I lost 25 kg 10 years ago and have kept it off. Here’s what nobody told me about losing and then maintaining weight loss.
TLDR
My main lessons:
- A calorie deficit is essential, but exercise and building muscle are important long-term habits.
-Injuries, health issues, vacations, and busy periods happen—don’t let them derail you permanently; get back to your routine.
-Working out takes time and money, so treat it as a real lifestyle commitment.
-People may treat you differently after losing weight, but you may also develop a fear of regaining the weight. Don’t panic over normal fluctuations or a few kilos gained during vacation.
-You don’t finish a weight-loss journey—you learn how to live at your new weight.
-The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is always finding your way back.
So, I started my journey 10 years ago. I’m a 39-year-old male, 173 cm tall. I started at 100 kg when I was 29 and reached my goal weight of 75 kg in about one year by going to the gym and cleaning up my eating habits.
Well, that was the easy part.
The harder part was keeping the weight off.
Today, I’m still between 72–75 kg, with a decent amount of muscle mass (although I’m definitely not a bodybuilder!).
Looking back at the last 10 years, these are some of the things I faced and what I learned along the way.
1. A calorie deficit is essential, but it isn’t the whole solution
A calorie deficit is the most important part of losing weight, but it isn’t the whole solution for maintaining it long term.
For me, working out and building a decent amount of muscle became an important long-term habit. You don’t have to become a bodybuilder, but having regular exercise as part of your lifestyle makes a huge difference.
Three workouts a week was my minimum.
Of course, there were weeks—and sometimes even up to a month—when I couldn’t work out because I was injured, outside the country for work or vacation, or simply because life was too busy.
That’s okay. Life happens.
The important thing is to limit these interruptions as much as you reasonably can and, when they happen, get back to your routine as soon as you’re able to.
Remember: Discipline beats motivation.
2. Health problems can happen when you change your habits
Constipation, injuries, hemorrhoids, and other health issues are things I faced during my journey, and you might face some of them too.
If something happens, don’t neglect it.
Look at what might have caused the problem, learn from your mistakes, address the issue, and give yourself enough time to recover. Then get back to your routine.
Don’t let one problem turn into a reason to abandon everything.
3. Working out takes more time than you might think
For me, a gym session takes around 1.5–2 hours door-to-door.
I’m counting everything from the moment I start driving to the gym until I reach wherever I’m going afterward—home, work, or somewhere else.
That includes driving to the gym, changing clothes, warming up-working out-cooling down, taking a quick shower, getting dressed, and driving to my next destination.
Obviously, this depends on where you live and how far you are from the gym, but keep in mind that you might need around 2 hours of your day, three times a week, to maintain your workout routine.
That’s a significant time commitment, so it’s worth planning your life around it rather than treating it as something you’ll somehow squeeze in.
4. It costs money
This is another thing you should consider.
A gym membership, hiring a coach—especially when you’re starting out and want to avoid unnecessary injuries—and buying healthier food can all cost money.
You don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune, but being prepared to invest some money in your health can make the journey easier.
5. The way people treat you may change
After 3–4 years, you may notice that people start treating you differently—and honestly, you might like it.
People who knew you before will probably notice the change. Most will compliment you, while some might even feel jealous.
But there’s another thing I experienced that I would call “former-fat mindset.”
You can become anxious or guilty about gaining weight again, and this can be very real.
For example, you might gain 2–3 kg during a vacation and suddenly feel like you’ve failed.
Sometimes even temporary bloating can make you feel guilty or ashamed of yourself.
If you experience this, remember:
A few kilograms of weight gain—or even temporary bloating—doesn’t erase years of progress.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned
You don’t finish a weight-loss journey. You learn how to live at your new weight.
I lost 25 kg in about a year, but I’ve spent the following 9+ years learning how to maintain that loss while still living a normal life.
There will be vacations, injuries, busy periods, bad meals, weight fluctuations, and periods when you don’t feel motivated.
That’s normal.
The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to always find your way back.
This is just some of my personal experience. Sorry if this was too long, but I felt I should share it, especially with those who are still at the beginning of this long journey.
Good luck, and stay consistent!
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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/1vznnuy/i_lost_25_kg_10_years_ago_and_have_kept_it_off/
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