If only I had known...

Let me preface this by saying, I only wish someone had said this to me at some point in my life of struggling with weight loss. I am not judging anyone and I know everyone is on his/her own journey. If I help even one person, then I am happy.

I have willpower of steel. I know how to "be on a diet." My first diet was when I was 14 years old. I decided, based on what I read, (this was around 1991) that fat was evil. I immediately cut out almost all fat. I was basically existing on green apples and wheat thins. I lost weight. 60+ pounds in 7 months or so. During my junior and senior year in high school, I threw up 5-6 times a day to maintain the weight I lost so quickly on my severe plan. I was young. There wasn't as much access to all the information we have today. It was not a good decision, in retrospect. To this day I have loose, saggy skin on my upper arms, upper thighs, and butt as a result of cutting out all fat and dropping weight so quickly. I spent the next 20 years in the same cycle: starve down on ridiculously low calories, then "celebrate" back up and start over. Would I pig out to gain the weight back? Not really. I would gain weight on an amount of calories that many people could eat without fear of weight gain, simply because my body was used to living on nothing.

The point of this topic: I wish that someone would have told me 20 years ago, 15 years ago, 10 years ago or even 5 years ago,

"Eat as many calories as you can while still being able to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week."

For every person who is dieting down on 800, 900, 1000, 1100 calories, it is true that you can lose weight quickly like this. But, you can have similar losses eating much more. Your body is tricky. Eat a tiny amount, it will adapt. It will get more efficient on the tiny amount. Then you reach your goal, decide you are awesome, start being "normal" again, and the weight starts coming back on. If you go into the weight loss process and just choose to eat a little more and lose a little less quickly on a higher (more sustainable) amount of calories, you are at least stacking the "keep the weight off" deck a little more in your favor. I am finally trying this approach and having success. I lose the same 1-1.5lbs a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day as I was losing in 2008 on 1000-1100 a day. I'm a much happier person now. :0) I also feel like when I reach my goal weight and eat "normal," the 1800-2000 calories a day will be perfect for me to maintain, not gain. I may even be able to eat more! That makes me happy!

Best of luck to everyone. Be patient, be consistent, be kind to yourself.

tristi