Down 162 pounds but Struggling

Bundyman

I'm proud of my success to date and certainly a lot of the progress is due to my use of the MyFitnessPal app and the calorie counting.

Lately though I've been slipping back into old habits and the weight isn't dropping as I'd like it to. I know the reason for this is completely my fault with a lack of willpower and self control. I'm going to do everything I can to continue towards the healthiest me possible. I started at 448 pounds and I'm currently at 285 pounds but I know I can do even better.

Thanks to all of you for your continued encouragement and motivating posts. We're going to reach our goals.

L1zardQueen

Have you thought of taking a break from counting calories? You've done so well!!

Bundyman

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Have you thought of taking a break from counting calories? You've done so well!!

Thanks. No, I think counting calories has helped to keep me focussed all along and accountable. I just need to be smarter again and work on portion size like I was doing when I was having success. I've had my fun cheating. It's time to get back on track.

naomillion

162.9 lbs lost?? Holy smokes that is such a fantastic progress!! Congratulations on getting where you are now. Keep up the amazing work, you are capable of achieving everything if you just put your mind to it. 162.9 pounds are the best proof of that

bigmanatee

Incredible! Just a bump in the road for you, very inspirational.

Jinsenj

Try and refocus. Make a list of why you started to lose weight and what you want to accomplish now with weight loss. Remember that this journey is never over because life keeps on happening

Lucy1752

Congrats on how far you have come so far!

Sometimes when I find myself struggling it is because I am bored with my go-to snacks and lunches I take to work. I tend to get in a rut with things I like, but if I change it up a bit I find it easier to get back to the right place mentally.

devinnn0728

You have accomplished so much! Be proud of yourself!

mxchana

Your success thus far is absolutely inspiring. You might just set small goals for now, 10 lbs at a time and then celebrate each 10-lb success with a concrete (non-food, of course) reward. The weight loss slows as we get closer and closer to our goal, but you have a lifetime of healthy eating ahead of you, so there's no rush. You can get yourself back on track, go for it!

JeromeBarry1

Evaluate the habits you find yourself slipping back into and pick one to overcome. Then work at it. Then another. Even in onederland, you can't stop learning how to do this.

__TMac__

When I lose focus it's because my goal is no longer compelling to me. For me, the goal of just losing pounds or clothing sizes isn't enough. Fitness goals do it, though. I sign up for races or challenges in various sports, and then train and eat properly to make the most of the training. It renews my focus every three months or so. I didn't do any events last year and gained 20 lbs back. I have a race next weekend that I've been training for since October, and I'm losing again. I have three more events on the schedule to get me through the year.

SW 248
CW 209
GW 185

What's your goal, and is it compelling? Do you need a new one?

bbell1985

Have you taken a maintenance break? You've done great work. Dieting is stressful and as you lose those leptin levels really decrease and you may feel hungry or frustrated. Taking two weeks of maintenance can be good for mind and body, might increase leptin levels again, gives your practice logging very accurately again (you don't want to get into a surplus so you should feel like you really need to buckle down), and it erases that guilt that you are over eating.

tarothelp

Hey there! First of all you are a SUPERSTAR for what you have already accomplished .... I mean I have to take a min and let that sink in wow! You have come reeeeeally far!
Maybe it's time to join a gym and invest in a trainer for a little bit. Not sure if you are currently exercising? If not.... it can be one of the most life changing things you do and investing in a decent trainer is often an overlooked key to success for beginners good luck!!!! Keep on keepin on!

jgnatca

When there is a lot to lose, I swear the body does a rebel once in a while and just stops dead in its tracks.

The boredom is real too.

I hit a wall where I got dead tired of salads. This was after a month of eating home grown salads from my garden trying to keep ahead of the garden. Well, duh. The regular store veggies could just not compete. I switched to winter veggies and I broke my boredom and my wall.

Bundyman

Thank you everyone for the kind words and information. I knew I'd find the support and guidance I needed here. I will take everything you have said to heart and hopefully get back to moving in the right direction. I do have a gym membership but haven't been using it regularly. That stops tomorrow. Back to smart eating as well.

suzesvelte

Man - you have done so well.

It must be very hard to keep motivated for so long, but you have done it. You already showed that amazing strength of will. Maybe it is hard to keep giving yourself kudos for the "same thing" but it is a massive thing and you deserve to feel super-proud of yourself and try not to fall into the trap of taking your achievements for granted. Keep taking pride in what you have accomplished.

I hope you can find ways to refocus.

Partly I think the realisation that being careful really is FOR EVER is really daunting ... I have struggled with that myself over the years.

But, you know what life is like when you are very obese, and you don't want to slide back to that ... so being careful IS your only option - really!

mdnorthside

Don't be so hard on yourself! Will power isn't really as effective as people think. It's a lot more about building habits that you can feel good about. Ask yourself this - what's changed between when you felt really great and like you were on the right track... and now? You may find that other areas of your life are suffering and negative emotions (boredom, sadness, frustration) are what's causing your relapse. If there doesn't appear to be a definite cause, consider changing up your routine or making a new goal. I find that when I'm really aggravated or demoralized about my weight, I can shift my focus to exercise or productivity (keep counting calories, but focus your journey less of weight loss and more on muscle gain, fitness, getting out and about, etc.). Usually this jumps starts my weight loss, not because I'm doing something scientific or magical, but because I've reinvigorated my interest in health.

I hope you find yourself motivated again soon Congratulations on your amazing progress so far!

saltypickle

You have done an amazing job! Be proud of yourself. Remember that making good food choices is a habit. If you forgot to brush your teeth one time, you would never then give up on brushing for the next week or two. Instead, you would go right back to it.

snooky211

I just want to wish you luck on the next part... I have enormous respect for what you have achieved so far, and I hope that things get better for you.

Dana_E

Wow! You lost a whole person!

lovesretirement

Congrats on that HUGE achievement! I think you are bored with what you have been doing and boredom leads to complacency. It is time to change it up. The body and mind adapt quickly so you must constantly seek out new challenges and goals. Set small goals, change your food, and change your exercise.

Some suggested taking a diet/maintenance break. It's a great idea but ONLY if you can reign it in after the break. If you are already eating healthily, eating at maintenance is eating the same healthy way, just larger portions. It is not a free-for-all time to eat junk. I would also have a start date to resume the regular lower calorie eating. Good luck! Losing weight is hard, but I think maintaining it is harder. Should you decide to do it, it will be good practice for when you get to goal weight. You have done an amazing job so far!

Brans34

I am thuroughly impressed with your progress so far. I agree that you may need to take a break or switch up some recipies/try new things for a while because it may be boredom. Good luck and just keep on keepin on.

pottchan

So impressed by what you have achieved - congratulations. I've never posted on the forums before, but so felt for you. I think I understand how you feel on this. Having managed to lose 112lb (SW 252 at 5'4") and reach my initial goal of 140 last September, I relaxed a bit. And my weight has crept up to 148 again. Now I'm struggling to get back into losing mode. I know what I need to do to, but am finding it hard to avoid the pitfalls. Sugary snacks are my weakness - I thought I'd broken that addiction, but it seems not. And of course, they pack high calories in small portions, so aren't really filling either...
Good luck with your onward journey - I'll be rooting for you and watching your continued succcess!

lemonychild

Congrats on your success! I think it is time for you to eat at maintenance for about a month. 162 pounds will take a whole new way of thinking to maintain. Be pleased with yourself and give your body the due right and give it a break for a bit

Fuzzipeg

Well done for keeping up the good work this takes stamina/resilience. I follow the UK tv programme, Trust me, I'm a Doctor, in one of their reports, it was said the body can become resistant to loosing and, my words, is devious how it does this, there were scientific causes given. I see you have been logging in for a long time. It seems duration of deficit can, depending on its size make all round nutrition harder to get, usually in females. How about trying a period of maintenance for a while, enjoy your success.

Bundyman

Thanks again everyone for the advice, support and encouragement. I swear the first 162 pounds came off easy (not really). Now I'd like to lose another 40 or so to get down to a lower weight than I was in high school back in the mid-80's but it's going to take some time and perhaps some further tweaking of my process.

treehugnmama

you have done fantastic. something that helps me is to focus on all the things I'm doing right and not beating myself up for tje negatives. also I take out my biggest pants and underware and lay my current ones on top. I'm down 67 with 70 still to go. I can't stay here if I don't push forward I will go backwards and I don't want to go back to those big underware and being too tired to play with my kids and take care of my stuff. it helps me to refocus! you will find your focus again!! when it happens to me I pick a goal for the week just one. if my water intake slowed I make that my goal till it's back to normal then I pick the next thing that has dropped off. you can do it!!