Any of you Feathers have regrets when it comes to your diet and weight loss journey? Things you'd do differently if given the chance?


My regret is that I didn't believe in the power of cardio. I always hated the very idea of sweating. I also thought that running wouldn't do much for my physique so I stuck to weight training and eating a little better. Well, that yielded some results but not the ones I wanted.


Once I incorporated cardio into my routine and made the commitment to stick to it, the weight started to melt off me, lol. It was then that the light bulb went off about not wanting to spend all that time running and still eat junk. So, I put the two elements together (cardio+diet) and viola! something that actually worked.


My stubborn attitude about cardio (specifically) dragged this journey of mine out for far too long. If I had just listened to the 'experts' about cardio being one of the key elements, I would've been fit years ago. But I guess the most important thing is that I'm here now...and that's what really counts.


What about you?

Not sticking with it.

I have made numerous attempts over the past few years to get my weight to where it is now. Each time Id lose between 10 and 12 lbs and start slacking off. Ultimately Id end up right back where I started. If I had just kept going I would've been here a long time ago.

fitmom, my regret is that I've used food to alter my emotions to the point that I've basically done permanent damage to my body. I'm still happy with it overall, but no amount of exercise or eating right will repair this damage.

Regarding your comments...I find the fascinating. I've heard so many experts say it's diet and weights...not cardio that help you lose weight. I think it's all of them. I am now really sticking to my diet, doing a good amount of cardio and also weights. In addition, I'm keeping active throughout the day instead of lounging around and using the fact that I've worked out as an excuse to move less.

My main regret is basically just not listening to my conscience when I am tempted to overeat, or eat things that are not healthy. Often, I just give in to the temptation and over do it. Then, the next morning I feel as though I have "morning after" symptoms, haha. Anyway, I just feel gross and bloated and dissapointed in myself.

I know that setbacks are part of this journey, but I do wish I could practice more self-control and listen when I know I shouldn't eat something.

I also wish that I had discovered earlier on in my journey that I need to eat more calories than what I was (900 just doesn't cut it). Once I started doing that, I found myself being able to excercise just as much (or even a little less), and lose more weight. If I had known this, I probably would have met goal a while ago.

Oh well. At least I am learning new things...that is the whole point of this journey - changing my mindset!

I regret the McD and KFC I ate this past weekend. LOL If I am going to indulge, it should be at least on something that tastes good.

I regret a period of 2 or 3 months where I lived on lean cuisines and 1,200 cals/day. ...inevitably, this led to a few binge/purge sessions, desperation and total loss of control. I really wish I knew what I know now and would have spent tons of time researching/studying nutrition/weight loss before getting to deep into it. Thankfully, all the research I've done is paying off and I'm 100% certain that I will forever maintain my loss.

I live to move and to eat. I 'discovered' clean eating (not so much tosca reno or the mag) earlier this year and have made it my mission to eat a diet that constitutes no more than 5-10% processed foods (if that) coupled with my most recent find: Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

I've always been a goal setter so now its prepping for the half marathon...being able to run 10k at 8:55/M and lifting using 15lbs bells I've never felt so strong, energetic and ALIVE.

I exercised (cardio & strength) throughout my entire journey, harder, and harder, and harder (I now run the loop I used to walk in 50 minutes in just under 27). That is one thing I definitely do not regret.

Again it was the poor eating. The manic calorie counting and ridiculous targets of 1,200/1,400 cals/day.

I have not gained a pound since Jan. 31...I've lost maybe 2. That says stability on 1,600/1,800 cals/day. I also have a running tracksheet since Jan 1. ...I ate at a deficit 67% of the time from Jan to June....and the other 1/3 I ate at a surplus...BIG F*ING DEAL. I am in better shape that 85% if not 90% of the people I see or work with and that will only improve.

bottom line EAT REAL FOOD and EAT more early in the day. ...Guess I had to figure it out theh hard way! OH and quit beating on myself. These message boards are a double edge sword: I love theadvice/experience people share, yet at the same time, i used to find that girls who go on and on about how little they eat or how much restricting they do to influence me or to make me feel as though I was not as good as they were at restricting (the whole comparing thing)...No more of that. If anything girls who eat too little and are always after the last couple pounds need to search inside themselves to find out what's really troubling them or begin to focus on becoming an athlete to normally/naturally lean out or build esteem.

I may never hit 115...So?! these last 5lbs? Are they gonna make or break me? ...I doubt it. ...My sister weighs as much as I do, but looks bigger because she has less lean muscle mass...I see it all the time. I weigh 5/10lbs MORE than a few other girls who are my height/weight, but their measurements are BIGGER than mine. WEIGHT is a number that we need to get over. I'm SLOWLY getting better at neverminding that damn scale

This helps me! Thanks!

Reading this I may be about to have a regret. I am calorie counting and limiting to 1,000 a day. I feel that I am getting enough to eat and I am losing weight - but maybe I should increase the calories?

...Don't be afraid to eat! lol ooooh if I knew then what I know now...I would have never weighed 200 + lbs...I would have also gradually decreased my calories and focused my 'diet' on eating smaller portions of real food combined with exercise. I KNOW! How's that for a revelation?! ...there's no need to deprive, and then punish if full deprivation isn't met...it only adds fuel to the fire and leads to unhealthy behaviours.

The most important thing about 'diet' is that you need to be able to do it forever; that is, of course, if you want to keep it off. ...the gal who works in the cube next to me lost 50lbs on Jenny Craig's 1,200cal/day diet...she's just changed her goal from 145 to 150 as she's been struggling like you wouldn't believe to lose those last few pounds. ...she also started smoking again (I quit smoking in October, and LOST nearly 25lbs thereafter).

Question begs to be asked: what will she do when she hits maintainance?! Certainly if she increases her calories by even a few hundred calories she will see teh scale creep up. This will freak her out, so she will do one of two things:

further restrict and punish or throw all caution to the side and re-gain 50 lbs +. how long can one maintain this?!

I also fell into the 1,200 cal/day trap. I lost most of my weight this way (DANG was I hungry! I COULD NEVER do this again; don't know where the willpower came from?!). It wasn't until december that I started to eat a bit more because i was reading everywhere that 1,200 cals may not be enough, especially for those who are engaged in regular exercise (plus I started getting involved in buying tons and tons of junk, eating all of it in 20 minutes or less and then purging until nothing came up- thats a very big flag that something's not right; I used to binge before when I was morbidly obese, but never did purge!)

...I upped my calories and upped my exercise and managed to lose several pounds (I finished 2010 at 132 and at end of Jan I hit 125 now I range between 122/126 (water weight, hormones, etc, measurements = 32/26.5/35.5 thighs = 22 = PEAR but that's ok! )). I have been averaging about 1,700/cals day and I do anywhere from 45 to 90 mins (long runs) of cardio 5 days a week and I strength train 120 mins (three 40 min sessions)/week. I stand at work...walk everywhere and eat probably 1,000 cals before 6 pm.

The first 45lbs came off in 2006. I regained about 15...and then I lost about 55/60 in 2010 (May to end of Jan. 2011).

I no longer feel hungry. I no longer obsess over food (I log EVERYTHING still though and will continue to as I'm a data nerd). I know I can do what I'm doing until the cows come home ...FREEDOM from my image, and weight, is FINALLY in sight. ...Addiciton too. ...I no longer smoke (I smoked 14 years age 12 to 26) or binge drink or engage in cocaine. ...nope not my body. its an AMAZING engine that I love, love love! It's amazing that I can run uphill and take stairs two at a time and run almost 10 miles now (I've only been running since end of April).

Think Lifestyle, healthstyle. Not skinny. There's no such thing as skinny. Skinny's gross. Fit, lean, agile, limber, strong. that's what we should be aiming for. HEALTHY, happy: BEAUTIFUL

GOOD LUCK!

I also think one of my regrets is not getting with the program sooner. When I think about all the free time I had in high school or college or when I was first married to spend on self-improvement and I wasted it by being a couch potato, it makes me want to scream, lol. It's sooo much harder to focus on yourself when you have kids - luckily mine are a little older now (9 and 6) so it's not like I'm nursing babies but it's still a challenge. I envy all you ladies who are younger and doing this now, it's what I should have done. Hindsight is always 20/20.

One of my regrets is not realizing that cardio is important earlier on and also not realizing that doing cardio mwould make me feel great. I am still very much struggling with my main regret which us that I stress eat and am constantly nibbling on the junk food that is around my workplace.

Not mixing it up enough with my workouts in previous years... this probably contributed to injuries and boredom for me. I also regret overtraining in past times.

It may sound a little odd but my biggest regret is that I didnīt start eating healthily and traingin as a kid. If I compare myself to my fellow dancers who have been dancing since they were around 8 I realise how far behind I am and that chances are Iīll never catch up. Of course as a kid I didnīt even know what I was going to do with my life and i had no idea what nutrition was so itīs kind of an unrealistic regret but still if I could go bakc to chance anythign it would be that. I mean I do ridiculous amount of exercise now that I know that musical theatre is what I want to do with my life but I feel as though Iīm always going to be behind.