Interesting thread.
I noticed the question originally asked was, "why do you want to lose weight?" In my case, most of the excess weight is gone, but the question would be, "what DO you want?" What I want is to feel good and be back to as normal as possible, before poor glucose tolerance crept up on me. I want to avoid, or at least postpone as long as possible, issues like weight gain, diabetes, etc. I want my bizarre hormonal fluctuations to stop.
>"Pinpoint ten patterns of living..."
1. Contrary to previous belief, I do NOT hate vegetables. They're good - they were just missing *real* butter and salad dressing.
2. Cooking is enjoyable and a nice way to wind down; it's not a chore.
3. To quote Dr Atkins, <b>Exercise is non-negotiable.</b> What is actually sinking in with me is that it's not something that's done to make up for a binge - it has to be as habitual as all the other things you do daily to keep yourself healthy.
4. My body and its metabolic system has been irreversably damaged - or at least that's how I have to treat the situation. This is a matter of being well along the road to diabetes, not just a diet to drop a few pounds.
5. A corollary of 4 - Yes, that (cookie, cake, etc) *will* make a difference. Impulsivity can't be an excuse.
6. When it comes to cooking for others, I'm accepting that contrary to my upbringing, food is not love. Keeping carbage out of the house does not 'deprive' anyone of anything. If my b/f wants that stuff, he's more than free to have it on his lunch hour at work or bring it home and keep it in his office.
7. Food is not entertainment. There are better ways of entertaining one's self than scarfing cheezey-poofs while staring blankly at the television screen.
8. I now plan ahead and cook ahead wherever possible - it's easier than it sounds.
9. I'm slowly learning to assert myself when it comes to my dietary needs. I don't have to apologize or explain my health history to everyone who thinks my food choices are odd. I've also learned that they generally don't *care* and have heard stranger things before.
I'll probably think of more later.
