What concerns did you have at the start of your weight loss journey?

2wise4u

I'm committed to making my weight loss goals happen. No more excuses but in the back of my mind, I have concerns and I'm sure you guys have heard them before.

1. I'm big boned
2. Everyone in my family is "large" so maybe I'm supposed to be heavy
3. I'm too old to lose weight (44)
4. My metabolism is too slow
5. I'll have sag
6. I'll be hungry all the time

I've got some really great friends on MFP and have seen some amazing transformations from other people and I'm ready but these little doubts are always in the back of my mind. Anyone else felt this way?

EmmaFitzwilliam

Well . . . I 'm 49, and I've lost 75 pounds, so #3 has some counterpoint.

I'd tried for 30 years, so had a lot of failure behind me.

I was worried about sliding back into anorexic tendencies (which I am still worried about and at risk for, but I have a good support system, so that one doesn't scare me as much).

I was a bit worried about being hungry, but I found that with slow modifications of my choices over a year, I actually enjoy eating foods that have minimal negative impact if eaten in large quantities.

I was afraid this would be depressing and that I would feel constrained or limited. Because I adamantly started out with a mindset of "no forbidden foods", "I am allowed to have anything I want", and "no Food Cop!" I have actually enjoyed a lot of humor on my journey. (And a lot of sarcastic melodrama. "Life *sucks* when dessert is an ounce of Brie, 3 water crackers, and a tablespoon of fruit spread. Woe, woe is me." and "Oh, noes! I exceeded the recommended number of calories! My life is OVER!!!")

I was worried about giving up the foods I loved. What I found was that some foods, I didn't really love as much as I thought I did. Others, I can enjoy in limited quantities and I compensate for the trade-off by *really* enjoying the amounts I do have, and by indulging in the highest quality and I can afford and appreciate.

I was afraid that it would be a time consuming hassle, weighing everything and logging every calorie. Weighing everything doesn't take long with a good digital scale, the calorie information is widely available, I use my iPhone, so I use the app which is convenient, and if there isn't good data about the calorie content, I use comparables or base ingredients and estimated weights. Doing that occasionally is "good enough for rock and roll".

That it would require hours at the gym. It hasn't. I do some walking before work and at lunch, but haven't been to the gym at all. I do some weights at home (my roommate has a personal trainer, and if I'm home I get to join in the weight lifting session), but it's been pretty much "tricep extensions" (push away from the table) and "no more fork lifts".

The not-fears things I learned:

A sense of humor is essential.

There is probably no "end game". For me, certainly, my old habits got me where I started. I had to change my habits. I can't go back to my old habits after I lose 95 pounds, and expect to maintain that loss. I have new habits for life.

You can't out-run your "fork lifts".

Your palate and your tastes will probably change.

1200 calories can be way more than you think it is.

Trends, not days. Success does not require ascetic deprivation.

2wise4u

Your post is definitely an inspiration and I agree that a sense of humor and realistic goals and expectations are key. Thank you for putting it into perspective.

EmmaFitzwilliam

I've had a year, but I remember where I started. Trying to *start* with practices you develop by the time you reach the "end game" is just a setup for heartbreak and frustration (and it's what so many of us were told to do so many times in the past!).

PAV8888

EmmaFitzwilliam wrote: »

I've had a year, but I remember where I started. Trying to *start* with practices you develop by the time you reach the "end game" is just a setup for heartbreak and frustration (and it's what so many of us were told to do so many times in the past!).

I disagree

I agree that you cannot have all the practices and processes in place as soon as you start, and that just establishing one thing CI < CO is more than good enough to start.

But I think that for both short term (and I suspect long term) success, you need to be actively seeking to develop them.

And if this is not fairly high up on your priority list... you won't do so.

PAV8888

1-4... basically BS. They are impediments even if true, not insurmountable.

6.. Sometimes. Good incentive to teach you to chose things that keep you full longer for less calories and to perhaps limit your deficit to something sustainable.

5... You might depending on amount of weight, speed of loss, age, skin condition. But basically the answer boils down to... So what? Are you better off overweight and with tighter skin?

Once i decided that i really WAS going to try and lose weight i had one basic concern: how will I do this in a manner that will give me the best chance to maintain the weight loss.