Advice for staying motivated when losing weight for aesthetic reasons only?

I'm a female, 5'8" 165ish lbs

I'm really struggling with staying motivated with weight loss. My weight has fluctuated a lot in my life. In my adult life I've been as light as 135 (very disordered eating at this time, binging, purging, restricting) and as heavy as 195 (very bad period of depression and simultaneously working at a fast food restaurant where the cooks loved me and gave me food any time I wanted for free)

165 is very easy to maintain for me, it's what I naturally dropped down to after taking steps to improve my mental health and stopped working in the restaurant and I've been here for most of the last 2 years or so.

I enjoy being active and eating healthy food. I meal prep all of my meals, and they're all centered around protein and veggies with some complex carbs and healthy fats. I go jogging on my lunches (I get an hour lunch and only spend about 15 mins eating), stretch and walk around often at work, go hiking regularly and lift weights every other day.

My main problem is that 1. I love sweets and I will eat them to the point that I feel sick if I let myself. And 2. I really dislike the feeling of being "not full" so I graze constantly, especially when I'm home after work.

I know I can overcome these things, I've done it before many times. I can force myself to get comfortable with the "not full" feeling and wait until I'm truly hungry to eat. I can also not let myself eat sweets for 2 weeks until my cravings tend to drop off. But days, weeks or months later I find myself rationalizing, "I'd be so much happier if I just let myself do what I want to do"

It's hard because with any other goal or new habit, what I rely on when it gets hard is my reasons for doing it. With weight loss, it's tough because it's really only aesthetically motivated. I'm just barely in the category of overweight. I already feel good for the most part, no health issues at all. I have energy and as explained I'm decently active. I don't hate how I look, theres just some pudge that would be nice to lose. I'm just definitely happier with how I look when I'm around 145-150. But that's an easy reason to dismiss when I'm in the depths of an inner emotional tantrum over if I should drive to the store for a pint of ice cream.

It's on me to figure it out, and decide what I really want. Just looking for any kind of advice and experience you may have. Thanks in advance!

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2xpeALW

Working on overcoming hopelessness

I am 300lbs, 5'5" female in my late 40's. I am working on overcoming the shame of continued failure in my weight loss attempts. I do believe in CICO. Its the effort of the calories out that is so very different for each person. Why do some of us just simply not do the best thing for our health? It is very hard to navigate all the psychological barriers in place that cause me to self-sabotage. I have been to therapy several times with the specifically stated goal of examing this. But we always spend so much time my crazy chaotic childhood I never get to the current "how to change my behavior" work. While I am certain they are connected, I want to get to the point where I have actual steps that will help me in my current time. My post is rambly, I know. My point is yesterday I bought a Marie Calendars Chicken Pot Pie. I haven't had one in decades, not for any particular reason other than I don't eat a lot of processed foods. I was eating it and really enjoying it. Then I decided, hey, maybe I should look at the calories... Holy Cow. I was dumbfounded to see it was at least 800 calories (don't have the package here) and 75 percent of daily sodium and something like 100 grams of carbohydrates. Now I am only talking about for myself, no judgment on the pie itself, but that is just way over the top of everything for me personally to want to continue to eat it. I threw the rest out and didn't feel bad or deprived of doing it. It wasn't good for me. In the past I would have just finished it, there wasn't that much left. Also late last night I was a little bit hungry and I had turkey jerky in the fridge. I said to myself, I think that maybe I would be better off not having the extra snack, even though it's not a whole lot of calories, maybe I can just wait until tomorrow and so what I did was take the smallest piece off and have it and I said to myself, this is good, but I could have also waited. So. I wonder if this small inner voice that is not judging or being mean but coming from a place of health and self-love is the voice that I need to find every single time I need to make a choice about what to eat. I wonder if this is the voice people listen too when they don't have issues with over-eating? I would like to come up with some kind of a little ritual or habit that helps me stop, think, and reminds me to make the best choices for myself. For instance, like a little song to sing to myself, or a card I pull out and read. Something to stop the mindlessness. I was hoping maybe others have used little tricks or tips they could pass on like this... Thank you so much for reading all of this!

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2TFy9bH

Looking for a weight loss buddy who I can text and exchange updates with :)

Hello winners! (losers?) 😊

I've been on a weight loss journey the past several months. I've lost about 20 lbs since then. I started at 167 lbs, and am now hovering at 147-148 lbs.

I would really appreciate having someone holding me accountable, and someone who I can just talk with regarding weight loss. We would ideally exchange numbers and text every few days or so? I'm open to more or less frequent interaction.

I've been doing CICO, which I find works well. I also have started going to the gym and working out. I've joined a weight lifting class which I love. I'm considering adding running to my routine as well!

My height is 5'2.5". My goal weight is 130 lbs, so about 20 more pounds!

Some basic biographical data about me: I'm 22F. I live in the US. I have traveled all over, and am originally Middle Eastern. I'm a student at a T10 college in the US. I study history.

I would love to become your friend and weight loss buddy! 💚

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3cG5Npb

Does anyone else struggle with trying to ward off an old eating disorder while pursuing health goals?

Before I get into it, this is my first time posting on reddit and I understand that this post is about an eating disorder and that this forum is specifically for healthy and sustainable methods of weight loss. I decided to post here because my ultimate goal is to be healthy and I am trying extremely hard to do that. Sorry if this post doesn't belong here.

I am 24 years old (female), 5'6" and 127 pounds. I am trying to get to 120 or 115 at the lowest. My goal is to have the muscle which I have worked so hard to gain be more visible. I was at one point severely anorexic and dangerously underweight. The whole dieting thing sometimes brings up this strange nostalgia and comfort connected to my eating disorder. (I spend at least 8 hours a week in the gym and for some reason this isn't triggering, even though exercise was a huge part of my disorder). Its really odd because I simultaneously look back with disgust and longing. I miss the routine and the comfort that my behaviors brought me. I don't want to be unhealthy again and I am not worried that I will cave and actually restrict until I lose muscle mass/become dangerously underweight. That's not my concern. I am concerned about constantly reliving old feelings and spending so much mental energy trying to pull myself out of that headspace. Every time I log my calories I feel that way. Every time I go grocery shopping with specific meal plans in mind, I feel that way. When I weigh myself I feel that way. When I don't weight myself, all I can think about is weighing myself.

Is anyone on here recovered from an eating disorder and trying to lose weight without spiraling psychologically?

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2IA6z96

Dealing with jealous and competitive friends?

This is something I never thought I would have to deal with.

I have one friend in-particular and it is hard because we work together. We bonded initially over our weight struggles, I was a lot bigger than her but we were both obese. I was 5'4 and 250, she was 5'3 and 200.

A year later and she is 170 and I am 150. However, once I surpassed her or was getting close, her attitude changed. She keeps making comments and I don't know if it is intentional or not but it is affecting me.

I had my first date planned in years (tinder). She sent me a meme the day before my date, some tinder vs reality thing. She mentioned how women put up misleading pictures so guys just get disappointed once you finally meet. She then said most guys on there only care about bodies and it's hard if you're not a size 4. I was already super nervous about my date but these comments made me so paranoid. I told her I might cancel the date and she said she would if she was me. She then backtracked and said I may as well go for the experience lol.

She also groups us together in statements like "we don't have nice bodies". I am like, speak for yourself! Not to be rude as all bodies are good but my shape is probably considered to be more attractive than hers. I feel rude saying that but I am a hourglass with 34DD's and she is more straight and flat chested. I feel weird saying that and I am not body shaming her at all but, all body shapes could be celebrated but it sometimes makes me think she is jealous.

She prefers to take her weight loss much slower which is fine, I am aiming for 1-2lbs a week. Every week she asks me how much I weigh. Despite telling me every so often she doesn't want to hear about my weight loss anymore, yet she brings it up again after a couple of days. She also makes comments how I am doing it too fast, I have averaged 1.3lbs a week throughout my journey. She also told other people in the office that I am obsessive and too extreme with dieting.

I told her I got into a smaller size jean last week and she asked if it was a particular shop, a shop that is known for their sizes being bigger lol. It wasn't... then she will also tell me I am 'brave' for wearing particular styles of clothes and how she couldn't wear it. I wore a long sleeved body suit with jeans and she said I was brave for that, that comment seriously has me second guessing wearing things like that.

Guys is this common? How the hell do I deal with this? I never thought this would happen to me. It's also weird to think someone is being jealous as being big for so long, you don't have to deal with this stuff. I am working so hard not only on my weight but my body image and this really impacting me.

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/335r5YP

I fit into a size Large today. I haven’t been this small since elementary school.

I’m female, 20, 5’2”, started my weight loss journey at 300 lbs in January 2019 and am now at 210ish lbs and still losing. I’ve been doing CICO and have opted for lower-calorie plant-based substitutions such as non-dairy milks, etc. (but I am still eating meat/animal products). My biggest problem that made me so overweight was food addiction (which can still be a struggle but I have it under control much more than I did before) and eating out 4-5 times a week, sometimes more.

I went into the Disney store as I always do when I walk around the mall and they had some Star Wars merch on sale for a really good price. They had this one sweater that I really wanted, but the only sizes they had were a 2X (too big) and a Large (too small... or so I thought). So I figured the price was too good to refuse and I would fit into a Large eventually so I bought it.

Decided to try it on at home so I could find out just how tight it might be and how much more I might have to lose to wear it. And oh my god, it fits? And it’s not tight! Holy crap, I fit into a size Large!!! I was and still am ecstatic. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I wore anything smaller than an adult XL. I did notice that I have a decent amount of room in my XL shirts that I was wearing but I thought that I still would fit into size Large yet. It’s victories like these that keep me going. I have never felt physically better than I do right now.

submitted by /u/healthy-life-journey
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/38BPczB

Dating during/after weight loss

Hi guys,

I am a female in my late 20's. I have wanted to meet someone for a while but my weight always held me back. I started at 235lbs (5'2) and I thought I would start dating whenever I got down to 170lbs. I hit 170 and was like nope, no chance I need to drop another 20lbs before I download tinder. I am now 145 and I feel the same way.

The old me would have been over the moon to be 145 but because it isn't 120 (my goal), I can't visualise myself living my life until I am there. I am convinced I won't be happy or be able to date until I am lean. I have heard bad things about dating while being overweight, I am about 10lbs or so from a healthy BMI.

Did anyone here start dating while overweight or before reaching their goal? What was it like? I am unsure if I should bite the bullet and just go for it or wait. I am sad that I am not happy about my body after the amazing progress I have made. I guess my concern is that I will reach 120 and still feel this way.

submitted by /u/cjcj91
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/38DtPxy