What is your weight loss philosophy? Is it the journey or is it the end result?
Kerstin and I have been engrossed in extensive discussions about weight loss. I want to pose a few questions that keeps playing in my head.
What is your weight loss philosophy?
Why are you on this Journey?
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey? Is there an end to your journey?
Why are you here on buddyslim?
“Ninety-five percent of all dieters gain the weight back.” Do you want to be a part of the 5% success rate or are you the 95% failure rate? If 1 in 10 people are expected to make it - DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ONE?
My weight loss philosophy is healthy living with a lot of hard work - daily. Meaning I treasure my body and treat it like a piece of diamond. I exercise 5 to 6 days a week, I mix cardio, with weights,pilates, yoga and good food. I don’t starve my body. I give it the proper fuel. I give it everything it needs to perform for me. I do not believe in quick fixes. I do not believe in diets, fads, fast results. I believe in slow progression. I believe in being mindful of my body, soul and breath connection.
I am on this journey for myself. I am on it for the long haul. I’m on it for the rest of my life. I’m on it so I can in turn be there for my family and loved ones.
There is no end to this journey. I will always tweak it. The maintenance part is far harder and stressful then the losing part. Plateaus are a part of this journey, so are high cal days, sickness, good days and bad days. There is no 365 days to this cycle. It is endless. It is the air I breathe.
I’m on buddyslim because I feel sooooooooooooooooooooooo good helping others. I love reaching out to new people, to my friends and being there for one another. I love giving. I’m here to give.
I am and will be part of the 5% that is successful. I will have almost 5 yrs under my belt.
Yes, it can be done.
TO answer my own title question - I am on this journey until the end.
Don’t be part of the 95%! Don’t fall for fads. Don’t fall for the newest trends and latest gadgets.
Be honest with yourself. What do you think? Are you here for the long haul?
God gave you 2 arms, 2 legs, some big lungs, a big heart - use it! No need to take pills or do anything other then eat the food provided bye earth, the animals that roams it and breathe the (smog in my case) air and make good of it.
Nothing more and nothing less!!!!
Tonight I did my set - cardio/weights combo and had a great time. PUSH-UPS WAS IN IT BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ME!! I DID A TOTAL OF 150 FOR MYSELF!
Great blog today. It gave me a lot of things to think about. The only thing I know for sure is that it’s a lifelong journey, and that’s okay. I want to learn a healthy lifestyle and have that in place so if I ever have children I can teach them right from the very beginning. I will struggle now, so maybe my kids won’t have to struggle so much later.
Great job with the workouts. You’re an inspiration.
Thanks Nina!
It truly is a lifelong journey. There is not easy about it.
WHEN both of us have children we can certainly teach them the healthy way of living.
I am defintitely in it for the long haul. I know the journey is tough.. it’s slow and you want to give up.. but I have you, and Kerstin and all my other good, good buddies there to help lift me up when I get down. I am in it for total good health!! I do the best I can since I am still trying to figure out what works for me.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY NICK IS ON!!
You can’t give up with me on your side. 
Part of this journey is figuring out what works for you. YES YES YES!
it def has to be a lifelong journey!!! im not doin this to get skinny (although that is fun!) i have to do this to get healthy!!!!! because if your not healthy…nothing else matters!!!
Vanessa, great to hear that. Getting skinny is great but not when you hurt yourself along the way.
thanks for the shout out.. How do I love those.. smiles
so let me answer your questions even though you know most of it i think
What is your weight loss philosophy?
Be as healthy as you can be. Know there is no perfection. we are here to live and enjoy ourselves not kill ourselves. Treat your body like you said like a jewel but also treat your mind with soem good foods YOU enjoy once in a while
Why are you on this Journey?
Well to be frank it started out cause i wanted to look good. then it turned to I want to be athletic toned, sexy and kick some ass in athletics. To d that I have to treat my body with good fuel so that is sort of the add on to be healthy
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey?
well the end of the journey will be death.. so no end in sight
Is there an end to your journey?
nope
Why are you here on buddyslim
I am here cause i got so so so much support from so many including you when I started. I want to give it in return. not to mention I learn something every single day from you, Shaina, Blaithin, Karen etc list goes on and on..And I cannot wait to see Nic and Tina reach their goal weight cause I will be crying like a baby.. And so many more as well..
I’ll be crying like a baby TOO!!!!! LOL You are on now!!! Great answers of course.
Tell me, I almost expected to see a I want a fast fix sentence in there somewhere.
You truly disappointed me……………..NOT!
haha well I had it typed all up. i want it NOW..
no even better I am coming out of the closet. i was taking pills, injections and and puked here and there..
now I can admit it.
Nancy,
Thanks for this blog! These are some really important questions that I think we all should ask ourselves and then remind ourselves of the answers from time to time.
My weight loss philosophy is that it definately takes time. It doesnt happen over night and there is a lot of learning along the way. I want to learn how to live in a way that is totally different than I have been living and I want to be happy.
As Ive brought up before I started this journey because of a scare that I would not be able to have any more children due to a hormonal imbalance. Being that I am overweight and that plays a big part in fertility in women the best thing I could do naturally to help my chances is to get healthy and get my weight under control. once that happens I will ALWAYS have to work towards maintaining it! I will not let myself go again.
For me I am NOT working this hard to just give it up tomorrow. Even if I did get pregnant that would just make me want to take care of my body more!
I am relieved that I am making these changes now and not when a serious health problem comes along and as I get older I want to be healthy enough to enjoy the things that I love!
I joined Buddyslim at first mainly for accountability and I wanted to do everything that I could to show that I was serious about losing weight. To me this just works. I love reading the blogs and getting ideas about what other people do to lose weight. I like getting on here and offering my support and I am totally inspired by all of the success stories!!!
Keep blogging those success stories!!!
Sorry for the super long comment!
In the beginning, I was totally here to lose weight. That’s all I was focussed on. I needed a cupport system that I wasnt getting from the “real” world, and for the 1st 6 months or so, I got that support from here. Slowly, my focussed shifted from weightloss, to healing my demons that were sabotaging my ability to stay mentally and physically healthy. The support on this site helped me to face issues within myself I had never acknowledged, and helped me grow from a scared 20 something year old into a confident, open adult.
Now I take this journey one day at a time. And I enjoy each and every day as much as I can. I am no longer focussed on weightloss as much (still a little of course!) but now I want to feel healthier and be a support to people online here, as others were to me when I really started to change my lifestyle.
What is your weight loss philosophy? Eat healthy and exercise, stay positive even on bad days.
Why are you on this Journey? To become healthy. I want to feel good and have energy again to go and live life to the fullest. Looking good will be a nice plus on it
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey? Is there an end to your journey? There is no end, this will be a lifetime process of ups and downs.
Why are you here on buddyslim? To have support in my journey and to give support to others who are on their journey with me.
Love this blog! Very thought-provoking! I started on this journey because I felt like crap about myself. So yeah, it started out wanting to look good. But in my heart, skinny just doesn’t look good to me. I knew I was going to have to sweat it out in the gym, (now at home) because I think muscle is oh-so-sexy!
My husband got irritated with me over the weekend because when my issue of Shape got here, I got upset about Jennifer Love Hewitt being on the cover. He thinks she’s HOTTT! I think… not bad for an average woman, but NO muscle tone. What is she doing on the cover of a fitness mag?? Not feelin’ it! He accused me of thinking she’s fat, which I DO NOT, because I’m sure she’s at a healthy weight, but still… compared to the cover models they use at Oxygen, she DOES have a lot of body fat. I can’t help it; that’s just not cute to me! 
So anyway, my journey is about getting a body that I feel is sexy when I look in the mirror, but it’s gonna take a lifetime of good nutrition and heavy lifting to reach and maintain that goal, so it all goes hand in hand. Plus, I LOVE working out! OMG I get so grouchy on days when I can’t get my workouts in!
I’m still here on BuddySlim because I feel like I still have a lot I can learn here! And of course to contribute/ give back, helping other buddies along their journeys. I’m in it for the long haul, and I know I will be part of the 5% success rate because I’m on top of monitoring that, and I will not ALLOW myself to get fat again. I know how it feels to hate my body, and I am NOT going back to that.
I have to think this over for a little bit. I do know for me, this journey never ends. It took 20 years of dieting to face this fact. I am on this journey because I want to be happy and love myself no matter what weight I’m at. I am on buddyslim because I’m afraid if I left you and Kerstin would come find me and kick my butt.
Thanks girl. (((hugs))) And great blog as always!
What a great blog!
My philosophy is that when you scratch a modern human, you’ll see the human as homo sapiens. For millions of years, we did nothing all day but walked and run around, piching a frog here, a handfull of grains there, and a bunch of wild berries over that ridge….
In my view, the closer I can emulate it by weaving in active passtime and small feedings of wholesome foods from every food group throught the day, the better my body will function. ‘Cause that’s how it was designed to function.
So, weight loss is about a journey and a life-time commitment to moving it and eating healthy for me. The weight will work itself out.
You are such an inspiration, thank you for this post. I am one in 10. There is no end, because the goal and the philosophy is to make each day the healthiest I can be. Becuase of that, there is no “Falling off the wagon”. There is no stop and start. Each decision is a chance to make the right one. A very smart person told me about both life and dieting: “If you have a clear picture of what you want, you have the opportunity to ask yourself at every decision, “Is this going to get me closer or farther to what I want. Is it worth it if the answer is “farther”?”
BuddySlim to me is a tool on this journey - I learn from every one of my buddies - both how to incorporate the best of what they’re doing, and how to be the best support system for them also. It’s kind of like AA - I believe in a higher power - and that higher power is the community I feel with my fellow buddies. It is greater than what I can accomplish by myself. (Which is why it’s so important I cultivate a community of positive, WILLING people).
Awesome blog Nancy!
I’ll try and answer these questions maybe not in the order you put them and I might miss one along the way.
I’m on BS because…well I love you
and to be happy and healthy for life, that being said if I’m here for life there isn’t an end to my journey. I might miss a week or so due to other things in my life that are happening but I’ll always be around!
I clearly don’t believe in fad diets, quick fixes, starving or cellulite creams pllllleeeeaaaasssseee!
I believe in real food, working out and great support!
Oh and I don’t believe in .5 ounces of chicken with a side order of injections…Yeah that’s right I said it!
I just started buddyslim and I can say that I have read your blogs and they are very inspiring everyones r I thank GOD that I found this site because I can finally be speak openly about my weight without any convictions.
Aww where’s my comment!
Digging the method of madness you always bring to the table
You are great for this site. I like the way you put it out there for us to examine the purpose of our being. So here ya go. My weight loss philosophy is…there is no weight loss philosophy. I think this is what gets people caught up in fads. I choose to pursue the healthy lifestyle journey. I am choosing to walk the walk that will keep me here to enjoy every moment possible of all of my loved ones.
I am on this Journey to show thanks and graditude for all that I have been given. I am sure I could mention them endlessly, but the most important item would be given to me by my creator - yep Life! My life, the life of my children, the life of my family, and therefore I feel like the most important thing for this journey is to show my graditude and thanks by making it as physically, spirtually, and emotionally healthy as I can. Believe me I do fail, but I get back up and try
My journey will hopefully exceed my lifetime. It is my desire to pass the gift of healthy life to my children and my childrens children, my friends, and all of my loved ones. So I would say that this journey is ever lasting.
As for your last question, I am sorry, but I have to answer your question with a question. For any of us that have come to this site and put into it what we get out of it, why wouldn’t we be on buddyslim?
As always I love your blogs, your energy, and your inspiring methods. Stay healthy and have a great day.
Well it was a long comment so I won’t retype it I’ll skip to the good stuff.
I don’t believe in .5 ounces of chicken with a side order of injections…Yeah that’s right I said it!
I love your blog! And thank you for all the support you give me
I have lost weight before and yes gained it back . . . I am scared that it could happen again, all my work just to gain it back . . . but I’m eating healthier and all through the day so I’m not hungry, and I’m exercising , walking, something I know I can do everyday, later when I’m better I will do more activities , yoga or Pilate’s I have tried Pilate’s , its hard ! really hard lol I’m just being more realistic and doing something i know i can make a life style.
After 20 years of dieting myself fat I have learned that it is all about life style change. I am not looking to be a skinny size 6 but, to get athletic and strong. This is not something that will end I feel like the more I lose the more I can do. I want to run marathons, hike mountains, and do triathlons so getting rid of the extra baggage will help me achieve that. I am on buddyslim because my friends here keep me pushing forward and not let me make excuses for giving up.
i am here to undo all of the damage that I have done to myself over 40 years of stupid living. It is not the end result but rather retraining yourself to make the right choices and with those right choices, your life will slowly turn around. Any quick weight loss is usually done the unhealthy way and wars against the body instead of working with it. the negative self image and bad habits have to be undone or lasting results will not be found. remember, you dont have to lose 150 lbs, you have to lose 1 lb 150 times. consistancy is the key.
You have caught alot of peoples attention! You know the journey is for me. I have dieted for the last 40 years, you have hopefully got and are not going to have to have as many failures as I. My happiest years were the thinnest, especially the ones in LA. In New York City, I was thin from running for trains, buses and just walking. There are no cars and it was easy. When you feel good you don’t have to eat to be happy. I want that pride back because I deserve it. I did my College thesis on Fad Diets and have not really gotten into them. You are right about hard work and love of yourself. Not for someone else but you and wanting to be around for your loved ones. I am on my way and I feel better everyday. Buddyslim has been my inspiration and I have told everyone I know that is interested in weight loss. I plan to give my doctor and earful tonight. Maybe he should be pushing it instead of pills. Thanks for your great insights, that is why I tune in here everyday!!! Keep inspiring!!!!
Great blog Nancy. For me it’s to finally start respecting my body. To not abuse it with an unhealthy lifestyle, the way I have in the past, by eating the wrong kinds of foods, overeating and sedentary lifestyle. The weight..well that is just an easy way to measure one’s progress but if I would be someone with a healthy body and no weight related aches and pains at 200LBS, I’d be fine with that too, you know what I mean?
It comes down to respect and care for the 1 body you get in this life. Just like you respect and care for your kids, or pets or even an heirloom in your house.. you need to give your body that same treatment or even better.. you only have 1.
You always have thought provoking blogs
What is your weight loss philosophy?
To eat healthy, eat the right portion sizes, no red meat, low salt, exercise.
Why are you on this Journey?
It all started when I was little, I always thought I was so fat and hated myself for it. I finally got serious when I went to the doctor and she said if I didn’t turn myself around I was going to end up with diabetes like the rest of my family. She also said if I wanted to have a baby anytime soon I was putting it at risk for complications by being obese. So at first it wasn’t about me but now it is. It’s like I needed to do it for someone else, I wasn’t worth it but now I see I am.
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey?
To be strong, healthy, feel good about myself, not fear physical activity. Hopefully be near my goal weight.
Is there an end to your journey?
No, I am not a thin person by nature so I will always have to work hard.
Why are you here on buddyslim?
I can’t do this alone. I need to know I’m not crazy by having food addictions, I need the support of everyone on here telling me about their struggled and how they solved them. I love seeing everyone work hard and meet their goals, it keeps me going. Somedays I want to give up but my buddies on here always talk me out of it.
I gotta write that your blog is food for thought. There is lots to think about especially when the success percentage is low. I am determined to beat this lazy body into shape and reamain healthy. Thanks for the reality check and for the courage to tell us truths….I needed this blog today. The best to you on your dertermination:)
What is your weight loss philosophy?
My weight loss philosophy is all things in moderation and a well rounded exercise system. I like to try new things and even if I hate them and don’t do them again, at least I tried right?
I don’t believe I could ever cut everything out, so I just look for alternative healthy snacks for previous unhealthy ones.
Why are you on this Journey?
I don’t want to be a “suicidal butterfly” need I explain?
If you knew that eating trans fat would be the equivalent of walking in front of a bus, would you still do it? And yet people know (like my mom) and continue to walk in front of buses…
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey? Is there an end to your journey?
I don’t know if there will be an end. I want to keep challenging myself. I don’t consider myself “fit” but some day I would love to join a gym, try their classes and learn how to properly weight train. Someday I would love to try things like P90X that challenge me but right now I am not ready for that…
Why are you here on buddyslim?
I am here to learn, for support and accountability. I also want to help others I see who might benefit from what I know…
“Ninety-five percent of all dieters gain the weight back.” Do you want to be a part of the 5% success rate or are you the 95% failure rate? If 1 in 10 people are expected to make it - DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ONE?
ugh yeay I know that most everyone who loses weight gains it back. I worry that I will be one of them because of my thyroid…however I will consider myself a success if I continue to keep working out and eating healthy until the day I die.
However everytime that my thyroid went underactive and before I had my meds adjusted I did not gain a ton of weight. I maintained with about a 3 pound weight fluctuation…so that makes me feel confident that what I am doing is on the right track
I enjoyed reading all the responses! I came to BS just to blog, just for me. I like reading the other blogs, though, as they are often inspiring and going through the same struggles I am. I want to be healthy for myself and my daughters and to feel pretty again. I do consider this a journey, but I hope that some day I am not so focused on it. I want to lose weight, find a healthy eating philosophy that works for my body and live my life fully. I hope I can get to the point where I think about my weight the same way I think about other things in my life; important, but not all-consuming.
I just want to say that you are a great inspiration. I haven’t gotten to the point where I feel good enough to start working out yet, but I will get there. Knowing that you have done it makes me believe that it can be done.
I am going to be the 5 percent eventually when i find my way. I suppose the way foward would be fun classes like dancing, kickboxing that kind of thing so your teacher/trainer can set you goals to achieve. This tredmill isn’t doing much good, it doesnt yell at me when i get off to go and sit down lol!
xlove this —–> “Ninety-five percent of all dieters gain the weight back.” Do you want to be a part of the 5% success rate or are you the 95% failure rate?
powerful stuff.
Nancy,
Wow, what an AWESOME blog!!!! I was sitting here at work reading it, just smiling like crazy!! Your attitude is SO AWESOME…you are honestly an inspiration to me!!
I agree that this is a life-long journey we are on…I want to be HEALTHY!!! I want to be around AS LONG as possible to love my family!! And I want to go through each day knowing that I did my best…..
A lot of people get caught up in the fad diets…isntead, they should be teaching people how to CHANGE themselves to make BETTER decisions!!
I will ALWAYS remember you saying you treat yourself like a DIAMOND…..HOW AWESOME!!
wE ALL DESERVE IT!!!
Thanks again girl!
My plan for weightloss was simple: I want to feel comfortable in my own skin and feel healthy. I was to the point where I didn’t even recgonize myself, it hurt to get up out of a seated position, I couldnt breathe walking from my car to the mall door or where ever, couldnt walk up stairs without feeling like I was dying. Now, I feel comfortable being me, I like who I see in the mirror, I have energy and bounce around everywhere I go, everything I do, I am no longer in pain all the time, I can breathe going up stairs and a nice bonus that I didnt even realize until I REALIZED it—I am ME again
I have gained it back before but this time is SOOO different. I am almost 30 and I realize that, now that I have found ME again, I am NOT letting her go—this is IT. I will keep this weight off. I promise myself ~~~
I am here to GAIN. Yep…I want to gain confidence, good health and respect for myself. So far so good, and in the process I’ve lost a little weight.
I almost forgot….I’ve also gained a lot of great new buddies.
SOO true Nancy. You have to be in it for the long haul or your health will truly suffer, along with your life in general. There are too many reasons to live a healthy lifestyle, so why not make it a permanent change? ; )
WOW that’s alot of comments and really log ones at that. I think I am in agreement with you 100%. My life revolves around getting healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To do it any other way would make me one of the 95% not the 5%. I am a part of BS and the Wildcats because I am still very weak. I need constant support and encouragement. Without it a stumble and fall. I know that I am getting stronger each day. As I get stronger I give back as much as I can. Giving gives me as much strenth as recieving if not more. I am creating the person I want to be and she is amazing. I am so greatful for the blessing I have today. And each and every one of my buddies is a blessing, exspecially my Kitties. I never would have thoguht I would be where I am now 2 years ago.
I have missed you too!!! ANd I am in this til the end…with you…FOR ME =)
I am a lifer. You know? I deserve to take good care of this body. eat right and work it out. I never want to lose what I have attained. You can never back down or get complacent, and I don’t want to. This is not a short term deal. Excellent blog! Also, you said it, I come here not only for support, but to give it.
good blog.. hmm… didn’t like my answers to a couple of those… i have some work to do!
Great questions!
I fully intend to be a success!
My weight loss philosophy:
All things in moderation. Aim for more positives than negatives.
Why am I on this journey?
I have been unhealthy and it has caused many problems, some life threatening. I want to be healthy, to reverse what damage I can and make the best of the rest of my life. This is a forward moving journey, there’s no sliding backwards, there’s nothing to fall off, there’s no starting over. There is only standing still or moving farward and I chose to move. There is no end to this journey. I will always have something I can improve upon.
Why am I on Buddy Slim?
To give and receive support. To share what I learn and observe and to learn from others.
HOLY MOLEY! That some serious stuff, Nance… Great blog!
I dont wanna be part of the 95%…
Awesome blog!
What is your weight loss philosophy? Don’t be too hard on myself
Why are you on this Journey? To live again. I feel, because of my weight, I have not been living my life to the fullest and I have missed out on alot.
What do you expect at the “end” of your journey? Is there an end to your journey? In the end, I will have learned how to live a healthy life. I want to learn from my mistakes and never make them again.
Why are you here on buddyslim? To get and give support and to, hopefully, make some great friends!
“Ninety-five percent of all dieters gain the weight back.” Do you want to be a part of the 5% success rate or are you the 95% failure rate? If 1 in 10 people are expected to make it - DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ONE? I WILL be part of the 5% success rate!! I can do this!
Shannon
I am here to motivate & be motivated. I dont think there is ever an END to this. We continue on…even if we lose all the weight we want to, we still stay here to maintain our positive, healthy attitudes and we stay to encourage our buddies.