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What nobody tells you about losing weight
Replies
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larryc0923 wrote: »How it has inspired others especially some family and friends.
I hope that will be true in my case. I started a fitness accountability group with a few friends, but I think I'm the most motivated person.8 -
Maybe not the right place, but something that really grinds my gears. When people give me a look and actually question me when I buy something nice to eat. When I decide to eat something "unhealthy", I log it and account for it.
Like my friend asks me to go out to a Cafe, I cbf but i decide to go. Asks me do I want something, offering milk shakes and soft drink, I decide I'll get a peice of cake and I get "oh really... I don't think you should."
... so I just say never mind, and don't have one. 5 months iv been logging, 50kg iv lost, and when I decide to have something, it's my call. And he probably thinks he did me a favor.27 -
CameronWhittaker wrote: »Maybe not the right place, but something that really grinds my gears. When people give me a look and actually question me when I buy something nice to eat. When I decide to eat something "unhealthy", I log it and account for it.
Like my friend asks me to go out to a Cafe, I cbf but i decide to go. Asks me do I want something, offering milk shakes and soft drink, I decide I'll get a peice of cake and I get "oh really... I don't think you should."
... so I just say never mind, and don't have one. 5 months iv been logging, 50kg iv lost, and when I decide to have something, it's my call. And he probably thinks he did me a favor.
I hear you.
What generally shuts that down is a simple "It's within my calorie budget so I can afford it today." Or simply "it fits my macros today so I'm good." The worst thing that might happen is a conversation about the mechanics of your diet, but it's then more about the facts and less about opinion.
THAT is the "thing nobody told me about weight loss" that it is actually relatively easy to plan for small indulgences, with some help from portion control of course. If I have logged everything I can be rock solid CERTAIN that I can have something, and then I'm free to enjoy it instead of wondering in the back of my head "was this too much?"22 -
I think something that nobody tell you is that your body craves different food at different times. It's not just a winter=hot soup/summer=cold salad thing. Once you start to understand what 'hungry' feels like and what results food gives you 2, 3, or 6 hours later, your body starts to need different types fuel. I've noticed that since the cold weather has set in (HARD) that I crave more carbohydrates in general. Learning how to compensate and adjust without intense restriction or self-reproach is important.21
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If you jump from a high-calorie diet to a low-calorie diet (I went from 3000+/day to 1200/day - very sedentary life), brain fog can be a serious problem until your body acclimates!17
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TeresaMarie2015 wrote: »Your morning breadth will be just horrific!
If you have ever wondered where you fat is going as you lose the weight, I recently learned that you are exhaling it. At the end of the process that your body goes through to break things down, the byproduct is in the form of a gas your breath out. So relish in your stinky breath!11 -
That a plateau can be a bigger hurdle than you'd imagined ... and you just gotta keep going and keep believing in yourself.
I found to my great surprise that my first roughly 20 lbs on MFP were easier than I'd expected. And I got used to (and really looked forward to) that 1-2 lb loss every time I got on the scale.
Now I've hit a plateau, a big one, and it's been a kick in the teeth. I got more depressed than expected when the scale didn't budge, and then I got dejected and had a few bad days of food abuse. Now I'm just trying to stick to the plan and tough it out until I can start seeing the numbers go down again.
I got a little carried away with my expectations from the first 20 lbs down, and now it feels like reality has set in.
I'm pushing on, but it's harder now.33 -
I like the vanity angle...
It is true that confidence and Vanity are somewhat linked and what one might see as confidence another may see as vanity... And a combination of either can materialize into arrogance whether perceived by others or noted by your own ponderings.
Some for instance, might find themselves more judgemental of others who remain morbidly obese where in the past they may of felt a empathy or kinship. You may find yourself going out of your way to "Help" these people, cause you now know for yourself that it can be done, whether or not that person is ready to or wanting to change.
In the case, where one might lose empathy for the morbidly overweight, you may in fact feel you have become arrogant... And it's true that you may have become just that. But you need to ask yourself... Are you truly arrogant, or are you just covering for your inner fear of who you were and who you could potentially be again. Perhaps seeing such a person is reminder of that person you were. Perhaps that person is still lurking inside of you and your ID and EGO simply won't allow you to process it on conscious level? Perhaps it's easier not to see, not to care and/or look down upon instead of a peering at oneself in the eye?13 -
TeresaMarie2015 wrote: »- That eating healthy, veggies & low fat, lean meats) can mean eating a lot of food - some days I am just tired of eating, and still don't reach my calorie goal.
THIS. I'm taking the little class on macros and it's like "preplan your day!" and I am still staring down a baggie of carrot slices and a yogurt (on top of dinner) and just... not feeling it. I feel like I have to eat constantly to get the calories/carbs/protein (BUT *WITHOUT* FAT) all in because I can't eat meals that big. I end up getting to the next meal and being like, "Do I want to eat? No. No, I do not." But then you get to the end of the day and you're short on everything and can't put another bite in your mouth.
Also planning is a problem when I have to add another 15 carbs and 8 grams of protein with no fat and can't think of anything. Besides light yogurt and veggie sticks, of course, but without the dressing they're getting harder and harder to eat.6 -
So many of these comments are ringing bells for me!! Though I know I'm repeating earlier posters, even with a moderate weight loss of 13kg (28lbs) on an athletic 177cm (5'10") frame, there were some wild changes and epiphanies:
• Yep, cold all the time - I now keep a cashmere or merino sweater in my bag and I live most of the year in Australia.
• My menstrual cycle causes 2-3kg of water retention per month, which my doctor always thought I was exaggerating, until I had a graph of six months of daily morning weights showing the consistent spikes. I now have a prescription to manage it and it's amazing.
• My delight in data and tendency towards perfectionism actually works beautifully for diligence in weight-loss and fitness.
• It is entirely possible to eat chocolate every day but still to have a nutritious diet and lose weight. Portions!!
• I've always been a foodie - and now I love devising meals that are filling and nutritious and moderate in calories but that taste amazing.
• On the same note: meal planning is essential. It is SO hard to achieve daily, let alone long-term, goals if you wing it. Plus, you reduce a lot of food wastage.
• The vast majority of people spend little time and effort on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And once you have reached a point where you feel good physically, you start to notice how very many people are clearly uncomfortable in their bodies and don't feel empowered to change that.
And the biggest surprise:
• 90% of the people who commented on my weight-loss said, with grave concern on their faces, "Just make sure you don't go too far!" (I would not and did not, thankyouverymuch.) I did not expect such widespread negativity about the positive changes I made in my lifestyle and my physical health. The only outright positive and congratulatory comments? From my doctor and my pharmacist. Guess whose feedback I decided to take on board? 28 -
windscryer wrote: »Also planning is a problem when I have to add another 15 carbs and 8 grams of protein with no fat and can't think of anything. Besides light yogurt and veggie sticks, of course, but without the dressing they're getting harder and harder to eat.
Have you tried adding beans and pulses to your dishes? They're basically pure carbs and protein. I add a tablespoon (raw) of lentils when I make rice, and bulk out curries and soups with them too. You can also make chickpea hummus using the canned "bean juice" instead of olive oil - not as delicious but low in fat (look for low salt versions). Some cumin, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, cayenne - it would make those carrot sticks go down easier! 12 -
windscryer wrote: »TeresaMarie2015 wrote: »- That eating healthy, veggies & low fat, lean meats) can mean eating a lot of food - some days I am just tired of eating, and still don't reach my calorie goal.
THIS. I'm taking the little class on macros and it's like "preplan your day!" and I am still staring down a baggie of carrot slices and a yogurt (on top of dinner) and just... not feeling it. I feel like I have to eat constantly to get the calories/carbs/protein (BUT *WITHOUT* FAT) all in because I can't eat meals that big. I end up getting to the next meal and being like, "Do I want to eat? No. No, I do not." But then you get to the end of the day and you're short on everything and can't put another bite in your mouth.
Also planning is a problem when I have to add another 15 carbs and 8 grams of protein with no fat and can't think of anything. Besides light yogurt and veggie sticks, of course, but without the dressing they're getting harder and harder to eat.
One of the things that surprised (and delighted) me was that you can lose weight eating what you like so long as it is within your calorie goal. Unless there are medical reasons, you don't have to eat carrots and yoghurt if you don't want to. I have found that its helpful to my energy levels to keep my carbs up along with my protein (keto is not my friend!), but I definitely eat cheese and so on. I want to be eating a balanced diet going forward into maintenance, and I see this process as learning to do that, not as deprivation.
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greenlandgem wrote: »• It is entirely possible to eat chocolate every day but still to have a nutritious diet and lose weight. Portions!!
• I've always been a foodie - and now I love devising meals that are filling and nutritious and moderate in calories but that taste amazing.
In other words, this!!!
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I think something that nobody tell you is that your body craves different food at different times. It's not just a winter=hot soup/summer=cold salad thing. Once you start to understand what 'hungry' feels like and what results food gives you 2, 3, or 6 hours later, your body starts to need different types fuel. I've noticed that since the cold weather has set in (HARD) that I crave more carbohydrates in general. Learning how to compensate and adjust without intense restriction or self-reproach is important.
I've found this winter that my body is craving fat! Fat fat and more fat. I'm a vegetarian and find my fat levels are naturally kinda lowish, but I've upped them in the easy ways - full fat yoghurt, drizzles of olive oil, pats of butter - and it feels so necessary and so very good.7 -
That a plateau can be a bigger hurdle than you'd imagined ... and you just gotta keep going and keep believing in yourself.
I found to my great surprise that my first roughly 20 lbs on MFP were easier than I'd expected. And I got used to (and really looked forward to) that 1-2 lb loss every time I got on the scale.
Now I've hit a plateau, a big one, and it's been a kick in the teeth. I got more depressed than expected when the scale didn't budge, and then I got dejected and had a few bad days of food abuse. Now I'm just trying to stick to the plan and tough it out until I can start seeing the numbers go down again.
I got a little carried away with my expectations from the first 20 lbs down, and now it feels like reality has set in.
I'm pushing on, but it's harder now.
I find using Libra to get a trend line helps me a lot with that. It smooths out the zigzags and shows me that long term things are going well even if on the micro scale nothing is happening.6 -
Never thought I'd go from needing the elevator to training to run the Spartan later this year
Back at the start some years ago I could not, literally could not walk up one flight of stairs to my office; had to ride the elevator.
This year I did a startling thing; never imagined I could bring myself to do it but I have registered and paid for running a real Spartan race this December. I'm training for it and I will do it; I have about 10 months to get ready and my base line is great because I regularly do three-hour workouts including weight lifting, running, strength, etc.
I'm 65 and just about all my friends will explain why they can't do this or that activity; I used to expect the same for me. But things really changed when I lost over 100 pounds and got in shape.
Hard - always! And so totally worth it!! 44 -
When you see clothes you like on a the store mannequin and they actually fit on your body the same.
You notice how big a size ‘small’ is in most stores.
You can share the ‘obesity chair’ in waiting rooms like a love seat with your partner.
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windscryer wrote: »TeresaMarie2015 wrote: »- That eating healthy, veggies & low fat, lean meats) can mean eating a lot of food - some days I am just tired of eating, and still don't reach my calorie goal.
THIS. I'm taking the little class on macros and it's like "preplan your day!" and I am still staring down a baggie of carrot slices and a yogurt (on top of dinner) and just... not feeling it. I feel like I have to eat constantly to get the calories/carbs/protein (BUT *WITHOUT* FAT) all in because I can't eat meals that big. I end up getting to the next meal and being like, "Do I want to eat? No. No, I do not." But then you get to the end of the day and you're short on everything and can't put another bite in your mouth.
Also planning is a problem when I have to add another 15 carbs and 8 grams of protein with no fat and can't think of anything. Besides light yogurt and veggie sticks, of course, but without the dressing they're getting harder and harder to eat.
@windscryer - is there a health reason why you can't eat more fat? If you need more calories since fat comes in at 9 per gram you'll get there far quicker with fat5 -
greenlandgem wrote: »And the biggest surprise:
• 90% of the people who commented on my weight-loss said, with grave concern on their faces, "Just make sure you don't go too far!" (I would not and did not, thankyouverymuch.) I did not expect such widespread negativity about the positive changes I made in my lifestyle and my physical health. The only outright positive and congratulatory comments? From my doctor and my pharmacist. Guess whose feedback I decided to take on board?
I hate this from people so so much. I just want to tell them sarcastically "Thank you so much for your vote of confidence in me." As in, it just makes me feel like they think I never have my sh** in order... Another thing I really hate is the comment "Oh but you're already good enough as you are! You can stop now!" No, I will stop when I reach my goal BMI within the healthy range. And when I tell them what my goal weight is, I get a lot of negativity that that is "going too far". No it is not, it is a BMI of 22, so it is literally the most optimal weight for me. The amount of criticism about these things is very irritating indeed.
Another thing that annoys me is that it seems that people, in general, seem to be woefully misinformed about how/why ED's occur. So they might flippantly assume that people who lost a lot of weight might have an ED! I know people who routinely jump to such conclusions and I always want to facepalm so hard!
11 -
greenlandgem wrote: »• It is entirely possible to eat chocolate every day but still to have a nutritious diet and lose weight. Portions!!
• I've always been a foodie - and now I love devising meals that are filling and nutritious and moderate in calories but that taste amazing.
YES to both! Also, I never expected to actually become BETTER at cooking and also happier with doing nice food presentation. It's so much easier to make things pretty on the plate when there aren't massive quantities of food on it, and when some of that food is colorful!8 -
lemonsurprise wrote: »Wanted to make this thread for motivationial purposes more than anything but they don't all have to be super positive! More of what came as a surprise. I'll start..
- how much confidence it will actually bring, especially when strangers start treating you like royalty all of a sudden!
- Sitting (particularly in baths) and laying (particularly in beds) will become ever increasingly uncomfortable.
- how vain you will become! I can't walk past a mirror without checking how I look nowadays!
Your turn!
- How many times a day I use the word “calorie” in my thoughts or making conversation with my partner.
- Looking at my old clothing and in shock that those pants were tight on me once. That shirt barely fit and now hangs off.
- How fast the tracking time went by and why the heck didn’t I just start sooner! (Week 10.5 here).
- Amazed that my food scale showed me the real measurements and going by measuring spoons and cups is risky.
That’s all I got for now
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That when you are overweight, clothing manufacturers assume you have six foot long arms, and all your sleeves go well past your hands.
And then when you lose down to a smaller size, now the sleeves fit, but the manufacturers assume you are short, and many shirts no longer go past your belly button.
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springlering62 wrote: »That when you are overweight, clothing manufacturers assume you have six foot long arms, and all your sleeves go well past your hands.
And then when you lose down to a smaller size, now the sleeves fit, but the manufacturers assume you are short, and many shirts no longer go past your belly button.
Hahaha I'm starting to run into that, finally, along with the bizarrely shrinking pockets. I guess it's a good thing I like 3/4 sleeves and cropped pants.7 -
jennacole12 wrote: »That maintenance is its own journey and just as challenging...
This, and this, and this again! I hit goal over Christmas but my weight has crept up ca. 2kg since then. I am still in maintenance, but only just... So I am back to logging and aiming to be back at goal properly. At least I am intervening now and not waiting until I got back to where I started... (I hear your pain, @ONUnicorn : that regain happened to me too. This time I am really thinking about how to go about maintenance.)jennacole12 wrote: »That maintenance is its own journey and just as challenging...
This, and this, and this again! I hit goal over Christmas but my weight has crept up ca. 2kg since then. I am still in maintenance, but only just... So I am back to logging and aiming to be back at goal properly. At least I am intervening now and not waiting until I got back to where I started... (I hear your pain, @ONUnicorn : that regain happened to me too. This time I am really thinking about how to go about maintenance.)
This - so much this! Definitely a journey not a destination!
Yep exactly!! All through weight loss I kept thinking I can’t wait till I hit goal.... like that was some sort of end point 😂7 -
That you may hate the scale now, but you will miss the constant validation when it no longer is a useful tool.24
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jennacole12 wrote: »That you may hate the scale now, but you will miss the constant validation when it no longer is a useful tool.
It is still a ridiculously useful tool in maintenance. How else will you know? But it's harder to use because you don't get the rush of seeing lower and lower numbers as the weeks crawl by. You see up. You see down. You see up and down. You see down, down, and up up up. Ideally, over time, you see what would look like a modified sine wave if you put it on a graph.
It's another reason to use a weight trend app to smooth out the noise. But it's always going to be a useful tool.11 -
jennacole12 wrote: »That you may hate the scale now, but you will miss the constant validation when it no longer is a useful tool.
It is still a ridiculously useful tool in maintenance. How else will you know? But it's harder to use because you don't get the rush of seeing lower and lower numbers as the weeks crawl by. You see up. You see down. You see up and down. You see down, down, and up up up. Ideally, over time, you see what would look like a modified sine wave if you put it on a graph.
It's another reason to use a weight trend app to smooth out the noise. But it's always going to be a useful tool.
Not so much for me, I’m trying to gain muscle..... so over the past year I’ve gained lbs but it’s what we are aiming for, just a bit of a mind game to see the scale creep up and not do anything about it. I’ve started getting bodpod scans every three months instead, I’m leaner at 133 than I was at 117.... crazy but that’s why I don’t find the scale helpful anymore.15 -
jennacole12 wrote: »jennacole12 wrote: »That you may hate the scale now, but you will miss the constant validation when it no longer is a useful tool.
It is still a ridiculously useful tool in maintenance. How else will you know? But it's harder to use because you don't get the rush of seeing lower and lower numbers as the weeks crawl by. You see up. You see down. You see up and down. You see down, down, and up up up. Ideally, over time, you see what would look like a modified sine wave if you put it on a graph.
It's another reason to use a weight trend app to smooth out the noise. But it's always going to be a useful tool.
Not so much for me, I’m trying to gain muscle..... so over the past year I’ve gained lbs but it’s what we are aiming for, just a bit of a mind game to see the scale creep up and not do anything about it. I’ve started getting bodpod scans every three months instead, I’m leaner at 133 than I was at 117.... crazy but that’s why I don’t find the scale helpful anymore.
Well, if you are trying to ADD mass.... that's different for sure. At some point when you get as massive as you want, you might once again find it to be a useful tool. Seems like for you, at this point, the measuring tape will be the best metric. It will give you validation if you are gaining the right kind of mass!7 -
estherjellybabe wrote: »I hate this from people so so much. I just want to tell them sarcastically "Thank you so much for your vote of confidence in me." As in, it just makes me feel like they think I never have my sh** in order... Another thing I really hate is the comment "Oh but you're already good enough as you are! You can stop now!" No, I will stop when I reach my goal BMI within the healthy range. And when I tell them what my goal weight is, I get a lot of negativity that that is "going too far". No it is not, it is a BMI of 22, so it is literally the most optimal weight for me. The amount of criticism about these things is very irritating indeed.
It's crazy isn't it?!?! I think a lot of people in our society are starting to calibrate what they see as a "healthy weight" to having a higher and higher body fat percentage. When I started MFP, I definitely needed to lose fat and rebuild my fitness after a rough couple years, though I was only just hovering on the cusp of being overweight according to my BMI. My doctor concurred that with my family medical history it is best for me to carry a lower body fat percentage, which I achieved. It blows my mind that so many people would actually go so far as to take me aside and seriously tell me that I "looked fine and didn't need to lose weight". No, I wasn't overweight, but I also wasn't a healthy weight. And I think as a society we are starting to lose our ability to tell the difference as eating takeout five nights a week, being 20lbs overweight and completely out of shape is, sadly, becoming the norm - even before Covid.
BUT! On a positive note! Another weight loss surprise: dimples. How...? Shouldn't plumper cheeks be more prone to dimples? Apparently not. I now have them where I never did... on all (ahem) my cheeks.14 -
No one told me, that no one will notice/say something. I've lost 55 lbs over 2 years, and have had maybe 1 or 2 people notice or say something. I've always carried my weight relatively well--nurses always, always, always commented when they weighed me that they thought I weighed a lot less--they'd start the scale at 30-40 lbs lower than where I knew it would end up. I have a lot of muscle and am 5'8", but 55 lbs? Isn't anyone going to notice or say something? I know that can be a mixed bag. But I think I look good--healthy, strong. I'm now overweight, not obese. And yes, I want to lose another 40, and the difference then will be--I suspect--very noticeable, so I'm curious about whether folks will say anything then. Except I'm moving in 3-4 months and won't hit the lower weight for months, so no one who sees me at my goal weight will know how far I've come, except for me. And really, that's fine--I'm just surprised and wondering if it's because of my age (I'm almost 62).12
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