[SunnyP]

Okay, so I've slipped. But not in the usual way. It started out with good intentions and now 8 days into it I am confessing in hopes that doing so will get me back on track

I've lost about 50 pounds since February. It took a long time compared to the previous times when I've been able to lose 40-50 pounds in 3 or 4 months. I ate healthy. I worked out a LOT. I put on lean body mass. I was doing it right, and I was feeling like I finally was doing it right for the last time.

Last week we had company, mutual friends of my house mate's and mine. One of these friends talked with my house mate, and she said she was getting "tired of all the vegetables" that I was cooking (LOL) and she was missing the structure we had when we went to Physicians' Weight Loss center for 3 weeks back in March. Then I unexpectedly had to go up North for the summer, and she fell off the wagon, and I was doing my "the right way" thing up there, and she expressed to my friend that she'd like to go back to PWLC.

So my decision to go back was primarily to support her, and help her get started on her own weight loss journey. She has about 175 to loose, so it's a serious matter of health combined with the other health issues she has (arthritis, COPD, etc.) I felt like this was a good reason. I figured that I would add some extra protein bars or cereal or whatever, to have the energy to continue my workouts.

PWLC gives you 800 cals the first 4 days. 900 cals the next 4 days and then 1000 cals thereafter. I KNOW THIS IS NOT ENOUGH even if you're not working out I know this.

But old habits die hard. And delaying of instant gratification is not one of my strong suits.

I've posted here before (as many of us have) about the frustrations of doing everything right, and losing only 1-2 pounds a month. Or none. So when I did 2 days of PWLC with her, and lost another 1.6 pounds on top of the 1.1 pounds I'd lost after last weekend's "food holiday"...

For 8 days the temptation has been hard to resist. I've slacked off on my workouts - BIG TIME, because 800 calories a day is not even enough to breathe nevermind lift weights and kickbox and plyometrics. I realize the movement on the scale is almost surely water weight. Or Goddess Forbid - lean body mass. The part of my brain that is making these bad decisions right now doesn't care about such technicalities. It just wants the scale number to go down. And fast.

I know I need to get back on track. I know that eating less calories will slow my metabolism. I know that trading a healthy weight loss plan for quick weight loss is HORRIBLY stupid.

I've posted these things to other people looking for quick solutions. Forgive me I'll go back and read what I've already written, to save anyone else the time for reminding me again what a poor choice this is.

I WILL get back on track. I will tell the voice in my head that's saying "Just do this until you get to 155 and then you can go back to the other way" to shut up and let me do my healthy thing

I just needed to confess to someone who would understand.

Thanks for reading

[Mom2QJandT]

One of my favorite quotes that I have seen on here is "You diet to look good in clothes. You exercise to look good naked". You have to put you first and do what works for you. You can do it!

[shcirerf]

I totally understand your post.

Scary, huh?!

I think a lot of has to do with being female and being raised to "be nice!"

I am fully convinced that being "nice" is over rated.

It does not mean that we can't be empathetic, (not sympathetic), understanding, or helpful, but somewhere, we need to draw the line in the sand and do what is best for us!

For some reason, saying "NO" is just so d**n hard. And is shouldn't be.

No does not mean I don't care, or I don't love you, it just means, what you want me to do for you is not good for me at this time and I will not be sucked into your issues.

The not nice side of me rears it's head every now and again. I had one person tell me I was a cold, hard hearted b***h, just because I would not let their problem affect me. Oh well. I did what I needed to do for me, told them to you know what or get off the pot, because I was tired of the drama.

Amazingly, that person finally made some choices and is still my friend and my husband.

[Mikayla]

Can you explain how one survives on 1000 calories a day? I feel like I can barely get by on 1500 calories. Even if i could lose weight really fast this way, I'm not sure I could ever stick to it for more than it week. How is anyone expected to stick with that?

[SunnyP]

Originally Posted by shcirerf

I totally understand your post.

Scary, huh?!

I think a lot of has to do with being female and being raised to "be nice!"

I am fully convinced that being "nice" is over rated.

It does not mean that we can't be empathetic, (not sympathetic), understanding, or helpful, but somewhere, we need to draw the line in the sand and do what is best for us!

For some reason, saying "NO" is just so d**n hard. And is shouldn't be.

No does not mean I don't care, or I don't love you, it just means, what you want me to do for you is not good for me at this time and I will not be sucked into your issues.

Wow, I didn't even think of it in that way. But you're onto something. For 7 months I completely resisted the urge to starve myself skinny and it was only a perceived obligation to be nice and supportive that tipped me over to the dark (and hungry!) side.

Thank you for responding. That's really interesting and something I hadn't even realized.

And good for you - for having the patience to hang around until your husband came around to seeing that cold hearted *****iness is where it's at (when it needs to be that way - and sometimes it does! )

[SunnyP]

Originally Posted by Mikayla

Can you explain how one survives on 1000 calories a day? I feel like I can barely get by on 1500 calories. Even if i could lose weight really fast this way, I'm not sure I could ever stick to it for more than it week. How is anyone expected to stick with that?

LOL Well personally, this "one" cannot survive on that low an amount of calories. If I could lay in bed or sit on the couch and watch tv all day, I could. But not if I want to do the physical activities that I've been doing on my quest for true health.

But I don't know how actual physicians can put their name behind an 800 calorie diet - especially for someone like me at 5'7" and 165 pounds and just .8 into the "overweight" BMI = 6 more pounds and I'll be "normal weight". They welcomed me in with the same enthusiasm they did my friend at 360 pounds. And gave us the same exact diet plan, and same amount of calories.

My own issues aside - that's kind of irresponsible.

[juliastl27]

fast weight loss is such a lure. my sister has dropped TONS of weight with aid of diet pills, laxatives, and other terrible methods. even though i know it isnt healthy, and that she'll probably gain it all back (shes a yoyo dieter big time) i still get jealous and want to listen when she encourages me to use those methods. its been really hard for me to drown her voice out and think to myself, "NO! im doing it the right way this time!"

you can be supportive and loving toward your friend without sacrificing your health and giving up your plans.

good for you for realizing the effects of this sort of weight loss and turning back around!

[SunnyP]

Originally Posted by juliastl27

fast weight loss is such a lure. my sister has dropped TONS of weight with aid of diet pills, laxatives, and other terrible methods. even though i know it isnt healthy, and that she'll probably gain it all back (shes a yoyo dieter big time) i still get jealous and want to listen when she encourages me to use those methods. its been really hard for me to drown her voice out and think to myself, "NO! im doing it the right way this time!"

you can be supportive and loving toward your friend without sacrificing your health and giving up your plans.

good for you for realizing the effects of this sort of weight loss and turning back around!

I love reading your posts - you're so smart and brave Good for you for resisting the easy way (wrong way).

And if it makes you feel any better....the STUPIDEST part of the whole thing is...

I've gone from 1800 calories a day to 800-1000

And...after starting the PWLC diet last Tuesday, and losing 2.3 pounds between the Friday before and Thursday morning (and eating 2500+ cals a day last Saturday and Sunday on the food holiday...)

I weighed the same darn thing this morning as I did last Thursday! LOL

If that's not an argument for doing things the right way I don't know what is

Thanks again for listening everyone, your support really does help.

[juliastl27]

Originally Posted by SunnyP

I love reading your posts - you're so smart and brave

oh my gosh thank you so much for the kind words. you just made my day.