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.