November 10, 2008 "How Did You Do It?"

Lately ALOT of people have been commenting on my weight loss. Some are folks I haven't seen in ages, so obviously I look quite different. Some are people who have been watching me lose, have commented before, but are saying there's a big difference lately. And, strangely, a few who I see regularly seem to just now be noticing that there's something different about me. (Which makes me wonder, did they NOT notice the first 90 pounds?)
Anyway, regardless of which group they are in, nearly everyone has one common question. "How did you do it?"
Depending on the situation, I may give details, or I may just say something as simple as "diet and exercise". I've told alot of people about SparkPeople, and several have even joined. The amazing thing is, everyone seems so surprised to hear that I did it with diet and exercise. Some actually seem disappointed! What? No magic bullet? No miracle pill? No groundbreaking new diet?
Nope. Just eating healthy, nutritious, natural foods in reasonable quantities, and getting a daily dose of exercise. No gimmicks. No pills. No crazy fad diets. Just the sensible, tried and true, diet and exercise. (Well, yeah, and SparkPeople--maybe that's the magic bullet!)
Why is it such a surprise that I did it this way? Are we really so hung up on all the latest diet crazes and celebrity weight loss gimmicks that we can't believe it's possible to lose weight "the old fashioned way"?
I have an idea about that. People want an EASY fix. They want to do it fast--immediate gratification. They don't want to work for it. They don't want to wait for results. I know. I was one of them for a very long time. I could teach classes on nutrition with all I've learned over the years. I've lost (and regained) at least 1000 pounds in my life (really!) Somehow, the pounds always came back, and they brought friends too, leaving me heavier than ever. I wanted an easy way out.
I have finally learned that there is not a quick and easy way. But there IS a simple way. Eat a sensible, healthy, balanced diet. Get some exercise at least 5 days a week. Drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.
It's NOT a quick fix. But long term, it works. Why? Becuase it's not a diet, which by design is meant to end at some point, and then you're left with the rest of your life and the old "what do I do now that I'm not on a diet anymore" mentality. Nope, it's not a diet. It's a lifestyle change. I heard this so many times over the years, but it never sunk in. I've always been so black and white. Either I'm ON a diet or I'm OFF a diet. Starving my self or stuffing myself. Maintenance? Ya got me, I've never done that! So why is this time different?
It's different because I haven't just broken the old bad habits. I've replaced them with a completely new way of living. I have days where I don't track my food for various reasons (vacation, odd food situations where there's just no way to log everything, special occasions, etc.) But on those days, instead of eating myself silly like I would have done in the past, I find I actually stick pretty close to my regular plan. A case in point is my vacation over the summer where I didn't log my food, just wrote everything down. When I had access to a computer and logged things in, I found I was in or very close to my range for calories, protein, and fiber, even without trying or realizing it! Why? Becuase this is just how I do things now!
No one told me "you can't have" trans fats, or high fructose corn syrup, or processed sugars, or preservatives, or artificial ingredients. I CHOSE to eliminate them. And I CHOOSE to continue to do so. Why? Because I honestly don't want to put that garbage in my body. No one tells me "you have to" go to the gym, go to the pool, go for a walk. I CHOOSE to do it. Why? Becuase it makes me feel good. It gives me energy. I actually enjoy it now. So it's not about what I "have to" eat, not eat, do, not do, but what I CHOOSE to eat, not eat, do, not do. It's not a program that's been imposed on me. It's a program that I have CHOSEN to do. I dont' have to be accountable to anyone other than myself.
See, it really IS simple! Which is good, becuase if something is too complicated it is unlikely to be any good in the long run. But simple works long term. Simple I can do. I can stick with it. And in doing so, it actually becomes easy.
Hmmm, maybe I've found the easy way after all...