Early on, for the first 20 lbs or so, you need to use that scale for motivation, watching the numbers drop.
Then this is what happened to me.
My clothes started to get looser. I felt better. My body felt better to touch. Next motivation. And I started to look different. Less tummy, different face. More motivation.
At about 40lbs down other people started to notice. More motivation.
At 50lbs down, joined a gym. More motivation.
At about 60lbs down, started running. More motivation.
So use the small changes to keep you going and implement larger changes later to give you that extra boost.
As others have said, mini-goals are really important too.
You hit a point where there is no going back. And that seals the deal, at least for me.
Reading this, it's all about NSVs. But I still weigh every day!
I have come to the point whereby I actually enjoy losing weight. I'll miss it. We'll deal with that challenge when I get there.
Yep, I agree with Ian. It's all about the NSVs, but I weigh daily to keep me focused. I'm not scale obsessed. I went away for a few days and only thought about it once.
I know a lot of people break their weight loss down into 10lb chunks, but I can't do that because the math is too easy! It's easy for me to go...lose 10lb 9 times - hmmm - that's 90lbs. Instead I just focus on one or two goals at a time. Sometimes it's a specific amount (like 25lbs) or sometimes it's to get to a certain weight - like 100kg. I also never set my rate of loss at more than a lb a week...if I'm faster...awesome. I also have fitness goals which I focus on more than the weight.
In 6 months you're going to wish you started today.
Thats what I live by basically. To me it says that those 6 months (or in your case a few more, me too by the way) are going to fly by. And if you don't make a change right NOW, you're going to kick yourself. I think about ti all the time how last summer I said "by next summer I'll be fit and hot". Well I didn't do anything about it. And to think if I HAD start then, I'd be in maintenance right now. That single quote gave me the kick in the a$$ I needed.
I've recently had a few very hard weeks. I haven't been able to break into the 160's and this morning I was near tears with frustration. Almost every person on 3FC has been there, but all the people that have replied here are so right - even if it's slow, it's better to get fitter over time than stay the same or get fatter.
One thing I've been focusing on all day is the little things that I've achieved. I just bought a pair of 12 jeans (I started WW wearing super tight 20s), I have become so much more active, I can keep up with my German Shepherd on jogs, I've lost 15% of my starting weight... The list goes on. Right now my focus is to work hard and break that barrier and get into the 160's. Without Mini-goals losing 90 pounds and meeting my goal weight seems impossible. Keep it simple, keep it small and you will get there!
I actually am not a fan of being patient. I was one of those people that set a time/date goal. They help me with motivation.
It's OK to be impatient, to want everything now.
What doesn't work is when you don't meet a goal or allow impatience to stop you in your progress. Not meeting a time based goal does not mean failure, at least in weight loss.
I think it's okay to be scale obsessed as long as you're realistic and don't beat yourself up about it. I'm only six weeks into this process though, perhaps when I hit a plateau I'll be singing a different tune...
So while I'm happily watching the numbers drop on the scale, what really motivates me is knowing that I'm becoming an entirely different person - in appearance, in habits, in mindset. It's a NOW thing, not something that's going to magically happen in X number of months. Today I am closer to the new me than I was yesterday.
I also agree with the other posters. I just take it day by day and the time goes by faster than you think it will. The decade threads on here are/were one of my favorite ways to stay motivated.
I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with the amount of time this process takes, and long for next spring when I can "eat normal" again. Then I remind myself that I'VE NEVER "EATEN NORMAL!" and that I'm just now beginning to learn how to eat well. I think having an end date in mind is dangerous and if you think of weight loss as having a beginning an ending, you're really risking regaining everything lost when you're "done." Just my philosophy.
This... epiphany. Wow.
I have never thought of it in this way. "Normal" for me... the normal that I miss, that some part of me wishes to be back to... well... THAT normal is what has kept me heavy. Unless I DO change what is normal, my body will never change.
I know I'm just repeating what you said. But wow. I feel like I was just knocked over the head with a cartoon hammer and my brain is screaming, DUH.
This... epiphany. Wow.
I have never thought of it in this way. "Normal" for me... the normal that I miss, that some part of me wishes to be back to... well... THAT normal is what has kept me heavy. Unless I DO change what is normal, my body will never change.
I know I'm just repeating what you said. But wow. I feel like I was just knocked over the head with a cartoon hammer and my brain is screaming, DUH.
Thank you for that.
I hear you! It was a total epiphany for me too... I know that eventually I will be able to eat foods that I don't allow myself now, but I absolutely can never go back to the dysfunctional relationship with food I had before. I'm not strong enough to do this twice, so I can never go back to that way of life.
SuperHeroTeacher and rachieready - I suppose that is what I've been doing, I just didn't really think about it in those terms before. I started out just wanting to lose weight, but I've realized I've started to simply have a healthy relationship with food and I've started eating like a "normal" person, at least normal portions. I've been eating clean for the most part, and I know for a lot of people not eating processed foods is not practical or an option, but for me that was really my best option.
My progress in so far has really taught me what an unhealthy relationship I had with food. There were days where I probably ate 6-8 thousand calories in a 24 hr time span. I still freak out when having to eat at restaurants and I can't really go near sweets yet, but I've noticed that I'm happier and healthier than I've been in a long time.
It's only been 30 lbs, but I'm already not as embarrassed to be out in public or to go out to eat, and I haven't had any problems getting into restaurant booths - so for me that is a huge goal that has been met!