Another Failed Weightwatchers Attempt!

Mustloseweight · Post by **Mustloseweight** » Sat May 28, 2016 7:10 am

Somebody once said, "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always get." Am I stupid? Actually no. I have a degree, plus a Masters degree, am a qualified teacher - so why when it comes to losing weight I act so utterly dumb? Part of me feels doomed, the other part of me sees myself as a total idiot. The weight affects what I can do, my marriage, my self-esteem, my confidence, the clothes I wear - I could go on....

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Sat May 28, 2016 7:13 am

Well, these things happen!
Glad to see you back here- Welcome!

MaggieMae · Post by **MaggieMae** » Sat May 28, 2016 1:09 pm

You're definitely not an idiot, mustloseweight! I'm in the same boat. Several degrees and a nurse of all things! Yet, I keep sabotaging my weight loss by going back and forth to things like calorie counting/ fat gram counting, etc. I'm actually restarting today myself after being on vacation and gaining weight. I've totally gotten out of my No S habits. We can do this!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat May 28, 2016 2:52 pm

The majority of people on the National Weight Loss Registry (who actually represent only a tiny fraction of people who attempt to lose weight) failed many times before the time that clicked. I noticed two things from reading there. 1) Their motivation got very clear and exaggerated but without guilt and self-hatred. 2) Their slips became very small because they got good at going right back to their plan, often on the very same day,or the next one. I think these two probably went hand-in-hand.

It sounds like at the moments of decision you are losing sight of the excellent reasons you have for consistently eating moderately. The neural pattern will try VERY hard to overcome these reasons in the moment, no matter how good they are. MAKE NO MISTAKE. The body doesn't want to give up the overeating habit. There are pleasurable parts of it that we don't like to admit, and which in the right circumstances would serve us very well. They have to be countered with the "pleasure" of other rewards, ones that might just be conceptual at first. Believe in the power of concept (good ol' prefrontal cortex!) backed by behavior that builds those new pleasures!) I gently suggest that you write your reasons on a card and read it MULTIPLE times a day for several weeks. I did that for months, and almost every day for a year. I STILL have the list on my desktop. (One of them that was chillingly powerful for me: If I don't say NO when it's hard, I'm likely to keep reinforcing this habit for the REST OF MY LIFE. Another was: I'll never experience the delight and peace of moderation if I don't DO it.) Very few of us are competitive athletes or professional musicians or the like, people who have no trouble keeping front and center a high priority. Most of us have to work at it because there are so many competing urges. Brian Wansink says we have 200 food cues a day. Balance that out with overt reminding of yourself what's at stake as calmly as possible. (Let's do this together, starting with a SOMETIMES S holiday weekend, as I've had a week of serious set back.)

For some, habitcal alone is enough. But if it hasn't been, do this other step that is foundational in habit change. Find a way to remember WHY you're doing it until you get over the hump[s]-as often as you need. And DON'T get mad at yourself when you slip.

Lastly, fill up on life in between your meals. That may take an even bigger vow than committing to No S, but what's the alternative?

Jen1974 · Post by **Jen1974** » Sat May 28, 2016 4:10 pm

If I don't say NO when it's hard, I'm likely to keep reinforcing this habit for the REST OF MY LIFE.

Love This!! This has been such an imporant part for me!!

That balanced with allowing myself times to say yes to things I REALLY want at the right time (special & sometimes) & in the right amount (no seconds). I love that when I tell myself no, I can always follow that up with "but this weekend you can..." & plan for something really worth the splurge!!

Good luck on your No S journey. I really believe that even though it's not always easy, it's a better & happier way of life here!!

erialicia · Post by **erialicia** » Mon May 30, 2016 1:17 am

If I had a dollar for every time I joined WW and quit i'd have about a hundred dollars! No kidding!

I am back to the no s diet! After two decades of dieting, it is the only thing that is sane to me

e-lyn · Post by **e-lyn** » Mon May 30, 2016 3:32 am

I lost 60 pounds on WW many years ago. Since then, I've put 40 back on and tried every other diet known to man in order to avoid counting points again. Before finding this diet a couple of weeks ago I had failed at yet another attempt at WW during which I thought about food all day long and felt the need to snack constantly.

So here I am...ready to get off the diet treadmill and learn new habits. So far, so good.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Mon May 30, 2016 4:07 am

Jen1974 wrote:I love that when I tell myself no, I can always follow that up with "but this weekend you can..." & plan for something really worth the splurge!!

This has been really important to keeping me motivated to stay on plan as well. I do find habitcal motivating, but also posting & reading here, and participating in the monthly challenges--knowing that others can see how my day/week/month went also encourages me to stay on track.

Overall I want to be healthier, and know I will have fewer health risks and less risk of joint pains etc..., and hopefully increased mobility and energy if I take off some weight. And I really like the freedom of moderation, and the ease of this system--it's not super-fast, but I didn't put the weight on super-fast either, and this is effective.

Hang in there!

Nell1223 · Post by **Nell1223** » Mon May 30, 2016 1:12 pm

I'm also a failed weightwatcher - a three maybe 4 or 5 times failure and I've also got an Masters and a teaching qualification. I realised that diets don't work a few years ago but every now and then I think to myself "right, I've got to get this weight off me" and go and sign up for WW or some other weight loss programme - the last one was paul McKenna's I can make you thin - lying in bed listening to his hypnotic trance droning on in your head everyday- I MUST be mad, round the bend etc

I know that whatever I do to lose weight I have to unhook myself from the disordered thinking about food and diets etc and change my eating habits

I'm over 1 month on vanilla No S Although i don't know if I've lost any weight, importantly, I feel happier and calmer around food and eating. I'm kind of hoping that gradually I will start to lose weight as food becomes less of an issue in my life.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue May 31, 2016 4:47 am

Nell12 wrote: I'm over 1 month on vanilla No S Although i don't know if I've lost any weight, importantly, I feel happier and calmer around food and eating. I'm kind of hoping that gradually I will start to lose weight as food becomes less of an issue in my life.

GOOD for you! Congrats on having your first month + on No S! Glad it's making a difference in how you think/feel about food.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue May 31, 2016 2:26 pm

Just want to report that Roy Baumeister, a very well-respected researcher on willpower, said never to think that if a person has trouble sticking to eating changes that it means she doesn't have willpower. It is one of the most problematic behaviors to change. The good news is that he says that making situational changes, like "eat sweets, snacks and seconds on weekends only" is much more effective than "going on a diet," which he specifically warns against doing. (And against not swearing off any food.) His pronouncements kept me from straying much many times. That and this report http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieti ... chers-7832

But I will say that there are examples of people who get irrevocably inspired and do "diet" successfully. It's just hard to create that kind of epiphany, whereas No S uses principles that have helped whole cultures eat moderately and stay moderately slim while still enjoying food. It's only because of the modern culture of free for all that we have to impose the rules on ourselves.

mestahl · Post by **mestahl** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:49 pm

Oh mustloseweight,

You are not alone. My mother has joined Weight Watchers twice a year for the past 20 years. That is at least 40 times! She even had me going with her at some point. I don't know how your meetings were but the ones I attended were sooo boring. First off I don't find talking about quick food swaps and weighing your food to be a thrilling topic. Also the public shaming known as weigh-in was not helpful. Come over to the No S side! This is a sane, loving place and all are welcome

You can do it.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:20 pm

Have to say that when I did WW (where I have to admit I did learn that I knew how to put together satisfying meals that I still use the guidelines of), they were very discreet and kind about the weigh ins. However, I was very motivated at the time and didn't find it hard to stick to. Eventually got sucked back into overdoing sweets. Whenever anything got hard, I ended up caving. When I came to No S, I knew I had to say NO even when it felt VERY hard. And it sometimes did. And does! but not as hard as living with consistent overeating.

mhead75 · Post by **mhead75** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:36 am

I could have written this. Literally- masters degree, teacher, ww junkie, etc. My mother and I joke that for some reason we're not happy unless we are given WW our money.
This diet seems to be the most sane. I have not done it seriously for more than a couple of days yet, but I am at the end of my rope and am going to start tomorrow. Maybe this time...

HoneyBeeNYC · Post by **HoneyBeeNYC** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:55 am

mustloseweight wrote:Somebody once said, "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always get." Am I stupid? Actually no. I have a degree, plus a Masters degree, am a qualified teacher - so why when it comes to losing weight I act so utterly dumb? Part of me feels doomed, the other part of me sees myself as a total idiot. The weight affects what I can do, my marriage, my self-esteem, my confidence, the clothes I wear - I could go on....

No, you are not stupid, and you are not dumb. If it makes you feel better you have a psychological twin in NYC and I suspect, many parts of the world. Not only have I continually sabotaged myself with stupid hard-core caloric restriction, which ALWAYS results in rebound weight gain, but I have several times injured myself with punishing exercise regimes.

The latest being starting a fast-walking program carrying extra weight, using cheapass shoes, which resulted in a nasty case of plantar fasciitis.

So that's it, I said to myself. I'm going on the No S Diet - I bought the bullet and bought good (ugly, orthopedic) shoes, and I'm resting. (And doing physio, icing, stretching, prescribed exercises - but no race walking.)

Have you ever heard of a concept called Learned Helplessness?

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:37 am

HoneyBeeNYC wrote:
The latest being starting a fast-walking program carrying extra weight, using cheapass shoes, which resulted in a nasty case of plantar fasciitis.

BTDT--I just posted to you in the other thread! The fast-walking really encourages a shorter stride and hitting the pavement harder--both ripe conditions for PF to flair. Sorry you're dealing with this!

moonbat69 · Post by **moonbat69** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:18 pm

I lost some weight with WW on a few occasions over the years including my most recent attempt at the beginning of 16. Technically I'm still a member, but my willingness to buy-in to that plan has diminished significantly after reading nsdiet.com. And now that Oprah is involved, it's even less appealing. LOL

Tracking sucks. I just can't get myself to keep in the habit of tracking and playing mealtime accountant. Like others, it creates an obsession and that obsession creates this faux hunger that I've diluted with my sense of real hunger

NoS is a great "back to basics" plan that resembles the simplicity of daily nourishment that we saw in the 70s before things went haywire. I'm glad to be here.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:06 pm

You may decide at some point to include some recording of food, but I hope you have fun finding out if you want to. The good thing WW did for me (ues, there was something!) was that I found that some very satisfying meals with rather routine meal components were also of moderate calories, so I chose &I still do) a lot. And things change, too.

Enjoy every bite!

gingerpie · Post by **gingerpie** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 12:09 pm

If I don't say NO when it's hard, I'm likely to keep reinforcing this habit for the REST OF MY LIFE

I'm finding this useful today. Thanks

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 6:08 pm

Glad to hear it. Hang in there! Mark that green day proudly when you make it. Judith Beck also recommends writing a short report of tough victories and reviewing them often, but save that for if just using habitcal doesn't work. I sort of incorporated that into my list of reasons to live the moderate eating lifestyle. Reading that list often helped me immensely, but that, too, may be more than is necessary; habitcal may be all it takes to reinforce resolve.

Everyday Systems

Another Failed Weightwatchers Attempt!

Another Failed Weightwatchers Attempt!

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Re: Another Failed Weightwatchers Attempt!