UPATED - This is what losing 80 pounds is like (2014)

wendybird5

I originally posted this a year ago (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/857137-for-the-newbies-here-is-what-losing-80-pounds-is-like) and a lot of people found it helpful so I'm reposting it again for the New Year with an update of what has happened since.

So you found out about this app and are determined to lose a bunch of weight and let your inner skinnier person out. It's going to go something like this:

1st week -
I'm going to lose two pounds a week. This is going to be great. I'm going to be so determined and so dedicated...

2nd week -
The hell!?!?!? Why didn't I lose anything? I've been so good. I worked so hard. I should just give up. I'm just meant to be fat. I'll never lose this weight.

3rd week -
How did that burger get in my mouth? Or the pizza? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I'm a failure...

4th week -
Holy cow!! I lost four pounds. That's a pound a week. That's not bad. I think there's hope.

2nd month - I'm losing so much weight. This is so great. I'll be to my goal in no time at all!!

3rd month - Um.... hello??? What happened? Why aren't we losing weight now. I didn't change anything. I even worked out more. Why do you hate me?!?!? I want cake!

4th month - Whew - doing good. I'm OK. Look at how far I've gotten. Yay me. Just hang in there. I'm going to try going to the gym.

5th month - Going to the gym is hard. I can barely get three days a week in. And everyone there must think I'm so fat and wonder why I'm there. And I'm so sore. Can't move anything. Sitting down is hard.

6th month - I thought I'd be farther along. Why haven't I lost more? I've only gone down two sizes. Shouldn't I be at my goal weight already? Maybe I should try that fad diet or that starvation diet? So tired of people trying to get me to splurge and eat my old favorite junk foods just because I'm working out now and deserve a treat. They just don't get it. I can't afford to splurge right now!

7th Month - I'm going to kill someone right now. I hate this stupid diet. Why didn't I just stick with what I was doing before? It was working. Maybe not as fast as I wanted, but it was working. Where are the cookies??

9th Month - I reached the halfway point!! I'm doing so great. I love my gym. I go there five times a week now. I found this really great class and the instructor is so awesome. This trainer taught me some great new exercises. Some of my friends want to exercise with me now. They are so amazed at how much I've lost and they want to know my secret. I've given up all my old fat clothes for all these awesome new clothes. (Yikes for my credit card bill, but yay for my closet!)

10th month - Plateau?? FU plateau!! So tired of this. Maybe I should try working out with a trainer because obviously I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I've even started gaining weight because I can't stop binging on junk because I'm so depressed to have become so stuck and just when I was half way there...

12th Month - Dammit!! I keep dropping sizes. Getting replacement clothes is getting so expensive!! I barely have the stuff for two months and it's too big again. Must buy smaller sizes so I have more time with them. So glad I stopped starving myself. BMR and TDEE all the way!!

16 Months - I feel great!! You know, even if I don't make it all the way to goal, the size I'm at now is pretty nice. I'm definitely getting a lot more attention. I'm OK if this is as far as I can get. I'm just really enjoying this new lifestyle. And all these changes I made for my health have inspired me to make other changes in other parts of my life. Over all I'm a much happier person and my life is a whole lot better than before. I got rid of the negative influences in my life and have a great circle of supportive, positive people. Work is much better. My attitude about life is better. Life is wonderful!! I feel like a burger tonight. I worked out hard today and I have the calories. I can have it.

18 Months - 80 pounds!!!!! I can't believe I lost 80 pounds!!!! I'm a smaller size than I was in high school!! It's so weird to see myself in the mirror. I'm the same size as my skinny friend. How did that happen? And I'm a single digit size now. Never thought I'd be able to say that!!

2014 Update -
So what happened?

To put it simply, maintenance is hard! Once we lose weight, it can be difficult to continue having to count calories and work out because we want to be able to eat like "normal". The problem is that "normal" is what got most of us into trouble in the first place. I got so frustrated that I started slacking off. I knew what I needed to do to maintain my weight, but got resentful about not getting to eat like everyone else that I just gave in to my urges and ended up gaining back some of the weight. But recently as one of my gym buddies was asking me what happened, he said something that really struck a chord with me. "I don't work out to lose weight. I work out so I can eat."

So I've now entered a weight loss competition at my gym (winner gets a free year membership and a goodie bag) and am determined to lose the 30 pounds I gained and then some. And I'm going to make my friend's words my motto when I'm back in maintenance mode again - I will work out so that I CAN eat what I want.

If you ever get stuck or fall back, just remember that it isn't over and you haven't failed unless you give up completely. And I am definitely not giving up.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good luck!!

vickyplum

So inspirational

I felt I just had to respond

You have made me think about how I have to be with myself after christmas

Thank you

booksgiver

Thank you for this excellent post. I agree that over eating will ALWAYS be a problem for some of us, just as taking even one drink could derail an problem drinker. It's not something that we can simply recover from and it must be monitored for the rest of our lives because there is no normal eating for someone like me.

huv123

I felt like crying this morning. Im in the third month and after weeks and weeks of success nothing is happening. But then I read this and laughed!

mamma_nee

WOW !! Way to go ! What a nice read Thank you so much for inspiring me to keep on keeping on!

Sarahnade42x

I can relate to just about every single one of those phases -- glad to know I'm not the only one who goes through them (although I feel like I'm in month 10 every other month...). Thanks for sharing!

watchhillgirl

Thank you so much for posting this! It is a roller coaster, and sometimes we forget that and want to throw in the towel. But just keep at it.

ejw89

I'm bookmarking this. Thank you. It's so inspirational and will hopefully keep me on track.

Last time I gave up after 2 months and then put on 25 kgs from my start weight.

I'm determined to not let that happen again.

It's good to know that my struggles are not my own.

WeightWatcher67

Thanks for sharing! I know how some of those phases went for me. Keep tracking and trucking! We are all here for each other!

ralphthedoggy

This was a great read! And you're great! Thanks for being so inspirational, funny and realistic!

kmillers

I am with ya sister. I got to goal weight in April. Gained 15 lbs since then. I was not recording my food. Biggest mistake. Back to what I know works. I will help you stay motivated. There are results and there are excuses, you cannot have both!!! Make life happen.

Kookyk9s

I just want it to be linear. No more ups and downs. Fairy tale. BOO HOO. Just need to get real.

jessspurr

Fantastic post! I'm currently in 9 months and half way to my goal and I can really relate to what you wrote about in 9 months! Although I felt more like 9 months in 8 months and I feel a LOT like 10 months right now. It's nice to know what to expect for the future and that it will get better and it's not over. Not by a long shot!

rhinemaiden

Thank you for sharing your excellently written post! So articulate and witty! It has given a boost to my day and my recent start with a LC/HF diet. I have not had any results other than that managing to stay under 80kg on my see-saw and I was getting insecure if I am on the right road after all. Still not comfortable with eating fat as I have been brain-washed for so long into a low fat mind-set. All the best with your renewed efforts to claw back your previous weight loss. I sure know what you mean about gym soreness! I try for 3 sessions a week and yesterday I went very late in the evening (not a good idea). Boy, am I sore today! My poor, (almost) 68 year old bod feels very punished!

Luckee_me

Great post. Thanks for sharing.

key1238

:happy: I can so relate to this. My weight loss journey has been similar. Lost a bunch and gained a lot back. It is so not fair that some of us have to workout to be able to eat what other people can eat without gaining weight. Counting calories gets so old and tiresome but it works.

FaithRN66

so glad i'm not the only one! i lost 40 lbs from February through June last year. From September to December I gained back almost half of that, i was still doing all the exercising, I just ate like crap! I never starved myself to lose the weight, just maintained a fairly strict paleo type diet (some cheese and butter but otherwise paleo) until we went on vacation and I wasn't preparing my own foods. i looked better than i've looked in years, weighed less than I've weighed in 20 years! BUT.... temptations won and I've got the extra poundage to prove it. luckily, because of my barre classes, i have toned my body and my growing FA is still fitting into the smaller clothing I bought, it's just a bit more snug now. Goal for the first 3 months of 2014 is to stay on track with the eating, exercising shouldn't be an issue since I LOVE FLYWHEEL and FLYBARRE!! By March I'd like to lose 10 lbs and be able to sit & breathe at the same time in my new jeans :bigsmile:

cmm7303

Lost a little over 50, gained back 19, am busting back down to the original loss plus a few more.

It doesn't count as failure if you don't give up. Maintenance is hard, but we KNOW it can be done.

LyndaMRou

Love this post and can certainly relate to the plateau part! I'm at the "I look okay" stage, but still have a ways to go to be where I ultimately want to be. And thank you for the reminder that there is no "normal eating" for me -- ti's too true, but I've tried to ignore that to my peril in the past!

Annawaywego

A huge thank you Wendy for your amazing inspiration and brilliant sound advice. It certainly is a good way to look at things. I hope you win and even if you don't, I know you won't give up. thank you!!

Roxmom66

Thanks for posting. Well written and humorous with a great message.

SLLRunner

Shoot, this ought to be a sticky. This is one of the most heartfelt inspirational threads I have read on here in a long time.

I wish weight loss was linear and all happy but it's not.

ks_mommaof5

Amazingly written. I loved every.single.word because they are so heartfelt and REAL. As you continue on your journey, know that you have some spunky company here who share your feelings about the roller-coaster that is "getting healthy." {{{{HUGS}}}}

mamadon

Thank you so much for this. I am getting very close to maintenance, and it has had me pretty scared I have to admit. I guess for some of us, like me, I will simply have to be ever vigilant throughout my life. It will have to be my normal.

WallyH4EverVersion

Thank you for posting!! Very informative and inspirational !

Dentice143

Love this!!!! :happy: