Thursday, March 5, 2015

Trying Something New...Again

173 lbs.

I've been getting very frustrated over the past couple of weeks.  Maintaining weight loss is a different leg of this journey, and it has been tough for me.   I have gained 20 pounds from my lowest weight, and I know it needs to stop - I need to make changes to stop gaining weight.  I feel like a ship out at sea without a sail or rudder.  I've read about and tried different approaches -- low carb, paleo, primal, high fat, "primarian".  People who try these approaches swear by them.  I'm not finding my groove with any of it.

To date, I've been tracking everything on MyFitnessPal.  I also exercise regularly.

I've decided to try something new...again.  I need to find what works for my body and activity level after having lost weight on Optifast, and taken up hiking and running.  One of the people in my Optifast maintenance group is finding success with the Weight Watchers Simply Filling technique.  Weight Watchers posts their food list here.  You don't count points, but eat freely from this food list, until you are full.  It isn't a large departure from the foods that I enjoy eating, except that it allows for some grains and bread.  It focuses on whole foods such as veggies, fruits, lean protein and low fat dairy.

Even though it allows for grains, I'm still aware of my trigger foods, so certain types and brands of foods won't be coming back into my diet.  I'm going to eat some legumes, though.  Maybe some oatmeal.  I am not a fan of low fat dairy, but I don't consume a lot of it anyway.

Since I track my foods, I've found that I am naturally eating fewer calories so far.  I think this is due to the lower fat intake.  I feel good, though, and time will tell whether or not eating more carbs is going to be my friend or enemy.  It's not like I'm eating processed or packaged foods in any way, shape or form, and that's the way I like it.

There are many who follow my blog and may think "What the F is she doing!?"  But all I can say is that I'm still searching for the best way of life for me, and I'm just being honest in my blog about my choices.  I will certainly keep everyone updated about how this goes.

Maybe you're reading and relating to my mad quest to find weight stability.  At least you know that you aren't alone, that's for sure.  This is one of the most challenging times in my life.  I try not to focus too much on what's at stake.  I'm still living a very different, and healthier life than I lived when I weighted 257 pounds last year.  I don't have any intention of giving up and going back there ever again.  Hell no.


5 comments:

Gwen said...

Out of curiosity, when you say you've 'tried' some of those other plans, how long did you commit to any of them? Because they are all sound plans. If you only tried a few days-week, or weren't faithful during your trial, you can't really say you gave them a fair trial. I'm just sayin... ;)

good luck!

happyinca said...

Gwen, I hear where you are coming from. Actually, I've been doing Primal (with dairy) since September, with a few celebrations where I ate grains. But largely my diet has been steady - vegetables, meats, berries, cottage cheese. I cut back on nuts when they became an issue for me. It hasn't been bad, but I'm wondering if my own body is reacting to the amount of fat. I realize that they are sound, healthy plans and everything I've read confirms that it is a healthy way to eat. I just have to work with my own system right now and try and figure it out. I might be back to it after a period of time. We will see. The old n=1.

Anonymous said...

You know how people say they have a soft spot in their hearts for something? I have the opposite, a HARD spot in my heart, for Weight Watchers! LOL. They really did a number on me. But you know what, it works for many people. And I never did their simply filling plan, which sounds much closer to the way I eat now. Maybe this is the plan for you? I do believe some of us do better on a little more carb, and this is a controlled way to find out.
I wish you all the best. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. I wouldn't just watch weight changes, but body communication signals, like hunger, fatigue, cravings. Maybe they're worse on this WOE, but maybe they're better?
Good for you, brave lady, it take guts to branch out and try something completely different. I know how scary it can be. We're here and we support you.
xo Wendy

Anonymous said...

I posted a comment yesterday but it hasn't gone through - maybe wound up in spam?

Anyway, I just wanted to say WW was not for me, but it might well be the thing for you. You don't know til you try, and it does work for some people. I think you're brave to try something new, and I support you! You can always change back to this other WOE, or another one, it'll always be here.

happyinca said...

Hi Wendy, thank you so much for your kind words and all your support. It means a lot to me and I'm so grateful. It's funny, after a few days of eating this way, it really isn't much different from what I was doing. My calorie intake is lower because of the lower fat. That is the major difference - which is probably why people lose weight. I'll eat like this for a while to see if I enjoy it and it is sustainable. Also see if I can drop a few pounds. I'm not joining WW so I don't have to contend with meetings and such - which is perfectly fine with me. I'm monitoring my body's reactions to carbs. Right now the bulk of my carbs are from fruit - mostly berries, since I love those and strawberries are coming into season, here. I had some oatmeal and a few slices of light bread, but so far they aren't triggering anything. We will see how my weight responds and I'll report in. I am absolutely flexible along this journey, and as a person who has tried all the programs, I don't easily subscribe to diet dogma. I'm fully committed to finding what is right for me.