Change is required for success

This was a message I wrote to one of the message boards, where people were having a VERY hard time realizing they had to make a change or they would never get out of the rut.

Well, I guess I'm a little confused by some of the comments in this section. As a morbidly obese person when I started this program, my intention was to reach goal in 18-24 months, so there was no thought of "going off the program". My rewards are NEVER food related. That's how I got where I was....fat, diabetic, with high cholesterol, out-of-sight triglycerides, etc. This is really a matter of lifestyle changes. It is not a diet, and if you view it as such, you will not be successful (in other words, keep the weight off). It has taken me over 60 years to finally realize this. I've lost weight on WW, Jenny Craig, and a host of other plans, but that's all I was doing....losing weight. I was not changing my eating habits. If you go back to what you were doing, you'll get what you had.....an overweight body. No, this is more than a program to lose weight. It is a way to learn to eat in a healthy manner and do that the rest of your life....not for a few months. We have to face the fact that we have bodies that will not allow us to eat those high fat, salty, greasy, sugary foods. I will tell you that I have allowed myself to have one meal off program for each six weeks, starting with the 3rd six weeks (I am in my 10th six weeks now). It has been a journey of discovery. My all-time favorite food was Thai, and that was my first choice for an off meal. Well, for 24 hours afterward, I could not bend the fingers in my right hand and EVERY joint in my body ached. It was the salt!! I don't EVER want Thai food again. Then, my second favorite food was Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with all the trimmings. What I learned that six weeks was that after two bites, I did NOT like cheese enchiladas any more. We were at a very nice upscale Mexican restaurant, and they do not serve anything floating in grease, but the cheese itself was so slick and salty in my mouth, that I just didn't ever want to experience that again. I have planned events around my one meal a six weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc.) I do not gain that week, because the rest of the week I do rapid results (no more than 2 meals a day), which counteracts that one meal.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you can attend special events and eat reasonably without damaging your plan, but remember you must counteract that meal with a more stringent program the rest of the week. I love that I no longer crave those salty, greasy things, and now the only demon I have to "kill" is the sugar demon. It's coming along, and as long as I do not vary from the 2-3 hours between meals/snacks, it does not rear its ugly head!!
Sorry this got so long. It's just that I want everyone to be successful, and planning and organization are the keys to success. Read as many profiles and look at as many pictures as you can of the people who are being successul. After all, success breeds success!!! (First published 5/3/05)