Question for those with long term loss...

**Momto2Boyz** · 05-08-2008, 03:30 PM

I've noticed several of you on here who seems like you have lost weight and been able to keep it off...so kudos to all of you! So, I thought this might be a good place to ask this question!

Does "dieting" ever become second nature, or is it always a conscious thought in your mind? (And by dieting, I mean making healthier food choices, chosing the fruit vs. the muffin or the salad vs. the burger).

A little backgound on me, so you can see why I am asking: After my second son was born and I had ballooned up, I was able to lose 60 pounds mainly through walking and watching what I ate. However, in the last 6 months, I have put 20 pounds back on. Granted, we had a horriffic winter and I couldn't walk much, but I think it was mostly what I ate. I am an unconscious eater, I eat when I am bored and don't even realize that I sat down with a bag of chips until it is gone. If given the choice between a salad and a burger, I'll order the burger without thinking then curse myself after the waitress walks away for not putting more thought into it.

Over the last few weeks, I have gotten much better and have begun to lose the weight again (down 5 pounds! woo hoo). But I've noticed that I have to be deligent about it 100% of the time. It seems like I am constantly thinking about what I am going to have, I even try to plan out my day of eating in the morning, so I have snacks available that fit into my calorie allowance, so I don't go hungry. I guess my point is that it is taking alot of willpower, but also alot of thinking ahead and time.

I'm just curious if that part of it gets easier with time, or if I'll still be struggling with it many years down the road!

**PrairieRose** · 05-08-2008, 05:01 PM

This is a hard one.....for me personally....

I have been on my 'journey/lifestyle change' now for 2 yrs. 7 months. I have to work at it, most days. I do my best to just keep the bad stuff out of the house so I'm not tempted but will still sometimes overdo on things. I do the best when I a) stay at home (which isn't always possible) and b) plan ahead. If I'll plan lunch at breakfast, think about what's for dinner I'm ok. I keep fruits, yogurt, cottage cheese for snacks (and yes I also have some 100 calorie packs for major carb cravings) which really helps. My problem is when we eat out more than once weekly. I always struggle with eating out as it feels like it's cheat day all over again, even if we ate out yesterday. I'm working on this one. For me, I think it makes sense that for this way of life to be 2nd nature, it's gonna take more than 2 - 3 years b/c I was out of control for about 27.

Ssssooooo, it didn't go bad overnight and it ain't going back overnight.... . I'm sorry I wish I had better news for ya.

For me, I have to be aware of every bite I put in my mouth, every.single.day.

BUT being skinny does feel better than ANYthing tastes

**PrairieRose** · 05-08-2008, 05:04 PM

Wanted to add ....

I'm sure you know after a major carb binge you want more and more.....I always have to 'detox' for a couple of days after I've been bad......darn it. As with what you were talking about where the hamburger was concerned...I will order the burger and eat 1/2. I don't beat myself up. Whatever is done is overwith/done. I start again, right now (not a week from next Monday on the first Monday of the first month, like I used to....

).

**IntlMom** · 05-08-2008, 05:32 PM

I'm going to be on the other side of the fence. I have almost always been relatively thin. I am 5'8" and weigh aobut 130-135 ish. At one point several years ago, I somehow got up to around 180. When I got mad, I just watched what I ate, and only ate when I was hungry....which I KNEW to do. I lost around 60 pounds and got a little below 120. I was actually "too' thin. Anyway, here I am several years later at a comfy130-135 ish (although I like being 5 pounds lighter, I don;t get too worked up about it!). I will say that it IS easy. I LIKE fruit, I LIKE salads, and I can eat a TON of salad!! i love love LOVE brocolli and will choose celery sticks and hummus over chips and dip any ole day of the week!
I don;t really think about it anymore, it just is "me". It's kinda like being a coupon "psycho lady" I don;t think about it, it just happens.

(the hardest part is not EATING healthy, it's BUYING the expensive food I know is good for my body).

I thought of an example: I think about how to fill up with as few cal as possible. We are having spegetti tonite. I will make green beans with it. I will fill my plate with green beans and a little bit of speg w/ sauce. Then each bite will have lots of veggies with a little of speg flavour. I do this with any casserole too.

**IntlMom** · 05-08-2008, 05:38 PM

Ok, I had to add:
every once in a while I have a day where I can simply not put enough food into my mouth! I will eat anything I can get my hands on....choc chips from the freezer, popscicles, pop tarts, oh yea, anything! I don't beat myself up about it, I just know to be extra dilligent in the days to come.....oh, and NOT step on the scale for a few days either!!

**Jamauk** · 05-08-2008, 06:12 PM

Traci - your "plan" sounds a lot like "French Women Don't Get Fat". She says that Americans have this idea that the french eat croissants for breakfast every single day and cheese all day long with their wine, etc....

She basically says eat only when you are hungry and stop when you aren't hungry anymore. If you eat a burger for dinner, eat some fruit and yogurt for breakfast the next day and a salad for lunch. Its all about balance.

If only I could practice this.....about a year and a half ago I lost about 20 lbs. I've gained it all back +5. I am PO'd at myself! I'm vowing to take it back off by the end of this year....and then some (I wasn't really at my ideal weight before I started gaining again...)

I did find that when I was losing, it did take a lot of time/effort with the planning, watching what I ate, etc....I think I lost steam and got burnt out. Its a matter of making it a habit and I know it's going to take quite a while before its second nature - if it ever actually is...

**britbunny** · 05-09-2008, 09:41 AM

Hi,

I have lost weight and kept it off for a couple of years now and I have to say in my case yes it has become second nature. I didn't weigh myself our count calories or anything like that so I didn't build that kind of "pressure" into my routine. I focused on nutrition, once I knew what was in the various things we ate I was choosing from a position of stength and so that made it easier. Then the more we ate the healthy stuff and the less we had the unhealthy stuff in the house the easier it became to make the good choice and even to prefer the healthy stuff. I think alot of the time it can be eaier to eat less healthily as that stuff comes as "ready to eat" rather than "ingredients". So we try to have a mixture of quick and easy as well as meals that involve alot of preparation - pre cut veg, nuts, dried and fresh fruit, cereal etc that we can just grab and eat if need be.

We did have a couple of rules and we stick to them even now - no onion rings in the house, no ice cream in the house and no doughnuts in the house. So I can eat anything I want but I just don't have those things in the house! If we make some muffins or something I whack them in the freezer so I know if I feel like one I have to wait for it to defrost - most of the time I can't be bothered to wait so I obviously didn't want it that much, lol. With the unconscious eating I know what you mean so I don't eat if I'm watching tv or whatever (unless it's sport but that's planned snacking! lol) I eat all my meals at the kitchen table so I know when eating begins and ends iykwim.

We also do something similar to the French Women Don't Get Fat thing. I make sure I eat or do 5 healthy things before I have anything unhealthy - so granary bread for breakfast, a couple of glasses of water, a walk, some fruit or a smoothie after exercising, salad on my sandwich at lunch, little things like that. So after lunch I've had 2 healthy meals so if it's less healthy at dinner then it's not such a big deal. Similarly, if we go out at lunchtime I know that in the evening we'll just have something simple and light for dinner to balance it out.

As far as exercise goes, we have plenty of rubbish weather and so it can be easy for me to lie to myself with a string of excuses to not do it. But I just make sure I do some wiggling everyday - play on the wii, dance about the house, hula hoop, walk on the spot while I watch tv, do push ups during ad breaks. Just little things to keep going. It really can become routine.

Best of luck, just keep doing all the little things and don't thow the baby out with the bathwater if you choose the burger over the salad!

**frugalfoster** · 05-09-2008, 10:21 AM

I lost over 70 pounds when my mother passed away over 8 years ago. I have since kept it off for the most part. I allow myself a 5 pound leeway, so when I hit the top of the 5 pounds I start to cut things out. This has helped me to not always be thinking "I'm on a diet". I can't do any baking at all, this is a real downfall for me and I eat a healthy breakfast every morning. I also consicously eat at least 3 fruits a day, veggies are harder for me. I always tell those who ask me how I do it that to just change one thing that you do everyday and make that a habit. When you get that one down, change another. Pretty soon it will become second nature. I do have to admit that I have been a lecturer for weight watchers in my younger years so I do know how to do it! But knowing how to do it and doing it are two totally different things! lol

**perSue** · 05-09-2008, 10:32 AM

I dont believe in "dieting".
I refuse to follow any diet that's out there or that anyone recommends to me.

The "weight loss" industries wouldn't be making a billion (or more) dollars a year if it were successful... right?!?!

BUT... "being healthy".. YES it's a lifestyle choice AND can become a habit... IF you want it to.

But dieting, as a popular fad, should never become "second nature" since MOST diets aren't healthy - ie, having full nutrition the body requires over a long period.

So, I'll never "diet for life"...
but i've chosen a healthy lifestyle... FOR ME (disclaimer!) lol

**Saundra** · 05-09-2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by perSue

I dont believe in "dieting".
I refuse to follow any diet that's out there or that anyone recommends to me.

The "weight loss" industries wouldn't be making a billion (or more) dollars a year if it were successful... right?!?!

BUT... "being healthy".. YES it's a lifestyle choice AND can become a habit... IF you want it to.

But dieting, as a popular fad, should never become "second nature" since MOST diets aren't healthy - ie, having full nutrition the body requires over a long period.

So, I'll never "diet for life"...
but i've chosen a healthy lifestyle... FOR ME (disclaimer!) lol

I am totally with you. It's a choice you just have to make for yourself. I know I have bad days here and there but that happens. I've lost almost 25 pounds since October and have learned about everything I have started putting into my body. Knowledge really is power when is comes to food and drinks. Good luck on your journey!

**britbunny** · 05-10-2008, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by perSue

I dont believe in "dieting".
I refuse to follow any diet that's out there or that anyone recommends to me.

The "weight loss" industries wouldn't be making a billion (or more) dollars a year if it were successful... right?!?!

BUT... "being healthy".. YES it's a lifestyle choice AND can become a habit... IF you want it to.

But dieting, as a popular fad, should never become "second nature" since MOST diets aren't healthy - ie, having full nutrition the body requires over a long period.

So, I'll never "diet for life"...
but i've chosen a healthy lifestyle... FOR ME (disclaimer!) lol

I think that's what the OP was saying isn't it? I personally use the word "diet" to describe my way of eating rather than the modern term of "being on a diet". But I agree with you wholeheartedly, it's all about gaining knowledge and being healthy. Not just cutting out certain food groups, looking at eating in terms of "good" and "bad" and going through the trauma of weighing yourself in public on a weekly basis - and paying for the priviledge!