What nobody tells you about losing weight
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I've lost 33 lbs, but the last three months I have struggled to stay on track due to various celebrations, trips, etc. The result... I have been wearing ill fitting clothes for forever it seems! 😕 They are just kind of baggy, but still wearable. My jeans especially bother me. I am SO ready to get out of this awkward wardrobe and i am hopefully on track again!7
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"Learn to ride the roller-coaster and don't get off."
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LOVE this. So true.
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Things I genuinely did not know.
The cravings will lessen. Before starting I was discouraged with the thought that life would be constant battle against craving chocolate, sugar, all those bad things. I thought that would be too overwhelming to even try, since I was clearly one of those people who had more cravings than "normal". But no. Eat right, and the cravings go away. And I am allowed to indulge myself every now and then.
I will get narrower. I felt where the bones on my hips and shoulders were, and I thought I was just wide body type and that´s it. That those bones would stay where they are and I would always be as wide as I am. But no. It is fat that is pushing all my structures outwards, and when I get slimmer, I will get narrower.16 -
Things I genuinely did not know.
I will get narrower. I felt where the bones on my hips and shoulders were, and I thought I was just wide body type and that´s it. That those bones would stay where they are and I would always be as wide as I am. But no. It is fat that is pushing all my structures outwards, and when I get slimmer, I will get narrower.
I never realised, but you're right!4 -
I didn't expect calorie counting and getting familiar with the nutrition facts of various products to make me very picky about how certain things are used. I was visiting my parents over Thanksgiving and I went to make my usual breakfast one morning, which involves frying an egg. My mom pulled out the pan and began to prep it for me and I was HORRIFIED when she gave it a big 5-second spray with the '0 calorie' spray. I kept my mouth shut, but inside I was yelling "ITS ONLY 0 CALORIES FOR A 1/4 SECOND SPRAY! HOW MANY CALORIES DID YOU JUST ADD TO MY BREAKFAST?!"9
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I don't know how you could possibly assess that. All the epidemiology shows that people who eat a nutritious diet don't tend to gain weight in the first place. Focusing on eating enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber does confer substantial health benefits though, and it's easier to control than weight loss.Getting nutrients is more important than losing weight.
On that note, the thing nobody told me is that nutrition and body weight are fundamentally intertwined. Excess body fat comes from fooling my appetite with all the processed and calorie-dense food lurking in restaurants and the grocery store and inadvertently overeating. Fats and refined oils, added sugars, starch, refined flour, fried foods, processed meat, red meat, and dairy fat are the worst culprits and I only eat them rarely now. Even processed healthy foods like whole grain bread, hummus, or refried beans are easier to overeat than unprocessed foods.
When I shifted to about 90% of calories from plant-based whole foods and a little fish, I walked around full, was able to stop counting calories and still maintain my weight loss, and the bit of belly fat I had accepted as my natural body shape melted away for the first time in my life. As an additional sign of lower inflammation, the rosacea I'd battled for years almost magically cleared up. Alas, I fell off the wagon and stress eating put a bit of belly fat back, but I'm on track again.
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I've only lost 7 pounds since September and have a way to go, but I've noticed that I get cold and have to wear a jacket indoors sometimes. But on the bright side, I'm more flexible and can pick things up off the floor more easily.11
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JaydedMiss wrote: »been a while...weirdest thing i noticed was i had a tiny "tail" lol. Not a legit tail like you see sometimes when the spine extends...but a tiny tail bump from the same sort of situation. Hurts like hell to hit.. Also butt bones and how awkward they were lol
I've got a tailbump too! Didn't expect it either, having looked at spinal anatomy. It's a pain.2 -
I don't know how you could possibly assess that. All the epidemiology shows that people who eat a nutritious diet don't tend to gain weight in the first place. Focusing on eating enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber does confer substantial health benefits though, and it's easier to control than weight loss.
For me this was certainly not the case. (Sadly!) I grant that I have never been out of the overweight category into obese, but I have been right on the boundary. What I had to learn about losing weight was that for me it is mostly about portion control.15 -
eromligyppah wrote: »When you hit your goal weight and it's not what you thought you would look like you set another goal, and another, and another... I'm not even sure what a goal weight is anymore but still trying to get my body to what I want it to be whatever that weight will end up.
Yeah this is me. Also, I now know that my ideal body shape is not gonna be achieved by weight loss alone.
Also, I'm really quite good at estimating 10g (or under) of mayo, a 60g slice of bread (home made and cut) and 100 or 200ml of liquid
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Underwear fits better! More comfortable! So basic! Hallelujah!15
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Initially I lost weight through portion control but honestly for me it's not sustainable. I get around it by filling up on leafy greens, low-starch vegetables, and fresh fruit. Chef AJ's book got me down the "vegetables for breakfast" path and it's been so much easier than calorie counting or portion control.For me this was certainly not the case. (Sadly!) I grant that I have never been out of the overweight category into obese, but I have been right on the boundary. What I had to learn about losing weight was that for me it is mostly about portion control.
My weight was stable doing this until life as we know it stopped and I attempted to cope through stress eating. It made me feel even worse so that little experiment is over.2 -
Things I genuinely did not know.
The cravings will lessen. Before starting I was discouraged with the thought that life would be constant battle against craving chocolate, sugar, all those bad things. I thought that would be too overwhelming to even try, since I was clearly one of those people who had more cravings than "normal". But no. Eat right, and the cravings go away. And I am allowed to indulge myself every now and then.
I will get narrower. I felt where the bones on my hips and shoulders were, and I thought I was just wide body type and that´s it. That those bones would stay where they are and I would always be as wide as I am. But no. It is fat that is pushing all my structures outwards, and when I get slimmer, I will get narrower.
Cravings are like stray cats. If you feed them they will keep coming back. If you don't they will go away.23 -
Initially I lost weight through portion control but honestly for me it's not sustainable. I get around it by filling up on leafy greens, low-starch vegetables, and fresh fruit. Chef AJ's book got me down the "vegetables for breakfast" path and it's been so much easier than calorie counting or portion control.
I wonder what you mean by portion control? What I mean is realising that eating 100-150g of pasta per head at a meal is not one portion but two. That we don't need to be preparing 500g of potatoes for two people. Or that if I am cooking mince (ground beef?) for two, 250 g is more than enough for both of us as the basis of a sauce. (I explain this over catering by remembering that I used to cook for members of a rugby club!) We eat lots of vegetables and I track my calories, with the help of mfp, but working out what a normal portion was was the first, and for us really important, step.
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Initially I lost weight through portion control but honestly for me it's not sustainable. I get around it by filling up on leafy greens, low-starch vegetables, and fresh fruit. Chef AJ's book got me down the "vegetables for breakfast" path and it's been so much easier than calorie counting or portion control.
I wonder what you mean by portion control? What I mean is realising that eating 100-150g of pasta per head at a meal is not one portion but two. That we don't need to be preparing 500g of potatoes for two people. Or that if I am cooking mince (ground beef?) for two, 250 g is more than enough for both of us as the basis of a sauce. (I explain this over catering by remembering that I used to cook for members of a rugby club!) We eat lots of vegetables and I track my calories, with the help of mfp, but working out what a normal portion was was the first, and for us really important, step.
I can't eat most of the leafy green vegetables and beans at all, due to IBS. So I've had to do it all with more or less halving normal portions. My body has got used to eating that amount, so that makes things easier; overeating for me is now spending all evening grazing, not eating too much at a meal. It makes me physically sick if I try. I'm much more mindful of the calorie density of various foods, but I still eat some dense things because if I don't I won't get my calories in.2 -
How sensitive you get various things. - Bourbon, which I love but now wakes me up WIDE awake at 4am. How Salt is now poison - make you swell up, and now you can taste it in everything. How you cannot enjoy fast food anymore. How you can now feel that you're dehydrated.
HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR BUTT ACTUALLY FIT PROPERLY IN THE CAR SEATS! LOL19 -
RelCanonical wrote: »bobsburgersfan wrote: »That as you lose, you'll both love and hate that your clothes are getting too big for you. The loss of my favorite jeans is approaching, and I'm in mourning a little bit.
I still have a dress that is sitting in a box that was my absolute favorite dress, but it's long been too big. I still think about it sometimes. It might be worth seeing if I can get it tailored, but I've read they can only go down so many dress sizes. It was a size 14, and I'm a 6-8 now.
Get your new skinny behind to the mall..and buy yourself a new favorite dress in your new size!!! Move on.. you deserve it.19 -
newlife0516 wrote: »The sexual harassment 😂. I had a lady tell me how my butt looked good. I felt violated and flattered at the same time.
This is such a common female experience, it's interesting to see a man post it. Thank you for sharing.
Question - and I ask it with a due respect intended - how is commenting on the butt as a body feature worse than saying your arms look great or - your new hair style is beautiful
because "behinds". "breasts". and "Male appendages" are regarded by most in the American culture as private and perhaps sexual. So commenting to a friend, do-worker or stranger on these body parts is .. well... stupid.18 -
bruceraywhite wrote: »How you can now feel that you're dehydrated.
Absolutely! Crazy to me that I can just automatically tell now.9 -
Strangely, I can tell when I look in the mirror and inner elbows and arms are extra wrinkly.7
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Slightly off-topic here but how icky you feel after eating unhealthy take-out, especially in the amounts that you used to. For example, I can only eat half of my old "KFC order" and it makes my stomach feel absolutely horrible! I feel so bloated and get so gassy, I can't help but think, "How did I eat all that and still feel okay??"27
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That when you get to your goal weight, you realise you're not done and set a new goal. And then get there, and realise you're still not done.
And for me at least - Repeat a few times before realising the goals need to be around lifting heavier, not weighing less 26 -
NeptuneCastle wrote: »Slightly off-topic here but how icky you feel after eating unhealthy take-out, especially in the amounts that you used to. For example, I can only eat half of my old "KFC order" and it makes my stomach feel absolutely horrible! I feel so bloated and get so gassy, I can't help but think, "How did I eat all that and still feel okay??"
I feel that way about food in general. Did I really used to sit down and eat three massive pancakes with syrup AND two eggs AND sausage AND two pieces of toast and a massive amount of fried potatoes? I remember doing it, but these days that amount of food would make me sick.13 -
- How much ENERGY you now have
- How you sleep MUCH better and sounder
- How easily it is to now admit to your wife, "Hey, it's kind of chilly!".
- How expensive it is to keep adjusting your wardrobe (I went from 315 lbs to 173 pounds)
- How expensive it is when you discover how well your clothes now fit and how good you look in them . . . and buy more. LOL!
- How difficult it is to accept gushing compliments from family and people that have known you in "bigger" days24 -
I have no clue how I would have handled these knee issues if I didn't have the weight off. I'm going through physical therapy right now for patellar instability (my kneecap likes to move out of place) and even the extra ten pounds I've gained has made the exercises a lot harder. I can't imagine what this would have been like had I had the other 60 on too!15
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AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »NeptuneCastle wrote: »Slightly off-topic here but how icky you feel after eating unhealthy take-out, especially in the amounts that you used to. For example, I can only eat half of my old "KFC order" and it makes my stomach feel absolutely horrible! I feel so bloated and get so gassy, I can't help but think, "How did I eat all that and still feel okay??"
I feel that way about food in general. Did I really used to sit down and eat three massive pancakes with syrup AND two eggs AND sausage AND two pieces of toast and a massive amount of fried potatoes? I remember doing it, but these days that amount of food would make me sick.
I have the opposite issue, lol. I can still eat tons of food if I don't consciously manage myself.19 -
Okay, this might be too much information. One of the things I love the most is how much easier it is to wipe your butt. Also, I worry less about smelling bad. The heavier I got, I felt like I smelled worse. Others told me I didn't stink, but I still worried about it.30
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That might be TMI but I also found that true. Its like you have better "access"11
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How much colder you are!!!
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