Its me again. Trying to keep motivated

mandy220750
mandy220750 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

A little background.
Started my journey in July 2016 at 318lb.
I am now 237lb
A loss overall of 81lb.
Achieved by calorie counting and 3 goes at Slimming World.
Still currently at Slimming World but finding its really not for me and and only lost 5lb in the last 5 months.
I have had losses, gains and maintains during this whole journey.
its taken me too long. But overall I am much lighter.
I still have more to lose, I dont have a number in mind but will know when I feel happy how I look and feel.
I am getting weary of always thinking about what I eat and how it will affect my weight.
I weigh myself every day sometimes twice a day.
Its become the main focus in my life and I find its become an obsession and not good for my mental health.
To be honest its making me depressed.
I have lots of support of family and friends but although I keep hearing just look how far you have come, you are looking younger and healthier etc its not motivating me.
So from now I have decided to enjoy the festive season and then in 2020 with regret leave Slimming World (I will really miss my lovely friends there), eat healthy, counting my calories, and only weighing myself weekly.
Has anyone else there managed to turn things around, change their mindset and manage to get to their happy place both in mind and weight?

Replies

  • paniologal
    paniologal Posts: 53 Member
    Not sure what your exercise routine is, but exercise is what really can help you go from obsessively calorie counting and being overly concerned with the weight to embracing the healthy lifestyle. At least it did for me.

    I got more involved with riding horses, some jogging, and hiking. When I was working with the horses and burning an add’l 500-800 calories a day I felt so much better. I stopped caring about the scale. I looked healthier and felt healthier.
  • mandy220750
    mandy220750 Posts: 65 Member
    paniologal wrote: »
    Not sure what your exercise routine is, but exercise is what really can help you go from obsessively calorie counting and being overly concerned with the weight to embracing the healthy lifestyle. At least it did for me.

    I got more involved with riding horses, some jogging, and hiking. When I was working with the horses and burning an add’l 500-800 calories a day I felt so much better. I stopped caring about the scale. I looked healthier and felt healthier.

    Hi thank you for your reply.

    I don't really do any exercise.

    I need to start but slowly as I have arthritis in my knees.

    This has however improved due to the weight loss.

    I cannot swim and would be too embarrassed to go and learn.

    So my aim it to start walking. Small journeys at first then build this up.

    Also I was going to look into a Tai Chi class to help with my mental health and movement.

    Most of all I need to keep busy and find outlets to socialise more. I do work and see family but I do have a lot of time where I am alone. I do get very lonely.

    Thanks again for your advise
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,242 Member
    I got started on my weight loss in 2014 just by having the goal to not be sedentary.

    While there were 6,000 step days where I was "lightly active", the majority of my days I wouldn't even hit the sedentary level of 3500 steps in a day.

    So my first goal was just "a month where no day was less than 5,000 steps". It took me three months to get there. Only after that (and enough of a drop that I no longer needed to buy size 50 pants) did I decide to see if I could lose some weight over the summer.

    My lowest weeks these days average 10k steps a day and my goal is over 15k. And knees are much better, though I had to get into normal weight before they stopped stabbing me.

    Please realize that an extended deficit often brings about ideation about food and a significant amount of stress. And the larger the deficit the more likely it is to potentially cause these kinds of issues.

    However, for many people (though not all) these issues do resolve after some time of eating at maintenance.

    I urge you to really look into the diet break concept, and to proceed to it; but while doing so to remain as mindful as possible of protecting your current success.

    Most people do not atteign, or protect, even a 10% weight loss. You're at 25%. It is definitely worth protecting!!!

    Also when you're done with your diet break consider that you do not need to be trying for very large deficits that leave you too hungry and unable to maintain a normal way of eating. Even a 15% deficit from your TDEE will result in significant weight lost over time.

    Take care!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Congrats on your success. :star:
    Continued good luck to you. <3
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 3,089 Member
    Walking and Tai Chi are both wonderful, physically and mentally! Go at your own pace and enjoy the experience. 🌞
  • ladyzherra
    ladyzherra Posts: 438 Member
    I hear what you mean when you write that you get "weary" of always paying so much attention to your body. It can become tiresome, and you begin to wonder when you can stop always hyperfocusing -- you even wonder if you CAN stop hyperfocusing and still feel successful in your journey.

    In my experience, it's how you focus and what you focus on that changes the game.

    When I would weigh myself every day I found that I was paying too much attention a number and this was driving me mad...I was becoming obsessive and it was all too easy to feel discouraged. But when I shifted and started paying attention to how my clothing fit for the day, this changed my attitude to more positive.

    It's really easy to get down on yourself. Oh, you may have exercised today, but did you exercise ENOUGH? You may have said no to a bowl of pasta today, but you did eat jelly beans...I mean, learning to celebrate your microachievements and to place your energy in a place where it nurtures you and lifts you up makes weight loss sustainable. I'm not claiming that it makes it faster...unfortunately, the journey, when done in a compassionate way, sometimes takes time. Sometimes, plenty of it.

    The journey of wellness is lifelong, I have found. Sometimes, you just need to buckle in and surrender to the ride and open your heart to what comes, good or bad, and know that you have much to learn and much to gain (and lose) along the way.

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