Some of the things I have learned along the way...

leooftheyear

I have been on an on-again, off-again weight loss journey since I was 18(ish), quite possibly before because I remember needing doctor permission when my mom took me to WW the first time. So I was probably still in high school. One of the main reasons its been so on-again, off-again was because life always seemed to get in the way, whether it was me going to my dads and eating unhealthy on the weekends or going back to college when I had been so good over summer and just not sticking to it. And even into my adult life, whenever I got too stressed or some major life event happened everything seemed to be derailed. Here are a few things that I have learned along the way:

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1. Weight Loss is NOT linear. I am not going to lose every week and that's normal and this should not completely derail me.
2. There will be special occasions, and its just a few days out of 365/year, enjoy it or plan for it.
3. You're not always going to be perfect, you're going to mess up, so just pick yourself up write the meal/day off and start over fresh for the next meal/day. Just because you decided to have a brownie and went over your calories one day doesn't mean the rest of your week has to be like that.
4. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, weight loss happens in the kitchen, exercise helps increase your calories deficit as well as overall health.
5. Going off the previous one, you shouldn't be going out and going for a run just to be able to eat a brownie, make it fit into your day and go for the run because you like to run. If you're rewarding your exercise with food, you're not going to get anywhere in the long term.
6. This is a journey not a sprint, enjoy the journey, you're going to have life events or illnesses or just generally crappy days but that doesn't mean you should fall back into old habits. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going on this journey. /list]
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   I know with all the holidays coming up there will be people freaking out over work parties or family parties or eating over the holidays in general. Take that one special event one day at a time and either go for it or don't but don't feel guilty if you do, its a couple days out of 365 days/year.
   
   For me, I have also learned that I can go out an enjoy myself with my friends, within reason, and yes it might impact my scale weight, but that's not all that is important in life, and most likely just water weight, which is TEMPORARY.
   
   I weighed in today, and I was expecting to gain weight, due to going out with friends a few times this week, and I was right I gained 0.8, but I know that's water weight and I'm not gaining fat and it'll come right back off. But I'd rather enjoy the time with my friends and family then freak out that I'm going to gain 1lb of water weight.
   
   Long story short, take time this season to relax and enjoy time with family and friends, one night isn't the end all and be all of your weight loss journey.

vanmep

Love these. They are very similar things to what I have learned in the last year. Especially just picking up, dusting off and carrying on. I don't think this journey is possible in the long term if you don't use that principle. The only one I disagree with a bit is #5. I take a different approach in that I actually very deliberately exercise for the purpose of having the brownie sometimes and the reason is that part of my goal is to rewire my brain to think differently about exercise and food and the connections between them for a health lifestyle. Of course, do whatever works for you.

Tacklewasher

Couple of comments.

3. When you are not perfect, be sure to log it anyway. Even if you don't know the true number, log a decent guess.

5. I know there is a long thread on this, but I've no issue with rewarding myself for extra exercise. I have a exercise routine I'm trying to do at a light to moderate level and it's something I can continue after I've stopped losing weight. But I will still watch a couple of periods of hockey on the treadmill for a beer or two.

And I would add that your goal needs to be realistic.

isra2el5amisi

CattOfTheGarage

Tacklewasher wrote: »

And I would add that your goal needs to be realistic.

And not just the goal weight, either - the timescale, too. Don't make a rod for your back with an overly harsh deficit and then be surprised when you're hungry/tired/keep eating more than you intend to. Set a sensible deficit, accept that it takes time to lose fat, and be sustainable about it. It's not a race.

150poundsofme

amanda_deanne

I love this and agree with everything except #5. I see no issues rewarding my exercise with treats I wouldn't have eaten otherwise. I lost 70lbs with this mindset, so it works for me. Realistic goals and timelines is definitely the most important part for keeping on track.