Does anyone else hate the “what’s your secret?” Question?

I’ve recently lost a noticeable amount of weight (F/5’4”/280+>185) and decided to share a weight loss pic celebrating a healthier lifestyle. Now I have all sorts of people reaching out and they all seem to be asking “what’s your secret?”. I’m not usually one for attention so I never quite know what to say… and to me, it’s not a secret and it’s not complicated: I’m working out daily and eating a healthy diet. 🤷🏼‍♀️ When I say that to them it doesn’t feel like enough for them or the answer they were “looking for”.

Anyone have advice on answering that question? Or even do you hate it as much as I do? Lol

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3w3Wacn

Its a hill I don't think I can climb

I love all the positive stories on here and I am happy for every milestone achieved and everyone else's success. I want to say they motivate me and make me want to do better but I don't know if I ever can.

It feels insurmountable, years and years of work, of sacrifice.

I am morbidly obese, I am 5ft3 and have a BMI of 43. I reached out to my Dr today for help/support/hope... I don't know, I reached out. I was just told again that I need to simply eat less, exercise more. Sound so easy but it's not, its hard!

In the last 10 years do you not think I have considered this. The solution is so simple, why can't I just do it. All I hear is my Mother again telling me I'm a fat and useless and will never amount to anything. I hear the boyfriend who told me no one could possibly love someone like me, no one likes fat people. I remember the article I read about how slim people are more successful. I remember all the times I religiously counted calories but still gained weight. I look at around me, at the people I see and can only think of how disgusting I am.

Obesity is a mental health crisis, food makes me happy. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that can, when I "diet" all I can think about is food and spend every second obsessing over how the only time I'm happy is when I'm eating.

I am too ashamed to go to the gym or exercise in the outside, I'm pretty much too ashamed to go outside. I've tried calorie counting, legal and illegal weight loss drugs. I've tried ignoring it, I've tried positive behaviour changes, yoga, meditation, I've sought therapy and I don't know what else to do. I reached out to a medical professional because I'm desperate to do something to break the cycle...

...

Just eat less and exercise more, simple right?!?

So why do I keep failing, why can't I just be better. I tried to explain my depression, anxiety, ADHD, impulses control issues but it was a 10 min appointment and what does all that stuff really matter anyway /s

You know...

...Just eat less and exercise more...

If you have got this far, thanks for listening to my rant. I'll try and reset for tomorrow and do better and screw everyone who thinks it's easy.

submitted by /u/K3stal
[link] [comments]

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

Finally comfortable saying I'm over the 100 lb. milestone

This time last year, I had a major wake-up call when I was filling out the ADA paperwork to be allowed to teach my college courses remotely. My BMI (over 50 at the time) meant I was eligible for accommodations. I definitely felt some shame as I ticked the "BMI over 30" box, but what really hit me was the question that followed. For the first time in my life, I had to put in writing that I had no idea whether I was going to stay that big forever. Did I have the willpower? Unknown. Did I have a solid understanding of the challenges that I would face? Unknown. Had anything changed from the dozens of times I had tried to lose weight before? Unknown. That word..."unknown"...really hit me harder than I can explain. I wanted to circle "temporary", but I didn't because I didn't trust that I could follow through. And so I circled "unknown" and it ate at me for about a week before I decided to try to make some changes. Baby steps at first, like being mindful of what I ate and trying to make substitutions for some of my less nutritious food choices. I started weighing myself daily at the end of June 2020, and from those little changes, I started to see the weight drop off. By the end of July, I was tracking my calories and bought some hiking boots to try to get a little more movement into my weekly routine. Now, a year later, I'm 104 pounds lighter and the uncertainty is gone. My obesity is not permanent, and I KNOW that I can see this through.

That's not to say that this has all been wine and roses. I have definitely had some hurdles, especially as I got closer to the 100 pound milestone. I have had significant struggles around plateaus and daily fluctuations, even though I know, rationally, that as long as I stick to my new habits, the weight will keep coming off. I know it sounds silly, but when I hit 221 pounds, I fantasized about the "weight loss fairy" showing up, congratulating me on my progress, and then magically erasing the last 60 or so pounds I still need to lose to get to a healthy BMI. (Spoiler Alert: There is no weight loss fairy, and I seem to have misplaced my "Lose 100 Pounds, Get 60 More Removed For Free" coupon somewhere.)

So what has changed for me this time around?

• Every calorie I consume is logged. (Coming up on my 365-day streak in MFP.) More importantly, every calorie I consume is logged without judgment. There are no "good" days or "bad" days. There are no "cheat" days. There are just days that I eat food and keep track of what I'm eating. More often than not, I eat within my calorie budget. If I go over...no big deal. I just log it. Switching my mindset away from restriction and negativity around certain foods has been one of the biggest changes I have made. Restriction is what drove my bingeing before, so it has no place in my life now. I can eat anything I want, as long as most days I keep within my calorie budget.
• I learned that if you zoom in too closely on your data, you miss the big picture. I weigh daily, which can lead to some frustration when my actions don't automatically show up on the scale. I still get an initial wave of frustration when I step on the scale and see an increase, but then I figure out what might have caused it. Did I eat more sodium than usual the day before? That's a guaranteed water weight increase for a day or two. Did I go harder than usual with my physical activity? That's a guaranteed water weight increase for about a week. Where am I in my monthly cycle? That's good for a couple of increases a month, too. You can't take a single day, or even a single week in isolation. If I look at my "big picture", I'm headed in the right direction.
• Eating fewer calories doesn't mean being hungry all of the time. There are so many lower-calorie, delicious foods out there, that I don't ever have to be hungry. If I'm feeling particularly famished, a 1-pound bag of broccoli slaw with 3 tablespoons of Thai peanut sauce, and a chicken breast comes in at well under 400 calories for a tasty, satisfying meal. When I'm feeling nibbly, I season and roast a bunch of chickpeas, or green beans, or whatever vegetable I have on hand, and can easily fill the void I used to fill with a whole bag of chips or package of cookies.
• I acknowledge that I will never be as good at estimating portions as my food scale is. Seriously...you think you can eyeball it. You may even use measuring cups and spoons. But nothing will ever be as accurate as a weight measurement. It might not be important for things like carrots, but for calorie-dense foods like peanut butter, nuts, or ice cream...it can make a huge difference.
• I keep a go-to supply of "alternatives" to some of my otherwise calorie-dense food choices. Feel like you need ice cream - keep some whipped yogurt in the freezer. (They even have a creamsicle flavor!) It's cold and sweet, and you can eat it right out of the freezer. More often than not, that does the trick. I have even managed to work riced cauliflower into my rotation, giving me the filling sensation of eating rice with much fewer calories. (The trick here is the sauce. Tex-Mex seasoning, curries, and even Buffalo sauce all do a great job of masking the cauliflower flavor.) Craving sweet? Have a cup of cinnamon tea before snacking to make sure that it isn't just an itch you need to scratch. Craving savory? Make a big mug of reduced-sodium broth and add in whatever seasoning floats your boat. (I am partial to all sorts of hot sauce.) And if those don't do the trick, there's nothing wrong with enjoying whatever you have a hankering for, as long as you keep it reasonable most of the time.
• Whenever possible, I reward myself for my hard work. Get that cute new outfit, even if it means shopping the clearance rack to save a little cash. Take a day trip. Get a massage. Get a hammock and read a book outside all afternoon. I justify the little splurges by remembering that I used to eat out 5 or more days a week. I have worked hard and deserve whatever nice things I can do for myself as acknowledgment of my efforts.
• Not everything that happens to my body is an improvement, but overall I'm in a better place. My neck...it is deflating like a 45-year-old balloon. It's not pretty. (Why, oh why, does it have to be so face-adjacent‽) My belly is squishy and weird. My thighs...ugh! But I can cross my legs now. I was able to finish a hike that I had to quit half-way through last fall. My resting heart rate actually looks like a resting heart rate. I don't panic about whether or not I'll fit in or even break a chair I have to sit in. I get that it can be hard not to focus on the stuff that isn't as perfect as you imagined it would be, but I can pretty confidently assure you that there are way more positive changes you can focus on instead.
• Everybody's journey is their own. I used to get really down on myself when I'd read a post here from someone who was lamenting being huge, even though "their" huge would be a major accomplishment for me. I have to remind myself that my goals are my own. My progress is my own. My successes and hurdles are my own. I don't have to be happy with anyone else's body as long as I am happy with myself.
• It is too easy to make excuses. I'm not usually one for sappy quotes, but I saw this early in my journey, and it has really stuck with me: "If you want to shrink the size of your 'butt', you need to shrink the size of your 'but'."

I'm sure there's more to share, but I'll save that for the post I make when I hit my goal weight. Thanks for reading. Wherever you are in your journey, the fact that you are spending time here means that you have a desire to succeed. I KNOW you have what it takes to do it!

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

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

It's okay to lose weight slowly

I weighed myself this morning and I'm really sad that I'm 219 again (for reference, I'm a 23yr old 5'3 female)

But it's important to remind ourselves that weight loss takes time and that it's okay to lose weight slowly. I was losing weight fast and dropped down from 229lbs to 184lbs about two years ago. I was sort of miserable though, constantly weighing my food and praying I was under 1200kcals, though preferably 1100kcals daily, and I think that's what made me lose control. I thought about beating myself down with the scale again and it put me off so much.

I have mental health issues, so I'm sure some of my peers can understand how difficult it is to not eat your feelings out to feel better and suppress the pain away. I currently cut my mother off from my life and I don't have any family here aside from my SO.

With the previous knowledge I have, I promise to be good to myself and slowly reach my goal weight. I shouldn't be too hard on myself if I slip up here and there because I'm only human and am bound to make mistakes every now and then.

I'm still going to weigh my food, but give myself a 1500kcal limit daily and make my way to the gym for daily walking. Hopefully I'll gradually do weight lifting and cardio, but I'm not going to overwhelm myself and stop because of being overwhelmed.

I'm thankful for this community here, as we're all supporting each other. I guess it's important to remind ourselves that slow progress is okay, so long as we keep ourselves accountable.

I just want to be happy. Plain and simply happy. I'll slowly get there!

submitted by /u/Goomy-goom
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3AhX2xp

I'm creating this post to remind myself not to go and eat after dinner

I've mentioned this before, but I hate this habit of mine, where I go and eat ridiculous quantities of food after doing good all week/day. I've already had 2 cups of water, a very carb-heavy/processed meat heavy meal for dinner (probably the cause of this), a cup of herbal tea, 4 bites of carrot and am currently starving, all of 10 minutes after dinner.

I don't need the food, this isn't even real hunger probably. I should be studying, running on the treadmill, doing ANYTHING other than sitting here and typing. But I'm here, so, tell me, what's your go-to method for dealing with the need to snack?

Because I'm all out of cards and patience with myself. But, I hope your weight loss is going well, that you love yourself and you body a little more every day and that you know that your weight is not your most important feature, it's just a nice vessel to spread the love and light your were created to.

submitted by /u/TDB-AWAY
[link] [comments]

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

Your reminder to stop and smell the roses, because weight loss is not a race

I know this comes up frequently, but I had a few thoughts I wanted to share regarding the SPEED of weight loss.

When I first began my weight loss journey, I downloaded my little food tracker and scale apps and plugged in my goal weight and weekly deficit and they both spit out a little "projected goal date." This felt HUGE to me at first - I kept staring at that date, imagining myself at that point of the year that many pounds lighter. It actually lined up perfectly with a camping trip I have planned so I really clung to this idea that that weekend I could be thin and happy in my swimsuit in front of my friends.

As I continued updating my daily weights, that projected date would fluctuate a few days sooner/later depending on my rate of weight loss. I was never SUPER stressed about it, I understood that it was always a rough estimate and that if I was a couple lbs over my goal at that point that was obviously still a win. But I was still VERY MUCH focused on getting to my goal weight as fast as possible (within reason/in a healthy way, you know what I mean). But I started losing weight back in January, when the US was still very much locked down in quarantine. I was working from home, it was freezing outside and I was unable to really do anything or see anyone besides my partner. Because of this, I was very much in a weight loss "bubble." I had pretty much total control over what food would be in front of me every day. Sure, there might be some junk food in the house or I could overdo it on portions of healthy food if I didn't have good self-control, but all my meals centered around what I chose to prepare.

Because of this, my little projected weight loss date continued to stay more or less right on track. I was losing at a good clip, about 7-8 lbs a month. And then... my situation changed. People started getting vaccinated, the weather got warm, and my world opened up. I mean, it was thrilling and exactly what we had all been hoping for the past year. But from the perspective of my weight loss journey, it was a huge adjustment! I had maintained from the beginning that I never wanted to be that person that can't enjoy food. We've all known that person that constantly whines about their diet, or loudly bemoans how they can't have a piece of cake at a party or whatever. I knew that for my long-term success, I needed room in my diet to live my life. To eat a plate of food at a barbecue, to have a couple beers on a warm night on a friend's balcony.

So I had to adapt. I started going to gatherings more regularly and while I wouldn't binge, I didn't restrict myself to celery or whatever - I enjoyed the hell out of cheese platters and grilled meats and other tasty stuff. And I saw that projected goal date getting further and further away. But I've also continued to see the average on the scale go down. Yup, it's slower. Sometimes I have a week or two now where I bounce around between the same 3 lbs and don't really make "progress." But I have such a different outlook on success at this point. Success is that I spent a whole weekend seeing friends and family I've been missing for the past year, enjoying delicious food and having a drink in the summer sunshine without feeling shitty about my body.

Because the thing is, I've already lost about 35 lbs. In the beginning, I was so laser-focused on just getting to my goal weight as fast as possible that I fully neglected to realize that even part of the way there would still feel amazing. I never thought about how GREAT it would feel to essentially have a "joyride" in my body even before my goal weight! Like yup, I still want to drop some pounds, and get more buff... but my body has absolutely noticeably changed, clothes fit better, and I'm having a blast getting compliments from folks and living my best hot girl summer life NOW even if I'm not "finished."

So I just wanted to give a shoutout to reframing your expectations around the speed of weight loss. I see a lot of posts about how slow and steady wins the race, which is valid, but I want to also plug that YOUR RATE OF WEIGHT LOSS CAN FLUCTUATE, and that's not only okay but also potentially a great thing! If you're losing slower, or maintaining, or even gaining a little, all because you're enjoying the shit out of your life? You're a goddamn champion.

submitted by /u/Gold_Secret7211
[link] [comments]

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3y7hU8B

COVID weight loss and motivation

My husband and I made a big change to get control of our eating and health as soon as COVID lockdown started in our state last March. I've lost 55 pounds and he has lost 65 pounds. Slow and steady and sometimes frustrating. Staying motivated was sometimes hard when the scale would stall for weeks at a time. I am not the "rah rah let's go" motivational poster/sayings kind of person but, I found this one quite I keep on my fridge that serves as a reminder to not disappoint myself:

"If you quit now, you'll end up right back where you began. And when you first began, you were desperate to be where you are right now."

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

from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/35YLUaE