Do you feel that those who are successfully maintaining weight loss tend to transfer their obsession from food to something healthier? I'm using the word "obsession" not in a negative way, but for lack of a better word. For example, perhaps the successful maintainer who was a couch potato now teaches an exercise class 5 days a week. Or the former obese person that could barely walk across the room now runs marathons throughout the year. What about the person who was overweight all of their life but is now a Weight Watchers leader? Are there former morbidly obese folks who are motivated to obtain their degree in nutrition and become dietitians?
Perhaps this is an effective approach because the passion has been transferred from food to something positive, and the level of involvement and accountability makes completely going back to old habits more difficult?
There is an excellent article just posted on the nytimes website which I feel is spot on and worth a read. There is a link to it on my recent posting to my blog. Basically, those who have been successful at maintaining weight after a huge loss never stop thinking about food, diet, exercise etc..
ReplyDeleteI believe once an addictive personality always an addictive personality. So definitely transferring the addiction to something more healthy is a big plus. I do think too being "obsessive" about more motivating/positive things than food is a must otherwise it's just easy to fall back into old habits. I know for myself that my transference hasn't always been to healthier things but I definitely do have many good things I have transferred to.
ReplyDeleteI have an addictive personality so when I accepted food addiction I had to make myself willing to see the possibilities of adopting new addictions when I refrain from the addictive foods. For this reason I never have more than 1 drink, never gamble with my ATM card close by and never shop without a plan.
ReplyDeleteIf I had oddles of money I would probably be a shopaholic, a plastic surgeons meal ticket and a car dealers dream.
Luckily poverty keeps me free of those addictions. It never helped with food because cheap food is always available.
Jane~