wildgoose wrote:@taymariekay Lindsey has the exact right idea. You just keep doing what you’ve been doing all along.
I never believed that in the past. I always thought I could go back to my old ways, at least some of them, some of the time. The kind of thinking that always derailed all my progress and started to put weight back on me went something like this...
- After I lose the weight, it will be so great to be able to have _______ again.
- My favorite _______ is a reward that I’ll give myself as a tasty treat after I lose <whatever number> pounds.
- I miss _______ so much, I can’t imagine giving it up forever. I should be able to have it in moderation after I lose the weight.
No, no, and no. The only way I’ve been able to keep weight off without struggling is to simply and straightforwardly decide on a way of eating I can live with permanently. Anything I miss a LOT, and that I would be longing to have again, is a giant red flag for the Pleasure Trap. No, I can’t have it in moderation. If I could, I wouldn’t have stayed fat all those years. I wouldn’t have lost and regained the same 40-60 pounds over and over. No, that rich food is not a treat or a reward. It’s an excuse to re-ignite cravings and set myself off on a months-long binge.
Your situation, and your personality, may be different. I can only speak for myself. But I’ve been on diets since I was a hatchling, and I’ve never been able to maintain a weight loss without stress — until now. And the way I’m doing it is to stay with MWL. I have a few minor additions to my diet now, mostly condiments, but any of the things I used to crave are permanently off the menu. The reward is that I'm in a deep groove and hardly give that stuff a second thought.
You may be able to maintain your weight by following the regular McDougall plan, which includes whole grain flour products and some higher-fat plant foods like avocado and nuts. I can’t. Lots of us keep eating MWL permanently. It’s not strange or restrictive or hard any more, it’s just how we eat.
Goose
Goose, it's crazy because I feel like you're in my brain! Especially those examples you give. Those are me, BIG time. I think part of me is so attached to my "comforting" pleasure trap foods and it's hard for me to mentally let them go. I keep telling myself I can have them, just not today. Not soon. But someday. And then I know it's not true deep down, and I feel pathetic for even feeling so attached haha. I think you and I probably have similar personalities in this way.
Backstory: I grew up with parents who owned a vending machine business and we had every candy, chip, snack, soda, microwave pizza you could imagine, in our basement. It was for the business but we pretty much took whatever we wanted, when we wanted. Needless to say, my family and I grew large. My dad is full German, and his parents cooked us the best food and we ate the best chocolate. My palette and brain are just so attached to these foods from my childhood and I ate these foods to comfort me through hard times in middle school and high school. It's definitely a physical addiction for me and also a psychological comfort.
I've been overweight my whole life and don't think I've ever been in a truly slim body, and I've also tried dieting as long as I can remember. I know this "groove" you speak of, and it's a glorious place to be
I feel like I am close to that groove and I can't wait to see more pounds come off.
You and Lindsey are right. MWL is the only thing taking off the weight, so it's the only thing that will keep it off.
Thanks, Goose! Love all your helpful tips