What has weight loss taught you about yourself/life?

Molly_234

I am still learning about this lifestyle. So far I have learned that not every week will be perfect but as long as I don't give up I am not failing. I learned how crazy restaurant portion sizes are. I'm learning about my body and how certain times of the month I'm extremely hungry and have constant cravings but other times I have no problems with staying under calories. I'm learning how much water weight affects my body. I'm learning that my mind plays tricks on me "you can have this treat but just eat 200 calories less tomorrow." Most importantly I learned that this is a lifstyle and not just a diet. If I dont want to be over weight I have to continue living a healthy lifestyle. What have you learned?

kommodevaran

I have learnt that...
I resist change, but I'm really very adaptible and usually enjoy a new environment, schedule, etc.
A healthy lifestyle isn't that difficult after all.
People are stupid and easy to sway, scare, con and exploit.
I want and need to make my own decisions.
I love food.
I like to wait for a good meal instead of eating whatever whenever.
Our brains are malleable and what we tell ourselves has great impact on our behavior.
Eating until not hungry instead of stuffed does not lead to fainting, road rage or death (although I'm a bit worried about this sometimes).

jdb3388

In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins, not through strength, but by perseverance. Are you the river, or are you the rock?

fupthesides

I learned that as long as I get back up after falling down I have already won. I learned that I need to be selfish when it comes to my health. I learned I can't rely on validation from others to keep me going. I learned that calorie counting can make you second guess other things in your life.

vanmep

I have learned that my mind is a very interesting place. I have learned that I often think I want things that I don't actually want. And I often think I don't want things that I actually do want. I have learned that cravings and feelings pass like the weather and it is necessary to make decisions independently of them. Weight loss is a physical journey, that has way more to do with my mind than I expected.

lilawolf

I learned that :
I do better on a cycle: Low cal M-Th, much higher on Fri-Sat.
No need to cut out anything completely.
Never have the crappy version of something you crave. Get the real deal or blow it off.
I am stronger, steadier, and happier in all parts of my life when I'm active. (semi-prone to depression)
I like hitting things (Krav maga).
Flexibility. Have something come up? Move the workout to lunch time, or swap with your rest day instead. Still have a life.
Bulk cooking/freezing.
That running is bearable, and trail running outside where its beautiful is lovely and meditative.
That weight loss really isn't that hard if you put yourself in an upward cycle: I GET to eat this delicious treat which will fuel me so that I GET to go spar and feel bad *kitten* so that I GET to look awesome and strong..... rather than: Ugh, I HAVE to run on the dreadmill because I FAILED and ate that stupid treat...

Gallowmere1984

That I do best with extremes in most areas.
That I am an elitist a-hole.
That I can't help but mock failure (both my own, and that of others).
That my boss doesn't like me when I am cutting.
That I didn't have "a slow metabolism". I was just lazy as *kitten*.
That I rather enjoy walking 10-20 miles per day, so long as it's not on a damned treadmill.
That I still have a long way to go.

endlessfall16

I have learned that weight control is all about discipline.
Everything else is just distraction and confusion.
Food has the power to get ahead of many people's discipline.

Fasting feels very healthy if done right.

Mini_Medic

Losing has taught me that being smaller doesn't fix everything. You can still be insecure, feel out of place and be uncomfortable in your own skin. You can also choose to treat your body well, honor it, take care of it and feel amazing breaking through barriers you never thought possible. Not just fitness barriers either, although those are incredible in and of themselves, but boundaries in everyday life that were previously attributed to being fat but weren't, the weight was just a disguise to the real issue.
I have learned that food tastes better when it's a rare treat and savored. If you eat a doughnut every day it loses its specialness. If you have it twice a month it tastes better than it ever did before.
I have learned that I can say no today and yes tomorrow. Before if the question was about food it was always yes and now. It feels good to be control and say not now, and I'll enjoy that when I really want to and not because it's here now. If I wait a few days I enjoy it far more.
I have learned that people are very judgmental and will comment on your body, your food choices, even your clothing when you are smaller, whereas heavier it is a faux pas but thin apparently gives them a free pass because society deems it appropriate to do so. It's utter crap and sometimes makes me want to be big again to avoid it.
I have learned healthy is a mindset and it can change your life once you get past the starting line. Healthy doesn't go away in two weeks when your diet "ends", or once you completed a fitness goal, or can wear x size again. Healthy is an ongoing process of making choices you want to make that make you feel good, mentally and physically.

Unknown

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Machka9

I learned that in a world of external and internal chaos ... schedules and pressures and deadlines and busyness and changes of plans etc. etc. etc + the hormonal chaos of being an older woman and health issues etc. etc. etc. ............. I have control over my weight.

Everything else might be out of control ... but I can still lose weight.

cwagar123

Patience

sbrandt37

I have learned that I wasn't unhappy because I was fat, I was fat because I was unhappy. Focusing on taking better care of myself and finding better ways to deal with my unhappiness helped both at the same time.

newheavensearth

Be adaptable- always have a Plan B, C, and D if necessary. Weight loss will not solve everything or make everyone happy. Find foods, habits, and exercises you enjoy and can make part of everyday life realistically. For me personally: I will not be a weight loss martyr. I will not complain to everyone about how much I gave up to lose weight or brag about how strict or zealous I am about my plan for the attention. Not my style. In fact it makes me uncomfortable when people mention my weight loss, usually because it's followed with ignorant nonsense. I'm still learning new things as I go along, but the biggest thing I'm learning now is to filter out outside voices. It's my journey and my problem so no one else's opinion of my weight and body really matters as much as my own.

CynthiasChoice

I've learned that nothing good has come out of being too permissive with myself.
I've learned that falling down really slows me down.
I've learned how to eat right by actually eating right. Today, not tomorrow. This meal, not the next one.
Good habits can't be cultivated if I continue to flirt with bad habits.
Good habits can only be cultivated by seizing every present moment to reinforce them.
Good habits take years to cultivate, and then must be loyally and faithfully guarded forever.

STC02

That eating in moderation and eating less but still feeling full= weight loss! Who knew it could be literally as simple as that.
Also I learned that I am quite a good cook if I do say so myself!
That it takes 1.5 hours maximum to prep lunches for a whole week!
Still a bit to go but I feel better.

Flissbo

lilawolf wrote: »

That weight loss really isn't that hard if you put yourself in an upward cycle: I GET to eat this delicious treat which will fuel me so that I GET to go spar and feel bad *kitten* so that I GET to look awesome and strong..... rather than: Ugh, I HAVE to run on the dreadmill because I FAILED and ate that stupid treat...

Thanks for this great tip! I am now going to think up my own and change my way of thinking :-)

tomteboda

I've learned that I like cookies more than I like most people, and that budgeting for cookies helps me put up with people better.

I've learned that I absolutely can control my weight even when tired and sick.

I've learned I'm much more pleasant if I get in a long walk or two alone every day. It's relaxing and helps keep me grounded when things get stressful.

I've learned that my weight contributed much more to the severity of my experience with Lupus and arthritis than I ever gave it credit for

Catawampous

That everyone is an individual. What works for me won't necessarily work for someone else. There's no "universal" truths. That the stuff we spew out today will probably change in a few years and we'll be shouting out something different. That I am my own best advocate. Take all advice on board if you ask for it. Then weed out the noise. You know you best.

lindymacl

I've learned that just six pounds is a lot of fat, and losing that has made me feel better already!
I've learned that counting calories works for me, because I was failing to appreciate that overeating healthy food makes you fat.
I've learned that I am an emotional eater, and that I didn't stand a chance of dealing with that until the awful grief of losing my husband eased a little.

kingleahnidas

Love this thread! I have lost 66 pounds in half as many weeks and learned that this weight loss thing is much simpler than I ever would've thought. Not always easy, but definitely simple.

Some other things I learned:

• I love tennis! Who knew it wasn't just endlessly bending over to pick up balls you miss.
• Good shoes make all the difference and are worth the money.
• It is easy to incorporate more movement into my everyday routine. It's the little things, like offering to go get the mail or bring in the groceries that I used to avoid.
• It will take other people 50000 years to say anything about your weight loss, so you just have to focus on other ways to stay motivated.
• It's okay to listen to my body. If I go to the gym and I really don't feel like going on the treadmill, I focus on weights or use the jumprope (my new fave). If I really want to eat something, I get a small portion of it and eat it.
• I can make big, seemingly crazy goals and actually achieve them. Succeeding at weight loss has inspired me to make new goals, like running a marathon and hiking the Long Trail. It makes anything seem possible.

deannalfisher

I've learnt that I'm ok with eating variations on the same food every day - I don't need to be that adventurous in my cooking/eating

inertiastrength

That my metabolism and thyroid were just fine, I was eating for 2-3 people!