Anyone else afraid of the unknown after major weight loss?

I (22F) have lost a total of about 40lbs starting last May 2019. The only thing is that I lost that weight all in 2020. My starting weight was around 240lbs, and my ultimate goal weight is to get down to 155lbs. My main goal for 2019 was to get down to 200lbs, which I achieved! Right now, I really want to get down to 180/175lbs by the end of this year.

I have been stuck at 200lbs since January and it dawned on me that maybe mentally I’m not prepared for going lower. I don’t know if that makes sense. I think I’m afraid because I haven’t been lower than 200lbs since sophomore year high school (15 years old). I also do not know how my body will look at my goal weight.

I just want to know if anyone else has gone through something similar?

I’m trying to push past this and focus on my health more, which has been helping while exercising regularly again to lose the weight. I know I’ve already lost 40lbs, so I know I can lose another 40 lbs

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The most effective weight loss "magic pill" I've found? Therapy.

I used to be one of those people who lamented the fact that I "couldn't lose weight no matter what I tried." I'd "tried everything." I was "just destined to be bigger." I'd desperately look up weight loss pills, waist trainers, liposuction, slimming teas, appetite suppressants because I felt I couldn't lose weight on my own. I'd feed my self-hatred with reckless abandon, indulge in negative self-talk, and often drive myself to a place of utter anger and despair over how I looked and what I weighed. I'd binge, have mental fights with myself about whether or not I should get that burger, and of course I'd get the burger, and then I'd spiral. I hated myself for just not having self control, not having willpower, and just for plain old not doing it.

For the entirety of the time I had been "failing" at weight loss, I had been telling myself that I "should" lose weight. I "shouldn't" eat that. I "never" stuck to my diets or workouts. I had many cognitive distortions that caused me to downplay the victories that I had accomplished. I had actually lost 25 pounds on my own before therapy, but didn't allow myself to celebrate those victories.

Therapy, specifically DBT (dialectal behavioral therapy) and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), changed everything. My therapist suggested that I ban certain words from my brain. I was no longer allowed to say "should or shouldn't", "could or couldn't," "always or never," "all or none." I was no longer allowed to feed into lies like "you're too fat, you're useless, you're ugly, you're unsuccessful." As soon as I started implementing these very simple mental changes with the guidance of my therapist, all of the "should"s and "shouldn't" became "I will, or I won't" and "I want to, or I don't want to." The maybes became realities. For the first time in a long time, I worked out whenever I wanted to and I made my action actually match my thoughts.

A month after starting therapy, I committed to a 90-day fitness challenge. It's Day 23, and I'm still going strong. I can treat myself and stay in control, and I work out when I say I will. And when I don't reach a daily goal, I'm gentle with myself, forgive myself, and just keep going the next day.

I know that it hasn't been that long, and there's still a long way to go, but somehow I know that it's different now. Something has shifted. It's not like my life is perfect, and neither is my resolve, but this is truly the first time that I feel like I'm on the same page with myself, the first time I can trust myself.

So much of the weight loss journey is mental, we all know that. Until I went to therapy, I didn't realize just how true that is. It took a total readjustment of my thought processes to get me to stop making excuses and cure the cognitive dissonance that had been gnawing at me for years. It feels like gunk has been removed from the gears in my brain, and they can turn smoothly now.

For the first time since I started my weight loss journey years ago, I am confident that I will accomplish my goals. I'm excited, I'm ready, and I'm doing this because I want to, not because I "should." All this time, the secret weight loss magic pill I'd been looking for was therapy. Hopefully my experience touches someone who feels the way I did. Please, don't overlook the effect of mental health on weight loss. Your brain is your whole world!

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I finally reached 15 pounds lost!

I’m a 26 year old female, 5’3, SW: 230 CW: 215 GW: 140. I’ve been lurking here since I started this weight loss journey (so 7 weeks now). I wasn’t planning on posting this early in my journey but I’m just so excited right now.

I started gaining weight in college, as soon as I started birth control. I thought it was just a coincidence but the thing is, for my 8 years on birth control, my insurance covered the generic version so every 3 months my birth control would change. My body never got used to any form of regulation. It fucked me over so much and I ended up gaining 90 pounds by the end of college.

I have tried so many diets and weight-loss plans over the past 8 years. I downloaded the Lose it app about 7 years ago and every year I tried to lose weight by counting calories, being mindful of what I’m eating, and exercising. At most I would lose 5 pounds after 2 months of trying, every single time.

This year, I stopped using birth control because my husband and I want to try to start a family, and omg the difference being off of birth control is incredible! I’m actually seeing results now! It has been 7 weeks since I started this round of weight-loss and today I finally lost that last half pound to bring me to 15 pounds lost!

I must admit that another aspect to my success so far is finding this subreddit. I’ve learned so much from lurking here and I feel I finally understand the CICO concept. This past week I finally started to utilize CICO and IF, and I’ve gotten past that stupid plateau! I have been more successful this time around and it feels so good.

To be more specific, this past week in addition to counting calories, I calculated my BMR to see how many calories I burn by just existing (just over 1,650 per day). From there I subtracted my current calorie budget (1,450) to get a deficit of 200 calories. This means I would need to burn an extra 300 calories in order to reach a daily deficit of 500 calories. Having a deficit of 500 calories per day (3,500 for 7 days) is like an almost definitive way to losing at least 1 pound per week. So by doing this calculation I can more easily monitor and track my progress on how close I am to losing a full pound. I hope this part helps for those wondering about the purpose of calorie deficits, but if it needs clarification let me know!

Also, yesterday was a huge NSV for me too! My husband and I were out running errands and he wanted Wendy’s. I decided not to get ANYTHING. Not even fries or a frosty (my weaknesses). He got some food for himself and we headed home, where I made myself a fucking salad! I’m so proud of myself for that!

Also also, back to talking about birth control and weight gain, ladies if you’re struggling like I was for so long, it might be worth it to talk to your doctor and see if you can try a different form/brand of birth control. I know my issue was it constantly changing but I know some people don’t realize the birth control they’ve been on for years is causing some weight gain as a side effect.

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Rant: Stop telling me to ditch the scale!!!

Listen, I get the sentiment: the scale isn’t the best way to measure weight loss by a long shot. The way you feel, the improvements in your workout, the increase in stamina, your clothes getting looser, your measurements getting smaller, your sleep and mood improving, those are all indicators that your healthier lifestyle is working.

But it’s still frustrating when the scale won’t budge. And don’t tell me that I’m probably jUsT gAiNiNg MuScLe... because I know. There are a million factors that play into weight. Menstrual cycle, water retention, salt intake, time of weight measurement, all that. I’ve heard it. I know it. I live it. The scale doesn’t matter that much, but it still matters! And it’s still endlessly frustrating that it doesn’t budge after a month of consistently working out (mixed cardio & body weight exercises) and eating at a calorie deficit (whole, nutrient rich foods). The weight loss will come if I stay consistent, but it’s still frustrating.

At the end of the day, at the end of my journey, I still need to be at a healthy weight. And telling me to ditch the scale doesn’t help me with that. A scale is a tool for measurement. Five years ago when I first tried to lose weight, I DID ditch the scale. And guess what? I didn’t lose any weight because I WASNT DOING IT RIGHT. The people who told me to ditch the scale didn’t help because all that did was help me ignore the signs that I wasn’t in a calorie deficit, and it was a waste of time.

I’m on this journey to be healthier, more confident, build habits to lead an active lifestyle, but I’m ALSO here TO LOSE WEIGHT! And if I stay overweight, I will have failed (even if I built a whole boatload of muscle in the process).

So yeah, it’s great advice not to totally rely on the scale, but realistically, the scale can be a helpful indicator of whether or not you’re making progress toward your WEIGHT over time. So stop telling people to ditch the scale!

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I’m plateauing 10 pounds away from my goal weight

So this is super upsetting. I have been stuck at 155 for a month and a half now. I recently had breast reduction surgery and I thought that would make weight loss a little easier but it hasn’t. I’ve been eating about 1350 calories per day and burning about ~350/day (so I guess eating 1700). A couple days ago I decided to go vegan, hoping that that’ll kickstart weight loss again. Does anyone else have any other tips or tricks? I’m so beyond frustrated right now, especially since I’ve been working so hard for a month and a half with nothing to show for it:/

I’m 5’7” if that helps. I calculated my TDEE and it says I should eat 2303 to maintain, but I’m eating at a large deficit so I don’t know why I’m stuck! I’ve read other people’s posts about plateauing but there’s so much variance in the responses. A few people suggest eating more for a week or so and then resuming your old plan after that. some people suggested not counting exercise calories, which idk how valid that is. Another suggested changing up your diet to keto/vegan/paleo etc, which is what I’m currently trying. I’m really scared that none of this is going to work and I’m going to be stuck at 155 forever😭

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Weight Loss for College Students

Hi, I’m a 21 year old going into her senior year in college. I currently weigh 165 and really want to get into a healthy weight range. I have been on the bigger side my entire life, but though out college I have realized how miserable, unhappy, unfit I am and want to change that. I have felt way too uncomfortable in my own body to continue to allow myself to feel this way. It is crazy how you just become complacent at some point and people’s words don’t affect you after some time. My family has always told me to lose weight and the constant nagging goes in one ear and out the other, but now I know I have to do this for myself. I have been doing intermittent fasting for 5 weeks now and that has definitely helped and I have also cut down my calories quite a bit, but how can I make this change last long term? To all my college people out there, what works for you? Especially right now when you’re stuck at home. During the school year I find myself getting more hungry or stress eating, but still haven’t found a way around that. My biggest fear is losing weight now, but gaining it back once classes start up again in the Fall. Any tips would be appreciated please! I am trying to go down to 130-135 pounds. I am currently on a 1200 calorie diet/deficit, but I don’t see myself being able to do this long term. The last few days I’ve felt very shaky and cold. Do I need to up my protein intake? I’m also not working out right now since gyms are closed and I dread at home work outs. If anyone can help me I would appreciate it!

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Is it normal to lose significantly more weight in the first few weeks of a caloric deficit?

I've been tracking my weight every wednesday morning since starting the deficit and training. I've weighed myself 3 times so far and every time I've recorded my weight I have appeared to have lost over 1kg per week, with 1.2kg being the lowest amount lost and 1.7kg (this one shocked me) being the most. I've been doing bodyweight workouts 3 times a week (r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine) and my rest days consist of either walking or short jump rope workouts. I'm feeling great so far, however, I am aware that the healthy range of weight loss per week is anywhere between 0.5-1kg per week.

I am a 166cm 22YO M, started at 72kg and have been eating in accordance with my recommended TDEE - 500 calories as suggested. That figure being ~1800 calories. Just for some background info, where I'm from, Victoria, Aus, has been through two lockdowns now. During the first lockdown I put on weight and ate carelessly and stopped training consistently. Now that the second lockdown is upon us I've decided to eat clean and workout in hopes of lowering my bf %. Should I be concerned with this weekly progress so far or is it just due to a sudden change in eating and exercise levels?

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