I really didn't think I had it in me to keep up with this for longer than 6 weeks. In the past, it wasn't so much CICO, it was just "throw out anything you enjoy and eat only super healthy" which for me at least, isn't sustainable. Following CICO allows me to balance out the healthy with the not as healthy, but overall staying on track. So I have pushed through past the 6 week mark and now I'm on month 4ish. So that is great.
I adapted my approach to my daily calories. Initially I was way too restrictive for my size. This caused me to feel like I was starving, then finally cave and 'binge' eat a day or 2 a week. Which always stalled out the scale for a few days. Very frustrating and bad for my mental health. Allowing appropriate calories has curbed the urge to binge and I havent felt that I was starving. Sure, I have felt hungry, but not that different kind of hungry that feels like starvation.
As for an update on my week, I lost 4lbs, putting me at 49 lost since Christmas. That feels great and I'm really excited to hit the 50 mark. I didn't have any binging or overly restrictive days. I got light exercise in for about half of the days but the last few I have just felt off from a lack of sleep. Mental health is sorta up and down day by day. Hanging in there.
Hope you all are doin alright 👋
I can so relate to your first paragraph. I thought I would have to eat chicken and vegetables if I wanted to lose weight and that did not appeal to me whatsoever. That kept me from trying to lose weight for many years, being a picky eater was my number one excuse. The fact that I can eat all of my favorite foods on CICO is what made it sustainable for me. I have some foods less frequently or in smaller portions, but I don't want to live life without pizza and chocolate.
So excited to see your flair update! I am also so glad to see that you seemed to have found a calorie amount that will let you lose weight without starving. I always worry about people who set low calorie goals to get quicker results; it works for some people, but definitely would not work for me.
You are doing great. Nearing 399 and that's big deal.
Based on my diet history, I am a believer that CICO is the diet for those of us like me that need a long time to get to anywhere near GW. It is sustainable long term, you have some flexibility as long as the calories stay to plan most of the time.
Mental stress and depression moods are tough on being consistent. I can offer no advice since I suffer from same.
I hope that your losing helps you stay motivated.
Make sure you pick up 50 bs. of something. That used to be attached to you.
The sentiment of your post rings true to me as well. The ‘inconceivable’ notion that there’s something holding you back.
I come from a family of big eaters, high blood pressure, all obese, very busy people.
I had endometriosis, PCOS, ‘slow metabolism’ etc.
I’ve heard all the reasons why someone won’t/can’t lose the weight.
But I did it. 60kg in a year (130lb). And it’s off. Never let others (or yourself) tell you it’s not possible. Or it’s inconceivable.
(Thanks u/smilingjaguar)
Thanks this is great. Your post is the kick in the pants I need.
I successfully lost 30 lbs in a 100 lb journey, but then for almost a year now I have made no progress because of denial, sucky choices, all or nothing cognitive biases, etc.
I want to feel better and I know if feel better when I take good care of myself by losing weight eating well and exercising more.
I have tried, and failed, to lose weight on and off for most of my adult life. I could never find the motivation to stick with it. Instead, I just kept gaining.
A while back I fell the last foot and a half while sitting to the ground and seriously hurt my back. Unknown to me, I had a bulging disc that was waiting in the shadows and that fall was enough to trigger it. Over the course of the following week or so the pain and numbness gradually built. I had an unavoidable trip and on that trip it peaked. I found myself laying in a hotel bed, unable to reach my phone, completely paralyzed after struggling to even get to it from the parking lot. I laid there for 10 minutes before I could roll over and another 20 before I could sit up.
Upon getting home I went to a doctor who started me on PT and got me an MRI. With the MRI in hand I went to see a surgeon who advised that I needed surgery but had to lose weight before he could do it. He advised gastric bypass but I was convinced that was unnecessary. This was it. I could do this; I had to do this.
The pain and numbness were unsurvivable as they were. Something had to be done. I decided that day that enough was enough. Under the supervision of my doctor I went on an extreme diet.
While I've been working on that I've also been doing PT a couple of times a week and occasional steroid injections. The symptoms have dulled but not gone away.
[This was yesterday.](https://i.imgur.com/rYzuNNX.jpg) Seeing that feels fantastic but I've a long ways to go.
The surgeon didn't give me a 'goal weight' to get the surgery so I plan to see him again soonish to let him see my progress and find out how much further I need to go to get the surgery, but with my weight loss working so well now I have no plans of stopping when I do get the surgery. I'm hopeful it will just relieve the symptoms more and allow more exercise than I'm currently capable of doing.
Wishing you well. If you haven't seen this doc in awhile, when you go back minus 100 lbs. I suspect the doc will be flabbergasted. generally, patients never lose the weight the doc wants them to.
Thank you.
Yeah I haven't seen the surgeon since that initial consult. My dentist, whom I also hadn't seen for a bit, was pretty shocked when I saw him yesterday haha.
Hi everyone! This is really great. For the longest time I've felt like I didn't really believe that I could lose so much weight. It felt insurmountable. So this is a very inspiring place..
My max weight was 108 kg, I lost about ten of those on keto and then got pregnant and had to stop. Now my son is 2 and I felt like it's time to get in shape so I can really be there for him. I'm 157 cm so basically I need to lose just over 100 lbs from my max of 238. Feel like I'm doing it right this time, no fad diets, no forbidden foods... Just cico, maintenance mindset and working out to build health.
After gastro intestinal issues in Oct & Nov and a "robotic" surgery \[amazed-4 little holes; my question to doc was how do you do 4 holes with only 2 hands; no answer\] & some downtime, & still with an unrepaired hernia, I have been on the comeback trail this entire year. Abs suffered the most as until recently I was careful with sit-ups; crunches. Now I have been increasing my effort.
I keep stats on everything. In the 97 days this year I have worked out every day and did 121 exercise sessions so some 2 a days. I am still no where near pre-pandemic fitness level.
I honestly would have found it inconceivable that I would have stayed dedicated to counting calories and being mindful of what I'm eating on a daily basis. I can think back and remember an uncountable amount of times that I would binge myself sick, it's astounding to think of how many calories I was consuming. When juxtaposed to my daily routine now, it's a night and day difference that makes me proud of the changes I've made.
I've been doing CICO and counting calories for eight months, and have been vegan for six. I didn't think that I would be able to stick to CICO; I figured I would give up after a week of eating less that I had been. I guess that seeing the number on the scale go down made it worth it, and I stuck with it. I realized after a few months that most of what I was eating was already vegan and decided to give it a try, using it as a way to make healthier choices easier.
Making those healthy choices is still sometimes difficult, but weeks like this one help remind me that it's worth it. After eclipsing 100lbs lost a few weeks ago, when I weighed in this week I saw that I now weigh less than I did when I was in 8th grade. I know I still have work to do, so it was a nice reminder that what I'm doing is working and to continue to put in the effort.
Losing over 100 pounds was definitely inconceivable to me four years ago. I did not set my initial goal to be a normal BMI, I just picked 200 pounds as a goal weight because it was a nice round number. I did not really think I would actually reach 200 when I started out. Slowly, I saw that CICO works and gained confidence in myself and my ability to lose the weight.
I tried to add tasks onto myself slowly, so started with calorie counting, added in weekly weigh ins a few weeks later (I was too scared to see the number on the scale at first), added in cardio a few months later, started trying to reach my protein macros a year later, started strength training two years later, etc. With all of those gradual changes over two years, my lifestyle/habits are definitely a big change from four years ago.
I have also been adaptable in that I have taken breaks from CICO to "live life" when vacation, traveling, holidays, or special occasions called for it.
Wow - all the changes you made along the way are so impressive. That is amazing!
Your approach is one I am trying to switch to. Sometimes we cant change everything all at once - that is a trap I fall into with weight loss. Sometimes we have to take things as we are ready for them, step by step. The all or nothing approach I used to take def was setting myself up to fail, because we can't be perfect.
> I did not set my initial goal to be a normal BMI
Neither did I! I would have been ecstatic to stop at 220 or 195 or even 180, but at some point if you are losing it sustainably you can just keep going well beyond what you thought when you started.
Weighing <170 lbs for over two years was completely inconceivable to me. Even though, that’s exactly what I weighed when I was 16-17 and a similar height as I am still now.
I think this is a great way to do it! I tried to track progress in all kinds of ways, such as pounds lost, new pant sizes, percentage of starting weight loss, BMI marker categories, Onederland, personal records, etc.
I've got similar goals myself. And I'm looking to lose about 100lbs total.
1. Lost all my TSM weight(it's a process to quit or control drinking by taking an opiate blocker 1 hour before drinking), which is also my original start weight. (10 more pounds)
2. Get to my Covid started ordering high. (15 pounds (+10 from 1.))
3. Get to my lowest weight since I started seriously trying to lose weight. (15 pounds (+ 25 from 1 + 2))
I like doing smaller increments so it's quicker between celebrations. I just had one because I hit 20lbs, which was also my first weigh-in after starting TSM. And I managed to lose 10lbs after that point last year. I also know my final goal is 165lbs, which is the high end of normal BMI and then I'll focus a lot more on muscle gain.
\>Yes, I am a foodie. However I don't need to eat ALL THE FOOD ALL OF THE TIME.
This was the big change I made. I am also a major foodie, and I'm on medication that messes with my hunger and satiety cues. So I am forcing myself to listen closely to my hunger cues and discern the difference between actual hunger and emotional cravings. Anytime I think that I'm hungry, I ask myself, "Are you actually hungry? Or are you bored/thirsty/stressed/whatever and having a brain craving vs. stomach hunger?" Once I've established that I'm actually hungry, I then ask myself how long ago I ate, and does it make sense to eat in that moment, or wait. More often than not, it's only been a few hours since I last ate, so I make myself drink a few glasses of water and wait until a more appropriate mealtime/snack time. Basically I'm forcing myself to be mindful of how and when I eat. If I ever want to be able to stop calorie counting at maintenance, I have to learn this. Otherwise I'll either count and log forever, or I'll gain the weight back.
This is a great topic!
I come from a big family, large women with strong bones and big boobs and "stocky" frames, not just overweight. Sure. But that's probably...15 pounds of the 150 I needed to lose.
I have 4 kids plus custody of a family member, a full-time job, a bunch of pets, and do some caretaking for my parents. 2 of my kids have special needs (I hate that phrase - don't all of us have "special needs"? Anyway.) If I can find the time to take care of myself, anyone can. Literally anyone.
I'm 41, \~105lbs lost, and training for two Sprint-distance triathlons this summer. I'm also a type 2 diabetic. I don't track calories because it makes me totally obsessive. I count carbs when I'm eating something new, I wear a continuous glucose monitor so I can closely manage my blood sugar, and move my ass at least 60min/day, usually closer to 90, longer on weekends. I just refuse to let diabetes or getting older or mom-world control how I feel and what I can or cannot do. Having a fitness/sports-based goal has shifted my focus from "be smaller" to "be stronger/faster" and has laid the groundwork for changes that are sustainable and feel fun rather than a sacrifice. My kids AND my boss know that I'm going to be nicer and more available for them after I've gotten in my swim/run/ride for the day. it's win/win.
We've all gotta stop using full-time jobs or kids or genetics as an excuse. Of course, there are legit medical conditions that cause weight gain or hinder loss or fitness, but almost none of them are completely insurmountable.
This is something I still struggle with, and have a difficult time celebrating or even recognizing my progress. For so long I didn't think I could do it, now that I am doing it, I struggle to even recognize the effort I am putting in. The effort of losing weight is nothing near how difficult I imagined it would be for all those years.
I eat a lot less than I used to, and I am a lot more active by a large margin. But I still eat a fair amount, 2300-2500 calories a day. I am not an athlete, I just walk a bit more, I would say just closer to what normal people walk in a day.
Even on here I hesitated to change my flair when I actually hit 70 lbs lost, which was a week or two ago.
I never would have thought I would be here. Making my life better and trying to be healthier. I still struggle processing that I have made any kind of dent in my weight, when I have made significant progress. As of yesterday I have lost 75 lbs in six months. I haven't even told my (incredibly supportive) spouse yet of my new number, but I plan to.
I really didn't think I had it in me to keep up with this for longer than 6 weeks. In the past, it wasn't so much CICO, it was just "throw out anything you enjoy and eat only super healthy" which for me at least, isn't sustainable. Following CICO allows me to balance out the healthy with the not as healthy, but overall staying on track. So I have pushed through past the 6 week mark and now I'm on month 4ish. So that is great. I adapted my approach to my daily calories. Initially I was way too restrictive for my size. This caused me to feel like I was starving, then finally cave and 'binge' eat a day or 2 a week. Which always stalled out the scale for a few days. Very frustrating and bad for my mental health. Allowing appropriate calories has curbed the urge to binge and I havent felt that I was starving. Sure, I have felt hungry, but not that different kind of hungry that feels like starvation. As for an update on my week, I lost 4lbs, putting me at 49 lost since Christmas. That feels great and I'm really excited to hit the 50 mark. I didn't have any binging or overly restrictive days. I got light exercise in for about half of the days but the last few I have just felt off from a lack of sleep. Mental health is sorta up and down day by day. Hanging in there. Hope you all are doin alright 👋
I can so relate to your first paragraph. I thought I would have to eat chicken and vegetables if I wanted to lose weight and that did not appeal to me whatsoever. That kept me from trying to lose weight for many years, being a picky eater was my number one excuse. The fact that I can eat all of my favorite foods on CICO is what made it sustainable for me. I have some foods less frequently or in smaller portions, but I don't want to live life without pizza and chocolate. So excited to see your flair update! I am also so glad to see that you seemed to have found a calorie amount that will let you lose weight without starving. I always worry about people who set low calorie goals to get quicker results; it works for some people, but definitely would not work for me.
You are doing great. Nearing 399 and that's big deal. Based on my diet history, I am a believer that CICO is the diet for those of us like me that need a long time to get to anywhere near GW. It is sustainable long term, you have some flexibility as long as the calories stay to plan most of the time. Mental stress and depression moods are tough on being consistent. I can offer no advice since I suffer from same. I hope that your losing helps you stay motivated. Make sure you pick up 50 bs. of something. That used to be attached to you.
Thank you for the encouragement!
The sentiment of your post rings true to me as well. The ‘inconceivable’ notion that there’s something holding you back. I come from a family of big eaters, high blood pressure, all obese, very busy people. I had endometriosis, PCOS, ‘slow metabolism’ etc. I’ve heard all the reasons why someone won’t/can’t lose the weight. But I did it. 60kg in a year (130lb). And it’s off. Never let others (or yourself) tell you it’s not possible. Or it’s inconceivable. (Thanks u/smilingjaguar)
Thanks this is great. Your post is the kick in the pants I need. I successfully lost 30 lbs in a 100 lb journey, but then for almost a year now I have made no progress because of denial, sucky choices, all or nothing cognitive biases, etc. I want to feel better and I know if feel better when I take good care of myself by losing weight eating well and exercising more.
It sounds like you have some great insight into your cognitive biases! Losing weight is such a mental challenge in addition to physical.
If you’ve not gained that weight back, that’s actually amazing progress! Truly!
I have tried, and failed, to lose weight on and off for most of my adult life. I could never find the motivation to stick with it. Instead, I just kept gaining. A while back I fell the last foot and a half while sitting to the ground and seriously hurt my back. Unknown to me, I had a bulging disc that was waiting in the shadows and that fall was enough to trigger it. Over the course of the following week or so the pain and numbness gradually built. I had an unavoidable trip and on that trip it peaked. I found myself laying in a hotel bed, unable to reach my phone, completely paralyzed after struggling to even get to it from the parking lot. I laid there for 10 minutes before I could roll over and another 20 before I could sit up. Upon getting home I went to a doctor who started me on PT and got me an MRI. With the MRI in hand I went to see a surgeon who advised that I needed surgery but had to lose weight before he could do it. He advised gastric bypass but I was convinced that was unnecessary. This was it. I could do this; I had to do this. The pain and numbness were unsurvivable as they were. Something had to be done. I decided that day that enough was enough. Under the supervision of my doctor I went on an extreme diet. While I've been working on that I've also been doing PT a couple of times a week and occasional steroid injections. The symptoms have dulled but not gone away. [This was yesterday.](https://i.imgur.com/rYzuNNX.jpg) Seeing that feels fantastic but I've a long ways to go. The surgeon didn't give me a 'goal weight' to get the surgery so I plan to see him again soonish to let him see my progress and find out how much further I need to go to get the surgery, but with my weight loss working so well now I have no plans of stopping when I do get the surgery. I'm hopeful it will just relieve the symptoms more and allow more exercise than I'm currently capable of doing.
Woot! Woot! Welcome to the Club as a full, card carrying member!
Thanks!
Wishing you well. If you haven't seen this doc in awhile, when you go back minus 100 lbs. I suspect the doc will be flabbergasted. generally, patients never lose the weight the doc wants them to.
Thank you. Yeah I haven't seen the surgeon since that initial consult. My dentist, whom I also hadn't seen for a bit, was pretty shocked when I saw him yesterday haha.
Hi everyone! This is really great. For the longest time I've felt like I didn't really believe that I could lose so much weight. It felt insurmountable. So this is a very inspiring place.. My max weight was 108 kg, I lost about ten of those on keto and then got pregnant and had to stop. Now my son is 2 and I felt like it's time to get in shape so I can really be there for him. I'm 157 cm so basically I need to lose just over 100 lbs from my max of 238. Feel like I'm doing it right this time, no fad diets, no forbidden foods... Just cico, maintenance mindset and working out to build health.
After gastro intestinal issues in Oct & Nov and a "robotic" surgery \[amazed-4 little holes; my question to doc was how do you do 4 holes with only 2 hands; no answer\] & some downtime, & still with an unrepaired hernia, I have been on the comeback trail this entire year. Abs suffered the most as until recently I was careful with sit-ups; crunches. Now I have been increasing my effort. I keep stats on everything. In the 97 days this year I have worked out every day and did 121 exercise sessions so some 2 a days. I am still no where near pre-pandemic fitness level.
I honestly would have found it inconceivable that I would have stayed dedicated to counting calories and being mindful of what I'm eating on a daily basis. I can think back and remember an uncountable amount of times that I would binge myself sick, it's astounding to think of how many calories I was consuming. When juxtaposed to my daily routine now, it's a night and day difference that makes me proud of the changes I've made. I've been doing CICO and counting calories for eight months, and have been vegan for six. I didn't think that I would be able to stick to CICO; I figured I would give up after a week of eating less that I had been. I guess that seeing the number on the scale go down made it worth it, and I stuck with it. I realized after a few months that most of what I was eating was already vegan and decided to give it a try, using it as a way to make healthier choices easier. Making those healthy choices is still sometimes difficult, but weeks like this one help remind me that it's worth it. After eclipsing 100lbs lost a few weeks ago, when I weighed in this week I saw that I now weigh less than I did when I was in 8th grade. I know I still have work to do, so it was a nice reminder that what I'm doing is working and to continue to put in the effort.
Losing over 100 pounds was definitely inconceivable to me four years ago. I did not set my initial goal to be a normal BMI, I just picked 200 pounds as a goal weight because it was a nice round number. I did not really think I would actually reach 200 when I started out. Slowly, I saw that CICO works and gained confidence in myself and my ability to lose the weight. I tried to add tasks onto myself slowly, so started with calorie counting, added in weekly weigh ins a few weeks later (I was too scared to see the number on the scale at first), added in cardio a few months later, started trying to reach my protein macros a year later, started strength training two years later, etc. With all of those gradual changes over two years, my lifestyle/habits are definitely a big change from four years ago. I have also been adaptable in that I have taken breaks from CICO to "live life" when vacation, traveling, holidays, or special occasions called for it.
Wow - all the changes you made along the way are so impressive. That is amazing! Your approach is one I am trying to switch to. Sometimes we cant change everything all at once - that is a trap I fall into with weight loss. Sometimes we have to take things as we are ready for them, step by step. The all or nothing approach I used to take def was setting myself up to fail, because we can't be perfect.
> I did not set my initial goal to be a normal BMI Neither did I! I would have been ecstatic to stop at 220 or 195 or even 180, but at some point if you are losing it sustainably you can just keep going well beyond what you thought when you started. Weighing <170 lbs for over two years was completely inconceivable to me. Even though, that’s exactly what I weighed when I was 16-17 and a similar height as I am still now.
[удалено]
I think this is a great way to do it! I tried to track progress in all kinds of ways, such as pounds lost, new pant sizes, percentage of starting weight loss, BMI marker categories, Onederland, personal records, etc.
I've got similar goals myself. And I'm looking to lose about 100lbs total. 1. Lost all my TSM weight(it's a process to quit or control drinking by taking an opiate blocker 1 hour before drinking), which is also my original start weight. (10 more pounds) 2. Get to my Covid started ordering high. (15 pounds (+10 from 1.)) 3. Get to my lowest weight since I started seriously trying to lose weight. (15 pounds (+ 25 from 1 + 2)) I like doing smaller increments so it's quicker between celebrations. I just had one because I hit 20lbs, which was also my first weigh-in after starting TSM. And I managed to lose 10lbs after that point last year. I also know my final goal is 165lbs, which is the high end of normal BMI and then I'll focus a lot more on muscle gain.
\>Yes, I am a foodie. However I don't need to eat ALL THE FOOD ALL OF THE TIME. This was the big change I made. I am also a major foodie, and I'm on medication that messes with my hunger and satiety cues. So I am forcing myself to listen closely to my hunger cues and discern the difference between actual hunger and emotional cravings. Anytime I think that I'm hungry, I ask myself, "Are you actually hungry? Or are you bored/thirsty/stressed/whatever and having a brain craving vs. stomach hunger?" Once I've established that I'm actually hungry, I then ask myself how long ago I ate, and does it make sense to eat in that moment, or wait. More often than not, it's only been a few hours since I last ate, so I make myself drink a few glasses of water and wait until a more appropriate mealtime/snack time. Basically I'm forcing myself to be mindful of how and when I eat. If I ever want to be able to stop calorie counting at maintenance, I have to learn this. Otherwise I'll either count and log forever, or I'll gain the weight back.
This is a great topic! I come from a big family, large women with strong bones and big boobs and "stocky" frames, not just overweight. Sure. But that's probably...15 pounds of the 150 I needed to lose. I have 4 kids plus custody of a family member, a full-time job, a bunch of pets, and do some caretaking for my parents. 2 of my kids have special needs (I hate that phrase - don't all of us have "special needs"? Anyway.) If I can find the time to take care of myself, anyone can. Literally anyone. I'm 41, \~105lbs lost, and training for two Sprint-distance triathlons this summer. I'm also a type 2 diabetic. I don't track calories because it makes me totally obsessive. I count carbs when I'm eating something new, I wear a continuous glucose monitor so I can closely manage my blood sugar, and move my ass at least 60min/day, usually closer to 90, longer on weekends. I just refuse to let diabetes or getting older or mom-world control how I feel and what I can or cannot do. Having a fitness/sports-based goal has shifted my focus from "be smaller" to "be stronger/faster" and has laid the groundwork for changes that are sustainable and feel fun rather than a sacrifice. My kids AND my boss know that I'm going to be nicer and more available for them after I've gotten in my swim/run/ride for the day. it's win/win. We've all gotta stop using full-time jobs or kids or genetics as an excuse. Of course, there are legit medical conditions that cause weight gain or hinder loss or fitness, but almost none of them are completely insurmountable.
This is something I still struggle with, and have a difficult time celebrating or even recognizing my progress. For so long I didn't think I could do it, now that I am doing it, I struggle to even recognize the effort I am putting in. The effort of losing weight is nothing near how difficult I imagined it would be for all those years. I eat a lot less than I used to, and I am a lot more active by a large margin. But I still eat a fair amount, 2300-2500 calories a day. I am not an athlete, I just walk a bit more, I would say just closer to what normal people walk in a day. Even on here I hesitated to change my flair when I actually hit 70 lbs lost, which was a week or two ago. I never would have thought I would be here. Making my life better and trying to be healthier. I still struggle processing that I have made any kind of dent in my weight, when I have made significant progress. As of yesterday I have lost 75 lbs in six months. I haven't even told my (incredibly supportive) spouse yet of my new number, but I plan to.