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Old 08-10-2010, 09:29 AM   #1  
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Default Eliana's one year plan

Eliana, I read about your idea to go a year on plan, and not look at that scale, except occasionally at the doc's office. While I do depend on my scale, I LOVE your plan. As my weight loss has been very slow, (16 pounds since last December) I have come to the realization that I am making permanent changes, that this way of eating will be my life. (LIke Jersey Girl, I plan to stay on Atkins, on the higher rungs of the carb ladder as time goes on).

It makes me think about a year long commitment, and other one year plans.
Virtually every grief counsellor I know suggests that after being widowed or divorced, you take a year before starting new relationships. A year of anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, getting used to being single again, before you start coupling up.

For us, this makes sense too. If we are changing our way-of-eating to something healthy and sustainable, planning to go through a whole year of ups and downs, seasonal changes, holidays, birthdays etc. is a great plan to teach us to handle each of these things and occasions in a healthy sustainable way.

I am currently on Summer holidays, and up here in cottage country we have a great restaurant that makes the best blueberry pie I have ever had. SO, I decided that while we are here, we would have one supper out, and I would have one piece of pie. Just one, didn't bring the pie home. Yes, I can enjoy a slice of pie once a year. I don't have to go eery day for more. I don't have to have ice cream every day just because I'm on holiday. ANyhow, that was my plan. So far, its working. I had a bump of carbs that day, but have been following plan the rest of the time, and not really having problems with it.

thanks for the suggestion Eliana. BTW, how long has it been for you, and how are you doing with your plan?
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Old 08-12-2010, 09:10 AM   #2  
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It funny that no one replied to this post, but I see it mentioned in other posts. Eliana, could you respond and tell us more? How its going, what your are doing, how you are doing with the ups and downs as they come at you this year? I am quite inspired by your idea. (ok I'm flogging it!)
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Old 08-12-2010, 09:28 AM   #3  
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I did not see this post! I'm glad you refreshed it! (Sometimes I think my kids happen across an open window on the computer or something happens where my "new posts" aren't quite right and I end up missing things)

I love thinking of this as "The One Year Diet". That's a great name.

My plan is really very simple. It started after ten years of failed dieting attempts. This time I knew I had to figure out what about all those other attempts made me fail? The answer was the scale. I had a bad relationship with it. My mood and my success revolved around it. I expected it to directly match the effort I put in and when it did not, I thought I was broken, so why bother?

Then I found 3FC and the first day I was here I read the following quote in someone's signature. "One year from now you'll be happy you started today."

At that moment I really wanted to see where I'd be if for one year I stayed on plan no matter what. If I could let go of the infinite timeline in my head of how long the process should take, how far could I get? If I could let go of how much weight I thought I should lose in that time frame, how far could I get? And suddenly the scale lost all its power. It didn't matter if I gained a pound, I was on plan for a year. It didn't matter if Thanksgiving popped up, I was on plan. I could get through one Thanksgiving meal. Bad pictures, bad days, bad shopping experiences, one off plan muffin...none of it mattered. I made a commitment that I was not going to quit for one entire year.

The plan itself is simple. I eat mostly whole foods including as little processed foods in my diet as possible. I eat a lot of chicken, vegetables and fruit. I also eat six mini meals a day of equal calorie value. I exercise quite a bit but discovered that exercise is more about toning than weight loss. Exercise does allow me to eat a bit more and also requires me to eat more. When I exercise I become lethargic if I don't fuel my body.

That is it in a nutshell.

Madeleine, I love the concept of getting through every holiday and event for one year. If we can do it all once we can do it all again.

I've had people question my one year concept because of course this is a lifestyle change. But just as facing a huge loss, like 100 pounds, is overwhelming, I found the term "lifestyle change" overwhelming. I couldn't face an infinite number of years on a "diet". But I knew, and I was right, that if I could dedicate a year to this I'd develop some healthy habits along the way...healthy habits I would NOT give up now for the world.

I am nine months into my year now! I feel amazing with a 65 pound loss. I have reached a point where I feel like I'm on automatic pilot and this is pretty easy. I feel "normal" instead of fat; I have lots of energy; I reach fitness goals I never thought I would. I thought I would only feel successful once I reached goal but I found that's not true. I feel successful even right now sitting on a one month stall.

Last edited by Eliana; 08-12-2010 at 02:07 PM.
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Old 08-12-2010, 10:15 AM   #4  
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Eliana, I think your one year commitment is great. I have no doubt that you will want to continue your healthy habits. I am looking forward to hearing about your plan for the 2nd year!
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Old 08-12-2010, 10:38 AM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by time2lose View Post
Eliana, I think your one year commitment is great. I have no doubt that you will want to continue your healthy habits. I am looking forward to hearing about your plan for the 2nd year!
It won't change, I can tell you that!
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Old 08-12-2010, 10:39 AM   #6  
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That is a really wonderful way to look at it, and it totally makes sense to me. I do it when I work out (Ugh, I have 20 more minutes to go... Heck, I can get through 20 more minutes! That's nothing in the grand scheme of things!), so it totally makes sense to applying it to the whole plan -- better eating, better fitness, better hydration..
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Old 08-12-2010, 01:56 PM   #7  
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ok Eliana, I am in. I will start my "official" year at the start of the school year here, after labour day. By then I will have complete two weeks of induction (re doing atkins induction) and start going up the carb ladder slowly. While I have come to think of it as a permanent thing, a "lifestyle" change if you will, I like the idea of journalling it for a year. (don't worry, I will maintain what I am doing before my year starts)
After 10 days of being at the cottage, I go home tomorrow night and will weigh for the first time in a while on Saturday am. I will try to weigh no more than weekly, but will aim for monthly. Let the scale lose its power.
Sticking to the healthy plan is more important than the scale.
I'm with you woman!
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