I’ve lost 2 stone- now what do I do?

[LouiseOuiOui]

So I have managed to loose two stone (actually just over) since September. I genuinely never though it was possible as I’ve been trying to shift at least one of them for about the last 7 years. Somehow, through exercise and keeping and eye on what I eat I have now reached my pre wedding weight. I’m obviously pleased with what I’ve accomplished and try to tell myself to be happy with it, which I am.

Two things though:

1. How do I maintain this?
2. Why don’t l feel like I’m slim? Don’t get me wrong, in one way absolutely do but in another I can’t really ‘see’ a huuuuge difference. I think it is becasue it has taken almost 7 months. I keep thinking if I loose another few pounds I might just be a little slimmer… Basically, how do I know when to stop?!

I’m at a healthy BMI now and was just over the line for overweight when I started.

I could have written this, down to the starting bmi and losing 2st. Congratulations

I've relaxed very slightly and my weight has remained static for 3 or 4 months which im happy with. For me, I knew how I put it on - I was dating and eating out a lot, snacking a lot and not moving in my job and no exercise.

The changes that made me lose weight are now a permanent part of my lifestyle. So now I work out regularly, don't snack anymore as I broke the habit and don't need to, and make sensible choices when eating out.

I get what you mean though about not feeling or seeing a huge difference. At my heaviest I wore the jeans I wear now, I just squeezed into them. Now really I should go shopping and go down a size but they fit fine really. I also didn't feel different when I was at my heaviest and I was shocked when I got on the scales. I think where the change happens so slowly it creeps up on you. I wasn't brave enough to take before and after photos but I bet if I had I would have noticed!

I meant to say as well, now that you're lighter, your body needs fewer calories to function, so the deficit becomes smaller naturally. So if you carried on with what you're doing, roughly speaking your weight would naturally stabilise which is what has happened with me -theres no deficit or excess so it stays the same.

Congratulations TibetanTerrah!!! How did you know when to stop loosing and start maintaining?

That all makes sense to just stay away from old habits which made you put on in the first place. I will keep that in mind. In my case it was just lots of Lindor on the sofa in the evenings and over eating a little at every meal combined with zero exercise. Middle age spread set in and I sort of accepted it for a few years. Feel sooo much better now. I really want to keep my exercise going too as it has so many other benefits in addition to weight loss.

I do have an accidental before photo- it’s a bikini one from a terrible angle… I have taken comparison pictures but keep thinking I surely don’t look like that now in ‘real life’. It’s weird!

I know what you’re saying regarding old clothes still fitting, just better! Some stuff I’ve had to get rid off though. Was delighted to buy new jeans the other week. And new bikini!

That’s makes sense regarding the deficit. I wonder though as I have built quite a bit of muscle if my resting calorie requirement has increased despite loosing weight? I think I just need to practise moderation with snacks… I find it sooo hard not to eat the entire bag of Maltesers or whatever it might be. Old habits and all that.

Congratulations, that's amazing weight loss! I would just pretty much keep going with what you have been doing, maybe start to up the intensity etc of your exercising as you get fitter and stronger and to a degree, keep up the same kind of food regime, the only difference now is you can enjoy a meal out, a take-away etc without thinking about healthy choices. Just keep the healthy choices going 80% of the time!

Thank you Desmondo2021! I Will definitely keep up the exercise and perhaps up the weights a little to get even stronger. And good point about eating out occasionally without overthinking the choices. 80% rule makes so much sense and is a great, livable guideline.

@LouiseOuiOui when I lost approx 3 stones (was about half stone away from pre pregnancy weight), I couldn't see the loss. It was extremely strange, because there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I'd lost weight but for some reason it was as though I could only see the bigger me in the mirror. I tried comparison photos, but felt deflated.
However, i was out shopping, and whilst waiting in the queue to pay, I looked across and saw my reflection, and I honestly couldn't believe how slim I looked that day! I don't know whether it was because I was in a different place? So my brain didn't just insert the picture I expected (if that's a thing), but I realised how good I looked and felt so happy the rest of the trip

With regards to maintaining, you've been given some great tips. As long as you don't go into overdrive and overeat non stop, you'll be fine

Well done on your loss

@SweetsAndChocolates Congratulations and well done on loosing all of that weight too!

I feel exactly like you say- it’s so weird! My husband comments on me looking great but he did when I was bigger too

@LouiseOuiOui

That’s makes sense regarding the deficit. I wonder though as I have built quite a bit of muscle if my resting calorie requirement has increased despite loosing weight? I think I just need to practise moderation with snacks… I find it sooo hard not to eat the entire bag of Maltesers or whatever it might be. Old habits and all that.

I think a big part of it is being aware and making adjustments according to what works and what doesn't. I totally get what you mean about the whole bag of maltesers or whatever. This week I've had to consciously stop, because I could have mindlessly eaten a bag of sensations crisps to myself. However, by keeping a bit switched on rather than 'oops the bag disappeared', even though I could have, and wanted, to eat more, I didn't want to undo my hard work even more than I wanted that.

Bear in mind as well that food like chocolate and crisps are specifically formulated to make us feel good, kick off hormones in our brains so we just want more and more. It was interesting to me that my brain went 'more!' but when I said, 'no' and put the bag away, it took about 15 mins (!!!!!) but the 'more' craving went away. It's awful the industry is against us basically making junk food like crack

Exactly, it is worth remembering it not us who are at fault really for wanting the sugary foods. Well done for stopping yourself. It’s so easy to just think that ‘well the bag is open now…’
I think something else which I’ve been trying to practice is that even if you have one chocolate more than planned you’ve not ‘ruined’ your progress. It wasn’t one Lindor too many which made you gain all the weight in the first place and it wasn’t eating one less which made you loose it all either. Just keep going with making the right choices 80% of the time and it will hopefully keep steady. I’m
Contemplating loosing another 2lbs or so to have a small margin initially.

I’m also hoping that I’ve removed food and snacks as a coping mechanism a little the last few months. I’m sure I’m not alone when saying that Covid anxiety and lockdowns were doable becasue of crisps, wine and chocolates on the sofa. Granted a lot of this stress is lifted now but I’ve also tried to not to turn to the biscuit jar when feeling unsettled and I might have broken the food-comfort link once and for all. Here’s to hoping!

Have you read the ' Why we eat (too much)' book? I'm a third of the way in. It's interesting, and highly rated here.

I'm reading it because I've lost 5.5 stone and need to find a way to live that isn't obsessed about food, counting every mouthful and planning every meal and snack.

Hopefully if I understand why my body is arguing with me about that bag of Maltesers, I'll manage better!!

@picklemewalnuts thank you, I will look that up! And huge well done to you, that’s amazing! Yes, I’d like to just not think about it all of the time either! Just casually maintain…

And if a later chapter has the answer, I'll come back and let you know!!

Well done @LouiseOuiOui !

I'm in exactly the same situation. Finally lost weight after hating being overweight for about 10 years, but now don't feel that different and don't see it in myself very much. My logical brain tells me that being a 10 rather than a 14 is indeed slimmer... my mirror says otherwise.

I'm also struggling a bit with the 'forever ness' of trying to keep it off. I quite liked my evenings filled with crisps and cheese

Please do @picklemewalnuts!

Well done to you too @jowly!! It’s so great isn’t it to have achieved it but super weird to not recognise it. And yes, I know what you mean, there is something about settling in for the evening with a bag of kettle crisps and a glass of wine… But I’m thinking it’s still doable, just not that frequently and maybe not the whole bag…

I lost my weight starting in September so I’ve just tried on my summer dresses again to prove to myself that I am indeed slimmer. It helped quite a bit but I don’t really see it still. I do think however I feel more comfortable in certain styles of clothing, like I feel ok to wear a sleeveless top now, which I didn’t last summer. So perhaps it’s stuff like that more than ‘feeling’ slim. Could it maybe be a good thing not to feel slim as whenever that’s happened in the past after some crash dieting, I end up just putting it back on again. Now, it’s just a new normal.

@LouiseOuiOui my summer clothes don't fit either.. and I have to confess I'm looking forward to buying some new ones 😀. I lost 3 stones between May and November so still early days wrt keeping it off.

Maybe be need a Keeping It Off support thread so we can talk one another out of evening indiscretions 😄

Great idea @jowly! And yes- buy new clothes and enjoy!

I'm deliberately being slow to buy clothes. I'm enjoying having a severely restricted wardrobe! I've bought jeans and a pinafore dress. I'm about to invest in a bulk order of tights that won't fall down!

I'm taking the opportunity to really refine what I keep, and only buy things that really work well. I'm intending to end up with a bit of a capsule wardrobe.

I've been a 20 for a very long time. I'm going to take my time working out what suits me as a 14/16.

That is such a change @picklemewalnuts to go from a 20 to a 14. Do you feel like you have more choice or were you confident in wearing whatever you fancied before too? I was not at my largest and I made me a bit sad tbh. I’m hoping to as you buy fewer but more selected and quality pieces. I’m just a little worried I won’t be able to keep the weight…

A lot of my clothes had stretch, and for a long while I only needed jeans. I'd put darts in them and a belt on but they still fell down! My dresses just fit differently.

What I really like is that it's easier to dress- much less worrying about whether my clothes flattered me enough. I don't need to be as careful.

As someone who has been slightly over weight and excessively overweight, I'd say 'love yourself'! Reward your body for being strong and efficient, enjoy the way you look, and make that the focus rather than worrying about the scales. Stay the same weight, but positively!

Cheers to that @picklemewalnuts! Will do!

Firstly, well done. Secondly, keep up the good work. A treat here and there and a takeaway once in a while won't hurt. Just make sure you are consistent with the healthier eating and exercise.

I would say that weighing in once a week or so, can help you gauge where you are at. If you don't like weighing, use some tight jeans or similar. Try them on and if they fit, woohoo, if they're tight, you know it is time to get back on track and back to eating better....

Thank you @S392! I’m hoping this is how I will be able to do it too. I’m happy weighing myself. I’ve just not decided if I’ve lost enough or if I should go for another couple of lbs…

@LouiseOuiOui if you don't mind me asking, what is your height and current weight/size?