Years of yo yo dieting and living as an obese person has really done a number on my head....

I know I'm living well, I'm active, I eat clean, I don't eat too little or too much, but some days my head just whispers "eat less, eat less".

When I started working out, the training staff recommended a very high amount of calories for me (I started at 320 and they recommended 2800). I was coming in eating 1000 calories and not losing weight, so they wanted to "repair" my metabolism. (I researched this and found it to be the same advice many endocrinologists would advise.) THen we began to pull back the calories and play with the fat/protein/carb %s. I now eat 1700-2100 30-40%fat, 25-40% protein and <25% carb.

But when weight loss is slow or I'm impatient, the whispering starts. (FYI, I average 7-8 lbs/month since we found the right levels for me.) Or when I'm watching The Biggest Loser and hear they put the women no 1200 calories.

I've of course learned that the biggest cause of weight regain is not just that a person goes back to bad habits, but that the reduced calories train the metabolism to work against them so that their weight loss efforts become what it takes to maintain their weight and who can live like that...or wants to. I don't want to live on 1200 calories. I'd be happy to be active and eating 1800 calories.

I don't want to yo yo anymore and I accept that this could be a slow process for me, maybe 50-60 lbs per year (and I still have 130 lbs to go). And I know slow loss tends to be real loss that stays off.

I know I'm doing right--I am so active (1-2 hours day), strong as a bull, fit as a fiddle, eat well, but the whisper still comes. I hate that whisper.

I sometimes wonder though if it's telling me what I should do, and it's right??? It's like the voice of the devil, deliberately deceiving....

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the whisper, as well as on my program....Gotta run, off to you know where....

Let me ask you, you've been listening to the whisper up until this trainer you're working with, right, or is this new? Point being, I think we all have a whisperer and she doesn't have a real good track record. And I'm also guessing your trainer is not letting you slack on your wl where you're at, but is constantly challenging you to work harder and lift more, so you're still BUILDING muscle, not just maintaining, right? So you've got both a fat loss and muscle gain thing going on at the same time, which needs lots of fuel. I am not the expert, but I will say I had success on what you're doing (minus the starch part, I didn't try that). Sometimes, seriously, you need to cut your head off and put it on the closet shelf for like 3 months. Just mentally check out, do what you're told, and come back in 3 months and reattach your head to your body.

I seriously realized at some point that if you wait around for the motivation to arrive, you will keep sitting around. At first, you have to just DO IT and start, and the excitement sometimes doesn't show up til much later, right? I think this may be the same thing. Go in like it's your job (menial type though). Don't think, just do what you're told, put yourself in the experts' hands, put the whisperer on the high shelf in your closet. Sounds like a few of them (more than your main guy) are watching your progress and likely discussing your plan among themselves when you're not there. Sounds like a group effort and I'm sure they are covering all bases.

The only exception I would add to this is that if it feels unnatural and like you are stuffing your face to get your calories in, or making up for lost cals you didn't get in at nite, it might be too much.

The voice comes from years and years of programming from a society that, for the most part, has no clue on how to lose weight successfully.

As you continue to stick with and reinforce the plan that your trainers have put you on, the positive reinforcement will silence or change those whispers. I know the whispers of doubt can be hard some times but just continue to have faith in yourself and your trainers and you'll get through it. Getting on the right path is the hardest part, so you've already been through the tough part.

Sportmom, you are so on target. The whisper never worked before, but my behavior now does....

And yes, Depalma, society is that whisper. Every diet program commercial, every cocktail party conversation, everything revolves around "eat less, eat less" and I have a hard time ignoring it.

JerseyGirl - Your whispers are more screams in my head. I still struggle every day with this. When I splurge, as I tend to do on occasion, the only way I can feel better is to "punish" myself. Good idea? No, but I still have trouble shaking that feeling. One day overeating plus one day starving balances out right? If I meet with a "health professional" I tell them that I'm sure I don't eat enough. And I don't mean this in a "poor me, I only eat like a bird and can't lose weight" sort of way. It's not bragging, it's sad. I workout so that I can be healthy and stronger, look and feel better AND hopefully, eat more.

I count calories or points from my WW days and I'm fairly certain that many days I don't go over 1200 calories. Okay, so I've maintained my weight for a couple of years but at what cost? I want to lose a bit more and I can't eat any less. I'm still trying to change these bad habits...slowly.

You're not alone...I'm a head case too!

Ugh, no kidding Elisa. And I can't count the number of times I've seen people stay WITHIN THEIR POINTS and feeling GOOD for eating crap like muffins, chips, and other junk food but waving their points victory to everyone. I was always like, hello, none of what you're eating is really FOOD or FUEL. It's so possible to eat like crap and be on WW that it's not funny. No it's not recommended by WW (at least not highly, but they realize it), but like with other programs, people figure out ways to cheat the system.

First thing my trainer said to me--diets don't work. That was about the whole low calorie causes yo yo business.

Second thing he said was--you have to fuel your workouts.

One time I was getting a protein shake and a woman commented to me "does your trainer know you're getting that" (nosy biatch). Well, he was right there and said, as hard as she works out, she can afford it.

It's all about the fuel. I'd rather eat and fuel and achieve fitness than achieve a # goal by not eating.

But the voice--I just wish it would shut the heck up!

Ha, your voice must be the cousin of the nosey b!tch at the gym! lol Can't believe that. Plus, anyone who knows a protein shake knows it's not like an Orange Julius from the mall or anything!!! sheesh