[Learning Curve]

I am embarking on a 100 pound weight loss journey, I am not doing very well so far. I think my expectations are a little too high. Let me explain a little, I lost 70 pounds in 3 months 4 years ago, and as soon as I started to eat properly and get some exercise I started losing weight like crazy. This lead me to want to see more and more weight loss and I ended up surviving on water, coffee and the odd celery stick and carrot stick. This was not hard for me at all as I am generally not hungry or full regardless I can eat nothing or everything in sight but anyways I was told I may have hypothyroidism (haven't gotten the blood work done) and I find that eating well and exercising a bit is doing nothing to the scale or making me feel any better this time. I mean I know its not usually easy, but because it was SO easy before, ride my bike a half hour or walk an hour and lose 5 pounds over night it seems so hard to stay motivated this time when the scale does not move no matter what...
I am just wondering if any of you could tell me how it was when you started on your journeys, so I will feel more hope?
Thanks

[LaurieDawn]

Welcome! You don't need me to tell you that subsisting for months on water, coffee, and occasional celery and carrot sticks is probably not a healthy way to lose weight, so I won't. 70 pounds in 3 months is still a huge loss in a short amount of time, even with those eating habits. You were definitely the anomaly.

Everyone loses at different rates, depending on age, genetics, plan, etc. I do not lose at nearly the rate you have described, but I lose faster than other people. The way that I get through the early months of weight loss, when scale losses don't seem to be showing up in size losses just yet, is to focus on the positive parts of taking care of myself. I feel better when I am eating better and exercising, both physically and mentally. I learn about myself, and I get stronger and more capable of doing physical things.

It's a long road to a 100-pound loss. Glad to have you here as a fellow traveler on this difficult path. Good luck finding your zen with the difficult early parts, and good luck finding the answers to your medical issues.

[slimmingsi]

In that surviving on nothing you have more than likely trashed your metabolism. Your body doesn't want to lose weight because it doesn't want to return to that state.

Forget the scales. 11 years ago I joined this board. and I've see it all come and go and come back again leave again and come back again. The thing is people fail for many reasons. some set unrealistic goals don't meet them and give up. some set a goal hit it and then fail because there is nothing left to achieve. some fall foul of that inconvenience called life getting in the way.

What I've learned above all else, this is not a race to the bottom, its not about hitting a target. its about a life long commitment to treating your body right. you eat fruit and veg cut out rubbish and exercise and you will feel better. the weight will drop away naturally.

When we concentrate on weight first and exercise/diet as a way to achieve it then we fail. when we concentrate on exercise/diet to make ourselves feel better then we have long term success.