Sincerenity

Hi. It’s been a while.

It’s been rough.

If you’ve read one of my posts before, then you know that I’m on a weight loss journey. You can read my story here.

I didn’t lose any weight for 10 months!!! Here are 10 things I learned:

1 – I stopped gaining weight

Yeah, I didn’t lose any weight for 10 months. However, I didn’t gain any weight either. In other words, I maintained my weight with very little effort.

Knowing how to maintain weight is really important because once I’m done with my weight loss journey, that’s what I’ll have to do the rest of my life

2 – Realistic goals

My previous goal was to lose half of my weight, which was to lose 156 pounds total. I’m not going to lie… that goal was too overwhelming. It was a big goal, very ambitious, but for me, right now, it is unrealistic.

So, I adjusted my goal. I decided I wanted to lose 100 pounds, not 156. Someday, eventually, I will, but I’ve never lost a lot of weight before. This is my first time, so I want to make it as easy and realistic for myself as I can. Losing 100 pounds was much more manageable than thinking about 156.

3 – Despite progress, I’m not invincible

I made a ton of progress. I’ve mastered meal planning, I don’t emotionally eat nearly as much as I used to, I work out more than I ever have, and more. However, despite this significant progress, I’m not invincible or done with my goals. Not nearly done.

I found myself getting very comfortable with my little routine I had made for myself and wasn’t really pushing myself anymore. No challenge = no growth = plateau.

4 – Every effort counts

“Good” or “Bad”, every effort counts. Every snack, every meal, every exercise (and lack of) counts to something. Whether that’s for – or against – my goal.

5 – Make a plan and stick to it

I rely on my mood. “I feel like losing weight today.” So, I’ll workout, stick to my meal plan, be in a calorie deficit, get lots of steps, lots of water, etc.

“Ugh, I am not feeling it today.” So, I don’t workout, I overeat, I hardly move, drink more soda than water, etc.

I made a plan and know it works. I can’t rely on my mood to help me get to my goals, I need to rely on my plan. Honestly, I’m only in the mood about 50%-60% of the time, sometimes less. So I’m only seeing 50%-60% of the results I want.

If I stick to my goal 90%-100% of the time, I can see that much in the results I want.

6 – Get support

I consider myself to be independent… however, this is something I cannot do on my own. It’s hard to ask for help because I don’t know what I need help with, or how others can help.

I’ve experimented with different things. My husband is my greatest support, so sometimes I’ll ask him specific things, such as “Can you not offer me your extra food?” or “Can we only eat out once this week?” or even “Can you hide this food where I can’t reach it?” (I’m only 5’2 so that is not hard to do)

This can be physical support, like my previous example, but it can also be emotional support. Sometimes I need to just talk it out: how I’m feeling, how frustrating it is, how I feel like I’m not making progress.

7 – What’s the point of this?

Why? Why am I doing this? Why am I putting myself in a calorie deficit and making myself exercise and go through all of this physicall/mental/emotional growth?

I have so many reasons to do this. It helps to write them all down. For me, I want to start a family, I want to wear the clothes I want, I want to feel confident on planes and roller coasters, I want to love what I see (both inside and out) and more. I think about those things all the time so that I can always remember why I’m doing all of this.

8 – Failure is in giving up

Even though I didn’t lose weight I still made progress in other ways. I didn’t give up. I refuse to change my start date. My start date was March 11, 2023. Have I lost weight every single day since then? Absolutely not. But that was the day I decided to actually, really lose weight. I haven’t given up and started over. That’s when I started, and I haven’t stopped trying since then.

9 – Anything is possible

It feels impossible. It really does. But I had to remind myself, I’ve lost x amount of weight already, I can do it again!

If you’ve lost a pound, congratulations! Now, do it again. And again. And again.

Losing 100 pounds feels impossible, but losing 1-2 pounds a week for the next year or so definitely sounds possible.

10 – Today is a new day

Who cares what happened yesterday? It’s done. It’s gone. There is nothing, absolutely nothing you can do in this entire universe. You know what you do have control of? Today.

I didn’t stay in a calorie deficit yesterday? Dang, that sucks. I can do it today, though!

I didn’t work out yesterday? Whelp. I can today, though!

I emotionally ate yesterday? Oh well. I don’t need to today!

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That’s the point of all this – the weight loss. On the surface, it’s changing physically, but I am physically because of what I am internally. This process is about learning and growing.

Initially I thought I wasted 10 months of my weight loss. But it’s only a waste if I didn’t learn anything.

I definitely learned something – I learned a lot. So no, those 10 months were not wasted.

I learned my lessons, I applied them, I broke my plateau, and am back on track. Here’s to a great year!