Weight Loss: A bit of LJ maintenance

[merlinofchaos]

I decided to do a little dumpster diving of my LiveJournal. Part of this is because I got into the 250s today, and I was a bit curious where I was on some of these other plans. For example, I started Low Carb at around 265, so I've just breached the beginning of that one; but I started (officially) Weight Watchers at around 290, and ended that plan around 245. So I still have a little ways to go to get to the actual weight I was at, but I've already lost (slightly) more than I did on that plan.

So anyway, while looking for more data, I happened across a tag named "return to the wagon" which I clicked on. It's the relatively short account of one of my several weight loss attempts. I vaguely remembered that one, but it was so short I couldn't remember when it had happened or how long it had lasted, or what I had even accomplished.

After reading it, I started looking for the others that I knew about. My LiveJournal currently has four catalogued, and there's one major one I've done that isn't catalogued because I wasn't blogging in 1999. Not too many people were yet.

So, I decided to go through and add tags to all the posts so I can easily find them. If anyone wants to read me whine throughout history (seriously, the number of posts I wrote that have lead paragraphs starting with "Despite..." -- clearly I need to do that less) and see the trials and tribulations I've had in the past, feel free. Note that in 2005 I actually used friend locking, because LJ was so busy I was happy to put posts that many people wouldn't be interested in into groups so that they wouldn't have to see them. 10 years later that's laughable, LJ is pretty much the Radiator Springs of the blogging world. Still here, but it's the same 15 people, only older and rustier.

• 1999 -- the Low Carb Diet. I lost about 40 pounds on this one. Details are only from my memory and therefore sketchy, but I was down to 225 pounds, and then I met Lynette.


• 2005 -- Weight Watchers -- also includes the brief 2007 one because it has the same WW tag because it's also WW. But I don't feel like renaming it. I lost 45 pounds, and changing life circumstances caused me to lose focus and eventually drop it. If you actually want to read about this one you need to be on my friends list and in my ww group. I don't expect anyone will, but if you aren't already (honestly most people who've been reading these and responding ARE, but there's a few folks from FaceBook that weren't around me in 2005) just let me know. Obviously you'll need a LiveJournal account for that to work. I could go back and unlock them all but it's too much work when I doubt anyone but me really wants to go back and read them.


• 2007 -- Return to the Wagon A fairly lame attempt to get back on WW. It only lasted about 6 weeks, and I clearly wasn't committed. I was particularly remembering this one when I was worried about how I'd do if I wasn't fully committed.


• 2011 -- The Moderation Diet An experiment that started off with good results, but did not succeed in staying on it. My theories on my failure are a combination of lack of accountability, and an inability to cope with the pain of the back injury and the stress of going freelance contributed to an inability to remain focus. I lost 25 pounds over the course of it, and parts of it were very successful.


• 2012 -- Moderation Diet Redux. I didn't blog about this aborted attempt, but I do have some weight checkins i took from a 3 month period in the summer. I only lost about 10 pounds and I think lack of success prompted me to give up.


• 2014 -- Mixed Low Carb Experiment. This is another one I never blogged about, but Lynette and I together tried an experimental not quite low carb but lower carb balanced diet, and that experience ultimately failed but it things I learned on it did inform this year's attempt. (One thing I learned is that I *hate* those kinds of restrictions).


• 2015 -- Weight Loss VIII The current one that you've been reading about. 6 months on, not quite 50 pounds lost (but OH so close if I'm good this week I can make it). I'm stumbling a little bit, right now, but I've been pretty positive about the whole thing. It's certainly had a few downs, but oh so many more ups than any previous experience. I think I need to work on refocusing a bit soon, because I don't want to just trail off and throw away all the great progress I've made. But I don't feel like I'm in real danger of that as long as I keep myself accountable.

Interestingly, I was guessing when I named this one Weight Loss VII, but it turns out, it really is attempt #7.

There are two really important competing aphorisms here:

If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

And

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Finally, I've collected every single one of them that I could find under the dieting tag.

Also. I can make 50 pounds this week if I'm really good. And the scale wasn't giving me a big fat lie today. Let's think on it positively and say YES I WILL.

Comments

[rani23.livejournal.com]

Good job!! And Just Keep Swimming!! :)