Lost 140 lbs - 20 more to go... your best tips for refocusing?

Kurzweil

If I read this thread from someone else, I'd probably roll my eyes and think "Uhhhh, keep doing what got you here?" But I honestly do need advice and some refreshing of my plan and motivation. I've lost 140 lbs in 11 months doing low carb, not quite keto, and also counting calories.

I'm thinking a ton about maintenance because I know that's the real long-term challenge, but I'm finding myself slipping into some old habits as I approach the last phase of my weight loss. One part of me says "Maybe slow down and just be okay with it taking longer." The other part of me, the part I think I want to give a shot for at least a little bit is saying "Treat it like this is a brand new plan. Pretend you're new all over again. Get re-excited and add some new behaviors to mix it up and really focus on it. Give a final burst of intensity so you can finish off this phase and then put it all into maintenance." I have a solid accountability plan both short and long-term including Weight Watchers meetings, doctors visits every 3 months, and some folks I check in with regularly.

It isn't that I'm still doing everything perfectly and the scale is just naturally slowing down. The scale is still moving when I work hard at it, but I'm feeling my intensity/focus slipping -- and I just need a few more months of that intensity towards this part of my goal. I also think potentially putting so much thought into maintenance may be a way that I'm avoiding finishing this off. I'm less than 6 lbs from going below my lowest adult weight, and I suspect that may feel a little scary for me. I have a counselor I worked with in the beginning of my weight loss and have made another appointment for later this week to work through that.

Especially if you've lost a lot, but even if you haven't (or if you've regained and learned from experience -- that would be me too), what would be your best tips for refreshing your plan and getting some of that "fresh start mojo"?

Cortelli

Congrats, OP. Well done! I'm afraid I don't have any particular insight to share - you seem to be thinking it through from multiple angles and have some outside support, too. I hope you find the spark or interest you need to finish the loss off and begin successfully maintaining.

afatpersonwholikesfood

Are you still losing? Meaning, even with your imperfections, overall, you're heading down on the scale? If so, maybe you're overthinking this and freaking yourself out. Life is going to be imperfect. You'll lose focus while maintaining, too.

I have found that close to every major milestone ( under 300, -100, hitting overweight BMI, under 200), I have had mental stuff going on and maybe some of that gets reflected in my eating/exercise habits. I don't really know how to answer your question, but I do understand it.

Right now, I am technically at the goal that I set many pounds ago, at a weight that my doctor is happy with, and at a place that has my relatives telling me I am crazy to want to lose more (seems to be a common thing), but I don't feel that this is where I stop. I am not sure about hitting normal BMI but I want to see where another 15-20 pounds take me. (I'm 22 pounds from normal BMI). So I have head stuff going on again.

As far as exercise goes, I have found that sometimes just going out there and doing it triggers me getting back into a routine. I go from "bleh" to, "oh, yeah, I do actually enjoy this," after just one 20 minute run. I have been doing strength work 2x per week - I want to get consistent with that first, and then get more involved with it. I want to stay driven by fitness goals since those aren't defined by weight and can continue at maintenance, and right now, my head says, "bleh."

As far as eating, I pretty much stay with my calories 95% of the time, but I wonder if I am being too easy on myself. That's probably stupid thinking on my part. I eat back all my exercise calories lately, and I keep MFP set for 1 pound per week, and if I end up at maintenance for the day sometimes, IDC. I haven't gained, and I have continued to lose...so what's the problem?

Honestly, getting this far (talking about both you and me), and having the rest of our lives, who cares how long the last bit of weight we want to get off takes? Why does it matter? Obviously, we care, though.

Try making a list of all the reasons why you got started. Think about the benefits. Look at before and after pictures. Go try on clothes. Maybe buy jeans one size smaller as a reminder that you do have another goal you want to get to. Try a new workout. But don't stress if you decide to lose the last 20 slowly. That's what I need to tell myself as well.

sammyliftsandeats

Maybe you're feeling a bit fatigued with the diet. Perhaps eating at maintenance for a bit will help you feel better mentally.

And then when you get back to the deficit, you will feel like it's new again.

Karihappy

I just wanted to say congrats on the fabulous job you've done so far. You've come this far, and you sound very level-headed. I have no doubt you will work this out in your mind and continue your success moving forward. I have lost 52 pounds so far, but it's taken me 13 months. I simply cannot wrap my head around losing 140 in 11 months! Wow. I am 15 pounds from my first goal, but about 34 from my ultimate goal. I try to focus on my health instead of the weight. But it's hard. I want to lose it all NOW. I think that's our natural tendency. We have to realize, though, that we are so much healthier now and that as long as the weight continues to come off, we are winners. I am not doing any special "dieting." I am simply eating differently, being more active, and watching CI/CO, so this weight will not do that magical reappearing act it has done previously when I did crazy diets. I wish you the best of luck, OP, but I think you've got this.