Hi everyone! I’ve recently hit my 100 pound milestone. It took me roughly a year. I’ve spent a lot of this time looking back and reflecting on my journey and I though I’d share some of my observations. Some background: F/24/5’8” I started my weight loss journey at 255lbs in early August 2018. I lost about 25-30 pounds in a month and a half before sustaining an injury that left me bed ridden for 3 months. I didn’t gain any of the weight back but I didn’t lose any in that time. I started CICO and running in early December and that’s what I’ve been doing since. (I am on mobile so my apologies for any formatting issues!)
- You will lose every item of clothing you owned- Your favorite jeans? Those cool band tees? Your UNDERWEAR? Say buh-bye and start budgeting for a new wardrobe. I bought stuff to get me through spring and summer but I’ve mostly outgrown all of it now so I am currently getting ready to buy my next big wardrobe for a while 🤞🏻
- Plateaus are the hardest, most discouraging things- I had to change some things on some of my plateaus such as re-evaluate my caloric intake. But just keep persisting and remember just how good it feels once you break out of it.
- People won’t even recognize you anymore- I’ve found this to be a blessing, it’s nice to slip past people you don’t particularly want to talk to, and a curse, I see a lot of people who I wouldn’t mind talking to but they don’t know who I am anymore haha.
- If it’s feasible for you, it’s worth saving money for a boob job/tummy tuck- I unfortunately didn’t realize this until a month or two ago but hopefully it’s achievable in my future.
- Looking back and seeing what/how much you ate is SHOCKING- I worked in the retail front end of a CVS pharmacy for 2 1/2 years, I’ve gone in there a few times to shop and just looking around the store and seeing all the tempting snacks and candy made me realize how much GARBAGE I’d eat all day. I’d also bring it home because it’d get “a great deal” from sales and coupons 🙄
- Listen to your body!- Sometimes 1200 calories a day ain’t enough. Sometimes you gotta take a day off to recover from tough a tough run. If you over or under do something, it may put you off to it and you don’t want to let yourself get off track.
- Find a community- Be it online, in support groups, etc. Community is a must! Reddit is how I started counting calories. I was losing weight by just changing eating habits and hitting the gym but then that seemed to stop so I consulted Reddit and it turned out I was still overeating. We all have the same goal in mind so it’s really nice to not feel alone!
- It’s not a race- We all lose at our own pace and we all have VERY different DNA so never let anyone else’s weight loss time frame get into your head.
- Cheat days don’t have to be binge eating!- Lets be honest, “cheat days” are necessary. If you tried to diet everyday, you’d exhaust yourself. My cheat days TYPICALLY still come in at 1,200 calories. I just eat stuff I definitely wouldn’t consider eating on weekdays, such as eating out somewhere or non dairy ice cream 🤤
- I am chronically cold- It was supposedly the hottest July on record but I wear a fleece all day at work lol.
- I don’t even have to consider my weight anymore- There was a few instances of activities I couldn’t do because they were weight restricted activities. It was always very embarrassing to get told no, that I couldn’t do something or sit one out while my friends did it but now it’s not even a passing thought.
- You will see who really loves you- My friends and family became the biggest supporters which I never knew I needed. Even people I never even really talked came out of the woodwork to congratulate me or ask questions.
- Find what works for YOU- I started off just cutting crap foods from my diet, basing what I ate around keto (low carb, low sugar) then I started CICO and intermittent fasting. IF became something I no longer wanted to do so I changed it up and found something that worked better for my schedule (snacking every 2 hours and eating paleo). Just because it works for Susie and Jim doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
- TAKE PROGRESS PICTURES- And frequently! I didn’t start taking nude body shots until January when I was about 50 pounds down and I regret it so badly some days.
- Remember who you were when you were big- I find myself sometimes getting judgy of big people and their lifestyle choices and I have to remember how long it took me to stick with losing weight. I sympathize with big girls, especially when I see someone with the same insecurities that I had (wearing oversized clothing, darker colors).
- I have so much more confidence- AND I’m so much genuinely happier. I was truly so miserable and cynical when I was big. My depression got harder to cope with the bigger I got, too. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always struggle with my depression but not being so unhealthy really helps.
- Take back handed complaints with a grain of salt- I don’t get them very often but I’ve had people say things like “what, don’t you eat?”. I’ve noticed these comments usually come with people who are unhappy with their own bodies so I just try to brush them off.
- I will never be able to go back to eating like a “normal” person- Logging my food is my new normal. It’s not fun but it’s necessary.
- Your weight is not your worth- Although yes, I am happier and more confident, I’m also HEALTHIER and THAT’S what matters to me, not the number on the scale. I’m at a normal BMI for the first time since I was probably in early middle school.
- Don’t let big events (parties, vacations, etc) derail you- I had a hard time getting back on track after a week spent eating what I wanted. It’s very, very easy to slip off the wagon when you have food and self control issues. Everything in moderation!
- There is NO “secret”- This is the most IRRITATING thing people say to me. The secret is stop eating so much food. It really is THAT simple and a lot of people can’t or won’t understand that.
- Embrace your new body, flaws and all- I have pancake boobs and I’m starting to get hangy belly skin but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing a bikini this summer for the first time in 4 years. You have worked your EFFIN ASS OFF (maybe even literally 😂), show off that bod!
- Learn the things that make you happy- For me, it’s staying on track all week and getting my runs in. Also learn FROM things that make you feel shitty, such as binge eating or skipping exercise. Let those be teaching tools going forward.
- I am such a DORK about dieting and nutrition now!- I talk about it with my poor friends and family. They’re pretty good sports about it tho. Grocery shopping for a while was just me, comparing nutrition labels, finding the best products for me. Now I’ve fallen into knowing exactly what I need because I shop at the same 3 stores but I still pick up stuff and read the labels, just for fun haha.
- I will never stop trying to spark inspiration for someone else to make a change for themselves- I know just how hard it is to find your motivation. I spent years finding excuses and just letting my health get worse. No one ever asks for help when you’re feeling it spiral out so I’ve taken it upon myself to help without anyone asking. I will always lend an ear, offer advice, and hype someone up if they need it.
I hope my list resonated with some of you! Feel free to share your stories and observations as well. As I’m sure you could probably tell, I really love talking about losing weight 😂 I have plenty of progress shots in my post history, as well. I was going to link one to this post but too lazy 🤷🏻♀️ (some things never change lol)
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