Old Timers FESS UP

[skdmom]

I think it would be helpful to confess where we went wrong and what we are doing to correct it. Also give an account on what is working for you now.

[Terry]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

This is a very good post and relavant to STAC.

I think the first true stumble that set me way back was as I lost a great deal of weight I did not take into account that I was not going to need as many calories to continue to lose more weight. I began at 294..... got down to 229. Im no longer there, not even close ....... and am currently fighting to get back.

Had I cut back on calories I would have continued to lose. I could lose quite easily on 1800 - 2000 occasionally up to 2300 but as I got smaller it didnt work for me. I am more aware of the calorie count this time around.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

Wow, Terry, you posted my story exactly. I let the carbs creep back up. My excuses were piling up as to why I could eat that gallon of ice cream.
I know that my age, the meds I take and the particular stress that I am under right now all is working against me. I can tell myself why eating that banana is good for me.
Then I do a couple days clean and gain weight so I my brain tells me "wot the hel" your not going to lose anyway. Its tough to get back on and then see nothing for your efforts

[Luna Rossa]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

My downfall was thinking I was a "skinny" person again and could eat like I used to before I gained the weight without consequences. I started working with my DH and it was fairly physically demanding work so I quit my exercise program. When packing lumber/doors around or running several flights of stairs all day became swishing a paint brush I wasn't burning off the junk anymore. By that time I had a serious sugar dependancy again and no interest in exercise.

I also fell for the just a taste or two kiss of death trap. A bite or two became a hearty helping. Half a cookie once a week became a sugar laden chocolate danish for breakfast 4/5 days a week on the run.

Weekends working on building our house came with a six pack of beer we'd share. 3 beers over a couple days seemed harmless enough. I was burning it off with my shovel in hand and not drinking enough to be a problem. When we started devoting 6/7 days a week to the house the beer became a staple. Picking up the beer was almost as important as the tools and materials we had to grab on the way to the house. The six pack became a case, and then a 24 pack for when friends/family came to help out. A few months of that and I was finding a reason to have a good beer buzz every day of the week.

So that's where I was. Weight problem. Drinking problem. I finally decided enough was enough and to kick em both to the curb.

[Smallerizing]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

Well, originally I had no idea of what my goal should be, so I arbitrarily set it at 2/3 my then-current weight, which was 183. Then took 3 weeks consuming all the carbs in the pantry so I wouldn't cheat, added 5 more pounds. When I got to 127 and could NOT lose another 5 pounds to make it to 122, I started thinking "goal" and started maintaining.


This only lasted about 6 months. Like DesertThorn, I thought of myself as a skinny person who could eat almost normally. I went in and out of ketosis. The first few pounds didn't bother me a lot, my clothes still fit. The next five didn't bother me that much, my rings (which I had to put in a drawer for 11 years) still fit, probably even better. Then I went up to 140something, which is where my doctor said to stop losing weight. (Although I still think she's wrong..) Gained a few more pounds, but hey, I wasn't shopping at Catherine's like I used to.... I must not be FAT.

The mirror kept telling me different. I have no idea why I could keep deluding myself. I went beyond the rings fitting, and now I've at least lost enough to get them off to clean them! (With a lot of effort.)

There were a lot of life stresses that I used to excuse myself, and my stepmother (who hates me) had always said I was too skinny and I used this as another excuse. See how desperate I was for carbs! When my legs started scraping together again I could no longer consider myself skinny. So far since re-starting in Feb I have resisted carbs for migraine relief THREE TIMES. (Sadly enough, it works, but the side effects are horrendous.)

We will always find extenuating circumstances. Some of us will experience financial difficulties and get SOOOOO sick of eggs and celery we want to puke. There will be special occasions with high-carb food. We will have meds that break our ketosis or cause cravings. What we have to ask ourselves is: "What do I REALLY want?" The answer will NOT be that bag of potato chips or that Krispy Kreme if we are really honest with ourselves, and have determined ahead of time that we want better health most of all.

[Kate113]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

My downfall was planned cheats and little to no exercise. I was of the opinion that one day of a nice Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings wouldn't hurt me. I also started eating the low carb candy bars (3 a day). I gained back 30 pounds. I don't ever want to gain anything back again and I've learned my lesson so I have no planned cheats in my future, I'm working out and actually enjoying it and there are no more of those bars in my house. Each time something that I'm not supposed to eat looks or smells good to me, I remember what I saw another poster on ADBB say..."Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

[Fozzy]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

This is a bit of a toughy to really nail down because I screwed up on everything pretty much at the same time. I was doing well and went from over 310-315 pounds down to 258. I had decided to then start exercising to get in better shape. I started the "couch to 5k" program and everthing was going along pretty well. I could run for a full half hour on a tread mill and was running outside and on the treadmill. I started reading some runner "E-zines" and they were pretty much universally against the Atkins program. I was getting tons of grief from the fellows at work and I got tired of explaining the plan (again stupid on my part. I just pretty much gave it up. It was soon after that a nagging injury got me and kept me from running... did this mean that I started back on atkins? of course not! Now I've gained about 30 pounds back and I'm now back! This program has worked great and I'm a complete horse's patoot for ever giving up on it.

[cranberry]

Re: Old Timers FESS UP

This is tough for me to swallow because I really feel that I did everything right, and tried everything I could think of to possibly try, but I just did not lose an ounce over the course of almost a year. I wasnt losing inches either but was exercising hardcore. Cripes, I did the SI6 program a few times, and still nothing! I left the program but fortunately still ate well and did not gain. BUT, didn't lose. Sigh. Anyway... I am happy to see others were able to identify their downfalls and best of luck this time.