Dressing well BEFORE I reached my weight loss goal has helped my weight loss journey more than any other weight loss tip

If you’re anything like me (or how I used to be at this point), you buy clothes that are several sizes too small- your “target clothes.” You tell yourself you’ll fit into them one day, which may very well be the truth, and in the meantime you’ll only wear your old baggy clothes or gym clothes and that’s it.

That was exactly my mentality. “I’m not gonna buy my size of clothes now because in a few months they’ll be too big” and then a few months come by and the clothes that I bought that are too small were still too small. It led to so many frustrated episodes of not being satisfied by my progress and going into violent cycles of binge-over restrict, of eat too little and see progress then eat too much and ruin it. I think in the past, I felt like I only deserved to dress well if I had the main accessory to go with it: my dream body. If I was in my same body trying to dress nice, it just felt like I was trying to squeeze myself into a costume that would only look good on people who were as fit as I wanted to be but wasn’t.

I’m 20 (F) now and I’ve been doing that since I was 13, buying clothes I would call my target clothes, taking starting pictures of pants that wouldn’t go above my knees and shirts that fit like a sports bra hoping they would gradually get looser until they fit. Except that time never came because I was just cycling through self-hate and over fixation on a specific result, subscribing myself to beauty standards that made me disgusted of my body. I hid behind baggy and mismatched clothes, never bothering because I felt like I didn’t deserve it until I reached my goal. It was toxic and ruthless.

Until I one day decided- eff it. It’s been 7 years and rarely have I worn an outfit I’ve loved and never have I fit into those target clothes that have been collecting dust, completely unworn. All I’ve done is gain weight or had inconsistent progress. I feel like crap because I look like crap, but not all of that has to do with my body weight. In fact, a lot of it has to do with the way I chose to present myself- reflecting the low self esteem I have.

So I went on a haul (disclaimer: I hate consumer overconsumption, but this was an investment)- bought all the clothes I’ve been wanting to wear in sizes that fit and forcing myself to wear them, even if I felt odd and like a fraud, even if it felt like a waste of money because eventually (hopefully) they’d be too big. I paired it with affirmations that my body is not an accessory, it is meant to keep me alive and it’s trying it’s damn hardest. I kept telling myself- I am taking care of my body, I am eating well and working out, the results will come eventually with patience, and in the meantime I should allow myself to be as confident as I would be if I was at my target body, including with clothes.

The result? I started carrying myself better and felt better- even when I felt bad about my body, at the very least I didn’t feel bad about my outfit. It kept me afloat and gave me the self confidence, love, and healthy body positivity I needed to give myself grace and be patient with my journey. I started to be so much more consistent with eating well and working out because I felt good AND looked good.

Now, the healthy habits are solidifying and the pounds are dropping. And yes, the clothes are getting looser and the target clothes are starting to fit. The starting clothes I have now can be tailored or donated when time time comes, but they’ve kept me afloat and I credit them for helping me build the self love I never had.

TL;DR: it’s okay to have target clothes and to make looking better a reason to lose weight, but it’s also okay to be happy with the way you look and dress in the meantime. All those things can coexist. In fact, you may find that dressing the way you’ve always wanted to now rather than later will help you build a healthy acceptance and mentality for weight loss based neither on hate nor complacency. You are NOT less worthy of looking good and feeling good because of your weight and you ARE worthy of getting to a healthy body. Be patient and loving towards yourself :)

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I need an accountabili-buddy who will swap daily stats with me. Anyone up for that?

I am 100% positive that no one in my life wants me to tell them about my daily struggles with weight loss and building a healthy lifestyle, but maybe a stranger who is also struggling would be willing to swap!

I'd love to have someone to shoot a quick message to when I've completed a hard work out, or did a weigh in, or stayed under calories, or ate like 3 Muffins because I'm sad and need someone to sternly encourage me to not do that anymore. I'd also love to be that for someone else! We can just use the reddit chat, so no numbers or social media exchanged.

I'm a 30yo woman, 5'11" and 225lbs, with around 50lbs to lose if that matters.

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How do you feel about people commenting on your weight loss?

Not sure if I’m being sensitive but I really don’t like when people comment on my weight loss. It doesn’t matter if they are saying it in a “good” way, it’s almost always backhanded. They’ll mention how I look “better” just because I lost weight.

I personally wouldn’t comment on anyone’s because I know how it feels. The only exception i have for it is my sister because she has mentioned before she likes it for validation.

I’ve currently lost 30 lbs and 2 people at work (one coworker and one customer) have commented on it and it makes me feel so uncomfortable. Particularly my coworker of mine, she has told me in 3 separate occasions about my weight. She pretty much asked me how I lost weight and congratulated me on it and told me I look so much better. And what makes it worse is she told me something in front of people. It only made me so uncomfortable because I hate drawing attention to myself. And my weight loss is not something I talk about with anyone. Am I overreacting to this?

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What I Got Out Of Nadja's Conquering Fat Logic (Not A Review)

I took Conquering Fat Logic from the library via an interlibrary loan.

I'm not a book reviewer so I'll just share the two points that resonated most with me.

For those who aren't familiar with the book, please click on the link. The book is easy to read. In a series of rapid-fire short chapters, the author shoots down every faulty piece of "fat logic" in existence, like a trained markswoman. It's breathtaking how deftly she punctures a lot of balloons. But onto my two key points.

One: I was always scared that dieting would destroy my muscle tone. (This part is related to "wrecking your metabolism by dieting".) Nadja demonstrates that muscle is dependent on two things: your protein intake and whether you use the muscles. (I would add genes are a huge factor, but that is outside the scope of her book.) If you create a caloric deficit and you lift during your period of deficit, you won't lose muscle. (Note: that is why, back in the Stone Age, they used to call high protein weight loss diets "Protein Sparing Fasts" - which is a stupid science-ese way of saying "muscle preserving.")

Two: she writes at some length about how the normalization of obesity has in turn normalized chunkiness and chubbiness. In her own journey, she went through a period where she reached a medically normal BMI but still felt overweight. People admonished her to stop, she'd become anorexic, but she didn't listen, and proceeded to go down to a healthy, quite elegant BMI of 21.

Both points resonated with me. All my life I've felt guilty about dieting because in the back of my mind, I thought I was wrecking my metabolism by dieting because muscle loss was inevitable. It's not true.

The second point flows from the first. I have a normal BMI - 24.2, but I'm overweight, trust me. I really should lose 15 pounds, and it's not the patriarchy or unrealistic beauty standards or any of that crap. It's my body telling me the facts.

Anyway, that's what I got from Nadja's book. I urge everyone to get it from the library or buy it.

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Skinny privilege

Anyone else not so much flattered by the new and more frequent kind gestures, but rather a little disheartened?

My stats are 280-138 lbs, lowest was 130 lbs but have been maintaining for a year. I am female and 5’2” from the US.

Before the weight loss I dated and I had people attracted to me, don’t get me wrong, but here’s some examples of just how drastically that has changed since:

-had never been cat called. Didn’t really get the big deal about it, honestly, because it rarely if ever happened to me. Lost the weight and have not only been catcalled, but hit on profusely by waiters as well. (who also boozed the heck out of my drinks I ordered because of it, not cool)

-people notice me, not just men. People are so kind to me now. They look me in the eyes and truly listen.

-people compliment me more often, especially men. I’d get compliments before but mostly from friends and family or other women.

-people buy me things. Never once had my order paid for before, has happened about 3 times now. Drinks at the bar ordered, etc.

-And most recently, which brings me to this vent, is this one very kind gesture: was shopping at a dispensary and it was POURING outside, finished up shopping and was just gonna GO for it full speed. The front door guy had an umbrella and INSISTED he walked me to my car so I wouldn’t get wet and mess up my make up and hair. Thoroughly appreciated the gesture, but I hate to think it likely wouldn’t have happened at 280 lbs.

To some degree, this is flattering. I love that people compliment and notice my hard work. Everyone loves a free meal or drink here or there. We all also love a good compliment or out of the ordinary kind gesture, but none of these happened to the girl in the bigger body. I think it hurts because that girl is still the same person. Still brilliant and full of potential and wit.. and yet none of it was recognized until now. Anyone else experience this?

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6 Reasons Fall is the Best Time for Weight Loss

Don’t wait for New Year’s Day. The start of fall is the ideal time to embark on a crisp, cool journey to weight loss success.

Why? The unpredictability of summer barbecue fare is over, as are the splurges of summer vacation. It’s time to focus on yourself, your food choices and your health. We put together a list of reasons to embrace the bracing chill of fall as the start of your weight loss victory.

Here are six reasons why autumn is the best time to drop pounds:

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1. Fall is all about routine.

The kids are back in school, which means getting back into a routine. Getting up for the bus, packing lunches, after-school activities and scheduled bedtimes.

This also makes fall a great time to create new routines and solidify new, healthy habits of your own. According to Jamesclear.com, one way to help cement these new routines is by doing something called “habit stacking,” where a new habit is paired with one you’re already doing. Doing so creates a cue to do a new, healthy task when you’re already doing a task that’s a habit.

If you already make the kids’ lunches each morning and you’re hoping to eat more non-starchy vegetables as part of a weight loss program, stack them! When you’re making the kids’ lunches, chop up one container of carrots, cucumbers or another veggie for yourself to eat later in the day. If you’re trying to drink more water and you already brush your teeth every morning, stack them! After you brush, drink an eight-ounce glass of water.

Weight loss success is all about finding routines that you can stick to. Fall is the ideal time to create and solidify those routines.

2. It’s not so blazingly hot!

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, July 2021 was the world’s hottest month ever recorded. So hot, in fact, that it was often unbearable to be outside exercising. Fall brings those mind-melting temperatures to a merciful end, meaning it’s a great time to enjoy the outdoors.

A morning walk in the newly-crisp air could help you control your appetite for the rest of the day. In a study published by the American Physiological Society, scientists found that those who did aerobic exercise had lower levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. Getting in your steps at sunrise could give you this appetite-suppressing hormone advantage all day.

If you’re not a morning person, know that taking a walk doesn’t have to be at the crack of dawn. Making a habit of getting moving on weekend hikes, bike rides or just longer walks with the dog can help you feel healthier and add to your weight loss success. It’s finally cool enough outside to do so!

Autumn is also a great season to start in the gym because it isn’t as crowded as January. This will give you the space to get the weights and machines you need for your workout. Gyms often have sales and free training sessions as the leaves start to turn.

5 Sneaky Fall Weight Loss Traps & How to Beat Them

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3. It’s the season of harvest.

Nutritious and fiber-rich favorites are in season, which can be great for your wallet and health. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), some of the delicious produce that is in-season during the fall includes:

• Fruit: Apples, cranberries and pears.
• Root Vegetables: Beets, carrots, sweet potatoes and radishes.
• Leafy greens: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and Swiss chard.
• Squash: Pumpkin, butternut and acorn.
• Other Vegetables: Cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms, peas and onions.

Get creative with your favorite autumn produce and incorporate them throughout your weight loss menu. Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary or ginger to add some fall flavor. If you need inspiration, try our recipes for Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Roasted Rosemary Beets and Carrots or Pumpkin Pie Applesauce!

4. It’s soup season!

Another reason to love the cooler temperature is heating up a bowl of hot, comforting soup. Whether it’s Nutrisystem’s fan-favorite Chicken Noodle Soup, Classic Pasta Fagioli or something homemade, warm dishes like these are perfect for fall. There are many soup recipes that are healthy and diet-friendly. It’s a versatile meal that you can make using your favorite ingredients. Have fun and experiment with different proteins, vegetables, grains and broths. Click the link below for some ideas!

16 Tasty Soup Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

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5. Hearty desserts are on the menu.

Wait … what? Sure, fall is full of hearty favorites like apple pies and pumpkin spice everything. But how can hearty desserts help you lose weight?

When they’re Nutrisystem-approved, that’s how! Whether it’s Nutrisystem’s Carrot Cake Cupcake or one of these guilt-free versions of your fall favorites. > Having dessert on Nutrisystem isn’t about depriving yourself, it’s about learning how to enjoy your favorite foods (even sweets) with the right portions and ingredients. By enjoying these dishes in autumn, you’ll have tools and smart strategies to tackle your cravings without packing on pounds when all the holidays roll around.

6. New Year’s resolutions can be WAY more fun.

Since you’ll already be on a diet plan, you’ll be ready for the high-calorie temptations during the holiday season and celebrating weight loss success. You won’t have to resolve to “lose weight” when New Year’s Day rolls around. Instead, you’ll be able to make resolutions about what you’ll do now that you’re already closer to your goals.  Create resolutions like going on a vacation or road trip, rocking a killer new dress or fitness goals like running a half-marathon. This is a great time to plan new experiences and create memories. Make your New Year’s resolutions more fun by resolving to lose weight starting now!

8 Simple Swaps for a Healthier Fall

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The post 6 Reasons Fall is the Best Time for Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

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How to stay motivated for the last 25-30 lbs??!

Started my weight loss journey almost a year ago, at the end of September 2020. So far I have lost about 70 pounds, and have another 25-30 to go until I am in a healthy BMI range. (I’m 5’1”, SW 222 CW 153 GW 120ish) For most of my weight loss, I was motivated and having no issue staying in a caloric deficit everyday, but the past few months have been a struggle! As a get closer to my goal weight, things aren’t feeling as…urgent as at the beginning. I am having a harder time staying motivated and have only lost 4lbs since July. Part of my issue is now that I am happier with my appearance and am no longer morbidly obese, I am not feeling an urgent drive to lose weight as fast as I can. I have been having a lot of maintenance days, or I will be doing good for a week and then I will have a day out with family and go over maintenance.

So my question is…. To those of you who have gotten to your goal weight, how do you stay motivated????

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