Health Link: Looking to gain muscle? Buy Each Day As It Comes
By Groovybabe • Sep 3rd, 2007 • Category: lifeI’ve been trying to think of a topic to write about today, something that is close to my heart and is happening to me, but things are moving along hunkydory. The scales are dwindling at a nice rate and I am have not fluctuated once since I have moved homes, over a week ago (I hope I have not spoken too soon). Yesterday I didn’t go out for exercise but I did spend all day painting. Today I am heading over to the gym for a full workout.
I know I go on about it but I cannot believe how well I am doing. If you knew me pre-groovybabe then you’ll know how useless I was at weightloss. I mean, you don’t get to the weight I was being any good at weightloss! But I tried so many times and failed. I’d lose a stone, maybe 20 pounds at a push before my motivation would dwindle and I was having late night rendevous with a packet of cookies (and the rest). I would say one of the differences now is that I am not dreaming of a time when I can eat with abandon, I am thinking of a time when I can run without getting out of breath and can fit into a size 10 skirt. A time when I can look in the mirror and be proud of who I see looking back. I’m eating to live now, not living to eat. I started this in May and cannot believe we are now in September and my will to lose weight and get healthy are stronger than ever.
Groovybabe is 14.9 stones today and has lost 2lbs at her last weigh in.
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I have to think writing about your journey is a huge factor in your being so successful. I know it is a big part of what has helped me and I’m only a month in. There is just this extra level of accountability. In my case I have starting graphing (http://www.johnisfit.com/graphs) a ton of different stats, and seeing those things move up or down as appropriate is really motiviating.
It’s very encouraging to read about how well you’re doing on your weight loss!
I agree with John that tracking your status helps. I got discouraged because I didn’t see myself losing two pounds a week, as I had planned. But when I averaged out the gains and losses over a month, it turned out that I had been losing 2 pounds a week on average. Had to look at a month’s worth of results to see that, otherwise I wouldn’t have believed it.
Is there anything else you’re doing differently this time that you think might be helping?
Keep up the good work!
That is the thing that has really impressed me about you…your strength of mind.
I think another difference is you’re eating the way you could see yourself eating at a healthy weight. What you used to do is go 100% into the “if I eat very little I’ll lose another 11 pounds this week” and you’d practically starve and then only lose 6 pounds and give up.
This time, you went into it gradually making changes. You started a new thing (changing your foods, going to the gym, etc) every so often, and really got into living your new lifestyle, not being on a diet focused on the DAY you get to goal. You’re imagining the maintenance, the years down the road. That is why it’s working this time.
John
I definitely think that writing this blog helps, as does writing everything I eat, all my exercise and water consumption down in a paper journal too.
Mary
Yeah, people showed concerns that I was losing too much in the early days but when you average it out over the 12 weeks I have been doing it, it comes to about 2.8lbs per week, which while over the rec. is not a great deal over. I will try and have a think about what else I am doing differently and write a post on it. Thanks for your support.
Rachel
Thanks. I would say my strength of mind is what has got me through this. If you’re feeling vulnerable through depression or other mental health issues it is impossible to lose a lot of weight over time. I have been blogging five years and am by far the strongest of mind I have been in those years. I simply could not have done this a year ago.
Betz
That’s the thing though, in the early days I was pretty much starving myself! I was having about 1100 calories when I should have been having 1800. It’s how I saw such big results inititally but I couldn’t maintain that over a stretch of time. Incidently I am now eating more than I have in the last 12 weeks (1500) and am losing at a faster rate so there is something in the theory of your body going into starvation mode.
I did make small changes every week though like you pointed out. And try to lead a healthier lifestyle. I think though the main reason I am doing it this time is down to the panic attacks. They really made me believe my size was going to be the death of me. That and giving myself one year to get my health sorted before I resort to WLS - and I REALLY don’t want to go under the knife while morbidly obese.