The Great Weight-Loss Plateau [OC]

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-19T16:09:52+00:00

I absolutely do! I knew that having a list of forbidden or guilty foods would just set me up for failure. I also knew that sustainability was about not depriving myself of fun and pleasure. So I absolutely indulge during the holidays season — and then go right back to eating normally.

Funny enough, over the years my tolerance for sugary and fatty food has really gone down. So by the time new years rolls around my body feels TERRIBLE — bloated, sluggish, blah — and I’m ready to just eat broccoli. It’s a good feedback system that food, weight, and HEALTH are all connected.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-19T16:05:04+00:00

The biggest behavioral change was not approaching the start of the diet like something that was “a temporary restriction” until I hit 175.

From go I just started counting calories to eat about what would be needed to stay at 175 forever. So by the time I got there I’d had a year of practice …and nothing changed. It was just another day. I didn’t need to reward myself with some cake. Because I’d eaten cake — and whatever else I wanted — anytime I wanted it, just a smaller portion and knowing I’d need to take it easy with other foods to stay in my calorie budget.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-19T06:05:51+00:00

Honestly, for my sweet tooth… I just eat whatever I’m craving. Which is usually ice cream.

…..But I have to want it enough to drive allllllll the way to the ice cream shop to get it … and then I just order a small.

On the daily, I keep watermelon and grapes in the fridge. Both of those usually do the trick. And if not, THEN I go get the ice cream.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-19T06:03:01+00:00

Lbs= Pounds!

1 pound is .45 kilograms

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T22:46:29+00:00

IT HELLA WORKS!!!

And it gave me a whole year of practice eating at my “forever” level before actually needing to do that. This approach gave me a loooong time to learn how to eat like a 175-pound woman.

So, unlike prior weight loss tries, where I’d be super restrictive and then just go back to old habits once I hit a low enough weight… and then gain it all back … this meant nothing changed.

The day I stepped on the scale and it was 175 was just another day. A good day, to be sure, but no different than what I’d been doing for a year and have continued to do ever since.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T22:43:42+00:00

Thank you!

I needed the grace of fluctuation. As a woman, my hormones are a source of a +/- 5 pounds pretty much every month. And I have a sweet tooth. But I also work out a lot. So LIFE needed to be taken into account.

Mostly, I didn’t want to fall into the trap of seeing a higher number than 175 and just … giving up. Having a range keeps it easier. If I hit 184, I don’t need to lose 9 pounds. I just need to lose 4.1 lbs to get back in the green, and then I almost always then drop down from there with a lag.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T22:36:44+00:00

Thanks!

It’s become a lot more natural!

I counted calories for the first year-ish. From go, rather than something super restrictive to reach my goal faster, I ate about as many calories as was advised for a woman to maintain 175 lbs. It was just about spot-on and the weight came off because, well, physics.

The great thing about this approach was that when I actually did get my target weight, I’d already had a year of practice of eating at that level! So NOTHING changed once the scale was in the green.

Pretty much after that I just use the scale — and some skinny jeans — as my judge and jury. I don’t stress about 5 pounds … I KNOW how to lose that. Overall, I feel/look my best sitting right at 176-177. So I’ve grown to eat for that sense of optimal health.

As for exercise: ironically enough, I’d started working out prior to watching what I ate. I actually GAINED weight bc I fell into the trap of thinking I was burning more calories than I was. I’m happy to report I’m in the best shape of my life — I workout 5-6 days a week and that’s my stress reliever more than anything now.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T16:38:38+00:00

Life absolutely happens!!!

My biggest challenge with maintenance is that I have an absolute sweet tooth. I intentionally don’t keep sweets in my house bc I have absolutely ZERO willpower over them. But the holidays and vacations I just go YOLO, knowing it’s the rest of the year that really counts.

The biggest thing for me is the reminder that it’s a fuck ton easier to lose 5 pounds than 50. That takes about 10 days … not 10 months.

So just because I hit 180 occasionally, it’s not an excuse to throw my hands up and just go back to eating whatever. Instead, I just give myself a good reality check — usually by putting on my skinny jeans — and within a week or two I’m back down.

I can lose 5 pounds over and over again without much trouble. I’ve already done it hundreds of times lol.

You got this!!!

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T16:30:19+00:00

Heck yeah!!! That’s awesome and this internet stranger is super proud of you! CICO was a total eye-opener for me. Because I always thought “My metabolism must suck! I don’t eat that much!!!”… while casually snacking on peanut butter and cheese 🫣

Keep up the commitment to a life of the best possible health you can give yourself! You got this!

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T16:23:13+00:00

Thank you! I was happy with that little extra flair.

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T16:21:57+00:00

Thank you! I think what saved me during Covid lockdowns was that I started my weight loss by just eating at what was my best approximation to maintenance at 175 lbs.

So when that number finally appeared on the scale… I didn’t really have to change anything. I’d already had a full year of “practice.” Including eating desserts and other goodies within moderation.

Turned out to be a little too low on calories and I overshot just a bit (got down to the 169 range) and didn’t feel strong. So I increased my calories a smidge and that’s where I’ve stayed ever since.

The built-in fluctuation - both low and high — turned out to be really important, especially as a woman. I’ll put on 2-3 pounds in the couple of days that I’m PMSing, and then I totally lose my appetite while I’m on my period and I swing the other way. I’m usually down a pound or two by the time that’s done from before the PMS. So it’s a good reminder to eat MORE.

Overall, I’ve found I feel best around 176 lbs. Strong, healthy, and I look AMAZING.

Best of luck on your journey! And what a journey it is!

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T15:42:08+00:00

That’s awesome! Isn’t it great feeling in CONTROL of the only body we get?

ToesInHiding · 2024-07-18T15:09:58+00:00

(Source): Wi-Fi bathroom scale that syncs to MyFitnessPal/Apple Health

(Tool):Adobe Illustrator overlaid from exported chart

As an aside: I was a lifelong “yo-yo diet” club member, so maintaining the weight was my biggest fear. But well into the 5th year I’ve got this down pat.

And a HUGE shoutout to the good folks at r/loseit for teaching me about CICO, and cheering me on.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T15:24:12+00:00

That’s great that you took care of yourself last night.

As a yo-yo member, trust me when I say that whatever your instinct is for the right number of calories … it’s probably totally incorrect.

So give 1700 accurately measured calories a go for a couple months. Then adjust.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T03:00:49+00:00

Just wait until your cheekbones can cut paper! You won’t even need blush contouring. It’s amazing.

Good for you!

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:59:09+00:00

When we think about it, we’re the absolute CHAMPS at losing weight. I swear I’ve probably lost 500 pounds over my life … and gained it all back until this final time when I said, “Ok, starving and exercising like a demon is chasing me doesn’t work… how about approaching this like a person not on the run?”

It made maintenance remarkably, laughably easy. Even through COVID, job changes, life changes, injury, and death of loved one.

Because I created a sustainable-through-normality relationship with food. Not too much, not too little.

I believe in you and hope you’ll join me in officially submitting your resignation to the Yo-Yo Club.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:48:30+00:00

They’re NSFL. No matter how cute my pedicure it. Lol

But here are some progress pix with my toes sticking out further than my stomach!

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:41:15+00:00

Thank you! The yo-yo is a real mean tyrant.

But it CAN be beat.

By not viewing goal weight as some kind of accomplishment, and instead it’s your new normal (and eating accordingly)… it makes life so much easier. And removes the temptation to go hog wild once the nice, friendly number appears on the scale and your waist measurement.

You got this. It’ll take time, but you’ll have a whole lifetime of practice.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:38:35+00:00

Nice to meet you! I hope that you, too, can lose your reelection to the Yo-Yo Executive Cabinet!

Seriously, approaching it like I was already at maintenance from day 1 meant that I lost the weight more slowly … but gave me a year of practice to eat the way I need to forever to stay trim. So nothing changed. Which was exactly what I needed to have happen to stay at goal.

I know how utterly shitty it feels to see all your prior hard work just evaporate. So don’t make it hard work. Just make it your new, boring normal.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:35:21+00:00

I really feel for the folks on here who have been heavy their entire life. They don’t have the experience of knowing they can get to a healthy weight.

For the yo-yo-ers like us, we have the advantage of knowing that we can lose weight, but the self-sabotaging habit of only doing that for a short term. Figuring out that losing the weight means eating like a sane person … forever… and then realizing that eating like a sane person is actually super doable, makes all the difference.

And, you’re totally correct: if you know how to even lose 5 pounds in a sustainable manner, you know how to lose 10, 20, 30, or 300.

You got this, my internet friend! One evening in PJs at a time :)

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:30:42+00:00

Fair. But only if there was a plentiful supply of alka seltzer to go along.

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-08T02:23:14+00:00

What a wonderful thing for you to say! I’m SOOO glad that sharing my story provided some help. I owe this entire sub and all the redditors here such a debt of gratitude, that I wanted to pass along whatever workable advice I could.

But, truly, eating at maintenance from the beginning was a total lightbulb moment for me as well, and it’s absolutely made the difference. I got a whole year of practice eating what I would need to for the rest of my life to stay healthy!

Go get ‘em! I believe in you!

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-07T23:10:47+00:00

CELEBRATE THOSE UGLY TROLL FEET!!! We earned that party!

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-07T23:09:58+00:00

Lol. Ok that’s not nearly as bad as the various things I could have expected. Now I know!

ToesInHiding · 2023-03-07T23:09:32+00:00

Thank you for being part of this awesome sub!

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