140lb loss. The good, the bad, the stalemate
MsDollyDimple
Posts: 391 Member
I started this journey at 340lb+ and I worked really hard to lose 140lb. However it got to a point whereby I was working out five times per week, watching my calories but I stopped loosing. I became disheartened and fell off the wagon.... HARD. I just love food and everything that comes with it. Shopping for it, cooking it, eating it, serving it to others... it’s really a pleasure for me but it’s also an emotional comfort for me too. As hard as I try, some habits are so hard to break.
So here I am once more. 8lbs fluffier and ready to pick up where I left off. Can anyone relate or have any advice on getting over a disheartened funk?
So here I am once more. 8lbs fluffier and ready to pick up where I left off. Can anyone relate or have any advice on getting over a disheartened funk?
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Replies
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First off- CONGRATULATIONS!! That’s a huge accomplishment that is very inspiring. I stalled for 3 weeks in which the scale didn’t move. It was very discouraging. So I did 3 things differently. First, I incorporated two days of 16/8 intermittent fasting to sort spike my fat loss. I then did more at the gym. After my strength training I would incorporate 20-30 minutes of cardio. Lastly, I went and bought a measuring tape. The scale measures every thing and can be misleading. So I measured my body every week to see where my gains or losses were. I saw some changes and the scaled moved this week. So, always remember that working out some is better than not working out at all. This is a marathon not a sprint. It’s OK to take a break. Try not to get consumed with the scale because it can be a fallacy, but measurements don’t lie. Keep pushing!!!8
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You are absolutely right. But when the scale didn’t move for 8 weeks I became frustrated. I will take my measurements today.
I’ve never tried intermittent fasting. Would you recommend this?2 -
When you lose weight, you also use less energy. Your fat reserves simply can't sustain the same calorie deficit anymore. So weightloss slows down. It can be disheartening, but you can also see it as a good thing - you are getting healthier. To keep losing, you have to be more accurate when you log your food intake, and more patient and not panic when you weigh yourself. Regard the things you are learning now, as preparation for maintenance - if you want to keep the weight off, you have to get used to not seeing movement on the scales (except for normal fluctuations), and still do more or less the same as you have to do to lose weight (just with a couple hundred calories higher allowance).
Food is good and you can and should enjoy every aspect of it - but you can't use it to soothe emotions or chase boredom. Having reasonable routines and boundaries for when, what and how much, is a good strategy for life. This is where meal timing comes in. Not because certain meal schedules are magic and lets you eat more and weight less, but because they provide structure and reduces mental fatigue; you decide once, and keep doing, instead of negotiating with yourself and often see yourself "succumbing" to temptation. Smart grocery shopping includes using a list and sticking to it - if you only have planned foods at home, you can't eat anything else. But for this to work for any length of time, the food you buy and cook and eat, has to appeal to you. If not, you fall off the wagon. So - full circle. Make the journey a pleasant one.
You don't have to exercise, and you shouldn't exercise for weightloss. Weight is regulated first and foremost by food intake. Moderate, fun or otherwise meaningful exercise is good for you, though.10 -
when you weigh less for some reason even if it's because of fat loss they say your calorie intake gets lower. did you adjust your calorie intake for your new weight?1
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Just my experience, in the end I spent as much time losing 100lbs as I did putting it on.
You’re doing the right thing, significant regaining is a real problem. Something that helped me a lot was I hated, just hated losing the same lbs twice. It’s unavoidable to some degree but it would really get me going.
Weightloss won’t track on a straight line, but sure you know this.
Consider this, since I’ve mentioned hatred, do you really love food? After I thought about it, I decided telling myself I love pizza was an exaggeration and unhelpful. If I love pizza, what did it say about my feelings for my family? If I did love pizza seems that I would want to spend as much time as possible with pizza. Like I said unhelpful.
But aside from nit picking the food love thing, it’s just hard to replace something with nothing. Can you go full into low cal/healthy gourmet? Seems like it’s that or find a new pursuit. Gotta fill the void.
And congrats on what you’ve been able to do. Not only did weightloss save my life in the sense that I’m still ticking, it gave me a new and better way to live. Never quit until you get to your goal. And never give up your goal once you’re there.
We only get one life, to extent possible, you deserve to get the life you want. Keep going.2 -
I started my journey almost 3 years ago at 307. I lost a bit over 100 the first year, and hit my goal of 190 pretty quickly thereafter. I slowly increased calories until I hit what i had calculated my TDEE was over the next few months and lost more weight until I hit about 178. That was about 129lbs lost total. The next year I stayed at maintenance and went for recomp. It sort of worked, but didn't give me any significant muscle gain, and there were a few problem areas with leftover pockets of fat that refused to go anywhere. So I added 5% to my TDEE late last year and decided to gain some muscle. I did that up until January of this year, and now I've started IF with about a 250-500 calorie deficit to start chipping away at those problem areas (mainly midsection) that just don't look the way I want them to look. It's a long long journey, and I feel the same way about food that you do. It's tough not to overeat. I find myself cooking things for my family that I personally won't eat. They love my cooking but some of it is just too high in calories to fit my goals. I'll prepare my own meals beside theirs a bit differently (trimming more fat, using less sugar or condiments, or choosing higher fiber versions of bread or adding more vegetables, etc.). I think concentrating on my macros has helped me stay on track, and the site that helped me calculate those was iifym.com. I then plug those into MFP and set my calorie goal.
I started out working out 7 days a week (mistake, I ended up injured within the first six months) then dropped back to 6 days a week for that first year. 2nd year I dropped to 5 days a week, and third year (present schedule) I am at 4 days a week. I will probably stay at 4 days/wk throughout my 4th year (which begins on Feb. 14th) because it keeps my calories higher and helps me eat more of the things I like and it's helping reach some of my performance goals. I was 45 years old when I started this journey in 2015, and am 48 now. My original goal was to be at the peak of physical shape by the time I hit 50. I'm probably 85% there, but still have some performance goals to meet. I never wanted to be a body builder, but would like a bit more muscle/strength which I'm working on now.
So set your ultimate goal, but also set mini goals along the way and keep them in sight. Mini performance goals like do 25 pushups, or 10 pull ups, or run a 5k, or even run a 5k in under 30 minutes all helped me keep going and performing. Those performance goals for fitness helped me keep an eye on things, kept me motivated, and helped me stay on track.
I have come to the realization that if I want to continue eating 80% of the things I like to eat on a regular basis, and even eating some of the stuff I shouldn't eat at all as treats occasionally that I'm going to have to keep up the fitness and workout schedule. I'm ok with that. Not only do I want to reach my ultimate goal by the time I'm 50, but I want to keep up fitness until I retire, and even then possibly longer. I warned my wife that the last 10 years or so of my life all bets were off lol. I told her I would keep up the fitness as long as my body allowed, but I would damn well eat what I wanted at that point.
Good luck, hope some of that helped. I'm currently weighing in around 196 and honestly look better in the mirror now than I did when I was 178, Sure, I've gained a little fat (but not much honestly) along with the increased muscle mass since I was 178 but things look better in the mirror, and ultimately that was more of a goal than some obscure number on a BMI scale.4 -
Spliner1969 wrote: »I started my journey almost 3 years ago at 307. I lost a bit over 100 the first year, and hit my goal of 190 pretty quickly thereafter. I slowly increased calories until I hit what i had calculated my TDEE was over the next few months and lost more weight until I hit about 178. That was about 129lbs lost total. The next year I stayed at maintenance and went for recomp. It sort of worked, but didn't give me any significant muscle gain, and there were a few problem areas with leftover pockets of fat that refused to go anywhere. So I added 5% to my TDEE late last year and decided to gain some muscle. I did that up until January of this year, and now I've started IF with about a 250-500 calorie deficit to start chipping away at those problem areas (mainly midsection) that just don't look the way I want them to look. It's a long long journey, and I feel the same way about food that you do. It's tough not to overeat. I find myself cooking things for my family that I personally won't eat. They love my cooking but some of it is just too high in calories to fit my goals. I'll prepare my own meals beside theirs a bit differently (trimming more fat, using less sugar or condiments, or choosing higher fiber versions of bread or adding more vegetables, etc.). I think concentrating on my macros has helped me stay on track, and the site that helped me calculate those was iifym.com. I then plug those into MFP and set my calorie goal.
I started out working out 7 days a week (mistake, I ended up injured within the first six months) then dropped back to 6 days a week for that first year. 2nd year I dropped to 5 days a week, and third year (present schedule) I am at 4 days a week. I will probably stay at 4 days/wk throughout my 4th year (which begins on Feb. 14th) because it keeps my calories higher and helps me eat more of the things I like and it's helping reach some of my performance goals. I was 45 years old when I started this journey in 2015, and am 48 now. My original goal was to be at the peak of physical shape by the time I hit 50. I'm probably 85% there, but still have some performance goals to meet. I never wanted to be a body builder, but would like a bit more muscle/strength which I'm working on now.
So set your ultimate goal, but also set mini goals along the way and keep them in sight. Mini performance goals like do 25 pushups, or 10 pull ups, or run a 5k, or even run a 5k in under 30 minutes all helped me keep going and performing. Those performance goals for fitness helped me keep an eye on things, kept me motivated, and helped me stay on track.
I have come to the realization that if I want to continue eating 80% of the things I like to eat on a regular basis, and even eating some of the stuff I shouldn't eat at all as treats occasionally that I'm going to have to keep up the fitness and workout schedule. I'm ok with that. Not only do I want to reach my ultimate goal by the time I'm 50, but I want to keep up fitness until I retire, and even then possibly longer. I warned my wife that the last 10 years or so of my life all bets were off lol. I told her I would keep up the fitness as long as my body allowed, but I would damn well eat what I wanted at that point.
Good luck, hope some of that helped. I'm currently weighing in around 196 and honestly look better in the mirror now than I did when I was 178, Sure, I've gained a little fat (but not much honestly) along with the increased muscle mass since I was 178 but things look better in the mirror, and ultimately that was more of a goal than some obscure number on a BMI scale.
You have done absolutely amazingly well. So inspirational. I love the thought of mini goals... thank you.1 -
Studies done on people who have successfully kept weight off long term found that the thing they had in common was exercise - but exercise doesn't have to mean the gym. If five times a week is wearing on you, switch it up and look for activities you enjoy. I started out learning Bollywood dance, had a lot of fun, got bored with it and started running. Right now I'm enjoying training. Is there a sport or activity you might enjoy with your family, which might also replace some of the pleasure of serving food?
Also, learning new and interesting ways of eating low calorie, healthy foods can be fun. If you have a foreign market, you could explore different world cuisines - a lot of cultures naturally eat more healthily than most Americans.3 -
rheddmobile wrote: »Studies done on people who have successfully kept weight off long term found that the thing they had in common was exercise - but exercise doesn't have to mean the gym. If five times a week is wearing on you, switch it up and look for activities you enjoy. I started out learning Bollywood dance, had a lot of fun, got bored with it and started running. Right now I'm enjoying training. Is there a sport or activity you might enjoy with your family, which might also replace some of the pleasure of serving food?
Also, learning new and interesting ways of eating low calorie, healthy foods can be fun. If you have a foreign market, you could explore different world cuisines - a lot of cultures naturally eat more healthily than most Americans.
Luckily I still enjoy exercise. That’s never been my issue, I just love to dance and shaking what my momma gave me. I have newly discovered ‘hot pot’ too and am having fun with variations of that. Loving this suggestion. Thank you.1 -
Well for starters, you look awesome and good job! That's amazing. I would say try a new work out? Or get a trainer. Do something differently that tricks your body. I would try to give suggestions for food changes, but don't see a public diary. Can you add or cut anything differently that would give you a nutritional edge to get the last pounds. Good luck in the last part of your journey! I think one of the hardest parts is the maintaining!2
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MsDollyDimple wrote: »You are absolutely right. But when the scale didn’t move for 8 weeks I became frustrated. I will take my measurements today.
I’ve never tried intermittent fasting. Would you recommend this?
intermitten fasting is not going to spike fat loss. fat is lost in a deficit of calories. I fast and havent lost anymore weight fasting as opposed to not fasting. IF is only a window of time in which you eat your calories.2 -
Just wanted to say you are inspiring!1
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »MsDollyDimple wrote: »You are absolutely right. But when the scale didn’t move for 8 weeks I became frustrated. I will take my measurements today.
I’ve never tried intermittent fasting. Would you recommend this?
intermitten fasting is not going to spike fat loss. fat is lost in a deficit of calories. I fast and havent lost anymore weight fasting as opposed to not fasting. IF is only a window of time in which you eat your calories.
Thank you for clearing that up for me. I was just reading about IF. I don’t think it’s a way for me but can see why people do it.0 -
MsDollyDimple wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »MsDollyDimple wrote: »You are absolutely right. But when the scale didn’t move for 8 weeks I became frustrated. I will take my measurements today.
I’ve never tried intermittent fasting. Would you recommend this?
intermitten fasting is not going to spike fat loss. fat is lost in a deficit of calories. I fast and havent lost anymore weight fasting as opposed to not fasting. IF is only a window of time in which you eat your calories.
Thank you for clearing that up for me. I was just reading about IF. I don’t think it’s a way for me but can see why people do it.
yeah a lot of whats out there is old myths and what they used to believe about things. I used to believe in a lot of old stuff too. so its hard sometimes to get accurate info but its out there.1 -
KeepRunningFatboy wrote: »Just wanted to say you are inspiring!
Goodness, thank you. Just one pound at a time right?!1 -
You look good in both pics congrats on your massive donation back to the universe and good luck on your journey going forward!2
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My only question is why did you cut off your head in your after picture?? I would be so proud of that body that I would show the WHOLE thing.1
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MsDollyDimple wrote: »You have done absolutely amazingly well. So inspirational. I love the thought of mini goals... thank you.
Yup, those mini goals help a lot more than people realize. Take for instance 10 pull ups. I still can't do 10 in a row. I can do 3-5 on a good day now. I know that in order to do 10 I need to do one of two things; drop more weight or increase strength in my back/shoulders/arms. Likely I need to do all of those things. It makes me hunker down, pay more attention to my macros and calories, which also means I must continue to log everything I eat and/or drink. I try to work on at least 2 mini goal at the same time which keeps me interested and dedicated to my diet and my exercise regimen. If I didn't do that, I might not have the willpower to drag myself out of bed at 4:30 in the morning to work out for 90+ minutes before work three days a week, and before 10am on Saturdays as well.0
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