a response

I got a comment on the last post that I thought I should respond to. I started to respond there, but it got too long so I decided to just post about it. Here's a portion of the comment, from chantal (go here to read the full comment):

I read a bit of your journal and I don't know why I'm writing this, but if you want to lose weight please stop eating candy and desserts and fried food and pizza.I'm not trying to be mean, but I know you want to see results, and you have lost some, but if you try to eat low fat foods and lots of fruit, vegetables, and water, than you will see results.

Here's the thing, though. Those first 26 lbs? I lost them eating candy and desserts and fried food and pizza. I just ate less of them than I would have if I were not trying to lose weight. I did it this way because I had tried losing weight by cutting out these foods, and I was never able to keep it up for very long. Since I knew I was going to be trying to lose weight for a long time, I had to use a plan I could follow for a long time. In my case, with my personality, the answer was "no" to any plan that told me I couldn't have any particular food. "All things in moderation" has become my motto. And for 26 lbs, it's worked. I've stagnated a bit over the past couple months, but mostly it's because I've been eating more calories, not because my diet is any unhealthier than it was at the start.

You see, I believe weight loss is all about the math. According to most maintenance calorie calculators, my body needs roughly 2100 calories to function on an average day. If I eat less than that, I'll lose weight. Whether those calories come from broccoli or pizza, it's all the same from a strictly body-fueling standpoint. So I eat what I like. I may have to eat less if I choose the pizza over the grilled chicken and string beans, but that's my choice. I may feel better if I eat the apple instead of the pudding, but again--I made a choice. Whether that choice is based on nutrition or emotion depends on the mood of the day.

That said, I have made some subtle changes to my diet...they're just not readily apparent to those who didn't know me before. For instance, I hardly ever eat hamburgers and french fries anymore. I was never overly fond of them to begin with, and they just aren't worth the calories. I also eat much smaller portions than I used to. I eat out much less often. I do much less boredom eating. I eat slower, and stop when I'm full. I drink a lot more water. They're little things, nothing drastic. But they're all things that are going to make it easier to maintain my weight loss, moreso than temporarily cutting out fried food or candy would.

Chantal did say that she had only read "a bit" of this journal, so I can see where she's coming from. Stumbling upon this site for the first time and reading the last couple weeks of diet logs, I'm sure people wonder how I ever lost any weight at all. I'm not here to be a role model. My "plan" is not for everyone, and I don't recommend it to anyone. If you can handle a low-fat, high-fiber diet for an extended period of time, I say go for it. You're going to feel better and probably get faster results than I am.

I do it this way because this is what has been working for me. And as much as I bitch, it's still working. If I can get my butt in gear and work out some this weekend, and keep my eating pretty clean (easy on the sodium, carbs--to minimize bloat) on Tuesday, I should be able to get a sub-190 weigh in on Wednesday. Not because I'm cutting out fried food, or pizza, or candy, but because I'm taking in less calories than my body needs. If you ask me, it's really just that simple.

I share the exact same theory as you, Joy, and I see nothing terribly wrong with it. Your point about finding a plan that you can stick with for a really long time is just how I feel. There's no way in hell I'd last more than a day or two if I cut out all the "good stuff" completely. And the way I see it, skinny people can eat that stuff sometimes, so why should I restrict candy and pizza and all that for the rest of my life? I think not. I don't really care how long it takes me to lose weight, as long as it does eventually come off. And the way I see it, the longer the weight loss process, the more time I have to build reasonable eating habits, and therefore the more likely I will be able to maintain my weight loss.