What's one thing you know now...

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Replies

  • Agree with the above post about weight loss not solving all your problems. People with a normal bmi range still have bad days a abs get depressed.
  • rosiekin wrote: »
    COGypsy wrote: »
    Exercise calories are crucial.

    I actually lost all of my weight without exercising. It helps, but I believe the quality of the food we eat is the most important part of this journey.
    Thank you for sharing.

    I agree with you... to a degree! I lost 5 stone in 10 months without exercising, and I ate 1600-1800 calories a day so I definitely wasn't on an extreme calorie cut.

    Prior to this, I had successfully lost lots of weight on numerous occasions, and had never exercised either.

    After losing the 5 stones in 2014, I felt more body confident and I did start going swimming. I dropped another stone in the next 6 months while eating my way up to 2000 calories a day. I've maintained that 6 stone+ weight loss since April 2015.

    When we went into the first lockdown in March 2020 (UK), I began walking 10,000+ steps a day, and I've definitely lost inches, and a few more pounds, to the point now that I'm looking quite bony, and my loose skin is more crepey. The latter is definitely something I'm building up to addressing but feel apprehensive about eating more or walking less! My recent weight loss is probably a result of slightly undereating about 50 calories a day over an extended period of time, more than as a result of lots of walking. However, I appreciate the walking/exercise may have played some part too.

    Overall, and it's only my opinion, I think exercise is good for losing inches, more than a necessity for weight loss, but I don't expect everyone to agree with me!

    OP, I'm going to think more about your question so I might be back!

    I think exercise is useful, my point was it wasn't essential for my weight loss or maintenance. I've heard more times than I can count that how you look/weight is 80% what you eat, 10% exercise, and 10% genetics. I'm living proof of that statement.
  • Luannelizabeth
    Luannelizabeth Posts: 51 Member
    These are all great tips! I'm doing an intentional maintenance for the first time in my life. All the other times, I'd hit or get close to goal weight and put the weight back on again.

    Logging my meals gives me an awareness of everything that goes into my mouth. Overeating has been a coping mechanism for me, so it's easy for me to slide into denial about the amount of food I'm consuming. Watching the macros help me to not overeat on carbs and to make sure I get enough protein.

    For me, exercise is important for many reasons, but in reference to maintaining my weight it burns a few hundred extra calories. I translate this into "earning" treats, such as a bowl of popcorn, some pizza or a dessert.

    Thank you so much for sharing!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    1200 is not enough calories.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I totally agree with this! At 5’9” no one should have placed me in a 1,200 calorie diet 😡 My BMR definitely higher than that even in my 60’s. Criminal. #SetUpForFailure
  • rosiekin
    rosiekin Posts: 78 Member
    That it IS possible to maintain.

    Maintenance is the True Goal, not weight loss.

    That it’s a dynamic, creative problem solving process.

    That learning how to catch oneself & get back on track may well be the KEY Maintenance skill to master.

    That my mastering this health issue has brought joy & relief to my family & friends.

    Well put... I like and agree with all 5 points :) .
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 975 Member
    #4 is so very true!
  • dralicephd
    dralicephd Posts: 401 Member
    People keep mentioning maintenance, and I think that is really the key needed for loss. What's different in my mindset this time is that I decided that whatever I am doing to lose weight are changes FOR LIFE. I knew that I would not be willing to permanently give up certain foods that I love for the sake of losing weight. This meant I had to find a way to have those foods in the context of a healthier diet. A "diet" is temporary and temporary changes will only lead to temporary weight loss. We all know that. Most of us here have lived that (likely multiple times :neutral: ).

    I also agree that once you have the right mix of food and exercise figured out, the weight just falls off.
    It's quite easy. Having said that, it can be quite difficult to get to that point. Those first 2 weeks for me were super hard. There were cravings. I was fighting lifelong food habits. I had days where I was super hungry with not enough calories left because I hadn't yet figured out the right mix of foods to keep me satiated. However, that all passed. Experimentation and patience were key.

    Anyway, that's how it worked for me.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    #4 is so very true!

    @MaggieGirl135 Yup!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,342 Member
    edited February 2022
    This is such a great thread.

    And the context of “easy”, @dralicephd explained it well. Once over that first “habit” hump, it was easier than I ever expected.
  • londoneye
    londoneye Posts: 192 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Personalization of tactics is key. Different people do best with different tactics, depending on their individual preferences, strengths, limitations, and overall lifestyle.

    For a specific individual, finding the habits that are easy enough to be pretty much flying autopilot, is likely to make loss, and especially long term maintenance, much easier.

    P.S. I kinda disagree about consistency. I'm inconsistent AF, but lost and maintain OK anyway.

    ETA, in case it isn't obvious: I'm perfectly willing to believe that consistency is important, essential even, for some people, maybe even most people. Why would I disbelieve what others say works for them?

    Methinks you are more consistent than you imply.

    You may be inconsistent day to day, but when you take three giant steps backwards you would see that, overall, you consistently avoid eating more calories than you expend. I think that was the idea that @londoneye was putting out there.

    And in general, thank you for all your well reasoned contributions to our little family.

    Yes that's what I was getting at! That's why I contrasted it with "perfection". I also have "extreme" days in terms of food and movement but the majority of days I'm eating at or just below maintenance.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,034 Member

    * Being thin would not be a cure-all for painful shyness. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    *This whole process was so much easier than I ever dreamed and I’m kicking myself for not doing it years ago

    *I was not “destined” to be obese like my mom. Unless I chose to be. The apple can fall anywhere it damn well wants to.

    First point: my self confidence has increased a lot, but I'm still introverted and shy at heart. Perhaps better at hiding it now 🙂

    Point 2 and 3, that is so true for me too.
    If I had known how easy it was, I could have spared myself a lot of stretchmarks by not ever getting fat to begin with.

    My mom (obese, even more than I was) still swears by the defeatist 'a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips' and it gets on my nerves every single time.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,718 Member
    londoneye wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Personalization of tactics is key. Different people do best with different tactics, depending on their individual preferences, strengths, limitations, and overall lifestyle.

    For a specific individual, finding the habits that are easy enough to be pretty much flying autopilot, is likely to make loss, and especially long term maintenance, much easier.

    P.S. I kinda disagree about consistency. I'm inconsistent AF, but lost and maintain OK anyway.

    ETA, in case it isn't obvious: I'm perfectly willing to believe that consistency is important, essential even, for some people, maybe even most people. Why would I disbelieve what others say works for them?

    Methinks you are more consistent than you imply.

    You may be inconsistent day to day, but when you take three giant steps backwards you would see that, overall, you consistently avoid eating more calories than you expend. I think that was the idea that @londoneye was putting out there.

    And in general, thank you for all your well reasoned contributions to our little family.

    Yes that's what I was getting at! That's why I contrasted it with "perfection". I also have "extreme" days in terms of food and movement but the majority of days I'm eating at or just below maintenance.

    I'm glad to hear it! I posted what I did because I have seen folks around here using the "consistency" word, saying it's required, when (for my tastes) what they were advocating was too inflexible and rigid, to the point where it wouldn't work for me.

    I'm truly, sincerely a believer in "each on their own best path, which will differ", but I think there could be pitfalls with any kind of tight-eternal-vigilance approach to maintenance.

    Apologies for misinterpreting you!