Hi everyone!
I am on my 364th day of my weight loss journey. In that time, I have lost 88 lbs and gained so much. I was so inspired by Reddit - all of the amazing people on r/progresspics who slayed it, and all of the people who shared their diets and routines were unknowingly very important players in my journey.
As such I want to give back, so here is all I have learned. First things first - here is my progress pic. https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/bnj51e/f3253_230_lbs_142_lbs_88_lbs_posting_again_in/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
- Sustainability is key.
I have crashed and burned so hard before on so many diets, so when the nagging voice in the back of my head told me to get my shit together, I didn't just dive in. I thought long and hard about what was actually sustainable given my lifestyle. I travel a lot, like to try new foods, and have never done well restricting food options, so I decided on CICO. I eased into it - 1500 net calories, then 1500 total, then a 1200-1400 total range.
I also knew that as a fat person, exercise would be fucking horrible, so I kept it simple to start. Go on a walk for 30 minutes 3 days a week, then build from there. It didn't take long for me to be walking for an hour or more a day, then trying hiking, Zumba, and c25k. Once I got over the initial bump of not wanting to exercise, I somehow found myself wanting to challenge myself. I now have a pretty rigorous gym routine that includes running, elliptical, and lifting weights, and I get in 20k+ steps most days.
- You do have time to exercise.
Don't tell me that you don't, because you are on Reddit right now. I walk on my lunch break every day and can squeeze in at least 4k steps then usually. In the early days, I started going for a walk every time I found myself headed to the fridge for an unscheduled snack. This behavior occurred after work and now my body knows that after work is gym time, not snack time. The amount of TV I watch went from "pretty much all the time" to maybe 1-2 hours a week.
- Exercise is not necessary for weight loss, but it has a lot of benefits.
I had ankle surgery in January and spent a month sitting on my ass in a cast. I still lost, because I kept eating at a deficit (with the OK from my surgeon).
Still, exercise has a lot of benefits. I sleep better, I feel better, and I look better. I am a smaller size than other people my same weight (or less) because I work out. Walking and CICO account for about 90 percent of my weight loss, but lifting/running account for the last 4 sizes I have dropped, even though it was only about 10 percent of my overall weight loss. With that all said...
- Not all weight is bad weight.
I spent the better part of 2 months frustrated at my lack of progress. Why? Because the scale kept moving between the same 3 pounds. This issue occurred around the same time I started lifting and running, so why no progress? Then I noticed my pants were too big, so I went back to the store. Lo and behold, I was somehow magically 2 sizes smaller than before despite being the same weight.
I don't know why this mystifies people, and I actually had people comment on my progress pic accusing me of lying about my size, because to them, there is no way that someone who weighs as much as me could possibly fit into the size that I do. So let me say it again - not all weight is bad weight - when you are exercising and actively building muscle.
- Walking is amazing, and completely underrated.
My most consistent exercise through my weight loss, and the one I still probably spend the most time on, is walking. It is great for your health, will aid in weight loss, and is just really relaxing. I spend two active rest days a week walking several miles. Walking made me strong enough to progress towards a more intense workout routine.
- A caloric range is your friend.
Ever wonder about if you should eat back exercise calories, but then have doubts about the burn your Fitbit and tracker are claiming? Me too. Adopt a caloric range! I found the sedentary TDEE for my goal weight (1550), then set a range that was safely below that amount. My chosen range was 1200-1400. I ate more on days that I worked out more, and less on less active days. I had wiggle room in my diet but never had to worry about over eating. Now 1550 is my upper range as I still want to lose, but don't want to crash and burn into maintenance.
- NSVs matter
This is especially important when starting out. People get frustrated when the scale won't budge, but I always ask them a question - how do you feel? What got me through the early stages was better sleep, more energy, more endurance, and better mood. Take inventory of all of this, because shit is hard until you start seeing physical changes for yourself.
- The paper towel effect is real.
No one noticed the first 30 lbs I lost, but they sure notice when I lose 5 lbs now. I also noticed that I went through clothing sizes much slower at first, even with more significant amounts of weight loss than I do now.
- It is okay to fuck up, as long as you get back on track and don't make it a regular thing.
I see so many posts from people absolutely losing their shit over a fuck up. I went on vacation a month ago. Had a day that I spent drinking mojitos and eating cake and pizza. The next day, I got on track to the best of my ability, and when I got home, I dove right back into my diet and gym routine. I didn't die or even gain weight.
- Dining out isn't as great as it used to be.
Aside from the hell on Earth that is trying to calculate calories in a meal from a restaurant, dining out just isn't that fabulous to me anymore. I think since shifting to a very lean diet, my tastes have changed and I can just tell how much restaurants rely on oil/butter/salt/msg to make their food taste good. I still love the occasional brunch or street taco, but usually I just wish I had just cooked my own food at home.
- Cutting calories isn't that hard.
Seriously. Skip the bun and put your burger over a salad. Measure your oils, sauces, and dressings - I promise you don't need as much as you think you do. Eat a smaller amount of something you want - it will be just as good, if not better, than eating the whole thing.
- Your interests may change
I became a bit boring in a lot of ways. I have little interest in drinking my calories, so I don't typically drink anymore. This is all fine and well, because I have found that a near empty gym on a Friday night is my new version of heaven. I thought it might cause me to lose friends, but instead they jumped on the bandwagon with me and really slowed their drinking too. Sometimes they come to the gym with me or we meet for coffee after our respective workouts. İt's kind of cool actually.
- People will never stop asking you what you are doing, and they never want to hear the answer.
Everyone is praying that you have a magic pill. They want to make progress like you did, but the second you mention that it is all diet and exercise, they don't want anything to do with it.
- Saying no gets easier.
My office has an insane amount of food. I would say that at least 4 out of 5 days a week, there is catered lunches or pastries in the break room. This was hard at first, but I stuck with my answer "no" each time and it became easier. Now I am completely uninterested in what they bring in - İ would rather have my own lunch and snacks.
- It is simple, not always easy, but doesn't have to be miserable.
Weight loss is simple. Whether you are into CICO, keto, IF, OMAD... These are all simple plans with clear parameters. We all know the old adage, "eat less, move more." It is that simple. Following through is hard, especially at first, but I promise, your body DOES adapt to it in a surpringly fast amount of time if you stick with it. Once upon a time ago, I thought working out a couple of hours a day and limiting the amount I ate sounded like hell on Earth. Now my old lifestyle sounds miserable. I cannot fathom what it is like to eat like I did. Sitting on my ass all day watching TV is absolute torture. I pray that I don't get sick or injured because the rest and recovery period will drive me absolutely batty. I get so bored when I don't exercise.
I love my new lifestyle. I love working out. I love cooking delicious meals with fresh vegetables. I love when berry season comes around. I love walking to the farmers market after the gym on Saturday morning. I love my runs after work and my post weigh in Saturday AM fasted run. I love shopping and having everything fit. I love being confident enough to really be seen. I love my quality of sleep. I love my energy levels. I love the long evening walks on my rest days. I love not waking up hungover on the weekend. I love the mental challenge of one more rep. I love the way that stretching feels after a workout. I love being able to go into the doctor's office confident of my health. I love that people around me have been inspired by my progress. I love that they in turn, inspire me with theirs.
