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Starting in February of 2022, I started working out every single day and counting calories religiously. I lost about 50lbs in 6 months, and am now nearing 60 lbs total lost. I don’t think it really hit me that I had lost such a sizable chunk until pretty late in the game. Along the way, I’ve learned some valuable life lessons. Some were fun, many were not. I’ve found a lot of people asking me how I did it, how it was, and what I learned.
1. The difference between motivation and discipline. People ask me “how do you always want to go to the gym?”. I don’t. In fact, I would say the majority of days I’m less than thrilled with the prospect. I’m busy, and it can feel impossible some days to find those 2 hours. But, I try to remember how good I will feel afterwards and that I have goals. Especially in the middle of the busy semester it can genuinely feel impossible to make it. And sometimes, it is impossible and I cut myself some slack. Now, it just feels kind of like a piece of my schedule. It’s become some of the only “me” time that I get all day. But, it was not always like that.
2. Balance. Still working on this one. It’s okay to shorten or even miss days at the gym for important events, or to enjoy a drink or cupcake on the occasion. If I have a day where I go off of my planned routine, I try to think of the positives that came out of it (it made me happy, I saw loved ones, etc…). Additionally, I try to remember how far I came and that one day won’t matter much in a few years or even weeks.
3. People will treat you differently— but that doesn’t make it okay. I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone commented on my weight. Both people I’m really close with, and people I haven’t spoken to in years. I could probably pay off my student loans. While I don’t think that’s inherently bad or coming from a negative place; it’s the “oh my gosh! You look so much better”‘s that really get me. I’m the exact same person. I’ve found both men and women can be found guilty of being nicer when you’re skinnier.
4. There’s good and bad ways to lose weight. I found myself doing a lot of research on my own, and asking my friends who were super fit. I started taking different vitamins to make sure that I was hitting all my nutrients and even meal prepped over the summer.
5. You WILL lose your alcohol tolerance. This was a tough one. I essentially cut all alcohol from my diet for a few months (in order to help facilitate the weight loss) and compounded that by losing roughly 25% of my body mass. Imagine my surprise when I had my “first” drink afterwards and two regular whiteclaws had me on the floor. It was strange to realize that I was a born-again lightweight, and definitely took me time to adjust to.
6. It can be expensive and inconvenient. I’ve had to pull clothes from what’s left of my freshmen and sophomore year of high school — so 7 or 8 years ago. It’s expensive to slowly repopulate your wardrobe with things you actually want to wear/feel good in. Everything from underwear to jeans to tops. Especially bras. This was terrible. As someone who already was not “well-endowed” and then I lost at least one cup size, if not more. Thus compounding the clothing fit problem even more.
7. Try to focus on the long-term. Do what makes you happy. I’ve started running simply because it sparks joy. And who knows — maybe a month from now I’ll hate it. And then I’ll just stop and find something else. I’ve tried swimming, running, lifting, yoga, and about 17 other things. I’m a very organized person so I love a good schedule and do have my typical gym and diet routine, but also I purposely switch it up and try to find new things. Both to challenge myself and keep myself interested.
8. Look for non-weight related benchmarks. I get so excited when I can see a new vein while I lift, and love my clavicles now! When I started going to the gym in February, I was using 5lb and 10lb dumbells. Now I use 13lb and 25lb ones. I can swim and run farther and fast than I ever have before. I’ve recently stopped weighing myself nearly as much as I’m trying actually not to know how much I weigh. Personally, I would much rather talk to people about things like that than my weight loss itself.
Nine months later and I still take it day by day, and some days it’s still difficult. I went almost completely plant based for several months, and I’m slowly reincorporating things like (non-veggie) pasta, red meat, alcohol, and certain restaurants back into my diet as I’m no longer actually trying to stay in a sizable calorie deficit. I recently had one of my probably first donuts of the year with my parents! It was glorious. Some days it feels weird and I have to eat more than I actually want to, or rely on hunger cues outside of actually being hungry. Especially when it comes to increasing my protein. Protein shakes and bars are my best friend, especially since I’ve started running more and have needed to up my caloric intake. This was something I had never thought about – but when you’re shifting into the maintenance phase and trying not to lose anymore it can feel awkward. I'm just figuring it all out.
But, regardless one of the most important things I’ve learned is that weight does not define anyone. And losing it will definitely not solve all of your problems. Balance is key, and so is living life. It most definitely did not solve all of my problems, and even created some new ones. This is just what I learned, but I’m sure there are a million other things that I missed.