So, I have been thinking about weight loss, food, and exercise waaaaay too much lately. I'm to the point where I am micro-managing every little thing about my day around how much exercise I am getting and what I am eating.
I am starting to become very obsessed with it. And my fear with this is that it will lead to feelings of depression and defeat if I am not 100% on plan. I am already having terrible body image issues as it is.
So, what I am thinking, is instead of focusing on losing two pounds per week.....maybe I should focus on only losing around one pound instead?
My thought process with this is that I can focus on working on fixing my over-eating and not feel defeated if I eat over 1600-1700 calories a day.
I have a moderately physical job (mailroom/package delivery/office replenishment) which sometimes keeps me on my feet a decent amount of the day. My exercise consists of mainly walk/jogging intervals between 40-60 minutes about 3-4 times a week and I will be adding in 2-3 days of strength training this week.
I am trying to get into the mindset of this being a lifestyle change instead of a temporary diet. I also want to avoid losing too quickly and having too much excess skin from the loss.
Does this sound like a good idea? Or will this lead to going off-track?
Any comments or changes/ideas are greatly appreciated!
I think that it sounds like a good idea, but my personal opinion is that what helped me "stay on track" and be on this plan is because it is a lifestyle changer, rather than just losing weight.
So, it didn't matter if I hitting exactly one pound a week or more or less, because it was all linked to being healthier. As long as I was eating healthy and exercising, then I knew the weight would come off, just maybe not in the straight line that I wanted it to come off....
Sure, aim for 1 lb a week, but don't get frustrated or angry if the loss is less. IF you're doing this to be healthier, then your health also matters -- not just the number on the scale.
And what if you don't lose a pound one week? Never set a goal to lose a certain amount of weight in a specific amount of time. It can lead to bad things when you don't.
Make your focus learning to eat in a way that will let you lose weight now and keep it off in the future, to exercise most days of the week at something you enjoy, and the changes you need to make in your way of handling emotions so you don't responde by eating. These are the real goals we should be working towards.
Calculating your calories in versus calories out to lose 1lb a week and sticking to that plan is fine, because it is safer and more maintainable than rapid weight loss, but expecting any specific number to be lost each week is still going to bring disappointment.
If you calculate the exercise and calories, and let your body do the rest, you'll lose all the weight you want eventually.
You are right it is a lifestyle change. I wouldn't get hung up on numbers, though. It will be hard to tell your body " remember only one pound a week". Some weeks you may lose 2 pounds, some weeks a half a pound. It is the bottom line that counts. Pick a program that you can follow and just stay with it.
I am focusing on being healthier and eating better as well as wanting to look and feel better physically. I am also hoping that the exercise will help with my depression and raise my moods.
I am not expecting to lose a constant one pound per week; I know I could lose more or less each week.
I am looking to be eating/working out in a way that would typically result in losing about a pound weekly (if that makes sense).
I think that sounds reasonable. Like others said, your body might decide otherwise but that's Ok as long as you're going in the right direction.
If you do want to set goals for yourself why not set goals of staying on plan X number of days or reward yourself for specific exercise achievements? Then you'll have a sense of acchomplishment besides the scale and maybe that will help with some of the obsession/depression.
FWIW, slow weight loss has really been the key to my success this time around. I've TRIED calorie counting and aiming for that mystical 2lbs/week in the past and after not losing anything after a week (and realistically not being able to stick to the plan 100% that week either) I always gave up. Eventually I decided that I was going ot make lifestyle changes that I could do for the rest of my life. Baby steps that I could stick to and that really made the difference for me. I accepted that my weight loss will be slow but that as long as it was going in the right direction that that was what was important.
As for the body image issues what has helped me is 1. pictures and 2. finding clothes that fit well and I feel confident in. I was getting really upset recently because I couldn't find anything to fit my body time and was getting pretty down on myself because of that. Then I find this amazingly cute dress (FINALLY!) and I feel way, way better. I know clothes can't buy you happiness but it was more than that for me, it was finding something I could feel confident and show off my weight loss because my old clothes weren't doing that.
I am focusing on being healthier and eating better as well as wanting to look and feel better physically. I am also hoping that the exercise will help with my depression and raise my moods.
I've found that exercise, and the healthier eating, helps with my moods, if I'm stressed out or feeling down, after a good bout of exercise, my mood lifts. The exercise helps with my eating too, if I feel down about eating something I wish I hadn't, the exercise makes me get back on track right away, and the exercise helps me not want to eat off plan too -- I can see how much effort goes into losing those calories.
the exercise has helped with the shape of my body too, I do some resistance and free weights.
I've experienced lots of factors can affect weight fluctuations (TOM, salt, other dietary stuff and bodily reactions to eating, heat waves, etc.), so I try not to let the weight ups and downs get to me, and just stick with my plan and carry on. Eventually it does come off when I do that.
Planning on only losing one pound a week
