I think this might be my favorite thread ever. Let me think...much of what was said above applies. Also,
- there is a point where my body can't lose weight unless I feed it a bit more if I am going to be a workout junkie.
- sweets are, by and large, not something I will ever handle with grace. I have to nix them about 99.5 percent of the time, and probably always will.
- I always feel better about how I look, even though I'm heavy, if I know I am working on my health
- That the old cliche about being able to find 20 minutes in even the most crowded day is true. I do find the time, even though it is often chunked out, interrupted, or at late hours
- That my love of data has a practical use - I can have as much fun as I want to tracking weight loss information and statistics
- That apples and cheese are, for real and true, the manna of the gods.
There's more, I suppose, but it is getting late and I'm tired.
That portion control is possible, and that I can get used to eating normal sized portions.
That "lifestyle" means that not every single moment of every day is perfect and the scale will keep moving down.
That I was totally physically out of shape and that was NOT a permanent condition related to my age, but a reversible problem attributable to my lifestyle.
That I had forgotten how great it is to know that every morning I can get up, get dressed, and look nice. That I'm not constantly stressing about how few clothes I have and how hard it is to pull myself together.
That I don't do deprivation well.
That a very small portion of the REALLY GOOD stuff is more satifying than a lot of the processed junk.
What a portion really is (not what they serve in restaurants!)
That I really do like to sweat.
I've only just started my weight loss journey, but I've already learned one very important thing, and that's that I CAN do this! It's not an impossible goal, and I'm totally capable of getting to where I want to be!
I've learned that I can actually do things I never thought I could do...like jog.
That plateaus do...eventually...end.
That a pound or so a week actually does add up to a pretty good number after a year.
That 'fake it til you make it' is pretty darned good advice!
That getting up after I fall down is a bigger part of this than I ever thought.
I seriously could write a novel about everything I have learned about myself in the last 2 years...but I don't want to bore you guys to tears...so I'll just narrow it down to what I think is the number one most important thing I have learned.
That a slip is not the end of my journey...BUT, if I stumble on the same step more than once...I NEED to take a different path. In the past, one "cheat" became the end of the road. I still don't like to screw up, and I still try to avoid it, but life does happen, and I won't let one dumb choice derail me now like I used to. A bad choice never has to bleed into the next meal...or day...or week.
- People don't lose weight until they make up their mind to do so. It's a personal thing.
- You can NOT jump on every weight loss fad diet/equipment/supplement bandwagon. Don't expect someone else's way to be perfect for you.
- Although all advice is meant to be helpful, you probably shouldn't do half of the stuff people tell you in the threads (I may catch some flack for this ).
I'd say what I've learned is that if I start right in the morning it's a whole lot easier to stay on track during the day.
Also I've learned that I don't need to try to achieve the "perfect" body or do this for anyone else but myself.
- It really is 80% mental
- I know my body best
- Excercise is amazing, & my body responds to it in such a fantastic way that I really wish I had discovered this earlier!
- I DO deserve this, and I AM doing this for ME, and nobody else.
ive learned that i need support and motivation even if it comes from strangers sitting at their computer.
ive learned that food does not fix emotions. my weight loss did not start until i started learning other ways to deal with my emotions other than food.
ive learned that my body will tell me when it wants to eat (quite loudly actually) but if im not hungry than i shouldnt eat
ive learned that i dont have an accurate view of myself and so for now all i can do is trust that numbers and eventually my mind will catch up with my body.
ive learned that being thin is possible. when i was heavier i was in the "im just a bigger girl" mentality, thinking that i could never be thin. i can be thin, i just need to work to get there.
I love this thread and reading everyone's responses!!!
I've learned:
- How good it feels to be healthy! Turns out what I always thought what "normal" felt like, felt pretty bad!
- A good on-track day for me begins with a good night's sleep the night before
- I'm very all or nothing with my eating and exercise efforts. I need to learn to become more flexible and learn to indulge every now and then and then get right back on plan, but also be aware of when I do this, I am taking a big risk for me and need to be very careful and vigilant
- I looooooooooooooooooooove to cook
- "fat me" and "thin me" have very different personalities. "fat me" hides my personality, is angry, sullen, and very withdrawn. "thin me" is outgoing, confident, and fun. love it!!
- maintaining is harder than losing (for me)
- i will always have issues with body image and my appearance no matter what weight i'm at. i'm learning to stop judging my self-worth purely on my weight/body and to appreciate all parts of me. also to learn to accept my body, flaws and all, and to forgive the past (much easier said than done!!)
- most importantly.. i've learned that (although its made my life better in sooo many ways), losing weight does not make me happy and solve all my problems, in the long run. it is not a magical cure-all for my life. I still have plenty of issues, fears, etc, and my weight was merely a manifestation of these things, and i used being fat as an excuse to hang all my problems on. if i don't face these problems and continually challenge myself and move forward, the weight starts to creep back on.
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Spot on!
