GOAL WEIGHT TODAY!
I don't really feel any different than I have the last couple weeks, but it is such a great feeling to see the scale. My goal is 150 but actually today it said 149.5. But... with me... each time I see a new low, a day or two later it is up 1-1.5 pounds, then I just stick with it, and it then goes lower than my previous low. Then repeat that process. I started in July 15th and lost 46 as of today.
So MFP says I can have 1850 calories to maintain (without exercise). IDK, that seems low. I've been eating between 1200-1500 but I know I just have to play with it to see. When I input my walking this morning I now have 2150 calories.
Anyway, this is the first time I have gotten this low since before kids (who are 23 and 20 and both having birthdays soon!) Why was this time I successful? I wish I knew – then I could sell it and be rich! But what I can attribute it to is this:
1) 3FC - some of things I have read on here have been so motivating. The one that really sticks out is "I'm not telling myself I can NEVER have it... I can always have it later". It was in this calorie counters section and I can't remember who said it but it was shortly before the holidays and it just made sense to me. So for the holidays, it was much easier for me to pass up all the cookies, etc., because I could tell myself “it will be here next year - or anytime I want to just buy it and eat it I can”. Instead of feeling sorry for myself and saying “I can’t have that”, I now say “I can have it later". Also read that in the WillPower book.
2) MFP - the thing that helped me so much there when you click the "finished logging for the day" it tells you what you weigh in 5 weeks. I never checked if that is what I really weighed in 5 weeks but the reason it helped me was on the days I went way over. I could go way over my goal calories and it would still usually say I'd weigh about 1 pound less in 5 weeks. So that showed me I didn't "blow it".
3) Exercise. I know. I hated it too. I hadn't done it for over 24 years. But I started with just walking less than a mile, then a mile and now I do 3-4 six days a week. I'm not doing anything particularly strenuous - but it is just that movement helps! I did start adding planking and a tiny bit of jogging since January but that is to help tone. Now I really look forward to my exercise. It's at home, free, and I do feel so much better. I know many people don't like the Leslie Sansone videos but I find her very motivating, so I keep on doing it.
4) I'm not perfect at this - but I try not to eat while watching TV, surfing web, or working. I have learned you need to concentrate on what you are eating. It actually gets boring if you are used to multi-tasking like me. I have found I can't wait to finish my meal, so that I can do something else. But it does help you realize how much you are eating.
5) Staying busy. I already work 2 jobs (teach full time at a HS and part time at a college) but I am now writing an app. You can learn how to do anything with the Internet. I am still a month or so from releasing it and it is just an educational game aimed at middle school kids. I started it in the summer and it is taking a while -but I get so addicted to working on it in the evening that I really don't think about snacking. A friend of mine picked up knitting and same thing ... she's busy with that. There are so many articles that talk about how knitting is good for our brains too!
I going to start posting in the maintenance thread but going to keep watch and cheer you on as each of you hit your goals too! From what I have read on the maintenance threads it is just a life-time struggle. So I will have to find my way and figure out what works for me. But given what I have learned so far, I think I can do it. Of course I don't want to be counting every calorie I eat forever, but I think for a while that is just how it will be.
I am concerned that there might be an end to my patience, and I worry about the consequences. Hiding all matches and knives today. (JOKING! people!)
