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tara_means_star
Posts: 957 Member
I just wanted to share my story for newbies in the hopes that it will encourage you and help you.
A few years ago I went to the doctor and realized there that I weighed 216 pounds. I was mortified. I decided to buckle down and lose weight. I was put on a med for anxiety (paxil) and at first it killed my appetite. At my follow up appointment I had lost like 7 pounds. I thought, man, I really need to keep this train rolling! So I started "counting calories" which largely meant eyeballing portions. But I stopped losing weight. I included exercise...but still didn't lose. After a year of this, and convincing myself that I should be losing because I was "only eating 1500 calories!" I went back to the doc and had her run a bunch of test...I don't have insurance so I spent $1000 and she told me that I was completely normal. I was sooooo frustrated. I spent money on beach body products...but stopped losing after the first week because I was still really bad to eyeball portions. But I was convinced I was doing it right. I started emailing a naturopathic doctor to see if they could look at my lab results and tell me that something was wrong. I realized I'd be spending a lot of money there too so before I went off spending more money I didn't have, I needed to be ABSOLUTELY sure that I was doing everything I could do to lose weight. I started weighing and measuring my food...and realized the problem.
It's been almost 2 months since then and I am still consistently losing weight. Before, I was offended at the feedback that I was eating too much. I was POSITIVE it was something else. I was SURE that I was only eating 1500 calories. But when it came down to it, eating too much really was the problem.
A few years ago I went to the doctor and realized there that I weighed 216 pounds. I was mortified. I decided to buckle down and lose weight. I was put on a med for anxiety (paxil) and at first it killed my appetite. At my follow up appointment I had lost like 7 pounds. I thought, man, I really need to keep this train rolling! So I started "counting calories" which largely meant eyeballing portions. But I stopped losing weight. I included exercise...but still didn't lose. After a year of this, and convincing myself that I should be losing because I was "only eating 1500 calories!" I went back to the doc and had her run a bunch of test...I don't have insurance so I spent $1000 and she told me that I was completely normal. I was sooooo frustrated. I spent money on beach body products...but stopped losing after the first week because I was still really bad to eyeball portions. But I was convinced I was doing it right. I started emailing a naturopathic doctor to see if they could look at my lab results and tell me that something was wrong. I realized I'd be spending a lot of money there too so before I went off spending more money I didn't have, I needed to be ABSOLUTELY sure that I was doing everything I could do to lose weight. I started weighing and measuring my food...and realized the problem.
It's been almost 2 months since then and I am still consistently losing weight. Before, I was offended at the feedback that I was eating too much. I was POSITIVE it was something else. I was SURE that I was only eating 1500 calories. But when it came down to it, eating too much really was the problem.
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Replies
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I know, right? Humans just generally suck at estimating calories by themselves. Congrats on being finally successful!0
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Forgot to mention, I came off of the Paxil, despite my anxiety, because at one point I convinced myself that it was the reason I couldn't lose. That didn't help. Tried green extract...didn't help.0
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stevencloser wrote: »I know, right? Humans just generally suck at estimating calories by themselves. Congrats on being finally successful!
Thanks! I see it all the time...people with the exact same mindframe I had who are convinced that something is wrong with them. I felt so demoralized! But my hope is that in posting this it will help people see that maybe the 1500 they think they are eating is more like maintenance.0 -
thanks for sharing. I need to buckle down and really start weighing and measuring i know that is my problem.0
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thanks for sharing. I need to buckle down and really start weighing and measuring i know that is my problem.
It's easy to overestimate when you eyeball or even when you use just measuring cups. I've realized that. I will confess sometimes that old fear rears it's ugly head and I think I bet I'll stop losing soon, it's bound to happen! Then I lose more and breathe a sigh of relief0 -
Good post.0
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Nice. I really need to get a food scale so I can measure my portions to see how much I'm eating.0
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Bump^0
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Thanks for sharing. Weighing food on a scale, FTW!!0
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Awesome recognition!0
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If you hadn't actually checked, why were you "SURE" it was 1500 calories? Could you walk me through that thought process?0
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< Doesn't have to weigh her food to realize eating too much causes weight gain *swag*0
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Get it gurl!0
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If you hadn't actually checked, why were you "SURE" it was 1500 calories? Could you walk me through that thought process?
. its only after I started being more strict that I was even able to admit to myself that I had been doing this.0 -
Well done, and thank you for your post. I hope it helps many people0
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It was also easy to do because if I measured something it was with a spoon or cup and I fit as much as humanly possible in it. I also knew people who lost weight without doing any of that and thought that if it was that easy my measuring would make it a sure deal.0
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ohmscheeks wrote: »< Doesn't have to weigh her food to realize eating too much causes weight gain *swag*
I think most people know that but do what I did and convince themselves they aren't overeating so there must be some metabolic problem.0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Well done, and thank you for your post. I hope it helps many people
Thanks, I hope so too.0 -
It was also easy to do because if I measured something it was with a spoon or cup and I fit as much as humanly possible in it. I also knew people who lost weight without doing any of that and thought that if it was that easy my measuring would make it a sure deal.
I've been there!!! My 1/2 Tablespoon of peanut butter was more like 1/4 cup by the time I packed it all in there
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ohmscheeks wrote: »< Doesn't have to weigh her food to realize eating too much causes weight gain *swag*
I think most people know that but do what I did and convince themselves they aren't overeating so there must be some metabolic problem.
That's right! I used to think I didn't eat a lot. Then I started using a food scale and realized I actually was. Kudos to those who don't have to use a food scale but for those who don't know what "eating too much" really is a food scale comes in handy especially for portion control.
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