What Happens after you win?

I am posting this because i have asked myself a few questions lately, having achieved and gone 4lbs below my goal weight last year around November
why do i still come regularly to this site?
What difference has getting into shape made to my life?
Unexpected effects?
How hard is it to maintain the loss nearly 4 months on?

My weight loss took me approximately 8 months to achieve my goal and was relatively linear with a few plateaus here and there, i stuck to the app fairly closely and combined a caloric deficit with intense exercise and a mixed diet i.e. protein, Carbs and fat with a leaning towards the paleo style approach, i.e. no/little grain, no legumes etc

I have never been what you would call morbidly obese but at approx 215lbs at 5ft 6inches on a fairly stocky frame with a 37inch+ waist, double chin etc i was not exactly floating like a feather. I think my build helped disguise just how heavy i was.
I am now approx 164lbs, 30 inch waist, one chin! Bf 10% and nearly the weight i was at 19 years only with a bit more muscle , i am currently 48.5 years old.

Over the years i have got into pretty good shape sometimes around the 185 mark often and once when i was 27 i was 175lbs

However this is my lowest and fittest weight since i was 20 years old

Like many people , i am time poor, busy demanding job, parental responsibilities etc and so my fitness in my 40s has slid somewhat and i found myself at about 215lbs

Last year i finally got sick of hearing myself saying
'When i was younger' i could do this , fit into that , play this etc, i was concerned that my health might suffer long term and being the father of a young child i want to be around to see him grow up but also to be able to play and be active with him, so i committed myself to GETTING and STAYING in good shape, normally winter is a big issue, i stop training and carry on eating, but this time it’s different and in many ways it’s been quite easy as it is now a lifestyle not something i am just doing.


So why do i still come to this site and not just use the app?

I think there is many reason for this, firstly i like the discussions though they have been a bit thin on the ground lately, but i think it still acts a reminder as to where i have been and hopefully i can encourage others as well. In my head I still have a small doubt that i might go back to how i was and this helps me stay on track like the app. I also think that you can always learn something no matter how much you know and so hearing others comments is interesting

What difference has getting into shape made to my life?

Clearly i am in the best shape that i can remember being and i am getting fitter and pushing my exercise records all the time, i feel more confident wearing much nicer fitted clothes and feel good about my appearance, i have lots of energy and feel so much healthier.

One thing i would say is if you are basing how you feel on what others say then it soon stops happening!
I used to love meeting people i hadn’t seen for a bit and hearing their comments. ‘you look amazing’
‘have you been ill!’ ‘how did you do it’ ‘you look years younger’ etc

However like anything in life once you have met everyone you know the compliments pretty much stop , now they know what you look like and accept it, it’s just YOU again for good or bad. Sure they might still ask how its going from time to time but they don’t make such a fuss
People who don’t know you just see you for what you currently look like and assume that’s how you look! So it’s nothing amazing to them......unless you are looking particularly HOT that day 
In the end its down to how YOU FEEL about YOURSELF! That’s what has to sustain you to maintain what you have achieved in the long term, some people will also be very negative USE that to spur you on


UNEXPECTED EFFECTS!

I had got so used to my previous body that i have at times slightly freaked out about how my body looks and especially feels now!



I first realised this one morning waking up i just patted my chest and waist and became hyper aware just how much SMALLER i was, i could feel my ribcage in way i had never noticed before and my Sternum bone felt like a bony alien in my chest, if and when it happens its a very weird sensation.
I have also felt a bit odd looking in mirrors being able to see all the working muscles and veins in way that i cannot remember seeing before to this degree, its like you suddenly notice what you are MADE of and it can be disconcerting....

On the other hand it’s also PRETTY COOL!

.
How hard is it to maintain the loss nearly 4 months on?.

Embracing the lifestyle rather than thinking of it as something i am doing short term has been key.
For me good eating habits and CONSISTENT exercise go hand in hand one leads to the other. In 9 months i doubt i have missed more than 4 or 5 planned workouts.

Winter was my biggest test where it normally goes wrong but the Lifestyle is now so ingrained in me that i just carried on the same , i even went for a run on Xmas Morning!

One thing i do know is no matter what happens i now know HOW to get into the shape i want to be , if i got sick or injured and then put weight on as a result i know what works to get me into good shape and health. The app really works if you STICK to it and are consistent

Good luck in your endeavours

Totally agree with you - its helps you keep on track even though after a period of time the changes you have made to get you where you are becomes second nature. You have done brilliantly well done

WoW ty good stuff

Thanks for this. The motivation to maintain is, I think, harder than the motivation to lose. Thanks for helping us all see that the journey is longer than the goal.

Congratulations!

This was such a great post - thank you! I've started asking myself a lot of similar questions now that my finish line is in sight. How to I finish? Will I still come here? Can I ever leave?

And coming to terms with how my body has changed and how much space (or how little!) my body occupies has been a steep learning curve.

It's reassuring to know that the same thoughts go through other people's heads too!

yes good stuff

Thanks for the feedback i hope people found it useful,

Funnily enough after posting the other day about everyone you know seeing you and geting used to what you look like i met a chap i used to work with and hadnt seen for about 5 years yesterday at a meeting, the first thing he said after he actually recognised me was
Bloody Hell you have lost a load of weight!

Been a while since i have had one of those reactions

Good post and good reaction from your old friend... And i just thought you stayed on the site for a good argument lol. Well done

Interesting post...I never asked myself what do I win? But I do know I won a healthier life style and can live longer, that is an reward.

Thank you for this. I hope that once I reach my goal I will still be as involved in this website/app just so I can maintain focus. Once something is out of sight it is out of mind.

Very true and I have to admit that scares me a little. But I told myself this is my last time starting. I gained all the weight back after I got to my lowest weight as an adult. I was so happy to get into the 150s. If I had maintained that I would be closer to my goal. I never, ever want to have to start this process again. I have to remember that it is physically easier to maintain than to lose but mentally more difficult.

Nia140 Thats kind of how i felt last April when i started, i do not not want to do this again it has to be a life change.

Mentally i have made the switch to a different lifestyle and to be honest it does become a way of life,i still eat 'BAD' food on a regular basis and so i dont feel i am depriving myself of foods i enjoy but i do view them as treats whch means i enjoy them more when i have them

However i must admit my newfound physicality both in how i look and feel outweighs the temptation to slip into old habits and put the weight back on but it is something you have to remain vigilant about which for me is to regularly use the APP, train regularly and how my clothes fit me.