How I have been losing weight happily after many unhappy attempts in the past ended up being what the happiest people who have lost all the weight did.

WARNING: I AM NOT TELLING YOU THAT YOU'RE LIVING YOUR LIFE WRONG

If you have been overweight / obese throughout your youth or for a prolonged period of time (say 5 or more years), you should not prioritise calories or building muscle (at least not for a while).

From my experience, the happiest people who have "lost the weight and kept it off" are the people who prioritised developing a healthy relationship with food, a new lifestyle and more active routines, and the things which make them happy. Counting calories didn't become a tool these people used until they neared the 2/3 point in their journey (and once they got to their goal weight, they had the lifestyle, routines, and relationship with food needed to not track and be able to maintain). They also didn't start going to the gym to achieve that "aesthetic" body, but instead incorporated movement and exercise that brought them joy.

On the contrary, I have noticed a lot of people who started counting calories from day 1 have made it so they can't maintain their goal body without tracking. They have corrupted their perception of food, will not be able to sit down with their families and eat whatever their SO cooks for them and their kids, and they say "I have accepted tracking will just be a part of my life." I think the biggest pusher towards developing this reliance on tracking calories is the modern day "gym-bro" culture, and not fad diets (which is a huge shift in the last 15 or so years).

Do what works for you, but for me and the people around me who are happy while losing weight / maintaining the weight they've lost would rather:
- Accept that your weight loss will take 2-3x the time you think it will take (say you think you will realistically lose 100lbs in a year and a half, accept that it will probably take 3-4 years)
- Worry about developing the lifestyle, routines, and philosophies the 'goal-weight-you' has (probably the things which let fit, healthy, thin, and happy become the byproducts)
- View calorie tracking as a self awareness tool, not a device to rely on for your weight loss
- View weight training as a hobby / an activity you include in your lifestyle NOT a requirement for weight loss or being happy

submitted by /u/SocraticToes
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/psCFPxm