Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Losing Weight Is Just The Beginning
THANKS for joining us today for WEIGH-IN DAY at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge." Somebody asked me this week how and where they are supposed to check in. RIGHT HERE in the comments section of this post. Just click on the comment link at the end and share your progress with all of us. We can't wait to hear from you!
Building on the theme of last week's column, I'd like to discuss that joyous day that everyone who has ever gone on a weight loss plan continually strives for--REACHING YOUR GOAL! WOW, what a feeling it is to reach the pinnacle of your journey and say emphatically that you DID IT! WOO HOO!
But in the weeks, months, and years following that whoosh and emotional high that comes from losing weight, especially a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight like I did, something rather odd starts to happen: temptation to overeat still exists, old habits find their way back into your routine, you let your guard down by allowing one too many "indulgences" in your life as a reward for your success, so forth and so on.
While there's certainly nothing wrong with having one or two bites of something in a week's time that aren't necessarily low-carb friendly, when you make them a habit during your maintenance program they can consume you to the point that you'll notice your weight start to creep back on again.
That's why I prefer to stay solid "on plan" and put my planned splurges on the calendar rather than having them be spontaneous. Some people call it controlled cheating. I don't like that phrase because "cheating" implies there is something wrong with it. If done every once in a while, then it's not going to be harmful to you and may very well keep you on your low-carb program much better than 100% strict all the time--both during weight loss and weight maintenance.
To that end, weight loss is just the beginning. It's the maintenance phase where the rubber meets the road because you will need to find that happy medium between being super strict versus loosy goosy. There is a proper balance for YOU that may take some frequent changes to stay at your new weight.
I will admit that even now after keeping my weight off for as long as I have that I can STILL feel guilty about how I feel. Ironically, I don't even have to eat anything "bad" on my low-carb lifestyle...I can just FEEL like I'm doing bad and find myself drifting into a dangerous mental state that would make me lose my focus.
Thankfully, I have been able to recognize when this happens and slap myself back into reality again with little to no repercussions from it. That's maintenance in a nutshell. Get out of "weight loss" mode and get into "eating healthy" mode. The two are not mutually exclusive, though, and both are predicated on lifestyle changes.
Tell yourself "I'm gonna get healthy" and watch how you will naturally and even instinctively gravitate towards what you know you need to do. It's amazing how that works, but it does. When you are prepared to eat this way for the rest of your life, then you are setting yourself up to be a long-term weight loss success.
Does this mean all will be peachy keen without ever having to worry about your weight again. Not hardly! But the ups and downs are as normal as the sun rising and setting each day. They do happen and you must be ready to avoid discouragement.
I wrote in my book that the best way to see yourself through a difficult time in your weight loss journey is to just trudge forward with what you already know works. That's what worked for me and still helps me to this day.
Maintenance doesn't have to be a creepy and mysterious jungle that you must now figure out how to navigate through. Reach your weight loss goals is a must, but then you keep doing what got you there to keep the weight off forever. Avoid the temptation to go back to your old ways because they OBVIOUSLY weren't working and most likely were not healthy for you either.
One final thought: Don't underestimate the little changes you are making in your health now that will impact you down the road. Pushing yourself to exercise regularly is a good habit that will pay off later in life. As does quitting sugar consumption and eating healthier foods on a regular basis. These small actions will pay BIG dividends in the years to come.
Don't try to be like a runway model stick figure, but rather make health your main priority regardless of your weight. That's my motto as I navigate through the weight maintenance phase of my life and it's keeping my weight off forever. The same can and will happen for you!
Feel free to respond to anything I have written today and please check in with your "30-In-30" progress, okay? I can't wait to hear from you! SEE YA!
Building on the theme of last week's column, I'd like to discuss that joyous day that everyone who has ever gone on a weight loss plan continually strives for--REACHING YOUR GOAL! WOW, what a feeling it is to reach the pinnacle of your journey and say emphatically that you DID IT! WOO HOO!
But in the weeks, months, and years following that whoosh and emotional high that comes from losing weight, especially a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight like I did, something rather odd starts to happen: temptation to overeat still exists, old habits find their way back into your routine, you let your guard down by allowing one too many "indulgences" in your life as a reward for your success, so forth and so on.
While there's certainly nothing wrong with having one or two bites of something in a week's time that aren't necessarily low-carb friendly, when you make them a habit during your maintenance program they can consume you to the point that you'll notice your weight start to creep back on again.
That's why I prefer to stay solid "on plan" and put my planned splurges on the calendar rather than having them be spontaneous. Some people call it controlled cheating. I don't like that phrase because "cheating" implies there is something wrong with it. If done every once in a while, then it's not going to be harmful to you and may very well keep you on your low-carb program much better than 100% strict all the time--both during weight loss and weight maintenance.
To that end, weight loss is just the beginning. It's the maintenance phase where the rubber meets the road because you will need to find that happy medium between being super strict versus loosy goosy. There is a proper balance for YOU that may take some frequent changes to stay at your new weight.
I will admit that even now after keeping my weight off for as long as I have that I can STILL feel guilty about how I feel. Ironically, I don't even have to eat anything "bad" on my low-carb lifestyle...I can just FEEL like I'm doing bad and find myself drifting into a dangerous mental state that would make me lose my focus.
Thankfully, I have been able to recognize when this happens and slap myself back into reality again with little to no repercussions from it. That's maintenance in a nutshell. Get out of "weight loss" mode and get into "eating healthy" mode. The two are not mutually exclusive, though, and both are predicated on lifestyle changes.
Tell yourself "I'm gonna get healthy" and watch how you will naturally and even instinctively gravitate towards what you know you need to do. It's amazing how that works, but it does. When you are prepared to eat this way for the rest of your life, then you are setting yourself up to be a long-term weight loss success.
Does this mean all will be peachy keen without ever having to worry about your weight again. Not hardly! But the ups and downs are as normal as the sun rising and setting each day. They do happen and you must be ready to avoid discouragement.
I wrote in my book that the best way to see yourself through a difficult time in your weight loss journey is to just trudge forward with what you already know works. That's what worked for me and still helps me to this day.
Maintenance doesn't have to be a creepy and mysterious jungle that you must now figure out how to navigate through. Reach your weight loss goals is a must, but then you keep doing what got you there to keep the weight off forever. Avoid the temptation to go back to your old ways because they OBVIOUSLY weren't working and most likely were not healthy for you either.
One final thought: Don't underestimate the little changes you are making in your health now that will impact you down the road. Pushing yourself to exercise regularly is a good habit that will pay off later in life. As does quitting sugar consumption and eating healthier foods on a regular basis. These small actions will pay BIG dividends in the years to come.
Don't try to be like a runway model stick figure, but rather make health your main priority regardless of your weight. That's my motto as I navigate through the weight maintenance phase of my life and it's keeping my weight off forever. The same can and will happen for you!
Feel free to respond to anything I have written today and please check in with your "30-In-30" progress, okay? I can't wait to hear from you! SEE YA!
Labels: 30-in-30, goal, lifestyle change, low-carb, maintenance, temptation, weight, weight loss
# posted by Jimmy Moore @ 2/13/2007 05:39:00 PM 
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I'll check in........
As of right now (24 weeks, sorry I am still counting) I have hit my 25 pound loss.
Even though I weigh myself every second day, I don't seem to worry about it as much. But then I have almost doubled my workouts in the gym lately and know I am losing inches. I always bounce with a pound or two so I just keep plugging on.
Somedays I have a hard time even eating but I have noticed it's usually before a loss of more then one pound.
I REALLY noticed my tolerance of any type of sugar is getting much less these days.
Even as much as a Halls Cough drop which I took with DayQuill put me over the edge one day which I just had a protein shake and headed to the gym to get rid of it.
My next goal is only 8 pounds away so I should be there in about.....hmmmmmmmm 6 weeks!
Let me add that sometimes losing weight is the easy part.
I know I catch myself at times with the self-sabatoge and really have to kick myself not to do something stupid. Not that I do but I think at times I really have to step back and realize how bad that desire is still there.
Everyone have a great week.
Thanks Jimmy
Wanda
As of right now (24 weeks, sorry I am still counting) I have hit my 25 pound loss.
Even though I weigh myself every second day, I don't seem to worry about it as much. But then I have almost doubled my workouts in the gym lately and know I am losing inches. I always bounce with a pound or two so I just keep plugging on.
Somedays I have a hard time even eating but I have noticed it's usually before a loss of more then one pound.
I REALLY noticed my tolerance of any type of sugar is getting much less these days.
Even as much as a Halls Cough drop which I took with DayQuill put me over the edge one day which I just had a protein shake and headed to the gym to get rid of it.
My next goal is only 8 pounds away so I should be there in about.....hmmmmmmmm 6 weeks!
Let me add that sometimes losing weight is the easy part.
I know I catch myself at times with the self-sabatoge and really have to kick myself not to do something stupid. Not that I do but I think at times I really have to step back and realize how bad that desire is still there.
Everyone have a great week.
Thanks Jimmy
Wanda
# posted by 
: 2/13/2007 8:16 PM
: 2/13/2007 8:16 PM
It's funny how this weight management thing is as much a mental one as it is a physical one. Probably more so. :)
THANKS for the reminder, Wanda!
THANKS for the reminder, Wanda!
Back down 1/2 lb this week... which puts me still something like 2 or 3 lbs more than I was at Christmastime, but oh well, at least it's moving in the right direction again.
Yeah, I've been sabotaging myself a lot lately - it's possible to do that with "legal" foods too. I don't know how much of it is because I *still* haven't gotten back into counting and recording every carb. I don't know how much is emotional eating. Seems there's always something to set off emotional eating though - I just need to learn to control it better.
Yeah, I've been sabotaging myself a lot lately - it's possible to do that with "legal" foods too. I don't know how much of it is because I *still* haven't gotten back into counting and recording every carb. I don't know how much is emotional eating. Seems there's always something to set off emotional eating though - I just need to learn to control it better.
Emotional eating is still a real and present danger with weight managment. It's yet another old habit that's hard to break, but it can be done. Hang in there, Calianna!
I forgot to check in yesterday. I lost another 2 lbs last week.
I find emotional eating is my biggest enemy. It's such a hard habit to break. Thankfully low-carb makes it a bit easier to deal with. Since I'm not eating all the sugar, I'm not having the huge mood swings or awful cravings that I would otherwise have.
You are so right Jimmy. I think most of my weight battles are more mental than physical. If I could just overcome my mental obstacles, I'd be home free most of the time.
I find emotional eating is my biggest enemy. It's such a hard habit to break. Thankfully low-carb makes it a bit easier to deal with. Since I'm not eating all the sugar, I'm not having the huge mood swings or awful cravings that I would otherwise have.
You are so right Jimmy. I think most of my weight battles are more mental than physical. If I could just overcome my mental obstacles, I'd be home free most of the time.
Although it took about 4 weeks instead of my predicted 2 weeks, I've not only lost all of the expected weight gain from my fun in the Caribbean sun in January, I've now re-entered new weightloss territory.
One new pound gone to report as of this morning. My current stats for the challenge are 260/237/227 in week 25 for me (I'm still counting weeks too). Only 10 pounds to go to meet my short-term, non-obesity goal of 227.
I'm now only 10 pounds away from my short-term, non-obesity goal of 227 pounds.
This is now a weight zone that I haven't seen in over 25 years.
Overall stats are: 320/237/200
-David
One new pound gone to report as of this morning. My current stats for the challenge are 260/237/227 in week 25 for me (I'm still counting weeks too). Only 10 pounds to go to meet my short-term, non-obesity goal of 227.
I'm now only 10 pounds away from my short-term, non-obesity goal of 227 pounds.
This is now a weight zone that I haven't seen in over 25 years.
Overall stats are: 320/237/200
-David
CONGRATULATIONS, David! You are showing us ALL how it's done. I'm very proud of you, my friend, and cheer you on to continued success.
You'll be pleased to know I am holding relatively steady right now--for OVER TWO YEARS and running!
When you get to goal, then prepare for the "fun" part--keeping it off for good. It's much harder than it looks, but it can be done.
Go get 'em, boyeee!
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You'll be pleased to know I am holding relatively steady right now--for OVER TWO YEARS and running!
When you get to goal, then prepare for the "fun" part--keeping it off for good. It's much harder than it looks, but it can be done.
Go get 'em, boyeee!
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