Small Steps, Big Changes

Hello everyone! Today marks the 35th day of my weight loss journey, and I just want to share some of my thoughts :) I’ve lost 2 kg during this time, and yes, it might not seem like much, but for the first time, I feel like I can keep going! My eating habits are slowly changing, and that’s the most important thing for me.

What has changed: 1. I got rid of the “all-or-nothing” mindset. What does this mean? If I eat 5 donuts, it doesn’t mean I have to eat 10 more! I realized that, in the past, this was a form of self-punishment.

2. The “art of small steps.” Adding a little more veggies to dinner? Skipping one cookie? Getting off the tram one stop earlier and walking? Climbing one flight of stairs before taking the elevator? Over time, these small decisions accumulate and lead to results! 3. Loving my body here and now! Not when I lose weight, not when I build muscle—no, here and now. Because my body is what brought me to where I am today, and I’m grateful for it. 4. Gaining and losing weight is neutral. You’re either eating more calories than your body needs at the moment or less—and that’s it. There should be no shame, guilt, or feelings that you’re a weak, terrible person. 5. Patience. You didn’t gain all this weight in one day, and you won’t lose it in one day either. The most important thing is to develop the habits of someone who can maintain their weight long-term. In essence, you need to change internally, and the external will reflect that. 6. Avoid falling into the trap of excessive restriction or skipping meals to speed up the process. 

First, if your calorie deficit is too large, you’ll primarily lose muscle rather than fat. Second, your body isn’t stupid—being in a deficit is already a stress, and an extreme deficit is even worse. It’s not sustainable. In the first weeks of my journey, I fell into this trap myself. I ate 1,500 calories a day while my normal intake was 2,400, meaning I had a deficit of 900 calories. I couldn’t stick to it, and it led to binge eating. This went on for several weeks until I realized I needed to increase my daily calorie intake. As soon as I raised it to 1,800, my constant urge to overeat disappeared, as did the stress and self-blame from always feeling like I was failing.

7. Strength training. Yes, I fully agree with the saying that weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. However, strength training helps set the tone for a healthier lifestyle. What do I mean by this? When you go to a workout and train well, you’re less likely to want to eat something unhealthy afterward because you don’t want to undo the progress you’ve made. 

I started working out 4 years ago. I gradually built this habit. Now, 4 years later, I can confidently say it’s my favorite hobby. I go to the gym 3 times a week. I no longer need to convince myself to go—it feels natural for me. But in the beginning, it wasn’t like that at all. I started with home workouts. I remember those first workouts—they were just 15 minutes long.

It was the same with walking. I started with 3,000–4,000 steps a day. At one point, my goal was simply to reach 5,000 steps a day. Now, 10,000 steps a day is my norm. If, for some reason, I can’t manage to walk that much, I start to feel physically unwell because I don’t get enough movement.

But the most important thing is to believe in yourself—to believe that you can achieve what you want and not expect too much from yourself. Gradually build the habits of the person you want to become, and trust that you can become that person.

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