What nobody tells you about losing weight

that I'd be standing naked in a locker room, lumpy fat and saggy belly and all, telling my daughter "look at those muscles! Not the fat and loose skin, that's leaving--look at those muscles in my thigh!"

My daughter did not want to look. Embarrassing your kids is such fun. XD

obscuremusicreference wrote: »

-People suddenly think it's okay to comment on your body/weight loss/food
-Lying in bed and running your hands over your hipbones and ribs is really great

I have clavicles and a jaw line now! Woop-woop!

fatty2begone wrote: »

MMMM Bacon (Drool Emoji)

My goto breakfast includes one piece of bacon a day. My recent blood work shows everything is normal again, including overall cholesterol. The LDL is trending lower, but still 2 points over. When I told my heart dr.......you can't make me give up my bacon, said maybe a healthy fat like avocado? but my face must have responded......and she chuckled......and said... can't argue with your success (down 153 pounds)

ejadewelch wrote: »

Losing weight doesn't fix body image issues. That is something that needs dealt with on a different level. Body hating and self-hatred are a real issue, and it can stop you in your tracks, it can ruin relationships, fuel addictions, and when extreme can progress to suicidal thoughts. So, if you think that next 5 pounds is going to change how you feel about yourself, it may help but you need to love yourself no matter where you are in your journey!!

This. sometimes I can catch/stop a binge by asking "why do we need to be punished right now? Or is it fear? Eating will only help for a few minutes, so what else might help longer?" once in a while I manage to go for a walk. Sometimes I just take a few deep breaths and get some water. and sometimes...the binge just goes on. But it's probably less than it would have been before.

I'm new to calorie counting, tried every diet going.suffered with illness and joint pain for years and gained alot of weight😔. Medication doesn't help . fingers crossed this works. Been going gym classes 3 times a week and swimming . Can't do anymore !

jenniferharston wrote: »

I'm new to calorie counting, tried every diet going.suffered with illness and joint pain for years and gained alot of weight😔. Medication doesn't help . fingers crossed this works. Been going gym classes 3 times a week and swimming . Can't do anymore !

No diet works better than just eating healthy and the correct proportions. Many times medication no matter how good for you in one way will destroy other things. Stay focused on being HEALTHY. LOVE YOURSELF FIRST. Get some activity every day even if it's a 30-minute walk or 3- 10 min. YOU GOT THIS!

I'm 54 lbs down... almost half way to "Normal BMI" range which is my long term goal (coming from "well into" Class 3 Obesity)... Feel great. Energy level so much better. A few observations/lessons learned:

1) How fabulous it feels to go into Costco and buy clothes! They rarely carry plus size so it's always been off limits. Now it's my go-to for yoga pants & shorts as I drop sizes...

2) Yoga capris will carry you through many sizes as you lose weight. I find they are all I live in now because nothing else fits, my shirts are all a bit bigger anyway and I'm not willing to splurge on a new wardrobe yet.

3) I walk differently now. My hips feel it. When I was Stage 3 Obesity I think I must have swung my legs wide a bit but now I feel like they move front to back differently as I walk and are more efficient. This means new hip exercises to strengthen different muscles now I think.

4) Stairs are WAY easier - esp going up! My legs are still strong from carrying around that 50+ lbs but now I don't have to try to get that weight up the stairs. I am still amazed each time I do a long stretch of stairs how "not winded" I am...

5) Bras... sigh.... are not my friend. Size, shape, support, etc. has all changed. I've decided to wear one bra from my overflowing drawer each day and then decide at the end of the day whether it's being saves, going in the garbage or donated.... Less of a tedious task if I just have do do one/day. I've found some gems that I can't believe I tried to wear regardless of what weight I was. And honestly... can't imagine going back to an underwire again but I'll leave those until I've lost a bit more and then decide.

6) Clothing - after an initial purge of my closet/drawers at about 35lb lost, I've changed tactics and try to grab a different top every day and try it on. Then the same decision about it before I carry on for the day. Keep and wear, donate or put in a pile to set aside. (Yes - I'm putting clothing aside.... Not sure when I'll decide to donate them but I can't bring myself to get rid of them yet...)

7) Complements/observations from someone goes a LONG way to boosting my motivation.... I find some people don't want to say anything in case they offend. I've taken this and made sure I've commented on others who I know are working on losing through various methods.

8) Other's want to give advice which I politely listen to and largely ignore because what worked for them, isn't always good for me. I'm keeping to as close to 1200 calories/day, 45% carb as I can and not worrying about the rest. The low calories forces me to make good choices so I'm not starving all of the time. That is working for me so I don't need to worry about keto, vegan, drinking only shakes for meals, etc. At least not right now. If those work for other people's bodies, lifestyles, etc... great! Just not for me. I need "simple".

9) Eat what you love. At 1200 calories, it's not worth eating something you don't love. I call it my "Marie Kondo" diet. A "treat" is okay if it's something that I'm willing to "budget" for it in my daily calories. I have a well meaning relative that keeps bringing over "healthy" but high calorie foods that honestly I can't stand... In the past, I would eat them. Now I just tell her they are too high in calories for me right now and if I eat it, I won't be able to eat anything else for the day. Great excuse!

10) On that same tone... I actually treat myself every day at the end of the day if I have enough calories. Trader Joes has some great "tiny" cookies and meringues that are 20 calories and are my reward to keeping my calories in check all day. It's like a sticker at the end of day in kindergarten but seems to motivate me... Honestly, a 1 1/2 calorie Tic Tac would do it too!

11) I don't miss alcohol .... at all! I may have the odd glass of wine (probably 3 in the last 5 months) with celebration but when it makes up to 10% of my daily calories, I have to really want it! I try not to "drink my calories" which includes juice, smoothies and shakes (none of which were my favourite anyway..) I mainly just drink Water and Almond Milk Lattes (33 calories each...) and don't crave anything else. I have a lot of vices in my old diet (most related to "white food" - pasta, rice, bread) but high calorie drinks haven't been one of them fortunately.

12) The cycling of losing weight is still dumbfounding for me. I've been consistent in my eating for five months now. No "binge days", no "low calorie days", etc. I drink lots of water and try to keep to as close to 1200 as I can... but I'll go some weeks with almost no movement... sometimes up to three frustrating weeks in a row... and then suddenly I'm down almost 4lbs in two days...

That's it for now! Everyone have a great day and you all look fabulous! Have you lost weight?

That stopping losing weight is hard! Maintenance is tricky. I've overshot several goals, and I feel good about my current weight. This morning, I was down another 0.4 lbs. I'm under the doctor's suggested BMI of 22 now. I will find the balance eventually, but no one told me it would be hard to stop losing and maintain!!! Funny thing, I'm adding in calories and grabbed an extra apple for a snack at work. I guess I've learned how to eat more healthy food through this process naturally.

How long you can continue to wear clothes that you’ve technically shrunk out of. I’m currently an AU12 (can squeeze into some AU10’s so I found out the other week) but I’m still rocking my 14’s. My 16s are too baggy to look good. I do have a few items in 16 that are actually a little tight on me at the moment which is a mind f#*k, I mean I KNOW that they are a small make, but it just makes my brain itch that a size 16 is still too small for me, even though my measurements tell me I’m a 12.
It can also work the other way- you can squeeze into clothes that are too small for you and that size you thought you were at the beginning of your weight loss? Yeah you were probably 1-2 sizes bigger. I look back at photos when I was at my heaviest and I was squeezing myself into 16’s and I realise I was probably more like a 20

That on the once in a blue moon day when I say, "Forget this! I'm eating what I want, calories be damned!" I may still end up eating healthier than pre-life style changes. This came after a long time and my taste buds changing. It changed from "Forget this!" meaning burger, fries, soda, AND dessert after having a whole pack of twizzlers for a snack and Starbucks (with Cheese Danish) for breakfast to "Forget this!" meaning a burger with a side of fries and water for dinner after a healthy, balanced breakfast and a salad with protein for lunch.

That I'd start to like sparkling water and greatly dislike soda/pop/coke.

That I'd get restless on days where I don't at least walk a mile.

That I'd both have the energy and desire to put effort into my outfits. Makeup, accessories, sometimes even styling my hair. Obese me settled for looking clean and hygienic. Overweight me realizes she looks pretty cute. Might even be a stunner. Currently working on the arm muscle to match.

That my tastes in clothes would change. The things I looked for to compliment my body no longer serve me.

Sand_TIger wrote: »

One thing I wish I'd known (and nobody really told me) before losing weight was that I could begin to enjoy the effects of weight loss way, way before goal weight. People had mentioned an improvement in blood pressure after a fairly small loss and things like that but I didn't really get how much improvement in quality of life there could be when I wasn't even halfway to goal. Not just in looks but in energy level, ability to do things, heat tolerance, and more. I think if people understood that, more of them would try losing weight.

I'm not sure when I started noticing the physical effects, but psychologically... My self confidence was already so much better after losing 10lbs (of 75)!

That one day I would be walking around and suddenly notice that I felt like I forgotten my underwear, only to realize they are just too big. As I am usually wearing bike shorts/yoga pants etc. I didn't really notice until I went out in some loose fitting linen capris! 😳

Sand_TIger wrote: »

One thing I wish I'd known (and nobody really told me) before losing weight was that I could begin to enjoy the effects of weight loss way, way before goal weight. People had mentioned an improvement in blood pressure after a fairly small loss and things like that but I didn't really get how much improvement in quality of life there could be when I wasn't even halfway to goal. Not just in looks but in energy level, ability to do things, heat tolerance, and more. I think if people understood that, more of them would try losing weight.

Yeah. I've lost only 15 pounds and I feel better physically AND mentally. It was very unexpected since I'm still close to my highest weight ever. It's very motivating to feel so much better so soon!

8 years into the process using MFP with 50+ lbs lost.

Some of what I've learned that no one told me going into this or if they did, I wasn't convinced....

- Calorie awareness due to logging. Sometimes I wish it wasn't 'there' in the front of my mind as much as it is, but logging created the awareness. I still 'let go' and don't track for long periods at a time, however I eventually know based on how I feel and measurements, that when things are not as good as I want them to be, it's calories that are the culprit.

- I've learned that no matter what, I'm not letting the 50+ lbs lost come back to stay. I still find myself needing to shed 10-12 when I go on long periods of not focusing, but eventually, I come back to reality and tell myself I refuse to go back there.

- I've learned that people eventually get used to the new body structure and stop asking. It seemed like it would never end but it eventually did after a few years.

- I've learned that I need to exercise to feel good. Anything longer than 2 days without, I'm miserable.

- I've learned that I can still eat all the foods I like as long as I find balance in the calorie-range I care to stay in. Nothing is off limits.

- I've learned based on experiences I've had around me that I am in better shape than the circle of people I hang in. Weight management wise as well as physical abilities.

- I've learned that it takes a desire and personal commitment with a long-term view to continue keeping on. The bumps are many - they are real - but they are temporary.