It's a lifestyle – train like there's no finish line

It's a lifestyle – train like there's no finish line

I read this quote today and I LOVED it. I've been reading about a lot of people "dieting" recently who just want to lose weight as fast as possible by seriously restricting their food intake. Now, OBVIOUSLY the actual act of losing weight is about eating less, moving more. It's math folks. Less calories in than you expel. Do things sometimes get in the way? Yes. Do we get in our OWN way? Oh, HELL yes. In the end WE are responsible for our OWN actions. Can't place blame on others. But, I digress....
So, I see people losing lots of weight on crash/seriously restricted diets. They are miserable. Is losing weight fun? Oh LORD no. But, I truly feel if it becomes your LIFESTYLE (not just a punishment you are inflicting on yourself) it's not quite AS bad. I am really enjoying my exercising, and I am enjoying the way I eat - which is enough calories to keep me satisfied, and is very balanced with fruits, veggies, protein, dairy and fiber-filled grains. but I burn WAY more than I consume,(1000-1500 calories per day more) thus, weight loss ensues. Do I stall out sometimes? Yup. Everyone is going to - even on those seriously restricted plans. I guess what I am getting at is - this is the way life is going to be for me from now on. I will get to my goal weight with lots of hard work, meticulous food planning and saying NO to extra sugar and fat and all that garbage. No, it's really NOT easy sometimes to say no (like today, at my in-laws they had a chocolate cream pie. Did I want some? Of course! Did I eat some? NO!)But, I would NEVER get to my goal with a plan that was so restricted that I was hungry all the time and totally miserable. Maybe it's just me, but being hungry makes me a crabby-ass, and it's not the way I want to feel through this whole journey.
There is no finish line - You don't get down to your goal weight and then say "Ok! I did it! I'm all done now!" If you haven't learned to eat like a normal person (not and obese person, and not a restricted diet person) You have learned nothing and you will gain weight back. Thus, the yo-yo dieting will ensue. Which, studies have shown is actually MORE unhealthy for you than just being plain old overweight. Who knew?
I'm not saying my way is "The Way". It's merely "The Way" for me. I work out hard, I eat good, healthy food and I am losing weight. I got a great tool to help me start out my journey - the Bypass surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself. At 365 lbs, I didn't understand what a healthy lifestyle was. I needed a clean slate, and the bypass gave that to me. But now, at 3 years post op, I am eating much more "normally". I had to make changes from being a new post-op, to being a pregnant post-op, to now being someone who can eat whatever they want. I adapted. I am working hard - and I am changing for the better. Feels good.
I have fallen down. But I pick myself back up and move on. Sometimes I have been beaten - but I will not BE beaten. This war is all mine.