How Important is Exercise for Weight Loss?

I am trying to lose the 20lbs that I gained over the pandemic. I am really motivated in terms of trying to portion control, eat within calorie limits, and try to eat healthier.

Where I am really stuck is motivating myself to exercise. I just hate it and always have. :( So even though I set a goal for example to do cardio 2x a week (which I thought would be doable) I find myself faltering and not reaching my goal. I was wondering, if this is really setting back my weight loss goal a ton? And if so, any tips to get me going on the days I just can't get myself to exercise?

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How to stay motivated?

So not long started a weight loss journey. I'm desperate to stay on it because I feel that my health is going to be in serious jeopardy if I do not make changes.

I'm just doing simple calorie counting. Trying to get exercise in as well and basically just do all the right things. I'm currently down 4.9kg (CW: 140.0kg) and that is the only thing that is keeping me going at the moment. The issue I'm having is that I'm 3 weeks in and still hungry all the time. From the moment I wake to the moment I go to sleep, I'm hungry. I don't know how much more I can take of this constant feeling. I fear that I'm gonna always feel like this and that the inevitable creep back up the scales will happen if I let my guard down and I'm at a loss as to what to do next.

I'm probably just overreacting and I'm not sure what posting onto Reddit will do but sometimes just knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel helps.

Anyway, rant over. Back to it.

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I have officially lost 34kg in 25 weeks I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF!

I have some great news to share with all of you - I have lost over 34kg in just 25 weeks! I know that may sound like a lot, but for me, it has been a long and challenging journey. I've faced many obstacles along the way, but I'm happy to say that I've come out on the other side a happier, healthier person.

So, how did I do it? Well, there are a few methods that I used to lose weight, and I'll share them with you here.

First of all, I made a commitment to myself to start exercising regularly. I knew that in order to lose weight, I needed to burn more calories than I was consuming. I started by going for a walk or jog every day, and then gradually increased the intensity and duration of my workouts. I also started weightlifting, which helped me to build muscle and burn even more calories.

Next, I made a few changes to my diet. I knew that in order to lose weight, I needed to be in a calorie deficit, which means that I needed to consume fewer calories than my body was burning. I started by cutting out processed foods, sugary drinks, and snacks. I also began to focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. I also started counting my calories and tracking my macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats) which helped me to have a better control of my portions and avoid overeating.

Another important factor was to stay hydrated, drinking water helps to reduce hunger and also helps with digestion.

One of the most important things for me was to find a support group, so I joined an online community of people who were also trying to lose weight. It was really helpful to be able to talk to other people who were going through the same thing as me. They gave me the motivation and support that I needed to keep going when things got tough.

So, why did I decide to lose weight in the first place? Well, I had been struggling with my weight for a long time, and I knew that it was affecting my health and my self-esteem. I was tired of feeling self-conscious about my body, and I wanted to be able to enjoy my life without feeling limited by my weight. I wanted to be able to wear clothes that I felt comfortable in, and to be able to participate in activities without feeling out of breath.

I'm happy to say that now that I've lost the weight, I'm feeling so much better. I have more energy, I'm able to do things that I couldn't do before, and I'm finally able to wear clothes that I feel good in. I'm also feeling more confident and self-assured, which has been a huge boost to my self-esteem.

But my journey is not over yet, I have a goal weight of 65kg and I am still working towards it. I know that it won't be easy, but I'm determined to keep going. I will continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet, and I will also continue to seek support from my online community. I'm confident that with hard work and dedication, I will reach my goal weight and maintain it for the long term.

Thanks for reading my story, and I hope that it inspires you to start your own weight loss journey. Remember, it's never too late to start making changes for the better.

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UPDATE: Approximately 230lbs (105kg in metric) and I wanna lose about 20 kilos for July. You guys think it's possible?

I'm here after almost a month since my original post and, if the counter I bought halfway through the month is as accurate as it has been, I've lost 5 kilograms (10lbs)!

I honestly thought it would be really difficult to pull it off for this long, but the real hardships were at the start of the month. I was just getting into a completely new eating habit and the cravings to eat/drink junk were definitely there, but I found a way to compromise in a mostly healthy way.

I haven't really seen any significant physical results yet and yes, I've taken multiple pictures for comparison. I know it's just my impatience talking and that one month of weight loss won't turn me into a greek god, so I keep going until I can finally say there's a change!

At first, I limited myself to purely healthy food (big mistake), but willpower can only go so far before it backfires, so I opted for having the occasional diet soda (Pepsi Max or Coke Zero) as well as half a chocolate bar worth 250kcal once a day, whichever day I'd feel like getting some sugar. So far, it's been working almost effortlessly and I feel no pressure to eat any junk food whatsoever!

I've also started training 3 days a week and bought dumbbells so I can lift at home. I started cycling whenever the weather decides to get better, although my exams have been somewhat in the way of that these past few weeks.

I've calculated my daily caloric intake and oddly enough, I've settled with a deficit much higher than 500 calories, something around 1000-1500. It doesn't really hinder my energy levels or mood, so I think this is the most optimal option for me. I mostly focus on protein and try to reduce my carb intake whenever I can.

I still have 15 kilos (30lbs) to lose, but the journey seems more achievable than ever and my motivation is far from running out. I hope you guys feel the same ease on your own journeys and keep the grind going!

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The science of behavior change

I listened to a very interesting podcast the other day on the science of behavior change...and it has given me the courage to try again. Basically, the podcast guest explained that there are five stages of long-term behavior change.... and that it takes least 90 days to really solidify a lasting habit. They are Psych, Plan, Perspire, Persevere, and Persist. His advice was to really make sure you've mastered each stage before moving on to the next, which makes sense. It's also in stark contrast to what I've tried before, which is just wake up one day and decide to just start doing everything I should. Ha

I feel like we spend so much of our time talking about the mechanics of weight loss... But not as much as we should on the psychology behind it. In case anyone else would find it helpful, here are the five stages he discussed:

Psych: really getting in touch emotionally, through both positive and negative visualizations, of what will happen if you don't change and what will happen if you do. Really feel the feels. Make it real in your heart and mind. One idea I had was writing an apology letter to my kids from a future self for not taking care of myself throughout my lifetime... And then having health problems that led me to be less available to them, even the burden to them, during my so-called golden years.

Plan: think through in advance how you are going to handle things like cravings, your schedule, working through all the obstacles you can think of in advance that get in the way. This is the time to think about what your triggers are for making poor food choices and for skipping exercise. For me, I found that when the kids left for school and I had some alone time, I felt this overwhelming need to indulge myself: cookies with my coffee. Too many cookies. So much of my time is devoted to the care of others, so the trigger for me was this feeling of wanting to really lean in to treating myself. So I came up with the idea to put $1 into a piggy bank every time I resisted a craving. It's been a week so far and it's working. I have $15! I just visualize something completely and utterly extravagant that I might spend it on, a splurge for myself. It works for me because I already have a hard time spending money on myself, so in a way I am "paying" myself to take care of myself. In the long term, I'm actually saving money. If I take care of myself better, I will have fewer medical bills, I will have more energy to work harder in my job, etc. Different people have different triggers. The important thing is to find a substitute thing that meets the same need.

Perspire: work the plan

Persevere: This is the idea that obstacles come up after we've been working our plan for a while. Could be a trip. Could be a visit. It could be a holiday. It could also be that you're starting to feel better about yourself and so the pressure to change has been relieved a bit and so the motivation wanes. It's normal. That's when it's important to go back to the positive and negative visualizations. To feel the feels and find that emotionally resonant motivation.

Persist: This is the same as maintenance. This is where when you relapse you don't beat yourself up over it, you realize that you are human and you go back to the steps again.... But the more quickly you can correct a relapse, the last time effort and energy it takes to go through the perspiration part.... Because you haven't backslid that much. This is the time to combat the all or nothing thinking: If you slipped, you didn't fail and all is not lost. It's just part of being human. The important thing is what you do next.

The other thing he said are the two major results of the weight loss registry, which tracks users who've kept off a significant amount of weight for 5 years or more: weigh yourself regularly and log your foods. That's the accountability part. I'm sure that's not news to most of us that this is what it takes to keep our health at the top of mind.... instead of the mindless eating patterns that lead us to forget that we have bodies that require care and maintenance.

I have gained back all the weight I had lost about 2 years ago, plus the usual extra 5 lb. But I'm ready to try again. And this time, I want to focus more on the psychology of better habit building than on diet plans. Wish me luck!

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Can Audible help?

I have a lot of Audible credits that are going unused because I get most of my audiobooks from the library. Does anyone have suggestions for audiobooks, podcasts, anything I can listen to, that you've found to be helpful for weight loss?

Normally I enjoy listening to fun fiction books during exercise, chores, and driving, but if there's something you think would make weight loss more effective or less miserable, I'd like to try it.

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At 18 lbs lost, my restless leg syndrome has returned.

I've been obese for my entire adult life. About a 15 years ago I lost a lot of weight, from 340 lbs. to 200 lbs. I developed restless leg syndrome. (When I go to bed, my legs feel like they need to stretch. The moment I flex a leg muscle, the feeling gets so intense I need to get out of bed and move my legs.) I used to have to get up in the middle of the night and do deep knee bends in order to get back to sleep. Crazy right? I gained some of the weight back, and my restless leg syndrome went away. I've been 240 lbs to 260 lbs for the last 10 years, without restless leg syndrome.

I recently lost 18 lbs, and my restless leg syndrome has returned, and seems to be worse. Not only is it happening at night, it's also happening during the day. Right now my legs are restless as I'm typing this, and I feel like I need to stretch them.

Has anyone experienced restless leg syndrome associated with weight loss? Has anyone found a way to get relief? Thanks in advance.

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