What nobody tells you about losing weight

joinn68 wrote: »

pandyg180 wrote: »

lemonsurprise wrote: »

Wanted to make this thread for motivationial purposes more than anything but they don't all have to be super positive! More of what came as a surprise. I'll start..

- how much confidence it will actually bring, especially when strangers start treating you like royalty all of a sudden!

- Sitting (particularly in baths) and laying (particularly in beds) will become ever increasingly uncomfortable.

- how vain you will become! I can't walk past a mirror without checking how I look nowadays!

Your turn!

- How much day in and day out you constantly think about the whole process...food and the decisions you have to make, how much of that I can eat so that I reserve calories to have when meeting friends for dinner, how much you hope to lose in the next week, what time you will go workout, not feeling like working out and forcing yourself to go so you don't feel guilty, what size you hope you will be on your next clothes shopping trip, ...the list goes on lol!

Yes yes and yes. And if you cook your own food to be more accurate, I summed it up once as: planning, shopping, chopping, slicing, dicing, cutting, peeling, weighing, cooking

I so agree with how much of the mind cycles and time are consumed in the process and making sure that it continues to work!

trailgirl777 wrote: »

Hello, I don't quite have the success story yet but I read this post and love the comments. I wish to congradulate all that have found the right path for them. MFP works and I know it, however, I don't stick to it for the time the process needs. Many of you post about it being easier finally and you found determination or similar statements. My question is how/what clicked to change for you guys because that is what I am trying to find at the moment.

I think you have to hit your "bottom." Ten years ago it was standing on the scale and being 140 pounds. (I'm 5'1" and I was 110 naturally without effort while in living in the Czech Republic.) I set my goal to lose 30 and did. But that was a constant diet in Missouri. So after 10 years, I had gained it back, and more. So that was my next wake-up call this last April. I'm 43 and I weight 147.4. Yikes. Way too close to 150. So this time I set a goal that was more doable: 125. I logged here almost every day. I gave myself 1 day off a month (no worries on going over on that day) and kept my calorie budget as tightly as I could. I got a Fitbit and started really walking. I want to reach my 10K goal on that every day, which is a challenge on a winter weekend in my little house.

So, what is your wake-up call? What it is that says, enough! I didn't like buying size 10 clothes when I knew I was really a size 6. So it was great getting down to where I could wear most of my closet again! Is it the number on the scale, like it was for me? Is it seeing yourself in pictures and thinking "I look wide." I didn't like that.

Or maybe set some sub-goals and stick with it long enough to reach the first. Like one dress-size lost. Then put on those one-size down clothes! When I finally put on my new new formal, I was so happy! I got lots of comments on it at the opera, too. At 126, I couldn't wear it. At 123, I could! I like the way I look now, mostly. I don't look wide in photos. People comment on my skinniness (and I'm not even 110, but more like 118.). Let those feelings help you stay motivated to keep it up! (Wait, didn't I say my goal was 125? It was. To maintain, I kept my 1500 calories per day budget. I can live on it without feeling deprived. This is where it has taken me. Still losing but way, way slower. And I'm good with where I am if I stopped losing altogether at that point. 118-119 is a nice spot!)

Make friends here who can cheer you on and encourage you.

palwithme wrote: »

kgb6days wrote: »

How cold you get without a thick pad of insulation

You too? I thought I was the only one. I am freezing all. the. time. I just hope my body gets used to it.

That's funny. I live in AZ and I work inside so I rarely ever wore a jacket. Now I wear one every morning.

Dave_GettingFit wrote: »

I never imagined that at 47 I would feel better and fitter than when I was 17. Although I was skinny then I wasn't anywhere near as fit as I am now. I couldn't have run 6 miles then but I can now and have done so several times.
It's funny that when I was skinny I never noticed I had a collar bone or hip bones. I never paid attention to them. Now I can't leave them alone.

This! I was just telling my husband that I think I'm fitter now than I was when I was 20. I was always thin, but didn't exercise, didn't like sports, never stepped foot in a gym until this year. Now I love exercising, and get very grouchy when I miss a day. I can't imagine ever going back to what I was before!

icemaiden37 wrote: »

I know exactly what you mean. Two of my closest friends have said *absolutely nothing* about my change in shape. I know I can't expect everyone to notice but it's pretty obvious - people who see me every day have commented so surely it should be noticeable to people I only see every month or so. I shouldn't allow other people to make me feel bad but... it hurts!

To icemaiden37, I have had the same experience from both friends and family. I think sometimes it may be jealousy, and sometimes people just don't want to say the wrong thing. But please take heart from knowing that the thousands of people who have read or posted here walk your journey with you. We all support & understand your ups and downs, even if others don't. Hold your head high and strive to achieve your goals, because at the end of the day the only person you need to please is you xx

That you end up with too many hangars as you purge your clothes, lol

icemaiden37 wrote: »

2307dee wrote: »

And as for those who choose to say nothing, I guess until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes, then you’ll never understand that sometimes that’s the worst one of all.

Every day is a battle which I know each and every MFP user understands. We are all in this together, and it makes me so happy knowing there are others out there who are also striving to make a change for the better. Congratulations to us all for having the will power to start, the strength to continue, and the courage to share with others xx

I know exactly what you mean. Two of my closest friends have said *absolutely nothing* about my change in shape. I know I can't expect everyone to notice but it's pretty obvious - people who see me every day have commented so surely it should be noticeable to people I only see every month or so. I shouldn't allow other people to make me feel bad but... it hurts!

I've lost almost 5 stone in the last couple of years and one of my closest friends hasn't mentioned it to me at all. She can't not have noticed I look completely different. I used to be a (UK) 18 and I'm now a 10.

I think its for a number of reasons
1. Not knowing how to say it without making it sound like i looked terrible beforehand (i mean i know i did but it can be a bit awkward)
2. Those you are closest too probably don't notice the changes as much as those that you don't see as often as we look beyond how they look and just see the person they are
3. Jealousy, maybe not always but in this case i think its partly that I was always the 'fat friend' and now I'm smaller then her (although not by much) and get a lot of attention that she previously got and I don't think she likes it as I think she knew that going out with me in the past would mean that all of the attention was focused on her.
4. She's not into exercise at all so probably doesn't bring it up as its not something she thinks about. Just because I'm slightly obsessed doesn't mean everyone is and as we never talked about it before why would we now?