I'm 22[F] 5'5" and 147 lbs and my goal is to be around 125-128 lbs in about 6 months. I started this journey about a month and a half ago when I stepped on a scale and realized I was 152 lbs and felt awful about myself. I knew something had to change. This journey has been difficult physically and emotionally, but I guess I want to share some things I wish I knew so that other people can know too.
1.) Get a scale. I was worried that I would become obsessed with my weight in an unhealthy way but it is so useful to be able to track my progress daily. I have one that connects to my phone so it makes a nice graph of my weight.
2.) This seems like a no-brainer but KNOW your weight will fluctuate especially depending on your habits. Everyone says it, your brain might rationally understand that, but it still can be so discouraging to see your weight go up 2-3 lbs when you havent changed your diet or exercise. For example: I usually dont eat before bed, but I didn't have dinner the other day because I worked late. I ate a meal right before bed and boom, I was up 2 lbs in the morning before I ate or drank anything. I was so discouraged and then the next morning the weight was gone. For me sometimes measuring myself with tape when I don't feel bloated helps me remember that it could be water weight, the weight of food in my colon, etc. that added lbs to the scale.
3.) For my friends who get periods: You can gain 3-5 lbs the week before/during your period. This is why long term tracking of your weight really helps. I have a huge spike in my weight for a week and a half of my period and it made me feel horrible, like I gained back all the weight overnight that I had lost over the previous 3 weeks. Be patient and kind to yourself. If you are sticking to your diet and your exercise during this time, it probably is just your body functioning as your body.
4.) Exercise is a great way to see progress when the scale is moving slow. When my weight was barely moving at first, seeing how much stronger, faster, and better my body moved/felt was the only thing encouraging me because it was the only thing I was seeing progress in. My pants are still too tight, but damn does it feel good to know how much stronger I have gotten. I used to only be able to do stairs on level 6 for ten minutes. I now can do level 7 for 14 with level 11 the last full minute. I used to only be able to bench 1 rep on the bar with no weight. I now bench 75 lbs for 10 reps.
5.) Again, might be obvious, but for my friends who are weight training in their exercise: your weight loss might be slower on the scale than you would like because you're gaining muscle and it might be discouraging. My body is leaner and more toned than it has been in months. My waist is getting smaller, but my weight is changing slower than I thought. When you are getting stronger your body is going to put on muscle weight. This is natural and healthy.
6.) Protein and water is my best friend. I have been eating 1500 calories compared to my usual 2000 and I was hungry constantly. In fact looking back, I was hungry constantly even when I was eating 2000. I never drank enough water my entire life, and your body will literally confuse dehydration for hunger. If you dont feel full after a full meal, drink a full glass of water before reaching for a snack and wait 15 minutes. See if that fixes it. Moreover getting a high quality protein shake powder has pretty much changed my life. I know it's daunting to replacing 150 calories of snacks with a drink, but it is absolutely worth it. I like to drink a protein shake with a meal so I feel full and wow does that fullness last so much longer now. I upped my protein intake from around 40 g to about 70 g and now I honestly feel like I could do a bigger deficit without fighting hunger pangs (however this isn't necessary for my personal goals)
7.) If you are doing everything right, but nothing seems to be changing, go talk to your doctor. As a health science student I was confused why I put on this weight in the first place when I wasn't eating more than a normal healthy girl my age would. While I believe I started my real journey about 5 weeks ago, I started trying to lose weight almost 2-3 months ago and nothing was working. I talked to my doctor and found out a medication I was taking was causing weight gain for me and causing subclinical hypothyroidism. I swapped out my medication and started seeing results in the weeks following. I know it is really hard as some doctors only see you as overweight, but please try to advocate for yourself because you deserve it.
Overall guys just remember that your body exists to survive and help you function. While your weight does not define you, you are doing hard work to take care of yourself. You should be proud of yourself for beginning this journey, and you deserve to make your health a priority. You got this!
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