The BEST BEST BEST thing I read on MFP (wel, one of them) :)

NonnyMary
NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This article that someone here provided in the I QUIT thread is totally liberating for people like me, who get bogged down with things here - It seems so obvious, so simple, but sometimes I have to realize something that gives can give me a big boost of encouragement for the next few months/years here.

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Basically, to lose weight - Eat at a calorie deficit. Simple, right?

Someone like me (or you) could get bogged down with the secret to losing weight and being able to do it every month even if it takes 2 years. I am at the 3 month mark where in the past, 99% of the time I'd start losing interest, start bringing back my old eating habits, etc and regaining all the weight i lost and then some.

I was concerned that now that the first two weeks have passed and I wont get the benefit of losing water weight (a big jumpstart to a diet); Then I read some problems and issues and worries and concerns here like "is there too much sugar in bananas or watermelon, clean eating, trigger foods, cravings, food addictions, should I eat those: IIFYM issues, water weight issues, eating back exercise calories, plateaus, am i gaining muscle and not losing weight, starvation mode, etc etc etc. A person can get bogged down and worried about their weight loss plan. i was internalizing all these things and getting a bit concerned about wow, will all this happen to me and impede my weight loss.

But when i read that article, the light bulb clicked on for me - its really simple! Just eat at a calorie deficit and I will lose weight.. Easy peasy.. Now i dont have to worry about anything except eating less calories.

I am treading on unknown territory that, in a sense, I've never gone past this mark and its a bit scary. But i needed to read that to get confidence to go the next 3 months, and so forth.

its' not as hard as I was worrying about.. just remember that one simple secret - eat at a calorie deficit. I dont have to worry about all that other stuff.

I know, some people who have been doing this a long time are probably rolling their eyes at this simple thing, however, i needed to hear it so that i have confidence that I will make it. I dont have to worry about all that stuff.. I just need to do a calorie deficit, and that will do the work for me! its very liberating and making the rest of the way worry free.

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Congrats on the 3 month mark. :flowerforyou: Glad you have found the road. There are things you can add for fitness or other health concerns but calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight.
  • ewarlow
    ewarlow Posts: 71 Member
    We've all been there however, I managed fantastically after my second daughter and lost 80lbs.. and here I am again with another 30 to lose (from this point) to get to where I was when I was pregnant!

    Its simple but that doesnt make it easy, thats for sure
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    its' not as hard as I was worrying about.. just remember that one simple secret - eat at a calorie deficit. I dont have to worry about all that other stuff.

    I know, some people who have been doing this a long time are probably rolling their eyes at this simple thing, however, i needed to hear it so that i have confidence that I will make it. I dont have to worry about all that stuff.. I just need to do a calorie deficit, and that will do the work for me! its very liberating and making the rest of the way worry free.

    Yes, this! I definitely didn't roll my eyes at this because it's such a simple fact that people lose sight of. We can make this very complicated, and it some ways the details make a big difference.

    But in the end, it's all about creating a calorie deficit, through diet, exercise, or a combination.

    Even more fundamentally, it's about starting - and not stopping. It's about pushing through the standstills and knowing that if you continue to follow through, you will lose weight, because you're in a deficit.

    Congrats on your accomplishment so far :)
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Not easy, but simple enough. :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I know, some people who have been doing this a long time are probably rolling their eyes at this simple thing, however, i needed to hear it so that i have confidence that I will make it. I dont have to worry about all that stuff.. I just need to do a calorie deficit, and that will do the work for me! its very liberating and making the rest of the way worry free.

    It didn't make me roll my eyes. These forums are full of "you need to ..." posts. And while I'm sure most of the posters mean well and may even believe they need to <whtaever>. But you are correct that the only thing you need to do to lose weight is maintain a calorie deficit. All the <whatevers> are either tricks or tips people use to create that deficit, or a means to a goal beyond just weight loss.

    Good luck to you!
  • loserbaby84
    loserbaby84 Posts: 241 Member
    I really enjoyed this article. Thanks for sharing :)
  • healthycyb
    healthycyb Posts: 12
    I am just starting out and was also worried about all of those things, but now I feel a lot better and my goal seems much more attainable. :) Thanks for the article!
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
    I agree -- simple, but simple does not equal easy. Congratulations for making it to the 3 month mark :happy:
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Easy to understand, yes. Easy to get people to do that? Not so much, and that was obvious in the "I Quit" thread you were talking about.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    I posted this article in another group here on MFP. I follow the author and really love his website and all of his articles.

    It is quite simple, yes, but the thing that I find to be the most important is that being honest is really the most critical factor.

    If you are gaining, it's because you're not in a deficit. That's it. That's all.

    We all have bad days, we all fall off the wagon from time to time. The important thing is to get back on! Stay consistent "most" of the time and it will all work out in the end! You know what they say, slow and steady wins the race. And the race is so much better when you don't have to always go back to the beginning and start again :smile:

    :drinker:
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    thank you all :)

    some peopel do have medical issues that interfere with ideal weight loss, and yes losing weight can be a challenge..

    but removing some of the hurdles i mentioned above (oh and i forgot the other thing about not eating after 9:00 pm. ;) it takes the worry out of the imagined hurdles up ahead... i have confidence that if i stick with what that article says, it will be ok, really!

    i dont have to worry about anything! just watch the calories for the most part :)
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    thank you all :)

    some peopel do have medical issues that interfere with ideal weight loss, and yes losing weight can be a challenge..

    but removing some of the hurdles i mentioned above (oh and i forgot the other thing about not eating after 9:00 pm. ;) it takes the worry out of the imagined hurdles up ahead... i have confidence that if i stick with what that article says, it will be ok, really!

    i dont have to worry about anything! just watch the calories for the most part :)

    He actually addresses medical issues in that article as well. Yes, medical issues *can* play a part in weight loss, but it still comes down to eating at a deficit. Often times with medical issues, medication or figuring out what foods exacerbate the body is all that is required. Am I saying it's easy with a medical condition, no, however it is possible.

    Also, he mentions nothing about when you can eat. I frequently eat after 9pm and you can see from my profile picture my results. Eating past a certain time is a myth.

    At the end of the day, you need to be in a deficit, eating what and when works for YOU. 3 meals, 6 meals, 10 meals. It doesn't matter. Hit your calories and your macros, log honestly and you will have no problems

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