Living The Lifestyle 8/21/25
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 - crewahl (Charlie)
Tuesday – Wildcard
Wednesday-misterhub (Greg)
Thursday -imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday - Wildcard
Today's Topic: Persistent, Staying with it. "What makes us different". I'm not an original GOADIE but did start with the WW group over 15 years ago. Out 250 plus people there are a few of us that continue staying with everyday. ( There are a few in the FB Goadies as well)
I just often wonder about this do you ever think about this?
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Although I have been struggling to lose I have kept 50 lbs of the 110 lbs. I lost off by tracking and watching my carbs which also lowered my A1C from 7.2 to 6.6 keeping me off meds.
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It could be that those of us here on Goad recognize a value in sharing the journey and the benefits that provides. Or, it could be an accountability thing. There is also a social aspect to Goad - it is kind-of a family.
I think that there are probably many former goadies that are still persistent in their weight management efforts, they are just not using Goad as a tool.
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I agree @Philtex. I did a long time ago see value in both WW and MFP so that's one reason for sticking it out.
The second reason for me is also as you mentioned accountability. That being said I got tracking fatigue and stopped doing it and also blamed it on a time issue. In reality it only take less that 2 minutes probably to post each meal. It's missing the tracking for a day then trying to remember what I had the day before.
I just sometimes wonder what happened to some of the past members.
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I think therr are two separate but intertwined questions here - why people persist in weight management communities, and why we’re still here in GoaD. To the first;
1. There’s a value to knowing you’re not alone on an issue.
2. Other perspectives on a shared issue can help.
3. There can be a sense of being part of something larger than yourself.
4. Occasionally, tidbits of wisdom are shared.
To the second:1 This is where I learned to manage my weight; I have a debt.
2 Because you can’t make new old friends.1 -
Because there is no finish line I’m still a guy on a diet.
Way back when on the WW board I was about 5+ lbs from goal, & started to think I would get there, I did a post titled “A Fat Guy Changes Careers.” Basically if I’m not a guy always trying to lose weight, who am I going to be? WW put it on the front page. Got a huge response. Several women wanted to know if I was married.
This is me now. Yesterday I was 1 lb over what I weighed when I graduated high school. I like being like this. I eat at the same diner a lot. They have sort of a parking area for the walkers. Not everyone using one is significantly overweight but most are. One day at Publix I saw a fight between 2 people who wanted the last riding shopping cart. Hope to avoid all that.
Plus there have been several times when GOAD helped me big time. Huge. I’m usually only here 2-3 times per week. Hoping to catch a little nugget that might make things a bit easier. Hoping I might be able to give something back that helps someone else.
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I was involved in the GOAD group at WW briefly before the forum closed and shifted to Connect. I've been here ever since, except for a long pause of inactivity. I've learned a lot in my time here. I enjoy responding to questions posed on LTL and consistently check in with my daily steps. Like George, I look at the walkers and the riding carts at the store and am thankful I'm not at that stage yet.
I'm still on a diet, cycling and walking and ambling about. A big plus for me is that I don't have Metabolic Syndrome, which is epidemic among people my age. Currently, I'm interested not just in weight loss, but the quality of my diet, which has improved slowly this year. Al calls weight management a death march, but I prefer to refer to it as a life march, because the results enhance our lives enormously. I'm certain that my health problems have been diminished by diet, exercise and modern medicine.
Where did everybody go? I asked that question before, and it seems the answer is that we're a niche group with no additions, just substractions.
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I joined the WW GOAD group in 2011 a couple weeks after joining WW. I've been mostly active since then, except for a period of illness. I get better results when I'm here consistently - - meaning at least two to three times per week. I like the accountability, and I like having a space to share victories and frustrations with people who "get it." I like rooting for others and appreciate hearing something phrased a bit differently that makes me pause and challenge my own thinking. And after all this time, I feel like I know y'all and consider you friends. I miss it when I don't make time to be here.
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I agree with what everyone has said above. I'll add that this feels more like family than an internet group. I think part of sticking with the group for so long (for me) has to do with the shared journey and experiences. When we discuss something here, we all have a strong collective memory of our various ups-and-downs, victories and defeats, and other aspects of the journey. There isn't a lot of need to explain the basics here, and so the conversations can happen on a much higher level with our collective higher level of experience. That's why I stay.
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GOAD has been a constant for me since 2008. I lost 70 pounds on that go around. Kept it off for two years. GOAD's community was an important part of that.
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