I have been meaning to post on this sub for virtually ever. In September of 2017, I had this moment of sudden shock and realization that I needed to do something about my weight. My girlfriend and I at the time were both in the 270's, our highest weights ever. I remember laying in bed, telling myself that tomorrow would be the day I changed. As many of you begin, struggle to maintain, or near your goals. I wanted to share a few things I learned along the way, as well as some inspirational transformation pics.
I had previously downloaded the LoseIt App during a previous weight loss attempt, but didn't understand really the implications of food and calories. That's when I discovered this sub. Your stories, advice, and support helped me really understand that weight loss is a simple (yet difficult) math problem. I started religiously logging my calories, bought a food scale, and became more mindful of the things I was consuming.
For over 320 days, I logged every single calorie. I remember going to weddings and estimating my calories, like 3000 calories worth of beer in a night, or 6 vodka shots and half a Dominos pizza. I had tons of days where the number I logged was very high, but the next day I would get back on track and get back to my 1300 calorie goal. I think that's my been my biggest advice for anyone, a cheat day/meal/week doesn't mean the end of your weight loss. Heck, sometimes it doesn't even set you back more than a day or two. Just pick yourself back up.
I started my journey in September of 2017. I hit my 100 lb weight loss goal on July 23rd 2018. Since then, I have managed to stay under my goal weight and got to a point where maintenance has become second nature. I have bad days, but I always remember just to make tomorrow better. I didn't exercise at all during any of this, although I did do more physical activities and tried to take a daily walk.
-Take photos throughout the journey! Although I hate seeing myself in underwear pics, there were months when the scale didn't move much, but monthly progress pics kept me motivated and helped me see the changes I didn't really see in the mirror. Document your journey somewhere. I used instagram to show progress and help myself when I was feeling like nothing was changing.
-Find ways to keep eating your favorite foods. I am a slut for pasta and carbs, but couldn't imagine wasting all my dinner calories on a small handful of noodles. My favorite meal is chicken alfredo, I just use a small serving of noodles, then add zucchini noodles for volume. You still get the taste and texture of pasta, but can eat a lot more of it.
-Give your body what it needs. I remember days where I would feel like I was going through some crazy withdraw. Listen to your body, if you feel hungry, eat a snack. A day going over calorie goal isn't going to set you back in the long run.
-Take you time. Go at your own pace. I lost 100lbs relatively quick, but that's the pace I was comfortable at. If you are feeling overwhelmed, eat at maintenance a week or two and get your mind back into it. Small steps.
-Log. Log your good days. Log your bad days. Whether you log them or not, you consumed those calories. Logging my cheat days gave me a lot of insight into my eating patterns. IT also helped me stay motivated after to make better choices.
-In that same vein, know when to stop logging or weighing. I got to a point where I was SO FLIPPING sick of logging my food and weighing myself. I felt confident that I understood my eating habits after 320 days, but know people who logged for years, or just months. When it becomes something you dread or only give half effort to, switch it up.
You can do this! This community is amazing and I am so happy to have found you guys.
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