The worst thing about tracking progress in MFP is realising that you now have a bank of photos of yourself at different starting weights, each one bigger than the last.
5.5 years ago, at 5'8 and 162lbs, I first started using MFP to lose weight. I had just come out of a relationship and was trying to get a "revenge body". It worked, and with a few decent looking pictures at 150lbs on Tinder, I met my current boyfriend, (now fiancé!) and so begins 4.5 years of a happy relationship without a care in the world, feeling like my lifestyle had no consequences.
Well, that didn't quite go to plan... and I skyrocketed to 221.2lbs and felt truly terrible about myself. When my boyfriend proposed, something flicked a switch in my head, and I decided that I needed to get serious about losing weight now, otherwise I wouldn't look like the bride I had always wanted to be.
I'd had a semi-successful run of dieting in 2017 through CICO, but after 4 months of tracking and probably restricting myself more than I should, I got cocky and thought I could get away without tracking. I've come to realise that I will probably always have to track calories to be accountable, but I think I'm okay with that.
This week has been huge for me and I've reached a few key milestones:
- I'm down 50lbs since January, which is when I started seriously tracking again
- I've beaten the weight loss from 2017
- I've finally reached a "healthy" BMI after years of being obese or overweight
- I've finally got back to my original starting weight from 5.5 years ago
I still have some way to go until I reach my goal weight of 140lbs, but I feel really positive that I'll not only reach that goal, but maintain it this time. I've been reflecting this week on what's different this time, and thought I'd share some of the things that I think have been key for me:
- Tracking average calories over a week
Rather than trying to hit my calories every day which would lead to me feeling like a failure and like I may as well give up, I'm being kinder to myself. If I'm slightly over one day, that's fine because I can be slightly under another day. If I'm going out for a birthday meal, I'll just eat a couple of hundred less for a few days and 'bank' myself a bit of a blowout meal. This is so much sustainable for me. - Being realistic with my calorie goal
For me, I need to average 1,300 calories a week otherwise my body feels like I'm restricting too much. As soon as I drop my goal calories to 1,200 or less, the urge to binge kicks in and I fall back into my previous Binge Eating Disorder ways, racking up days of eating 4-5k calories. The difference is, this time I'm aware of what's causing it, so instead I'm being kind to myself and letting myself start fresh the next day, I'm not trying to make up for this binge, and I'm just trying to go back to 1,300 calories a day again (on average). I'll get there if I keep trying, but 1,200 or lower, for me, is just not sustainable. - Walking more
I track calories burnt using my fitbit which I will continue to do until I reach my goal weight, but won't do forever. On the days where I only manage 2-4k steps, I really struggle to hit my calories burnt target. Simply getting out and going for a walk not only burns way more calories than I could have expected, but it's helped my mental health too. If I'm feeling down, I'll take the dog to the park and I instantly feel calmer, more relaxed, and more positive in general. If I feel an urge to binge coming on, usually it's because I'm bored. Now I'll try to put some earphones in, listen to a podcast or music and go for a walk. It's the single best way to beat the urge to binge. - Skipping breakfast
Some people call it intermittent fasting, but I don't like the mindset that this can often encourage of strict rules and restricting. I simply skip breakfast because I'm not hungry in the morning, and it helps me to eat fewer calories in the day. If I'm on holiday and eat breakfast, I feel like it "wakes up" my stomach and I'm hungrier throughout the day, so I prefer not to do it. I'll have my coffee and I'll be fine until lunch. When I start upping my calories to maintenance I will still skip breakfast, and will probably introduce more afternoon snacking to get the additional calories. - Eating more protein
When I'm aiming to hit 1,300 calories, if I use that up on junk food it just won't keep me full. My parents raised me as vegetarian so I've never really had a protein-heavy diet, but now I actively try and have protein shakes, Quorn or other meat substitutes throughout the day, and the difference it makes to my hunger levels and overall satisfaction with meals is insane. Everyone told me to eat more protein and I shrugged it off, but it's really really helped me stay fuller for longer. - Weight lifting
When I'd previously tried losing weight, I'd mainly focused on cardio as my main form of exercise to get the biggest calorie deficit possible. I still absolutely love spin class and the feeling of a runners high, but as I'm losing weight now my body just looks so much leaner this time round than it did in 2017 at the same weight. The shape I'm seeing is more what I wanted to be, and less "skinny fat". People also say that increased muscle leads to a higher BMR, and if that means I can eat more calories when I start eating at maintenance I am all for that! I also just feel so good about myself lifting weights. It's nice to feel strong, give it a try. - Reddit forums
Finally, checking in on these subreddits every day keeps me on track. Seeing all the amazing things other people post about, laughing at relatable memes, sharing successes, it all helps me to remember what I've been working for and what I'm still working towards. The support you feel even from just anonymously reading other people's stories is so incredibly valuable. I've just realised how long this post has gotten now and I'm going to have to wrap it up! If you've read this far, thank you so much, and good luck with whatever journey you're on!
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