Lessons You've Learned

zahndja
zahndja Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
My weight has always fluctuated. I was underweight as a little kid, overweight during puberty then underweight again during high school🙄 I finally found a happy medium when I started college and maintained for about a year before I started picking up weight again 😩 so once again trying to find that middle ground.

Does anyone have any advice around losing weight and maintaining the loss I a healthy way? It can be a lesson you learned on your own journey or just a good tidbit of knowledge or advice you picked up along the way that you feel is worth sharing. I'd love to read through everything and get a good, holistic view from different perspectives 😊

Replies

  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    Join the maintenance forum! You need to figure out how many calories you need daily to maintain a healthy weight and then log those calories everyday. Best of luck! On all my previous attempts at permanent weight loss, it was maintenance that derailed me. I'm hoping to get it right this time! I hope you do too!!
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    texasredreb wrote: »
    it was maintenance that derailed me. I'm hoping to get it right this time!

    Ditto!! I have been in maintenance since January and it has been its own learning process! This has been surprising as I thought I had everything figured out when I got to goal as I had lost by following a lifestyle change that I could continue. While that was key, I find that there was more to learn.

    So far ...

    1. There are still foods I cannot eat without triggering over-eating. Maybe some day, but not yet.
    2. I need to make sure I eat my maintenance calories. Under eating leads to over-eating later.
    3. I have to find new ways to motivate myself and affirm my success since I can no longer use the number on the scale going down (seeing the number stay the same just doesn't do it for me! And. I've already bought all the new clothes I can afford🙂)
    4. I have learned not to panic over bingey behavior. I stop it as soon as possible, get rid of any trigger foods, and go back to eating at a "loss" rate for a few days until I feel like I am back on track. And. I look at the situation to try to make it a learning opportunity.

    Despite some major slips. I am still at the weight I was when I started mainte dance, and getting closer to figuring all of this out

    Good luck to you on your journey and give yourself the time to figure out what works for you.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    For me I had to find a lifestyle that didn't cut out any foods or food groups and where I could still eat the foods I loved. It's taken me a few years but I've found it.

    Weighing and logging my food is a must. I can go long stretches without weighing and logging but I usually come back to it for peace of mind.

    Weighing myself every day, and having a weight I absolutely won't go over, is also a must.

    Other than that I eat anything I want within reason.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    I am like Sharon_C. Cutting out foods completely doesn't work for me so I have to practice everything in moderation.

    The other thing is that I have had to learn to be kind to myself. There will be days when I intentionally or unintentionally eat over goal or over maintenance. It happens. It actually happens regularly. But that isn't a failure or even a setback, I just need to get back on track as soon as possible and move on without beating myself up or giving up.
  • ashxtasticness
    ashxtasticness Posts: 160 Member
    Drink plenty of water, walk as much as possible, realize that weight loss is NOT linear (the scale will fluctuate, you'll have good days and bad days), sometimes the scale doesn't move but the inches are coming off, don't focus on the number but instead focus on how you are feeling. Take pictures along the way in the same clothing and measure yourself to stay motivated when the numbers aren't moving, remember that a cookie at lunch doesn't have to mean eating 5 cookies and a garbage dinner, if you do eat 5 cookies and a garbage dinner, remember that it doesn't mean your next day is ruined. Take it one day at a time, one REALISTIC goal at a time and when possible, reward yourself with something small when a goal is reached (a new outfit, get your hair done, a pedicure, go to the movies, whatever you want to do that isn't something you typically do)

    Best of luck!

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