Any point going on a diet if I won't keep it up forever?

amother

Chocolate

Thu, Feb 28 2019, 4:17 pm

I'm around 15 pounds overweight, and I would like to try and lose it.
However, I know that I won't be able to keep up a diet lifestyle long term. I also don't want to, I want to be able to eat normal foods.

Will it all just come piling back on once I stop dieting? I'm not doing anything drastic, just making healthier choices eg. salmon & salad instead of bread for lunch etc.

I'm also combining with exercise since I believe that my sedentary lifestyle has contributed to my weight gain (I work on computer from home and was rarely getting out or moving much).

Wondering if there's any point? Is there such a thing as losing and then maintaining afterwards while semi going back to previous eating habits?

SixOfWands

Thu, Feb 28 2019, 4:44 pm

amother wrote:

Diets don't work.

https://highline.huffingtonpos.....rong/

Quote:

Since 1959, research has shown that 95 to 98 percent of attempts to lose weight fail and that two-thirds of dieters gain back more than they lost. The reasons are biological and irreversible. As early as 1969, research showed that losing just 3 percent of your body weight resulted in a 17 percent slowdown in your metabolism—a body-wide starvation response that blasts you with hunger hormones and drops your internal temperature until you rise back to your highest weight. Keeping weight off means fighting your body’s energy-regulation system and battling hunger all day, every day, for the rest of your life.

Which doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to make healthful eating choices, and get regular exercise. You should. But you don't need to connect those things to a "diet" mentality.

mommy3b2c

Thu, Feb 28 2019, 5:05 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Which doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to make healthful eating choices, and get regular exercise. You should. But you don't need to connect those things to a "diet" mentality.

Hmmm. I just lost 25 pounds in the last year. I am not hungrier. I am less hungry. My stomach shrunk. I get full much faster.

Chana Miriam S

Fri, Mar 01 2019, 9:59 am

I have been eating the same way since May 11, 2017. While I have adapted over time ( stricter , actually) the knowledge that I never cheat, always eat food I like and the peace in my head all make me confident and secure in my decision to never go off my way of eating, ever.

I am very triggered by carbs, so I am careful with how much of the I eat. Other than that, I am satiated and maintaining my weightloss. I’d like to lose more and am researching how to best do that without triggering my eating disorder. Still, I never felt this good in my whole life. My bloods are great, my no is great and not having the horrible voices in my head is everything. No sense of impending doom like every other time I lost weight. I will maintain, because I can live like this forever, I’m so happy!

Cheiny

Fri, Mar 01 2019, 11:29 am

andrea levy wrote:

What type of carbs do you eat? Do you never ever “cheat???”

amother

Lemon

Fri, Mar 01 2019, 1:39 pm

andrea levy wrote:

1) if you've lost weight this way, why aren't you continuing to lose if you're sticking to the same plan?
2) would exercise help?

FranticFrummie

Sat, Mar 02 2019, 12:38 pm

9 years ago I lost 60 pounds. I only gained 5 pounds back, because I like ice cream.

I don't feel like I'm missing anything, and I don't have any cravings. I don't like nosh or candy, and I don't do desserts in general. Even ice cream is a very rare treat for me. If I want something, a few squares of very dark chocolate are enough.

amother

Slateblue

Sat, Mar 02 2019, 6:13 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

9 years ago I lost 60 pounds. I only gained 5 pounds back, because I like ice cream.

Can you please share how you did it? Also, how do you eat now? Thanks!