An apology to the managers
I was talking to my dad the other day and he mentioned that in another post (this one here) I wrote that if you have never been able to successfully lose, or keep off weight, that I recommend that you give up sugar, or your personal binge foods for good. I said that I didn’t know anyone who had once been fat and both lost weight and maintained that weight loss by “managing” their binge foods. And he said that I knew him, and that he manages his food.
This is true. I know that he was bigger when he was younger and is not now. And I know that if he notices that he is gaining weight, he restricts his food intake; he stops eating dessert. I said to him that I wasn’t talking about “naturally thin” people, and he said that he did not consider himself “naturally thin.”
So I felt like I should touch on this again. At least clarify. Because perhaps what I am talking about is the ability to learn a new lifestyle. My dad had the ability to lose weight because he changed the way he ate every day. I had to change the way I ate every day in order to have a new body, and I am pretty sure that is true for everyone. If the way you were eating before your diet made you fat, then if and when you go back to that way of eating, you will be fat again. You actually have to change your entire eating lifestyle to maintain a long-term weight loss. Getting the weight off once does not “stick” unless you “stick” with the new food plan.
For me, when I was eating compulsively, I had two modes, dieting or eating. (Mostly eating, by the way.) When I was dieting, I was restricting the number of calories I was taking in. I was eating boring, bland food. I was eating everything steamed, and low fat, and “lite.” I was eating foods I hated, because they were “diet” foods. And then, when I was off the diet, I went back to eating the way I had eaten before because I hated the way the food I had been eating on a diet tasted. So I gained the weight back. And then some.
If you lost weight by changing the way you ate, and then never reverted back to the old way of eating, then you would have successfully changed your relationship with food. You would have successfully taken on a new lifestyle. If, in that new lifestyle, you let yourself eat like crazy on Thanksgiving, but then spend the rest of your time eating balanced, nutritious meals, and don’t take “Thanksgiving eating” into the New Year, then you could be said to be “managing” your food, it’s true. If you eat a sugary, or “binge food” treat twice a week, and the rest of the time, your food is clean, and your weight is steady, you could be said to be “managing” your food. And I do know a handful of people who have learned to do this.
But I would say, that if you have lost 30, or 50, or 75, or 100 pounds, only to gain it back, possibly more than once, then I am going to guess that you have a problem with sugar, or a problem with your binge foods, and that the answer is abstinence.
I, personally, have never been able to manage. And I would suggest that if you have been on Weight Watchers, or Nutrisystem, or any other diet, lets say 3 times, and you have not learned how to eat in any way that helps you maintain a weight that you are content with, then perhaps you cannot manage either, and you should consider abstinence. If it doesn’t register for you that you have to change your eating habits as a whole in order to maintain your weight, then perhaps you are an addict, and you should consider abstinence. If you know that you don’t want to gain weight, and you know that you should not eat that cookie, but you cannot not eat that cookie, then perhaps you should consider abstinence.
Ultimately, my point is that in order to lose weight and maintain that weight loss, a lifestyle change is necessary. But I could not change my lifestyle because sugar kept sucking me back in. It was only in choosing abstinence from sugar, grains, and starch that I was able change my eating as a whole, and maintain my weight long term. So if you can manage, then by all means manage. But if you have given managing a good, hard try, and you repeatedly fail, then perhaps you should consider abstinence.
And an apology from me to all of you “managers.” Just because I could never do it, I ain’t mad at ya!
onceafatgirl 
Thanks for the gift of your blog. Knowing I’m not the only one Who is crazy with food is a relief. I have tried abstinence before and felt great. I struggle with staying abstinent due to all of the shopping, planning etc and inability to do “normal” outings with family etc. when did this quit becoming a struggle for you? Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Jane! Thank you so much for reading. I’m glad my story helps. As for your question, my experience is that it’s less about time, and more about surrendering. Though time was a minor factor for me. It was about 1.5 years before it became easy. And now it is absolutely easy. But to stay abstinent, I made all that planning and shopping a priority. I rearranged my schedule. I said no to things that I could not safely plan my meals around. I still often eat dinner at home and join friends and family at restaurants and only have coffee or diet soda. I do eat out sometimes, but it takes a lot of planning, so it’s not my favorite. It also really really really helps to have a community to talk to about how annoying or frustrating it can be to miss out on a party or a concert or whatever because your food is a priority. Ultimately, though, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I really have a life I love and I really love myself because I have my food addiction under control.
Thank you again for reading! I’m honored!
Hi Kate! Can you sign me up for your blog – ignore the below – that is my WordPress for RoundUp! My email is myndie@gmail. Great read and would like to send to a few people!!