the question I have

bob wrote:
:: While we are discussing the paucity of information long term maint.
:: of weight loss, the question I have that I have never seen or heard
:: answered with any clarity is what is long term weight loss. A year,
:: five years?

It depends. Your body, your experiment, your journey.

More importantly, do such descriptors have any practical
:: meaning, ie, after a certain period of time, do people generally
:: adapt to the new lifestyle and follow it naturally, or must the
:: dieter be wary forever, as I have heard that reformed alcoholics
:: have to be?
::

IMO, it will not be natural, as in something requiring no thought. Keep in
mind that I didn't start LCing until I was about 43, so at 46, I only have 3
years of experience to weigh against 43 years. Thus, I'm assuming a journey
that will always involve struggle to "beat back the beast," so to speak.

:: Are there variations on weight that has been there for a long time,
:: versus new weight? That is, does how long you have been over weight
:: play into this?

I think so.

I lost 20 pounds that I have had for 10 years, and
:: then lost another 20 pounds that I have had for over 20 years. Some
:: of the last few pounds had not been off me for 27 years. Is loss of
:: such old fat of more significance?

I think so. The longer it's off, the more it becomes your status quo, or
your steady state. Your steady state is where you can easily stay, imo,
without lots of thought or attention. It might be a setpoint.

::
:: While I have been able to maintain for a year now, and it has been
:: incredibly easier than LF, it still seems to require, or perhaps
:: just get a lot of my attention. Does it ever become second nature?

It depends, IMO.

bob wrote:
:: three answers to my post and not one even attmpts to address the
:: questions i posted....
::
:: time folks, i was asking about time, not carbs, not metabolism, but
:: time.....

Here, you can claim ownership of your post, not the thread that results.

bob wrote:
:: three answers to my post and not one even attmpts to address the
:: questions i posted....
::
:: time folks, i was asking about time, not carbs, not metabolism, but
:: time.....

Here, you can claim ownership of your post, not the thread that results.

thanks, that is an interesting site.


"heartha" wrote in message
...
Bob, have you looked at the National Weight Control Registry to see what
they consider long term? (www.nwcr.ws)

bob wrote:

you are missing my question. I am asking if there is some time period, after
which few(er) people fall back, indicating that the behavior has become
"natural" or habit. I am trying to distinguish between two models: either it
is a struggle that you have the rest of your life, and the tempation to
backslide is the same after 20 years as it after 3 months, or after some
period of time, the change becomes habit and becomes part of the person's
natural behavior.
-------

hi, bob -

I have been reading the group (now and then) ... over the last two
years. That's when I got and acted on my wake up call.... ;-)

It took me a while to correct the problems I had created for myself by
thinking that I could eat what ever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not
pay a price for it.

During the years that I was the caregiver for my mother, I found comfort
at the end of the day from treats that were not good for me. This
piled more than 40 pounds of misery onto my little frame and I hated it.
It was gradual...over a 14 year time period.

I had never been close to "overweight" before that. Even pregnant (4Xs)
I never weighed more than 128 pounds...it was not in my body's nature to
be a big person. My point is, weight was never a problem until the
stress was so great that I coped with it in the wrong way.

One day I had what some call a "light bulb moment", realized what I had
done and decided to change it. That was on Jan. 29th 2002. It took about
9 months to correct it .... my weight has been stable at 113-115 since then.

I can't predict the future but I suspect that particular problem is over
for me.... ;-) I know there will be others LOL....life is full of
challenges.

I wish all of you good luck in your journey toward better health and
being the person you want to be.

Patricia

"If you always do - what you've always done then you're always going to
get - what you always got."

"Cubit" wrote in message
. com...
I'm guessing at two possible explanations for those who abandon LC.
First,
is a theory that humans imprint on their food at an early age, which leads
to returning to that carby food pattern as an adult. The second idea is
that successful dieters are overcome by social pressures to return to
carbs,
which leads to regain.

I am definitely feeling pressure from some friends, family, and
co-workers to conform back to what they consider the "normal" way of eating.
Especially since the one year anniversary of my starting Atkins' is coming
up. With a recent media report stating that lo-carb is waning, the comments
are getting more frequent. It's kind of funny because I worry about the way
they eat as well. I am confident that I can continue despite the negativity
and hopefully set an example by keeping my weight at goal.
Tom
210/180/180



"bob" wrote in message
m...
While we are discussing the paucity of information long term maint. of
weight loss, the question I have that I have never seen or heard
answered
with any clarity is what is long term weight loss. A year, five years?
More
importantly, do such descriptors have any practical meaning, ie, after a
certain period of time, do people generally adapt to the new lifestyle
and
follow it naturally, or must the dieter be wary forever, as I have heard
that reformed alcoholics have to be?

Are there variations on weight that has been there for a long time,
versus
new weight? That is, does how long you have been over weight play into
this?
I lost 20 pounds that I have had for 10 years, and then lost another 20
pounds that I have had for over 20 years. Some of the last few pounds
had
not been off me for 27 years. Is loss of such old fat of more
significance?

While I have been able to maintain for a year now, and it has been
incredibly easier than LF, it still seems to require, or perhaps just
get
a
lot of my attention. Does it ever become second nature?

"Cubit" wrote in message
. com...
Had you let your carbs increase?


Yup. After lunch I started eating a small amout of chocolate. Then I added
some grapes. Then I did the same thing after dinner. And of course the
effects showed up on the scales. So I've cut out all that stuff and I'm
back where I should be.

==========
While we are discussing the paucity of information long term maint. of
weight loss, the question I have that I have never seen or heard
answered
with any clarity is what is long term weight loss. A year, five years?
More
importantly, do such descriptors have any practical meaning, ie, after
a
certain period of time, do people generally adapt to the new lifestyle
and
follow it naturally, or must the dieter be wary forever, as I have
heard
that reformed alcoholics have to be?
===========

I can not speak for others, but for me, long term is forever. I have
found a lifestyle (low-carb) that both works for me to lose and keep
the weight off, but it is also a way I can eat the rest of my life.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably not eat grain
products the rest of my life. (Sure there will be a litle here or
there, but for the most, they are out of my life. ) and since I accept
that, I do not miss it at all. (it has been almost 2 years since I ate
a cracker or a piece of bread)

Today, the cafeteria had Philly cheese steaks. I got to the front of
the line, I ordered a cheese steak, and when they handed me my plate,
there was no bread on it. The workers there know me now, and they know
I don't eat bread. It is just the way I live. The same way it was
just second nature for them to not put it on a roll, it is second
nature for me to not miss the roll.

(fyi, the cheese steak was great, to go with it, I have some broccoli
and dipped it in some Ranch dressing.)

For me 15 years of dieting never worked. It was a complete life style
change that did it.

==========
While we are discussing the paucity of information long term maint. of
weight loss, the question I have that I have never seen or heard
answered
with any clarity is what is long term weight loss. A year, five years?
More
importantly, do such descriptors have any practical meaning, ie, after
a
certain period of time, do people generally adapt to the new lifestyle
and
follow it naturally, or must the dieter be wary forever, as I have
heard
that reformed alcoholics have to be?
===========

I can not speak for others, but for me, long term is forever. I have
found a lifestyle (low-carb) that both works for me to lose and keep
the weight off, but it is also a way I can eat the rest of my life.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably not eat grain
products the rest of my life. (Sure there will be a litle here or
there, but for the most, they are out of my life. ) and since I accept
that, I do not miss it at all. (it has been almost 2 years since I ate
a cracker or a piece of bread)

Today, the cafeteria had Philly cheese steaks. I got to the front of
the line, I ordered a cheese steak, and when they handed me my plate,
there was no bread on it. The workers there know me now, and they know
I don't eat bread. It is just the way I live. The same way it was
just second nature for them to not put it on a roll, it is second
nature for me to not miss the roll.

(fyi, the cheese steak was great, to go with it, I have some broccoli
and dipped it in some Ranch dressing.)

For me 15 years of dieting never worked. It was a complete life style
change that did it.

=====
PS, after losing my weight I found that I had a bony overgrowth that I
hadn't noticed before. Turns out they were my hips! Really, I went to
the
doctor over that one)
=====

LOL!!!! I remember when I found out I had a wrist bone.... Even today
if I clasp my hands they "feel" different (thin).