facingfacts12!
Sending a big
your way! Yes, this COVID-19 pandemic is very scary. I'm happy that you're prioritizing your health and wellness and getting back to posting.
First, a disclaimer, I have regained a lot of the weight I lost but I am relaying my successful weight loss experience in my early 40s. Of course I'm an experiment of one but hopefully it will boost your optimism that it can be done. There were a couple of things that I originally did just to feel better because I was pretty inactive and ate lousy. First, I started walking. This wasn't power walking, just regular walks in my neighborhood and in the park. The second thing I did was eat recommended serving sizes. I didn't change what I ate in the beginning (that came later). For example, if a serving size of chips was 13 chips, I ate only 13 chips. Finally, I started drinking more water--a lot more water. This was all reasonable and doable for me. I committed to these things only.
Admittedly, I was hungry for the first couple of weeks because I wasn't eating the volume of food I was used to. This ended up being a blessing in disguise because it forced me to find ways to feed myself better with more nourishing foods. I noticed changes immediately in the way I felt. Getting outside every day (sometimes twice a day) did wonders for my mindset. I also slept better. I also saw a difference on the scale nearly every week. There were small drops each week. I'm sure the initial weight loss was a lot of water, but then weight began to drop and I started seeing small changes in how my clothes fit. As I felt better I began to experiment with different exercise routines and healthy eating.
It took me over a year and I managed to keep it off for nearly five years. Lots of life changes happened after that time; I got promoted and my workload increased significantly and I went through a tough breakup. Long story short, I lost my momentum and started cutting corners. Slowly but steadily my weight crept back up. Age didn't bring the pounds back; having no maintenance plan and thinking I was done with weight loss did. I'm working remotely and am trying to use the new "normal" as a time to re-focus on my health.
I have no doubt that you can do this
facingfacts12! The fact that you've returned to 3FC says that you're thinking about this seriously. Your way is probably going to look different than mine and others and that's to be expected. As long as you're doing it healthily and safely that's all that matters. There is no right or wrong way but always remember to treat yourself kindly during the process. Good luck and keep posting!