Eating Well Doesn't END

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Barneystinson
Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I see a lot of posts that reference "I tried X, stopped, and I gained all the weight back"

Well no s***, sherlock.

It's like this... Here's an example of college BarneyStinson:

College BarneyStinson enjoyed drinking a lot of beer and making poor choices in the college cafeteria. College Barney weighed 170 at her highest. That's pretty large on a 5 foot frame. College Barney was sad and unhappy being fat. She saw a photo of herself one day and thought - "Whoa! I let myself go!" She joined a Y, started working out, and removed the bad carbs from her diet and made healthier choices. She started to understand portion sizes and only "eating until full." In summary, she got a basic primer on healthy eating. College Barney lost 35 pounds and got much more passionate about healthy eating.

That was back in 2004. I've gained, at the most, 10 pounds of that back and you know why? Poor choices. Resorting back to College Barney eating/living (and not just cheats - but habitual) - pizza, beer, ice cream, not working out.

Now at 37 pounds less than my college self, I understand there's no "going back." I don't care what macronutrient ratio you eat, what workouts you perform, if you're low carb / high carb / somewhere in the middle. If you've been able to sustain a loss for several years through healthful eating and living, you understand that there's no going back to old ways. You don't just hit a maintenance weight then say, "Ok! I'm done! Where's the pizza!?"

If your change was successful and done in a healthful manner (i.e. you lost weight, gained health), you need to maintain that change. You can tweak it over time to make it adjust better with your goals (i.e. try adding different training, modify your macro ratio, up/lower calories) but you cannot just STOP and revert back to your ways when you were heavier.

Or...

You'll gain the weight back.

It's really that simple.

Replies

  • mosneakers
    mosneakers Posts: 343 Member
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    Totally inspiration and straight to the point - thanks!
  • SarahR1984
    SarahR1984 Posts: 212
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    *like*

    It seems so obvious but when I lose weight and find myself at a happy weight I always go back to my old eating habits! I guess old habits die hard! I need to make a sign of this and post it on the fridge so I don't become lazy again. This is the longest I've ever gone eating good and the most weight I've ever lost, so hopefully I will remember this!
  • nikkijedlo
    nikkijedlo Posts: 30 Member
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    You got it!! That's why it's not a "diet" ....it's a lifestyle!!

    Best of luck on your journey! :)
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Amen girl!!!!
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
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    You got it!! That's why it's not a "diet" ....it's a lifestyle!!

    Best of luck on your journey! :)
    I agree, I do not look at it as a diet but also a lifestyle change, because i dont wanna be fat ever again!!!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    And THIS is why the "diets" that eliminate an entire macro or that prevent you from ever having your favorite food or whose intake is unreasonably low don't work permanently. Crashing through to your goal weight and then, FINALLY, eating normally or having a cookie or ating bread again....it's not sustainable. The weight will come back.

    So learn to eat reasonable portions, with real ingredients, and figure out how to manage to have a slice of pizza occasionally or a cold beer with friends now and then and still control your calories. That's the only way you can maintain once you've gotten where you're going.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    Get outta my head! :)

    That's seriously my exact story.

    I went from high school (playing every sport, very fit) and living at home where my mom prepared all of our meals and mostly with foods from our farm....to college - stopped all activity, drank, and ate like ish.

    I gained about 23 lbs (that I know of!). One day, I saw a picture and was so embarrassed. I guess I was in denial.

    Junior year in college, changed my eating habits and started exercising again. That was about 8 years ago. I've pretty much kept it off since that time (besides having a baby - gained about 24 lbs with him, was back to pre-baby weight 11 days pp) BECAUSE, just like you said, eating well doesn't end!

    I would just like to lose more now :)
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    B,B,B,But if you go back to eating “NORMALLY”,,, B,B,But it’s not sustainable I can’t give THAT up.
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
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    You nailed it!

    The choices some people make when they're on a "diet" are bizarre ... I an only imagine what their "normal" would be.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    I agree! There can not be a "diet" if you do not want to do the foller coaster ride. This has to be a lifestyle change if you really want to maintain. My DH and I have never considered it a diet because we do not EVER want to go back to our fat selves!!!!!
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    Indeed. Has to be sustainable for the long term. A big help is removing "pitfall" foods from your house. That makes an easy choice at home. When you encounter that stuff when you're out you either decide to eat it in moderation or just turn away from it. Some things, anymore, they're just not worth it.

    The day I started craving a big bowl of berries over an ice cream cone was a big victory.

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