This is for those of you who have "fought the good fight" and "finished the race set before you" (although, I do realize that it's an ongoing battle to maintain your successful loss). Anyway, just thought it sounded valiant, because to me, you all are warriors! So, my questions are about your weight loss strategies and how they differ from one another.

1st Question: At what point in your journey did you include exercise, if ever and what was it?

2nd Question: How did you "stick with it"? What was your game face or mantra?

3rd Question: At what point did you "press through" and realize that this time was different...that you would actually succeed?

Thank you for you input!

1st Question: At what point in your journey did you include exercise, if ever and what was it?
Although I hate to exercise I've always done it. The first time around I can't even remember what I did. (This is my third and final time!). The second time around I worked out hard core with a personal trainer. I thinK I was over-training. I hit goal for about 30 seconds but just couldn't maintain it--I was starving all the time with the working out, but couldn't slash the calories more than I had to maintain. It was a bummer. This time around, I no longer weight train like before--just some light hand weights when I think about it to maintain mass, I walk the dog all the time because if I don't, he's a weapon of mass destruction, and I do Zumba 2-4 times a week depending on what my schedule allows. This time I find that my muscle mass has maintained, my hunger is totally under control, and I'm loving my chosen exercise.

2nd Question: How did you "stick with it"? What was your game face or mantra?
Progress not perfection.

EVERY day is day one.

This time I worked thru all the phases of my chosen plan which is Atkins. I spent an inordinate amount of time in OWL to carefully determine my CCL and CCM, and to determine which foods I would/could tolerate or were problematic. INVALUABLE. I've been on plan now for 1 year and 206 days. Everyday I wake up I'm on day one again. Each day is the day that you decide to make good choices or bad choices. In my mind, I don't care that I have 1 year and 206 days. I start all over tomorrow. It works for me.

3rd Question: At what point did you "press through" and realize that this time was different...that you would actually succeed?
I suceeded the prior 2 times I did this. The last time I stayed on plan for a year. Life intervened and I started to get sloppy. Off plan here and there started to be more here than there, carb creep, a bit more indulging on the alcohol front. I stopped logging my food and being vigilent. This time around the main lesson I learned is that I have to work as hard keeping it off as I did losing it. In fact, it's almost easier losing it (IMO). In maintenance hopefully the scale just stays the same--you don't get that rush as you did when you saw the scale dropping. Luckily for me, I never felt like I had to "push thru". When I met stalls/plataeus I looked at them as training wheels for maintenance. I knew if I just kept to the game that the weight would eventually shift down. And I was right. I was 49 years old and 1 day when I started this time around--I didn't want to be 50 and stuffed into a girdle. By the time I had my 50th back in May, I was at the weight I was when I was 30 and I've gone on to lose another 5-6 without trying. I was lucky that I got a another shot at this. By the time you're my age, hormones and metabolism start to kick your ass--I'm not throwing this down the crapper because if I do it just may be that fate will bite me in the ass for sure and it may be niegh on impossible to lose again. Nahhhh...I'm not taking that chance. I've learned my lesson.

HTH

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

At what point in your journey did you include exercise, if ever and what was it?
I have always exercised. I do a lot of walking, and although I don’t really like it, I do run now and again. I also weight train.

I would like to say something about exercise and weightloss. Despite the fact that exercise does not really contribute much to actual weight loss, it is my believe that humans are not sedentary animals and that some kind of 'movement' is not only good for our health but also for our general well being. I do think that, for me at least, the actual 'discipline' of exercising daily was a helpful tool in keeping me determined and on track during my weight loss journey.

The same also applies now that I am maintaining that weight loss.

2nd Question: How did you "stick with it"? What was your game face or mantra?I didn’t have a particular mantra as such, but I did pay attention to something Tom Venuto (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) said:

I really wanted to lose my excess weight, so I just ‘sucked it up’ and got on with it.

3rd Question: At what point did you "press through" and realize that this time was different...that you would actually succeed?Having reached my goal once before and then gradually piled all the weight back on and more, I spent a couple of years ‘faffing’ around before I finally came to the realisation that it was time to ‘get it done’ once and for all. I figured that if I could give up smoking (my 8 year smoke free anniversary is fast approaching), then why couldn’t do the same with regard to my overeating. This time around I was very determined to succeed, and I did. Though, as you so rightly acknowledge, it is an ongoing battle (though I prefer to think of it as a ongoing journey) to maintain the goal weight I have achieved.

Ok, I'll take a stab at this.


I walk dogs as my profession. I've been in this business for the past 15 yrs, so that means that I was doing all this walking for about 8 yrs while still being morbidly obese. If I wasn't doing all the walking I'd probably have been well over 300 lbs at my start.
While I don't think that the walking contributed to my loss, I do think that it aided my body to shed the weight as just moving all day long aided the lymphatic system in getting rid of the fat. I think that if those with over 100 lbs to lose can just get out there for a walk daily, it'd do them a great deal of good.
I did not do weight training or anything else for that matter and I'm sorry that I didn't as I have loose skin and a lot of fat on my thighs and butt. But I'd rather have that than be almost 300 lbs.
I still walk daily with all the dogs and I know that it helps my maintenance. I'm also now taking Pilates to strengthen myself and because I enjoy it.



I had many different mantras as I went through my journey. I recall near the end it was "focused and determined".
I know that I made promises to myself that I kept every day( self esteem), like logging my food publicly into my journal here...800 days worth. That was a powerful tool.



As a TDCer, for me, breaking through to Onederland was huge! I'm a lot older than you are and got this big when I was 40 yrs old I spent 15 yrs trying to lose the weight only to ever get to a low of about 210 in 1998...then regained every time, which was at least 6 times in 15 yrs. Talk about discouraging!!
But I had learned from all my mistakes from prior attempts and used my errors to correct myself this time. NO putting up my feet at each mark of success...there is no relaxing about this, it must be THE priority!!
So when I broke into Onederland, I made a big push to keep myself in it. When I got to 180, I made an ever bigger push to break through that as its also been a set point for my body. Each stall I reached, I asked others who came before me, with success, what they did and followed their advice. I did not take advice from those still struggling. I wanted to hear from those who had done it already, which I think you are smart in doing!!

Sorry this has gotten a bit long, but its a hot topic for me.
Hope that I helped!

1st Question: At what point in your journey did you include exercise, if ever and what was it?

I lost about 70 pounds six years ago. Last winter was bad, put on like 30. So when spring came I quickly lost 15 and now I'm working on the last 15.

All without exercise. However, I do live on the third floor, run all the errands in our family (husband has chronic illness) and often go for walks when the weather is good.

2nd Question: How did you "stick with it"? What was your game face or mantra?

I had so many immediate benefits that any screwups covered only one meal and I went right back to my low carb.

It wasn't just losing weight. My skin was happy, my stomach was happy, and dang it, my moods were happy! I could go hours without being hungry. I learned to cook, and once I discovered how absolutely delicious real food tastes, my old favorites weren't anymore.

Carbs just weren't worth it.

3rd Question: At what point did you "press through" and realize that this time was different...that you would actually succeed?

I succeeded so well the first time I tried I kept it off for six years. I had a bad winter, but as soon as I realized just how far I'd slid, I targeted where I went wrong and got right back into it.

Because I love the way I look and the way I feel!

Hi, Free2Be. I'm on my way back down to maintenance weight at the moment, but I can speak to the exercise questions from a long way back. I'm convinced that regular exercise has helped me avoid major weight re-gain, even at times when I've been less-than-perfect in my commitment to healthy eating.

History: in 1995, on the threshold of my 50th birthday, I reached my lifetime high weight of 192. Determined not to give in to a fat old age, I set my course: low-cal/low-fat eating plus exercise. In one year, I lost 50 lbs. and I've never gained it back.

Later, I switched to low-carb, which works better for me. I've had a few weight ups and downs since 2003--but small ones. And the one consistent effort of my healthy life is exercise.

My best exercise advice:
--find something you actually LIKE to do.
--choose a time when you can ALWAYS do it (this is very important!) If you don't set aside a sacred time for your exercise, you will always find a "good" excuse not to do it.

I've always liked exercising at home with videos. Not wimpy! Trust me! If you want to explore the options, go to www.collagevideo.com The best collection of videos for all types of exercise. You can exercise at home, in a small space, at your own time. Perfect!

Currently, I do weight training classes at the YMCA twice or three times a week. I like the loud music, the instructor counting reps, and the people I meet there. I'm a social gal. I don't run anymore, but I have a majorly good pair of walking shoes, and an iPod loaded with peppy tunes, including some vigorous walking tapes, some with inspirational messages included (from collage) When it's just too dang cold to walk outside, I head for the treadmill.

One of my walking tapes is Classical music reworked to a specific BPM (beats per minute). It would probably drive a music major nuts, but I think it's great. Moonlight Sonata at 140 bpm? Bring it on!

I don't always "want" to show up at the Y. But one hour later, I always feel like Wonder Woman. I won't say "better than sex"--but for a fabulous feeling all over your body, resistance training is IT.

When did I know I'd actually succeed? Well, I have to make that decision over and over again. But remembering miserable me at 192 is highly motivating.

Best wishes.

Oh my goodness! Thank you all for taking the time to give me (us) such thoughtful and honest answers. I appreciate it more than you know. What an inspiration! I hope others are as inspired as I am to get this weight off and be fit. I don't think I've ever really believed it was possible for me. I desired it, but my expectations never matched my desire. I'm sure that's true for many others. That's why I asked the question about when you knew that you would succeed. I really enjoyed reading your stories about your specific journeys. I want to learn from people who not only "know" what to do, but have done it/are actually doing it. I've heard that some doctors are not encouraging their obese patients to lose weight because "no one" keeps it off. You all are living proof that this way of life works and that the human will is strong enough to swim against the current to reach an upstream destination (with a good plan, of course!). From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You all have earned my respect and I would be thankful for any input that you might have for me as I walk the road to join you in the Land of Maintenance....unknown territory, for me.

cnmLisa, I especially liked what you said about every day being day one. That really spoke to me because the old me used to mess up and say "well, it's Tuesday, so I'll wait until Monday to "start" my diet. I gained so much weight like that! I would do so good for two or three days and then blow it terribly for the rest of the week. I would always take things week by week or even month to month. I didn't realize that my thinking in this area had started to shift unconsciously in a positive direction until I read your post. It's so true, but I think I haven't totally "owned" that principle yet. I'll keep working on reframing my thinking.

Demi, I liked your "suck it up" attitude. So many times I've backed down, thinking "this is too hard" or "everyone else gets to eat cake, why can't I" or various other whinning or excuses. One thing I've noticed, although again, I didn't realize it until I read your post, is that the few people that I know of who have been successful in the area of weight loss seem to have that "hard nosed" attitude about it. A "just get it done" attitude. Thank you.

Judy, I liked what you said about making promises to yourself and actually keeping them. If I made as many promises to my son and broke them as often as I break my own promises to myself, then my son would have no respect for me and definately wouldn't trust me. I can honestly say that I very rarely break a promise to my son or anyone, for that matter. But I'm consistently breaking promises to myself. I tell myself; I'll exercise every day, I won't eat dessert when everyone around me is, I won't have rice even though I live in a Japanese home and it's almost a sin to shun rice, I won't compromise my eating to make someone else feel comfortable or happy (eating dessert with them, especially when visiting their home), etc. Every time I break one of those promises to myself, a little part of me feels more defeated than before and respects myself a little less. I don't want to do that anymore. I tend to be a pleaser and that really has to stop. I liked how that linked with your statement about the sense of urgency you had after you entered Onederland. I sort of got that vibe from all of you. That sense of "just do it!" and "suck it up" and "I'm not going to be stuffed into a girdle in old age". You all seemed to have the focus and urgency, the idea that this is PRIORITY.

WereBear, I liked your enthusiasam and overall attitude about this WOE and I liked how you recognized you had slidden a bit and redicated yourself to living in such a way that makes you feel awesome AND lose weight. For many "diets" those two ideas are mutually exclusive.

Barbara, I liked your thoughts about exercise. I recognize that not everyone is an exercise "buff" but I find that I'm constantly wishing that I was stronger or envying people who make jogging look easy. I like when ever I start developing even a little more endurance, so I'm sure I would feel a great sense of "wellness" both emotionally and physically from exercise. But like you mentioned, I haven't carved out a particular time to do it, so I always let "life" happen. Then, as I'm about to fall asleep, I think to myself "boy, I wish I would have exercised today".

Thank you all so very much for your time and input. I WILL put these ideas into practice and I'm sure there are others who have gained insight and wisdom through your experiences. Congratulations on your successes!

FREE2BEME: Thank you so much for asking these questions! This is an excellent thread and I hope more maintainers will add their input.

OK, here's a piece of advice for you: It doesn't matter which plan you choose to follow, what matters most for long term success, is that you do all of the phases of your plan. This will enable you to create a food plan for yourself that takes in other 'good' carbs rather than just from the Induction list. Find lots of new foods and recipes to use to make your food plan interesting and enjoyable to you.

I now use all the phases of my plan of choice to manage my weight. I weigh regularly and take action if I'm upwards of +3 lbs on the scale. I go back to my phase I. I call it floating between the phases. I found that as I was still losing my weight, it was easy to add in and then take back out, foods that I'd never eaten and starches. I learned how to cook! That was huge!

So, if you are using Atkins, make sure that you do OWL phase and make it your own. Don't be afraid of the good carbs!!

There is no going back to my old way of eating or I'd for sure regain my weight. Even in times of stress and upset, I have used other strategies, other than food, to deal with my emotions.

Thank you for the advice about working through all the phases of the plan that I choose to follow, Judy and Lisa. I think that's where I've gone wrong in the past. I tend to stay very low carb and then get stuck there, thinking I should stay at induction until I'm 20 lbs from my goal. But, the fact is that during that time, I reach a stall and then I miss carrots and extra cream and things that really don't seem to knock me out of ketosis, although I'm sure it does slow the weight loss a bit. Then I go completely off track and think "I'll start next week". I'm going to make this a lifestyle for me, rather than a diet, which means that I have to work the phases of my plan. Every diet that I've ever been on has failed, including Atkins, simply because I didn't commit to making this a lifestyle change...to look at it from a long term perspective. Thank you! Thank you all for your encouragement and input! I've spent the weekend mulling it over in my mind and trying to commit it to my heart. It's no longer an issue of weight or risk of disease that motivates me. I want to respect myself, to be proud of myself, to trust myself again. I don't have to wait until I reach my goal to experience that. All I need to do is to take the right steps towards that goal (working my plan) and enjoy the journey of finding out what my body can tolerate and what makes it work hard for me. Treating myself in such a way is bound to make me proud of myself. Thank you for your support. I really value it.

That right there is the Key to Maintenance. You must say it and mean it: I am living differently now.

And your energy and your body and your cravings; they will be different, too.

What I see with many like yourself, is that they too tend to stay at or below 20 grams of carbs per day thinking that if 20 grams a day is a good amount, then less must be better. THAT IS WRONG!!! That is exactly why there are 4 phases to Atkins plan, 3 phases to SBD.
What I see happening with myself and others is that when they begin to add in the good carbs to their plans, it actually stimulates their metabolism and they begin to lose at a more steady rate...that is what happened to me.
What I also see is those who stay too low for too long stall out. IMO, they stall out simply because their body needs a bit higher level of carbs to function better.

You don't go overboard adding back in but slowly adding in 1 food at a time monitoring your body's responses. Not daily either at first, more like just a few days a week. You build this very slowly.
So I strongly suggest that you go back and reread about OWL phase of Atkins and begin to track your foods either here in a journal or somewhere, so that you can begin to learn how your body reacts.

Every single thing she said!!!