We live in a seemingly endless society. Want something? You can either find it in your hometown, or order it on the internet and have it delivered right to your door. Feeling down? Pharmaceutical companies have solutions for that too. Tired? Take a vacation and come back restored and relaxed. Hungry? Eat whatever you want, whenever you want it. See what I mean? The possibilities are almost limitless.
Endless Choices and Weight Loss Plans
How do all these endless choices affect our affect our weight? Well, if all the research is correct, we live in a world of increasingly unhealthy, obese men and women. Our limitless availability of food makes it easy to choose to eat whatever we want whenever we want to eat it. In addition to seemingly limitless choices in our lives, there are also important choices we need to make when deciding how to change our lives and our relationship with food.
- What plan to try?
- Meat or not?
- Exercise plans?
- Counting calories or not?
- Join a group?
- Etc, Etc, Etc!
What’s a person who is trying to improve their health/weight to do in the face of all these choices?
Decision Time
If you’ve read my blog for any time at all, you know that I do not believe that one plan fits all. I lost weight using Fat Percentage, Portions, and Exercise. I have seen others of you rely on counting calories, clean eating, and moderating your choices. Still others follow South Beach, Weight Watchers, or some other plan that I’ve forgotten. What made you decide what plan to try? Before I successfully lost my weight I had tried a lot of the name brand diets. I failed miserably at all of them, not because there was anything at all wrong with their plans, but because I couldn’t make the decision to make a change.
It wasn’t the plan, it was me. It wasn’t Weight Watchers’ fault that I went through the drive-thru right after the meetings, or my leader’s fault in another weight loss class I attended that I had two candy bars sitting in my purse just waiting to be eaten in the car. No, I made the decision to not follow their advice. I made the choice to quit trying their plan and many other plans like them. I was like a ping pong ball bouncing around from diet to diet. My friends probably got tired of heating me extol the benefits of my latest “try” but were patient for the most part. My long suffering husband glady agreed to buy me the tools I asked for and watched me gain instead of lose.
No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to settle on anything that spoke my name. Then on that day, when I finally had my “Aha Moment” I sat down and worked something out for myself. I decided for me, and it finally worked.
I didn’t follow my plan perfectly everyday, but because I felt connected to it, and was finally ready to leave my fat suit behind, it worked. I realized that as long as my eating habits were healthy and life-bearing, then the name of the plan didn’t matter. The results did.
How did you decide what plan to follow this time? And had you tried other things that just didn’t “speak your name?” Diane
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I tried everything until I found what worked for me so that I felt energetic satisfied happy and healthy.
My clients didnt love it when Id encourage them to try different foods and ways of eating (they wanted an answer and I COULD give them MINE…what worked for ME but it didnt mean it would work for them) but I do think we are all so so unique and need to tweak our ‘diets’ until we settle on what we can happily and realistically do for the long haul.
LOVE YOUR BLOG DIANE.
I so rarely remember to say that
Miz´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Tornado.
I am with Miz. I tried them ALL, and repeatedly, until I found the one that “fit” me and my lifestyle (more the lifestyle I wanted). Each time I tried a new way of eating, even though I may not have succeeded or I gained the weight back, I learned something. Something about myself and about how I respond to foods. Ultimately, what worked is a program with a built in exercise component and a day where I could eat something sweet if I wanted to but usually, no sweets or complex carbs. High protein, simple carbs. That is what works for me. It keeps my sugars steady.
Finally, and probably most important, I was ready. Ready to commit.
Happy Monday to everyone!
Mia
Never joined a plan or group. Just a lot of reading up on pro advice. I like to take the info I’ve learned and create my own plans. Because I aerobicize to my own exercise beat??
Yum Yucky´s last blog ..I Burned Over 5,476 Calories in One Hour
Many, many, many failed attempts for me too. I have to say though that – for me – it isn’t just about the plan, but also about the long reaching implications behind it. This is finally working for me (I think) because I am changing my outlook for life, not just looking for a solution which will get me to goal and then possibly be forgotten. I think it was my attitude that needed adjusting more than anything… reteaching myself what to eat and how to move has been what really ended up ’speaking my name’!
266´s last blog ..Atta Girl!
it always boils down to three little questions for me:
what do I mean to be doing?
what am I actually doing?
is it working?
I chose to do a low carb /modified Atkins type approach because for my body it works. I can restrict calories and aerobicize till my brains fall out and gain ( been there, done that,not only bought the tee shirt but I am still making payments on the stand that sold the shirts).I have PCOS which makes my body insulin resistant, and simply eating any more than 2 servings of fruit or a piece of dry toast triggers the resistance. I lost 110 pounds following a plan that limited my fruit servings to 3 per day and grain servings to 2 per day (include potatoes, corn, beans and bread in that grain group). I have tried numerous other plans and they work for a short time but then they stop. This time I am finally listening to my body, remembering that certain factors do not dissapear just because I am focused on something else and I think I will reach my goal weight at long last.
Diane´s last blog ..Saturday Night’s alright for ….pizza !
My Aha moment when was I realized I couldn’t diet forever. It had to be a lifestyle change that had to be the right balance of food, exercise, and recovery. Once I lined up all of those things my body changed and so did my mind.
Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Random Acts of Fitness & Spice
Tried loads of kooky diet-type things and some succeeded… for a little while… before I put back all the lost lbs and more. But I’d never made the connection that it was a change of ‘lifestyle’ that I needed, not a diet, until this time around.
I don’t follow a named plan, but words like ‘moderation’ and ‘healthy’ and ‘exercise’ are now firm foundation stones of my life. I eat loads of fresh produce and drink water more than I ever did before.
Two and a half years since the epiphany, when ‘realisation’ dawned, and I’ve now lost some six stone in weight, am fitter than I’ve ever been and I’m happy being ‘me’!
The story isn’t over yet, and it never will be. I will ALWAYS have to be mindful of what and how much I eat and make my lazy self move. There will be countless little adjustments to make to stay right where I want to be, which is healthy and fit. At least I now have the tools to employ and the right attitude to use them with.
Deniz´s last blog ..Fat lass 1 : Italian temptations 0
I think that this time I finally worked out The Plan that works for me. After all these years believing that I am Destined to Be Fat Forever, it feels almost surreal that pure 7kg of body fat literally melted off from my body only in 7 months. I even gained some lean muscle mass, albeit in a small amount.
* Workout routine which includes BOTH weight training and cardio
* Calorie counting, coupled with increased protein intake / reduced simple carb (crucial for suppressing insane sugar cravings!)
My plan is basically based on Tom Venuto’s “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” program. I like that this plan is all about regular exercise and healthy eating focusing on whole food, without selling expensive supplements or anything like that. It’s basically Natural Bodybuilding 101 for Dummies, and something that I can follow for life without feeling deprived.
I chose South Beach because:
1. Atkins had worked for me previously
2. Atkins wasn’t as healthy as South Beach, but had the same principle. I needed something “heart healthy”
3. I knew myself well enough that I had to look my demons (carbs) square in the eye, not try to work around them. I’m a black and white kinda girl. I couldn’t live in a world of gray carbs. LOL
4. the time was right. That’s the most important thing. The time had to be right for me.
Sunny´s last blog ..Thanksgiving After-glow
I was right on with MizFit’s thoughts. I think we all have to find your own motivating factors & what makes us tick, what makes us want to do it this time, what works for us & not the person next door or the friend down the street or even the blogger we read every day. If it is not going to fit with you for the long term, then you have you modify or change.
Me, I developed my own plan based on what I thought would work for me & I have changed it multiple times & still am based on what my body is telling me at the time. We can do something now & then change it later if it is not quite right. The point is to start NOW!
Thx Diane… great post!
Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Eating & Weight Loss Reality – Tomorrow Is NOW
This whole “lifestyle change” is what finally clicked for me – I realized that when I finally reached my goal weight, I wasn’t “done” with the diet, but rather would need to continue eating in a healthy manner in order to keep the weight off. So I have tried to do that, by losing weight while eating what I love. And when I am ready to maintain, I’ll just eat a little bit more of those same foods.
Shelley B´s last blog ..Another Benefit to Weight Loss
I tried so so many diets, I’ve got every book on diet available sitting on my bookshelf – I saw a friend of mine lose weight on Weight Watchers some 8 years ago, and keep the weight off after having had two children, I just knew the was something there that I had to give a try as before I was not interested in counting points or weighing foods, who wanted to live life that way. But when so desperate to lose the weight I saw my friend’s journey and knew I wanted to give this a try…it suited me from the moment I opened myself to this plan…I’m so grateful to the WW plan…this plan has changed my life.
Marcelle´s last blog ..Sunday’s Chat
I have tried many many diets over the years. I even developed an eating disorder after doing WW for a year – the whole points thing just became an obsession for me. I finally found some sanity through concentrating on exercise and at the same time working on healthy eating through a vegan diet – reading the book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell totally changed how I think about food and health.
I am by no means “there” yet, I still have habits that need working on, but I am much more at peace with my body, my weight and my eating habits than I have been in a LONG time. Which makes me smile!
Amy´s last blog ..Happy Monday
Personally I like WW. I like being accountable, not just with tracking, but going in every week and stepping on their scale.
I also know that it isn’t the program it is the attitude. I have tried many diets before, the difference now is I know I will eat like this forever.
For me it was all about counting calories. Just writing down everything I ate made me more accountable, and then I felt too guilty to write down 2 candy bars or 5 beers! It also taught me about portion sizes as I started measuring cereal and pasta….what a wake up call!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..Sweat it out
Hi Diane -
You always have the best posts! I swear you are writing to me exclusively much of the time. I have been lamenting my continued struggles with giving in to binge thoughts, while fully aware that I am choosing that behavior – it’s not choosing me. There are programs that tell me I’m powerless over food, but the truth is I’m NOT powerless. I have to accept responsibility for my actions and their inevitable consequences of weight plateauing or gaining. I feel like I’m ready this time – since June I’ve been “Ready”, but any real weight loss stopped this go around after the initial 25 pounds. Since then I’m playing around, not serious or focused, and easily lose sight of my vision and goal. I’m responsible. When I ask myself, “Is my plan working?”, the answer is that it was, until I stopped working it! I think I have my blog topic for today. Thank you for your inspiration and sharing your experience, strength and hope with us.
Leslie´s last blog ..Overdue business! Part 1
Wanting to hit a little goal by the end of the year I was looking at different plans yesterday on the internet, but then I thought “You know, you’ve lost 22 pounds already why not just keep doing what you’re doing?” Plus, it’s free and that fits our student budget.
I think sometimes, for me at least, joining a meeting or following a certain diet can seem like the magic trick that will make the weight come off. Like you said, you have to find something that just clicks for you.
I think I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, which really is your plan and learning portions by listening to my body and stopping when satisfied.
Perfect timing on your post today!
Leah´s last blog ..Deborah Award
Thanks for the thought-provoking post. For me, cutting out all processed and artifical foods, virtually all sugar, while not worrying about fats has been the key. The reading I have done (Michael Pollen, Gary Taubes) led me to conclude that the medical profession’s focus on fat as the harmful part of the American diet is completely off target. While our population has been going “low fat,” people have gotten just fatter and fatter. That’s because the low-fat, sugary foods aren’t satisfying and lead to blood sugar swings that cause hunger. I think we should question the medical profession — consider the recent news that the advice women have been given about breast exams/mammograms/pap smears is not supported by the science, as well as the news from a few years back that hormone replacement theory actually poses risks to women. In any case, I am so happy to be off the sugar/refined carbs — it makes me feel like I’ve been freed of an addiction. I can honestly say that, over the past year, I have had three or so instances where I have not eaten in the way I would have liked (periods of high stress at work, when chocolate was located in a group office basically two desks from me for days on end). This used to be an everyday occurrence. I think that, to maintain, you have to keep in the front of your mind how much better your life is to be at a healthy weight, than to be overweight.
I’m so behind but thank you for the lovely award!!!
Rebecca @ Durch Dick und Duenn´s last blog ..Weigh – In #21
I have done a lot of programs, and really – I think I needed each one at the time I was doing it until I could get things figured out on my own. Reading info from the Weight Control Registry, the majority of maintainers are doing some sort of hybrid program that they worked out from various plans.
It’s all about customization, because if you aren’t comfortable with it forever, you won’t do it forever!
Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Football and Cranapple Spice Granola
I give a ton of credit to this crazy blogging world. I found a couple of sites and read about their long successful weight-loss journeys, and a light bulb clicked on. I can do this, too!
Blogging every day has kept my focus bubbling on the front burner.
Excellent post, Diane.
Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit´s last blog ..I’m Sorry, Kung Fu Fighting Dude
Oh yes – have tried them all but finally realized that I couldn’t force the physical part of the equation without figuring out the mental part first. I was too “outer” focused instead of on the “inner” – looking for someone or something other than myself to help me solve the problem. I’ve always had the power within me but it was the last place I looked.
Great post.
Gigi´s last blog ..Breaking Even
I like to say I follow Weight Watchers but without all of the crap. lol I dont believe in those boxed bars/snacks that they sell. I have a great group of meeting members who call me the girl who doesn’t eat processed foods. lol I know you can follow WW and eat 100 cal snack packs, fast food, ww bars, but I know I can not. I needed to take certain foods away from myself because I would go crazy when I ate those. I guess it’s a good thing to know what trigger foods make me want to eat more. I like the points system that WW created but just prefer fresh, home cooked meals.
tj´s last blog ..EASY EASY DINNER!
Hi, Diane, First off thanks for visiting my blog! Hope you find some yummy vegan treats to feed your little ones. And, as for your blog, very inspirational. I was completely drawn in to your words. Unfortunately, having a vegan lifestyle does not guarantee low weight because calories are calories, and that is what I am struggling with. I’m happy that my food choices aren’t hurting any animals and that they are mostly healthy, but I’m still putting too much in my mouth. So, I’m deeply inspired by your success. I hope to be there too, soon. And, yay for homeschooling! I’m going to go ahead and make you a link on my site.
BlessedMama´s last blog ..Savory Bulgur Dressing
I’ve never tried South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. I always viewed those diets as commercialized crap – just not my thing. To those people who utilize these services and see success, I have nothing but praise for them. But again, it’s not my thing.
I know what works for me, and I found it through trial and error. Portion control, eliminating processed foods, focus on healthy fats & good carbs, getting enough protein, exercising my tail off and learning to enjoy it, and most especially, the power of a mindset – that’s my strategy and it’s served me well.
I think everyone has to find what works for their lifestyle and their personal needs…. we all need to find what works for us.
my kashi diet´s last blog ..hope thanksgiving was good….
I’ve never joined a group or a plan like the zone/WW/Southbeach,etc. I’m just all about calories in/calories out, portion control and moderation – it was hard to figure it out for me, but it definitely works best for my body!
fittingbackin´s last blog ..Book Review, T-giving Recap, New Appliance, New Recipe
I did what you did, Diane! Low fat, portion control, and exercise, and I still do it to maintain. There may be many ways to climb the mountain, but if pressed, I think the way we did it is the surest path to not only reach the summit, but to not fall off the other side
Hi Diane,
I just found your blog through some of the other healthy living blogs. You have an amazing story!! Congrats on your weight loss…I look forward to reading your blog!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg´s last blog ..Perhaps a Persimmon
I’m the odd girl out here, I cannot say I tried a million plans and finally found one that fit. I chose NOT to try and lose weight seriously until I was so fed up with myself that I knew I’d commit to it wholeheartedly. I tried WW and liked it, but it wasn’t quite the right fit for my lifestyle (too little focus on genuine healthy eating, and it did not deal with my underlyng overeating and emotional issues) and then, during my time on WWOnline I stumbled across Dr. Amanda and the “Don’t Go Hungry Diet” and a light clicked on.
It was perfect and permanent for me – something I could easily stick to the rest of my life and not worry abot backsliding or complicated food combining methods. Even now, I only ‘calorie count’ as a way to give me a guide to speed up my losses, as Dr. Amanda’s entirely satiety-bases intuitive eating is a very slow method. But even calorie counting, I always let her overarching principles of ‘eat to your hunger’ and ‘eat healthy, whole foods most of the time’ dictate my habits, and will happily overeat my daily calorie allotment if my body is genuinely hungry for more.
What works for me is not making any change I am unwilling to stick with the rest of my life. Learning my hunger and satiety cues, and recognizing when I am eating for a reason other than physical hunger, was the breakthrough tool I needed to permanently manage my weight. Journaling was another such tool, because I need to accountability of where my calories are going to help me make smarter food choices. These things, plus a healthy dose of activity and moderation of richer foods, has been a winning combo for me and will likely continue to be. I am committed to eating and living healthier, so the rest are just tools I use to achieve that end. It’s an ongoing process of personal growth and one I am committed to for the rest of my life.
Taryl´s last blog ..Feeling Gross (brain dump post ahoy!)
For me, I had to go through a bit of trial and error. I actually started with a quiz from a book that identified my “diet personality,” the results of which suggested that I needed the support of other people and suggested Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. I tried Jenny Craig, thinking that not having to deal with food would be a treat, but it turned out that I needed the freedom of eating what I wanted, so I quit Jenny Craig and tried Weight Watchers and it’s been a huge success for me because I could fit it into my life. I don’t have to eat some weird contrived diet, I eat the foods my family and I always eat and there’s space for me to indulge as see fit. I often think that Weight Watchers provided such a great introductory structure to how I should eat, but now that I know that I could quit because I get a lot of the people support I need through my blog, but lately I’ve noticed that when I don’t have the time to be active on other people’s blogs, I don’t get that support in return on my blog, and with Weight Watchers I don’t have to put out any effort other than to show up each week. Of course, I don’t think that Weight Watchers would work for everyone, but it meets my particular needs really well and I think that’s the key — figuring out what I, personally, need to be successful.
Sheesh! I just post this all to my own blog instead of taking up all your comment space!
Your questions just always inspire interesting thoughts!
Sarah´s last blog ..What it means to have more energy.
Me being embarrassed didn’t matter, but my son being embarassed did. At that point I decided to change.
Melissa´s last blog ..Big Dog Trail Run….
I have the wrong personality type to try a “diet” designed by someone else. I had to find my own way to a healthy lifestyle, and I constantly refine it and try new things based on what I read. I’m too cranky and opinionated to let someone else determine what I can and can’t eat!
You make such a great point about needing to feel “connected” to the nutritional and lifestyle choices we make. Great post!
My experience was similar to yours. I finally figured out that following other people’s diets WAS the problem.
When I started focusing on foods that *I* liked, in portions that were appropriate for the calorie range I needed to be in, I found success!
Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Fitness Wish List
Diane, for me it was a mixture of things. I had been on Atkins and enjoyed it. In fact, I felt really good on it. I just knew I couldn’t stick to a diet that was that low carb permanently. I found the SBD a good compromise. Something that I could do and stick with for life.
South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Motivation for Monday
I tried and failed on tons of prepacked “diets”. The reason I have successfully lost 110 pounds is because I did what felt right for me. Moderation and exercise. I started eating less and moving more and the pounds fell off.
Tricia´s last blog ..New traditions
The only program I have ever followed was Body for Life when I was younger. I was in amazing shape, but it is soooo time consuming. Now that I am older, I just want to eat things in moderation and excercise to stay healthy!
Staci´s last blog ..I Feel Strong!!!
[...] On My Plan Diane, over at Fit to the Finish had a great post today about How You Decide Which Plan to Follow. My response was far too long for a comment so I thought I would just make my own blog post about [...]
my response was too long for a comment, so I did my own blog post and linked over to here from there! Enjoy!
Kim´s last blog ..Deciding On My Plan
I made my decision based on reading a bunch of different personal blogs and websites of people (like you Diane!) who have been successful at losing and keeping off the weight. The majority I found were people who did it by watching caloric intake, portion control, and exercise rather than being on some program. I decided if it worked for them (you) it can work for me and went for it. So far, so good!
Josie´s last blog ..Mmm…Olive Garden
Oh gosh, I think I’ve tried everything. Weight watchers gave me too little direction, same with south beach. Atkins was too restrictive. Now that I’m clean eating and focusing on fiber and protein I’m doing much better and enjoying what I’m eating even more!
mackattack´s last blog ..Back in the habit
I have to say it was hit and miss!
When i tried low carb it was really bad for my kidneys so i gave up on that!
The only thing that has worked for me consistently is calorie counting or weight watchers. It seems to be the easiest for me to stick to.
Great post! I think what is key is that in order to be successful at any program, you have to be really ready to change and you have to find a plan that works for you at that particular moment in your life.
For example, I am not very successful with counting calories. I can do it if I keep my food very simple. And that is just no fun for me after just a short period of time. Instead, I focused on portion size (which has always been my problem) and using healthy, fresh, low fat ingredients. I also stepped up my exercise a lot. All these things were doable for me at that moment in my life.
I’m still sifting threw the plans. Reading and researching. The worst part is the more I read the more I get confused about what I want to do. Currently I am watching the type of foods I eat and portion control. I don’t like counting calories.
Hi
Good to know some of the things, which we daily watch but can’t understand.Nice post and visit the site again.
My solution was weight loss surgery — a tabu which is still considered to be taking the easy way (if only!
My body was absolutely broken and, with more than 150 pounds to lose, statistically speaking, none of the traditional “diet and exercise” plans was likely to work for me. Diane, you are truly one of the “results not typical” in that arena.
I was so toxic, due to things like hypothyroid and fibromyalgia, that trying to find a plan I could stick to for more than a day had become downright impossible. My body would SCREAM for sugar, bread and caffeine. Why? Because with fibromyalgia, you don’t get sleep, so your body doesn’t regenerate, so you’re always in pain, so you can’t exercise, and you have no energy, so your body is in constant crisis mode, just trying to SURVIVE.
How did I survive? By feeding my body the fastest source of energy foods I could find: SUGAR & CAFFEINE. Of course, we all know what happens when you eat those things; you get a momentary high, and then you crash and burn — until you repeat the process (More Diet Pepsi! More cookies! More carbs!)
I felt helpless, alone and trapped. I just wanted a fighting chance to be healthy.
Thank God for weight loss surgery. It broke that horrible cycle and my body was able to find a homeostasis that I’d been longing for all those years. I was finally able so sleep, which enabled me to have energy to workout, which gave my body energy to actually BURN (and use) fuel from complex carbs and protein. What a remarkable metabolic change!
So, for me, surgery was the answer — but it wasn’t one I arrived at overnight, and it has not been easy. Of course, nothing that matters ever comes easily, right?
Cari (aka Gastric Bypass Barbie)´s last blog ..HOLIDAY BLUES: I Am Not Normal.
Thanks to Kim for sending me this way. I too have tried everything. WW, LA weight loss, Body for live, Atkins. Nothing I am comfortable with. I hope soon I can find a good fit.
Karla B´s last blog ..Switch Made!
A friend took me to a talk on healthy living and I was so fascinated by the testimonies of people who had changed their lives, reversed all manner of health problems and were fit and active well into their seventies through eating natural, plant-based, whole, raw foods and drinking freshly extracted vegetable juices. I just knew that I wanted that kind of life, even if it went against the present culture.
Since then I have researched this way of living and have found many plans that support it (Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live, Mary-Ann Shearer’s Perfect Health, Brendan Brazier’s Thrive, George Malkmus’ Halleluja Diet, Harvey Diamond’s Fit for Life). They’re not identical, but they all share the same basic principles and I am certainly thriving.
My journey is for life. There is no end to living the way we do… in fact, we are always refining and improving.
Hanlie´s last blog ..Recipe: Vegetable Paprikash
[...] over at Fit to the Finish had a great post today about How You Decide Which Plan to Follow. My response was far too long for a comment so I thought I would just make my own blog post about [...]