What's different this time?
GoRun2
Posts: 468 Member
Many of us have been on "diets" many times over the years. What's different this time?
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The will to get it off along with a good why. That's fairly simple but that's pretty much it. Yes tracking, weighing and eating the right things and the proper portions all go along with it. But for me the main thing is the reason I wanted to get it off. Good health so I can live longer and mainly enjoy life on a daily basis.0
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My only other attempt was almost 15 years ago and in hindsight, it was pretty half-hearted. I was sort of following South Beach but it didn't last more than a couple weeks--through the 'detox' phase. I think the short and simple answer is I wasn't really ready mentally to change my habits at that time.
This time, I was ready. I moved from 'thinking about losing weight' to actually implementing a plan (WW) to do so. Even before I lost five pounds, that difference made me feel different / better and that motivated me to keep going. As I lost weight, moved down clothes sizes, moved easier, slept better, etc., the motivation increased.
Accepting reality, GOAD helped me understand (quickly) that this is an ongoing effort for the rest of my life if I CHOOSE to do so. It is a choice and it's one I make every day. I enjoy the benefits that have come with weight loss. I also more fully understand that my choices influence my family. While some catastrophes just happen, medical issues resulting from choosing to stuff my face are mostly avoidable, but I have to do my part.
I accept what Charlie (crewahl) told me when I reached goal: I'm not cured; I'm just a fat guy in remission. I can live like a healthier guy but it's an active process. If I don't stop staying on my plan, I won't have to subject myself to the possibility of falling off the wagon, sliding down the slippery slope, etc. I don't do long range projections, I don't use the words "never" or "always". I take it one day at a time and plan to do it again tomorrow.1 -
I joined WW.
I had lost a bunch on my own but had been stuck for years. I read somewhere that the #1 way to lose was a food journal. I also thought I needed to count something. I was trying to count calories but struggling. I knew WW had both elements.
I think in the WW promo stuff they claimed that attending meetings was better. So I did that.
Digression- "was better" are my words, not WW. It's just what I took away from what I read. Don't recall exactly what claim they were making. Thought I'd try it.
I was embarrassed to be in a WW meeting. Of course I was the only guy. Quickly realized I'd joined a sort of girls club. A club with a revolving door. I was so ignorant about the process I thought we did WIs in front of the group.
I don't think WW was even computerized when I started. I think because I started the first week of the month I was able to sign on for a three month package. OK, I figured a 13 week test would be a good enough test.
Worked beyond all expectation.
So what was different?
1) WW
2) The idea of an experiment. I wasn't fully convinced and not so emotionally invested as to be locked in. In fact, I think feeling like an outsider helped. It was like an anthropology expedition to a foreign land.
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My mindset is different this time. The times before (at least 2), I was on a diet and when my weight got close to where it should be, I stopped dieting and wound up back where I started. This time, I am content with slow weight loss and more focused on exercise, health and overall activity. My belief is that if I achieve success in the latter, then the weight will take care of itself. I don't know if this is the answer and it is still a work in progress but so far so good.1
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This time?? Well, my PCP told me I was diabetic. That was at 335#, but now I'm off the Rx, and the A1c is 5.3, and I'm between 24# and 250# at home, I seem to have lost my "drive". At least I'm maintaining. LOL (Yeah, need to get to 220# at home.0
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What's different?
Hrm - lots of things.... but 2 of them stand out.
1 - My goal is a lot more ambitious. I don't just want to lose some weight.. I want to be back to fighting shape, and return to competition. I want to be an athlete again (albeit in a whole different age group than before, but that's OK)
2 - I'm no longer embarrassed by losing weight... I've accepted that I had previously gotten overweight and looked terrible.. and denying it was holding me back from doing something about it. I embrace that I am a work in progress.
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1. Actually changed my Lifestyle! I used to go on WW same as going on a diet. Now I KNOW that if I quit WW I WILL GAIN IT BACK!
2. Social media keeps me thinking about WW, health, exercise (Fitbit) on a daily basis. It was just going to a weekly meeting all the other times.
3. Found an exercise routine I enjoy and look forward to rather than dread. Aqua aerobics, lap swimming and walking my dog.
4. GoaD taught me many lessons that have stayed with me since 2013.
- There is no Finish Line
- WL is simple (fewer calories in than calories used @countcurt ) BUT it's NOT EASY. Finally understanding the difference easy/simple helped me immensely.
5. Enjoy and look forward to my weekly WW meeting and WI. Same ML and staff since January 2013. Know many long timers on first name basis.
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What's different this time?
I am appreciating every pound of weight loss. And if I get stuck, I am not throwing in the towel. I weigh less than I used to and feel better. So no matter what, I will continue to pursue a healthy lifestyle and not put a time table on getting there.1 -
I was doing well in May ... then got sidelined by a breast cancer diagnosis. It was a complete shock; I had no family history, and the cancer was found on a routine screening mammogram. It was tiny, and I didn't have a palpable lump.
I'm on the other side of surgery now. The surgeon got it all, and there was no node involvement. I'm officially cancer-free. It's all about preventing recurrence now.
I didn't gain weight during my "hiatus," but I also didn't lose any.
It's now more important than ever that I lose the weight, for two reasons:
1) Because I had lymph nodes removed from my left arm, I am forever at risk of lymphedema. This risk is greater in patients who are overweight.
2) My cancer was estrogen-positive. This means the tumor fed off estrogen. If I am overweight, my body will make more estrogen, which means I'm giving the cancer a better chance of coming back.
So, to stave off lymphedema and cancer recurrence, I absolutely cannot be overweight anymore.
I lost 2# last week simply eating mindfully. Not tracking, just eating mindfully. Imagine what will happen this week, now that I'm tracking. LOL3 -
Well this time it has lasted over 9 yr and WW doesn't tell me "eat this" "not that". Points I could count easily instead of 1000s of Calories (silly huh) message boards, FTF with real people. The whole shebang. Other than that I am befuddled and clueless. Maybe maturity and age too? Never was just a tortue diet to lose xyz lb in xyz weeks.1
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Jimb376mfp wrote: »1. Finally understanding the difference easy/simple helped me immensely.
Getting you to this point was neither simple nor easy.
But, for me, this sums it up nicely: https://countcurtblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/ill-have-another-one-just-like-the-other-one/2 -
Two points
First thank you all for taking time to share your thoughts. I do appreciate it. I like countcurt's blog. He is a good writer.
Second, Countcurt said in his blog post that asking what's different this time sounds snarky. While he wrote the blog long before I asked the question, I thought OOPS :~ It wasn't intended that way.
My story. I retired and lost a bunch of weight. I thought I had it figured out. I thought this time was different. But it wasn't. I gained 15 lbs. I've lost 9 and have 6 lbs to get to my personal goal. I am doing some soul searching to see if I can figure it out. I'd like to figure out what could be different. This time, I don't think I've figured it out yet.
So thanks for sharing.
Onward and downward.
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I was diagnosed as Type 1 Diabetic last summer. Its changed my whole mindset. Cheating or slipping -- in the past, I would shrug and say, "Oh well, I'll just be fat for one more day. No big deal."
Now, there's an immediate negative impact if I don't control my eating, and I learn quickly from that kind of immediate feedback. Losing the weight has been comparatively easy, as I've been focusing on keeping my blood sugar numbers controlled. It would be possible to gain weight, of course, if I simply ate a lot of meat, fat & bacon (which don't impact blood sugar as quickly). But WW has trained me well, and I just don't find myself doing that, either. I use a phone app to count my carbs, so I can bolus an appropriate amount of insulin. So that's not really very different than counting points in WW. It keeps me mindful of appropriate amounts and does count calories for me also, which helps me keep my bacon / cheese portions sane.
But there's really no wiggle room in my mindset, I am fully committed to managing my diabetes. There is no part of me that disagrees with that decision -- so there is no part of me that is clamoring for chips, donuts, etc.
Murple4 -
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Two points
Second, Countcurt said in his blog post that asking what's different this time sounds snarky. While he wrote the blog long before I asked the question, I thought OOPS :~ It wasn't intended that way.
Keep in mind that the next line indicates the question, while sounding snarky, is almost always asked in earnest. At least by me. So, no oops moment there.
Thanks for the endorsement on the blog. It encourages me to think about resuming posting.0
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