I know maybe one person like this. The micro changes in others' weights may have been too small for me to notice

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'm happy with my lifestyle, but not my weight. I'd like to drop about 20 lbs., which actually isn't that hard. But changing my lifestyle so that I keep it off is very hard.

    Then I guess you aren't that unhappy with your weight. Or losing weight isn't that much of a priority. When the pain/discomfort/unhappiness of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain/discomfort/unhappiness of making the change, you will make it happen. But not until then.

    +1
  • OldSportOldsport
    OldSportOldsport Posts: 275 Member
    Yes, and no. I don't know, really. I don't want to drink less, or switch to liquor and diet drinks just to get less calories (I don't care for the taste of either). I don't want to give up my precious free time to exercise.

    I guess I'm just whining because I don't want to change anything at all. Except my weight. Geez, when did I become such a big baby??

    I agree with everyone else. You're clearly not ready to lose the weight. You're being presented with the easiest of options - eat just a little less, make some healthier choices, do some moderate exercise, and you don't want to do any of them. That's kind of a clue that cake/drink/free time means more to you right now than losing weight. Which is fine - we're all different. But I honestly don't know what answer you're hoping to hear? You can't lose weight eating the way you currently do, and you may possibly gain weight. It's that simple.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited October 2014
    Would you like me to lend you my magic fairy? She's very good .. just shake her magic fairy dust over your body twice a day and poof that 20lb will simply disappear :mrgreen:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I suppose I should add that I'm not unhealthy. My BP, blood work, etc. has always been in the healthy range. I am pretty active and eat pretty well most of the time. I drink too much, and this is the obvious thing I should change. I'm not a lush, I just like to party with my friends.

    Are you really 50? The above sounds like a college age person.

    Are you or have you ever counted calories? If you have, it should be clear that you don't have to exercise or give up your partying to lose weight. But something does have to go... less of something or less caloric food overall or more activity.

    And if you're at a healthy weight now and get a lot of calories from alcohol and that is non-negotiable, even for just a weight loss phase, it'll be harder than for most people. I've known slim people who are heavy drinkers. They pretty much just drink with very little eating.