http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/05/opinio...rticle_sidebar

SO sick of hearing the "eat breakfast," "eat small meals," "making incremental changes is the only way for success" garbage that EVERY fitness article writer seems to embrace. These things work for some people. They don't work for me. Trying to do it "the right way" often meant I didn't achieve anything.

That is really helpful - I went to the source article in the New England Journal of Medicine and found a lot in there that is very helpful.

A couple of the most interesting things to me - losing weight more quickly doesn't make you less likely to keep it off, and having a more ambitious goal may lead to a better outcome.

Also, weight cycling/yoyo dieting is likely not as bad for your health as claimed. I'm a terrible yoyo'er and while I want to make this my FINAL time to have to lose a large amount, it's very reassuring to hear this.

Gasp, a professional who just had to figure out his own way? And it went in the face of what is recommended? And SHUT UP... Weight loss is perhaps individual and personal - that we aren't all "one size fits all"? GET OUT OF TOWN!!! Why didn't any of us think of that? :-)

Very interesting article

Good to know! I've been worried about this!

I can personally attest to the fact that doing it "the right way" (whatever that happened to be on any given day/week/month) was ludicrously counterproductive. What works for me might well not work for the next person, or ANY other person, for that matter. That's why I like this forum. It's not preachy. I can jump onto a thread, and say I had a cake for breakfast and wasn't hungry until 8pm then I had a sandwich; someone else will chime in about getting their water intake; another will have eaten below their calories; a low carber will pop in with a comment about avoiding biscuits, etc... And the beauty of it is that ALL OF US ARE RIGHT.

As long as what you're doing is working for you, in terms of weight loss and overall health, you're laughing. "They" can tell me until they're blue in the face to eat breakfast (for example), but if I'm not hungry, I'm not eating it. I am sceptical about so much of the advice around today - the diet industry is big business and there may be a motive behind any piece of advice that extends far beyond my health. Namely... £/$ for a certain industry.

I'll take advice with a pinch of salt. If it appeals, i'll try it. If it works, great. If it doesn't, I'll move on. It's nice to see this being spoken about.

As someone who is told on a daily basis I am doing it the "wrong way", it's nice to see a published account of someone who figured out on his own that there IS NO wrong way.

I've noticed that the only 'success stories' you see are people who claim to have taken off 200 pounds eating oatmeal two meals a day and walking for 15 minutes. I'm exaggerating of course, but there are different ways to do it.

You know what else resonated with me? His saying how he would go in these short bursts and just not regain as much as he lost from it.

I've been "sort of" like that.

The first year - January- December I was driven - on a mission and I was GOOOOOO that entire time. I lost 80 pounds with eating right and exercise.

The next year I was GOOOOO for about 6 weeks, and then petered off. Then GOOOOO for about 6 weeks and then petered off. In those cases I whittled my way down to 165.

I went on vacation (for a month) and gained 15. Came back and was GOOOOO. Lost 10. Then this fall I lost my mojo with just WAYYYYYYY too much on my plate and gained 25 to put me 30 over where I was.

But, things calmed down. I re-prioritzed and here I am in January and February and I'm all GOOOOOOOO. Already lost 12. My eyes are not off the 175 and I'm aiming for 165 by late spring.

I just have found that for me, now, I can give it my all. And when I say "my all". I mean. I have to devote most of my life to it. Well, I can't do that all day every day for 5 years. Doing it in these mini bursts help me to make progress faster.

I've agreed all along that for some people, jumping in 100% with both feet works way better than small changes. I'm one of them. Same for setting ambitious goals. Why not try for 2 pounds a week? My goal was 3 pounds a week when I was at my highest weight and then 1% per week. I did it. So have lots of others. And I guess it will be a while before we know for sure if it will stay off, but so far, so good.

Many believe that small changes over the course of time are the best way to go. If you believe that, then it IS true - for you. Some are happy with simply not gaining. I'm not. And I'll go one step further - I think we do ourselves a disservice when we don't aim high. The only caution I'd throw out is to stay positive if things don't go exactly as you hoped. But if you aim low, how will you ever know what you are capable of doing.

I'm glad to see there is some basis for what I've believed all along.

Lin

Berryblondeboys said: Gasp, a professional who just had to figure out his own way? And it went in the face of what is recommended? And SHUT UP... Weight loss is perhaps individual and personal - that we aren't all "one size fits all"? GET OUT OF TOWN!!! Why didn't any of us think of that? :-)


Ditto!!!! It's taken me 4 decades of trying one diet after another to finally figure out that I know my body best and I'll do what I know works for me.