When The Diet Works But The Dieter Doesn't

Love yourself!

I've heard a few stories lately about people who have been through Optifast and lost their weight, gained it back, and blame the Optifast program. To this I say, "Hold on a minute! Is it Optifast's fault or something tied your own devices?" Everyone who has been on Optifast knows it works. The question is: did you do your work during and after the product consumption phase?

I'd like to re-run an excerpt from a piece I found on Yahoo written by Ms. Cara Surdi:

"It has been 6 years since I did the Optifast and yes, I have gained it all back. The reason why I gained the weight back wasn't because the Optifast diet didn't work, it was because of myself. I lost sight of the importance of exercise and eating right. I gained a little here and there and wasn't too concerned. I would love to do Optifast again, but you really have to mentally prepare yourself. You have to be determined and not allow anything get in your way. For those of you struggling on any diet, it isn't the diet's fault that you didn't lose weight or keep it off; it is about self-love and dedication to living a healthier lifestyle. I think we all know this, but do not like to be held accountable for it."

I really like the part about self-love and dedication to a new lifestyle as the keys to keeping off the weight you shed with Optifast. I mean, it's pretty easy to think, hey, if I just limit carbs, fats and sugars I'll maintain a healthy weight. But in my opinion, that's not going far enough. There's more work to do. 

When I think about self-love as it pertains to my eating, it means embracing a new eating habit that nurtures my body and my well-being. This is much different from eating for "comfort," which typically drove me towards sweets and foods loaded with fat. "Nurturing" to me now means healthy, varied menus and portion control. Honestly, I do feel better when I eat this way. My body is happy. And so am I. I really like the Optifast program because all of the "bad" things are stripped out of my diet, and I feel so good right now. I want that to continue. I know if I stick to a good maintenance plan, this feeling will continue.

And then there is dedication to this new way of living and eating. I'm convinced this has to come from within, and in my case, it is something that I think I will have to continuously focus on until it becomes a comfortable habit. As I've noted previously, diets are foreign to me and food indulgences were something I never limited. There is some serious work to be done here, so I'm preparing myself mentally now. I've heard so much about people losing that dedication we need to be successful in keeping the weight off. I think I can stave this off by putting first things first -- eating wisely every day. It takes unwavering commitment. I can find that if I try.

Obviously, maintenance is on my mind again, even though I still have some months to go on the program. I guess I never stray too far away from it. Which is probably a good thing. No, I don't want to get too tied up in the future. But some things seem to have their place on the back burner, and this is one of them.