There are very few occasions in life where you can actually proclaim a victory when you "lose." In fact, in thinking about it, I can only think of one such occasion, and that is in weight loss. However, as we all know, every pound (or kilogram, or stone, depending on your unit of measure) lost is a victory in an often lifelong battle against weight - it was definitely the case for me.
When I started my journey about a year ago, I turned to this sub and also r/progresspics to receive motivation and to see what COULD happen to me if I stuck with it. At the start, when I was 252 pounds, everything looked so far away. My goal was somewhere between 155-165 pounds, and at the time, I thought it almost impossible. I had been obese for pretty much all my life, and being thin or skinny or healthy was always a vision of myself that was only present in my mind. I had always wanted to be thin, but it was always, to me, a pipe dream.
Notice, ladies and gentlemen, that I used lots of past-tense such as "when" and "was." There is a reason for this.
Today, March 2, 2019, is the day I have decided to officially declare victory in my loss. My loss of 90 pounds.
A little later this month will mark a year since I had a pretty bad breakdown and realized that I hated myself both inside and out, and needed a change. To start this change, I did something that I was always used to doing in my life: I winged it. I started buying healthier foods, started to work out again, bought a food scale, and, most importantly for me, downloaded a calorie tracker. My biggest problem for eating was portion control, so that was the biggest thing for me to get under control. I was hoping that everything else would follow naturally.
Thankfully, that is exactly what happened. A couple months after the start, I moved to a new apartment and quickly got involved in Krav Maga and running, and kept improving my knowledge of this little thing called "nutrition," which is something I never truly understood. Thanks to all of these changes, the number on the scale dropped pretty quickly, and I entered Onederland by mid-summer, a place I hadn't been since middle school.
As I got ever-so-closer to my goal range, I started readjusting my calories to lose less weight a week for a couple reasons: to gradually get used to eating more as I closed in on maintenance, and also to fuel myself for more and more physical activity, namely Crossfit, which I fell in love with almost immediately. The calories adjustments ended a few weeks ago when I decided to start eating at maintenance levels. The weight is still ticking downward, thanks to the Crossfit and other physical activity as I can get it in.
But what truly signified that my losing journey was at an end? It was last Thursday when I went to the MVA (Maryland's version of the DMV) and got a new driver's license picture taken. I knew my facial appearance had changed, but I hadn't truly realized HOW MUCH it had changed, and nearly getting denied a beer due to the drastic appearance change opened my eyes quite a bit.
Looking ahead, I know that maintenance is a lifelong battle, and it is one I am excited to fight. I also know that there is much to do in order to adjust to my new self, both physically and mentally, and it will take years to do so.
Ladies and gentlemen, patience, sustainability, and determination are absolutely crucial to this. You all have these traits, so stick to it, and you will declare victory in your loss like I did.
Instead of posting lots of stats and benefits and all that, I invite an AMA for my weight loss. Bring all the questions you want about whatever you want regarding my journey, and I will answer either in a reply or in a DM.
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