The Importance of Willpower for Weight Loss
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mitchkelly2446 wrote: »
I think it's more of an issue of your present self vs. your future self. Are you willing to sacrifice in the present to reap the gains in the future? ...or do you sacrifice your future for immediate gratification?
I think the problem many people see isn't about sacrifice in the present for future success, it's about sacrifice in the present for no discernable gain down the line. Many peoples' experience of deferred gratification is that the deferment is permanent and the gratification never arrives.
I know this comment is old, but it just caught my attention. I think it's probably true that some haven't had success with deferred gratification. I also suspect many people may have in the back of their minds, "Why bother making (this particular sacrifice)... I'm probably not going to succeed anyway." The negative self-talk always gets us in trouble.2 -
This is so helpful. In past attempts I complicated what I needed to do to lose weight. Reading this I realize not to go overboard with changing so many different things all at once...thanks!1
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lentzcarol wrote: »This is so helpful. In past attempts I complicated what I needed to do to lose weight. Reading this I realize not to go overboard with changing so many different things all at once...thanks!
Thanks for bumping this post. At first I didn't realize it was an old post...I thought Aaron just happened to post at the same time that I have been giving all of what he wrote a lot of thought. I actually had been sitting on my deck thinking about the new approach that I have been implementing in order to make this process more enjoyable. Life is too short at my age...
Sometimes willpower for me is non-existent. What little I have often takes a hiatus...leaves for places unknown. So this time around I looked for ways so that I was not so dependent upon that elusive willpower. It has taken time to find ways to make things easier...replacing those things that were hard or close to impossible with things that I actually enjoy. I have learned so much about myself during this process. Mostly that I am much stronger than what I ever gave myself credit for.
However, I would never suggest that my plan would work for anyone other than myself. It was design around my likes and dislikes and my strengths and weaknesses. It fits who I am as a person and my vision of the person that I one day hope to be...an improved version of myself.3 -
That was the most motivating and understably correct information I have ever read1
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Your posting makes a lot of sense! I am going to implement it in my own life and those of my clients that are struggling with weight loss. Thank you very much for taking the time to explain it!0
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@Aaron_k123 thank you for your post. It is so insightful and is so helpful, now that I am 9 months into this journey and have stalled for the past few months. Pretty cool too that 2-1/2 years later and you are still impacting people!!! Thank you.3
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This is great, thank you!
I’m going back to work next week and for some reason I’m mentally setting myself up for returning to the office full time instead of splitting between office and working from home (I don’t live in the US and the local covid situation is no longer an issue affecting this decision). After working mostly from home for 4 months and then taking a 2-week vacation, that’s going to take up a lot more willpower to get up at a reasonable hour, get dressed office-appropriately, do my make-up and commute. So, both willpower and time, actually, since my commute takes about 25 minutes one way. That’s 50 minutes there and back, and done 5 days per week just over 4 hours.
I also have two new hobbies with weekly training sessions lined up for the fall semester, as well as returning to the gym. I’m moving to a new apartment at the end of the year, and I really want to find my love for literature again. So yeah, maybe I do need to prioritise, make plans to achieve these goals that cost as little willpower as possible, and be patient and kind with myself if/when something starts falling.1 -
I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!0
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What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭2
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fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!
For most people, 25 lb in 6 months is a good pace, that is around a lb per week.
For some very overweight people a faster pace initially may be good
For some people a pound a week is too fast - my own rate was a 1kg a month - just over half pound a week.
20lb a month or nearly 5lb per week is way too fast for nearly everyone. Everyone but the very obese, and then only for the early months.
Giving up because you do not maintain an unrealistic pace - not a good plan.
OMAD ( even with a couple of snacks, which isn't really OMAD to me ) is not the way for everyone or all you gotta do.
I agree you don't need to walk 6 miles a day ( who said you do?) - you just need to eat less calories over time
CICO - how you achieve that doesn't matter.
Could be OMAD could be 20 mini meals a day - or, like most people, something in-between.4 -
fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!fluffypanda77 wrote: »What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭
So . . . OMAD is the route to success, but you feel "depressed and deprived . . . don't know what to do"? I'm confused, sincerely. What's going on? Can we help, do you think?
Me, I never lost 20 pounds in a month, but I only started in class 1 obese, which does make a difference in what's healthy/viable. OTOH, I did lose from there to a healthy weight at age 59-60 without OMAD *or* "depressed and deprived", and have stayed at a healthy weight for 5+ years since. On balance, I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of response to make, assuming I'd like to be helpful . . . which I 100% would.
I still eat the stuff on your "no Good for us" list (I don't agree with that characterization, BTW) - have had at least 3 of them in the past week - though I don't eat as much of them, as often as I used to.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!
For most people, 25 lb in 6 months is a good pace, that is around a lb per week.
For some very overweight people a faster pace initially may be good
For some people a pound a week is too fast - my own rate was a 1kg a month - just over half pound a week.
20lb a month or nearly 5lb per week is way too fast for nearly everyone. Everyone but the very obese, and then only for the early months.
Giving up because you do not maintain an unrealistic pace - not a good plan.
OMAD ( even with a couple of snacks, which isn't really OMAD to me ) is not the way for everyone or all you gotta do.
I agree you don't need to walk 6 miles a day ( who said you do?) - you just need to eat less calories over time
CICO - how you achieve that doesn't matter.
Could be OMAD could be 20 mini meals a day - or, like most people, something in-between.
Someone in an above post that might comment was based on said they started walking to and from work, like 6miles a day and had only list the 25lbs in 6 months. Just seems if you reducing calories enough and doing all that walking, you would expect a bigger drop in weight. And I don't think I even like omad anymore. Yes I did lose 20 lbs in a month and I wasn't that big to start. At the time I went from 160 to 140 lbs but it was very hard to sustain. When I went back to my normal way of eating like fast food like taco bell or burgers and fries and desserts etc I gained it all back fast, plus 10 more lbs with it. 😥 And now over the years I have steadily gained weight and now in a mess and weigh over 300lbs! Hate calorie counting cause makes me feel deprived I can't eat what I want but I know I have to try or I will just keep getting bigger and won't be able to lose it!2 -
fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!fluffypanda77 wrote: »What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭
So . . . OMAD is the route to success, but you feel "depressed and deprived . . . don't know what to do"? I'm confused, sincerely. What's going on? Can we help, do you think?
Me, I never lost 20 pounds in a month, but I only started in class 1 obese, which does make a difference in what's healthy/viable. OTOH, I did lose from there to a healthy weight at age 59-60 without OMAD *or* "depressed and deprived", and have stayed at a healthy weight for 5+ years since. On balance, I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of response to make, assuming I'd like to be helpful . . . which I 100% would.
I still eat the stuff on your "no Good for us" list (I don't agree with that characterization, BTW) - have had at least 3 of them in the past week - though I don't eat as much of them, as often as I used to.
Well don't think omad is answer for me because when I did that many years ago I gained it back quick when went back to old eating habits if fastfood and desserts etc and I gained another 10lbs with it! I feel deprived cause I know I gotta portion things out and can't eat as much as I want anymore cause I know if I don't make a change I will be 400 lbs soon! I'm already pretty close to 320lbs now! When I lost 20lbs in a month the way I did omad I went from 160lbs to 140lbs but when gained it back went to 170lbs and gained it back quick. I guess I just gotta find other habits besides eating lol . It's kinda like like someone who smokes or has an addiction. You feel the constant need to eat even if not that hungry sometimes or you like that fullness feeling. I need to start moving more or doing other things for my hobbies instead of eating so I can finally lose the weight. If I can't do it on my own the doctors want me to get the weight loss surgery. 😥I'm also on WW but kept going over my points so figured I would try calorie counting. Just seems like points or calories add up so fast. Feels sometimes I can only eat one meal a day and one treat and small snack or I will be over my points or calories so it's very frustrating. Would like to be able to eat 3 meals a day or at least 2 at times.1 -
fluffypanda77 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!
For most people, 25 lb in 6 months is a good pace, that is around a lb per week.
For some very overweight people a faster pace initially may be good
For some people a pound a week is too fast - my own rate was a 1kg a month - just over half pound a week.
20lb a month or nearly 5lb per week is way too fast for nearly everyone. Everyone but the very obese, and then only for the early months.
Giving up because you do not maintain an unrealistic pace - not a good plan.
OMAD ( even with a couple of snacks, which isn't really OMAD to me ) is not the way for everyone or all you gotta do.
I agree you don't need to walk 6 miles a day ( who said you do?) - you just need to eat less calories over time
CICO - how you achieve that doesn't matter.
Could be OMAD could be 20 mini meals a day - or, like most people, something in-between.
Someone in an above post that might comment was based on said they started walking to and from work, like 6miles a day and had only list the 25lbs in 6 months. Just seems if you reducing calories enough and doing all that walking, you would expect a bigger drop in weight. And I don't think I even like omad anymore. Yes I did lose 20 lbs in a month and I wasn't that big to start. At the time I went from 160 to 140 lbs but it was very hard to sustain. When I went back to my normal way of eating like fast food like taco bell or burgers and fries and desserts etc I gained it all back fast, plus 10 more lbs with it. 😥 And now over the years I have steadily gained weight and now in a mess and weigh over 300lbs! Hate calorie counting cause makes me feel deprived I can't eat what I want but I know I have to try or I will just keep getting bigger and won't be able to lose it!
I cant see where anyone said about walking 6 miles a day, - and anyway big difference between a personal 'this is what I do' post and 'you all need to do it'
Yes some people lose a large amount to start with - unless you were very obese, this is not all fat - and it certainly wont be sustainable
and of course, however one loses weight - it won't stay off if one goes back to previous way of eating.
I think it is time for a reality check.
I concede calorie counting, as a method, is not for everyone - but however you lose weight, including WLS, you need to create a calorie deficit - there is no method by which you can eat what you want in the quantities you want and still lose weight.
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fluffypanda77 wrote: »What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭
OK, I'm probably going to get a bit lengthy here, starting with the usual caveats: this is just my story and what's worked for me, IANAD, etc., etc. But I think I've been where you are, so I'm going to share my story in the hope that it might help.
FIRST: I'm sitting here totally stuffed because I just ate a MONSTER bowl of pasta. I should have taken a photo. But seriously, HUGE. And I had breakfast (oatmeal) and lunch (tuna salad & crackers) and a snack (pickles!) today. And I will still be within my calories for the day (1200). And I didn't do any exercise today other than walk the dog for like 10 minutes total (meaning SEDENTARY, no exercise calories). And I've lost 36 pounds since March eating like this, starting at 278. So it's not an EITHER/OR proposition like you've framed it.
SECOND: Like you, I have been up and down over the years, losing 50+ pounds more than once, always gaining it back and then some, until I ended up at 278 pounds and MORBIDLY OBESE at 59 years old (I'm 5'7"). I was feeling like I was totally losing my ability to just have any kind of functional fitness: climb the step ladder, walk thru an airport, etc. I had no energy, my feet, knees and hips hurt, I was sleeping a lot, but never really getting a good night's sleep. NOT what I wanted the rest of my life to be like. But I knew I wouldn't be successful "white knuckling it" again to lose the weight, because then I would just gain it back. So I totally get that feeling of "what's the point?"
THIRD: But still, I wanted to do some things to improve my health. So what did I do? I went to the doctor. I'm the type who doesn't go to the doctor unless I'm really sick. But actually, when I thought about it, I was making myself sick with how I had been living, so that's how I rationalized it to myself. Turns out my regular doc didn't have an available appointment for like 10 weeks (!!), so I got an appointment with another doctor in the practice: by chance, a young-ish female doctor with, coincidentally, a background in nutrition. She did 2 things, after a fairly lengthy history and inventory: 1. Gave me a new Rx for the anti-depressant I'd been on previously but had fallen off from taking, and 2. Had my thyroid tested with some other tests beyond the standard T3 that is part of the standard panel. Turns out my thyroid function is borderline low, so she prescribed a very low dose of synthetic thyroid.
I don't want to make it sound like this was a miracle cure, but the combination of these two prescriptions PLUS just the feeling that I was taking control of my life and my health have made a WORLD of difference. It's like a switch was flipped in my brain. I no longer have to "white knuckle" it or have that voice in my head CONSTANTLY saying "Food. Food. Food." "Remember you've got that candy bar in your car?" "There's a bag of cookie mix in the cabinet." "The pizza place around the corner is still open." Non-stop, all the time. I still get hungry, don't get me wrong, but it just feels like normal hungry, not crazy, constant, obsessively hungry. I have a long way to go (another 100 pounds more or less), and I imagine I will have set-backs, but something in this combination of new tools (including MFP so I can really monitor my CICO) has made it seem possible to do.
I can't say that this is the answer for you, or that you have a low thyroid, or depression, or any of what was going on with me. But maybe, if you focus first on your HEALTH, and see if there's something there that can be tackled or adjusted or just better understood, it might help. It certainly can't hurt. Good luck!
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One thing I forgot in my way-too-long-and-personal post, above: My doc also put me on high doses of Vit D for 8 weeks, with instructions to continue with a regular multi-vitamin going forward. So that might be part of the winning mix, too. Whatever, it's working, and I'm going with it!1
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fluffypanda77 wrote: »fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!fluffypanda77 wrote: »What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭
So . . . OMAD is the route to success, but you feel "depressed and deprived . . . don't know what to do"? I'm confused, sincerely. What's going on? Can we help, do you think?
Me, I never lost 20 pounds in a month, but I only started in class 1 obese, which does make a difference in what's healthy/viable. OTOH, I did lose from there to a healthy weight at age 59-60 without OMAD *or* "depressed and deprived", and have stayed at a healthy weight for 5+ years since. On balance, I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of response to make, assuming I'd like to be helpful . . . which I 100% would.
I still eat the stuff on your "no Good for us" list (I don't agree with that characterization, BTW) - have had at least 3 of them in the past week - though I don't eat as much of them, as often as I used to.
Well don't think omad is answer for me because when I did that many years ago I gained it back quick when went back to old eating habits if fastfood and desserts etc and I gained another 10lbs with it! I feel deprived cause I know I gotta portion things out and can't eat as much as I want anymore cause I know if I don't make a change I will be 400 lbs soon! I'm already pretty close to 320lbs now! When I lost 20lbs in a month the way I did omad I went from 160lbs to 140lbs but when gained it back went to 170lbs and gained it back quick. I guess I just gotta find other habits besides eating lol . It's kinda like like someone who smokes or has an addiction. You feel the constant need to eat even if not that hungry sometimes or you like that fullness feeling. I need to start moving more or doing other things for my hobbies instead of eating so I can finally lose the weight. If I can't do it on my own the doctors want me to get the weight loss surgery. 😥I'm also on WW but kept going over my points so figured I would try calorie counting. Just seems like points or calories add up so fast. Feels sometimes I can only eat one meal a day and one treat and small snack or I will be over my points or calories so it's very frustrating. Would like to be able to eat 3 meals a day or at least 2 at times.
I was over 300 lb too when I started. I did not lose 20 pounds a month, it took me 7 years (that included breaks and one major regain) to lose 145+ lbs and reach my maintenance weight, and the only times I walked 6 miles were on occasional hikes. It's more about the mindset than anything else. Instead of focusing on "losing x lbs by x date," my focus was more on "how do I become the person who weighs x lbs". This took a lot of troubleshooting, trying things out, seeing what works and what doesn't. I even had times when I gained a bit of weight back trying out strategies, and still considered it a success because it helped me figure out what doesn't work. I figured if I take my time to do it right the first time, it's better than rushing it and having to do it multiple times.
I love food. I still eat everything I like, whenever I like, and as much as I like. For me, the trick was to pick only two of those. I can eat a lot of something and do it often if it's low enough in calories, but I can't do that if it's not. If a food is high in calories, I can have it every day in smaller portions or occasionally in larger portions. What I choose to do depends on the food. I can have a bit of ice cream every day, but I can't have a handful of nuts every day. If I don't eat about 800 calories of nuts at least, it's more torturous than not eating them at all. That's why I only have them when I have at least 800 calories to spare. I gradually reduced the amount of high calorie culprits to find out what the "minimum mentally satisfying portion" of each food is for me, and how it can fit into my calorie budget.
I too like feeling full, and I do like eating when I'm not hungry. What worked for me was a giant mug of herbal tea after smaller meals, occasional carbonated drinks between meals when I feel like it (they fill me up), adding more garlic/onion to my foods when I'm not meeting anyone (their lingering taste makes me feel like I've just eaten), and keeping up my old habit of sneaking whole vegetables out of the fridge between meals.
There are hundreds of similar examples. I tried to identify why and when I overeat and come up with "hacks" that work to make overeating less likely without depending on willpower (although some discipline is needed to adhere to your own rules, you're not white-knuckling it).
The sooner you accept you can't have it all and that you need to stay conscious of your intake to some degree probably your entire life the better. Weight loss surgery is not going to cure wanting to have it all. I actually "mourned" the fact that I will no longer be able to just eat however I pleased, so I'm pretty familiar with how large of a mental hurdle it really is, but it doesn't need to be made harder than it is by forcing yourself to keep up unsustainable practices. After years of dieting and maintaining, keeping up my habits does take effort, but it's on the level of being disciplined enough to do my job, clean the house, or brush my teeth, not on the level of training for a marathon.3 -
fluffypanda77 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »fluffypanda77 wrote: »I like that idea! But only 25 lbs in 6 months? Knowing me I would have just gave up lol . I lost 20 lbs in a month before by basically in eating omad. That's all you gotta do. One big healthy balanced meal a day and maybe a couple of snacks. No need to walk 6miles a day etc. Just eat a lot less!
For most people, 25 lb in 6 months is a good pace, that is around a lb per week.
For some very overweight people a faster pace initially may be good
For some people a pound a week is too fast - my own rate was a 1kg a month - just over half pound a week.
20lb a month or nearly 5lb per week is way too fast for nearly everyone. Everyone but the very obese, and then only for the early months.
Giving up because you do not maintain an unrealistic pace - not a good plan.
OMAD ( even with a couple of snacks, which isn't really OMAD to me ) is not the way for everyone or all you gotta do.
I agree you don't need to walk 6 miles a day ( who said you do?) - you just need to eat less calories over time
CICO - how you achieve that doesn't matter.
Could be OMAD could be 20 mini meals a day - or, like most people, something in-between.
Someone in an above post that might comment was based on said they started walking to and from work, like 6miles a day and had only list the 25lbs in 6 months. Just seems if you reducing calories enough and doing all that walking, you would expect a bigger drop in weight. And I don't think I even like omad anymore. Yes I did lose 20 lbs in a month and I wasn't that big to start. At the time I went from 160 to 140 lbs but it was very hard to sustain. When I went back to my normal way of eating like fast food like taco bell or burgers and fries and desserts etc I gained it all back fast, plus 10 more lbs with it. 😥 And now over the years I have steadily gained weight and now in a mess and weigh over 300lbs! Hate calorie counting cause makes me feel deprived I can't eat what I want but I know I have to try or I will just keep getting bigger and won't be able to lose it!
Yeah that was me, the original poster and since you invited me to weigh in here I suppose I shall. At no point did I suggest you "had to walk 6 miles a day". In fact, what I said was about selecting things that you enjoyed doing that would either increase your caloric expenditure in the form of exercise or decrease your caloric intake in terms of food choices all while attempting to minimize changes to your routine that you don't actually enjoy doing just because they are some sort of fad quick path to weight loss. I gave that example because walking is something I enjoy, at no point did I say or even imply that everyone should walk more.
The goal, at least for me and I hope for people who approach this in a healthy way, is to lose body fat...not weight. If you diet overly aggressively you will lose muscle in addition to fat which will potentially have negative impact on your overall health. Slow loss with exercise can allow you to lose fat without losing lean mass. Now if you are morbidly obese perhaps that is the right call, but touting "fast weight loss" as just a net positive is not really a good thing to do.
In my opinion the key to reducing your body fat percent to a healthy level then maintaining that long term is not to focus on "losing weight" its to think about what behaviors are common amongst people who maintain a healthy weight and what behaviors are present in your own life that run counter to that and try to slowly nudge and adjust your routines to be more in line with the ones more conducive to heatlh. Not to try to grit your teeth and try to force your way through something unsustainable in an attempt to drop weight quickly. What typically happens when that is done is a person succeeds in the short term to lose weight, comprised of both muscle and fat due to the extreme nature of their approach...and then after doing so and finally giving up to exhaustion they return to their own habits and put back the fat without gaining back the muscle....ultimately ending up in a worse position.4 -
"Food addiction" really isn't a thing since we can't just stop eating food and continuing living. But it's true that BAD HABITS lead so many people to the obesity level.fluffypanda77 wrote: »What about those of us who just have food addiction and can't help but overeat especially stuff no Good for us but tastes good like pizza, nachos, brownies, cookies, pasta, Chinese, etc. Also over eating is a bad habit we learned early on in life and it's hard to break it now after we've been doing it almost all our lives. We only gained the weight cause we lose muscle and metabolism slowed down a little each year! I started at 135-140lb in high school and didn't wake up over 300lbs the next day! It took me 30 years or so to get to this point and bad eating habits are just very hard to break and I feel so 😔 depressed and deprived I can't have the foods I want or as much as I want anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore! 😥😭
And ACTUALLY, people do "gain muscle" as they gain weight. Mostly in their calves and legs though because the resistance is progressively going up on them. The legs are carrying more and more weight over the years so they actually grow. That's why it's not uncommon for very overweight and obese people to have strong leg workouts and big calves even when they try to lose weight and exercise.
As for eating what you want, you still can. You just need to create a NEW eating behavior of LIMITS. And it CAN be done if one puts the effort into it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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GREAT insight into will-power ... so true, and a reminder to me that small changes are far easier to sustain (and build on when is right, if its right for you) than 'BIG PLANS' ... this has helped me get back on track as the evenings are my downfall ... but i realise i have run out of will-power by then and easily give in ... i shall revisit my hopes, goals, pitfalls, hows and refine and focus to make my life easier again so I can manage my evenings once more ... thank you 👍😁2
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The struggle is real! I find it hard to keep my willpower up when I am not seeing good results. I have been struggling to lose weight but am still keeping off the weight I have lost and am not gaining! I am proud of what I have accomplished! I just wish I could keep up my willpower on those plateaus a little better.1
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