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Old 02-20-2010, 11:06 AM   #1  
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Default Drastic Change of Plan

Many of you know I have been at this current weight loss effort continuously for two and a half years now. And many cheered me on when I dropped 64 pounds in the first 10 months. I did that pretty much by changing from eating huge amounts of sugary and fried junk foods to more of a veggie based way of eating with moderate amounts of other things. And I cut my binges (which were in the range of 5000+ calories each) down from several times a week to about twice a month. I am still working on eliminating them altogether, but when they do happen anymore they are usually under 2000 calories and quite rare.

Anyway, I have counted calories for most of this time. There was a solid year there where on almost any given day I could look at sparkpeople and tell you exactly how many calories i had each day. But I'd hit some kind of... I dunno, mental or emotional wall. I spent a year and a half going from 225 to 235 up and down, up and down, over and over.

I know how to eat healthy, I know how to cook and shop, I exercise. I know I CAN break through this. I am planning to switch things up significantly.

My question is: have any of you ever had a rough time like this and then changed to a new 'plan' or way of losing weight and seen good results? I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

Last edited by Lyn2007; 02-20-2010 at 11:07 AM.
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Old 02-20-2010, 11:13 AM   #2  
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I have never lost as much weight as you have...with me it has always been the same 35 lbs over and over. It sounds like you are already doing all the right things. What do you think you could improve on ?
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Old 02-20-2010, 11:20 AM   #3  
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I have never lost as much weight as you have either, but now is most definitely the time. I had a D and C yesterday and for the first time ever the anesthesiologist didn't believe I didn't have high blood sugar (from looking at me I guess) so he took blood before knocking me out. He said it was normal, but when I look at the charts it was slightly over 100, which screams prediabetes to me. I'm done screwing around. I have been fooling myself for quite awhile that exercise is enough, and it IS helping, but I know I'm eating too much. I'm cutting out snacks entirely, why do we need to eat all day long. I know it works for many of you in here, but for me I do not want to be thinking about food all day. I can't eat a little portion of snack.

Having said all that, I think the prepackaged meals where you can just eat and not think so much might be a nice change for you. I know for myself personally all the planning makes me want to eat more. I just want to try and think of food as fuel, Lord knows I've eaten for pleasure for decades, and see where that got me. I'm 55, not a child, why do I have to satisfy every urge, it's nuts.

LOL Lyn, sorry for getting derailed and making this about me. I love your blog and read it every day. Good luck.
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Old 02-20-2010, 11:58 AM   #4  
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I don't have any insights into changing up plans midway because I have never lost any significant amount of weight in the past. All my other previous weight loss attempts were 1/2 hearted. Well I'm not sure if that's true. Well yes I am. It was *this time* that I was very methodical and and really, really looked at my (numerous) downfalls and looked for ways AROUND them. For instance - I had no turn off valve, my intuition knob is out of whack - so I KNEW that I needed some kind of turn off switch - calorie counting was my solution. It's built in accountability and built in portion control. I gave myself a budget. Other things that I knew MUST be changed in order for this to work - after trying the everything in moderation route dozens of times - I finally realized and accepted that there were just certain foods that once I started eating them - stopping them was next to impossible (till it was all gone that is) - my solution - DON'T START EATING THEM. I also knew that being hungry was not an option - my solution - eat frequently. I also recognized that I need/want/like VOLUME - my solution - veggies. I can eat enormous portions of them.

For every *problem* there IS a *solution*, a way out. Absolutely. Look at is a challenge. Recognize your problem areas and devise a way around them. Find that solution. Banish it from your life.

So, can I ask you - what do you think you will need to change in order for this to *work* better? What are you having the most difficulty with? Where do you get *messed up* the most? Is it the planning ahead of time? Is it that you often find yourself hungry? Are you not enjoying the foods that you eat? Do you give into temptation easily?

What are plan are you looking towards? What are you willing to change? What do you think you will be more likely to stick with and will be WILLING to stick with?? That is really the key - the willingness. You give up certain things in order to get back something BETTER.

Though I personally have never changed plans midway, I do know of others who successfully have. And though I never all together changed my plan, I do tweak here and there.

There is something out there for you. Keep looking, don't ever stop. It is beyond belief worth it. Because, nothing, absolutely NOTHING tastes as good as being thin feels.
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:04 PM   #5  
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Paula~ thanks It is tough sometimes. You know I am rooting you on!

marigrace~ well, I think really I am eating very healthy, normal portions, good foods MOST of the time. Like, 90%. And when I stay in my calorie range and exercise I drop weight. I am not sure why I have stalled for a year and a half. I have really improved my life and my pantry. I used to eat fast food (McD) several times a week and I actually dod something I never thought I'd do... I swore off fast food about 5 months ago and have not had one bite since. That is huge for me.

Seems like whenever I get close to breaking through the 220s I start mindlessly shoveling food in my mouth for a couple of days until I regain 10 pounds (which happens FAST). I have tried to explore my fears or mental reasons why I do this but haven't been able to get past it. In fact a couple weeks ago when I got down to 225 and then ate a lot of donuts. A lot of people who read my blog have tried to analyze this, tell me to just get over it and lose the weight, etc... but as you can see I have been working at this a long time and it is not as simple as it seems. I just figure I need to try something new because I dont want to sit at this weight for another 2 years.
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:13 PM   #6  
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Lyn I was and am the say way. My only goal was to get under 200, it took me forever to get to the 2-teens (under 220) then once again it took me almost 9 months to get under 210 because as soon as I hit 209, BAM back up to 215, I personally think its a mental thing, I am still trying to figure it out because it drives me crazy. I then finally got under 200 (I also started my journey in Jan 2006...) and kept going going going and got to 194 in a month...and BAM I'm back up to 199...still in onderland but WTF? Why and How? I exercise 6 days a week (kickboxing,cardio,etc) and walk on the my "day off" and I changed my diet from Low carb/high protien to high carb/low protien, to following the belly fat cure/ The Zone and nothing is working, I have been stuck between 195-197 now for 6 weeks... I am out of options,I hope you can conquer this... if anything be proud that you are maintaining! and don't give up!!
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:16 PM   #7  
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Originally Posted by rockinrobin View Post
So, can I ask you - what do you think you will need to change in order for this to *work* better? What are you having the most difficulty with? Where do you get *messed up* the most? Is it the planning ahead of time? Is it that you often find yourself hungry? Are you not enjoying the foods that you eat? Do you give into temptation easily?

What are plan are you looking towards? What are you willing to change? What do you think you will be more likely to stick with and will be WILLING to stick with?? That is really the key - the willingness. You give up certain things in order to get back something BETTER.
Robin~ thanks so much. You have been so helpful to me for SO long. You and Glory and others Because of you guys I based my eating around large volumes of vegetables, tried lots of new things, and quit trying to have "just one cookie" (well, except for at Christmas, but I learned my lesson). And I think the lifestyle I have now is a great maintenance lifestyle. I have kept off 50 pounds for almost 2 years. But it's the weird, insane days when I just STOP and go eat a bunch of crap that is messing me up.

I do LOVE the way I eat now. Yummy pumpkin flax oatmeal with walnuts, baked squash, roasted veggies, love it! I know I can eat that way for the rest of my life. It keeps me full and satisfied. And I enjoy my exercise. I do need to be more consistent with THAT... I keep having problems with my knees and feet that mess me up. And everyone tells me to go swim but there is just no pool. No YMCA, no high school with a pool, nada. In the summer yes I can swim. Not now. So I bike and walk which I love, when I am not injured. I lift weights 2-3x a week.

I had a lot of success with South Beach type eating a long time ago and I try to eat mostly that way now. I am looking at doing a meal replacement, low carb high protein plan (I have not yet announced this formally on my blog but I do plan to try this for a month and see if it gets me anywhere). It isn't just shakes, there's no pills or any diet drugs. Just meal replacements and 5-7 oz lean meat and 3c green veggies per day. The thing I think it will do for me? Give me a break from obsessing about food and calories... give me a strictly predetermined meal plan, get me off sugar, and maybe... MAYBE it will force whatever the REAL mental issues are to the surface.
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:21 PM   #8  
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p.s... I also hope that IF this plan helps me break past that ridiculous 225 pound, 18 month stall, I will a) figure out what my issue is with getting under 214 or 200 or whatever... and b) will take ten or twenty pounds off my knees and feet so that I CAN exercise more without hurting myself with so much weight on the joints. The orthopedic surgeon says that I HAVE to get this weight off ASAP if I want to save my knees (as in, total knee replacements). So that's the other thing...
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:23 PM   #9  
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JennyG~ you have done so well!! Even though it takes some of us years to get the weight off, it is so worth it. And I am pretty sure once we get to goal there isn't going to be a chance in **** of a massive regain! The new way of living is just so ingrained. Thanks for your support... we WILL figure it out!
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Old 02-20-2010, 12:46 PM   #10  
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yes, I think you can do it too. I'm just starting a new job, so I'm having to get back into a good eating/exercise routine again (I maintained over the last month or so). I haven't always lost a lot of lbs each year, but I can see a definite and significant difference each year in how I approach eating, food and exercise. that feels pretty good to me. of course, my goal is to get my weight down, and I get frustrated with myself that I don't feel like I take enough control of my eating to see better losses consistently. that said, I don't get too down on myself either, sometimes other things in life take up my thought processes and energy, as important as I think the weight loss is.

I think I have ambivalent feelings about losing the weight too, and that's holding me up. plus, I eat for comfort and haven't been able to get a complete handle on that.

I think there's a part of me that tells myself I can't do it (do you think you experience that too?). I'm getting closer and closer to feeling like that's poppycock (forgive the strong language) and I'm ready to get to work again on getting the lbs off.

it's not easy, it takes a lot of concentration and effort and persistence. some people have extra challenges. in my experience, it's not necessarily a need for me to switch things up drastically. I know basically what I need to do foodwise and exercise wise, it's more a matter of sticking to what I need to do. if I'm really unhappy with some aspect of it, to change that. sometimes the habit closet just needs to be swept out (I let old bad habits creep back in, or get into eating extra calories as a routine and need to break it).

hope my feedback helps in some way!

*I just read your new posts, which I hadn't before I wrote my post (doing multiple computer things at once). You might want to try writing a letter to your fat/fat self, think about what the weight has done for you, protect you, shelter you, insulate you, make you feel safe (not my original idea). It could help you figure out what's so scary about dropping the lbs and ease your mind. I can definitely relate.

Last edited by dragonwoman64; 02-20-2010 at 12:55 PM.
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:00 PM   #11  
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I think there's a part of me that tells myself I can't do it (do you think you experience that too?).
Oh sure, I do! It's very strange though. I usually feel very confident and just sure I will reach my goal, but 'goal' is more of an abstract idea in my head. When I start to see in it REAL LIFE, on my body, on the scale, in the mirror... I actually do start to freak out a little. I LOVED weighing 214. I felt normal for the first time in ages. But I am 40 years old, I have been very obese for a very long time (over a decade) and part of me felt like 'going back' to that thinner weight (under 200) was like 'going back' to the last time in my life when I weighed that, which was a very bad time for me.

I have even figured out that part of me is afraid that when I get to goal someone will hurt me. I had some abuse experiences in my first marriage. My husband would pin me down and not let me up. He dragged me by the hair. He threw me around. He flipped me over and mopped the floor with my hair once. I weighed 140 pounds. Part of me is still afraid of that. No one is going to flip a 278 pound woman over and mop the floor with her hair.

I do have an action plan for the fear... strength training, taking some self defense classes when my knees permit it, and just BELIEVING in me and being confident that I can handle myself. And getting a big dog

Wow, well that went kind of off track. It's complicated... isn't it? But yes, I KNOW I can reach my goal, but more than not really believing it, there's that fear. Or getting thinner seems so surreal that it freaks me out when it starts to happen.

**ETA: I just read your last post edit, lol. We are on the same wavelength... just posting at the same time

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Old 02-20-2010, 01:15 PM   #12  
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Okay Lyn. I'll tell you something. I NEEDED a "break" from food... from life. I needed it in the worst way. I lost and gained the same 10 pounds for almost a month and a half. so I did a three day fruit and veggie feast. NOTHING BUT friends and veggies for three days. In reasonable quantities. If I was hungry I ate. I never felt hunger for those three days. It BUSTED my plateau... big time. It energized me. It boosted me to try even harder.

If you need to take a month and do something radically different in order to shake things up? I say freaking do it! I'll be here and support you every single step of the way. *hugs*
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:20 PM   #13  
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If you need to take a month and do something radically different in order to shake things up? I say freaking do it! I'll be here and support you every single step of the way. *hugs*
Thank you so much I have totally been watching you 'marching into wonderland' and will be here clapping when you get there!
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:21 PM   #14  
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No, that wasn't off track. Those are very strong feelings that need to get sorted out. You put this weight on in part, or directly as a form of protection.
I think that your wanting to make a "drastic" change is a signal that you are indeed preparing to take that weight off and are ready for healing. Ordinarily I wouldn't feel that meal replacements would be of advantage, but as you say you have already learned what good nutrition is, I don't see the harm in giving yourself a change for a while.
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:23 PM   #15  
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I have even figured out that part of me is afraid that when I get to goal someone will hurt me. I had some abuse experiences in my first marriage. My husband would pin me down and not let me up. He dragged me by the hair. He threw me around. He flipped me over and mopped the floor with my hair once. I weighed 140 pounds. Part of me is still afraid of that. No one is going to flip a 278 pound woman over and mop the floor with her hair.

I do have an action plan for the fear... strength training, taking some self defense classes when my knees permit it, and just BELIEVING in me and being confident that I can handle myself. And getting a big dog

Wow, well that went kind of off track. It's complicated... isn't it? But yes, I KNOW I can reach my goal, but more than not really believing it, there's that fear. Or getting thinner seems so surreal that it freaks me out when it starts to happen.

**ETA: I just read your last post edit, lol. We are on the same wavelength... just posting at the same time

I love this site bec there's just so much back and forth feedback with all kinds of aspects of this. I think mine is more of an emotional vulnerability (rather than a physical vulnerability), and I haven't figured out what kick boxing class will help with that, ha! well, who knows, maybe the physical training would help with that!

PS you have a real gift for writing, and your action plan is a great idea. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Last edited by dragonwoman64; 02-20-2010 at 01:28 PM.
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