Climbing out of the Rut.

eversosquidly · May 2014

So, I've been trying to lose weight for about 346 days now. I mean, obviously longer than that, but so far, I've been consistently "watching" for 346 days on MFP.

Unfortunately, with graduating school, I was really busy. And I wasn't able to pay complete attention to everything I was eating and also, I couldn't exercise the way I wanted to. I had snow and rain covering the streets I used to walk and I had literally no time. So I would park further away to walk to class and try to take the long way to things.

Now it's May 9th and I'm stuck. I had lost 57 pounds as of January, but ever since, (and I logged after the flu, so I technically had 54 pounds), I haven't been able to find my way to actively losing weight.

I've been tracking consistently for the past several days. I've been walking more. I drink about 3 liters of water a day. I don't eat sugar or potatoes, I try to stay away from carbs at night.

And I take vitamins.

I guess I should add that I haven't GAINED the weight back, I've more maintained than anything. But I'm still a size 16/18, and I'd like to be a size 10. So, plenty of fat to atone for and get rid of.

Beyond what I'm doing, any suggestions would be helpful.

theJTfitness · May 2014

Give it some time. I was looking at your diary for the month of April and for most days you only tracked one thing for breakfast. But like you said, you've recently been logging very consistently. You've maintained and that's MUCH better than gaining back. Keep up what you're doing and be patient.

Your progress pictures are very impressive by the way. Good job!

Iwishyouwell · May 2014

It's not that you haven't been "able" to find your way back, you've chosen not to find your way back to active losing.

There really isn't any such thing as "trying" to lose weight. That's one of those illusions we construct that makes us feel better about not pursuing a goal. It's a lot better to say that you're "trying" to lose weight, even unsuccessfully, than the truth; for the time being overeating is more important to me than weight loss.

So the question is why? Why are you choosing to stop the pursuit of weight loss? Answering that question will yield you better results than acting like this journey is somehow out of your entire control.

eversosquidly · May 2014

Yeah, unfortunately, I went to college an hour away from my house and had to drive back and forth every day for rehearsal and classes. So the time that I had on campus was devoted to rehearsals and I wasn't really able to actively track. I made sure I didn't overeat in my head, I just didn't have the chance to log on MFP. But I made sure I logged in every day. I tend to eat the same things, so a lot of the time it would start out well and then lose speed along the way.

As for my progress pictures, thank you! I'd lost weight a few years ago with a personal trainer and then Jenny Craig. I was 230 at that point. And I was trying SO HARD to get back to the place that I'd been when I'd lost that weight. Then my sister sent me a picture from my "lowest" and I was stunned. I'd passed my stopping point twenty pounds back.

So those progress pictures have been really helpful. I'm still struggling with the mirror though. The scale might say I've lost 50 pounds, but the mirror isn't very kind to my self-esteem.

Originally, I was going to opt to ignore your post, Iwishyouwell, but I decided that I'm not going to because I don't think I have to. I've worked really hard to lose the weight that I have. And every morning, I wake up and make the conscious decision to not have something I shouldn't. Like pancakes or french toast or pizza or french fries. And maybe you indulge in those, and that's totally great. Some people can roll like that.

But I think it's kind of insulting to say that "overeating is more important to me than weight loss" when you don't really know that much about my eating habits at all. The most I "overeat" is broccoli. I can eat an entire bag of steamed broccoli by myself. I don't know if that's a bad thing. My guess is that it isn't. I log as accurately as possible. And I took my calories from lightly active to sedentary so that I could be accurate about how active I actually was.

My choice is to lose weight. I am actively choosing to lose weight. I have chosen for 346 days, soon to be 347 days, to lose weight. And I have made a lot of choices. Like giving up cake at birthdays. Giving up food at cast parties and at christmas parties. And I never taste test the recipes that I make for events because I know that I am a food addict and I can't afford to eat things that are full of white sugar because not only do they not help my body, but they encourage me to continue to eat well past full.

I wake up and choose to lose weight, but for whatever reason, what used to work doesn't work anymore. And I didn't ask for help on this board, in a weight loss community, to be belittled. So unless you have something helpful to offer, and you seem to have 846 posts on here presumedly offering helpful opinions to other people, please use the Bambi filter. If you haven't anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. At least to me.

Iwishyouwell · May 2014

I have lost 130 lbs, and counting. Clearly I understand the struggle.

My post wasn't written to insult you, it was written to help you see a basic truth. You are in full control of your weight loss journey. If you are struggling, it's because you are making choices counter to the goals you laid down. It's not about you, we all struggle.

But at the end of the day your schedule isn't stopping you. People lose weight on busy schedules all the time.
The distance your college is away isn't stopping you. People lose weight while traveling long distances all the time.
An apparent lack of access to MFP isn't stopping you. The vast majority of people in the world who lose weight don't use MFP.
Snow and rain aren't the reason.

Until a person reaches a point where they say that "I am the problem", they can't make any permanent change. It's easier for you to get upset at me for stating a truth, hard as it is to face.

But it doesn't change the facts. You haven't lost weight since January because you are eating at your maintenance level. You are neither losing nor gaining. You are consuming basically what you are burning.

Focus on what's in your control. Lower your food intake or up your exercise. This need not be an emotional decision. Once emotions get involved, things get cloudy, become needlessly complicated.

You can chose to ignore me if you like. You're a grown up. But posting on a public forum means people sometimes will give you answers that don't fall in the sweetness and light category. Sometimes they'll serve you cold, hard truth.

You're the reason you're fat, just like I was the reason I was fat. And that's a good thing. Because it means you can likewise become the reason you're slim.

SnuggleSmacks · May 2014

I feel ya! I have been working full time and going to school full time, and just graduated today cum laude with my BFA. I can tell you that Fall 2013 semester, I LITERALLY had no time to work out. None. I left the house and came home 16 hours later most days. When I wasn't at work or school, I was doing schoolwork. I only had two social engagements the entire semester. So yeah, I definitely understand having no time. Spring wasn't nearly as bad, but there were still days and even weeks when I just didn't have time for anything else.

Aren't you glad it's the end of the semester and you now have time? The weather is warming up, you can get back outside to walk or run, and no matter how busy you get, no matter what the weather is like, you can take comfort in the fact that one thing you will always have control over is what goes in your mouth. It's awesome that you were able to maintain your previous triumph, but if you're serious about wanting to continue it, then it's time to stop dragging your feet and do it.

Good luck!!

_KitKat_ · May 2014

Looking at your diary, it seems you do not measure liquids and weigh EVERYTHING else. When you started you most likely had a much bigger deficient to work with so some errors didn't hurt, now that you have lost so much accuracy is much more important especially with your activity level decreasing. Great job on what you have done so far :drinker:

Also iwishyouwell had a great point even if said point blank, sometimes we all need a kick in the pants to realize it is us, even if trying it just may not be our best effort. When I gained, I wished for an excuse and had my doctor check for everything, then I had to realize I ate more than I thought and was lazier than I thought myself to be. The reality set in and I was able to make a decision and do something about it.

Getting a food scale and logging anything that passes your lips and making sure not to over estimate calories burned during exercise will work.

russellbrand69 · May 2014

I have lost 130 lbs, and counting. Clearly I understand the struggle.

My post wasn't written to insult you, it was written to help you see a basic truth. You are in full control of your weight loss journey. If you are struggling, it's because you are making choices counter to the goals you laid down. It's not about you, we all struggle.

But at the end of the day your schedule isn't stopping you. People lose weight on busy schedules all the time.
The distance your college is away isn't stopping you. People lose weight while traveling long distances all the time.
An apparent lack of access to MFP isn't stopping you. The vast majority of people in the world who lose weight don't use MFP.
Snow and rain aren't the reason.

Until a person reaches a point where they say that "I am the problem", they can't make any permanent change. It's easier for you to get upset at me for stating a truth, hard as it is to face.

But it doesn't change the facts. You haven't lost weight since January because you are eating at your maintenance level. You are neither losing nor gaining. You are consuming basically what you are burning.

Focus on what's in your control. Lower your food intake or up your exercise. This need not be an emotional decision. Once emotions get involved, things get cloudy, become needlessly complicated.

You can chose to ignore me if you like. You're a grown up. But posting on a public forum means people sometimes will give you answers that don't fall in the sweetness and light category. Sometimes they'll serve you cold, hard truth.

You're the reason you're fat, just like I was the reason I was fat. And that's a good thing. Because it means you can likewise become the reason you're slim.

This really is a very good post - thanks for taking the time to write it.

Iwishyouwell · May 2014

No, thank you for your comments. I appreciate it, truly.

Climbing out of the Rut.

Replies

Categories