We live in a seemingly endless society with unlimited choices. Want something? You can either find it in your hometown, or order it on the Internet and have it delivered right to your door in just a day or two. 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? Research and our own eyes show us all that we live in a world of increasing waistlines, larger chairs, and longer seatbelts. Over 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. 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 a combination of fat percentage, portion awareness, and regular 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 gladly 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 every day, 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
In the past, I have tried numerous types of diets/plans. This time though, I received valuable knowledge/info from a lady in Germany, which consisted regarding Clean Eating. I have taken her advice and added my own stuff as well and there I have a plan which work for me.
Just like you, I believe that there is not one plan fits all although I strongly believe that the cleaner your diet is, the better for weight loss and health.
blackhuff´s last fabulous musings ..Multiple sclerosis (MS)
The only plan that will work forever is the one you can do for the rest of your life. So it has to include a healthy balanced routine of foods you like, enjoy and are willing to prepare. The key question is always, “is this (or some form of this) something I am willing to follow for the rest of my life?”
Sharon´s last fabulous musings ..Seasons Come, Seasons Go
At first it had to be something to get the first 100 pounds off. I needed the incentive of weight loss to lose weight. It was a paradox and a problem but losing that first 100 pounds fast as possible was my incentive to get started. The second hundred involved changing what I was doing to what would work for the rest of my life – that is the plan I believe I have today. Small modifications are perfectly sane and healthy to try. My danger zone is when I think I need to radically change what already works.
Jane~
Jane at Keeping the Pounds off´s last fabulous musings ..A Haunting Halloween Tale of Integrity*
I’m having a very hard time losing weight. I’m active, and I eat a lot of healthy, whole foods. But I also snack on less-than-healthy food way too often. I’m also a boredom eater…so moving to a new place where I don’t know anyone and I don’t have a job and I’ve bee a bit sad about some things…let’s just say that it leaves the door open for much too much food.
I’ve never done any kind of a “plan”. I just plan on eating home-cooked meals 3 times a day, with fruit as snacks. If I do this, and stick to about 1800 calories (I’ve tracked it a few times on fitday), I lose weight. Honestly, it isn’t hard. It isn’t rocket science. But just because it’s easy doesn’t mean that it’s easy.
Stephanie´s last fabulous musings ..I’m Sorry, Justin Timberlake
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.
Diane, that is a great sentence! Like you, I believe to each their own & as long as a person finds something that works for them & it is a healthy plan, a good thing! WE all have different lives & likes & dislikes so it is all bout meshing with yourself & living a way that can be long term.
I have changed things here & there along the way but it has always been knowing approx calories, portion control, knowing certain foods work better for me than others.. things like that & I changed it as the bod changed…
Jody – Fit at 53´s last fabulous musings ..Gratitude Monday, Cookies & Happy Halloween
My stubborn streak seems to have gotten in my way when trying to follow someone else’s plan. When I finally sat down and designed my own plan, that same stubborn streak kept me on that plan and after being 100 lbs over my preferred weight for 20 years, I lost it and have kept it off. However I will credit previous attempts for teaching me what to include in my own plan.
I did all kinds of things to try to lose weight through the years. One day, my friends and I decided we would try Weight Watchers because they were having a join for free special. We did. That was 24 years ago and I was able to lose the weight I wanted and keep it off. I can’t say what got me there that day (other than the special!) but what kept me there was the results. I still attend my meeting every week because I still need that support and encouragment. They are like family to me.
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don’t Count´s last fabulous musings ..Halloween Memories
My karate instructor told me I was getting fat!! That got my attention and I changed my eating habits! I’ve read about people who react to “harsh” statements by feeling bad and eating more, but for me, because it was about me, I took it and improved my life!
I’ve tried many. I now do a version of The South Beach Diet. It seems to fit for me because it promotes the whole “lifestyle not a diet” thing and I eat much healthier because of what it espouses.
Karen@WaistingTime´s last fabulous musings ..Boo Who?
Creeping up way too close to my “unhappy time” weight is what really kicked up my efforts. In this past, I would try many different types of plans, but very sneakily sneak the sweet things here and there. I tried vegetarian for about a year, but for me that just didn’t satisfy. I now do a very high protein, high fiber combo that keeps me full during the day. So far, so good! I’m not hungry all the time, nor do I find myself craving anything like the way I used to.
Kaitie´s last fabulous musings ..Meanwhile, on Earth…
I really wish I could remember why I decided to count calories. I just can’t remember! I think I just decided that writing down my food and adding up the calories was easy and logical.
Lisa´s last fabulous musings ..Pumpkin Muffins
I’ve tried so many different diets and realized that the only thing I can stick to long term is calorie counting and eating “everything”. Nothing is off limits, but there is a lot of moderation.
Maren´s last fabulous musings ..Week #4 Weigh-in
I couldn’t agree more, we each have to find what works best for us. I focus on fresh healthy food and lean proteins and really try hard to stay away from excess sugar and processed foods.
Marie@feedingfive´s last fabulous musings ..How to feed your Kids
Over time it just shows that I have to workout and have a food journal. If I don’t write things down I partake in senseless snacking.
La.´s last fabulous musings ..Fall Festival #1
I joined Weight Watchers again after having my baby. I had joined before but this time something just clicked. Personally, I need something that tells me how much to eat in a day because portion is where I have the most problems. As I have lost weight (95 lbs so far), and as I get smaller, my points lower gradually, is key for me. I needed something to fit into my life (hubster is vegetarian, have a toddler, both work, commutes, etc.) but also holds me accountable for how much I eat in a day. Along with working out, this works for me. It all boils down to what you said – pick what can fit into your life and your schedule. It’s different for each person.