What do you think is the hardest part about losing weight?

I found the first 20 pounds quite easy to shift as I had 'more to lose'. Now I'm at the last 6 or so and I have that dilemma of wanting to 'up my calories to eat more' but still wanting to lose a little bit of weight. I am at a tiny, tiny, deficit now (around 150 a day) and the loss is so..........so................so...................slow. Having said that, I'm still 'losing' and I'm enjoying being able to eat a bit more. I'd say this last slog is definitely the hardest for me. Of course, I could lower my calories and lose quicker but after losing 40 lbs, I want to transition to maintenance.

Orphia wrote: »

Getting my massively-sized head from how proud I am of myself through the door.

:laugh: Congratulations

For me: wanting more calories, feeling the need to eat everything in sight - solved by not having more than one serving of certain things in the house

Other main issue continues to be food prep and variety. I get lazy and don't feel like cooking, so because of this I don't have readily available choices and make poor ones. Variety aspect is I get bored of the stuff I cook and the whole process starts to feel stale. I call it laziness because there are websites ETC to research different recipes and I could always be armed with a plan. Or just spend the time really thinking of something I would like, and make a plan to cook it

I know this really isn't something to complain about buttttttt... This week I got out all my winter cloths and NOTHING fits. I didn't realize I lost THAT much. I had some NICE cloths that now I won't get to wear again and it's so hard to find cloths that fit because I'm so tall

The hardest thing for me is dealing with boredom, without snacking.

Starting.

I tried and failed to lose weight quite a few times purely through exercise. I gave up pretty quick each time. Then I joined a biggest loser contest at work ($10 entry, 90 day duration) thinking that if I could lose 10 pounds over the course of the contest then it'd be worth it. Essentially I'd have payed $1/pound lost. I didn't realize how competitive I actually am and I wound up losing 28 pounds in that time and winning $128. So I actually got paid to lose weight and that contest is exactly what I needed to kickstart my healthy habits.

The first thirty days or so while developing new good eating habits.

not eating an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter World every single night. Like literally every single night. HAAAA and I wondered why I was the way I was. Now I can fit it in a little at a time, but I rarely feel like ice cream these days.

Realizing it's a mind game.

peter56765 wrote: »

The non-linearity of weight loss and plateaus. It's very demotivating to be so disciplined for weeks and then not see the scale budge, or worse, go up.

Yes! Ditto!

The hardest part for me is weighing everything! It's so tedious and gets so annoying.

jemhh wrote: »

dhimaan wrote: »

Really slow progress. I start to question my effort. Is it something I can control or not?

I will second this. Slow progress. Seeing no end in sight.

I agree.

As soon as I wrapped my head around the idea that there is no end and became fine with that then it became easy. When I was thinking this was just a diet that i had to do for a certain amount of time it was a struggle. As soon as I accepted that this is just how I'm going to eat from now on for the rest of my life then it became easy. I've lost 70 pound since April and it's been pretty easy. It's all just a mental game.

The internal work that comes with losing weight.
This last time, I didn't screw around. I got serious with myself about why I had quit in the past, and what I was afraid of. I had some seriously upsetting come to jesus talks with myself about this deep set fear of people seeing me actually TRY at something, rather than just being naturally good at it already. Or trying and failing. Failing at weight loss sounded so public, like the big elephant in the room. "oh look, she looked so good last month, it seems she's given up" etc etc. Weight loss was scary because I didn't want people to look at me trying, because that meant that I had accepted that there was an obvious problem I had to fix (and of course, mind-reading other people on what they thought about me)

I was raised by a mom who had abusive parents, and she grew up feeling like the only love she was worth was equal to what she could contribute. It rubbed off on me a little bit. I became an overachieving weirdo at intellectual and artistic things, but for a long time anything to do with taking care of myself was trivial and selfish. Or worse, "stereotypical".

After a lot of work, a lot of struggle, and a lot of tears, I got to a place where I felt it was ok to be... i dont know. Softer. Vulnerable. And that's where I am now.

This was by far the most important and the hardest part of losing weight. And I seriously believe it's the biggest reason i've lost more this time than I ever have before. weighing food, working out, measuring, i've done all that before. I know how to do that. But this time my frame of mind is totally different. I'm not quick to give up if "life happens" anymore, and I actually want this, and am willing and eager to do the work required, and not try to hide or or fear what people think.

The time was hard for me at first too, and still sometimes is. I think about this quote every time I get down about it.

Watching the food network without wanting to eat everything I see!