Friday Five // 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Weightloss
6/14/2014
So it's the Friday Five Linkup that is hosted by the DC Trifecta that is Mar, Courtney and Cynthia! This weeks topic is open for us to pick what we want our 5 things to be about.
Wanting to lose weight is easy. Following through with weight loss and actually committing yourself to the journey, not so much. No-one will ever really have an exact plan on what they are going to do when they lose weight. Things change, things don't work out, goal posts change. We will never truly know everything there is to know about weight loss, what our journey is going to be like and how to handle certain situations.
However, there are certain things during my weight loss that I wish someone WOULD have told me right from the off. Things that WOULD have made things a lot easier on me, not so much physically, but mentally.
Here are the top five things I would tell someone before they started their weight loss journey and things I wish someone would have told me!
1. The scale isn't everything.
This is for sure on of the things that I wish I'd have known before I started my weight loss journey. I did start to learn towards the end of my journey but wish I'd known sooner. The scale can help you to see that you are losing weight, but its not always reliable
I was obsessed with the scale, I would usually check most days and I would be SO disappointed if it didn't go the way I wanted it(which was down).
Truth is, you really shouldn't be relying on the scale as your only source of results/progress, especially if you are weight training. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are putting on muscle during weight training but losing fat, you may weigh heavier.
Progress pictures and measurements are an awesome way to track your progress through weight loss and I really wish that I would have taken more progress photos from the beginning of my weight loss journey. Measurements will show inch loss, even if the scale isn't moving. Progress pictures will show you physical results that you can see.
2. Eat Consciously
I wrote a post on this a while back but it's something you definitely need to be aware of during weight loss.. and have tips that you are aware of prior to losing weight, that you can pick up on during your journey and control your eating.
Eating Consciously will allow you to not over eat and you'll be able to recognise proper hunger signals. If you want to read my post about tips for Eating Consciously, click HERE.
3. Have/Find support, you're your own worst critic.
Maybe I can only speak for myself here, but when things weren't going great, I would be my own worst critic and constantly put myself down for not working hard enough and for picking up on the things that I weren't doing right rather than the things I was doing right.
Tell people about your weight loss and what your goals are. It helps to keep you accountable and helped me to stick to my goals so I wouldn't go against at I'd told people. Having people behind you in your weight loss journey helps a lot and it's even better if those people are also into getting healthier and can workout with you and provide encouragement
4. Don't compare yourself to others.
This is definitely something that I did. I compared my weight loss results to those who were also losing weight. Problem is that everyone is different and also at different stages in their journey and what works for someone, may not work for another.
This also was the case with regards to weight loss results. After a huge weight loss, some people can end up with loose skin, some people might not. I didn't think that I would because I compared myself to others of the same size. That obviously wasn't the case as you know from my skin removal posts.
I compared myself to others and ended up disappointed and somewhat confused that I didn't end up the same. Don't allow yourself to be in that position and do not compare yourself to others. Everyone is different.
5. Be Patient
Weight loss is not something that will happen overnight. It isn't something that will go when you snap your fingers. It doesn't work that way. Weight may be something that is fast to go on(or slow), but that doesn't mean that it will take a short amount of time to come off.
It's a whole different story and you definitely need to have patience when you go into weight loss. It's hard and requires lots of effort. Sometimes you will have weeks where the scales don't move and neither do measurements but you have to be patient and give things time to work. You just have to remember to never give up as you will get there eventually!
Thank you to the lovely ladies for hosting this linkup. Be sure to check them out and the other posts too!
Question: Been or gone through weight loss? What is one thing you wish you were told?
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4 comments
This is a great post. The part about the scale really rung true for me. I have been gaining weight and getting upset, but I know it is from the weight training I am doing. It is just such a mental barrier!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's still a tough one to swallow. It's not easy when losing weight and being healthier to see no movement, or a movement UP on the scale when you expect it to go down.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list because it's very true! I wish I'd taken more progress pictures and because I was so ashamed of being photographed back then I avoided it at all costs! Plus the weighing in everyday thing..It's best not to let the scales dictate your mood! :) x
ReplyDeleteFab post! So much sense here!!
ReplyDeleteLorna | naturally-bee.blogspot.co.uk |