Versatility vs. Specialized

Versatility, now that is a word I like.  I like, no love, things that have more than one use.  Perhaps the opposite of versatility is specialized.  There are times when special--think doctors, mechanics, lawyers and tax accountants-- are needed, but most of the time not so much.

Many folks feel that everything has to be special when taking control of their weight.   They find some obscure/rigid miracle weight loss plan that has more rules than the Decathlon.   I for one got bogged down with many a "snake oil" type diets and rigorous (read ridiculous) exercise regimes when trying to manage my weight.

My thoughts about specialized plans is that they were too foreign, too far from my lifestyle to work. I was chasing butterflies. I used to attach thoughts of ...well, if I really wanted to lose weight I would stick to anything.   But those plans were oh so elusive and when I fell short, I was not so forgiving of myself.  Truth is I want to have my cake and eat it too (or in my case have my cookie and eat it too).

Now I could list several pages of specialized diets I tried--many only lasted hours--but I would rather not draw attention to that kind of lunacy.

What worked and works for me is freedom of choice.  A plan that puts me in control so that I can control my eating.  Other plans place the control in some "breakthrough" food/shake/drug or complicated combination on how and when to eat things or totally controls a very short list of foods.  These plans may even give weight loss success; but in the end it was the plan that was in control not me.

Once upon a time I lost weight by straight forward calorie counting-- it worked the only problem was that I ended up relying on the same mundane foods and ran from social events.  For me the problem was the numbers--trying to keep and figure and count all the calories.  Now, being the dinosaur that I am, this was before myplate.gov; sparkpeople.com & WWetools so it is no wonder I struggled.

By 2015 I was ready to be in control, but I needed versatility. So WW  was for me. I picked WW because I had heard of the point system and thought that was way better then all those large calorie values that I would have to add up.  I also picked WW because I learned that no food (or drink) was taboo.  WW put the ball in my court. They were giving me full reign of my own plan.  I controlled everything.

This kind of control can be scary--but the versatility is what drew me in.  It is the versatility that keeps me going.

I could arrange my week and squeeze in a wonderfully awful trip to Taco Bell without "breaking" my diet.  I did not have to give up everything at once. I no longer stare/drool/covet when I see someone else eat something that is a favorite.

I used to think I needed a specialized plan.  That for some unidentifiable reason or twist of fate my obesity was caused by me being so very special.  Companies spent (conservatively speaking) hundreds of thousands of dollars developing a plan special for me.  Really??      I don't think so.  They spent their money in hopes of the other 78.6 million obese Americans would buy their special plan/book/products.  I was 1 of 78.6 million  fellow obese Americans--I'm pretty sure that means I am not that special.

At the beginning of 2015 my goal was to simply stay within my points and let the weight come off.  I gravitated towards healthy foods because they were lower in points.  These days I am eating the healthiest I ever ate in my life.  Do I eat that way because I am a food snob?-- no way!  I still eat/crave garbage foods--just not as often or as much.  Will these garbage foods kill me--I doubt it, after all I survived eating garbage foods for decades so the occasional dumpster dive my body can handle.  I eat mostly healthy because now that the weight is gone, the health of my body is my priority.  The picture at the top says it all. I wish it was clearer. For this questionnaire on health issues the only one that applies is General Emotional Health--because life's dramas can send me into tailspin.

I believe that my consistent good choices out weigh the "cheats".    Below is a picture of what was on the menu for the Rock's (Duane Johnson) infamous cheat day.  Everything in proportion right?  He works hard enough to earn those cheats.  I think I work hard enough for my cheats too.