11.03.2009

Why and how are you losing the weight? good question

We have all seen the stories on other peoples blogs.
I remember starting every new diet with a fire in my belly and my feet on fire. I was really pumped. I was going to do it....two weeks later, saying no to fast food became a temptation too great to bear, I would figure, "What's the point?"
Or
"I'll start again on Monday."
But monday never came. At that point, every diet for me was temporary. In my mind, I was going to "Lose this weight...fast." The idea of watching what I ate for the rest of my life was not even a concept I looked at...I would lose the weight and.....
Then I would 'BE NORMAL'.
That meant, eat like I used to. But when I really thought about it, I knew that wasn't true. I wasn't going to be able to eat fast food all the time. I would stick with it for three or four weeks, decide things weren't moving fast enough and binge. Get upset that the scale wasn't moving. Do two or three 1200 calorie (or less) days....get hungry, Binge again. Go to the gym and work out for two hours thinking I could wipe away the binge. Get on the scale, and see little to no movement and figure "I can't lose weight, I am destined to be fat."
This style of dieting was crazy, nonproductive and destructive.
Then I would quit until the next time I hopped on a scale only to notice that my weight was higher than ever. I would completely freak out and then start the cycle all over again.

I am going to write down a list of sure fire ways to fail at losing weight that I have tried:

1.) Thinking a pill will cure you. I've tried a few pills in my time, pills to stop the hunger, pills to "speed up the metabolism", pills to pass the fat through your system.
Magic pills only work in fairy tales.

2.) Starving myself....it may work in the short term, but it is completely unsustainable. Nobody wants to live hungry the rest of their lives. Especially not me.

3.)Exercise myself thin....I was eating what I've always eaten and exercising 30-60 minutes a day. I may have been staving off a gain, but I sure wasn't losing any weight. No matter how I wished the walks would take off the fat, it didn't work. I just had a decent cardiovascular system and a bunch of fat.

4.) An all or nothing extreme diet. If I start telling myself that I am 'only going to do this extreme diet for a week or two to get a "head start".' Iwill fail. I will get the idea in my head that this is how it is always going to be, I am hungry, sick of meat, sick of grapefruit..cabbages or apples. I would want a piece of chocolate or some other 'bad food'. Then when I inevitably quit these 'diets', I would feel like I had 'failed'. I did starving, apples before each meal, atkins, south beach (which is actually just fruits veggies and lean meats in moderation, it was my disordered thinking that screwed that one up). The reason this fails is that while the diet may work, it wasn't giving me the tools to use for the rest of my life.

5.) Weight loss with a termination date-
I want to lose weight for ___________. Insert some dire emergency here....family reunion, high school reunion, bathing suit season, wedding....you may lose it, but if I don't see weight loss as a long term solution to a long term problem...I will gain it all back. (I have done all of these...)

6.) Losing weight to please ____________?
Anybody but myself in that slot is the wrong answer.

Like I said before, I Eat less and exercise more. I Work with solid numbers. I went online and found out my rmr and bmr. Body by pizza has Jillian Micheals calculations for bmr and rmr on her blog. It's in the December 2008 portion.
I count my calories. Now there are some meals I know the calorie count to by heart. Will I have to weigh and measure EVERYTHING FOR THE RESTOFMYLIFE....no. I used to say and think that. Now I know, that there are meals I generally like to eat. Once I know the general calorie count of what I am consuming, I know it. It's only new foods, or new meals that I will have to measure or count. Most restaurants have nutrition info. At maintenance, it is going to take some monkeying around to find what and how much I can and can't eat to maintain my weight. I can still have the occasional treat. If I really watch my calories five days a week, and have an extra 800-1000 calories left. On Friday, I can have some pizza or lasagna or pie. It's for life, there shouldn't be bad or good foods. Just well planned foods. Weight loss is totally doable in a slow, methodical way. I have just slowed my mind down and now I let it happen. It may well take a year to do, or two. But, heck....what else have I got to do, Right? This IS for life
Well that's all for now. Be good to yourselves.
Today I ate 1505 calories and exercised for an hour and 15 minutes and burned 680 calories...woohoo...My Arnold knows how to burn it down.
Have a great wednesday.
Hugs,
Chris

15 comments:

Amber said...

diets don't work...long term
Changing your lifestyle does!
We have heard it forever, but now we finally "got it".
Good post!

Keep at it!

Fat[free]Me said...

Great post and I totally identify with all of those failed attempts (done them all myself in the past).

I want to BE fit and healthy fortherestofmylife, so I will have to DO fit and healthy fortherestofmylife!

Sounds like you are on the way!

deisegal said...

I think I have tried all of the above at some point or another. I even tried the "extreme" diet just for a couple of weeks only this past July!!! I tried it for a couple of weeks when I was working closer to home and therefore less "stressed" by external factors. But then my friend came to visit for a weekend and we just ate all around us. And spent the whole weekend talking about food....LOL, it's not just me, honest!

Roxie said...

Been there, done ALL of that. Chris, you are doing so great. I hope you are suitably proud of the work you've done and the knowledge you've gained and are so good at sharing.

Anonymous said...

I love the Killers. Not something you'd expect a middle-aged mommy to say, but there ya go.

I think your post is right on. For me, losing weight has been accepting that my former way of life has to go and I've got to adopt some new habits. Letting go of the old ones has been a process (still working on it), but it essentially comes down to eat less, exercise more. So simple, yet when applied, quite complex.

Melissa said...

I agree that a diet will get you nowhere, it takes a lifestyle change. I love my life/body since my lifestyle change.
I lost my weight with Weight Watchers, which I think showed me HOW to make lifestyle changes. I don't think it works for everyone, but my science/math based mind loved the points and numbers.
But I think motivation is also key. When I was losing b/c I had an event coming up or something like that, it never worked.
When it was for my health and to set an example for my kids? Success.

foolsfitness said...

I think the very title of your blog is the key, deliberate choices. I think I attest my progress of about 35 pounds thus far to being purposeful and sensable in my choices.

I trying to build up a system from the ground up because the "industry" common sense is crazy with their magic pills, fad diets, and five minute workout machines. Time for some "foolsfitness UNcommon sense"

Your workout is impressive... you are truely an Arnold!

For Foolsfitness the main workout is walking up to the buffet line at the Chinese food place.- Alan

foolsfitness said...

Forgot to mention I just joined your blog. I like you motivation... do you mind if I borrow a cup full? Good stuff!

Foolsfitness-Alan

Unknown said...

Great post- it is definitely a lifestyle change for me. I am not on a diet! :)

Molly said...

Losing weight is so hard! But I've gotten to thirteen pounds now, the most I've ever lost, and I'm feeling good. I'm cutting out the bad things--alcohol, fried foods, etc.--and making those permanent changes as opposed to a quick detox. I'm drinking way more water, which is gloriously good, and I'm starting yoga tomorrow. I've also been documenting my daily walks for the most part, and that's so good too. Breathing the fresh air and finding peace. For me, that's what it's all been about. xo

- Molly
http://roots-andwings.blogspot.com/

Sevenbeads said...

What a wise list. Every one can identify with many if not all items on your list. The one that is the most meaningful to me is the one about setting a specific time goal like "losing 10 pounds by December 7th" or something. That's alot of pressure for so much beyond your control. I'm with you ... it's a lifestyle change and those changes don't happen overnight.

Christine Jeske said...

Me too, me too! On all accounts. Tried and failed because I had my mind set on some quick fix or deadline or fad. But when I made it into a 2 yr goal and looked up the old BMR/RMR and started counting calories --- wow. Progress. Finally. And maintainable progress!!!

Bravo. :D It will come of and stay off. Good post, good plan, good attitude.

Reva said...

Good post Chris. A good motivator for other's trying to make some headway in their weight loss and lifestyle changes.

paulawannacracker said...

Nicely said Chris. I completely agree with you and the comments here on this post. No diet. Just deliberate choices. Great post.

Way to go on the workout.

Unknown said...

Great post Chris, I can identify with everything you have written here. Thanks for putting it all out there!