Did it surprise anyone how easy it was to lose weight?

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Replies

  • HideyoshiKinoshita
    HideyoshiKinoshita Posts: 46 Member
    Yeah, really! I seriously hate seeing all these commercials that say stuff like.. "It's just so hard to lose weight!" or "You just can't do it by yourself!" Bs. >.>
  • shanteel612
    shanteel612 Posts: 434 Member
    I love this thread, so positive. I will contribute by stating that losing weight is easy as long as you keep the right mindset. If you let yor guard that is when it becomes difficult, because old habits die hard.
  • jdm_taco
    jdm_taco Posts: 999 Member
    yes... its quite simple
  • april27kelli
    april27kelli Posts: 338 Member
    I was just talking about this to one of my friends the other day... I've lost 93 lbs in the last year and everyone is amazed and always mentions my "hard work".... Determination? Sure. Hard work? Not so much. I wish I'd known years ago how simple it truly is.
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,724 Member
    People amazed at how much weight I've lost. They know I am an out and out foodie, so say things like, "It must be very hard for you as you love your food." !!!!! Or, "You must have amazing willpower!" ! ! !
    When I tell them I have been eating delicious food every day and have absolutely no willpower, but have never felt deprived, they look bamboozled. With exercise I can eat 1700 cals a day, which is easily enough to be able to eat really well as long as I calorie count. Yes, there are a few foods I have cut back on, but nothing is banned. I am still a foodie, which helps as I can cook beautiful meals for DH and me. I sometimes sit there with a huge pile on my plate and think, THIS IS A DIET?????? !!!
    I am nearing goal now and feel so great. I love my new fitness as well as my shape. I am 64 in October and feel 30 years younger.
    Yes, it's easy to lose 48 lbs. IF YOU STICK TO THE NUMBERS. My weight loss now is slooooow, but I only have 2 more lbs to lose to take me to 50. I am not in a race and my new lifestyle is enjoyable and I feel fantastic. What is hard about that?:flowerforyou:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Same. I keep thinking that if I had realized it was that 'easy' before, I would have done it much earlier. I just always expected losing weight to be an 'all or nothing' process, and it really isn't. Of course some times it's harder to say no to something I really want to eat, but overall... not too bad!

    I'll let you know this Winter though when it's cold out and Holiday food rolls in.
  • curlyloca
    curlyloca Posts: 81 Member
    Counting calories is easy. But not every calorie is built the same.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    Yea, come to think of it from reading your topic question, yea, I am surprised that it's easier than I assumed it would be. Surprised that I've been able to fairly easily stay satisfied and determined these past 6 months. Surprised too that I have the growing trust I can keep this up for life because it's not an awful way to live, it's rather pleasant actually and, yea, "easy" would be a word I'd say "fits".
  • mspoopoo
    mspoopoo Posts: 500 Member
    It was very easy in my 20s. Too easy. It was hard to keep the weight on then.

    Now, I think the eating part is pretty easy but the weight comes off much slower at 51.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    With the help of MFP, it sure has seemed easy to me. And being a numbers geek and an ardent logistician, planning the attack was actually fun for me. I'm eating 5-6 meals a day. And in the almost 8 months I've been here, I can honestly say I've been hungry two, maybe 3 times that whole time. So I just moved up one of my meals. Hunger gone. No muss, no fuss.

    I'm a huge believer now in MFP and calorie logging. It makes me be accountable. To me. Having friends here that monitor it as well forces an additional level of accountability.

    Of course it takes discipline and commitment. For some that is easy, for some not.
  • JustSammi
    JustSammi Posts: 79
    Losing weight by creating a 20% deficit is incredibly easy because I never really feel hungry or like I'm dieting at all. It's really sustainable. The thing that surprised me the most though is how easy I find it accepting that I'm only losing 1 lb a week. After years of crash dieting and losing 5 lbs a week (most of it being water and some muscle!) I thought losing 1 lb would feel really slow but it doesn't, especially since I know it's mostly fat.

    Saying that, after six months of eating at a deficit and losing a reasonable amount of weight, I'm finding it a little bit harder to shift the lbs. I'm planning a 2 weeks diet break at maintenance to hopefully regulate my hormones and metabolism. Hoping that the weight will come off at normal speed after that because for the past 5 weeks I've only lost 2 lbs.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I thought it was pretty easy. I maintained a modest calorie deficit that didn't leave me feeling hungry or deprived and started making better overall nutritional decisions...pretty much just melted away the fat. I do find it more difficult being at a healthy BF% though and trying to cut more...but when I was overweight, it pretty much just melted off.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edit
  • TinGirl314
    TinGirl314 Posts: 430 Member
    I get this a lot...and I even felt the same way last year.
    But this last 40 pounds can go suck it.

    Honestly I second one other poster...I was more surprised at how few calories I needed, and then was equally shocked by how many calories I had been consuming to gain the weight!
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Definitely. This tool made the entire process easy to understand and control. Was like playing a video game with my body. Input this, bing bang boom. Huzzah.

    The diet industry is a huge scam. Just wish I could help all the people struggling and missing the point.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    Yes and no. I knew that I was twice the size that is healthy because I ate twice the amount of food I needed to. So, yes, if I stick to TDEE-20% the pounds drop away at a consistent rate. But, no, because it is hard to break the habits of a lifetime, a lifetime of overeating.

    What has surprised me is how I am doing it. I AM changing the habits of a lifetime. I am not "on a diet." I am learning to eat like a healthy person. I'm getting there slowly. I just spent a month or so "on a plateau" because I was eating more than I needed. The past several days, I've been keeping to the limits and again, the weight slowly diminishes day by day.

    It would be hard to overestimate how much of this is due to the online community and tools of MFP. Online communities of interest are very powerful and participation here is a daily inspiration.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Yep. Although, I do say that as someone who has never had an emotional issue with eating. For me, I mostly gained weight because I was eating out at restaurants a whole lot more, and like most people, I have a tendency to eat more than I really need or want if a huge portion is sitting in front of me. There was some overeating at home, but only every now and then. All I needed to do was to be aware of how much I was eating and not eat mindlessly, or I needed to plan for a large meal by compensating the rest of the day.

    ETA: I also don't get the complaints that logging is so hard. OK, it's a little bit of bother to create recipes, but it only takes a minute or two. Usually only takes 30sec or so to log a meal.

    It comes off slower now that I'm so close to goal, but all I have to be is patient. It isn't really any more extra work than the first 15 lbs.
  • jamielynas
    jamielynas Posts: 366 Member
    losing weight is simple yes, body recomp. is much more difficult
  • SStruthers13
    SStruthers13 Posts: 150 Member
    I was very surprised, yes.
  • unFATuated
    unFATuated Posts: 204 Member
    Yes! Although I agree I think it is easier when you have more than a few kilos/pounds to lose. As long as you're fuelling your body with the appropriate amount of calories, it comes off easily.

    One thing I think makes it harder for some is medical conditions. My trainer has PCOS and has lost over 30kg but it took her a long time. Some of my friends have thyroid conditions and that also impacts on weight loss.

    Me, I am otherwise healthy apart from being overweight. I was so impressed that I could eat as much as I have been and still lose very quickly. The first 11kg came off within about 3 months! Amazing. I have been stalled a little the last few weeks, but I'm sure it will pick up again soon. Last time I did this I was down at the 1200calorie mark and while it came off quickly, it was so hard to keep eating so few calories. I'm eating about 300-400 extra this time and it's so much easier. I can factor in treats to my plan, I don't have to exercise much and I just feel so in control of my body now.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,284 Member
    Logic tells us that the less we eat, the more weight we will lose. Research tells us otherwise. When you learn the facts, it really is a lot easier.
  • ames105
    ames105 Posts: 288 Member
    Yes! After years of saying "I can't lose weight", it started just melting off once I figured out how to eat and exercise. Now it seems almost easy. I'm at the halfway point and so excited about approaching the finish line.
  • thefragile7393
    thefragile7393 Posts: 102 Member
    I never wanted to do a food diary or log or count calories. I figured it would be triggering too, but I really was kinda lazy. Nope. Lost 21 pounds without much exercise, now I am exercising and trying to find a way to exercise a little every day...once school starts I am practically going to be living at the tutoring place and I won't be able to do the 50 min stuff I am doing right now. I just need to keep it where I want once I get there. I don't plan on slipping but...
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
    I've been really surprised too. I thought my metabolism would suck because I was older and it would take forever. It's really been fast and simple. I think the discipline I've acquired since having my kids has helped me more than anything. Whenever people say "it's hard to lose weight over 40" I say "there may be a tiny bit of metabolic slowdown but not being a dumbass MORE than makes up for that." Not saying every young person is a dumbass, I'm saying *I* was a dumbass when I was younger. :)
  • JerseyGirlinTN
    JerseyGirlinTN Posts: 144 Member
    It's not hard, it's just very, very sloooooowwwwww. :laugh:
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    Yeah, I've lost 13lbs in fewer than 3 months by just paying attention to what I eat, nothing else. No exercise, no cutting out anything I like. It helps that I actually like healthy foods, but it's pretty much come down to if I know I'm going to have a high-calorie dinner then I'll have a smaller lunch than I used to. I'm making a cheesecake tomorrow and I'll still hit all my macros and stay under my goal.
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    Losing weight is easy... losing just fat is harder.

    QFT
  • tootoop224
    tootoop224 Posts: 281 Member
    Yes. Once I understood losing weight is all about calories in v. calories out, and started keeping track, it became very simple.
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
    On one hand yes, it's incredibly easy to see us lose tens of pounds while eating all day!! On the other hand, I look at us as walking miracles. The pics are unreal. Also, daily determination to actually do what we know is the right thing. You have to extremely want it. I pray for it, I' ve been so desperate to lose.
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    It hasn't been as hard as I thought it was going to be. I don't have to spend long hours at the gym, and I can still enjoy ice cream and whatnot. It's become purely a matter of patience, and that's something I can deal with.

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