Taking a new approach. Need support!

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tabby_123
tabby_123 Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
All of my life I've yo-yo'ed between eating with reckless abandon and working out and dieting strenuously. Because of this, I've weighed as little as 120 and as much as 210 pounds. Today, I have decided to take a much more moderate approach to diet and exercise. I want to lose at a rate of a pound per week while incorporating walking into my daily activity. I will count calories, but I don't plan to weigh myself as often as I used (which used to be every day when I was working out and dieting before). I won't see results as quickly, but hopefully, this new approach will keep me from falling off the wagon. Has anyone been in my position and seen better success with a more moderate approach?

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  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    honestly, I find weighing everyday better from a trends analysis standpoint - you can see what things affect your weight (mostly water weight) - things like too much salt, lack of sleep, harder workout than normal - for me, it destigmatized that number on a scale
  • sierrafrank6235
    sierrafrank6235 Posts: 1 Member
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    I've somewhat had the same struggles for the past five years. I have a bad relationship with food and an eating disorder but have finally told myself im going to take it slow this time and not count every exact calorie and weigh myself over three times a day
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    honestly, I find weighing everyday better from a trends analysis standpoint - you can see what things affect your weight (mostly water weight) - things like too much salt, lack of sleep, harder workout than normal - for me, it destigmatized that number on a scale

    I agree with this. Weighing yourself every day is great for tracking trends as long as you understand that weight loss is not linear and your weight WILL go up some days.

    As to your backing off and losing more slowly, GOOD FOR YOU! You are recognizing what didn't work before and are changing it to make it work! Who cares if it takes longer to get to your goal if you GET THERE!
  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
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    Backing off is good. It's worked for me. I still eat like crap some days. I keep most of my days at a deficit though, so it's working. I just don't beat myself up when I eat an entire bag of tater tots (yesterday). Except for the feeling like *kitten* when I do, that I beat myself up for a little, because I KNOW it's going to happen but I do it anyway.

    I figure it's taken 37 years to pack on this weight. And one year to take off 45 pounds. That's 37 years of habits, thought processes, and beliefs to overcome verus one year of better behavior. Of course it's going to be a struggle, and I try to be patient with myself. I wouldn't yell at my best friend for eating a bag of tater tots if she was trying to lose weight, so why yell at myself?

    I do weigh daily though so I can collect the data and see the trend. If I weigh weekly I might catch it on a day that the fluctuation is up and then I'd feel worst than if I see the daily numbers and know that it's no big deal.
  • GottaluvFood
    GottaluvFood Posts: 65 Member
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    I wish you well. Good luck to you.

    My layman's definition of an eating disorder--If I'm not enjoying food, something's wrong. I'm overweight, not 'cuz I enjoy food too much. I zombie eat. I eat beyond full. I eat beyond enjoying myself. Gorging is not enjoying. But, neither is strenuous dieting. People who strenuously diet appear to make food their enemy. They act as if they are at war with food. I've never taken that path, so I'm on the outside looking in.

    I like MFP because I can enjoy food. I'm not able to sense I'm done eating. I can't "read my body" anymore. So, I'm learning to visualize what amounts I can eat. I'm learning that a planned excess in the evening needs to be planned all day. For instance, going to a restaurant or baking lasagna for dinner means lighter meals or skipped snacks during the day. I get my lasagna or restaurant food without guilt. (Guilt is bad for losing weight.) I've also learned there are minimum calories for each meal/snack. If I eat too few, I binge eat.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    I've had success with this approach. It sounds perfect. Incorporate some weight training -- even if it's just planks, push ups, tricep dips and squats with bodyweight to start. Zero equipment needed.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    I have never tried to lose weight before, but I've found the gradual approach to be very manageable. You do need to be patient, especially if water weight disguises your losses for a couple of weeks straight (ug!), but I like the idea that I'm not "on a diet" - this is just how I eat.
  • JRSINAZ
    JRSINAZ Posts: 158 Member
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    I've lost and gained so much over the years I've lost count. There is a fat me and a skinny me. I like the skinny me and I had my excuses for getting fat time after time. I don't have or will I allow those excuses to control me now. The way I look at it though is all the years I did eat and live healthy gave me an extended lease on life rather than If I had not. I will be 62 in December and a lot of people in my generation have already passed. If that's not enough motivation I have others too but feeling better little by little is a great boost

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