Wormtown, I've posted soooo much stuff here (yawn
) that it's hard for me to recall which post you might be recalling. Here's the success story that I posted last year about this time. Hopefully this is what you were thinking of. It's funny to read it one year later, because I wouldn't change a thing in what I said. Thanks for reminding me that I had even posted this (and I'm sooo happy I actually saved this one).
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Here I am:
http://www.picturetrail.com/Rupertsmom (password 'Lori')
...At my heaviest, I was well over 200lbs and with child. For over a decade as an adult I struggled with my weight, until February99 I put all the pieces together and got down to business. At the time I started my weight loss effort, I was 180lbs and horribly unhappy and unhealthy feeling (in part due to years of yo-yo'ing up and down). I'm now at my goal weight and maintaining and feeling confident enough to post a "Success" story!
Essentially, I'm a firm believer that we're all individuals and very few commercial diet plans will suit all people. If you're like most people (myself included) you've been on a thousand diets and could probably write a book yourself, right? I could write 10...Same subject, different approach!
What ultimately worked for me was formulating
my own plan. I looked at all the diets that I had tried over the years and "failed" at (a long list including WW, Slimfast, Carbohydrate Addict's Diet (CAD), the Zone, the McDougall Plan, Dexatrim, Starvation, you name it...) Out of each of these plans, I took those things that seemed to work for me and decided that I would bundle them together to create a unique solution for myself. Creative, huh?
From each plan, these are the
positives that I learned and that I ultimately applied in my own plan:
*WW-Portion control counts, especially with my trigger foods: bread and pasta.
*Slimfast-I need "real" food to be satisfied;
*CAD/Zone-Adding fat and protein to my diet while reducing refined carbohydrates (like bread and pasta) helps me lose;
*McDougall Plan- Non-Starchy vegetables should serve as the "bulk" of my diet because of their capacity to fill up a tummy and their essential nutritional value. Refined carbohydrates (breads, pastas, white rice) should be limited because the effect on the body is similar to eating table sugar. (But I thought pasta was a complex carb and is good for you???
)
*Dexatrim- Makes me irritable and grouchy and should be avoided at all costs!
*Starvation/Severe Calorie Deficit- Doesn't work in the long run. My weight loss stalls and I end up eating less and less to lose weight.
Combining my experience with ALL of my dieting attempts, the most important lesson I learned is that I CANNOT follow anyone else's diet plan. All of them, in some capacity are too restrictive for my personality, which inevitably results in feelings of deprivation. Personal choice in all aspects of my diet, in conjunction with some good common sense and self-control with respect to nutrition and exercise, has been my personal prescription for solving my problem.
So, what
was my prescription? After sitting down and thinking about it, I decided on my own kind of eating plan that uses WW123 as my help-mechanism for portion control. I could just as easily have counted calories rather than using the WW Materials, but I had the WW123 program materials in hand from a prior (unsuccessful) attempt so I figured I'd put it to use and get my money's worth!
The food choices I made were based on a balance of protein/carbs/fat with a definite self-imposed limitation on refined carbohydrates. I allowed my daily caloric intake to fluctuate according to my own hunger, on average consuming around 1800 cal/day (38pts based on journals). I journaled my food intake
religiously which enabled me to really analyze my dietary choices and track progress. I exercised routinely, not like a fiend, but with regularity.
Finally, after putting it together and making the commitment to change my lifestyle, I used this board as my 24-hour a day support system, I exercised regularly, and in 10 months (slowly) I lost the weight! Not magic, by any means, but it worked!
It's an interesting thing, this process of weight loss. More amazing is the healing effect it has on our bodies. Prior to losing the weight and getting my eating habits under control, I had alot of back trouble, I was
always hungry and wanting more & more of the foods I loved, and I was just plain unhappy. As I started to lose the weight, though, it seemed as if my body was getting back to a state of equilibrium. The aches and pains were gone, the urge to overeat was greatly diminished, and I started to feel upbeat and happy again. I attribute some of the positive changes to the food choices that I've learned to make, but I also attribute some of the changes to the simple act of losing weight and the healing effect
it by itself has on the body.
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! It's the formula that I will apply in my daily life to maintain my weight, because it works for me and is an easy way of eating. I still struggle with some of the emotional aspects of eating, but I imagine I always will. I've learned that there's no magic solution for me, just one based on good judgement and moderation.
[This message has been edited by Rupertsmom (edited 01-15-2001).]
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