-Plan, plan and then plan some more. Have the house fully stocked with good and healthy and low calorie things.
-Without a doubt - I must count calories. It allows me to set limits for myself. If I don't count calories, well then, I'm just eating and eating.
-Make exercise a priority and an absolute HAVE TO. Not doing it is NOT an option. Period.
-No nibbling. A tough one for me. I STILL to this day nibble. I make it very small amounts of low cal things, but nevertheless....
-Drink lots of water
-Weigh myself every day. This keeps me AWARE and intune to my body. It keeps me HONEST with myself.
-Don't give into my cravings. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I have to have it.
-Remember, always remember and keep in mind at ALL times just how badly I want this. I need to always remember that the food is just temporary and isn't that important and that giving into it will drag me down.
-I need to remember just how incredibly miserable I was at 287 lbs.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 05-29-2007 at 07:56 PM.
Mine are similar to the ones already posted, so forgive me if I repeat things!
I need to...
1. remember how good it feels to be active. I haven't had a problem with this because I pretty quickly got hooked on exercise, particularly running, but I know there will be times when I just don't feel like doing it and I have to remember how good it feels.
2. plan my calories for the day and make it a priority to stay within them instead of thinking I can go over a little here and there. I have to make sure I'm strict as often as possible about staying within my limit.
3. remember how horrible it felt to be obese, and never EVER allow it to happen again.
4. accept and love my body the way it is now, because I'm so much healthier than I've been in years, and even though I have lots of loose skin and some flab still hanging on, I don't look half bad in clothes! Feeling good about myself NOW makes it easier to keep at it.
5. weigh myself every morning, and record my weight once a week. I think I'll do this forever, just to keep myself in line.
1. Plan
2. Research, being an active participant with my health and food, meaning I read alot of books about food and their benefits
3. Experiment - once a week I hunt up recipes and we try something new<I find its just as easy to get in a rut with healthy food as with unhealthy>
4. Reward myself - pedicures, new hairstyle, clothes, flip flops, beach apparel
Remember, always remember and keep in mind at ALL times just how badly I want this.
I just take a look at the pics of me before, and KNOW I NEVER want to be that persone EVER AGAIN.
I don't have any "tricks" ~ I know what I have to do, it is 2nd nature to me now, and I am comfortable with and LOVE the way I live now. I will not dwell on the past - I want to leave it there. I do however look forward to meeting the new me as the pounds disappear and I evolve.
This was a great idea! Thanks for starting this thread! I am like a lot of other folks.
~ Exercise consistently and vary what I do....an exercise rut is dangerous too!
~ Plan my meals and snacks. Try new recipes and foods. Stay within my calorie range!
~ Redefine my idea of a reward! 8 dark chocolate kisses are NOT a reward! Fitting into the size 16 skirt hanging on my closet door is a reward! The cute grocery store clerk flirting with me is a reward! No more food rewards, even if I have the calories available for it.
~ Lastly, let go of the FEAR! I worry too much about not being able to afford new clothes, the added expense at the grocery store and about being thin. As much as I want to be thin, it will be a whole new world! And that can be intimidating!
Wow -- very practical, informative choices we have all decided to make -- it looks so awesome in writing. It's definitely working for so many of you!! I think alot of it boils down to taking care of ourselves for a change.
This is a great topic and it helps to do some "self-analysis" in these times.
I know that over the past year my husband has really become a health nut, which has caused me to hide my overeating, which is not healthy. I understand it now, but at the time I couldn't see the damage I was causing. I didn't want to disappoint him (and he just wants me to be healthy), so I hid food, which caused more guilt and the eating doubled.
I am new in my journey, but I think the necessary things for succeeding will be TONS of positive feedback, supportive friends, a fresh new diet plan to follow. And I am LOVING these progress tickers! Whoever thought of that deserves a medal!!
I wanted to add. I need to be able to express myself to those around me. I find I have the most success when I can be open with Matt. Often, changing my habits, affects the entire household, since I'm the cook, the menu planner and head grocery shopper. When I've tried to lose weight in the past, I wouldn't tell anyone, even Matt, like one day I would show up a size 6 and he wouldnt notice the process? HA! I've made changes, like serving food from stove, instead of family style with ALL the food on the table, there's no unhealthy food in my house etc. So, having support and ppl I can talk to, any minute is numero uno for me. There's many days when I tell Matt I would REALLY enjoy <insert whatever here>, instead of going to get it for me, which is what he use to do, now he suggests a walk and while we walk, we try and figure out why I want whatever it is. Oftentimes, its stress, emotions anything but hunger.
The things I need to succeed are things that have been mentioned before:
1. planning-- plan my meals and plan when I'll exercise. Planning does not come natural for me, so it feels a bit odd.
2. keep records-- record what I eat and take a before picture and measurements, so that I have proof of my progress
3. get my cravings under control-- find non-food substitutes or just talk myself out of it.
I need to quit making excuses to go off-plan. Life is hard and there will always be rough times. I have to learn new coping skills. Food can no longer be my comfort, my relaxation, my celebration....its time to think outside of the box...to be abnormal
*Keep eating when I'm hungry, not to ignore it but make healthy choices
*Don't buy something just because it's on sale unless it's healthy
*Stick to serving sizes
*Remember sunscreen to keep a sunburn from the list of reasons not to exercise for the day
*Go to the local animal shelter and walk dogs when I'm on vacation (usually you just have to leave your license and it feels great to be giving the dogs a little bit of joy and some time out of their kennels).
* Encourage my husband and children to keep junk food out of my sight (and hopefully my house)
* Be patient about not needing to do it all at once - I can live without eating temporarily, but I need to be in it for the long haul
* Incorporate strength training into my routine so that I can build muscle and increase my metabolism. (Got the bands last night, BTW - thanks for the info!)
1. stop making excuses (no i'm NOT that big-boned! lol, no i do not NEED more food than other people! I am NOT that special that calories do not apply to me!!!!)
2. plan plan plan plan plan
3. stop being afraid -- i think it's easier to be FAT! what if I get thin and I'm NOT so pretty? no one expects too much of me fat, what if there's more demands when i'm thinner???
4. STOP DIETING!!! dieting has made me lose 15 lbs. and gain back 20 so many times it's put me in the mess i am now!!! cutting out crap and exercising and stopping shoving stuff in my face by 8 pm are all lifestyle changes i can deal with....the thought of NEVER eating something again is ridiculous and dangerous
5. stay positive and let my normal sense of humour get me over the hardest days
