deep thoughts about the lifestyle change

thrillho3

i've been on mfp for about 16 months and have lost about 24 lbs. i had these big plans to lose like 50lbs in 12 months but of course that didn't happen.

sometimes months will go by and i will not lose a single pound, even though i workout m-f (combo weightlifting and cardio), take long walks, eat clean like 80% of the time, blah blah blah. i go through waves of discouragement when i don't see the scale move after weeks of tracking. then i look at my food diary.

i notice that i do a lot of night eating (i like to read before bed, sometimes i'll read till 1am and then i need a snack. my go-tos are babybel lights and crackers). i also notice that i tend to completely "blow it" on the weekends (blowing it = eating at maintenance for my weight, maybe slightly above). i think on average i am losing like .2lbs a week.

i think about this and i'm like, "maybe i should cut back on my calories"..."maybe i should change my workout routine"..."maybe i should make [insert drastic change here instead of being patient and realize i'm living my life how i want to]"...

luckily i have been keeping track of my body measurements and also bought a body fat caliper set. i've also been taking pictures about every 10lbs. noticing that i have lost 5" on my stomach 3" off my thighs, and a 4% reduction in body fat has been really encouraging. also the fact that even though the rate is REALLY SLOW, i *am* losing fat while gaining muscle and FEELING, physically, pretty great.

it's just interesting how much of this process, this lifestyle change, is a mental thing. we expect this rapid weight loss (1lb a week would be a dream for me) and when it doesn't happen we give up or search for something else. the only thing that has been working, really working for me (as in i can see myself doing this for the rest of my life) has been not giving up, realizing this is a lifestyle change, and continuing keeping a positive outlook while really listening to my body.

thoughts? similar experiences?

love you MFP!

shadowloss

Couldn't agree more, it is 90% mental. It's not about the number on the scale going up or down, but is it moving over the long run.

I often find myself completely destroyed when I see the number on the scale going up. Why should I continue the fight, if I'm not seeing the results. Like you mentioned, I look at my food log, and I know exactly why. I'm not invested 100% during those times and it effects me.

What has helped, since I do weight daily and track in on a spreadsheet, is I also average the weight loss/gain over a week as well as a month, and I see positive change (for the most part).

Again, I agree that if you can get the mental part down and understand this is not an overnight fix, but a lifetime fix, your road to success will pave itself.