I wrote this in my journal this morning and I thought I'd share it with all the Warriors...
WARNING, it's a long post!
On 10 March 2014 I reached my goal weight of 130 lbs!
"Why I think 'IT' worked this time around!"
I revisit this topic periodically to see if I can add or edit anything b/c this is the first time I’ve ever been successful at keeping the weight off long-term.
I hope and pray I will continue to be successful!
My "Dieting" History:
I've battled with “Fat Jo” for 35 years before I finally got “IT” right!
Yeah, I’ve always been the “fat girl” ~ started around puberty like a lot of us and I didn't start a "diet" until I was 18 yo and tipping the scales at 240 lbs or so.
I lost my first 110 lbs in 8 months following A '72 Induction but I never read past the Induction chapter. So I spent most of my adult life playing at A '72...so many wasted years... pfffffffffft!
Nothing I can do about that NOW but learn from the experience and move forward!
(I wrote what follows on 21 July 2014 with updates on 26 September, 30 November 2015, 31 March 2016 & today, 10 March 2017)
These are the biggest differences this time around for being successful at not only losing the weight but keeping it off when I had such EPIC failures in the past.
These are in no particular order of importance.
1) I used to think that this was a diet and not a life-changing WOE and WOL.
I understand now that if I want to remain healthier, happier, thinner and more confident, that I must continue this for the rest of my life.
2) I used to think that once I lost the weight, I could go back to eating like other carb-eating people! Yep, used to have the t-shirts from 3/4XL to medium to prove it! Now all I have are small/medium t-shirts in my closet!
After all these years, I have finally figured out that I am a recovering morbidly obese carb addict with all the baggage that an addiction/addict carries! (I think it's more honest to say that I finally acknowledged that I am a CARB addict...)
I will never be able to eat those toxic carbs like those carb-eaters! You can't change what you don't acknowledge!
Added 10 March 2017:
Like the good doctor said on page 8 of Diet Revolution 1972:
Quote:
Because if you have a weight problem, then you have a problem for life. We doctors know this, but it's amazing how few patients can accept this self-evident fact.
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I’ve been around the block enough times to realize I do have a problem for life when it comes to my weight... and I KNOW exactly how to fix it ~ by STAYING 100% OP every single blessed day and letting tomorrow take care of itself!
Pg 261:
Quote:
"I have an illness, a lifelong illness. I can't cure it, but I can CONTROL it!"
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3) I never ever tried to figure out what my threshold for kcals and carbs was so that I could maintain the weight loss in my past failed attempts.
I just slowly went back to being a carb-eater never acknowledging that carbs really are toxic, poisonous, insidious, crappy killers that kill the best parts of me, most especially loving myself...
I call my kcal and carb threshold my “sweet spot”. I now know exactly how many kcals and carbs I can eat to NOT regain the weight! Isn’t that where we all want to be?
Added 10 March 2017:
I’ve truly embraced this statement from A’ 72 pg 263
Quote:
The best decision is probably to stay pretty much on the very low carbohydrate diet on which you lost; only now you can feel free to deviate in small ways.
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I know I have been successful now for these past 3 years in Maintenance b/c I have stayed on the very low carb WOE on which I originally lost all the weight...
4) I finally realized that I have portion control issues to the MAX and no self-control. That’s why it’s better for me not to have some foods (like cheese, nuts or pork rinds even if they are perfectly OP foods) because I can’t control how much I eat and I will overeat!
I acknowledge that I am an ABSTAINER and I can never be a moderator if I want to remain successful and keep the weight off!
5) Starting out eating one time a day this time around has made me realize that I want to feel “really full” when I eat. I am not sated otherwise!
Eating 2 or 3 times a day does not work for me because I seriously suffer from chronic “I’m only hungry when I start putting FOOD in my mouth” syndrome.
The later in the day I eat, the better off I am. I try not to eat before 5 pm.
Added 10 March 2017:
I didn’t know I was doing “Intermittent Fasting” until someone pointed that out to me back in 2014 when I first came to the forum (it was either Janet or JudyNYC).
It’s not like I had given up 2 meals b/c I haven’t been a breakfast eater since about mid-school age. So I basically only gave up lunch.
I was eating “by the clock” as “Fat Jo”. Now I know I am truly hungry when I eat my OMAD!
6) I used to box up my fat clothes for later -- sub-consciously knowing I would regain the weight. Then it hit me, Holy Hannah I was giving myself permission to GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK!
That was so stupid. I didn't have enough confidence in myself to keep it off -- but NOT THIS TIME. I donated everything to a charity thrift store once it didn't fit any more. I have no boxed up fat clothes that “Fat Jo” can fit in!
I do have a pair of my “Fat Jo” size 26 jeans that are hung in my clothes closet! It’s the first thing I see every morning when I get clothes out to wear! Talk about a HUGE motivational tool (pun intended) that keeps me focused on my journey for life!
7) I keep meticulous records of my eating and exercising (I weigh and measure EVERYTHING - cuz I'm a bit OCD like that).
I will continue to weigh and measure everything because I REFUSE to REGAIN. I control what I put in my mouth!
“At the end of the day, I will NOT regret what I DID NOT eat and I REFUSE to serve myself up a plate of GUILT!”
8) I know what I am going to eat well before I get hungry - no chances of poor food choices or excuses and I always have plenty of "my" food in the house.
I’d rather not eat, then eat some toxic, killer carb if I am hungry! There is NO excuse for eating carb-age ~ EVER!
I am NOT going to starve to death if I skip a meal!
9) I write daily in my personal journal (the one here and the digital journal I keep as a Food Log on my PC) where I express my thoughts & feelings on this wondrous life and soul changing LC WOE journey.
10) I live my motto SEAL everyday:
Stay Committed 100%
Eat Properly & Exercise Daily
Accept the things I cannot control & change the things I can.
Live my life to be Successful at following this LC WOE!
11) I am not often tempted or have any desire to eat any of those toxic carbs.
If someone were to ask me, “what do you miss most in the way of a carb-y food?”
I would honestly have to admit that there’s really isn’t anything that I miss because I am NOT willing to PAY the PRICE for eating carb-age.
I really do love what I’m eating now and I love this quote because it really does sum up how I feel about my weight now:
“Nothing Tastes as Good as Being at my Personal Weight Goal Feels!”
Added 30 November 2015:
You'd think after the amount of time I've been doing this (878 days and counting) I'd be "more" immune to the temptations!
But that's so NOT
true. I still get tempted, but I have so many strategies in my "Stay OP" arsenal that I can kick "Fat Jo's" fat ass every single time!
And I know what's at RISK if I were to give in to her stupid destructive desires to eat carb-age crap and I am so NOT willing to go down that path EVER again!
12) I have a wonderful group of people who understand my WOE completely -- they inspire me every day. This would be all of you!!
Thank you for being here to help, encourage and support me every single day! You have no idea what you all mean to me!
13) I’ve realized that the more time I think about, prep/touch or cook food, the more I overeat. Those things are my eating “triggers”.
When I go grocery shopping, I have a list of everything I buy, I don’t buy ANYTHING that’s not on the list which prevents me from buying carb-age crap!
14) I keep my food menu very basic and without a lot of variety. I don’t need a huge variety of food to be satiated on this LC WOE.
15) I will NOT give FOOD the POWER to ruin my good health.
It is ONLY food after all and a means to nourish my body. That being said, I am NOT saying my food is boring ~ I truly love everything I get to eat on this WOE!
Added 30 November 2015:
I don’t mourn the foods I can no longer eat (those toxic carbs). I am very grateful for the wonderful foods I can eat without guilt!
I don’t feel cheated, envious, jealous or deprived because I can no longer eat the carb-age laden foods.
I am thankful that I have finally figure out what I can eat that keeps me emotionally and physically healthy, happy, more self-confident and a “normal” size person!
Added 31 March 2016:
This quote really expresses how I feel about the foods I eat:
Quote:
A Buddhist “Before Eating” prayer that includes these words:
"By seeing this food as medicine, I will consume it without attachment or hatred, not to increase my arrogance, strength or good looks, but solely to sustain my life."
Posted by Jean (cotonpal) in thud123’s Journal 01.09.2016
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Added 10 March 2017:
Imma allergic to carbs ~ I break out in rolls of fat!
Paraphrased from A ’72 pg 41
Being a carb addict is my cross to bear! I could seriously have a much worse affliction but I am so grateful that I know HOW to fix what’s ailing me. That means staying 100% OP today and letting tomorrow take care of itself!
For me, this has become much more than a journey to lose weight and improve my health.
Every day I learn more about myself as individual and my relationship with food.
I've learned to take back the POWER from foods that makes me miserable in mind, body and soul.
I realize that I must always remain vigilant about what I eat if I am to remain successful. And I must NEVER lose control of that!
16) EATING OUT is very stressful for me because I have no idea how my food is being prepared. I don’t trust wait staff to tell me how they prep the food, what they do or do not put on it.
Yeah, I’m a little paranoid about that
but it’s to protect my own good health. Only I CAN do that!!
I am 100% responsible for what I EAT and I refuse to eat those horribly addictive, insidiously toxic, poisonous
killer carb-age foods.
Added 10 March 2017:
No one cares if I eat 100% OP or not. I am solely responsible for what I eat. No one put a gun to my head and made me eat those toxic carbs in the past.
17) I know that I must remain ever vigilant against “Fat Jo” [the self-destructive carb-addicted selfish FAT bitch who destroys my good emotional & physical health, self-love and self-esteem].
She is lurking just below the surface ready to pounce into my reality the moment I eat off plan.
I will NOT give HER the satisfaction to ruin my life again. I have her caged up where she will do me NO HARM!
18) It is HARD WORK to lose the weight and it’s equally HARD at times to stay in maintenance. But I’d rather work HARD staying in maintenance then having to start the BATTLE with “Fat Jo” all over again.
I don’t think I have the emotional fortitude to do battle with her again ~ just so much easier to stay in maintenance!
Added 10 March 2017:
Being Morbidly Overweight is Hard,
Losing Weight is Hard,
Keeping the Weight OFF is Hard,
I’ve chosen my HARD!
19) The only true way to stay successful at this fantastic LC WOE is to have a boat load of strategies ready to combat “Fat Jo” when she tries to entice me to eat carb-age!
My last best strategy when all else fails is to eat perfectly OP foods ~ “Feed the Need” b/c I don’t have to be miserable or hungry staying in maintenance!
Added 10 March 2017:
Dr. A says this on page 31:
20) Daily routines are very important to me. I weigh every morning when I wake up.
Added 10 March 2017:
I have kept all the routines that I established whilst losing the weight and I know that's why I have been successful in maintenance.
21) I know that exercise will not help me lose weight, but it makes me feel amazing when I do it. That is why I am so committed to doing it every day!
“YOU CAN’T OUT RUN the FORK!”
Added 10 March 2017:
Along with my daily “bike” rides, walking and alternate days of weight training for 20 mins, I started the plank challenge back in June 2016.
I am up to a 3-min plank and doing 10 push-ups (started these on 28 January)!
I can’t believe how empowered and strong I feel!
I know that I don’t wanna just crawl into my 60s (only 2 years away!), but go in kicking and screaming as healthy as I can be well into my 60s, 70s and beyond!
My philosophy on exercising:
Exercise is good for cardio/pulmonary health and for strengthening muscles and bones. Exercising has also shown to improve blood pressure and possibly to increase the HDL ("good") cholesterol. However, the "calorie burning" effects of exercise are often vastly overstated. Most low-carb losers drop weight successfully with or without exercise and many here haven’t done any exercising to get where they are!!
Basically, I can’t do enough exercising to burn a significant amount of kcals (calories) to affect weight loss...
BUT exercising is AWESOME for overall good health, keeps my joints healthy etc...and gosh dare it, it makes me feel amazing that Imma doing something more to improve my health!
22) I am so ever grateful that whatever “clicked” happened on 5 July 2013 ~ My Independence Day from “Fat Jo” and all those toxic carbs!
23) I still see “Fat Jo” in my mind’s eye! But I think I will always have her there because that’s how I will always see myself ~ I’ve been HER most of my life!
I feel that it’s not a bad thing because I truly believe having my “Fat Jo” there keeps me at least subconsciously motivated to continue “Fighting the Good Hard Fight” against her!
24) I must stay OP 100% today and let tomorrow take care of itself so that I can realize my dream of maintenance to Infinity and Beyond!
And I KNOW in my heart that this is truly ONE of the ONLY reasons why I have been & continue to be über successful at doing this incredible life and soul changing journey.
25) CHEATING is NOT going to get me to my weight goal or keep me in maintenance!
I also have to remember that a nanosecond of eating carb-age crap does 2 things for me long term:
1) Possible stall & worse, weight gain (which means I’ll have to re-lose the regain lbs) and
2) The hours of guilt and self-loathing because I didn’t have the emotional/intestinal fortitude to stay in CONTROL of my eating since I am supposed to be in TOTAL CONTROL of what I put in my mouth!
For me personally, the second one is by far the worse side effect of eating off plan! So, I DON'T DO IT EVER cause it’s so NOT worth it!
Added 30 November 2015:
Honestly, I cheat all BY myself and I cheat MYSELF!
No one else really cares if I eat 100% OP or not!
“Eating 100% OP without cheating is a choice ~ not a result.
Nothing will make you eat 100% OP until you choose to eat 100% OP.
No one forces you to eat carbs unless you decide to eat them.
Your commitment to eat 100% OP comes from deep within you
when you finally decide to take
full responsibility for what you eat with NO EXCUSES!”
Added 10 March 2017:
Until I committed myself 100% to this incredible life & soul changing WOE, I was only
trying to lose the weight instead of
actually losing the weight and keeping it off!
That commitment means staying ever vigilant of everything I eat WITHOUT cheating! That's my key to being über successful:
NO CHEATING!
Staying OP 100% isn't a MISTAKE or an ACCIDENT! It's an ATTITUDE born from sheer determination, perseverance and self-respect that I will remain ever FAITHFUL to my LC WOE plan no matter what temptations/cravings pass my way!
Honestly aren't I totally disrespecting myself if I continue to eat the foods that I KNOW make me unhealthy in mind, body and soul as well as FAT?
Armed with a multitude of strategies to handle my food related issues, this LC WOE got me far beyond my original goal of not only losing the weight but will continue to help me keep it off to Infinity and Beyond!