Trust in the process, the results will follow

Runagain_4

Hoping to bring a little hope to those who are staring at that needle on the scale that just won't budge.
I started logging on MFP (again) at the end of August this year. I was at my heaviest weight ever, couldn't remove my wedding ring (not that I wanted to, but I got really scared when my finger actually started throbbing), could barely fit into my clothes, had no energy and was basically unhappy with the way I looked and felt.
I thought about starting a crash/fad diet to try and lose 10 lbs in a week. But we're all smarter than that. I knew that the weight I'd gradually been putting on over the last 5 years wasn't going to magically vanish in a month.
So I decided to make little changes.

1. The first was determining how much of a lifestyle change I was willing to make to get down to my ideal weight. (i.e. How many calories a day was I willing to sacrifice through calorie restriction and exercise?)
2. The second was projecting how long it would take to get to my ideal weight based on that lifestyle change. (Then I took that far-off date and put it on a shelf at the back of my brain and virtually forgot about it.)
3. The third was determining what my weight loss should be for an average week to achieve my goal.
4. The fourth was logging my food every day in keeping with my weekly weight loss commitment. When I say logging, I mean logging EVERYTHING. The good and the bad. The ''0'' calorie hot sauce and the mucho calorie wine. Everything.
5. The fifth was finding healthy, simple recipes that the whole family likes and that keep me full. Think tuna steak, brussels sprouts, big salads, stodgy porridge, kale, fresh fruit.
6. The sixth was planning those healthy recipes out before grocery shopping so I wouldn't find myself opting for a quick fix pasta dish for convenience' sake.
7. The seventh was having healthy snacks on hand for those days when I NEED a snack (rice cakes, nuts, ready-boiled eggs, etc.)
8. The eighth was moving a tiny little bit more every day, whether that's steps, tennis, weights, Pilates, yoga ... anything is better than nothing.
9. The ninth was weighing in daily to establish a weight trend. (This has been invaluable; sometimes the scale doesn't budge for a week, or goes up 3 lbs in a day, but without fail the overall weekly trend has reflected my initial goal).
10. The tenth, and perhaps most important, has been trusting in the process, focusing on the big picture rather than solely on the number on the scale on any given day, and forgiving myself completely on those days when I've gone over or made poor choices (there have been more than I care to admit), and picking myself up immediately the next morning with better choices.

I'm only a third of the way to my ultimate goal, and I may never reach it. But I'm still proof that little changes can make a big difference over time. I'm a third of the way closer than I was just over 2 months ago. I'm healthier, more energetic, and way more positive than I was then too. And every day I find myself trusting more and more in the process.
Give yourself more than just a number on the scale. Give yourself more time than ''immediately, right now!'' to get slimmer and healthier and more positive. Give yourself a chance. You won't get there in a day, but you'll get better and better on the way there

ImOneStepCloser

This was just perfect!! Thank you and great job on your so far success!

marymbradford18

I needed this! Thank you.

tonisha1821

Perfect motivation. Eloquently spoken. Thank you.

shrinkinc

Great post!

scolaris

Brilliant! All sorts of 'yes!' here... I've only been here 3 months but I'm completely jaded by the folks who insist they can lose 3-4 lbs a week, or claim they are metabolically so 'special' they can't possibly lever more than 1000 calories in their pie hole, etc etc. And then, of course, poof!, they disappear! Sustainable & lasting weight loss really is a tortoise's game rather than a hare's. Thanks for writing this!

takingcareofus

Thank you for this. It's what I'm able to hear. I hope I'll also start planning meals, moving more, reaching the 1/3 mark and continuing onwards... Thanks again

Runagain_4

scolaris wrote: »

Brilliant! All sorts of 'yes!' here... I've only been here 3 months but I'm completely jaded by the folks who insist they can lose 3-4 lbs a week, or claim they are metabolically so 'special' they can't possibly lever more than 1000 calories in their pie hole, etc etc. And then, of course, poof!, they disappear! Sustainable & lasting weight loss really is a tortoise's game rather than a hare's. Thanks for writing this!

''... a tortoise's game rather than a hare's.'' Love this!
It really is. Patience really is key, and I'm starting to understand that with patience AND determination, it IS possible to lose. After several years of half-hearted attempts, or gung-ho approaches that deflated after the initial 2lb-drop-in-2-days high, I'm finally actually allowing myself to enjoy the slow journey to healthy and I'm celebrating the tiniest of victories.
If you looked at my scale weight this week compared to the same day last week, you'd see that I weigh exactly 1 lb more. But my trend weight has actually come down 1 lb. That's because my ''highest'' weight keeps on going down.
More importantly, I have a little more energy and motivation every day. Getting up and going for a walk in the evening isn't something I have to fit in like it was a few months ago; it's something I want to do.
And if I miss a night, it's not the end of the world. I think that's the biggest difference. Whereas before, one slipped meal, one pound gained or one missed workout and I was ready to throw in the towel. Now I ditch the guilt as soon as I get up in the morning and start off fresh every day.
@takingcareofus, you've got this.

Endless_Journey

Love this, just had my latest weigh in, 46kg down. Can relate what you wrote. Keep going

lorrpb

Congrats on 1/3 in just a few months. With an outlook like this I'm sure you'll get there.

annebourne2

Thanks very much, this is really great. Into my second week and gained one pound but I'll just keep adjusting and trying to make this work!

hmthomas317

Congrats and thank you!! I've needed a little reminder not to sweat the small things and accept that this is a process and not always a happy, easy, sunshine and roses process, but one that takes discipline, patience and hard work.

sthoma13

Perfect what I needed today! Thank you all

saralthrash

Love this! Thanks for posting!

dlm4mom

Thank you for this. I look forward to more of your posts. This is motivation in a kind and realistic way. Some of us are struggling and do not find anything easy. Every thing has to be planned and deliberate for me. It is not my nature to exercise or eat low calorie foods. I have to make myself do everything differently in order to loose weight.

lorrpb

So true. Thanks!

Runagain_4

I'm so grateful for all of your feedback and positivity! That's what keeps me coming back to MFP every day; knowing that there are people like yourselves out there who are just like me. We're the ones who don't get it right every single minute of every day, but who hold on to hope and keep on trying even when we don't get it quite right.
Just an update, in case anyone's wondering: trusting in the process has now gotten me 2/3 of the way to my goal. Some days are easy, some days are really tough. But I wake up every morning telling myself this is the day I get to keep on keeping at it. Some days my weight is up, some days it is down, but the trend keeps on going downwards, even if it sometimes seems agonisingly slow (think 'no loss one week, half a pound the next').
And I keep on coming back here every single day. I log in, I log my food. It's probably the easiest thing I've got to do all day; it seems silly not to, really. Some days I'm embarrassed to put down in writing that I replaced my portion of veg with an ounce of Cheetos (check today's diary ... sigh ...), but embarrassment seems to keep me oddly accountable, which ultimately leads to me making better choices to redeem myself!
I'm starting to look better than I did five months ago, but more importantly I feel so much better. I'm happier, healthier and just generally more positive.
Best of luck on all your journeys. Find what works for you and trust in that. And please, please, go easy on yourselves along the way

elaineamj

Bumping this because it is so awesome! Thank you OP - sometimes it's hard to trust the process. but like so many things in life, patience and trust make all the difference. Thanks to everyone here, I'm using trendweight too. My scale showed a 1lb increase - but trendweight shows a -0.1 decrease. It's such an awesome tool. (and reading The Hacker's Diet that trendweight is based on was rather awesome too).

judywiggins

Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts and experience. I too have to learn to trust the process, so I got up this morning packed my water aerobics gear and off I go after work. Anyone wanting friends send me an invite. I'm looking for a few really committed people. Those folks that if you don't see me for a day...call me out and vice versa.

itsmemaringle

This is so true!!!!! Thank you for posting

dswindlern

Thank you for this!

Becca_250

Hope you don't mind I'm going to bump up this post so more people can see it. Couldn't have put it better myself, everyone should read this!

mkey98901

Thank you!!!! I needed to read this

dlm4mom

Thank you. I did too!

jesser40

Thanks what inspiring words!! I'm new here and just enjoying reading all of this!

Iknewyouweretrouble

this is great! thank you

debtay123

This is wonderful- just what I needed to hear- after a small gain(with the holidays here) and feeling bad about myself- yes it is a small gain- but I WILL keep going and continue to lose the weight- I trust in the process(longterm)

RubinaKochar

I feel like I should make it a morning ritual to reread this!

pamfgil

Yes, this is what I've been telling myself for the last few weeks when the scale was not reflecting my calorie deficit, sooner or later my results will show, just trust in the process and keep going

Runagain_4

Runagain_4 wrote: »

I'm only a third of the way to my ultimate goal, and I may never reach it. But I'm still proof that little changes can make a big difference over time. I'm a third of the way closer than I was just over 2 months ago. I'm healthier, more energetic, and way more positive than I was then too. And every day I find myself trusting more and more in the process.
Give yourself more than just a number on the scale. Give yourself more time than ''immediately, right now!'' to get slimmer and healthier and more positive. Give yourself a chance. You won't get there in a day, but you'll get better and better on the way there

Just thought I'd check in since it's been quite a while since I wrote the original post. It's always nice to catch up on a ''success story''.
My perception of success is probably a lot different than a lot of people's at this point in time. My success doesn't involve having reached goal weight. Yet.
My success involves still being here, still determined to reach goal. I'm a bit closer than when I originally posted, about 2/5 of the way, not quite halfway to goal. I've averaged a 0.1 lb/week weight loss over the last two and a half years. Infinitesimally small loss by most accounts. But I'm still here. I'm still determined. Here's what happened:
After the initial post, I lost progressively for a few more months. I stayed on track, I stayed focused. No sooner would I gain than it would come off. I was well on my way to goal, about 2/3 of the way there.
I went on six vacations in a 12-month period. I did extremely well exercise-wise on all six. I failed diet-wise on the sixth. I forgot to log after over almost a full year of consistently logging. I didn't lose the few lbs I'd gained once I got back from vacation. I didn't go back to logging consistently or weighing in regularly.
Things didn't slide too badly though.
Then I went on vacation in October 2016 and woke up one morning with 3 herniated cervical discs (out of nowhere). I was in agony. I couldn't lie down, couldn't sit. I could stand, but every step jarred. After an agonizing 12-hour trip home, it took me 3 weeks to recover to the point where I could go back to work. Sleeping continued to be sporadic. Walking was a chore. My doctor advised not to do any exercise or physically strenuous activity for at least 3 months. I got depressed. I gave in to emotional eating. I went back to Pilates eventually, but I kept on eating.
Within 11 months, I realized my weight had crept right back up to where it had been when I started. But I was determined not to beat my highest weight.
I pulled up my big girl pants and started logging again. I got serious about walking and Pilates again. I started watching what I put into my body. And the weight started going down again. Not fast, but in the right direction.
Then, about a month ago, I found out I am pre-diabetic. This was shocking, because while I'm still above the weight I'd like to be, my BMI is 23, on the upper end of the normal range. This brought about a few more dietary changes, and the elimination of most of my beloved carbs; surprisingly, I'm not craving them, and I'm actually feeling a lot better these days. Because of these restrictions, I now log on a carb manager app more than on MFP (because I'm too lazy to log on both sites), but I log every single day.
I am still focused on the goal. I am still working on it every day. My success may quite possibly never be measured in a number. But I am still here. 0.1 lb/week lighter on average than when I last wrote. Almost halfway to goal.
I am still here. And so are you.
And that's what really counts.

juliegilburd

Sorry to hear about your pain and the difficult time that followed. Best wishes!!