I want to try to put something into words for us long time weight warriors. It has made me hopeful and expectant, rather than depressed and despondent.
At some point in our lives, we've gained weight, for many of us ALOT of weight. Then, for many of us, we lost weight, perhaps ALOT of weight, which, of course, feels GREAT!
But! But! But! We regained either most or all of it. Then the day comes we set to the task again, and the weight comes off - HOORAY! Then the but, but, but again of regain, and the cycle continues.
What has slowly come to my realization is that if I view this as a cycle of failure, or label it 'yo-yo dieting', I feel like a participant in something negative and meaningless. But if I perceive it as a learning process, a process of learning to decrease the size of the zigs and zags, it gives me energy and increases my drive to continue to work on my health.
So at first my zigs and zags were in the range of 80 pounds up and down, then 60, then 40, now about at the 20 mark. My hubby, a human who successfully maintains, has a zigzag of perhaps about 6-10 pounds. So I am nearing my goal of learning to maintain my weight!
Did I zig up again? Yes. Will I zig down again? Yes! So my next zig goal is perhaps 15 pounds, or if I am REALLY successful, maybe 10! But no one stays on a flatline, except, you know, the dead!
So the big point is - find a way to frame your journey towards hope and process! Rather than focusing on failure and defining success solely as hitting your goal weight and staying there! Have a great DietBet day!!