Its me again. Trying to keep motivated

mandy220750 · December 2019

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?

PAV8888 · December 2019

Not sure what tone to strike to urge you to action and to convince you that you that from my outside perspective you are looking at success and treating it as a failure.

--it sounds to me that you may be a little bit depressed. our mental state definitely links to weight management. you may want to check on this with a health professional

--your engagement and willingness to continue to try to control your weight are critical in you continuing with your current success. And yes, you have lost 81lbs. MORE than 25% of your original weight. This is beyond fabulous and incredibly beneficial for your health ALREADY.

Can you and should you go on to lose more? It probably WOULD be beneficial to you to do so. However.... have you taken a formal diet break during the two years you've been losing weight?

Look up the stickied thread "on re-feeds and diet breaks". While exceedingly long, most of the basic information is included in the, now edited, first post

Start using a weight trend application. Don't weigh yourself twice a day. But once a week may prove to be a problem especially if you are currently in a slightly "unwilling to put in the effort" mind-set.

Your engagement is critical in you safeguarding your win. Maintenance takes effort too. It is NOT all kittens and rainbows!

Have you tried logging food on MFP?
Isn't slimming world the one where you get free foods and only limit certain SYNs or what not?

You don't have to eat a specific type or combination of foods to lose weight!!!
Could it be that exploring different food combinations, but within your caloric balance, will better help you reach your goals?

Eating healthy is a great goal. But it doesn't guarantee that you will be eating at maintenance.
What gets measured gets managed!

paniologal · December 2019

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 · December 2019

PAV8888 wrote: »

Not sure what tone to strike to urge you to action and to convince you that you that from my outside perspective you are looking at success and treating it as a failure.

--it sounds to me that you may be a little bit depressed. our mental state definitely links to weight management. you may want to check on this with a health professional

--your engagement and willingness to continue to try to control your weight are critical in you continuing with your current success. And yes, you have lost 81lbs. MORE than 25% of your original weight. This is beyond fabulous and incredibly beneficial for your health ALREADY.

Can you and should you go on to lose more? It probably WOULD be beneficial to you to do so. However.... have you taken a formal diet break during the two years you've been losing weight?

Look up the stickied thread "on re-feeds and diet breaks". While exceedingly long, most of the basic information is included in the, now edited, first post

Start using a weight trend application. Don't weigh yourself twice a day. But once a week may prove to be a problem especially if you are currently in a slightly "unwilling to put in the effort" mind-set.

Your engagement is critical in you safeguarding your win. Maintenance takes effort too. It is NOT all kittens and rainbows!

Have you tried logging food on MFP?
Isn't slimming world the one where you get free foods and only limit certain SYNs or what not?

You don't have to eat a specific type or combination of foods to lose weight!!!
Could it be that exploring different food combinations, but within your caloric balance, will better help you reach your goals?

Eating healthy is a great goal. But it doesn't guarantee that you will be eating at maintenance.
What gets measured gets managed!

Hi thanks for your reply. I never thought of my weight lose as a percentage and 25% is enlightening.

What you have said is spot on.

No I haven't really given myself a formal diet break I will read up on this and maybe it will be what I need just now.

I will however switch to MFP and not weigh myself too often. My first 2 stone was lost by using MFP but then I went to Slimming World and that's when this obsession and anxiety about the number on the scales kicked in.

It will be difficult to change habits but I need for mostly my mental health to change my mindset and enjoy food and not keep going on like I have been.

Again thank you so much,

mandy220750 · December 2019

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 · December 2019

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 · December 2019

Congrats on your success.

Continued good luck to you.

PKM0515 · December 2019

Walking and Tai Chi are both wonderful, physically and mentally! Go at your own pace and enjoy the experience. 🌞

ladyzherra · December 2019

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.

Its me again. Trying to keep motivated

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