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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 142
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Not me, not this time, not with this kind of inspiration!
I want to thank all of you for being willing to share your experiences and for being so instrumental in changing the behavior of someone like me, who needs to fail repeatedly before I really "get it" and APPLY IT. I enjoyed and admired your determination and your ability to engage in the kind of self-exploration that leads to significant changes, not only for yourselves but for those of us who benefit from your hard work.
This morning I did my daily weigh in (I DARE not weigh more than once a day) and I was up a pound, for no reason, based on my eating and exercise of yesterday. Normally I would probably binge all day as a result (that'll teach the scale!) but today I thought of all that you wrote, I kept in mind what percentage of our bodies is fluid and went about my day ignoring the number. I have you to thank for this. I don't think I've managed to do this more than, perhaps, once or twice before.
Peach, you are such an inspiration, please, do not do a thing to that wonderful brain of yours. Funny you mentioned being fluffy; that's what I call it. When I worked I could make the same outfit "stretch" over a span of 40#. Of course, sometimes I looked like an open umbrella in my skirt but I never walked out of the house without a jacket, as if people couldn't see the difference...I preferred to look silly rather than go up another size or six….
Jenny, I also recognize the "I'll do this when I lose weight" syndrome. It has ruled my life during the last, oh, I don't know how many years, I have been yo-yoing for about 30. I must admit that with most things I still feel that way but I also fear the fact that the more desensitized I become to my own wt. the less motivated I am to do something about it. Like all of you though, it has never crossed my mind that I will not someday, eventually, when I get my act together, DO this already! I am so grateful that I found this lovely group; perhaps it will be the missing "ingredient" that finally gets me going.
Chickadee, your Thanksgiving date caught my attention. I have gained and lost the same ten pounds since then, at least 8 times. I'd had a nice loss in anticipation and have been blowing it ever since. Wonderful philosophy re. fundamental beliefs. I agree that by hanging on to that "direction", if we do what we all know we can, the wt. will take care of itself.
Sooner, you are an inspiration! Takes most people years of therapy to gain the insight to which you've arrived in one night. Although I expect the work is cumulative, I am so grateful that you were willing to share it with us. I also agree with many of the things you wrote but the issue regarding the ability to stay with the right choices regardless of what the scale says rings particularly true for me. In fact, this is often how I get back into "program". I tell myself that I don't care what the scale says, if for even a week I can refrain from bingeing (most often on sugar) I will be happy. I make it quite rarely through an entire week…
Incidentally, you only came across as willing to help and generous with your self-observations. Thank you.
Sherrie, what a brilliant decision, throwing out that blasted instrument of torture. I have taken the battery out of mine repeatedly but, as I said, more addicted to it than to food at this point, even if I only do it daily. The wt. you lost is so spectacular and the achievement of that, alone, is so very motivating. I, only recently, came to accept that food, wt, body size will always be an issue in my life. There was actually a time when I thought, if only I could get to my desired wt. I will be just like a "normal" person in regard to food. Now I know that this is not true for me. I have been 'down there" too many times and ate all the way back to where I started and much higher, to believe that anymore. The scale, however, should not have the same power over my life. Good for you!
Jiffy, how wonderful to have a sister who is a sounding board and an inspiration. Hats off to you for kicking the scale out of your life too. It must be so nice for both of you to see each other achieve what is important to you. I must admit that I envy Peach for not zig-zagging her way to goal. On the other hand, she probably does not zig-zag much in her eating (like I do), so she earns and deserves her linear losses. Very inspiring!
Dottie, you are sooooo right: not gaining is as good as losing, particularly since, as we all know (from experience as well as statistics), loss is easier than maintenance. If it were not so, then billions of pounds lost by all of us each year would STAY lost. I often dreamed of just maintaining instead of losing the same darn 10?40?80# over and over again.
Jenny, you posted while I was writing. Your words may as well have come from my mouth. I will try to follow your example and limit myself to once a week.
Now that I am leaking words, I will say one more thing about the scale, at least as it pertains to my life: had I not been so obsessed all those years ago and not judged the numbers as being unacceptable, so many things (in regard to food and mental health) would have been so different. I've often looked at pictures and (how is this for compulsions?) know what I weighed in each, going back to the age of 14 and I think "there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with me at that wt." I looked fine at 130 and 140 and EVEN 170 and what I would not give now to have left things the way they were instead of "losing" that wt. all the way up to the point to which it is no longer ok and at which anyone who tries to take a picture risks broken kneecaps!
Please forgive the ramblings but you all inspired such introspection.
ST
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) Sooner, I think that Jiff once told me that she learned that it takes six months for your body to adjust to a weight loss, to sort of set it (and the eating behavior) in stone. As to holding your breath...I learned this from the many years of wrestling weigh ins...breath out...less weight! 
