35F | 5'4" | SW 183 | CW 143| GW 135
So this is my first post in this Reddit group, though I have been reading through other people's stories and quietly cheering all of you on! I thought it might be time with this major milestone of reaching my healthy BMI to share my story :-)
I've been actively dieting for 8 months now, the first 4 of which I used MFP to meticulously log what I ate. I kickstarted the weight-loss by cutting out alcohol for 4 weeks and eliminating any bread/pasta/rice from my diet aside from breakfast. While I truly believe that these adjustments were a big part of the initial loss (10 lbs fell off very very quickly), it was the daily food log that kept me going and really changed my habits.
It has not been easy... slow going compared to some and I tend to plateau for a bit every 10 pounds or so. But one of the biggest things that I've noticed about myself is that I've reached the point where I can very easily not eat enough for a few days, at which point I notice a complete stop in loss and occasionally gains.
I have also realized that what was most important was clearly changing my eating habits, I am honestly no where near as hungry as I used to be and I'm far more aware of the feeling of being full. Perhaps most importantly, I've learned to listen to that signal that I'm full.
If I could share my one personal piece of advice that has really worked for me, it's to take at least 1 day in the week where you ignore the diet completely. Have the pizza, or the pasta or whatever for dinner... enjoy a couple glasses of wine... basically go for it (though obviously I don't mean binging... just not worrying about the calorie deficit). For me it seems to help keep my body in weight loss mode, as opposed to simply acclimating to a new norm of calorie intake.
Also, with regards to exercise, even as I was gaining weight, I was reasonably active. I live in the NL and I commute by bike (at least 3 miles each way/day) and walk where I need to go. I felt it was important that (while I maintain at least some activity every day) I achieve my weight-loss through a change in diet and not merely the addition of exercise. I felt that it would be a more lasting, permanent change if I could completely change the way I eat rather than continue as I was and merely add a calorie burning activity.
Now that I am ALMOST to my goal (8lbs to go!!!!), I'm ready to be more active. I know that I have accomplished the change in my relationship with food that I was after and now exercise will be more about fitness, strength and health rather than weight.
Apologies for the long post... but I appreciate this outlet for sharing my story. Many of the people in my life do not and have not struggled with weight (I've been up and down my whole adult life, from very thin at 115 to my heaviest at 183)... so while they can congratulate me on my achievement, they don't fully understand. The people in my life who can/do understand have not been that successful in reaching their goals, so I feel too guilty to ask them to celebrate my milestones.
I'd like to end by saying that I think that no plan is right for everyone and we all have our own paths to reaching our healthy weight, but perhaps there is someone out there like me who can be motivated by my 'method'! Best of luck to everyone... I look forward to checking back in with a before and after once I reach my final goal :)
Kate
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