Wellness

[violann]

Vivian Florimond, I honor you and salute you, but with great respect, I must disagree with  your very well written thoughts as they pertain to ME.

I hope it goes without saying that I have great admiration for all of the MANY people who successfully use Weight Watchers. WW has a long, very impressive history, with the backup of excellent research and statistics.

Throughout MANY tries, it was never a successful program for me. No matter how faithful I was, I could not acheve long term success.

What works for me IS a program that eliminates all grain and all refined carbs. By also eliminating added sodium, I find significant reduction in food cravings. This eating program was suggested to me by a series of lectures in the office of a young, very bright chiropractor and fully sanctioned by my internist.

Throughout my yoyo years, I came to decide that if I couldn't be successful at WW, or whichever my diet-of-the-month happened to be, I was a poorly disciplined failure.

Within the last 2 1/2 years I have come to find that I'm fine, but my eating goals were faulty. All good!

Many congrats to you!

[blackhole99]

For me keeping the weight off is a matter of just wanting to stay healthy as I age. I'm not as active physically as I was 10 years ago, so I just eat less. I don't agree with being too thin as you age, I saw first hand with my MIL who was a normal weight and broke her hip, lost 30 pounds just like that and never could gain the weight back.unfortunately she died a year later.

[AngelPuppy1]

I have been up and down so many times!  For the last about 8 years I have gone up and down no more than maybe 10 pounds.   As a child, youngster, teen, and young woman, I was very thin.  I had no worries about weight. Could eat anything and everything.  As I began the ascent into my 40's --- trouble began!  It was as if someone turned a switched!  Every little thing I ate turned into fat!  

From then on --- several times I gained as much as 60-70 pounds.  It seemed as though it happened overnight.  I felt sick, sluggish, mean, unhappy, depressed-- you name it.  I used to love clothes -- no more.  I hated getting dressed.  Hated looking in the mirror.  Just bending down to put on my socks or panty hose was a chore and left me out of breath.

Being overweight runs in my family.  It has caused many serious health issues.  I finally decided -- enough -- enough -- I can't take it any more!

I tried dieting on my own -- could not do it.  Tried WW -- didn't like it.  Finally went to Jenny Craig.  Yes, it was rather expensive -- but it was great.  I needed the one-on-one and the prepared meals.  I kept it off for years.  Then --I  relapsed.  I then went to LA Weight Loss and this was a great success.  I never again regained all that weight.  Although as I said, I do go up as much as 10 lbs, I get back on the wagon.

For me --- what basically worked was not to compare myself to anyone.  Not to compare myself to anyone else's successes.  Just take each day at a time, each meal at a time.  Each pound at a time.  Not look at how much I had to lose still but be proud of myself for each pound, each ounce that I lost. Each day was a new day.  When I failed the day before --- all was not lost.  Each day was fresh -- with no mistakes.  I could start anew.  

Also, being that I love clothes and always have -- I put a special pair of jeans that I wanted to get into and hung them on the front of my closet.  

Every day I renewed my commitment to me, to be strong, to be the best that I could.

Also, I didn't announce what I was doing to everyone.  This works for some, but not for me.  Some people get jeaous, believe it or not.  They like to try and sabbotage you.  I had this happen to me before and so, the next time I went on a diet, I kept it to myself.  If I was asked, why aren't you eating this or that, I would just say, I already ate or I don't care for that, but thank you.

It's a mindset. Once you do that, make the commitment, you will find joy in your journey!!!!  

[Tinkrbl44]

Of course, there are other motivators, too ....

Like making a bet with someone ..... or, even better, a DEADLINE .....   like a high school reunion or a trip .....

But doing it for your heath is good, too.

[kate2357]

A few years back I gained weight for various health issues which kept me from moving around much. For almost two years I couldn't really move much at all.   After I was 'healthy' and released to move ... I had such a hard time getting the motiviation TO MOVE. Dang ... it was so hard to feel like I had any energy at all to move my body more than I did for my job.

I didn't particularly care for how I was feeling or looking in clothes, but I found myself saying that horrid phrase 'it is what it is' ... and just settled for being overweight.

I don't know how ... but one day I woke up and just decided that I owed it to myself to give myself one hour a day to become a healthier, more fit person. My mantra was 'I choose fitness' ... said it over and over again ... I choose fitness over reading a book ... I choose fitness over watching this tv show .... I choose fitness over the internet.

So in addition to moving more, I also ate more 'real' foods ... as in not as much processed or canned foods. It was protien, veggies, fruit and whole grain carbs. I do track my calories and I do track my exercise. (I like the Fitbit myself).

So long story long ... my inspiration was myself. Paying myself back ... in my case w/ time ... so that I could devote one hour a day to myself. I am fortunate to have a very supportive DH who does not begrudge me my hour.

I reached my goal weight a couple of years ago, but still give myself that hour a day to move. I may not do it all in one 60 minute slot .. but I do move 60 minutes a day in some way that gets my heart rate up a bit ... also clears the brain!

Good luck to all in their own fitness/weightloss journey.