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Author: joan
Date: 12-02-04 07:06
There seems to be a pattern to the way some people are losing weight. I may be wrong but it seems that those of us (not me) that are losing consistantly are, for lack of a better word, obsessed with the task of weight loss.
Maybe "obsessed" is too strong of a word to discribe it. But it seems in order to lose weight we have to spend too much time counting calories, typing on this board and thinking about our eating and exercise plans.
I am not saying that this attitude is wrong, just not normal for the way the average person should live their life. Of course, having this attitude for 6 months or more, losing all of the weight, then returning to a more balanced way of living would be what I think would be best.
I guess what I am saying is that although I spend a lot of time reading what you guys post, and have gained many insights into the weight loss struggle, I don't think this can or should be sustained for years on end.
Don't take this the wrong way but I, myself, spend TOO much time sitting here at the computer reading what you guys write. I appreciate all that is said and have learned so much and continue to learn and gain strength in my own weight loss battle.
Oh well.............................didn't mean to offend anyone. Just wondering if anyone else has the same feeling.
Joan
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Author: Elizabeth Ann
Date: 12-02-04 07:27
Not obsessed... but perhaps very involved? I guess that's another way of saying it, but I completely understand what you mean.
I dunno, the people here who consistantly lose weight DO seem more involved in counting calories, using FitDay, and exercising. All I do is count my calories. I don't lose much weight either. (lol)
It's hard for me to keep up sometimes. While I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week, that just isn't happening. I'm not as dedicated as others, but I still do try. Sometimes when I count my calorie I keep counting and counting and counting... until I got over my limit plus some. : P
I dunno, I think that you're right on track. Maybe not to lose two pound per week, but to lose 2 pounds a month maybe? There's not reason you should drastically cut calories if you don't want to. Like I said before, the slower it comes off, the more likely it will stay that way.
So... keep on trying. Maybe just cut 300 calories a day or forgo a dessert or snack each day so that you don't generally have to count.
Well, I guess that's my take on it. Maybe it helps?
~Elizabeth Ann~
205-195-135
10 lbs lost since 8/20/04
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Author: munch
Date: 12-02-04 07:30
um....counting calories is hardly "obsessive", it's simply just what you have to do to lose weight. i think you're confusing "obsessive" with "focussed". Lee's consistently losing weight, for example, because she's just so focussed and determined, and i for one admire her for that.
you wrote:
"it seems in order to lose weight we have to spend too much time counting calories, typing on this board and thinking about our eating and exercise plans."
you hardly have to spend loads of time counting calories...it's not that difficult to add up. and, what's wrong with typing on this board and sharing our tips with each other? i find it motivating, inspiring and helpful, so er...i can't see that there's too much wrong with that.
"I am not saying that this attitude is wrong, just not normal for the way the average person should live their life. Of course, having this attitude for 6 months or more, losing all of the weight, then returning to a more balanced way of living would be what I think would be best."
well so what, we're not "average" people here, we're people with a goal, and to achieve it we do what we have to do!!!!! and i think a lot of people would think that they are leading a much more balanced way of life than they were when they were overeating and living on fatty greasy foods. i feel that i'm much more healthy and balanced now than i was anyway.
"I guess what I am saying is that although I spend a lot of time reading what you guys post, and have gained many insights into the weight loss struggle, I don't think this can or should be sustained for years on end."
if you don't think this can be sustained then how come so many people on this board have lost loads of weight and kept it off?!! like Don, and BFL Michelle? i'm impressed by the way everyone on this board has a healthy and balanced attitude to weight loss, it's great. and if losing weight in a "healthy" and "balanced" way seems unsustainable to you then i think you're wrong.
i'm sorry but i just feel that some of your posts are very negative.
munch
150-133-119
Post Edited (12-02-04 07:33)
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Author: Don
Date: 12-02-04 07:33
I believe I was very consumed with weight loss during my loss. My wife said I was obsessed. I am less concerned with it now, hence the lower number of posts here. Now my concern is for fitness, instead of just weight loss.
For six months, my main concern was what the scale said. Now that I'm at goal, I still weigh in every day but do not get upset if there are fluctuations. Most of the time, I can tell if I am up or down before I step on the scale.
I just got back from a vacation out west and was very pleased that I only gained a half pound in six days of eating pretty much anything I wanted. Of course, I kept portions in control and I did manage to get in a few runs. See, my obsession is now exercise since I even do it on vacation!
Don
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body, but rather to skid-in-sideways,
totally worn out, shouting... "holy **** what a ride!"
232/166/166
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Author: munch
Date: 12-02-04 07:35
maybe my previous post was too harsh :-( but i worry about you joan...i've read a few posts by you now saying that the way people diet here isn't a viable solution...but it's a great, healthy, balanced way of losing weight! i mean..what else do you suggest?!
i just think that there's no avoiding the issue...DIETING IS TOUGH AND IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT!!
you just can't get away from it i'm afraid.
munch xxx
150-133-119
Post Edited (12-02-04 07:44)
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Author: Doug
Date: 12-02-04 07:36
Losing weight does not just happen. It requires both effort and commitment. You have to think about what you are eating. While some people have genes that make them feel full before they eat too much food most people here do not.
I brush my teeth 3 times a day and floss every night. By third world standards I am obsessed with dental hygiene. It is something I do not enjoy and 15 minutes a day I am would rather be doing something else. But I know the benefits of doing this outweigh the inconvenience and will keep doing this as long as I am alive and have teeth. Watching what I eat and exercising is the same sort of thing.
It sounds like you want to give up, declare weight loss to be impossible and go back to being fat with no guilt. This is not true. Weight loss is possible and watching what I eat takes less time each day than brushing my teeth.
I am pretty obsessed with weight loss myself. But it does not have to be that way. You do not have to count calories to lose weight. If you are not losing weight, eat less. The exact number of calories does not matter as long as you watch your weight and adjust how much you eat to achieve the results you want. This approach only takes a few minutes a day and is how I lost most of my weight.
I also found that for a middle age man losing a lot of weight improved my chances of living a long healthy life but had virtually no other positive effects on my life now. Women face a lot more stigma if they are overweight but in general a lot of people who are only 10 or 15 pounds overweight will find that the health and cosmetic benefits from losing weight are not enough to justify the effort required. For those of us that were severely overweight losing weight is definitely worth the effort just for the health benefits.
Doug 272/164/170
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Author: ErinC
Date: 12-02-04 07:51
well I love this group , and I work on the computer all day!
so between reports, and other junk! I check this group and my horse group!
I have to stay focused this time or I will not behave!
So, for me if I log what I eat , then I watch what I eat. and if I read and post here, it helps me to feel like I am not alone...
I have always had a food problem, and weight!
I would rather be here with you guys, then just once a week check in at WW. that would not work for me!
So call it what you what! But , if it helps, and it works why judge other!
Erin
160/156/???
35 and 5' 3"
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Author: joan
Date: 12-02-04 07:58
I supposse that "obsession" can be inter-changed with a "passion" for something - and exercise can only be a passion with great benifits.
But thanks - You said what I was trying to say. You were "obsessed" with weight loss until you lost what you wanted and now you are not spending as much time thinking about weight loss.
I enjoy this board. I like the people here and what they have to say. I don't like it so much when someone goes into their personal lives too much. Weight loss affects every aspect of our lives but what brought me here in the first place was the "down to earth" advice about losing weight.
Some people have been so off topic that I tend not to read their many, many posts.
But..........................I centainly don't mean to be negative! And as I stated I have gained so much from reading the posts on weight loss - not only helpful tips but emotional support as well.
So............................I only wanted to see how other people felt about what I said. Thanks for your responses.
Joan
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Author: joan
Date: 12-02-04 08:08
Thanks Doug. I did not mean to sound like I was giving up. Just the opposite. I continue to struggle and know that after losing 40 pounds, gaining 10 back, I will NEVER go back to eating mindlessly again!!
And "guilt" is my middle name so there is no chance that I can go back to any stage of my life without feeling guilt about it one way or the other.
Guilty for being fat - guilty for not being strong enought to lose the weight - guilt for what I have missed out on - you get the picture. I am sure it is a common feeling among overweight people.
But I digress.......................thanks for the comments everyone.
Joan
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Author: BFL Michelle
Date: 12-02-04 08:30
I like to think I was just very focused, but others saw me as obsessive. I'm not so much now, but I still count calories because I'm not one of those people that can just estimate correctly. I also can eat even when I'm not hungry or when I'm already full.
139/104/104 - 5'1
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Author: LeeV
Date: 12-02-04 08:31
I spent too many years pelting my body with complete and utter crap and not caring that I was slowly killing myself. I mean that literally. My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I had chest pains that would wake me up out of a sound sleep at night, etc. By becoming "obsessed" (honestly for lack of a better word) I've dropped 45 pounds, have lowered both my blood pressure and my cholesterol, and my chest pains are completely gone. Had I not become obsessed with what I'm doing - the counting, the weighing (not only of food but of myself as well), the choosing of more healthier foods and watching everything I put into my body, and yes, even coming to this board, I honestly doubt I would have made it 5 more years. I kid you not, I spent hours one night on my computer compiling a list of everything important to my husband (where to find important documents, what to do with this and that) in the event of my demise. Especially when I started getting chest pains, I thought - no, I KNEW - I was a goner. It's just something I felt, that I wouldn't be around much longer.
I don't feel that anymore. And my obsessiveness with my lifestyle is the reason for that, and so is this board and the people on it. You have NO idea how much this place has helped me. I don't have anyone else to talk to about all of this and it's nice to be able to give someone in need some good advice (whether they take it or not) and to hear "way to go!" when I lose one measely pound. I don't sit here hour after hour reading and responding to posts, I have a life that keeps me busy. But whenever I have a few extra minutes to myself, this is the first place I come to when I sit down to my computer. This is my support group.
I don't see anything wrong or odd about it at all. I NEED this. Many of us do. We all have our opinions and I deeply respect yours as well as everyone elses. But I think I NEED to be "obsessive" right now to get myself down to a healthy weight. Because this isn't just about being thin to me, it's getting myself healthy. Then, once I reach goal, I'm sure I can relax a little. It's like having a deadline at the office - you work your ass off to get the project done and once it's done you can sit back and relax and look at the finished product and be proud of your accomplishment.
THAT'S what I'm looking forward to. And if I have to be obsessive to get there, after years of not caring about myself, I'll do it. Even my husband (and heck, even a couple of people on this board), who is usually very supportive, said to me one day, "You're obsessed." At first it kind of hurt. Then I said, "You know what? You're right, I AM obsessed and I'm damn proud of that."
I LIKE myself this way. I like that I finally give a hoot about myself. And it's not just for me, it's also for my son. I want to be able to do things with him and be there for him and stick around long enough to watch him grow up.
So yep, I'm obsessed. And I like it :)
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: LeeV
Date: 12-02-04 08:35
Hon, I've spent my whole life feeling guilt, so I know what you're saying. But I don't feel that guilt anymore and like Doug so VERY well put it, the benefits outweight the inconvenience - by far.
It's not just the benefit of LOOKING better, but the benefit of FEELING better. I honestly forgot what it felt like to feel normal. I remember saying to myself, "You know, I'd give anything to feel good for just ONE DAY."
And now I do :)
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: LeeV
Date: 12-02-04 08:38
Yes, and that's the goal we're all trying to make.
For Joan, I'm personally glad Michelle still visits on occasion. She said one time that she couldn't really offer this board anymore support because she's already done what we're all in the process of doing. But her presence and words of wisdom give us inspiration that it CAN be done and that we won't have to kill ourselves forever.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: BFL Michelle
Date: 12-02-04 09:22
I visit all the time...
You know what happens if you leave the board...you gain it all back!
lol
This board was so supportative for me. I only hope I can give back some of it.
139/104/104 - 5'1
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Author: yockmoma
Date: 12-02-04 10:13
It takes years to learn unhealthy patterns of eating and years to view oversized portions as average. We are all creatures of habit and will return to old habits unless we permanently replace them with new habits. What some people call obsessiveness is, in my view, building new and healthier habits. Hopefully the new habits will be for life!
Sue
198/171/ and still counting backwards
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Author: LeeV
Date: 12-02-04 11:46
lol, I'll remember not to leave then ;)
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: Elizabeth Ann
Date: 12-03-04 00:16
Boy did I come into the conversation late!
Well, I kinda feel the way you do sometimes. I feel like it's too much work to count calories and exercise and I wonder if I'll have to do it forever (cause I don't want to.)
I TRY to keep on task and count my calories. I'm still not getting along with exercise.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way.
By the way, you're right, we've gotten off topic a lot (I'm guilty.) I have really liked that you've made some posts to get us all focused again. Hehe, I'm bad at focusing on my own... you'll have to keep on giving us such great things to think about.
~Elizabeth Ann~
205-195-135
10 lbs lost since 8/20/04
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Author: Otta-no-better
Date: 12-03-04 16:26
I haven't read everyone's answers yet, I'm just jumping on this one line you wrote.
"just not normal for the way the average person should live their life"
But the average person is overweight, sick, tired, developing diabetes and heart disease. Do we really want to live our lives like "average persons"?
Susan lost 40 lbs in 17 months
At goal, under 124 lbs since Sept. 10/04
Eat your protein, muscle is key
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Author: Otta-no-better
Date: 12-03-04 16:30
It's going to be called ..... "If You're Going To Be Obsessed About Anything ....."
Why wouldn't we be single minded about living longer with full capacity to run and play and enjoy our grandchildren and great grandchildren?
Susan lost 40 lbs in 17 months
At goal, under 124 lbs since Sept. 10/04
Eat your protein, muscle is key
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