After a massive regain plus more I recently reached my highest weight. Since starting my journey again I've found that hitting certain weight loss milestones bittersweet. I'm happy when I reach them and proud of my progress. But then I remember that these milestones are still heavier than I was in the past and some of my current goals are weights that I swore I'd never weigh again. When I look in the mirror I notice that I lost inches and I get really excited to try on a pair of pants that were too tight. And then I remember those tight pants used to be my "fat" pants and I'm still no where near my average weight. These thoughts are detrimental to my current journey and undermine my attempts to get healthy. I need to quit comparing myself now with myself back then. Wishing the regain never happened won't make it go away and it's just making things harder for me now.
My former lowest adult weight was around 260 (w/my clothes on at Weight Watchers) 10 years ago, and I actually got geeked when I hit that number back then & this time around. You have to let your past fuel you, not detract from your sense of accomplishment. Be proud, there are so many people who are in our shoes (former weight losers) that for whatever reason when they regain, they don't attempt to lose it again. Let your past prove to you that yes this can be done, but don't let it haunt you. Keep going and believe in yourself!
Last edited by Candidcamster; 06-16-2015 at 03:37 PM.
With our past experience of losing and regaining, we have a new goal now, to maintain the weight we lose, and each of these repeated milestones is just one step closer to THAT goal.
Yup. I'm the same. I've never been this heavy unless I've just had a baby and find myself thinking some strange thoughts. It's time to accept where and who I am and move on
There is definitely something to be said for having it be more anticlimactic the second (third) time. And expectations go higher, I think. We are less patient perhaps because I know what it MEANS to be smaller now - and don't just wonder about it.
I've certainly experienced that. It took me years to let go of it. In fact, I wasted a lot of years because of that very phenomenon. But, in time, I've come to see that that past doesn't matter. I can't change it. All I can change is what is true now.
After a massive regain plus more I recently reached my highest weight. Since starting my journey again I've found that hitting certain weight loss milestones bittersweet. I'm happy when I reach them and proud of my progress. But then I remember that these milestones are still heavier than I was in the past and some of my current goals are weights that I swore I'd never weigh again. When I look in the mirror I notice that I lost inches and I get really excited to try on a pair of pants that were too tight. And then I remember those tight pants used to be my "fat" pants and I'm still no where near my average weight. These thoughts are detrimental to my current journey and undermine my attempts to get healthy. I need to quit comparing myself now with myself back then. Wishing the regain never happened won't make it go away and it's just making things harder for me now.
I think you've helped me to see why I'm constantly dissatisfied with any weight that I manage to lose as I tend to do that comparison thing which is a very negative way especially when the losing of just a pound has been such an effort to achieve.
I have been really slim 3 times during the course of my life so I know how fantastic it feels not only to be able to move about with much better ease but also knowing that getting dressed each day is a joy and the image in the mirror looks good too.
In 2010 when I was 76 my weight went up to 226lbs which was the most it had ever been and I was suffering sleep apnoea and generally feeling very unwell. It's so easy to forget what I have achieved and the improvement that it has made to myself.
I think we would do well to try to keep that in mind in future and not dwell on the "if only" part of things..
OMG YES! Instead of being able to celebrate my victories upon reaching new lows, I beat myself up all the time about how that same number used to be a high weight and how did I let myself get to this weight again??? It's a head game for sure
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koshka
I've come to see that that past doesn't matter. I can't change it. All I can change is what is true now.
^^^ Words of wisdom...this is what I am working on currently
Last edited by EmmaD; 06-16-2015 at 07:49 PM.
Reason: punctuation
Ever since you've mentioned this Leah, I have really started noticing what you're talking about. The numbers just aren't as exciting because it's nothing new. Before, hitting a new number was almost like a competition that I played with my scale. I still feel that to a degree but it's just not the same. So a few days ago, I devised a new competition with the numbers for myself, lol! Because I was here on 3fc logging my progress the last time I lost weight, I have decided to compare last time's numbers with this time's numbers. After one month last time, I had lost 12 lbs. This time it was 15.5 lbs! After 2 months last time I had lost 20 lbs total. June 3rd, two weeks still to go from today, will be 2 months this time around, and right now I am already one lb away from 20 lbs! It's a silly little game, but it makes the numbers seem new again. : (By the way, the main thing I'm doing differently this time compared to last time is I've given up Diet Dr Pepper and I'm just drinking water, so maybe the link between diet soda and weight gain is true!)
Ever since you've mentioned this Leah, I have really started noticing what you're talking about. The numbers just aren't as exciting because it's nothing new. Before, hitting a new number was almost like a competition that I played with my scale. I still feel that to a degree but it's just not the same. So a few days ago, I devised a new competition with the numbers for myself, lol! Because I was here on 3fc logging my progress the last time I lost weight, I have decided to compare last time's numbers with this time's numbers. After one month last time, I had lost 12 lbs. This time it was 15.5 lbs! After 2 months last time I had lost 20 lbs total. June 3rd, two weeks still to go from today, will be 2 months this time around, and right now I am already one lb away from 20 lbs! It's a silly little game, but it makes the numbers seem new again. : (By the way, the main thing I'm doing differently this time compared to last time is I've given up Diet Dr Pepper and I'm just drinking water, so maybe the link between diet soda and weight gain is true!)
I've thought about doing this too - and not even as a competition, but to see what I've learned too. I am much less triggered these last two starts than the initial one 5 years ago. I've fine tuned things.
PLUS, it will give me a better idea of WHEN to expect certain losses as we know those darn app predictors or notoriously wrong. They assume we'll lose slower than we do in the beginning (many times) and way faster than is possible at the end (as they don't take into account our slowing metabolism which is INEVITABLE - even with exercise and weight training).
I go back and forth with these thoughts too.
I get thrilled to see I am making progress and I am about to jump with joy when I think how far I've come... and then I remember what used to be my heavy weight is quite a bit more slender than I am now.
Maybe it's because I haven't bounced up and down all that much but this actually motivates me. I want to reach my "heavy weight" and work hard on getting back to "normal" and be able to go into a denial of sorts, to forget I was ever this bad.
Ever since you've mentioned this Leah, I have really started noticing what you're talking about. The numbers just aren't as exciting because it's nothing new. Before, hitting a new number was almost like a competition that I played with my scale. I still feel that to a degree but it's just not the same. So a few days ago, I devised a new competition with the numbers for myself, lol! Because I was here on 3fc logging my progress the last time I lost weight, I have decided to compare last time's numbers with this time's numbers. After one month last time, I had lost 12 lbs. This time it was 15.5 lbs! After 2 months last time I had lost 20 lbs total. June 3rd, two weeks still to go from today, will be 2 months this time around, and right now I am already one lb away from 20 lbs! It's a silly little game, but it makes the numbers seem new again. : (By the way, the main thing I'm doing differently this time compared to last time is I've given up Diet Dr Pepper and I'm just drinking water, so maybe the link between diet soda and weight gain is true!)
Ok, I just created a spreadsheet. That will be fun to compare month by month (and I'll probably change the style of chart as I have more data/months to fill it in.) Oh and my start weights are within 10 pounds. I weigh 8 pounds more than the last time I did this.
Last edited by berryblondeboys; 06-19-2015 at 02:01 PM.
I need to let go of my past weight losses
After 2 months last time I had lost 20 lbs total. June 3rd, two weeks still to go from today, will be 2 months this time around, and right now I am already one lb away from 20 lbs! 
It's a silly little game, but it makes the numbers seem new again. 
: (By the way, the main thing I'm doing differently this time compared to last time is I've given up Diet Dr Pepper and I'm just drinking water, so maybe the link between diet soda and weight gain is true!)
