Almost exactly a year after I started, I saw my maintenance weight on the scale this morning! I went from about 165 lbs (75 kg) and still gaining to 125 (57) and getting fitter every day. For reference, I'm 5'8 (1.71 m). It's been a long journey, and I feel like it might help others to see how it's changed over time.
In April of 2018, I downloaded Samsung Health. I had always thought of myself as a sedentary person, but I didn't realize just how sedentary I'd become. Getting 3K steps a day was pretty average for me (though I wasn't tracking any of my movement around the house or during the day at work/school, so I'd estimate it was closer to 5K). I made it my goal to hit 6K every day and 8K average daily steps for the week. I hoped that my higher activity levels would lead to weight loss, but at this point, it was mostly about general health.
The conscious effort to lose weight started sometime in May 2018. I've always eaten reasonable portions at mealtimes, and eating out has never been a problem for me, but my snacking got out of control with the stress of grad school. I could (erm, can) easily work my way through an entire box of Cheez-Its in one sitting. I quit buying most of my old favorites and switched to lower-calorie alternatives. Sugar free Jello, 60-calorie fudge bars, pickles, and low-fat string cheese allowed me to snack without going overboard. I did a pretty lazy take on calorie counting for most of the summer, no food scale, just measuring cups and guesstimates that I was hitting around 1500 calories a day. Not ideal, but it worked. I lost 30 lbs (14 kg) over that summer.
In August of 2018, I visited my parents for a couple weeks. I didn't count calories, but I was mindful of what I ate, figuring I would only gain a pound or two over that period. Stepping on the scale the morning after I got back, I weighed under 140 lbs (63.5 kg) for the first time in years. I decided then that I had learned what I needed to from calorie counting, and since then, I have maybe logged five or six days just to check that I'm still on track. My weight loss slowed, going from about a pound a week to 1-2 pounds a month, but I was fine with that. I was well within the healthy weight range and aware that anything I lost was for vanity's sake.
Throughout this time, I had been upping my activity levels. I was walking more and more, and in early February of 2019, I decided to start jogging. I'm not very fast and I still don't go very far, but a few mornings a week, I run/walk 5 km. During lunch, I'll go for a walk, and I take a break to climb 10 flights of stairs once or twice a day. I also purchased some light weights for use at home. The extra exercise has allowed me to snack a little more without jeopardizing my weight loss, and I'm noticing more muscle tone in my arms and legs.
It took three months to lose the first 25 lbs (11 kg) and nine to lose the last 15 (7). Now, I have the right habits in place, and it's time to maintain.
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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2JF8bAc
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