Finding A New Focus

StephGodsPrincess
StephGodsPrincess Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Well I have been at this weight loss journey, this time, for 6o r 7 weeks. I have lost 25 pounds which now when I think about it is pretty good. I was focusing so much on the weight loss that I didn't think I was losing fast enough....WHAT? 25 pounds in that amount of time is pretty darn good to me. I had been becoming obsessed with losing weight and the scale. I was becoming obsessed with did I eat enough or too much? Do I eat back my exercise calories or not? When my HRM says I burned 600 calories for my hour long walking DVD I was thinking that wasn't enough, I have to do more. I was focusing so much on tracking food that all I did was think about food. So here is some things I learned in the past weeks:

1) I become to easily obsessed with things

2) All the focus on food just makes me crave more

3)That this journey is not just about weight loss but about being healthy

When I say I become to obsessed I was flipping out. This happened a few weeks ago. I had been faithfully tracking and obsessing over the food I was eating. I was making sure to count every calorie I burned and then figuring out how to eat back all the exercise calories, because I am told I have to. I did a workout and amped it up some and when I was done I realized I forgot to start my HRM, well that was it. I totally flipped out, won't go into detail but you would have thought I was a crazy woman. That is when I realized I need t change things here, I had become obsessed with this whole weight loss.

I know a lot won't agree but I stopped logging for now which took a huge weight off my shoulders. When I stopped I was no longer thinking about food 24/7. I now eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I still measure and weigh so I make sure I am getting serving sizes, but I find I don't seem as hungry now that I don't have food on my mind all the time. I exercise and still use my HRM but am realizing that just because there are those that burn 1500 or more calories a day doesn't mean I have to. I now just make sure I exercise 5 to 6 days a week, and there are days I feel I can take it and I do workout twice and burn over a 1000 calories but I don't feel lie I have to anymore. What has helped me is I now am looking at this new lifestyle change as for me staying healthy and the weight loss will come and is an added bonus. I am very healthy for an extremely obese person. I am 5'2'' and started at 331 and now weigh 306. I have excellent blood pressure, cholesterol, and no blood sugar issues. I am internally healthy and I want to stay that way o now that is my focus for eating better and exercising, not the weight loss. I eat healthier, eat only when hungry and haven't outlawed any food just have certain foods in moderation and smaller portions.

I wrote this to encourage those who are struggling so they know they can do this. Don't give up, and find what works for you. I am not telling anyone else what to do, just what is working for me. For a lot of people logging is a big help and that is great, for me it had the opposite effect. Just keep trying things until you find what works for you and your lifestyle. Please stop comparing yourself to others, as I use to, and know you are doing your best and that is what matters.

Replies

  • MileyClimb
    MileyClimb Posts: 414 Member
    I have to do some changes the biggest ones are: the scale weighing once a month before I was weighing several times a day.
    the feeling the need to exersize every time I ate worrying I would blow my calories. so how to get away from that obbession I will have to figure it out. thanks for posting this
  • StephGodsPrincess
    StephGodsPrincess Posts: 45 Member
    I understand where you are coming from Katie. We all just have to find what works for us and not worry if others will put us down for it. I don't judge anyone for how they take this personal journey. It is each persons choice to do this how they fee it will work for them. Sometimes that takes tweaking things here and there. I just know I don't want to spend my life dieting, but eating a healthy lifestyle and for me that means no outlawed foods and having a healthier lifestyle overall and that includes for me emotionally and mentally as well as physically. I have allowed the opinions of others to drive me crazy for too long. You can do this girl. You are doing great and will find in the end the best for you and your life:smile:
  • KatNunya
    KatNunya Posts: 14 Member
    :flowerforyou: This is very helpful, thank you. And huge CONGRATS on losing 25 lbs in 6 weeks! I have only been on MFP for 10 days, and for me the recording every bite is a huge step forward for me. It requires me to be honest with myself about what I've eaten, and when. But I am learning quickly that not all calories are 'worth it'--which is a good thing. That said, I too have noticed I am obsessing about food and when will I eat next/what can I fit into my calorie allowance; exercise, etc., but recognized this is a learning curve for me and--hopefully-once I have some success and my learning curve is up, I can better self-regulate what are good choices for me. Keep up the great work and again, thank you for being so inspiring.
  • katjo10
    katjo10 Posts: 82 Member
    Isn't it just amazing the things we have learned about ourselves from MFP. You are so right, everyone is not the same and each person needs to do what works for them. I have been at this for 11 weeks today & have learned so much about myself am making the changes necessary to achive health and wellness! So happy for your 25 pound weight loss. Be well my friend! :flowerforyou:
  • yarmiah
    yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
    "3)That this journey is not just about weight loss but about being healthy "

    It is this point that I attribute my success this (last and FINAL) time around!
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
    Congrats on the 25 lbs! It is an accomplishment, but a healthy attitude is even more of one. Just stick to the healthy choices, that is what I tell myself. I occasionally treat myself, but then I try to cut a little bit here and there to account for it. Life is so much better when you can enjoy it...
  • paulsmisses
    paulsmisses Posts: 178
    hi steph

    i really enjoyed reading this - its interesting to know how things sit in other peoples minds.

    To share a bit on my relationship with food, i was bulimic for several years when i was younger, losing a baby through miscarriage in the course of it and feeling my bulimia was the cause, which in turn made me worse. i eventually snapped myself out of it and have been really struggling for the last 7/8 years to keep myself on the 'straight and narrow' so to speak. i have issues about the smell of certain foods, mostly meat, and the texture of lots of foods like nuts etc. two days ago i thought to myself that i hadnt had a mcdonalds in ages and would like one, i did get one, i did enjoy it, but afterwards i felt so guilty, i took kids out a 3 mile walk to at least part make up for it, my husband is happy the way this diet is progressing because he can see me eat and knows i am exercising, therefore doing it the healthy way. but deep down that urge to purge is always there and gets me down. my gp suggested a few months back i see a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist but i am starting studying this summer to be a social worker and i fear that me seeing a psychiatrist or counsellor may look really negatively on me which i dont want.


    I have days where all i want to do on here is look at other peoples diaries and exercise regime and see what is 'normal' but it doesnt always work the way i plan, when they have eaten a lot less than me!

    I hate the idea of eating back calories i have burnt off but try my best to eat some at least, that way i feel like i am in control but probably just kidding myself!

    Its just an illness i will constantly battle i suppose! hope you dont mind me sharing too xx

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