Celebrating Weight Loss When You're Still Over 300 lbs?

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  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    Wow. Thanks, everyone. I did NOT expect four pages of responses. Ha. :)

    Thank you for the smacks. To those who asked, don't worry - I am doing this correctly. I'm eating my calories and not over-doing the exercise. No pills or shakes or anything like that. Real food. :)

    I don't reward myself with food either, so no worries there. I haven't "eaten my emotions" since I started this journey because I knew that was something I'd have to change if I wanted to keep the weight off. As depressed as I am today (it may just be hormonal), I haven't thought about eating ice cream or a whole pizza. I mostly just want to curl up in bed with a book, not food. I'm so glad those days of eating myself to sleep are over. I DO feel so much healthier.

    Picking up a 40-pound object is a really good idea! I'm supposed to go to the store to get a couple groceries tonight, so I might wander over to the pet section and find a 40-pound bag of food or litter just to see what it feels like. One of my friends said, "You've lost your niece!" That made me laugh. My niece is right around 40 pounds, so wow... yeah... that kind of helped put it in perspective.

    I love that picture of the lady on the exercise bike!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I'm feeling very strange and down today.

    I'm still losing a couple pounds every week, my measurements have come down, and I can wear smaller clothes now. I was riding a high of posting some comparison pictures and talking about it in my blog. I felt awesome.

    Suddenly, today, I woke up with this feeling of, "Are you seriously bragging about weighing 319 pounds?" and crashed down.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm extremely proud of my loss. The amount I've lost is definitely something to celebrate. It's the *weight* I'm celebrating that bothers me. I realize 319 is better than 356, but it's still over 300 pounds, it's still "morbidly obese", and it's still a competely undesirable weight for 99% of the population.

    So now I feel kind of stupid, dancing around and proclaiming to the world that I'm 319 pounds.

    Does anyone else feel this way sometimes? If I saw a friend celebrating a weight loss, I'd feel happy for them *regardless* of what they weigh (a loss is a loss), but now I'm feeling sort of self-conscious about celebrating since I'm still so heavy.

    Someone smack some sense into me. Please. :)

    According to your ticker you've lost 36 pounds. If you started at 356 you've lost 10% of your body weight . . . Damn skippy that's impressive and a thing to be proud of and to celebrate. This isn't just about the weight loss, the weight loss is the BONUS . . . this is about the healthier life style, knowing you'll live longer, having an improved quality of life, and feel better over all. Celebrate every pound, count each one, if you discount those 36 what's to keep you from discounting the next 36? in 20 pounds (in just a few short weeks) you're going to look at the scale and say "damn, I'm under 300 pounds!" and you can't get there without first being here.
  • KeepGoingTommy
    KeepGoingTommy Posts: 11 Member
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    Don't focus on the numbers. If you are in this to just lose weight then your current weight is all-encompassing. If you are looking to change your lifestyle and become healthy then your current weight is only a stop-over to becoming fit. I don't know if I said that right but, I too have been "worshiping the scale" since I started 90 days ago today. My attitude has changed and I am grateful for it. My goal is to go from 537 pounds to a healthy weight. The number I picked was 200 but as time goes on I will see if that number equates to me being healthy. My point is, if you are doing the things that it takes to get you healthy each day then your current number shouldn't matter. I still weigh 443 pounds, BUT I now walk without a cane, I CAN walk now and so many other small blessings that I can't post them all. Take the daily journey and keep moving ahead. You will get to a healthy place.
  • Strobins05
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    Weight loss is just that; weight loss and my dear you have lost 37 pounds. It has taken me over ten months to lose 33 pounds. Never give up on your goal. And ALWAYS know that this is YOUR journey and it's all about the attitude you choose to have while taking this journey! Much success to you and keep us posted on your progress, we are here to support YOU!:flowerforyou:
  • got2bstrong
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    356 to 319!!!

    Do you celebrate that?

    YES!!!!!!!!! YOU BET!!!!!!!!

    You are on the right track to a healthier life - and you celebrate every pound, every good choice you make!

    Keep up the great work!
  • jwhitch
    jwhitch Posts: 51 Member
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    A loss IS a loss! You are doing something that is extremely hard and succeeding at it. Before you know it, you won't be over 300 lbs! Cut yourself some slack and continue to be proud and celebrate your accomplishment! Keep up the good work!
  • Ivana331
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    I understand how you feel in a different way. I have lost less than 10lbs, but am nearing my goal. I feel so proud of what I have lost, I am posting pics often, and just feeling great, but then see people who have lost 30-40-50 even 100lbs!! And I think, now that's some hard work right there, my measly 8lbs is nothing compared to that! And then I feel kinda bad for being sooo excited about it.
    But I realized we are all different, and for my body type and height, that 8lbs has made a HUGE difference for me and it shows. I did not lose it overnight, I worked hard for it, I had to make changes and keep with those changes. So what if you're still over 300 you have lost a great amount of weight and are doing an amazing job! Every pound loss is worth celebrating!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I found this on someone's blog. According to this you have lost a mid-sized microwave:

    WHAT HAVE YOU LOST COMPARISON:
    1 pound = a Guinea Pig
    1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
    2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
    3 pounds = an average human brain
    4 pounds = an ostrich egg
    5 pounds = a Chihuahua
    6 pounds = a human’s skin
    7.5 pounds = an average newborn
    8 pounds = a human head
    10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
    11 pounds = an average housecat
    12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
    15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
    16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain
    20 pounds = an automobile tire
    23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
    24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
    25 pounds = an average 2 year old
    30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
    33 pounds = a cinder block
    36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
    40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
    44 pounds = an elephant’s heart
    50 pounds = a small bale of hay
    55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
    60 pounds = an elephant’s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)
    66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
    70 pounds = an Irish Setter
    77 pounds = a gold brick
    80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape
    90 pounds = a newborn calf
    100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
    111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
    117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”)
    118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
    120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
    130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
    138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
    140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
    144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”)
    150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
    187 pounds = an average adult man
    200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
    235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
    300 pounds = an average football lineman
    400 pounds = a Welsh pony
  • Ivana331
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    Don't focus on the numbers. If you are in this to just lose weight then your current weight is all-encompassing. If you are looking to change your lifestyle and become healthy then your current weight is only a stop-over to becoming fit. I don't know if I said that right but, I too have been "worshiping the scale" since I started 90 days ago today. My attitude has changed and I am grateful for it. My goal is to go from 537 pounds to a healthy weight. The number I picked was 200 but as time goes on I will see if that number equates to me being healthy. My point is, if you are doing the things that it takes to get you healthy each day then your current number shouldn't matter. I still weigh 443 pounds, BUT I now walk without a cane, I CAN walk now and so many other small blessings that I can't post them all. Take the daily journey and keep moving ahead. You will get to a healthy place.
    your response made me smile. :) Keep up the good work! Now you can walk, soon enough you'll be able to run!
  • eddysuchydvm
    eddysuchydvm Posts: 110 Member
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    Do yourself a favor and learn to celebrate yourself and your loss at every size, because otherwise, all of this hard work will be for nothing.

    Trust me, if you don't, you'll be feeling this way even when you hit your goal weight.

    I've been there...went from a size 14/16 in high school to size 4/6 in my early 20's...but I didn't have that internal change. Even at a size 4, I was embarrassed to wear bathing suits, revealing clothing, etc. It's really a shame that I didn't learn to a) celebrate my body or b) cut myself enough slack to make that new weight a reality and not just a passing phase. I was so hard on myself, I gained it all back, plus some. It's been 10 years since I looked that good, but I'll get there again.

    Be kind to yourself :)
  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
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    I'm feeling very strange and down today.

    I'm still losing a couple pounds every week, my measurements have come down, and I can wear smaller clothes now. I was riding a high of posting some comparison pictures and talking about it in my blog. I felt awesome.

    Suddenly, today, I woke up with this feeling of, "Are you seriously bragging about weighing 319 pounds?" and crashed down.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm extremely proud of my loss. The amount I've lost is definitely something to celebrate. It's the *weight* I'm celebrating that bothers me. I realize 319 is better than 356, but it's still over 300 pounds, it's still "morbidly obese", and it's still a competely undesirable weight for 99% of the population.

    So now I feel kind of stupid, dancing around and proclaiming to the world that I'm 319 pounds.

    Does anyone else feel this way sometimes? If I saw a friend celebrating a weight loss, I'd feel happy for them *regardless* of what they weigh (a loss is a loss), but now I'm feeling sort of self-conscious about celebrating since I'm still so heavy.

    Someone smack some sense into me. Please. :)


    You should celebrate every f-ing gram you're losing!

    It's more than a diet, it's a change of lifestyle, it's a battle and it's sth that you do for yourself first, so it doesn't matter that it "might seem" to others than you still weigh more than them.

    You're doing it for your health first and you should be really proud of losing so much already and sticking to your choices and not giving up. Losing weight is one of the most difficult things to do because eating is something we still need to do every single day in order to stay alive and temptations are everywhere; it could be easy to just say "whatever, I'll go back to eating whatever I feel like eating".

    So even if you don't want to celebrate the weight you're losing (but seriously, you should, girl!), at least celebrate the motivated and strong person you are today. Celebrate how much *kitten* you're kicking!!

    (Sorry for the bad grammar, etc. I'm French!)

    Good luck for the rest! :)
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    *smacking sense into you as requested*

    Are you kidding? Of course you should be bragging and happy! I celebrate every pound that falls off of me and I *know* that I will never see that pound again! Celebrate your accomplishments and never underestimate what you have done. Losing weight is hard. I don't care what tools, diet, or exercise plan you are using...it is hard. If it were easy, no one would be fat. I am proud of you..you should be too!
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    I understand how you feel in a different way. I have lost less than 10lbs, but am nearing my goal. I feel so proud of what I have lost, I am posting pics often, and just feeling great, but then see people who have lost 30-40-50 even 100lbs!! And I think, now that's some hard work right there, my measly 8lbs is nothing compared to that! And then I feel kinda bad for being sooo excited about it.
    But I realized we are all different, and for my body type and height, that 8lbs has made a HUGE difference for me and it shows. I did not lose it overnight, I worked hard for it, I had to make changes and keep with those changes. So what if you're still over 300 you have lost a great amount of weight and are doing an amazing job! Every pound loss is worth celebrating!
    I think 8 pounds is amazing. I know that when you're thin, it's harder to lose the usual 1-2 pounds per week because you're already so small and can only decrease your calories a certain amount. It took my friend three months to lose seven pounds because she was already so slender. So, yes, I know how badly you worked for that, and I don't think it's any less awesome than 30, 40, or 50 pounds. :)
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    I found this on someone's blog. According to this you have lost a mid-sized microwave:
    THIS made me laugh. For real. I know how heavy our stupid microwave is because we just moved a couple months ago. ;)
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    Don't focus on the numbers. If you are in this to just lose weight then your current weight is all-encompassing. If you are looking to change your lifestyle and become healthy then your current weight is only a stop-over to becoming fit. I don't know if I said that right but, I too have been "worshiping the scale" since I started 90 days ago today. My attitude has changed and I am grateful for it. My goal is to go from 537 pounds to a healthy weight. The number I picked was 200 but as time goes on I will see if that number equates to me being healthy. My point is, if you are doing the things that it takes to get you healthy each day then your current number shouldn't matter. I still weigh 443 pounds, BUT I now walk without a cane, I CAN walk now and so many other small blessings that I can't post them all. Take the daily journey and keep moving ahead. You will get to a healthy place.
    Hooray for no cane! :)

    You make a good point. Lately, I've been seeing the numbers as "bus stops". I can't think of a better term. That one popped into my head. They're just stops on the way to my goal weight, so they don't even really register as firm numbers sometimes. It's just, "Oh, I'm 335, now I'm 330, now I'm 325, and now I'm under 320." I don't think it will really sink in until I'm under 300 and start heading to the 200-pound bus stops. But yeah... I see your point. That's pretty cool. :) I think that's why this is so weird to me. The numbers don't have time to sink in because I'm so focused on getting to the next one.

    I was 312 when I met my boyfriend, so he made the point that, pretty soon, I'll be the "thinnest" he's ever seen me. That was kind of cool. :)
  • drlauram
    drlauram Posts: 40 Member
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    I had this same thought today, at 181. I especially feel it when around people much thinner than me. It's something internal you will have to struggle with... you ARE worth celebrating! Every step you take towards your improved health should be celebrated. Congratulations and think about how happy you will be in a year if you stick with this!
  • mrtobias50
    mrtobias50 Posts: 93 Member
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    I started at 322. I celebrate every pound lost (heck, I celebrate every .25 lb lost) I celebrate every time I decide to grab celery instead of pretzels. I celebrate every time I reach for water instead of Diet Coke. I celebrate every time I elect to do just one more minute on the elliptical or one more lap in the pool. I reward myself every time I hit a 5 pound milestone, drop another 5 % or move into another BMI classification.

    Maybe i just like to party! Or maybe I've decided that I'm worth it? You're worth it too!

    I won't slap you ... I'm handing you a party hat

    She says it better than I can. I am in a similar place and I just keep looking for more inspiration and ways to improve my journey to health. I am sending the confetti!
  • senyosmom
    senyosmom Posts: 613 Member
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    You are not celebrating being 319 lbs - you are celebrating be successful in your weight loss journey and sticking with it. You are celebrating your accomplishments and hard work so far. You are celebrating your ability to make you a priority. I say -- keep celebrating!!!!
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    I found this on someone's blog. According to this you have lost a mid-sized microwave:

    WHAT HAVE YOU LOST COMPARISON:
    1 pound = a Guinea Pig
    1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
    2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
    3 pounds = an average human brain
    4 pounds = an ostrich egg
    5 pounds = a Chihuahua
    6 pounds = a human’s skin
    7.5 pounds = an average newborn
    8 pounds = a human head
    10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
    11 pounds = an average housecat
    12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
    15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
    16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain
    20 pounds = an automobile tire
    23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
    24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
    25 pounds = an average 2 year old
    30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
    33 pounds = a cinder block
    36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
    40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
    44 pounds = an elephant’s heart
    50 pounds = a small bale of hay
    55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
    60 pounds = an elephant’s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)
    66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
    70 pounds = an Irish Setter
    77 pounds = a gold brick
    80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape
    90 pounds = a newborn calf
    100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
    111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
    117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”)
    118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
    120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
    130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
    138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
    140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
    144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”)
    150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
    187 pounds = an average adult man
    200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
    235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
    300 pounds = an average football lineman
    400 pounds = a Welsh pony

    ****...i've lost a newborn giraffe and rack of baby back ribs....
  • N0703989
    N0703989 Posts: 97 Member
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    There are so many truly inspirational stories here, just in this post!

    Love the list of weight loss equivalents!

    I guess when I have moments of self doubt I try and remind myself that I could have made my journey a lot harder for myself. I could have started at 4, 5, 6 or even 800lbs. Or I could have left it until my health was at its worst. Or waited until I was in my 60s 70s or 80s. But I didn't. So for me I thank the blessings I have. There are always those who wish they were younger, fitter or slimmer at every stage in life. However, right now I could be older, unwell or heavier, but I'm not.