Friend lost 40 lbs...only to gain most of it back.

Storytime:

A friend weighed 215 lbs last year and underwent a 5 month weight loss diet of 1 meal a day and lots of cardio exercise.

His weight before the cruise: 175.

His cruise was 4 weeks long and his weight after the cruise: 198.

I'm thinking, dam all that suffering and pain throughout the months to lose the weight...empty stomach growling, always tired/exhausted at work, always hungry...only to gain it all back.

As for me...I might take a cruise next year early winter. So I have plenty of time to lose. I am thinking of going down to a healthy 160 lbs which allows me 10lbs of room for weight gain during the cruise.

Any person that losses weight by doing an extreme change they cannot or do not intend to keep for life is going to regain their weight. If you don't change your permanent lifestyle and habits then you will just return to your old self.

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Any person that losses weight by doing an extreme change they cannot or do not intend to keep for life is going to regain their weight. If you don't change your permanent lifestyle and habits then you will just return to your old self.

 

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This.

I'll add that a good weight loss and maintenance plan never leaves you with a growling stomach, tired, or hungry.

I'll bet you that most of that weight is caused by an overabundance of salt in food. Salt's a nasty thing if too much of it is taken. It can cause quick weight gain because of water retention (You get thirsty after eating something salty and a lot of it doesn't get "evacuated" because of salt's effect. Do that for 4 weeks and watch the pounds stack up) and it's bad for blood pressure.

It's probably just a matter of your friend going back to his healthy lifestyle and he'll see those extra pounds come off pretty quick.

However, I'll chime in with the others, a proper weight loss and exercise plan shouldn't leave you terribly hungry and tired. On the contrary, it should make you feel way more alive and well.

Storytime:

 

A friend weighed 215 lbs last year and underwent a 5 month weight loss diet of 1 meal a day and lots of cardio exercise.

 

His weight before the cruise: 175.

 

His cruise was 4 weeks long and his weight after the cruise: 198.

 

I'm thinking, dam all that suffering and pain throughout the months to lose the weight...empty stomach growling, always tired/exhausted at work, always hungry...only to gain it all back.

 

 

As for me...I might take a cruise next year early winter. So I have plenty of time to lose. I am thinking of going down to a healthy 160 lbs which allows me 10lbs of room for weight gain during the cruise.

Thats why I don't like the word or concept of a diet. You need to change your lifestyle in a permanent way.

So often I hear folks say they want to lose weight for a cruise, or for a wedding or for some special event, but I wonder what the long term plan is. I'm not sure how much good it does to diet strenously for a cruise, just to regain some or all of the weight on the cruise.

To me the only "diet" that makes sense is a reasonable one you can follow long term and maintain your weight loss even on a cruise or through other big events.

That said, a statistic given in the recent documentary "Fed Up" about how sugar hidden in much of the processed food we eat is a major cause of obesity. It says that 95% of dieters who lose weight regain all of it within five years! That is really discouraging.

That just shows that the fight to maintain a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment and probably will not succeed if one just diets from special event to special event. I do understand how a special event can be a big motivation. Heck, I've done it myself and, yes, regained the weight soon afterwards.

For me it was my wedding and it was the first time in my life I had been TRULY heavy and when I faced reality it was awful, but I did lose close to 60 lbs and had my wedding dress taken in 6 inches-not enough time to buy another one-but I've kept the weight off for 2 years. The weird thing was that I never was a junk eater-I ate healthy-just too much of healthy foods-grains/beans/fruit and I had to learn how to measure portion sizes. I think people as a rule view food as an enemy and not a friend and a lot of it is how you perceive food. I haven't tested this theory, but I think if most people just took what they like to eat and had the correct portion sizes and learned that eventually the hunger pangs go away when your stomach starts shrinking then that would help some lose weight, or even if you limited eating out. We rarely eat out anymore because I just can't stand the taste of the food and would rather buy better quality food with the money and eat it at home.

So often I hear folks say they want to lose weight for a cruise, or for a wedding or for some special event, but I wonder what the long term plan is. I'm not sure how much good it does to diet strenously for a cruise, just to regain some or all of the weight on the cruise.

 

To me the only "diet" that makes sense is a reasonable one you can follow long term and maintain your weight loss even on a cruise or through other big events.

That said, a statistic given in the recent documentary "Fed Up" about how sugar hidden in much of the processed food we eat is a major cause of obesity. It says that 95% of dieters who lose weight regain all of it within five years! That is really discouraging.

 

That just shows that the fight to maintain a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment and probably will not succeed if one just diets from special event to special event. I do understand how a special event can be a big motivation. Heck, I've done it myself and, yes, regained the weight soon afterwards.

This is the reason extreme diets are a bad idea. We have these stupid tv shows that give people the idea that they can/should expect to lose massive weight. We have fad diets that demonize groups of food (wheat) and even entire macronutrients (carbs). The reality is that when you restrict yourself to drastic levels, compliance is never going to last very long, and the yo-yo effect happens.

The key is not to deprive yourself when you lost weight because that is usually means that one will gain most of the weight back.

It needs to be a change in life style.

Keith

Totally agree, Keith. I don't do well with deprivation. I eat what I want, but I modify to have it in a healthier way. For instance, I eat pizza but I make it myself, cut down on the cheese and add lots of fresh vegetables. I love it, get my pizza fix and have a much better quality meal. Long-term deprivation is a set up for failure, unfortunately. For most of us healthy eating and healthy weight is a life-long battle and the only way to win it is to change our lifestyle. The word "diet" almost spells failure because one is either "on" or "off". Just a matter of time before we "go off" but lifestyle change is a permanent commitment. I am working on the balance between having a wonderful cruise and enjoying my food, while staying in control. My last cruise I gained 3 1/2 pounds which was off in less than a week. It was true success, because it reminded me that I CAN have a great time without gaining a bunch of weight.

Long term weight loss..in other keep it off does does not come from a diet, it comes from a complete life style change, by changing the way you eat and your activity levels...it has to be something you can maintain the rest of you life. Fad or crash diets will help you loose weight but once you quit and go back to "normal" the weight will come back!!! A proper lifestyle will not leave you hungry or allow you to miss out on the good things in life...and will even allow a a splurge here and there. Do some research there are a lot of good programs out there to get you started , but non are a quick fix, if it sounds to good to be true it more than likely is, there are no magic ways of reaching your health goals, just will power and commitment.

I have a medical condition that causes me to exclude all the fine sugar and starches from my diet extremely extremely sick if I eat any of it (even by mistake!). This includes chemicals from pre processed foods . So for the last 2 years my diet has included nothing but fresh fruit fresh vegetables (cept potatoes, corn, parsnips, soy, etc starch!) meat, fish, nuts, aged cheeses honey that's about it! No dairy allowed, except eggs and real butter.

I tell you, when you have no choice but to get used to a change in diet (aka life style) like this you just do it no questions asked.. it's either that or keep yoyo-ing in and out of the hospital.

BUT... it's been 2 years now.. it's a crazy extremely healthy diet, I'm allowed to use much as i want within the foods I'm allowed... can't eat out much because I have to be able trust that all the food is fresh with no chemicals or preservatives ( I've gotten quite creative in the kitchen! Lol)

My weight dropped like a brick to my current size 6 (I'm 5'7" tall) and just varies a couple pounds either way since I started eating this way. Just "clean" food is the only way I can describe it, nothing from a box, a can, a bag, ever, no cheats ever, unless it's from within the groups of food you are allowed to eat then splurge on fruit and things you can make up with those foods...

It really works...

Sugar, salt and junk will taste positively horrid to you within just weeks if you can discipline yourself to try this for just a couple of weeks. Your taste buds change, bad habits you don't even know you have are broken... And you find you don't even miss the foods that have been hurting you....really!! The longer you stick with it the more it becomes second nature to you to eat healthy and you actually can change your mindset . You'll enjoy the healthy new you, and the longer it goes your body looking good will honestly become secondary to how physically good you feel!! ( you WILL look amazing though lol!)

Just wanted to share... hope this helps even one person!!!

Moderation; not deprivation! Eat healthy 80% of the time, Enjoy yourself 20% of the time, and exercise ALL OF THE TIME! Include all food groups and eat balanced meals, train with weights, and do cardio.

I certainly hope you didn't misunderstand , I do not deprive myself of anything except the things that physically I'm not allowed to eat !

of the things that I'm allowed to eat I eat to my heart's content!!! :) they just happen to be extremely healthy so you could say that I eat healthy 100% of the time and I'm now used to it, its been over two years, so you CAN eat healthy 100% of the time and "enjoy" yourself ALL the time!! Its just a mindset, that "enjoyment part" that tells us unhealthy food just tastes soo much better than healthy food. You CAN reprogram your mindset is all I'm saying, if you really want to, or in my case have to. I've personally found that the " questionable" food really isn't all that good once you give your palate/ mouth a chance to "reset" from all the added salts and sugars, that there is good food within the healthy foods it is just as enjoyable!! you just don't know it until you decommission your palate from eating the non healthy salt, sugar & fat laden foods.... it's just like breaking any other habit.

And like any other habit... you have to want to....you need to give it time to work for you ...

Interesting that all the posts focus on the "diet". With any plan, we should also be thinking about the exercise. The two work together to make the whole weight management program work. Good luck to all of you. It is a tough thing.

I think that having an end date to my "diet" sure makes it a lot easier. And looking forward to a cruise is perfect!

I also never, ever weigh within 3 days of coming home from the cruise. You are just punishing yourself. Start back to your workout and your healthy foods, then weigh a few days later. :D

Interesting that all the posts focus on the "diet". With any plan, we should also be thinking about the exercise. The two work together to make the whole weight management program work. Good luck to all of you. It is a tough thing.

 

I think that having an end date to my "diet" sure makes it a lot easier. And looking forward to a cruise is perfect!

The only end date to my diet is when I die. Diet shouldn't mean a different plan than normal but what your normally dietary habits are for every day. A true diet as many have mentioned should not require deprecation.

Exercise is not a requirement to maintain a healthy weight. While it can be helpful (and is advised) it is not an absolute. I lost 105 pounds with no real exercise other than yoga once or twice a week. Now that I'm disabled I can't even do that much without struggle. Yet I do still maintain a healthy weight for my height with little effort.

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