I did 20/20. It was a great program and I loved it, it worked better than any other weight loss program I have done. Like all weight loss programs, there were a few commons:
- it works (calories in < calories burned)
towards the end, I was injured and struggled to work out. And that is on me- Piggie used it as an excuse to do NOTHING and since I was in amazing shape by the time I got hurt it was a slow demise but the unthinkable happened- I regained and eventually got out of shape. Because I was in such good shape it was a slow, miserable process during which I had MANY opportunities to turn it around (and sometimes tried).
I have talked to other 20/20 alumni had this same experience when injured and I have come to the conclusion that the end of the program when you have precious few dietitian appointments, trainer appointments, etc, you are afraid to use them while injured. You go on a medical break but have no support. My trainer, Woodstock, emailed me but I was highly dependent on the 3x a week of having her chase me through the gym and the finality of every Friday with my dietitian. Without my crew, I fell into a slump. The thrill was gone.
Now I realize this is mostly my problem, but do believe some 'transition' planning would be really beneficial for clients, as I know ones who regain talk about just feeling like they had it all during the program but were alone (and hungry) when it was over. No cheer crew.
Regardless, I remain devoted to 20/20 and always recommend people do it. It's the best program out there, period.
I think of 20/20 as perfect vision, which is what you get with help and support (sometimes glasses- which is how I see the structure, dietitian, etc). It works, and you feel great.
Today I am on what I call 20/10. That's a little better than perfect vision, you can see a little more. I think that is what people have when they have to re-lose some or all of their program weight. More perfect? are you kidding? re-losing is LESS perfect.
No, little grasshopper, it is not. Because you are wiser, you SEE more. You know what you need to do and you can't use glasses to get there. No doctor gives out glasses to get you from 20/20 to 20/10. You can only be 20/10 naturally.
And there are 10 things I know now that I didn't know then.
- If you stop doing what you learned, it stops working. And you gain weight. And it sucks.
- Once you're thin your body DOES NOT decide to stay thin on it's own like it did when you were 20.
- Those clothes you enthusiastically threw out because they were too big may be missed. But don't- just replace a few to get by and get back to the smaller clothes.
- You won't get or stay anywhere if you don't exercise now.
- You now have to learn and face truths about obesity you may not have realized before- more illness, less energy, etc.
- It's a bitter pill to swallow having seen people who tell you how amazing you look then facing them again with more weight. I had someone ask "why did you get fat again".
- You really can't do it for anyone else, or be motivated by anyone else. Or make a deal that "we'll both do good" because ultimately you get on the scale alone.
- The scale matters. It's a tool for measuring. I'd wear pants unbuttoned if it meant I could pretend I hadn't gained, but I cannot trick the scale.
- You will miss being thin more than you will love any dessert, food or event.
- Freedom means you can choose- and you always can- to eat healthy or poorly. And eating poorly WILL make you feel lousy. There's no denying it.
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