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3.4 miles walked this morning with doggies along for 1.5 miles. Summer's a'comin'....80 degrees and humid with very little breeze. This was the first day I came home with that typical summer "glow" all over my arms and hands!
I want to write about transition today. Like most of us, I spend a fair amount of time reading various journal entries. And, lately, I'm reading about a number of experiences that are just like mine in the past. People give a diet the ol' college try, dropping calories to (IMO) dangerously low levels, or eating only 1 or 2 types of food, or other unusual tactics to drop weight. Are they successful? Sure. For now. Been there, done that myself.
But once the weight is lost, what happens? For myself....OK, I never really GOT all the weight off....but when I stopped my "diet," I couldn't get back to my "normal" foods fast enough! I'd been so deprived, I couldn't wait to get something OTHER than what I'd been eating into my mouth! And....of course.....the weight came back....with a vengeance!
But this time around, I've been careful to ask myself...."Could I eat this way for the rest of my life?" Not just when I'm home and I'm in control, but could I eat this way going out to a restaurant.....or to a birthday party.....or to an event? Can I make adjustments, but still stay on this WOE no matter what's coming up on the schedule?
For me....the answer is "Yes" I can stay on this WOE. The amazing part of this is that I won't be making any big changes when I hit Maintenance!!!! No rushing off to eat all the previously-"forbidden" foods, no real changes in the grocery lists, no running off to fast food places, etc.
My own opinion is that part of the reason I never succeeded before is because I didn't "diet" as a true, PERMANENT change in my WOE. Whatever I was doing before could NOT be sustained on a long-term basis (or I didn't embrace it as such), so it was doomed to failure.
If you can't envision whatever it is you're doing right now as a permanent WOE for the rest of your life, that means you'll eat differently once you hit your goal. And it's that transition off of an overly-restrictive, temporary plan to some other way of eating that can mean ultimate "failure." Food for thought.....
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152.0 lb
Lost so far: 83.0 lb.
Still to go: 7.0 lb.
Diet followed reasonably well.
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Diet Calendar Entries for 04 May 2012:
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1260 kcal
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Fat: 82.90g | Prot: 103.97g | Carb: 32.98g.
Breakfast: PB2, Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein - Chocolate, Truvia packets, cream, Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Lunch: Jones cherrywood smoked bacon, Johnsonville Brown Sugar & Honey sausages, Pieces & Stems Mushrooms, egg. Dinner: asparagus, NY strip steak. Snacks/Other: Endulge Peanut Caramel Cluster Bar, Sargento string cheese. more...
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1875 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Walking (exercise) - 3.5/mph - 58 minutes, Resting - 15 hours and 2 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...
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steady weight
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 Comments
Good thought and you're so right. Been there, done that too.
04 May 12 by member: DLynneGarner
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Hey, DLynne....now if we can just learn from those mistakes, right? Have a great day!
04 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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04 May 12 by member: DLynneGarner
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Good Food for Thought TOO, excellent advice & words to live by! No more diets for me...just plain old eating to live. You mentioned the feelings of being deprived & rushing off to eat all those "forbidden" things...how true that Was. I was just remembering my past failures these past few days, how I was unable to "stick-to-it" & how angry & upset that made me feel. This is the first time Ever that I do feel in control of what I choose to eat, now if I could just get the How Much I eat down pat I'd really have something. Like I always say...lots of little steps add up to leaps & strides!
04 May 12 by member: gg-girl
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I struggle with the "how much" issue too. It may always be one of those things I'll have to watch....I don't know. But in the long run, at least that's something we can better handle and manage, as opposed to dealing with all those mega-carb foods out there just waiting to sabotage, create cravings, and add pounds!!! Hope your day is improving.
04 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Man on man you hit the nail on the head for most of us..I also can live with the way I am eating..maybe tweak it some more..but I am not starving myself and mostly what I eat is not bad for me..Do I eat some things that are not good...yes I do..but I get right back on plan as soon as I get away from my sisters..LOL..I don't know what it is about being with them that makes me go crazy...we all are trying to watch our food intake...we are weak..thats all I can say...Great journal thanks for sharing...:O)
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To borrow from overused jargon - your way of eating will be the "new normal". BTW - Love your attitude! Hope it will rub off on me.
04 May 12 by member: BuffyBear
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Great post and food for thought!! Since I have adopted this WOE I have never felt better in my whole life! Its not just about the weight loss, its about how much better my body is functioning. I know that I can stick with this plan for the rest of my life. Sure, we make bad mistakes now and then. But as I have said before "mistakes are the stepping stones to success" Being able to jump right back on and begin again is the key. No diet for me, my new lifesyle has completely changed my life. Thanks for this post,
04 May 12 by member: debbily
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Bren, our new WOEs just feel so much better than restrictive diets, don't they? And you're doing so well, esp. considering that you're also trying to find the right foods that will work with your body (would've helped if the medical professionals could've given you some straight answers right from the start). But, we're on our way....no going back. Have a wonderful weekend...keeping my fingers crossed there will be fish in your future!
04 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Buffy, the longer I do this, the more it really IS the new normal. I look at others' grocery carts these days and just shake my head. Hope your Friday stayed quiet at the office.
04 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Debbily, thanks for stopping by. It's kind of freaky that food choices can be such an agent of change in one's life. I would have never really thought that it would be that big of a deal until I began living this journey. Have a relaxing weekend.
04 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Sandy...GREAT journal entry. I so understand exactly what you are saying, and could not agree more...I am in the same place. I love this way of eating, and won't change a thing once the weight is off. Have a great weekend! HUGS!
05 May 12 by member: ctlss
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Hey there, Stef. No getting caught in some big transition for us! Life's a whole lot simpler when we can just continue on doing what we've been doing (with minor mod's) once the weight is gone. Enjoy your weekend. Hope your mom's doing better.
05 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Sandy, I caught myself eyeing up other peoples carts today & all I could think about was how that used to be me with the big butt in the bakery section, visibally drooling...LOL, now I smile as I breeze on by with nothing but truly good stuff in the cart!
05 May 12 by member: gg-girl
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GG....it really IS surprising what other people are feeding themselves! I never used to look at others' carts, but now.... LOL!
07 May 12 by member: Sandy701
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Sandy...plus the expense of all those "convenience" foods. The closest I get to that nowadays are the Atkins products & frozen veggies!
07 May 12 by member: gg-girl
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