Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Sliding Into 'Automatic' Mode With Your Diet
You know what today is, don't you? That's right, it's weigh-in/check-in Tuesday here at The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. If you are just joining us here for the very first time, then let me say welcome to you. My name is Jimmy Moore and I have lost 190 pounds following the Atkins diet since 2004.
These days I am trying to encourage people to do what I did by setting a goal of losing at least one pound a week for the next 30 weeks or more. Thus, "30-In-30. I like to repost columns from my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog that will assist you in your weight loss efforts as well as provide an inspirational column every Tuesday right here to help you get through the week.
That's what I'm gonna do right now:
Last week I was attending a huge BBQ convention called the HPBA Expo where there were grills galore to see up close and personal (I've even got one I will be giving away in April). I brought my wife Christine along with me and this trip and she tried to get me to eat a muffin while we were on the plane ride there! What's up with that?! LOL!
Christine said she was nervous and fell back into her familiar routine somehow forgetting I am on the low-carb lifestyle now. Sound preposterous? Try this one for size. When we were in the hotel room last week, I had to access the Internet using a brand new laptop and an unfamiliar WiFi service to be online.
So here I am in new surroundings (albeit for just a few short days) in a hotel room I'm not normally in typing on a computer I've never used. Guess what happened--I fell into some of my old habits from several years back when I first started surfing the Internet in the 1990s! For example, my old e-mail address which I changed two years ago to livinlowcarbman@charter.net was musicbuyer@aol.com. I had this as my e-mail address for over ten years (I used to work as a Music Buyer for a chain of Christian bookstores in Virginia).
Guess what happened when I tried to look up my e-mail account while in Reno--I caught myself typing m-u-s-i-c-b...before I realized I was putting in my old e-mail address to access my e-mails. Why in the world did I do that? It was as if with all the unfamiliar surroundings I had slid into some sort of "automatic" mode to cope with the stress of the situation at hand. Sure, I was having lots of fun and wearing myself out in the process, but it was out of the ordinary for me.
How does this relate to the subject of diet and weight loss? I wonder how many of us, no matter how long we have been on our low-carb lifestyle, sometimes kick into "automatic" mode with our diet. Do you catch yourself doing some of those old habits that made you obese before even now? Man, I sure do from time to time.
When I was trying to stop drinking diet soda as a New Year's resolution earlier this year and then quickly put that foolish idea to an end, I noticed I would walk into the kitchen for no apparent reason and open the refrigerator to look. What was I looking for? Nothing in particular, but I was scouring around for something to eat.
Then I would move to the cupboards and open them wide to see what there was to eat in there. Was I hungry? Nope. Then why in the world was I snooping around in my fridge and cabinets for food? The answer--it was an old habit I used to have when I weighed 410 pounds.
As much as people think you can be cured of your obesity, it's a lot harder than simply dropping the pounds. I knew from the many years my weight has gone way up and way down that the real challenge was going to begin for me when I would start to maintain my weight. Although I look and feel better than I ever have in my entire life right now, deep inside my head still lives that morbidly obese monster who rears his ugly head every now and then.
What triggers this to awaken the dragon from within? In a word, it's change.
Back in 1999, I lost 170 pounds on a low-fat diet but then gained it all back and then some in very short order. Why? Besides the fact that I couldn't stand being constantly hungry and in a miserable mood all the time (from a lack of fat in my diet), I also made some huge changes in my life--got a job promotion, moved to a town 450 miles away, and bought my first home--in just a matter of a few months!
These changes led me to rely on familiar territory and so I started eating like I had before. Although low-fat wasn't the best diet in the world for me, it certainly was a lot better for me than being fat! And yet here I was stuffing my face with garbage. Pure, unadulterated junk. All that work I had invested in improving my weight and health was down the toilet seemingly for no reason at all.
I now am very cautious about ANY changes that happen in my life--good or bad--and how it may impact my low-carb life. Because I am aware of this, I try to constantly be on guard and not allow old habits to slip back into my life no matter what happens. I could be bold and bragadocious telling you I would NEVER stop eating right as I have these past few years. But that would be foolish.
Let's just say I am consciously attempting to avoid letting obese "automatic" mode kick back in as I strive towards making skinny "automatic" mode take firm root. That way, no matter what happens to me, regardless of the situation, I will make the best decision for my dietary choices and keep this weight I have worked hard to lose and maintain off forever and ever.
How about you? Have you ever caught yourself in "automatic" mode doing things you used to do? Please share your stories and how you are able to control yourself. Even if you haven't gotten a handle on it, tell us about it so we can perhaps help you deal with it, too. Let me hear from you everyone! THANKS for your faithful readership!
3-20-07 UPDATE: Well, it seems this topic is one worth hearing more about as my friend and fellow health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin, aka "The Diet Detective," wrote in his post entitled "Life 'Changes' That Can Impact Your Diet." Check it out because he gives some excellent advice about how to deal with these life changes and stay on track with your weight and health goals. :)
These days I am trying to encourage people to do what I did by setting a goal of losing at least one pound a week for the next 30 weeks or more. Thus, "30-In-30. I like to repost columns from my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog that will assist you in your weight loss efforts as well as provide an inspirational column every Tuesday right here to help you get through the week.
That's what I'm gonna do right now:
Last week I was attending a huge BBQ convention called the HPBA Expo where there were grills galore to see up close and personal (I've even got one I will be giving away in April). I brought my wife Christine along with me and this trip and she tried to get me to eat a muffin while we were on the plane ride there! What's up with that?! LOL!
Christine said she was nervous and fell back into her familiar routine somehow forgetting I am on the low-carb lifestyle now. Sound preposterous? Try this one for size. When we were in the hotel room last week, I had to access the Internet using a brand new laptop and an unfamiliar WiFi service to be online.
So here I am in new surroundings (albeit for just a few short days) in a hotel room I'm not normally in typing on a computer I've never used. Guess what happened--I fell into some of my old habits from several years back when I first started surfing the Internet in the 1990s! For example, my old e-mail address which I changed two years ago to livinlowcarbman@charter.net was musicbuyer@aol.com. I had this as my e-mail address for over ten years (I used to work as a Music Buyer for a chain of Christian bookstores in Virginia).
Guess what happened when I tried to look up my e-mail account while in Reno--I caught myself typing m-u-s-i-c-b...before I realized I was putting in my old e-mail address to access my e-mails. Why in the world did I do that? It was as if with all the unfamiliar surroundings I had slid into some sort of "automatic" mode to cope with the stress of the situation at hand. Sure, I was having lots of fun and wearing myself out in the process, but it was out of the ordinary for me.
How does this relate to the subject of diet and weight loss? I wonder how many of us, no matter how long we have been on our low-carb lifestyle, sometimes kick into "automatic" mode with our diet. Do you catch yourself doing some of those old habits that made you obese before even now? Man, I sure do from time to time.
When I was trying to stop drinking diet soda as a New Year's resolution earlier this year and then quickly put that foolish idea to an end, I noticed I would walk into the kitchen for no apparent reason and open the refrigerator to look. What was I looking for? Nothing in particular, but I was scouring around for something to eat.
Then I would move to the cupboards and open them wide to see what there was to eat in there. Was I hungry? Nope. Then why in the world was I snooping around in my fridge and cabinets for food? The answer--it was an old habit I used to have when I weighed 410 pounds.
As much as people think you can be cured of your obesity, it's a lot harder than simply dropping the pounds. I knew from the many years my weight has gone way up and way down that the real challenge was going to begin for me when I would start to maintain my weight. Although I look and feel better than I ever have in my entire life right now, deep inside my head still lives that morbidly obese monster who rears his ugly head every now and then.
What triggers this to awaken the dragon from within? In a word, it's change.
Back in 1999, I lost 170 pounds on a low-fat diet but then gained it all back and then some in very short order. Why? Besides the fact that I couldn't stand being constantly hungry and in a miserable mood all the time (from a lack of fat in my diet), I also made some huge changes in my life--got a job promotion, moved to a town 450 miles away, and bought my first home--in just a matter of a few months!
These changes led me to rely on familiar territory and so I started eating like I had before. Although low-fat wasn't the best diet in the world for me, it certainly was a lot better for me than being fat! And yet here I was stuffing my face with garbage. Pure, unadulterated junk. All that work I had invested in improving my weight and health was down the toilet seemingly for no reason at all.
I now am very cautious about ANY changes that happen in my life--good or bad--and how it may impact my low-carb life. Because I am aware of this, I try to constantly be on guard and not allow old habits to slip back into my life no matter what happens. I could be bold and bragadocious telling you I would NEVER stop eating right as I have these past few years. But that would be foolish.
Let's just say I am consciously attempting to avoid letting obese "automatic" mode kick back in as I strive towards making skinny "automatic" mode take firm root. That way, no matter what happens to me, regardless of the situation, I will make the best decision for my dietary choices and keep this weight I have worked hard to lose and maintain off forever and ever.
How about you? Have you ever caught yourself in "automatic" mode doing things you used to do? Please share your stories and how you are able to control yourself. Even if you haven't gotten a handle on it, tell us about it so we can perhaps help you deal with it, too. Let me hear from you everyone! THANKS for your faithful readership!
3-20-07 UPDATE: Well, it seems this topic is one worth hearing more about as my friend and fellow health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin, aka "The Diet Detective," wrote in his post entitled "Life 'Changes' That Can Impact Your Diet." Check it out because he gives some excellent advice about how to deal with these life changes and stay on track with your weight and health goals. :)
Labels: 30-in-30, automatic, diet, habits, low-carb, low-fat, weight loss, weight maintenance
# posted by Jimmy Moore @ 3/20/2007 03:11:00 PM 
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
Funny you should share that story Jimmy.
Just last night I wrote in my journal about taking a week off and while I was out and in of the house all week, I ended up ordering baked potatoe with sour creme not once but twice and then on Friday we were at my favorite restaurant and I HAD to have their fries...........But really I was almost doing it on purpose because when I am home I eat alot less and workout alot more.
The good thing is that I woke up on Saturday, went to the gym and just got back on low carb before any damage was done.
My damage of not getting back on is when I have sugar and I didn't have any so I found it much easier to just let it go and move on.
I don't feel guilty and I didn't beat myself up......I think that is the one difference this time.
Now this week weigh in...
.5 pound lost .
Guess what the means?
That would be 30 pounds lost to date and down 6 sizes to date.
30 pounds in 29 weeks......I am not done yet though!
Everyone have a great week.
Wanda
Just last night I wrote in my journal about taking a week off and while I was out and in of the house all week, I ended up ordering baked potatoe with sour creme not once but twice and then on Friday we were at my favorite restaurant and I HAD to have their fries...........But really I was almost doing it on purpose because when I am home I eat alot less and workout alot more.
The good thing is that I woke up on Saturday, went to the gym and just got back on low carb before any damage was done.
My damage of not getting back on is when I have sugar and I didn't have any so I found it much easier to just let it go and move on.
I don't feel guilty and I didn't beat myself up......I think that is the one difference this time.
Now this week weigh in...
.5 pound lost .
Guess what the means?
That would be 30 pounds lost to date and down 6 sizes to date.
30 pounds in 29 weeks......I am not done yet though!
Everyone have a great week.
Wanda
# posted by 
: 3/20/2007 4:27 PM
: 3/20/2007 4:27 PM
THANKS SUPER, Wanda!!! CONGRATULATIONS! The key for you now compared to nearly 30 weeks ago is you are keenly aware of what you are doing and got right back on plan rather than throwing your hands up in the air and giving up.
I could have slipped up this week being away from home for six days. But, no, I stayed right on plan and did not stray one bit. My weight remained steady at 220 again. WOO HOO!
THANKS for checking in, Wanda! Anyone else?
I could have slipped up this week being away from home for six days. But, no, I stayed right on plan and did not stray one bit. My weight remained steady at 220 again. WOO HOO!
THANKS for checking in, Wanda! Anyone else?
I am down another 1.4 lbs That is 23.6, 12 weeks tomorrow. 13.4 to go. I am a boredom eater. I am always walking around looking for something to eat, it hasn't stopped just because I have lost weight. The difference is I just don't give in. Every day is a struggle and I don't see it changeing. I stay the course and set days when I can have something extra and most of the time when I reach that day I have changed my mind. If I haven't I do it and move on the next day. Congratulations every one!
Down nearly a full pound this week.
Today I went to pay my bill at the store where I buy most of my clothes, and just for grins, I took the next smaller size of jeans in the dressing room with me.
Shock of shocks, they actually fit! :D And the best thing is that they fit the say way my current size fit when I bought them just about a month ago! I'm going back in a few days when they have a special sale going - they're saving 2 pairs of jeans and two pairs of slacks in the new size for me.
So even though my weight is just barely below early January levels, apparently I'm losing inches right now, much faster than I'm losing actual weight. Well, either way,it's a step in the right direction, so I'll take it!
Today I went to pay my bill at the store where I buy most of my clothes, and just for grins, I took the next smaller size of jeans in the dressing room with me.
Shock of shocks, they actually fit! :D And the best thing is that they fit the say way my current size fit when I bought them just about a month ago! I'm going back in a few days when they have a special sale going - they're saving 2 pairs of jeans and two pairs of slacks in the new size for me.
So even though my weight is just barely below early January levels, apparently I'm losing inches right now, much faster than I'm losing actual weight. Well, either way,it's a step in the right direction, so I'll take it!
That's the PERFECT way to handle it, Tess. And way to go, Calianna! Shopping for new clothes is an amazing way to reward your hard work. :)
I'm down 1/2 lb this week. Retaining lots of water right now.
This must be the topic of the day! I blogged about stress/emotional eating just this morning.
My best strategy is to find a distraction. It worked very well for me last night. Tonight I'm going to enjoy a long soak in the tub. (Thanks for the idea Tess!)
I could easiy write a book on this subject. It's my biggest problem. I have a tendency to eat for ANY reason. Bordom, stress, happy, sad, confused, anxious, - you name an emotion and I can find a reason to eat. This usually leads to binge eating as well. It's a scary process, but I'm learning how to deal with it one day at a time.
This must be the topic of the day! I blogged about stress/emotional eating just this morning.
My best strategy is to find a distraction. It worked very well for me last night. Tonight I'm going to enjoy a long soak in the tub. (Thanks for the idea Tess!)
I could easiy write a book on this subject. It's my biggest problem. I have a tendency to eat for ANY reason. Bordom, stress, happy, sad, confused, anxious, - you name an emotion and I can find a reason to eat. This usually leads to binge eating as well. It's a scary process, but I'm learning how to deal with it one day at a time.
I quit smoking over 12 years ago, but once in a while I catch myself going after one.
# posted by : 3/21/2007 2:20 PM
: 3/21/2007 2:20 PM
I weigh on Sundays right now and my weight this past Sunday was 148.6, for a loss of 1.4 pounds my second week on NutriSystem, and that puts me back in the 140s *again.* I will be thrilled if I can lose that much every week. :)
Typically I lose all week with my low weight on Friday. I then rebound on Saturday (because I don't drink enough water Friday), and Saturday is my cheat day putting my highest weight of the week on Sunday. I then lose each day until Friday.
Typically I lose all week with my low weight on Friday. I then rebound on Saturday (because I don't drink enough water Friday), and Saturday is my cheat day putting my highest weight of the week on Sunday. I then lose each day until Friday.
Do what works for you, Victoria, and you'll be able to remove that "Fat" from in front of your name. I believe in you and KNOW you will be successful!
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
<< Home
