Small successes.

[Longhorn]

Let's face it -- weightloss setbacks usually don't occur all at once. It's generally a series of small events such as a glimpse in the mirror, clothes that don't fit, or maybe someone's unkind comment. Well, the same is true for weightloss successes. Sometimes it's possible to step on the scales and see a big loss but no matter how big it is, it's never really enough, right? We want it all, NOW! :)

Anyway, I'm learning to be happy with small successes. I've had several this week, from refraining to eat when a co-worker brought food to share to staying on my program when the snacking urge hit at home. One of my bigger successes was avoiding the scale. I used to be a daily weigher and even though I didn't let the results knock me off track, I'd still suffer the frustration of daily fluctuations. This time, I'm going for weekly weigh-ins and look for other signs of improvement. Along that line, another of my successes occurred today when I put on some workout shorts that normally cling and ride up. Today, they actually hung loosely like they're supposed to! I've only been on my program since Tuesday so I was surprised to see that much change already but I found it encouraging. :)

[Broken_Hero]

1. I agree

thats why I'm not a big fan of weighing my self all the time...in all honesty, if I had the right scale, I would weigh myself probably once a month...last year, I went three whole months without weighing myself and had a 38lb weight loss...I knew I was losing weight because of how my clothes fit, but I don't like doing daily weigh ins...bi weekly weigh ins, maybe...more than likely monthly...:)

I had a good day yesterday, I had to turn down a double cheeseburger, while out running errnads, it was rough...I opted for a plain grilled chicken, with tomatos....:) Its a daily thing, just like with cigarettes...take it day to day, little by little...because temptation can come from any number of angles...:hi:

And good job! I'm proud, and I know its rough...:toast:

[Longhorn]

3. I've thought about going even longer than a week.

I think I'll have to weigh next week or I'll go insane! And I'm afraid it would be too easy to deviate now and then if I'm not looking forward to a result soon. So once a week seems about right for me -- longer than I have in the past but short enough to keep me honest. :)

[auntAgonist]

2. being happy with small successes

is the only way to truly change your whole outlook on your life. I'm bad for weighing every day. I drive myself crazy. I still have some very bad eating habits that I'm trying to change. Carbs are NOT good for me. They cause terrible gas pain and result in horrible gas expulsions. My poor husband says I could strip the paint of the walls some days just by .. well y'know.

Some days I can't accept the fact that I'm actually skinny now. That's what people tell me. I still 'feel' fat at times.
I'm facing the emotional struggles now of looking different and trying to reconcile that in my brain. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone here but it's such a change. I've gone from 295 to 135 in just over a year. From 4x tops and humungous size jeans to size small tops and size 8 jeans. I'm less than half the woman I used to be.

anyway, ..

CELEBRATE all of your successes. You guys are working so hard to be healthy, my hat's off to you. I'll cheer you on any day of the week. I KNOW it's tough.


always.
aA
kesha.

[Longhorn]

4. I know exactly what you mean, Keesha, only my brain isn't always stuck

on "fat." After I lost weight, I got used to feeling thin so that even when I started gaining, I still thought I was thin. It's only after I started seeing photos of myself or unguarded glimpses in the mirror that I would see the true me. I still don't have the "fat me" in my brain -- maybe I'll lose weight and catch up with the "skinny me" again. :)

[Broken_Hero]

5. I know what you mean, about the perception

of image. When I went from 425, to 235 in 94-95, I didn't see any difference really...and the only thing that made it register to me, that I did lose weight was the clothes I was now fitting in, and the pictures of myself that I would see....I would look in the mirror, and I would see a fat man, I think its a weird phenomenon, or maybe its not weird at all. To me, it was hard, because I didn't feel any different in that regard...Every time I looked in the mirror I saw my 425/fat self...I never saw my 235 self, unless I saw a picture of myself...does that even make sense? How far can our own perceptions of ourselves be twisted?

I notice the same now...I look in the mirror, I see myself, I know Im' fat, but I don't look that bad I believe...but when I see a picture of myself, I look extremely fat...I look HUGE. Does that make sense? I can look at myself in the mirror, see a decent image, and take a picture...and both images register differently in my head...maybe its a kin to what Morpheus told Neo in the Matrix, about "how our mind creates, how we see our digital selves." Its still boggling to me....

And congrats on your weight loss, I didn't realize you were at the end of your goal(are you?) :hi: