Almost made my Jan goal of 8lbs down and I've learned that it's okay to enjoy food.

I had a rough goal in my head of wanting to lose 8lbs this month, and lost 7.8lb! I'm really pleased with myself. In the last year I have spent a lot of time working on my mental health and I think this is really paying off in my attitude towards trying to improve my lifestyle this time.

I have previously gained and lost about 1.5 stone and lost weight mainly through counting calories but I rapidly fell off the wagon when I did this. The thing is, I know I'm not going to count calories for the rest of my life, and as a scientist I know there is no reliable way to know BMR without some serious lab tests, aside from that seeing food as numbers is really detrimental to my mental health. What I have learned is that I do know how to eat healthily for the most part, the problems that resulted in my weight gain were large portions, frequent snacking and too much fast food/eating out with not enough exercise.

This time I'm not counting calories, I'm not denying myself "unhealthy food" and I'm unashamed to enjoy what I eat. Cooking is something that has always made me happy and is important to me. I've naturally found myself being able to eat less of my unhealthy go to foods like cheese, chocolate and ice cream and when I do indulge, I'm sticking to a portion size and I enjoy it without guilt, this has been huge for my mental health. This is what feels sustainable to me and is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix, I know it means my weight loss may be slower but if it helps me keep it off in the months and years to come thats more important.

I've also learned that exercise is something that I need to enjoy, it shouldn't be a punishment to myself for eating too much, or having food that's bad for me. It's about more than just burning calories. I've taken up hiking and I've been out every week walking over 50 miles in January. I' m hoping to gradually add in some more exercise to get more active. Intermittent fasting is helping me on this journey and I'm feeling way more satisfied and full after eating the right portion size. I know this is going to be a slow process, but I'm feeling good about how it's going and I'm hopeful this mindset is going to get me to my goal.

submitted by /u/nervouszoomer90
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