How I got started
On New Year's Day 2015, I looked at my kitchen counter and sink and was disgusted. I was SO disgusted that I realized, in that moment, that change was necessary and imminent. I took a photo of the counter and sink: A large Pyrex filled with cookies, a ripped-open package of Newman Os, three empty coffee cups, an empty wineglass, an empty jar of jam with a spoon in it, and various other cups and wrappers, and I used that photo as my motivation to slowly and sustainably lose 35 pounds over the next 15 months. By replacing breakfast with organic green smoothies, replacing lunch with a big salad with lots of beans, and not eating snacks, desserts, or seconds at dinner, I went from just inside the obese BMI to four pounds short of the healthy BMI. Having a big satisfying meal at dinner every day actually made the process enjoyable.
How I slipped
Just when I had almost succeeded, in April 2016, several traumatic life events occurred over the following months (don't they always?) and I slowly let go of my success. I stopped tracking, weighing, and journaling. I started drinking again. More stuff "happened to me" (i.e., stressful and sad external circumstances beyond my control made me turn back to food and alcohol for comfort). Before I knew it, on my 45th birthday – the year men's risk of heart attack increases – I had gained back 27 of the 35 pounds I'd originally lost.
How I Got Back in the Game
At the beginning of last month, on my 45th birthday, I had another moment like the one on New Year's Day 2015. I realized that "bad stuff happening to me" was just an excuse for not staying in control of myself and my body and my health and my destiny, and I resumed my journey to a healthy BMI. I actually didn’t find r/loseit until the following week (completely by accident and via Google; had never been on Reddit before), and with its definition of CICO and amount of support and encouragement, the pieces were starting to fall into place for me. By the time I found r/sugarfree a few weeks later, I knew I was fully back in the game. (Giving up added sugar has been a lot easier than I thought; easier than others had made it sound.) I’ve regrouped with completely realistic mini-goals (3.3 pounds a month until whenever it takes next year) so I know I’ll succeed.
Why I know I’ll maintain: Why I’ll be slim and strong forever
There are four reasons I know it’s going to be permanent this time, and they all relate to having a strong plan for maintenance: [1] I’ll proactively manage food events and situations where I’m not in control; [2] I’ll continue to track my calories and journal every day for at least six months (as little as one sentence or paragraph), to ensure that I’ve fully internalized this new way of living that had escaped me for my first 45 years; [3] I’ll remain an active part of this forum; and [4] I’ll be expecting that turbulent and sad life events will happen, and when they do, my attention to nutrition won’t be thrown off the rails. (Thanks to u/funchords, I’m also going to join the national weight loss registry after I’ve maintained for a year.) This time, I’m prepared: I know I’ll be reading about, experimenting with, and implementing nutrition and health advice for the rest of my life. It’s going to become a permanent practice, as permanent as a yoga practice, or a law practice, etc.
The T-Shirt
The first place I saw the phrase “my obesity is in remission” was here so, as far as I know, credit goes to u/Ms_Andry. (Citations that pre-date this are welcomed.) I have posted it several times as a comment, and u/e42343 suggested making it a T-shirt, so I ordered one on VistaPrint for $10.49. My only regret is that I didn’t add r/loseit on the bottom or back of the shirt. I’m well aware that not everyone classifies obesity is a disease, but in my case, eating was both an obsession and a compulsion (DSM-5 300.3).
TLDR
It can take years to meet your goal weight, and that’s okay. A major slip-up along the way is actually good, as it teaches you how to regroup and ultimately be successful.
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