Lost 52 lbs in a sustainable way, here's my tips (BMI, overweight, system)
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Some of you may remember I made a thread when I was just starting out asking about my diet and I got some decent feedback. I wanted to give a little update, some dietary changes and some tips Ive learned.
I have lost 52 lbs since December 1st.
Age:34 Female
Starting 285 BMI 46 Class 3 (Morbidly obese) High risk
Current 233 BMI 37.6 Class 2 Obesity Moderate risk
Goal weight 185 (as of right now) BMI 29 Overweight
I am slightly more than halfway to my goal weight. Yes my goal is overweight, I am aware. I will readjust my expectations and goals once I get to my goal. I haven't seen my body at this weight since I was 20 and before I had children. Once I am there I will see how I look and feel
The first tip I have is set realistic goals. I have discovered that setting SMART goals is key to this.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-based
Saying I want to lose 100 lbs is a HUGE mountain to climb and much more likely to results in giving up. In the back of my mind I always had a number in mind but I never focused on it. When I started I wanted to lost 10 lbs by Christmas. I did it. Then I wanted to lose 30 lbs before my trip to New Orleans in March, I lost 35. Now I want to lose 60 lbs by my summer vacation in Alaska. I am at 52 lbs and we dont leave until June 30th. I think I will adjust to 70 lbs by vacation. Then 100 by my birthday which is right around the 1 year mark for this journey. Every new 10 lb increment makes me feel a little better about being able to do this. When I lose 75 I'm getting a new tattoo as a reward. How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time. How do you recover from addiction? 1 day at a time. How do you lose weight? 1 lb at a time.
The 2nd tip is to tell people. Tell everyone who will listen. The more people know youre on a weight loss journey the larger your support system is and the larger your accountability system is. I have told my co workers, my family and my friends. If i were to go off plan or do something to sabotage my progress I know they would call me on it. When you announce your intentions and feel the accountability of other people you are more likely to stick with it.
The 3rd tip is to find a plan that works for you. Some people swear by Keto or Paleo or Low Carb. I do plain old calories in calories out. I track what I eat and I make adjustments daily to keep myself on track. Over the last 5 months I have done lots of different things to help keep my body surprised and to keep me from getting bored. A few weeks ago I did a 48 hour weekend fast and I didnt eat from Friday night to Sunday night. It was a challenge for myself and I dont recommend anyone do it especially if you struggle from any disordered eating. But it worked for me and helped kickstart my body as my weightloss had slowed down.
4th Find ways to challenge yourself. In addition to that 48 fast challenge I participate in DIET bet to keep myself accountable with my money. I also do Conqueror challenges where I pay an entry fee and I agree to walk a set distance in a set amount of time and when I complete it I get a medal to hang on the way. I have walked to Everest Base camp, 40 miles in a month. I biked the ring of Kerry in Ireland, 125 miles in 30 days. I am in the middle of walking up Mt Kilimanjaro, 60 miles in 60 days and biking the Great Ocean Road in Australia, 149 miles in 60 days. I have also signed up to complete 1 5k every month this summer through runDisney and you get medals when you finish. All these things keep me motivated to exercise even if just a walk.
And finally, eat when you need to. Feed your body and mind. Dont punish yourselves for your mistakes. Dont reward yourself with food. If you have a great month and lose 8 lbs dont go on a binge because you "earned it". Just eat a few oreos when you have a craving or a slice of pizza. If you binge and eat half a pizza one night, dont punish yourself the next day with overrestriction. Just start the next day right. Once the day is over, move one. The great thing about the sun coming up every day is that everyday is a chance to start over. A single set back does not ruin everything. Likely it will have very little affect. But continuing to slip and fall into a bad pattern because you told yourself you messed up and can t fix it will ruin things. If you impulse buy something at Target and overspend your budget you dont throw your arms in the air and say well its ruined anyway and then go on a shopping spree and empty your bank account. So why would you do the equivalent with food? Just realize it was an overspend on your calories/diet and then get back on track.
The first 50 came off, now the next 50 will. It doesnt seem like such a big goal now that Im halfway there, coming down the other side of the huge mountain.
Your post really inspired me. I am just starting this journey and your tips really helped put things in perspective. I love the idea of virtual challenges! I am going to check that out! Good luck and congrats on your progress. Thank you for sharing!
Your post really inspired me. I am just starting this journey and your tips really helped put things in perspective. I love the idea of virtual challenges! I am going to check that out! Good luck and congrats on your progress. Thank you for sharing!
I never said expert. And after reading and talking to tons of people the issue with "diets" is always that they are no sustainable. Losing weight when you are over restrictive is easy, but maintaining a lifestyle that has no flexibility is difficult and a lot of people fail to maintain because they never learned how to eat. I am trying to teach myself proper portion control and how to fuel my body safely and without starving so that when I am at my goal (or more) I have an actual chance of maintaining it. Eating proper portions and proper nutrition with some flexibility is far more sustainable.
Its incredibly rude and wrong to tell someone that losing 50 lbs is easy. I work my a** off to lose weight and to try and build muscle. It isnt easy, its damn hard. If it were easy everyone would do it.
When I first came in this sub I think I had lost like 10 lbs and I wanted some feedback. A lot of people told me to focus on whole foods that fueled me and were able to be flexible and fit in my life. I slowly learned that they were right. I have also learned that fasting is hard. I have learned that if I count calories I lose about 2 lbs a week but if i exercise 4-5 days a week I lose 4 lbs a week. I know there will be a plateau, there always are. I think I might actually be in one right now.
Adaptive thermogenesis happens when your metabolism adjusts down and doesnt continue to burn energy at the same rate and therefore slows down your weight loss. This is not a guarantee that it will happen but it can. I do not over restrict my calories to the point that my body thinks it needs to try and hold onto calories which is what typically happens when your body goes into starvation mode. It also does not mean that losing weight is impossible. Yes it is more difficult to lose weight when you weigh less but that doesnt mean the first 50 lbs was easier. In the first 50 I had to fight an uphill battle with my mental health and addressing my relationship with food and how I felt about food and actually getting control of my compulsion to eat when I didnt need to. And I had to focus on good food for my body and exercise. On the next 50 the physical part will be harder but the mental part will be easier because now Im in a routine and I know what I need to do.
Its incredibly rude and wrong to tell someone that losing 50 lbs is easy. I work my a** off to lose weight and to try and build muscle. It isnt easy, its damn hard. If it were easy everyone would do it.
I think you deserve to be talked to plainly. Here you are, you haven't even achieved your goals and you are spewing information like you know something. What is hard is keeping it off. Many people lose weight.
So again, check back in here when you have accomplished the goal.
I think you deserve to be talked to plainly. Here you are, you haven't even achieved your goals and you are spewing information like you know something. What is hard is keeping it off. Many people lose weight.
So again, check back in here when you have accomplished the goal.
There is absolutely no reason why someone anyone cant benefit from what others have learned along the way, even if they havent reached their destination.
Yes I agree keeping it off is the biggest mountain of all but before you keep it off you actually have to get it off and I am trying to pass along some of the lessons I have learned while getting it off. If it doesnt help you then move along. Sorry Arya but in a different thread where you are trying to convince people that working hard are useless because it doesnt matter anyway proves that you think we are just at the whim of our bodies with no control and that isnt true.
Telling someone that the 6 months of hard work they did to do something most people are convinced they cant do or never do is easy is not talking plainly its being incredibly rude and dismissive. Hard work is hard work. When I get to the stage where I have to maintain I will also learn lessons and hopefully have some advice. But right now this is the advice I have and I dont think there is a single person who has successfully lost weight and kept it off who would say that a single thing I said was wrong. Because it wasnt. Even if I havent gotten to the end and maintained, the info I posted is still correct. Maintenance is an entirely different challenge
Saying I want to lose 100 lbs is a HUGE mountain to climb and much more likely to results in giving up. In the back of my mind I always had a number in mind but I never focused on it. When I started I wanted to lost 10 lbs by Christmas. I did it. Then I wanted to lose 30 lbs before my trip to New Orleans in March, I lost 35. Now I want to lose 60 lbs by my summer vacation in Alaska. I am at 52 lbs and we dont leave until June 30th. I think I will adjust to 70 lbs by vacation. Then 100 by my birthday which is right around the 1 year mark for this journey. Every new 10 lb increment makes me feel a little better about being able to do this. When I lose 75 I'm getting a new tattoo as a reward. How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time. How do you recover from addiction? 1 day at a time. How do you lose weight? 1 lb at a time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arya Stark
I think you deserve to be talked to plainly. Here you are, you haven't even achieved your goals and you are spewing information like you know something. What is hard is keeping it off. Many people lose weight.
So again, check back in here when you have accomplished the goal.
How about you check your attitude, Arya. The OP has achieved EVERY SINGLE GOAL she's set for herself so far on this journey, as specified and outlined in the paragraph above.
She deserves not only a "good job!" but respect of someone who is walking the talk, succeeding in her goals, and offering her encouragement to anyone else wanting to accomplish similar goals.
There is absolutely no reason why someone anyone cant benefit from what others have learned along the way, even if they havent reached their destination.
And what if you wrong? What if YOUR tips cause people to stall and get stuck? You won't know that until the end. So maybe you should actually finish before spewing your expertise.
And what if you wrong? What if YOUR tips cause people to stall and get stuck? You won't know that until the end. So maybe you should actually finish before spewing your expertise.
She’s lost 52 pounds in six months. That is nothing to scoff at and more than many people achieve. It sounds like she found something that works and is sustainable FOR HER. I have known a lot of people who have lost weight by doing a combination of diet and exercise. Just because she hasn’t reached her final goal does not mean she is not successful. I am not sure how it is productive to insult someone who is meeting and even exceeding their original timeline.
She’s lost 52 pounds in six months. That is nothing to scoff at and more than many people achieve. It sounds like she found something that works and is sustainable FOR HER. I have known a lot of people who have lost weight by doing a combination of diet and exercise. Just because she hasn’t reached her final goal does not mean she is not successful. I am not sure how it is productive to insult someone who is meeting and even exceeding their original timeline.
It was insulting to me the an amateur should post a thread as if they know anything at all...
Great she found something that works for her but don't start a thread like "here's my tips" until you are close to goal.
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