First Month down a lifetime of Healthier decisions to go [update]

Intro: As an exercise on reflection and accountability I am going to post an update using the very nice format from /u/GotThisNow from a post at the beginning of the month. Since My Journey started on Jan 22 I will lump that first week in with February.

Plan: Primarily count the calories, CICO is king. Aim for a 700 Calorie deficit. For the two weeks I was eating lots of broccoli with turkey usually with ketchup. Now I have expanded my food, lots of fish and a wider variability in vegetables. I am slowly putting together better and better recipes to bring to work for lunch and have for dinner. Secondary hit the gym and go running, these secondary things aren't there for weight loss they are there to be healthy. I don't expect to make crazy gains while on a high deficit but it's good to work on form and mobility still! I do expect/want to improve my running endurance and speed! I also have worked on improving my sleeping habits!

Weight

Jan 22: 96.8kg (BMI – 33.5)

Feb 28: 88.0 (BMI - 30.4)

Delta: 37 days, 8.8 kg (19.4 lbs) lost! I assume a good portion of this was water weight at the beginning and I expect this rate to drop.

Calorie Consumption

Daily Goal: 1,600

Average: 1,500

Some examples of food I might eat

Meal	example
Breakfast	2 Scrambled with feta (270cal) or French toast (340cal), and fresh fruit (15
Lunch	Roast broccoli with turkey (300 cal) or smoked fish with carrots (400cal) or ground turkey, tomato sauce with zucchini (450cal), lentil stew (500 cal)
Dinner	Roast fish + roasted fresh veg (350) or Tuna Tzatziki sandwich (500cal) or Steak and roasted Veg (350cal)
snacks	yogurt (120cal), pickles (10 cal), pickled ginger (5 cal), kimchi (50cal)

yogurt is eaten after lunch, pickles are usually enjoyed after running, a slice of the pickled ginger when I wake up and after dinner.

Non Scale Victories: Yesterday my friend kept saying how good I looked/I was glowing/look like I have been going to gym a lot after I had not seen her for about 2 weeks so that was a great boost :D

Exercise

Gym: Started at the gym in the morning before work, 3 days of weightlifting, and 2 days of mobility/flexibility/calisthenics work.

Active: Working through Couch to 10k, I have 3 weeks left until the 5k mark. I have managed to finish a few 5ks in my sessions with my best time being 33:20. When I don't run I try to go for at least a 2km walk, but on most days its a 4km walk and after my weekend runs I usually add 5-10km of walking post run.

What went well : Eating well. Luckily I am decent at making food so I have been able to make some good food. I have cut a lot of ketchup consumption which I think is good! Most days I have more energy than I remember having in 2018. In general I feel better.

What didn’t go well: Nothing went too bad. I had a few days were I went a bit high on calories, but I accepted that and didn't beat myself up over it. There was one day in the second week were I had a headache before dinner but I have had nothing like that since.

Concerns: No real concerns so far, I guess I am a little worried about seeing easter chocolate already, it looks so good and I know last year I must of ate over 1000 calories a day of easter chocolate that was on sale. So I have to make sure not to do that again!

Tools used: My Fitness Pal, Happy Scale, 10krunner app, Strong app, reddit subreddits

TLDR: Lost almost 20 lbs so far and am in much better shape than I have been for a while!

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I'm finally a normal bmi! (F/31 200 lbs >123 lbs)

First, pics for anyone curious :) Slightly NSFW - underwear pics!

I never thought I would be making a post here. I've struggled since I started gaining weight at 16 with weight loss.

That weight gain was aided by mental illness and physical and emotional abuse, although I always knew it was me in control of how much I was actually moving and ingesting so I never let myself make excuses and in turn, would often end up hating myself more.

I tried lots of diets and couldn't stick with any. I always gained anything I lost back and when I found myself at 30 weighing in at 200 lbs (my highest), I felt I had given up my 20s to my abusers and lack of self control and was determined to take back my 30s.

In January of 2018 I started walking - rain, sleet or snow -I made sure I walked at least 30 minutes a day. Couch25k became incorporated and even though I couldn't actually run along with it the full time every time, I was happy to have that guidance.

In March of 2018 I started watching YouTube videos of yoga and started using Pinterest to find interesting work outs that I could switch up when I got bored. I didn't make a major routine change, I just added in an hour of exercise every day, and made sure I did a little for each part of my body - Legs, arms, abs, and back/shoulders.

I never felt overwhelmed with the workouts and bc I could choose to do something new on a whim I didn't feel bored.

I wasn't losing a lot but noticed some more definition which helped my confidence to continue, but I knew I needed to fix my diet if I wanted to lose.

I went to 1300 calories a day and lowered the activity a bit, and the weight started melting off.

1300 sounded intimidating at first (especially when you realize your favorite meal from Zaxbys is 1300 calories alone!) but it was the most simple weight loss technique I had ever tried. It took a little while to find foods I loved that were low calorie and even longer to find restaurant meals that wouldn't demolish my work, but I did it.

I made a few diet changes- swapping candy for blueberry almonds, no longer eating a whole thing of fries - I eat 6 now out of the fry bag and my bf loves the extras! - but for the most part I still eat everything I love (just less of it) and never feel hungry. If I go overboard and eat a cupcake one day I take the calories out of a meal later and go on with my life.

I'm 3 lbs from my goal weight now but honestly don't care if I hit it. I'm happy, healthy (finally had a full lab of panels that came back completely normal!!), and most important, I finally feel like I'M in control.

Thank you r/progresspics, r/1200isenough, and r/loseit for the motivation and strength to keep going! I'm never looking back and my 30s are calling!!!

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Final goal troubles and figuring out a goal weight after super morbid obesity

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My only goal when I first began my weight loss journey was "stop eating myself to death." I'm far beyond that goal now as I no longer abuse my body with food and haven't binged in months. Other goals involved things like not waking up choking for breath, walking without getting winded, being able to shop in a regular store's plus size section, and fitting in the bathtub again. When I recommitted to my weight loss after my Dad died, I had a highly motivating goal of becoming eligible to be a potential bone marrow donor. Another goal was to fit fine on a plane without an extender (and start traveling again). Check, check, check. My current weight isn't holding me back from doing anything (I want to do) now, so I can't come up with anything else meaningful or life improving. I just recently hit the last goal I had which was to lose half of my body weight. I erased it from my board and now the bottom of my board where I write my current goal is blank. The general goal of my entire journey is to be a permanently active person with a healthy relationship with food. I will always actively work on that until the day I die. But I'm still obese. I still need to lose more weight. I want to lose more weight.

Is it time for me to figure out a goal weight? Will I find motivation in it after focusing on life improvement rather than weight and numbers? I have never had a goal weight in mind because I wasn't sure what would be realistic and sustainable for me as a formerly 440+ pound person. Plus, I don't know how to come up with one in consideration of the weight of my excess skin. I've been told it would only be a few pounds but I recently read about people who got 15 and 20 pounds of skin removed, respectively. Would it be worth my while to get a DEXA scan to help figure out a reasonable goal weight?

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Friday, 01 March 2019? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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I changed my birth control and suddenly everything is going fine.

I used to frequent this sub a few years ago, lost my weight, navigated the difficulties of transitioning to maintenance and was comfortable.

Then I decided to change up my birth control, I knew an increased appetite was a side effect but was confident that I could handle it. I had done so well with the weight loss after all.

It was a slow insidious gain. Took a while but I eventually crept back up to teetering on overweight again. The other side effect I wasn't prepared for was the fact that it made me not care. About anything, I'm just getting myself back on track with not just food but keeping my house clean, regular day to day chores actually getting done again etc. I have to admit that I was in a state but finally getting myself back together. And the weight is coming off again.

It's so nice to care, and also to not just feel empty and hungry all of the time. Not having to fight it is such a weight off my shoulders (and looking forward to getting the actual weight off again too!)

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Happy Surprise

This is short but sweet!

About a month and a half ago I started my journey, having lost around a stone at this point I'm pretty happy!

However things have got tough at home due to my dad being ill etc and i defaulted on the standard comfort eating. I am now getting back into the weight loss again, after a week or so of eating my feelings away.

I weighed myself this morning, expecting the worst, but my weight was exactly the same as it was before.

I am proud, surprised, but mostly motivated to keep going!

I don't know why I am posting this, but I feel like I have to concentrate on the small things right now.

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It's the first of the month....

.. but that's not why it's time to start. So many "firsts of the month," or "this monday"s have come and gone. Basically two years worth. Yet here I am. I have the resources. I have the support. I have the knowledge. Yet here I am. Still unhappy with my weight and how I got here. Eating my feelings.

Life is full of stress. I can't wait for it to be gone (because it never will be) or for the time to be right (whatever that means). I need to prove to myself, once and for all, that I am capable of making the right choices and changes. Now. Not later. Not after one last cheat meal. Not after I can arrange my schedule better.

Sorry this is a little rambling. But I wanted to put this out there. Starting right now, inconveniently on a Friday (I kid), I am going to do the following:

• Stop drinking diet sodas and energy drinks. I pretend they're harmless because they're zero calories. But in reality, the fact that I wake up in the morning and want to drink a soda is pretty gross. I think it is contributing to my cravings for junk. I've given it up before, but somewhere along the line I thought I could moderate it. And maybe compared to some people, I do. But I hate that craving for it.

• Relatedly, cut way back (if not completely) other artificial sweeteners and added sugars. Again - I find these trigger my desire for more sweets. It's time I learn to drink my coffee black. And if I am cutting the obvious added sugars (candy, chocolate, desserts), I will be greatly improving my health.

• Make every day a nonzero day in terms of exercise. I know many of you will tell me weight loss comes from the food you eat. And I agree. However, I personally find it easier to eat better when I am active. Lazy me skips a workout and then says fuck it, let's get wings. If I am active, I want to fuel myself in a way that makes my body feel better. By aiming for nonzero days instead of perfection, I hope this helps my all-or-nothing mentality. If I can only muster five pushups, that still counts. If I go to yoga, that counts. A short walk, counts. Sure, I have plans for certain amounts of cardio and weightlifting, but life getting in the way won't derail me this time. I can do ten bodyweight squats before I get in bed and call my day a win.

• Really try to do intermittent fasting. (12:00pm - 6:30/7:00pm) I am naturally not hungry in the morning, and the bulk of my emotional eating comes at night. (When I am alone.) If I can stop eating after dinner, I will be more successful. Even if it means giving in to the food I want, but only during my eating window, I will be pleased with my progress. (Note: I do not mean free for all bingeing during eating hours, but rather if at night I feel like digging in to some chips/sweets, I put it off until next day when I break my fast - chances are I'll have forgotten/the craving will have passed.)

I want to feel fit again. I want to feel confident. I want to achieve something and be a good role model for my young daughter. If anyone can relate, has advice, etc., please let me know.

Also, if anyone wants to accountability buddy, that would be cool.

I don't know how to do flair, but here's my stats:

F/29/just under 5'4 / CW: 146lbs / GW: 120lbs

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