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Another day of sticking to the plan. It really is a "one day at a time" thing. Each day when I get up, I have to actively make the decision to spend another day limiting what I eat. Each day, when I get up, I get on the scales and mark the result on a chart. I have done this for 424 days now, including during a 6-7 month period where I did not actively work to lose weight. Continuing the behavior prevented me from regaining a significant portion of the weight I had worked to lose in the first 5 months of this journey. Although I was not actively "dieting" during that off time, when the scales would show that I had gained more than 3 pounds, I would tighten control for a few days to drop those pounds.

When I resumed actively working at losing, I weighted 4 pounds more than when I had faded off back in November. Maintenance has never been great for me, I have lost significant amounts of weight at times in my life but when I get to the point where I stop "dieting", it is typically not long before pounds start to return. It is also typically my pattern to not get on the scales for extended periods of time when this is happening so I am not confronted with the returning weight. I have come to realize that for the rest of my life, I will need to take a weight every morning if I want to avoid regaining what I've lost. Regaining is not an option this time.

I began this weight loss journey over a year ago after waking in Afib, which continued for what seemed like hours but was actually 5-10 minutes. It was not the first time I’d had Afib but it had been pretty controlled for a year. I learned weight can be a contributing factor and decided that day that I would lose weight. I also realized I would have to keep it off for the rest of my life if I hope to minimize the Afib. I can’t say if the lost weight is the reason but I think I have only had one brief episode in the past year. I hope it is having a positive impact on the Afib, as well as other health factors. It surely can’t hurt.

DotLewis 7 Aug 10
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Yes, I have to be conscious of my calories always, or I will stray. I weigh daily, but only log any changes, up or down. I'm down 80# in 40 months. That's an ounce a day. My most-effective tools are NOT having high-calorie foods in the house and always having lots of low-cal veggies at hand. If I gain a pound, then I know I need to mostly stick to veggies that are under 10-cal/oz for a couple days... like summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, sprouts, leafy stuff, scallions, cauliflower, cucumber, etc... all of which I love, so no problem. Salad days. I have a lean chicken breast 3-4x/wk, add some canned salmon and beans to salads and enjoy egg whites a few x/week as well. I think the daily weighing is important for me. The head-in-the-sand method I used years ago just naturally has me wandering back into cheating myself and gaining it all back while ignorantly, or knowingly, looking the other way. If I'm going to make an adjustment I want it to be for just one pound, not 15. I'm at 160# now and have maybe 10# to go for my goal. This is NOT a diet... it's a lifetime eating habit I'm creating.

mtnhome Level 7 Aug 11, 2018

This is much like me in the need to monitor myself regularly (daily) as I can get that "head in the sand" thing going pretty easy, or at least that has always been my pattern. This time the health concerns means no going back to that old pattern of just acting like everything is "normal" and I can eat what I want, not monitor weight and still not gain. That always spells relapse.

I am down 44 pounds in 14 months and hope to lose another 11 by mid-November. I use that date because I know what the holiday season is like for me, so during that time I will work to maintain then decide on a new goal after the beginning of the year. Because I am a bit of a brat and I love to cook/bake, I am not able to keep to as austere eating program as you. I do keep some things in the house that must be limited, like ice cream. I do use tricks like measuring it out in 1/2 cup containers to put in the freezer, which is in the basement, thus a special trip to get that small container. It doesn't stop me from having ice cream but I find that I will often go 2 weeks or longer between a frozen treat.

The brat in me refuses to be "deprived" too much of the tasty stuff I like. I like to make jelly/jam and when my pear tree produces, I can or dry many of them. I also love mixing up some rhubarb bread or bars and even green tomato (end of season) bread/cake and last year I made a green tomato jelly that was great. I gift a lot of these things to friends but not all so it does mean I have to rely on my inner voice, telling me to keep the servings small. That voice will have to also remind me regularly that this is for my health and I will do whatever it takes to avoid further incidents. Making this a lifetime eating habit is what I am striving for, too.

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