Question for all the Success Stories

mrsbastone

Now that you've lost a significant amount of weight... Can you tell us what were some of your struggles and how you overcame them?

CRSE1214

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AZnewme

Great Question! Can't wait to learn from them!

jamiesadler

Trying to balance cooking for my husband and myself. The hardest part was trying to find meals that were still tasty but healthy too. I got real creative with spices. When I really craved something I ate it, just not as much as I used to. I still have 50 pounds to go.

Josie_lifting_cats

Struggles = Self-image issues, self-esteem issues, impatience.

How I overcame them = still waiting......

Aren't I helpful? Not that I'm at my goal weight, but I'm pretty confident that I'm going to struggle with the self-image issues no matter what I weigh. Self-esteem is improving as I get older. Impatience? Well, that's just me. I don't think I can change that.

airlily

Menu boredom was mine, but I just cruised through the recipe section of the forums to deal with that. Second worse challenge was eating out with friends and family. They would get annoyed when I would not eat because I didn't know the calories. Being made to feel awkward is always bad. So, I'd try to make a huge deficit by working out for two hours, and eat barely anything all day. Now, I just avoid going out more than once a month.

Hope this helps!

vmclach

getting over confident and thinking now that i lost a ton of weight that i could eat a ton of food and gaining a lot back. then losing it again. ha so basically maintaining.

plus the social events are hard. You just have to find your own way of overcoming that. I just try to say no to a lot of food, but it's hard because people always tell you to eat so much more because you are skinny, so that sucks too.

littleworm23

One of my biggest was (is) eating with other people. Not just at things like holidays when there is a lot of food around. It is super hard to sit down to dinner with the family, watch everyone eat things that you like but are trying not to eat. I still eat normal foods but for example when we have burritos I will leave out the tortilla and have more of a salad instead. It still tastes good but darn it is hard watching everyone eat their burritos. There are other things but that's the main one I can think of right now.

chefkev

people who try to make you feel bad because you are losing was a biggee...

"you don't look like you've lost that much"
"Have a bite of cake, it won't hut you"
"You don't eat like that ALL the time do you?"
"How can you eat vegetables"
"Well, I heard THAT diet doesn't work (takes another bite of their big mac)"
"That diet is dangerous" -Really? you should see my blood work, that is done monthly...

StartingAnewDay

Struggles = Self-image issues, self-esteem issues, impatience.

How I overcame them = still waiting......

^^^^^^this big time...

chevy88grl

Losing weight does not guarantee that your self esteem will return to normal. I've learned that it takes work and patience for it to return to its former self.

I admit that I sometimes envy people who don't have to think about what they eat, the calorie content in it, etc. I no longer walk to a cupboard, get something and NOT think about the nutritional value, calorie content, etc. Sometimes I wish I could turn that part of my brain off.

jhefti13

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sevencallmemom

Struggles = Self-image issues, self-esteem issues, impatience.

How I overcame them = still waiting......

Aren't I helpful? Not that I'm at my goal weight, but I'm pretty confident that I'm going to struggle with the self-image issues no matter what I weigh. Self-esteem is improving as I get older. Impatience? Well, that's just me. I don't think I can change that.

Yep, that about sums it up for me.

Losing weight hasn't "fixed me" yet...and it never will.

Also, the issue of using food to cope with stress hasn't magically resolved itself. My son had his second seizure in a week a couple of days ago and I totally binged on carbs. (I've been a low carber for a year)

JoolieW68

Hmmm....struggles...

- Wishing I could go back to how I was eating before and not gain any weight back. Unhealthy food is SO tasty!
- Sometimes I still compare myself to others....wish I was thinner/prettier/had a smaller @ss, etc. need to stop doing that.
- CAMPING. This is a HUGE struggle I will have over the next 6 months. We camp nearly every weekend and I tend to eat like crap when camping, even did last summer (but still lost weight, just a lot slower)
- Balancing time for myself vs. time with my family. Sometimes I know I have to skip a workout if one of my kids is feeling like they haven't had quality time with mom. I know that skipping a workout here and there won't derail me, and spending time with my kids is important and rewarding.
- FEAR that I will gain the weight back.....again. Need to focus on the fact that I'm here NOW, and use the tools I have to stay here.
- Finding tall pants has always been a struggle

How I've overcome it? I haven't. I don't know that I ever will or ever want to because then I feel like I would get lazy and go back to my old ways....so the struggles are what is keeping me in check.

cheshirequeen

getting in exercise while chasing a 3 year old. you have to either do it during there nap if they take one, wait to significant other gets home(i work out at home)or incorporate your exercise with the family. go for a walk around the park. ride a bike, etc. i do zumba and the 3 year old tries to do it with me. food wise, im a stay at home mom who also works weekends. my hardest was of course staying home. you have to make sure theres something always available for you to do if you are not truely hungry. get some water first. go outside and take a walk. get away from the food. keep some low calorie snacks around. watch a movie, take a nap. dont finish your childrens food. if able to, put it away in the fridge, if not, throw it away. rather waste the food than it end up around your waist. remember that you cant hit your goal weight and thats it. you have to do this the rest of my life. i have hit my goal weight 1 year ago this month and still keep going. i still exercise, of course taking rest days. if you really cant resist a food you love, dont buy it, cant eat it if its not in the house. you can also buy tupperware and whatever the meal serving is, split it into those containers. most important part, always have encouragers around. if somebody doesnt, like hubby didnt in the beginning, find out why. you are lucky if nobody is negative, but thats why this site has helped me. been on since december 2010. i have had some horrible days and through talking it through with some awesome people, i got through the situation. most importantly, dont look at it as, i have x amount of weight to lose, look at is at i want to go down a size, i want to lose this 5 pounds, i want to exercise 30 minutes. come up with goals like that. never weigh more than 1 time a week. i became obsessed with it. every day. measure in inches not weight. i have gained a couple of pounds gaining muscle but i lost 3 inches around my waste. thats why people say, are you sure your you're that weight. i said yes, they say i dont look like it. good luck.

galegetsthin

For me, it has been the hardest in social settings and my nightime snacking. What I started doing was bringing fruit and veggie trays to social gatherings so that I KNEW there was something I would not feel bad about eating, and keeping lots of fresh fruits and veggies in the house for evenings. The Philly Swirls popsicles fixed my sweet tooth. Taste like fruit and cream, but only 14 calories. Also, learning that it is ok to eat some of the stuff I like, just make it myself mostly, and make healthier versions. I have had a lot of fun making up new healthy-ish "treat" meals. Tonight, I am making a philly cheesesteak thin crust pizza. Find fun things and don't think of what you are missing, think of what you are discovering!

taso42

I used to have a really hard time with eating out, including eating at friends/family's homes. I am a lot more easy going now. I just log it as best I can and move on. But to be completely honest, there is still at least a tinge of anxiety when I know I have to eat out.

CoryIda

99.99% of my struggles are mental - trying to get my brain to catch up with the body - I still look in the mirror and see a nearly 300-pound blob of fat sometimes, although I'm working on it.

76tech

I'm not a success story yet. Still have a bit to go. But in the meantime...

Biggest issue was, and still is, the fact that I see myself every day. Even though the number on the scale drops, or measurements change, I still at times feel like I look the same as when I started.

I am a hell of a lot more active now, so I feel a lot better, but the brain-mirror connection takes a while to catch up.

Umpire57

"Have a bite of cake, it won't hut you"

HATE that one!!!!

Idabellec

I have the same struggle, balancing helathy filling food with what my guy is craving (usually meat, grease, and sugar).

I found a lot of great "comfort food" type recipes in the Hungry girl cookbooks. The one I have the best luck with is 300 recipes under 300 calories.

BlessedEight

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MrsB123111

I agree and identify with just about everyone! Self-confidence/self-image: Sometimes I still see the 270 lb girl in the mirror with giant thighs and a poochy belly, preparing meals for myself/my husband: He's not always thrilled with my dinner choices, but at least he will still eat it!

The biggest one for me is jealousy, I guess (me of others and others of me)... Almost all of my friends are married/engaged/in serious relationships, they have all put on weight and I did the opposite. I sometimes feel like they make fun of me for eating healthy. Yet when we're all out to dinner, I am jealous that they get to eat burgers and fries, and I eat fish and veggies or a salad! I'll never forget the look on my best friend's face last summer when I was helping she and her husband with painting their new house. He offered to buy my lunch for helping, he said they were going to a local burger place... She ordered a bacon cheeseburger and chocolate shake, I ordered a salad with low fat dressing. Cue the death stare!! :grumble:

notgivingup2012

Hi, Ive lost 40 lbs PRIOR to MFP and 30 lbs SINCE MFP..

My biggest struggle has been believing in myself. At 265 I had no self esteam. And thinking that I had 120 lbs to lose was something I never thought was possible. How I've over come that is I focused on 10 lbs at a time. I got the inital 10 lbs off then I would think ok im at 255, now just gotta get to 245, then Id get there then think ok now just get to 235 and so on and so on. Today I am 195!! I have 50 left to go but im just focused on getting to 185, then Ill change focus to the next set. When you tell yourself, "just lose this 10 lbs", it works out so well.

kindra3434

Hi, Ive lost 40 lbs PRIOR to MFP and 30 lbs SINCE MFP..

My biggest struggle has been believing in myself. At 265 I had no self esteam. And thinking that I had 120 lbs to lose was something I never thought was possible. How I've over come that is I focused on 10 lbs at a time. I got the inital 10 lbs off then I would think ok im at 255, now just gotta get to 245, then Id get there then think ok now just get to 235 and so on and so on. Today I am 195!! I have 50 left to go but im just focused on getting to 185, then Ill change focus to the next set. When you tell yourself, "just lose this 10 lbs", it works out so well.

Im so gonna do that! THANKS....... on average how long did it take to lose 10 pounds?

Wil00

Im so gonna do that! THANKS....... on average how long did it take to lose 10 pounds?

Everyone is different, I've been dropping 10 lbs a month like clockwork, my wife is still working on her first 10 lbs.

funkycamper

"Have a bite of cake, it won't hut you"

HATE that one!!!!

I love that one because it's true. A big slice of cake every day, not so good for you. A small slice of cake a couple times of week, is fine. So is a huge slice every once in awhile.

I haven't deprived myself of anything I've really wanted to eat yet. I just don't eat it as often. Sometimes I eat a small portion, sometimes I eat a huge piece and savor each nibble (yeah, I nibble, I make it last). Sometimes I balance it out by eating a bit less for a few days afterwards and/or doing a bit more exercise. Sometimes I don't.

But a bite of cake shouldn't derail you from achieving your goals. So, go ahead, have a bite. It really won't hurt.

---

To answer the OP:

The only thing that has been a struggle for me is hitting my macros. I rarely get in enough protein. Even adding protein powder to yogurt, glasses of milk, etc. I don't know why this is such a challenge for me but it sure is. Other than that, the benefits of being slimmer and stronger with more endurance far outweigh (no pun intended) everything else. It's great to have energy, the physical ability to do things I hadn't been able to do for a long time, to not get fatigued/winded doing relatively simple things anymore, to wake up with a smile, to no longer be clinically depressed, to know that I have total control over what I do/how I do it, and to realize I have an active, healthy, happy current and future life instead of the more negative outlook and life I was previously living.

I think changing mindset so this doesn't feel like a struggle but, rather, a fun journey is key. I don't know how I made this mental switch but I'm sure glad I did. I think a big part of the reason why I was able to flip that switch has been because of embracing flexible dieting. So, yeah, I can have that cake. Heck, I just took 9 days off of exercise because I had been overtraining and was severely fatigued from it, ate what I wanted (including several 3000+ calorie days) and a lot of it was junk food, and am now back on plan with renewed vigor and focus. I don't see this as any kind of setback because it's what I chose to do. And now I've chosen to get back on the program. My choice. Nothing forced on me. No struggle.

I think severe restriction leads to frustration and deprivation and that's what makes it a struggle. So I avoid that. I think being flexible helps makes this a lifestyle and not a diet and, thus, no struggle. Hope that makes sense.

landorki

Honestly, starting on this, I new I was going to struggle with cravings and snacking and food choices... exercise, not enough, the wrong kind, etc.... BUT I have to say, the most surprising and most difficult thing I had to face, was support.

I have a huge support system... but sometimes, they JUST DON'T GET IT!

one day my husband brought me home a frappiccino and a doughnut! I nearly killed him...

Another night my Father sat and ate fried chicken... licking his fingers and taunting me... "too bad you can't have any of this.... MMMMMMMMMMMM" again... I lost my marbles...

Friends have bought me candy, etc... comment on "HOW CAN YOU EAT THAT????" etc.

It's hard to get people, maybe not to understand, but respect my choices?? It has been emotional at times.... but I try to explain it the best I can... they mean well, but I think it is hard for them.

wendrz

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Umpire57

"Have a bite of cake, it won't hut you"

HATE that one!!!!

I love that one because it's true. A big slice of cake every day, not so good for you. A small slice of cake a couple times of week, is fine. So is a huge slice every once in awhile.

True but most of the time it is not because you want it, they dont want to feel bad about themselves therefore it is every time you go out and order something they want to judge you for what you order and throw out the line.

happystars82

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