What's the Plan, Man?

A FUTURE FORMER FAT GIRL WRITES: I have been battling my weight for years. I have tried every diet & even underwent weight loss surgery (lap-band) in 2005 only to have it removed in 2007 due to medical complications. I don't know what plans to follow anymore as far as my eating goes. Any suggestions? I don't think you mention any one particular plan in your book and I was wondering what you did to lose your weight.

DEAR FUTURE FFG: Thanks so much for your note. I know it can be completely confusing to find a good plan ... good meaning one you can stick with! One of the key things I did was focus on exercise first ... without changing my diet. I think it was really important for me to build that habit and start to see myself as someone who could be active, who could exercise, that fitness could actually be a natural part of my life ... it helped me stay positive and open my mind to the idea that maybe I could really change. I eventually did go on Weight Watchers, which I think is a really sensible plan. It is different now than it was back in the dark ages when I did it, but the concept is still the same ... it emphasizes portion control and eating a wide variety of foods. I really learned what exactly a serving is ... and began to see my daily food intake as a kind of budget ... that I had a set amount of servings (I guess they are points now) to "spend" over the course of a day. I still--20 years later--use this strategy to stay on track. So, that's it. It's my feeling that a good plan is key, but what's going on in your head and how you handle yourself in life is just as important on your journey to a healthy weight. Best of luck to you--there are a lot of us out there cheering you on!

Lisa D