No results = need support

lilredq wrote: »

Am I the only one who can make honest efforts, with hard work both in diet and exercise and NEVER get the gratification of need to buy SMALLER clothes?

1. Arguably, most of us are on MFP precisely because, in the past, we have made plenty of honest efforts with really hard work in diet and exercise, and still not seen the outcome we thought we had earned. Usually the reason isn't lack of effort, it's lack of *knowledge*. For me at least, tracking calories on MFP for like *one day* was a real eye-opener as to why I had gained so much weight during and after marathon training!

2. It's tough to focus in on a single "goal metric" like losing X pounds or Y clothing sizes or Z inches from a certain body part, because human bodies lose weight differently and according to their own whims and genetics. For example, I would dearly love a smaller waist and torso. Well...it turns out mine stay the same size from borderline-underweight BMI up 30+ pounds and now back down some (definitely not all, I looked terrible at the beginning) of it. So if I focused all my energy on losing inches around my waist (which would be a dress size for me), yeah, I'd be really discouraged. On the other hand, my saddlebags dropped off nicely. That's not a clothing size or anything, actually it makes most pants fit a little funny, but I look better in athletic clothing which is all that really matters in the end, right? So basically--it stinks when our bodies have different ideas about how and where and when to lose weight, so work with what you've got.

I have started logging again and I know where my weaknesses are.

Awesome! Time to get to work addressing them and kicking their collective butt!

How do y'all keep going, especially when you don't have someone to cheer you on, keep you honest and even when you don't see results outside of your numbers?

For me it's not about "motivation"; it's simply a matter of patience. I can wait for Halloween each year (I love Halloween); I can wait for winter to be over; I can grind away at a long-term project that won't produce results until near to the end. Losing weight slowly, in a healthy way, works the same way for me. I just do it, and keep doing it, and I know that in the end it's worth the Oreos I don't eat and not opening that box of Girl Scout cookies until I reach my goal.

I also never *deprive* myself, and that helps a lot. I still eat Oreos, just perhaps not half a package in one post-run sitting.

lilredq wrote: »

How do y'all keep going, especially when you don't have someone to cheer you on, keep you honest and even when you don't see results outside of your numbers?

With me it became all about logging honestly everyday, everything else came from there.

I didnt focus on weight loss as such, just trying to hit my calorie target for the day. I only weighed myself when I felt I should (once every 3 or 4 weeks), rather than focusing on it.

What I found was as a consequence of logging my food choices (in fact many other choices as well) improved a great deal naturally, it wasnt a burden. I ended up reading the labels on everything and just making choices from there. I lost weight fairly consistently, a few periods where it slowed but by those times I had learnt that the improvement would still come.

I started trying to be more active, just in every day scenarios. Walk to the shops instead of drive, take the stairs instead of the lift.

The lesson of my experience so far is that slow and steady wins the race, and that to get to your goals you need to just accept the process as a part of life. Making it something "extra" to do makes it a chore. Making it "just what you do" makes it normal and much easier. That and focusing on a couple of things is a lot easier than trying to keep many plates spinning - a lot of which will come naturally anyway.

Now Im beginning a more formal exercise regimen, though as someone who has NEVER exercised its something of a challenge. As with calorie counting Im just trying to make it part of my life.

The best thing I've done for staying on track is becoming meticulous. Logging my food is now second nature and my food scale is always at hand when I am cooking. When I use my food scale, I always see results on my human scale. When I don't see results, I always know exactly why. This past week I have been over my calories every day, so I maintained.

I stopped thinking about weight loss as something outside of my control or something that required external motivation or discipline. You don't need a special, restrictive diet. Those fail and then you're just back where you started. Start with small goals, like eating within your calories for 2 weeks.

It also sounds like you're bothered that you don't have anyone cheering you on, yet you said you just got married? That may be something worth addressing with your husband.

lilredq wrote: »

My story: I'm 27 and have an honest 80 pounds to lose(gained over the last 5 years). I've always been heavy, I matured at a young age, that made me appear bigger and feel out of place with my peers and my family has always been the judgy type. I've always felt like I needed to lose sooooo much it always was impossible to stay motivated long enough to get any results. As a kid that would have been 10 pounds. Now, I could REALLLY stand to lose 10 times that much and it's hard to keep with it. I've gone vegan, taken prescriptions, done every diet imaginable, but I always end up with the same results--discouraged and stuck. Last year u managed to lose 28lbs before my wedding, I could see a difference BUT I still couldn't wear a smaller size in any clothes!!! After the wedding I took some time to relax and tried to stay focused on making the best choices, but now I've gained 30lbs back!!! And am about at the point to have to buy LARGER clothes and I simply REFUSE. My doctors are mystified, I'm at my wits end!

Am I the only one who can make honest efforts, with hard work both in diet and exercise and NEVER get the gratification of need to buy SMALLER clothes?

I have started logging again and I know where my weaknesses are.

How do y'all keep going, especially when you don't have someone to cheer you on, keep you honest and even when you don't see results outside of your numbers?

Start telling your brain how to think! When you are thinking of doing something you shouldn't.. Say No ! This is what I'm going to do.. Over and over. Train your brain for results! It works

I think the biggest items to help me lose weight in the past year is: log every drop of food or drink I ingest, use a food scale to weigh what I am eating, set my calorie range at a reasonable level for me (which is 1775 right now and I adjust as my logging and food choices become better over time), focus on non scale victories more so than the scale (inches lost, fit of clothes, reaching new fitness goals) because the scale is of the devil, and trying to be more active each day.

As for the clothes thing, I lost a little over 40 pounds before I could go from a tight 24 pants and snug 26-28 top to a 22 pants and 22-24 top. At Thanksgiving I cleaned out my closet all of the stuff that was too big for me, and left the stuff that actually fit and was too small. Two weeks ago, I realized that I had lost nine pounds since turkey day and my clothes were getting too big for me again. I went through my closets and got rid of all the 22 pants and most of the 22-24 tops. I tried stuff on again that was way too tight on me before and is a little loose on me now! I can actually put on a size 18 pants now, but they are a little too snug! I have almost went down two sizes with a nine pound weight loss, but could barely go down a size with a 40 pound weight loss! Go figure!

Add me as a friend if you would like, and keep making small changes that you can sustain for the long haul and you will get to your goal. Good luck!

Honestly, it all comes down to how bad you want it. You'll find during your journey that some people only "kinda want it," or want the quick fix.

After reading your story, I was wonderdering how many calories are you intaking a day and how much exercise are you getting on a weekly basis. Even a simple walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes a day could make a big difference over time. Even if it's only a couple of hundred calories burned, it will make a difference. If your not exercising at all, you have to cut down your calories a lot and it is sooo much harder to first of all lose the weight and then keep it off. Let me know.