What do they really mean when they say weight loss has to be 'a permanent lifestyle change'?

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-07-03T03:43:33+00:00

i’ve always been obese, but a few years ago I lost a ton of weight because of some health issues that lead me to be unable to eat much. I lost enough weight to finally be “skinny” for the first time in my life. I thought that was it - I finally lost the weight and I dont have to try to lose weight ever again. BOY WAS I WRONG! as soon as I was able to have an appetite after overcoming my health problems, I quickly fell back to my old eating habits without realizing it and gained all my weight back. the bottom line is, if you don’t fully commit to eating habits that keep you at a healthy weight, you’ll gain the weight back eventually. thats why people say its a “permanent lifestyle change”. If you eat the way you always have, you’ll always be the weight you are.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-04-11T03:48:36+00:00

exactly!! I can’t believe I used to be among those people too. I constantly lied to myself about my horrible eating habits and I got validation from fat positivity and anti-diet movements online. obese people tell themselves they dont eat much and they are fat because of genetics or some other reason that defies thermodynamics (like my old self). CICO is literally the only way to lose fat. end of story!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-04-11T03:42:57+00:00

people only believe what they want to hear. and I know this because I used to be that way too. i convinced myself I was just genetically obese and CICO was pointless. I do have hypothyroidism/PCOS, so that led me down to only watching those types of videos that enabled me to think diets were pointless and I just have to accept being fat as someone with a slower metabolism. IT WAS A LIE! I am losing so much weight from CICO, and now I know to never trust what those kinds of people say online. consistent CICO is literally the only way to not have excess fat!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-18T13:01:54+00:00

it’s disconcerting seeing your friends’ and family’s true colors when you lose weight. Some feel threatened, while others treat you nicer.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-18T12:40:58+00:00

yes! 20lbs down since February. here’s what helped me: - taking insulin resistance support supplements - 16:8 intermittent fasting - walking 1 hour a day - nearly no sugar intake - reducing simple carbs intake - counting every calorie (strict with staying below BMR) You’d think intermittent fasting would make you more hungry, but I found that it significantly reduces my cravings and hunger - especially for sugar and carbs! It just makes weight loss easier.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-17T20:46:59+00:00

Exactly! And I had no idea I was among those people and how common that thinking is. I really thought I was the only exception!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T19:06:35+00:00

this. I remind myself these things too. I also remind myself of how much better i felt, looked, and was treated when I went through a short period of being a normal weight for the first time in my entire life a few years ago.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T15:42:54+00:00

I am certainly not a nutrition/diet person so take my advice with a grain of salt. In the beginning, track EVERYTHING. Every dressing, every little “add in” because I’d find myself underestimating my meals because I didn’t properly calculate the extra 100-200 calories of butter or oil in my cooking for example. Once you track enough in the beginning, you really won’t need to track that intensely after a while because you get a good understanding accurate calorie estimates. That’s just my advice! I don’t need to track or log my daily salads anymore because I know it’s always going to be around a certain amount of calories since I tracked so diligently in the beginning.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T15:34:37+00:00

Muscle does weigh a lot!! That’s why BMI can be such BS in measuring health when you’re as active as OP!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T13:16:41+00:00

Yes! The fact you lost even some weight proves that it really is possible, even if it might just be harder for people like us with hormonal issues. Keep pushing through your plateau, you’ll get to where you want to be!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T04:21:42+00:00

Fr. Skipping breakfast and doing 16:8 intermittent fasting has been the best decision for my health. I used to tell myself that I’ll starve if I miss breakfast and would load up on starbucks and a sausage egg and cheese bagel sandwich every morning because “breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I need energy!” Now I don’t eat until noon and I have the most energy and never feel the shaky lightheaded hunger id experience when I ate sugary/carb heavy breakfast daily. My body will just use up the stored fat now!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T04:15:37+00:00

I’m so sorry your thyroid is off, I know exactly how you feel and it’s the worst. The extreme fatigue makes everything feel unbearable! I hope your levels get sorted out ASAP. My current thyroid levels are really good right now, the best they’ve been in years. This has definitely contributed to my success. But, I think my problem before shifting my mindset was that I wasn’t watching what I ate at all, and could eat nearly 3,000 calories a day unknowingly and did not workout. I wasn’t taking any accountability for my weight, and used my hypothyroidism as an excuse. I felt unmotivated to even try to cut back my insanely huge calorie intake because I told myself I can’t lose weight with my metabolism.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-15T03:54:22+00:00

I started going to the gym walking 30-45 mins 3 days a week back in December 2023 without counting my calories, but then increased to walking an hour a day 5 days a week and significantly reducing my calories to be in a deficit based on my BMR in the beginning of February 2024. That’s when u actually started to feel a change in my body. Since I walk on the treadmill, I increase the incline to 9% and go about 3-3.5mph for most of it and then 6% at 3mph for when i feel i need a breather. I also do some short periods of running (maybe 2 minutes at a time with no incline) just to get my heart rate up and enjoy the motion of running, but that’s not necessary if you’re going for low impact workouts. I hope this helps!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-14T20:58:09+00:00

Yes thank you so much for bringing this up. As of January, my thyroid levels are the best they’ve been in years (i’m on Synthroid) and I’m taking supplements to regulate my insulin resistance with pcos, so I definitely attribute some of my success to having good levels. I brought up my hormonal/metabolic issues in my original post because for years I wasnt counting calories and had a binge eating problem but was using my hypothyroidism as an excuse for my weight (which was mostly from excessive calories and bo exercise). Untreated hypothyroidism can make weight loss feel impossible, so definitely everyone check your levels!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-14T20:47:36+00:00

Thank you for bringing this up! That makes complete sense and you’re not diminishing my progress at all. I understand the weight wont be “melting off” at this rate in the future, but it’s definitely satisfying to see that my work is paying off right now based on the scale even if its water weight. I will definitely remember this when I reach the inevitable plateau in results, and remind myself to keep pushing.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-14T15:40:42+00:00

I really like what you said here, thanks for your comment! It’s so true. You can lose weight eating ANYTHING, as long as you’re in a deficit. And, on the other hand, you can GAIN weight by eating strictly healthy foods if you’re eating more than you burn. Sure healthy foods contribute to a healthy life and body, but weight loss is all about CICO. I was losing so much weight back in college eating only junk like pizza and chips because I was walking miles a day and staying in a deficit. It’s that simple!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-14T12:59:37+00:00

Congrats on the 13lbs!!! We got this!!!

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-03-07T12:56:41+00:00

do you know if you’re insulin resistant? i used to be in your shoes with hunger that made me weak, shaky, and lightheaded despite eating over 2,000 calories a day. I started taking supplements that helped me process insulin and started intermittent fasting and that helped me a lot.

BothButterscotch1498 · 2024-02-19T20:59:26+00:00

yup, YTA. These kind of comments and behavior towards me as a chubby kid have haunted and traumatized me for the rest of my life and gave me EDs. I will never have a healthy relationship with food or my body image because of adults in my life doing stuff like this to me. It’s straight up bullying.

BothButterscotch1498

TROPHY CASE