Hi
I think
starting can be the hardest part of all. The new food choices and exercise aren't a habit yet, so it's all new. IMO, over time, you'll find that it gets a bit easier.
Also (and I know I wrote this on another thread somewhere), sometimes you can't depend on just motivation. Example: I am NEVER motivated to do cardio. Never. But I just do it. You have to start learning to over-ride your own negative thoughts ("I'm tired," "I'm busy," "It's not worth it," etc.) and just go out and do it.
Here are a few things that I did to get started:
1. I made appointments to go to the gym. I actually HAD to do this because I have a personal trainer, but when I do cardio on non-training days I sit down on Sunday night and pick 3 days that I WILL do cardio. And I write those "appointments" down in my calendar. I find that if I don't do this, I come home, sit on the couch, and start thinking about how much I don't want to do it. But if it's in my calendar (and I know ahead of time) then I'll do it. If you're doing a fitness video at home or something, write that down on your calendar, too. Think of it as a date with yourself.
2. I made very small changes at first. If I'd tried to change all my eating habits all at once, I would have quit after about 36 hours. By changing a few things a week, you'll build up a sense of accomplishment. IMO, changing everything all at once is a recipe for disaster. I mean, if you've been driving FORWARD your whole life and then suddenly demanded of yourself that you drive BACKWARDS everywhere, you're gonna screw up. Expecially in heavy traffic (LOL). Sorry, that was a random analogy, but hopefully you get my point -- reversing YEARS of doing things one particular way cannot be successfully done all of a sudden. When you achieve those SMALL changes, you begin to build on those successes. Example: my first week I lowered my daily Coke intake from 4 cans to 2. Baby steps. Now I don't drink Coke. But if I had suddenly given up Coke cold turkey I would have felt deprived, depressed, and...well...it wouldn't have worked. Your body -- AND your brain -- need time to adapt to the changes.
3. This goes along with number 2 (sorta). I started s..l..o...w..l..y replacing certain foods with healthier choices. Week one, I replaced sugar with Splenda in my tea. Every week it was something new. This works well for the reasons I wrote in the last paragraph.
4. Write down all the reasons you want to lose weight. They can be *big* things like "I want to live a long time and enjoy my old age" or *smaller* things like "I hate my thighs/butt/tummy/whatever."
5. Start logging your food intake. Some people do it on
www.fitday.com, I just did it at home in a notebook. It's a real eye-opener, and it will show you good places to drop certain foods or make healthier choices.
6. Control your environment by clearing all the junk out of your kitchen. I know this is tough when you have a family (I live alone, so I have total control of the food situation), but I really think taking away the temptations goes a long way toward helping you succeed. I mean, if it's 2:00 am and you're dying for a pint of Ben & Jerry's, are you REALLY going to get in the car and drive to the 7-11 (or whatever)?
7. DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP WHEN YOU STUMBLE! The only other time I lost a large amount of weight was in the mid-1990s. About 3 months into it, I went to D.C. with some friends and we pigged out big time all weekend. I got home and thought "Well, I totally blew it" and I quit. Bad move. You're human. You'll screw up. But get over it and move on.
And stick around 3FC for awhile
. It's a great place to get info, support, etc.
You can do it!
Editing now to add #8 and #9:
8. PLEASE don't weigh yourself every day!! It can be sooooo demoralizing because our weight naturally fluctuates day to day and hour to hour. I've seen way too many people on 3FC and in the *real world* get all depressed and upset because they weigh .5 lbs more today than they did yesterday. Pick one day a week as your weigh-in day. You'll avoid some serious heartache that way, I promise. I only weigh in once every 6 - 8 weeks usually...although lately it's been every 2 - 3 weeks -- I firmly believe that the longer you wait between weigh-ins, the happier you will be because (for example) I ALWAYS show a loss when I weigh in every 6 weeks or so.
9. DO NOT be discouraged by slow weight loss. I lose at an average of 1/2 lb a week. If you have a lower expectation of weight loss, you'll find that you are often pleasantly surprised. Many people have a goal of 2 - 3 lbs a week and get bummed out when it doesn't happen. Don't set yourself up for disappointment. It took time for you to gain the weight; it will take time for you to lose it.