Rethinking a few things
Low Stress Weight Loss, Weigh-In December 31st, 2007I have been thinking about my Low Stress Weight Loss approach and what is working and what is not.
What is working :
- It is indeed Low Stress
- I am enjoying food more than ever
- I am learning new ways to think about eating, which should eventually lead to me eating less & feeling satisfied, which I think is the basis for managing my weight for the rest of my life
What is Not Working :
- I’m not actually losing weight.
So, this isn’t computing right for me. On the one hand, I’m willing to give Dr Hope & her methods a real try. And I’ve read enough about “Intuitive Eating” (which is basically what I’m doing) to know that actually gaining a little at the beginning is normal. But it feels really odd because it’s not the direction I want to head. I don’t think I’ve been GAINING weight (holiday indulgences not withstanding) but I am pretty sure from the fit of my clothes that I’m not losing.
So what am I going to do? Take a baby step backward.
One of the first things I did when starting Low Stress Weight Loss almost 2 months ago was to ditch the scale. But at the time I was counting calories, which I’ve now stopped. So I’m going to add the scale back in, weekly. Just to have the accountability, and a reminder to myself of what I’m trying to achieve.
I am comfortable going with all the other steps of Low Stress Weight Loss through the end of January, but I’ll no longer be going scale-free.
December 31st, 2007 at 10:46 am
I would like to ask Dr. Hhope about this but it seems that intuitive eating would only help you lose weight when you are actually at your target weight. I mean, to actually lose, you are gonna have to eat a little bit less than you body is craving. It has been my experience that my body really wants to hold on to its weight and I have to feel at least a little hungry when I am actually losing. Maybe it would work over a VERY long period of time (say a year or two) but I am way too impatient for that! (ha ha) I look forward to seeing where all of this takes you and in the meantime, I am going to start reading about intuitive eating too!
December 31st, 2007 at 11:05 am
Whoops — I meant maintain your weight when you actually at your target weight…’Guess I gotta go to bed and get some ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz now! ha ha!
December 31st, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hmmm, I think adding the scale back in is good if it works for you at this point… As for actual weight-loss at this point: maybe some ‘Intuitive Exercise’?
December 31st, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I support you in the decision to add the scale. But please don’t feel disheartened yet. I think you are on the right path about intuitive eating. One does need a long term solution, especially as you seem so well adjusted emotionally.
I agree with weightlossguru. Maybe once you get to walking again, you will start losing and feeling better.
Lots of love,
iniya
December 31st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I like that “intuitive exercise” comment, Pete! Does it count if I walked to Pierre Herme (top bakery in Paris) today to pick up our cake for tonight’s dinner? (I did do a good fast 45 min walk to get there, but took the metro home, that stuff is too precious to withstand the rain, unlike yours truly!)
I’m not disheartened, but I’m trying to be proactive.
I know my weight loss approach is not about speed, but that’s ok with me. I am not trying to find a band-aid solution, I’m really trying to build a new relationship between my body, food, and yes, movement.
December 31st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I think it is only normal to want the scale to drop as well as clothes to be looser. That is why we are here, correct? I do think we all need to learn Dr Hope’s lessons but at the same time, consume less calories and move our bodies a tad more than they are used to. After a week of not moving (me or the scale) I can’t just diet, I gotta push my body. I know this, I have always known this. Sometimes it would be easier if just eatting less were enough.
December 31st, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I just caught up from the Holidays and enjoyed reading about the Skinnies.
I had every intention of hiding my own scale when I started this venture but it’s still living in the same corner of the bathroom and I still get on it every morning. For me seeing the number go down is very motivating and helps keep me on course.
Walking to the bakery - sure that counts!!!
December 31st, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I think weighing in every morning, is a solid good decision, as long as you’re educated enough about your body to not be discouraged by 1-3 pound ups and downs, and see past that static. I weigh in everyday now, I call it “Facing The Music” , facing myself, the truth, whatever you want to call it.
I’ll never forget my DH saying as I was too against weighin in with Backpack on at the onset of the big Mt. Whitney trip in ‘00 (and had him weigh in my pack for me) because I didn’t want to publically admit I was starting to slowly gain back the weight I had lost 5 years before, and he said I was in denial. At the time I resented that, but now I blame it on denial which allowed me to get even 35 pounds heavier than that trip (the weight of an entire backpack at that!)
As long as you’re not gaining, maintaining while you learn valuable lessons in Enjoying Food, is a lot to grateful for. Academically speaking, if we just Live Now as we intend to live & eat when we are slender (whatever weight that is), then the pounds should come off ever so slowly. I’ve been having intuitions about this, based on my reading “FrenchWomen…” , about how losing slow and steady, as in plugging in the maintenance lifestyle should in theory, take the weight off incrementally. Don’t you think? Email me if you would like me to elaborate…
Good Going Sarah ~
December 31st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
One of the many lovely things about Paris is that culture and the layout of the city really encourage one to walk rather than drive. Even if you take the metro back, you’re still walking to and from the station, which is more than most people in the states do.
The public transportation situaiton in Minneapolis is dismal, and many neighborhoods, particularly in the suburbs, have been designed to actually discourage pedestrians. In many cases, one has to drive across the street or risk being run over by traffic. There are no sidewalks, no crosswalks, nothing to encourage people to walk anywhere.
After my short visit to France a few years ago, my personal theory as to why the French can eat all that wonderful food and yet remain fit has been that they walk, walk, walk, all the time.
December 31st, 2007 at 10:58 pm
That brisk 45 minute walk is great. If you can at least do 20 minutes of exercise every day to start with - that’s what WW recommends - you’ll start to see a difference. I know you probably already know that. A naturopathic doctor that I spoke to told me that if you cannot fit your exercise in on any given day, stick to a 10/10/10 rule: 10 sit ups, 10 push ups and 10 jumping jacks. I thought this was kind of cute, hadn’t heard the term jumping jacks since 5th grade, but I think it has merits. Your decision to bring the scale back in sounds like good sense. Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2008 at 3:18 am
I have found it necessary to test drive diets to see what works for me and what doesn’t. Perhaps this one doesn’t work for you after all. Regardless, you have learned something and that is important. Take the knowledge and move on - or adapt it to what you want.
Cheers! Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2008 at 7:44 am
Happy New Year! I miss walking myself. There aren’t even sidewalks for me to attempt walking in my area. I agree with canadianchunky, test driving a diet is a great idea. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best.
January 1st, 2008 at 9:24 am
I think bringing the scale in is a good thing, as long as it does not dictate how you feel on any given day. I only weigh once a week now whereas I used to weigh at least five times a day before and depending on what the scale said is what my mood for the day was..the scale was my frienemy. And can still be if I allow it to be…
Happy New Year