What I learned from my weight loss attempts

amother

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 6:07 am

1) The best motivation to keep going is the success you see after a few days. It's the first few days that are the hardest. Both because you're still hungrier (your stomach is stretched out and not used to smaller portions) and because the self-control feels like it's in vain. Once you see what you can accomplish, it becomes easier to control yourself.

2) Exercise helps a ton. Both cardio and muscle training. It doesn't always help me lower the numbers on the scale, but it makes me feel alive, healthy, energized and gives me a can-do attitude. In addition, it helped me become thinner. Even before I saw a difference on the scale, I saw a difference in the mirror. And now that I am losing more consistently, the twice/thrice a week intense 45 minute exercise (aside from my daily 15 minute workout) gives the number on the scale that extra push lower.

3) Portion control is huge. I used to eat a lot - some junk but lots of healthy food. Once I started myfitnesspal and realizing how many calories are in even 100% healthy foods, I was able to have a greater awareness of where to cut down, which foods make me feel full for less calories, etc. For example, I can eat a plate of oatmeal (not instant) and milk for a delicious filling breakfast, but a slice of whole wheat bread and a plate of vegetables (even with a hard-boiled egg sometimes) are fewer calories and last me longer.

4) I tried so many times. Kept deciding, ok, this is it; by Pesach I will be x amount. Or I am not eating any more white sugar. Or I'm going to lose 2 lb/week for the next five weeks. But I also kept on falling through - a Shabbos away, Purim, a wedding, eating out at a restaurant for a special occasion. These things set me back and took me off track. What got me to stick to it no matter what special occasion comes up was establishing a reward for myself for when I reach a certain weight goal. That number is not my target goal. I'd like to lose more than that. But working towards a half-way number and knowing I will get something (I really want but really don't need), kept me on track even with Pesach, even with a vort, and whatever else comes up.

5) You must have support. My dh used to bring home little treats for me here and there, which I loved! It showed me his love for me and I always ate it regardless of my weight loss journey. Till we discussed it. He wants me to be thinner (though I'm doing it more for myself than for him), so I can't have him sabotaging it. Now he'll tell me, I wanted to bring you a slice kugel (from the vachnacht) but I know you're trying so hard. Or he bought flowers for YT instead of a food treat.

6) I love waking up in the morning, no matter how tired I am, I jump out of bed because it means I can weigh myself and BH see a number that proves to me that my work pays off. (I record the weight once a week to see weight loss per week, but I weigh myself each morning.)

Good luck to all of us working on ourselves!!!

wifenmother

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:10 am

Thanks for posting! Appreciate the chizuk it's given me.

I so relate to what you've mentioned about excercise. It keeps me focused, and the energy gives me a tremendous push forward.

Continued hatzlocha!

flowerpower

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:16 am

Good tips!!!

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:19 am

Good luck! You a very smart! I’m doing weight watchers now and you are right on the mark!

animeme

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:25 am

Interesting. I find the first week the easiest, because I expect to feel hungry and know that I just have to push through and weight and eventually the weight will come off. It's when I'm a month in and still hungry (that's just me- I'm eating enough) and I'm tired of always preparing snacks and meals instead of grabbing that the going gets hard.

I completely agree about exercise.

nursemomma

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:31 am

Great job and I agree with much of what you said. One thing though, where you mention the calories- it's not all that counts. For ex, that ww bread instead of oatmeal may be less calories, but compare the ingredients and nutritional contents...How about measuring out a serving of oats (or less) instead of going for a full bowl, with veggies and even an egg (protein). May keep you going for just as long as that bread.

toysrus

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 10:37 am

But how do I keep from cheating? and how to keep going after cheating?

Shoshana37

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 12:32 pm

I have downloaded the my fitness pal app and have been counting my calories and have not gone over it either but it has been 3 weeks now and I still haven’t seen any weight loss. I’m so good at counting everything but still no improvement. I do 10k steps 3x week and still nothing. 😰 help

amother

Dodgerblue

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 12:45 pm

Shoshana37 wrote:

Ahh... you are forgetting to drink!

As long as you are not gaining, eventually it will kick in once you start drinking a lot and you WILL loose... guaranteed

amother

cornflower

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 2:08 pm

nursemomma wrote:

I measured a 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal. I added a tablespoon of honey and ate it with 1/4 cup milk. It filled me up nicely but I wasn't stuffed. It came out to over 300 calories. A slice of bread is 67 calories, plain cut up veggies are mostly free - like 30 in total for a full plate, and if I decide to do an egg, that only adds 78 calories. I feel like I'm eating a full meal, as opposed to a plate of oatmeal, it kept me full for longer, AND it's like half the amount of calories!

amother

cornflower

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 2:12 pm

Shoshana37 wrote:

I saw for myself that I need to be at least slightly under my calorie amount in order to lose. If I stick to it, I maintain (which is better than gaining).

I do active exercise every day for 20 minutes and twice a week an additional 40 minutes.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 4:07 pm

Respectfully op, I think you demonstrated why losing weight is so difficult. To be honest, your ideas and observations are mostly obvious and well known. Exercise, portion control, and support groups, are staples in most diets. How about don't eat late at night? Truth is that dieting is just plain hard. And it's not because we don't know what to do. In fact, we do know what to do. It's just hard to do it. Good luck!

amother

cornflower

Thu, Apr 19 2018, 5:11 pm

amother wrote:

I wasn't trying to be mechadesh anything here. I am sharing observations that I had in how these factors worked for me and how they impacted my journey in losing weight and inches.

I didn't find that eating late at night had an effect either way except if it wasn't in calorie allowance.

Of course it's hard! Did I insinuate that it isn't? It becomes much easier though once you start seeing the results.

amother

Tangerine

Fri, Apr 20 2018, 12:07 pm

I have used MyFitnessPal in the past to lose and then maintain my weight. Now I gained back the weight so I am back to logging again. It's a great resource. Also exercise helps me lose inches not necessarily pounds. That's why it's important to take your measurements.

amother

Burgundy

Fri, Apr 20 2018, 12:19 pm

I had to make drastic changes to my diet based on recommendations from my naturopath. What worked for me was really treating what I couldn't eat as true 'assur'. So no 'cheating' in the same way that I don't sneak into McDonalds Smile

Eating a small piece of cake (which I couldn't eat on the diet) was not a reward, if I had done that it really would have messed with my resolve - and I was convinced that eating anything from the 'do not list' would ruin the work that I was doing for myself. So since I really hate fall into self loathing for 'screwing this up' - I didn't.

I am an emotional eater - so it was important for me to have food around that I could snack on that was 'ok to eat'. For me that was almonds.

Shoshana37

Fri, Apr 20 2018, 1:44 pm

I drink water too besides counting my calories and I eat at least 200 calories less wash day so I don’t use all my calorie . Still no results 😰

Chanale1

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:55 pm

Shoshana37 wrote:

I drink water too besides counting my calories and I eat at least 200 calories less wash day so I don’t use all my calorie . Still no results 😰

That's really frustrating Sad

I don't have advice except that I've had similar experiences in the past when trying to lose weight. Sometimes it feels like whatever you do things just don't move. But the main thing is to keep doing it I suppose and have a lifestyle that supports not just weight loss but also general well-being and keep going with it, until you get results.

I've read somewhere that once you are overweight to get to normal weight you actually need to eat less consistently than someone who is normal weight now and not gaining. Maybe it has something to do with metabolism and people who gain weight easily either already have more trouble with theirs or it has got damaged by earlier bad habits? I don't know. But just goes to show that it's not all in our control, we can just do our best.

amother

cornflower

Fri, May 11 2018, 7:08 am

OP here again.
I have reached my half-way goal! I lost a total of 9 pounds. Now I truly deserve the reward I set for myself. I worked really hard - both in self-control and exercise.

I'm also at the point now where some people started noticing and commenting on how good I look. It feels good that the results are visible to others, not only to me.

I am not done though. My ultimate goal is 7 pounds away. I plan on sticking to my system until I reach that goal. I'm wondering now if I should set myself another reward for that. It needs to be something worthwhile... Any ideas?

amother

Mon, Mar 21 2022, 5:35 am

I'm the OP of this thread and I'm back. I had a baby since I posted last, lost most of my weight gained by working really hard, but it was too hard to stick to it, and now I'm back up 10 pounds and moving upward. I searched for this thread to give me chizzuk in getting back on track. One of my issues is that my exercise schedule changed and it's not working out so well. Without exercise I lose willpower.

Not_in_my_town

Mon, Mar 21 2022, 6:36 am

Wishing you a lot of hatzlacha getting back on track!