11 Things I’ve Learnt During My Weight Loss Journey.

Weight loss is always portrayed to be so easy. It’s not. We all have a different idea when the word ‘weight loss’ is mentioned. For some, it could be running every morning. For others, it could mean going on a strict diet. As good as both of those options are, they aren’t the easiest to achieve.
For years, I thought the only way to lose weight was to really push myself. Walk 10,000 steps a day & cut out all carbs & sugar. After struggling while doing this, I gave up.
I have now lost 33 pounds in the space of a year, by changing nothing to my diet & avoiding the gym. What I thought was impossible, proved to me that it is very possible. Here are 11 things I learned during my weight loss journey.
1. It Doesn’t Happen Overnight.
It’s pretty self-explanatory. For the first few months, you’ll feel as if nothing is changing. Skip to the next couple of months, you’ll see slight differences & feel incredibly confident. Skip to the next few months & you’ll start getting a few positive comments from family & friends. Skip a year later & you’ve already lost so much weight without even realizing.
Starting is the hardest part. The first few months will be filled with doubt & insecurity. This will be expected, and it’s up to you to either fall into this trap — or move past it.
Moving past this uncertainty will then bring you to a major sprout of confidence. Doubt kills more dreams than failure. Accept that you’re not going to lose weight within a day, accept that it will be a hard process — but will always be worth it in the end.
2. It’s Not What You Eat, It’s When.
As I said, I made no changes to my diet. One small change I made, was to stop eating at night. At night, it’s harder for your system to digest food the way it does in the afternoon. Eating breakfast in the morning, lunch at midday & dinner before 7 will make it easier for your body to process food.
After a while on my weight loss journey, I realized I was doing a form of ‘Intermittent Fasting’ without realizing it. Intermittent Fasting is a term for various meal timing schedules. This means, that I would only eat for 6 hours a day before cutting off from eating. I rarely ate breakfast, so this was easy for me. Lunch at midday & dinner at 6.
There are many different forms of Intermittent Fasting. You can start easy by doing 12 hours of eating, 12 hours of fasting. Think about it, in the times you’re fasting — you’ll be asleep. Finding distractions is great when you’re fasting. The best part about Intermittent Fasting is that you can eat anything you’d like in your eating period. You aren’t restricted to a specific diet.
3. Smaller Portions.
Again, without cutting anything from your diet — just cut out the amount. Calorie counting is also a great & quick solution for weight loss. You can eat whatever you’d like as long as you’re within the boundaries of your calorie intake.
For example, if I had fast food in the morning & it took up most of my calorie intake — I’d have a smaller meal later to stay within the boundaries. If you’re having three high-calorie meals in a day, have smaller portions of each.
An easy way to achieve smaller portions is to use a smaller bowl or take small amounts. We normally feel the need to finish everything on our plate, this can result in overeating. If you pace yourself with small portions, you won’t feel the guilt of eating too much.
4. Don’t Trust The Scales.
I know it’s tempting to weigh yourself every day, but this can only result in two ways. One, you see you’ve made progress & feel incredibly confident. Two, your weight hasn’t moved at all or has increased & now you're feeling hopeless.
The truth is, is that weight is constantly fluctuating. Some days I’d weigh less, others I’d weigh more and I was putting myself through a cycle of doubt & uncertainty. The scales aren’t just weighing the fat in your body, it’s also weighing the water, muscle & blood.
Instead, look at yourself for reference. It’s not about what the scales show, it’s about the difference you see in yourself. Measure your waist, thighs & hips for a better result.
5. Make Replacements.
The hardest thing for me was to cut out sugar, carbs & dairy. I never did. I knew it would be difficult for me, so I refrained. Instead, I would replace these items with healthier options.
Instead of having juice, I’d have flavored water. Instead of having soft drinks, I replaced them with a no-sugar version. Instead of having sweets, I’d have fruit.
It’s really not as hard as it sounds. Small replacement meals will do a lot, especially if they’re lower in sugar, dairy & carbs. Find an alternative option that gives off the same taste, more healthily.
6. Cheat Meals Are Okay.
If you’ve gone over your calorie intake or ate an unhealthy meal, that’s okay! You will feel guilt, you will feel like you’ve failed — but cheat meals are alright. Most of the people that have lost weight have had cheat meals. It takes dedication to get over it.
Don’t put yourself down over 1 or 2 cheat meals. Accept that you’ve had it, then move on. If you spend all the time feeling guilty about it, the guilt will eventually turn into doubt, which will make you unmotivated.
Whether it was a cheat day, a cheat week, or a cheat month — the only thing that will make you gain weight is by giving up. Allow yourself to feel the guilt, then move on & find the dedication to continue.
7. Start Slowly.
Putting too much pressure on yourself will result in tiring yourself out. If you find that you’re struggling with your weight loss, you may be overdoing it. I know, all we want is to lose weight fast, but by putting yourself through this pressure — will only unmotivate you.
Start slowly, don’t make drastic changes. If you’re struggling with a workout, find a lower impact one. If you’re struggling with your fasting or calorie counting, try expanding your time or intake.
Losing weight shouldn’t torture us, it should motivate us. Although starting slow may seem unproductive — it’s what we need to build up our bodies to handle the weight loss. Don’t force yourself out of your comfort zone.
7. Stop Comparing Your Weightloss.
All bodies are different, all bodies function differently. Your friend may have lost weight within a few months & seems to lose more by the week, but they have a different body.
The beautiful thing with humans is that we are all different, we all feel different about certain things & react to things in different ways. Our bodies are unique to us & we shouldn’t compare our journeys with someone else.
Feel proud for your peers who have lost weight, and continue to achieve your own journey. Everyone has a different story when it comes to weight loss.
8. Walking is The Only Excersize You Need.
Stop worrying about the gym, stop worrying about how many miles you run. A simple brisk walk is enough to do the job.
As I said before, I never went to the gym. I never even scheduled walks. I simply just started walking to places instead of driving, I started walking the stairs instead of taking the lift.
Remember, it's not always the big actions we do to lose weight. It’s the small things we do that accumulate to weight loss.
9. 1kg ( 2 Pounds ) Is a Lot More Than You’d Think.
When I lost my first kg, I wasn’t too thrilled. I was happy, but I would’ve rather lost 10 kgs. Losing your first kg is the most overlooked achievement. We see it as a low number.
1kg is equivalent to a liter of water, a medium cantaloupe, a bottle of wine, a pineapple, or a small laptop. That amount of fat & weight has been taken from your body.
1 is a small number, but that small number is such a great mass of the weight to lose. It makes you feel better, knowing that the weight equivalent to a small laptop has just been lifted from your body.
10. Love Your Body Before & After.
Weight loss will not guarantee immediate happiness. It will not guarantee immediate self-love. If your main objective to lose weight is to ‘look better,’ then weight loss may not be what you need.
An important part of losing weight is to love your body for how it is. Your body isn’t going to work with you if you’re constantly despising it. Feel grateful for the body you have & all the cells in you trying to keep you alive.
Before losing weight, I recommend appreciating your body. I never look back at my old pictures & cringe. Instead, I look back at them & smile — she was beautiful before & after.
11. The Biggest Key to Losing Weight is Your Mindset.
If you’re constantly in a negative mindset thinking that it will never happen, you’re right — it will never happen. Change the way you think, replace those thoughts.
“Yeah it will be hard to achieve, but I’m dedicated to it.” That's a better mindset. Dedication & positivity is the key to losing weight. The only thing that will stop you is doubt.
Start changing your mindset, instead of redeeming it as ‘too difficult’, think of it as a ‘challenge you’re willing to overcome.’ Weight loss is 50% action, 50% mindset. You’re never going to lose weight if you’re constantly doubting your abilities.
Weight loss isn’t easy, but the more you practice it — the more it becomes a lifestyle. Accept the challenge, and believe in yourself to achieve. It’s not impossible, it’s right there in front of you. I believe in you & you will succeed.