Not that long ago I decided after seeing a friend for the first time in years and realizing that I was quite a lot larger than him that I was going to change things about how I live. Just like you hear in the movies or on YouTube channels or something like that, the largest part of this entire combat with your own body and losing weight is diet.
For many people this is the hardest part but strangely, this has actually been the easiest part for me because other than one particular thing, pizza, I am not really all that tempted by food that is bad for you.
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For whatever reason, Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza is something I crave and there really isn't any other food thing that I feel this way about.
But but but.... this is not the hardest part about what I am changing in my life now because I simply don't order it and that the job done.
The hardest part for me has been that a bit after you start, you don't see returns very much anymore even though you are still doing the same program, still not cheating, and still putting in the work and from what I have read, this is completely normal and your individual results are going to depend on a lot of things such as how overweight you are, how old you are, and lots of other things that can't be calculated such as your genetics.
I had heard this was going to happen and I believed it, there was no reason not to, but after a certain amount of time your weight loss tapers off and stepping on the scale becomes less and less of a rewarding experience.
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I have stuck to essentially the same program since I started this, which wasn't that long ago but it has been kind of shocking to me that it would taper off as fast as it did.
In the first 10 days or so of me doing this new diet and exercise program, I lost 5 kg or 11 lbs. In the following 20 days of doing the same thing, I lost less than 2kg or under 5 lbs.
Since my initial goal was to lose 20lbs (I actually said just 10 but then later upped it to 20 when the 10 was really easy) I felt as though I was making really fantastic progress and I still think that I am, but it is kind of frustrating to make these sacrifices and stand on the scale the following morning to see my "honest weight" and see that I weigh exactly the same as I did 2 days, 15km, 2 hours in the gym, and strictly-adhering-to-a-diet ago.
This is not a reason to stop of course because I am sure there are things going on such as me gaining muscle from the increased activity as well but if you do get involved in something like this just be aware that it is likely going to happen to you as well.
My rapid weight loss at the start was likely because I went to eating clean and prior to that I was eating just whatever I felt like it whenever I felt like it. When I was feeling a bit peckish (mildly hungry) late at night I would cover 5 crackers with loads of peanut butter and the chase i down with milk. This "snack" is roughly 800 calories and I was completely unaware of this until I bothered to start looking.
Now I am a lot more sensible with what I eat. I was quite proud of myself for an accomplishment that I made yesterday, for example.
A friend was having a dinner party and I know these people and was aware that the food was going to be plentiful and they were going to be drinking a lot of alcohol. The dinner was meant to start at 7 and everyone met up for drinks at 5 to "pre-game" which is something that I used to do frequently.
I didn't go to the drinks beforehand and instead of indulging in the beer, wine, and spirits that were at the party, I brought my own soda water and diet Pepsi (that'r right! I don't drink Coke!)
I was offered other drinks dozens of times while I was there and I didn't say yes to any of them. I ended up not having any alcohol while I was there and when I went home around 10pm (which was about half an hour longer than I wanted to stay but you know... courtesy) I was level-headed and went straight to bed. I woke up today at 6 with a clear head and no hangover, which is the opposite of how I would have felt in the past.
For me, skipping the alcohol isn't just about the calories, but about the after effects of alcohol when you over-indulge and for me, there is no such thing as "a couple drinks." Every time I drink at parties I indulge too much and end up with a hangover. I am incapable of taking it easy in relation to alcohol. The only answer for me is to not take part at all.
I still had fun at the party and feel fine today. I am sure the others in attendance are feeling a bit of pain today because they were going a bit nuts with the booze.
I admit it did feel strange to be the only person not drinking at the party but earlier in the day during a jog I was listening to Joe Rogan talk to a fellow comedian and both of them were talking about how they stopped drinking. Joe said "why would I, someone who is health-oriented, intentionally poison themselves several times a week?" and that is the way that I am kind of looking at it now.
Back to the weight loss over time though
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According to basically everything I can see online EVERYONE experiences this rapid weight loss at the start and then it tapers off and people even start to see a weight GAIN after a certain amount of time. I haven't gotten to that point yet but I am sure it will come.
I decided when I started this though that I was not going to "try" to lose weight, I was going to succeed. I don't really find it all that difficult honestly, you just have to stay focused and be a bit strict with yourself. My goal is to make it to 88 kg and at the moment my honest weight is 91.5kg. I don't know how much longer it is going to take for me to get there because even on days where I work pretty damn hard I end up only losing 500 grams if I lose anything at all.
Stay the course, me!
The plateau is definitely real. I was hoping it would pass you by, but it seems you are just as normal as everyone else :) I've done a lot of diets and things like that in my lifetime. You can do whatever you want of course, but I think weighing yourself every day is a bad idea. I think once a week is a good thing to aim for. I've also learned that sometimes instead of weighing yourself it's better to measure yourself. Key areas like your chest, hips, waist, etc. That will give you a better idea of progress. Of course, it might be just as easy to notice your clothes fit better. Trust me, I am no paragon of fitness. In fact, the winter has been a bit unkind to me and my clothes are starting to feel a bit tight. I need to kick my butt in gear this summer.
I think the weighing every day is overkill and the only reason I kept doing it was because I was so astounded at how rapidly it was happening at the start. These days if there is any difference from one day to the next it is something like 100 grams, which could just be the difference in what shorts I am wearing at the time.
I have been doing weekly videos as suggested by someone else. A non-flexing front, side and back video once a week. Of course I will never show those to anyone but myself :)
Ultimately you just need to do what you are comfortable with. I think a lot of times people get in their head about what this site or book or whatever says. If you are least doing something, you are probably doing better than 60% of the world. Maybe more.
You are actually very close to your target so it will happen and just carry on as this is playing games in your head now. Even 100 grams a day is doing well. Wouldn't it be great if the scale told you to try harder or how useless you are to try and encourage you to do more. What used to get me was why your weight doesn't drop after you have been to the toilet. We used to have weight loss challenges at work and used to only weigh after I had paid a visit to the toilet, but it made no difference.
There is a lot of talk about going to the bathroom first yes. I would imagine that in the case of pure physics and biology it must make some difference but most home scales are likely not sensitive enough to actually pick up on it. If we had a triple beam it would know, but that's just silly. ON really sweaty days I lose more than a kilo if I go for some outdoor exercise though so in a rather minor way I understand the "cutting weight" that wrestlers do a day before the weigh in
One of the hardest parts about losing weight and changing your diet isn't just the physical part, it's the mental and emotional battle. Once you push through those tough days and start making mindful choices, you begin to build a new relationship with yourself. One rooted in care, not punishment. It's a journey, not a race.😊
Exactly diet is one of the most difficult thing to do because you are used to eat yummy fast foods like pizza and pizza is not really healthy.If your really into it and you want to loss weight for your health and you want to stay fit then you must learn self control over cravings of different foods.
Yes, exactly! Diet is truly the biggest challenge when it comes to weight loss. You have such strong discipline with your eating habits, and you can already see the results in your weight loss. Keep up the great work! Stay consistent, and you'll definitely reach your goal.👍
Consistency and discipline is the key for you to achieve your goal. Aim for your goal and you can make it. Have a great day🥰
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