i think that all the emotional energy and mental focus it takes just to stay on track should burn 500 calories an hour. i'm just at the start of my journey though i'm certainly not new to weight loss...i've never had this much weight to lose. i've developed patterns and habits over the years that i was completely oblivious to until now. i've discovered things about myself emotionally that i would have been shocked to know 3 months ago. i'm astounded by how protected i feel by the very same fat that i hate! and how much i've been numbing myself with eating since getting out of a very abusive relationship and a traumatic surgery. we are all overweight for different reasons but those are mine. while i'm rather disappointed that i did this to myself i'm proud of myself for snapping out of it.

until now i always believed that losing weight was a math game. simple numbers and nothing more. now it has become much more than that. who knew?

this is taking much more focus than i ever imagined it would. breaking patterns is hard. creating new ones is hard. i hate to sound whiny but this is tough! i know it is rewarding too though.

I am just at the beginning too, I hope that all the EFFORT will become more like HABIT soon. We'll see.

i'm really glad that you brought this up! I had felt this same way not too long ago.
i completely agree with you that it's not just a math game and it is tough.

i too felt protected by my fat. this is why weightloss was such a battle for me. I started thinking and realized that maybe my fat is not really protecting me. I've just grown so comfortable with it. Like a child with a teddy bear, I just needed to grow out of it, and find ways to feel strong without my fat.

It's not a math game because you're not just trying to lose weight. You're trying to live your life in the healthiest and most fulfilling way.

Don't make it all about losing weight. If you hate running, don't force yourself to run instead of walk just because it'll make you burn more calories. You should be doing stuff you can actually enjoy. If you hate broccoli, don't eat it!!!

it's not about maximizing outputs and minimizing inputs! it's your life and you have every right to enjoy. You don't need to go on an eradication mission of all your "bad" habits. Keep the ones that you enjoy.

that's just my 2cents, I'm no expert but this is how I keep going. there are days when I work myself to dead-tiresomeness (physically and emotionally) because of the daily grinds. But I didn't cave in and bought unhealthy food or ignored my body's need to exercise. I took the next day easier though and rewarded myself with some sweets.

Don't worry about weightloss (or gain) as long as you feel positive and strong, the drop in pounds are just bonuses that come along with a healthy lifestyle.

a few weeks ago I asked the question "is trying to lose weight is even worth trying if it takes so much sacrifices", I've got a lot of great answers from people who are going through it. The answer was "YES."

I know how that is. I think the tedious part is just becoming aware of all this, maybe it's even more tedious than breaking the patterns of bad habits. Most of my bad habits are things I just wasn't thinking about, so I think it's a matter of re-programming oneself to make the healthier choices and to be more aware of the consequences of your actions. I'm finding that I just default to bad habits, and if I try to think things through in a more sane fashion, I can try to form new habits. And then it will get easier.
Agree very much.

peachcake: yes i hope that all this will turn into habit too! what a happy thought. i hope that day gets here sooner rather than later.

lbs2: i agree with everything you said and i appreciate your point of view. life should be enjoyable first and foremost otherwise nothing that happens is worth it. being thin isn't all that great if you're miserable every moment. i've been both 215 lbs and 102 lbs so i know both sides of it. while i was thin at 102 i was also sick and exhausted and STARVING all the time.

lucky for me though, i do love broccoli.

amy 180: that's very true. i've been creating all these habits while being oblivious to them. now i have to be conscious. doing that is a challenge for me but one i know will be well worth it.