Living The Lifestyle - Wednesday, June 3, 2020
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MASSRUNNER_FRANK
Posts: 192 Member
We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.
Monday- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday-MASSRUNNER (Frank)
Thursday- beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Friday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Today's Topic: Support in the Weight loss journey - Social, technological, spousal, other.
Crucial for your success? Moderately needed? Just plain irrelevant?
(Forgive me if this is has either been discussed ad nauseam on this board or done recently. I’ve been away for years and only rejoined the board a couple of weeks ago.)
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My need, or at least my perception of it, of support has definitely changed with the years doing WW.
I believe that as long as a workable plan is set before me, for nearly anything, I don’t need anyone to hold my my hand along the way. Show me what to do, explain a process, and I am fine.
That being said, the information crucial to my weight loss journey I received on the old GoaD Message Board was invaluable to my success. I learned AND unlearned an aweful lot. And had a few laughs at personalities as well as a talkin to a time or two for holding onto either myths or unverifiable materials.
These days, I roll with the current Blue Plan, still enjoy some old friends I picked up years ago, and still attempt to maintain my loss one day at a time.
Lastly I consider most other groups including FB groups centered on weight loss and supposedly WW related, a real quagmire of misinformation and a breeding ground for confusion due to people either not wanting to learn the Plan or mix it up with other methods I.e. calories, fasting, food prohibition and the like. I have always said that if I am paying for a Plan, I am going to work that one, not a half dozen plans.
Just my experience. How about yours?1 -
I think support is important, but I have to be highly-selective in where it comes from.
In relation to Frank's point, I've given up on FB completely, and I have poked around at a few of the MFP groups, but I haven't found them useful. In retrospect, I think the old GOAD board was useful because it was a group-size that was "just right" (more or less). There were few-enough folks on there that we could mostly know who-is-who, and understand a little bit about what their particular strengths and challenges were. In that understanding, that also allowed for some "vetting" of information that came from folks. Some people were good at the science, some at the psychology, some at the sociology, etc. I find the big groups on MFP to be too unwieldy to be useful to me (I imagine that if I were willing to put in the time, I might get to a better place with it...however, I'm not currently willing to put in the requisite time).
I do better with personal support at home from my wife. She does all of the shopping and cooking in our house, and as such, controls what I have available to me. I still have challenges when presented with a lot of high-calorie, but really tasty, options in front of me. As such, I've asked her if we could go back to "buffet-style" eating (food left in the kitchen, take from there and bring what you want on your plate to the dining room). That works much better for me than all of the food sitting on the table within easy grasp!
There are many many more examples of how my wife is supportive, but they're not worth listing right now.
The point, though, is my wife helps me to manage my environment. It's not quite hand-holding, but it creates a space that allows me to be more successful than if I were in a more-challenging space.1 -
Strangely or perhaps not so strangely I feel support from these boards and from my FTF interactions weekly @ WW helped keep me on the habit trail. WW is only virtual right now which isn't quite the same. I don't do facebook either and agree that some of the WW group connections aren't very good. I loved the old GOAD board for sure with Steve, Cindy and many more.
Social with accountability helps.0 -
The only support I need is mine. I know that sounds shallow; but it's true.
Like Steve, I gave up on WW a long time ago. Every single program they come up with is the best program they've ever had according to their leaders (or whatever they're called these days). If they're so great, why do they keep changing them? And if you're following one of the old programs, there's absolutely no support from WW for them. I have to do what works for ME. And WW no longer works for me.
My own accountability is what works for me.0 -
Thank God TOL is on plan also. That's 99% of the support I NEED. However, I do appreciate the input of my meeting, and the leader, and I really appreciate the support and input of our GOAD board here.0
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@steveOmania WOW! I'm glad I read your whole post before I started typing. You just about hit my thinking almost verbatem. Thus I'll just ditto Steve's post.
Support in the Weight loss journey - Social, technological, spousal, other.
Crucial for your success? Moderately needed? Just plain irrelevant?
All three for me but Crucial is the most important to me. I'm with @steveOmania with my wife doing most all the shopping and the cooking. ( I do assist some).
That being said I'll add a couple of notes as social and personal. Whoops! turned into 5.
1. I'm currently in the throws of dealing with health issues for the past 6-8 months ie generally heart related for the most part. I, however for my current weight and age 72 feel good.
2. So I like/love to read the post that are positive toward weight loss on this board. I am also a member of GoaD on Face book and like their support and pretty much stick to both of these.
3. As of the 17th of this month I've cancelled my WW online account.
4. I will add that I am using a certified Nutritionist from my local Hospital and working with her. She likes MFP and we are working through weekly accountability ie; sending her my reports for tracking. (just starting this reporting this month of June) and meeting once a month to discuss progress.
5. A couple of years ago or there about I gave up on trying to lose weight solely using my own will power. Sometimes you just have to drive up a stake and say OK I need all the help I can use, mentally, physically, and socially. So I meet for consultation every other week with a Psychotherapist, and my Nutritionist once a month. Both now with video visits. I believe it's working for me however I still have my moments.
Tracking days June 2 Yes 2 /No 0😀
SW/CW/GW 06/03/20 Wednesday
400.8/311.2/185 [0.0] WI Daily
Total Loss 89.6 lbs0 -
I think weight loss and fitness are generally solitary pursuits. It may surprise you that this is coming from someone who attended WW meetings most weeks for almost 10 years.
But I didn’t look and the WW meetings as support, I looked on the weigh in as accountability. That goal weight +2 lbs was real to me. It was my red line. And I tested it, but it held because it was at the meeting.
But support? Not much. As the only guy regular I thought I was under attack about as much as I was supported. Fortunately the leaders kept things in check.
DW has supported me when it comes to cooking and shopping. She’s also made gallons of zero point soup. But I think if asked, she’d say the tracking and counting is pretty nutty. We don’t discuss it.
And then there’s GOAD. I’ve gotten plenty of help and support from GOAD. I wouldn’t have made it starting out without this board. Waiting until my meeting rolled around in a week was too long. I had too many questions and issues. And now there’s the checking in aspect. Just the reminder that there is no finish line. It’s not over.
But in general I stay away from discussions about diet and weight loss. It’s one of those things where everyone has opinions, but most have little or no knowledge. And people don’t want to talk to me about it anyway because they think I’m naturally thin.0 -
I guess it depends on the definition of support. Factual information? Encouragement? A place to vent?
I have found all of these via GoaD, and I am lucky enough to have flesh and blood people in my life who are supportive.
As has been stated, weight loss ultimately is a solitary effort. But, the things that I consider support have fed into my efforts and allowed me to strengthen those efforts.
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