Well in my case the weight came back on because I lost it the wrong way and then got horribly sick.
I started out on WW (about 15 years ago) and then decided that I wasn't losing fast enough, or as
much as I wanted, and decided to go for more drastic measures. I was exercising at least 2 hours a
day (aerobics, walking, swimming, weights etc) and started paying really close attention to
calories. 1200 - nope, too much. 1100 - still too much. I eventually got down to eating under 800
calories a day. And y'know what - I lost more weight! And then, I came down with a severe case of
bronchitis/bronchial pneumonia that almost landed me in the hospital. In the beginning my throat was
so sore I could barely eat - I was on broth and diet jello. There was no way I could exercise, I
could barely breathe. And after 2 weeks of that I gained 10 pounds. I don't actually recall how much
I gained in total then except that it got me back to at least what I had started at, probably more
than. It was 10 months before I was over the bronchitis.
I decided at that point that I was never going to do that kind of damage to my system again.
Unfortunately at that point my system was also very unused to normal portions. And then I bought
into what our super-sized society calls a "normal" portion. And lo and behold, I just kept gaining
more weight.
Through the next decade+ I just kept gaining more weight, 5-10 pounds a year. Doesn't sound like
much until you add it all together. Every time I started a new workout regime it would last 3 or 4
days and then I'd get sick. Right up until I went for some tests and discovered that hey, I have
allergies to pretty much anything airborne. I was getting sick because I was taking bigger, deeper
breaths of allergens, and I wasn't actually "sick" but just having an allergic reaction. Now I take
medication for that every day, and haven't had that problem since.
Last year I decided that there was something very wrong with the way things were going. Gaining
weight every year was NOT what I wanted to do. I found this newsgroup, when I was just looking for
information, thinking I could try and do it quick. This newsgroup - these fabulous people - made me
realize early on that it wasn't really about doing it quick, it was about doing it properly.
As for the woman on the show - she's right. DIETS don't work. They teach you nothing about how to
survive at a healthy level. Once you "go off" them there's nothing stopping that weight from coming
right back on. WW is not a diet. It's a retraining program. There is no "going off" it because it's
not a temporary measure, this is life. You follow the program, you live and eat by the principles,
and you acquire a healthy lifestyle. LIFEstyle. As in you do this for LIFE, not just for 2 weeks or
2 months or until the shakes or pills run out. It's a big commitment to have to make, especially in
the face of all the diet [censored] being pushed promising fast weight loss for life with very little
time/effort investment.
Amberle3 (through with diets, focusing on learning how to live)
Mette said:
Yesterday I watched an oooold re-run of my favorite Dr. Phil! It was the show about two very large
women who decided that they nolonger would try to fit into society, but that society should
accomodate for them, by giving them special parking, one extra free airline seat, chairs without
arms and so forth and so on.
One of them said: "Everyone blames to the dieter. But it's not always our fault. I have been on so
many diets, but dieting doesnt work. You lose 50, and then gain back 75. I am through with that".
I must admit, that this statement simply annoyed me.
I also lost 50 lbs. I kept it off for 2 years. Then I slowly started to gain again. First I gained
a few pounds so I finally looked normal and not anorexic anylonger, which was good, then I gained
10 lbs after that which was NOT good. But I woke up, I stopped it right there. I did not want to
go down that road again, having to lose 50 or even 60 lbs all over again. No way. This I way I am
starting now. I am rerversing it. Not just stopping it.
What got to me, what that she sounded like no matter how much weight she could successfully lose,
the pounds would just jump right back onto her body regardless of what she did. I so much wanted
to ask her, if she thought weight gain was something that just happened to her out of the blue, or
if she went back to "normal" eating habits once the weight was off.
I truly believe that everyone is responsible for their own yo-yo-ing. Gainig weight is an active
thing, as losing weight is. I am not being judgemental, but I speak from experience. How come she
(or others) don't stop when they realize they have gained maybe ½ of it back? I just donøt
understand, but maybe someone can explain it to me:o)
--
Amberle3
249/220/215-minigoal/150?
Renewed my commitment to me 3/30/03
- New Year, New You Weight Loss Challenge:
angelfire.comnyny.htmOpen ↗
- Take Heart, Take Part Exercise Challenge:
angelfire.comthtp.htmOpen ↗
- Resolutions are for Losers Weight Loss Challenge:
angelfire.comrafl.htmOpen ↗
