I'm better than this!!
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ktsj2015
Posts: 65 Member
About 10 years ago I was in a similar position as I am now, but not quite as heavy.
I faffed around for a bit but I started to make REAL progress when I stopped thinking about things as a 'diet' but as a lifestyle change.
I stopped shooting for some crazy deficit, ate maintenance, ate good food and worked out smart. I managed to maintain this for 7 or so years until I slipped again....
So why oh why? Am I sitting here making myself miserable on 1200 cals a day?! I KNOW there is a better way.
I know what that better way is and how to do it.
I know its the way I would recommend to others .... Haybales called me out yesterday, when I said on a post that I was going to go back to my old way (body recomp on maintenance or near maintenance cals in January) She has a good point?? She doesn't need to convince me I have done this before.
Why the hell do I think I need to wait till January to do things the way I already KNOW is better??!
Damn im better than this!
I faffed around for a bit but I started to make REAL progress when I stopped thinking about things as a 'diet' but as a lifestyle change.
I stopped shooting for some crazy deficit, ate maintenance, ate good food and worked out smart. I managed to maintain this for 7 or so years until I slipped again....
So why oh why? Am I sitting here making myself miserable on 1200 cals a day?! I KNOW there is a better way.
I know what that better way is and how to do it.
I know its the way I would recommend to others .... Haybales called me out yesterday, when I said on a post that I was going to go back to my old way (body recomp on maintenance or near maintenance cals in January) She has a good point?? She doesn't need to convince me I have done this before.
Why the hell do I think I need to wait till January to do things the way I already KNOW is better??!
Damn im better than this!
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Replies
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He is often right (heybales is a lovely gentleman).
It's because the struggle is real. Even for people who do it and have done it. We hear that eat less thing replay over and over in our head. And though we know it's partially true, we don't have to be extreme.
We panic. We don't trust ourselves. We feel like it's a big fat rush.
But you're here now so, embrace the struggle and just do it. Some days will be easy. Some won't. I start every morning on instagram stalking #girlswhopowerlift. A lot have been heavy and have made small dietary changes but lift and compete. Strong strong girls. Keeps my head in the game every day before I have a chance to second guess everything.0 -
I can't even match those strong strong girls! ;-)
Now, while my personal motto as a member of Procrastinator's Untie (why unite when you can untie and relax today!) is whatever can be done today maybe could be done better tomorrow, I think too many get hung up on dates and artificial limits.
Taking in to account dates and such is good idea, like starting a diet before fall/winter holiday season is a setup for mental failure, or before a 1 week cruise vacation.
But you can usually start immediately on things and adjust as needed, planning on doing maintenance during that time perhaps, or increasing activity.
I just didn't want you to get aggravated with great possibility of failure to adhere to diet during holiday eating you mentioned, in hopes of maintaining afterwards.0 -
I guess my Logic if you can call it that is that im on the upper limit of my clothing atm.
Everything I own is too tight, infact I currently have 1 pair of jeans that fit (tightly), no work pants so im relying on my work dress's which are abit more forgiving around the middle. (Most of my weight is on my rear and thighs)
Thefore from my 'now weight' the gain of a few pound over the holidays could mean I go back to work in January naked haha.
I always take the holidays 'off dieting' I have an insanely busy job, I live in and out of hotels and travel as does my husband. So getting me and him and the kids in the house at the same time is a big deal and the Christmas holidays are very special.
So I wasn't intending on trying to stick to a diet during them, it was just for a few week until they started.
The last thing we need is for me to be picky about eating, don't get me wrong I have no intention of going crazy with completely unfettered eating but weight gain is highly probable, it's only 8 days we have off this year so the damage can't possibly be that bad.
My logic to the upping the cals to maintenance and doing a recomp in Jan was because historically I know the higher cals suit me, with my jump its easier to stick too and by jove it works!
My logic behind the pre-Christmas restriction was almost crash diet mentality, I haven't dieted in a long time, by diet isn't hugely bad infact I think its pretty good the reason I've gained is not because of the food, but because of the lack of movement on my part. I wanted the biggest bang for my buck while my metabolism was well fed.
I knew my body could stand some pretty harsh restriction for a period of about 6 weeks, I'd re-feed over Christmas and be ready to go in January.
The true reasoning I guess was that if a lost 2-5lb between now and Christmas restricting harshly, it wouldn't matter if I gained it back during my 8 day holiday. because in Jan I'd be in the same boat as I am now and my clothes would fit.
The last thing I need/wanted was to go into the Christmas holiday my 'now' weight gain a few pound over Christmas and hit January and need to buy a new work wardrobe which I'd only use for a few weeks while I got rid of the weight again.
I guess that was the logic anyway haha ... im not saying it was right, but that's how I got there in my head.
I really hate how vain I sound, but it is a practicality thing, most of my clothes are 2 sizes smaller than I am right now. When I originally gained the weight I bought myself a 'fat wardrobe' but is I am now verging on growing too fat for that fat wardrobe.
I have zero intention on buying a fatter one, if I am comfy in my clothes it will make me forget I need to fix this mess! im currently using the "Oh my goodness everythings digging in" feeling of my clothes as the kick up the *kitten* to fix it, but I can't afford to gain more because dang then stuff really won't button up.0 -
Oh, but that puts so much stress on you. It's like punishing yourself my making you feel uncomfortable in your clothes because you "fat" and need to "fix" it.
Buy 2 new pairs of jeans and a couple shirts. Wear the dresses. Dress comfortably and eat normally. Healthy, sufficient calories. You sound like your job/life is so stressful and your body could be responding as such.
I absolutely get your logic. I don't think you sound vain, I think you sound afraid. You don't want to get bigger. You need to lose weight and want to do it NOW. Every single one of us has been there (and go back there sometimes
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It takes how long it takes. All of us are here because the low cal doesn't work. We spin our wheels. There's a different way but it's not fast or pretty or easy. Weight doesn't fly off of us. Clothing sizes don't change quickly down. But our bodyfat decreases as our lean mass increases. Muscle repair, glycogen stores, etc...all things under the surface that messes with the scale and size of our bodies, are happening. This path requires patience. And trust. Trust yourself that you have control of this. You're not going to be letting yourself go. You have a plan and are executing in.
Hang in there.0 -
Ditto's to valid reasoning.
Ditto's to good advice above.
I'd just suggest do reasonable deficit up until you can't, or even during the time it's harder - but don't worry about a day here or there as much then if eating at maintenance or slightly over.
No need to restrict harshly and have body slow down, and then the overeating really is putting on fat, rather than just nudging the metabolism up slightly here and there.0 -
Thanks for the advice, I have set my goal to maintain and my cals to what my Fitbit told me my avg burn was over the last month.
I'm not saying I will eat up to my maintenance but I'm considering that my upper limit and I've my low limit should be 1100 because that's what's safe.
My aim is to eat somewhere between those to figures, some days I might be closer to the upper some the lower. it doesn't matter I'll eat when I'm hungry and learn to listen to my body again. Even if some days I only get a 2 cal deficit, it's a deficit and that's fine.
Going to focus on food quality and exercise for now, I know I need to get back on the horse and I think I was putting to much pressure on myself by trying to tackle exercise and low cals.
Trying to do to many things at once and beating myself up for failing because I know I've done them in the past.
Lack of activity is a major problem for me so increasing that is a priority and I think if I manage to cut down the crappy food and increase my movement that's enough for now.. It's a start right?0
