[jtammy]

Originally Posted by ShyCammie

Now, please tell me all the reasons that you all "thought/think you can" or "knew you could"...I'm going to have to get my mindset healthy in order to get my body healthy.

I'm not sure if you were looking for this kind of thing or not, but something I kept telling myself was that "Weight loss is not rocket science. There are people less intelligent than me that have managed to lose weight and keep it off. If they can do it, I can do it." Okay, maybe that's not exactly nice, but I didn't say it out loud either, only to myself.

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by ShyCammie

Now, please tell me all the reasons that you all "thought/think you can" or "knew you could"...I'm going to have to get my mindset healthy in order to get my body healthy.

Hmmm. Well I knew that without a doubt I absolutely HAD to. I simply could not go on living like I was. I didn't think that I would live much longer number one and number two, I was so miserable that I couldn't bear it any longer. I figured that doing without the high calorie/high quantity food HAD to be easier (at this point) then being morbidly obese. It just HAD to. And I was right.

And kinda like jtammy said, I knew, DEEP down, that weight loss was a DOABLE thing. And exactly like she said, others have done it, so why the heck NOT me?

All I needed to do (haha) was eat less and move more and that would definitely result in weight loss. Definitely. So, I needed to figure out how to get myself to - eat less and move more.

[Eileen2bLean]

I totally agree with your thoughts about thought! I know knOW KNOW that this time, at this point in my life, I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL at weight loss. I know that my attitude and a truly positive outlook will have everything to do with my success.

I feel like I'm posting this everywhere but it's where I am right now, so please excuse the redundance... After 30 years of being a smoker, I quit. It wasn't my first attempt at quitting, but it was the one that stuck. (Just passed the one-year mark.) The difference in this quit? My attitude -- my THOUGHTS.

I wasn't miserable. I wasn't feeling like I was "missing out" on something. I recognized my addiction for what it was and I was happy EVERY DAY for the wonderful freedom that I was experiencing! Craves would come and I would laugh them away! My husband, children, co-workers, friends, and relatives ALL commented on how cheery I was, how upbeat, how positive I was about my quit. Always before when I tried to quit I'd turn into a grumpy nasty grouch!

I am in the exact same place now, with this addiction (and really, that's what it is). I'm not going to be miserable. I'm not going to be a grumpy grouch. I am going to find joy in the FREEDOM that comes with taking control. And this outlook, this positivity, this framework of thought -- it's going to pave the way to success! I just know it!

[rockinrobin]

I just want to add to my reasons why I knew for sure why "this time" would be different and why I knew that I definitely would lose the weight.

Something I said from the begining. I finally made the decision to lose the weight. I simply got tired enough of being fat. And finally realized that if I didn't want to be fat, well then I didn't have to be fat. That it was indeed within my power to lose the weight. It was something in which I did control. In fact I finally realized that it was one of the few things in life that I really and truly did dictate. It was a huge realization for me.

[ShyCammie]

Ladies,
Thanks for your thoughts and sharing with me "how you knew" you could lose weight.

As I've sat here and examined my thoughts a bit, I realize that there's a part of me that doesn't look in the mirror and thinks that it's ok for me to be this weight. Honestly, Robin, I could probably go on like this if I wanted to. I'm not sure I'm "sick and tired" of being fat. (That just sounds wrong when I write it.)

The thing is: I don't want to continue to weigh this much.
Perhaps it's vanity, I don't know. It's like a tiny voice inside me. It's that same tiny voice that actually wants to exercise. I want to take care of myself. (Wow! Writing that statement was a slap of reality...it says that I haven't been taking care of myself. It's like I have all of a sudden looked at not consistently exercising as not brushing my teeth for years or something. Ewww! Eating excessive portions and calories I could probably equate to something equally gross.)

I think you make a very good point, Eileen. I need to take joy in taking care of myself. I did take joy in my walks when I was losing weight. I couldn't wait to get out there and walk and I really missed it when I couldn't. I can see taking joy in eating fewer calories each day might pose a challenge now and again...hmmm. Maybe that's when I employ jtammy's thoughts of this "is not rocket science. There are people less intelligent than me that have managed to lose weight and keep it off. If they can do it, I can do it."
Once I get some victories like GirlyGirl I know that I'll be able to hear the quiet voice louder.

Well, here it is:
I vow to nurture and grow the small voice inside me that wants to exercise. I vow to care for my body the way I care for my daughter. I will care for the nutrition and portion size of what we BOTH eat.

(Yeah, I'm faking it...I haven't internalized those feelings yet, but GirlyGirl mentioned faking it until we make it...)
Mmmm. I gotta go. I have a cross trainer calling my name.

[Kriss]

Heeyy ,

Thought I would jump in. Love Eileen! I'm not gonna be a grumpy grouch about this! This will be my mantra for a while I think!

I heard or read something and it really fit me. A woman was complaining about not feeling motivated to exercise. Another person told her sometimes in order to become motivated you must simply start. Your results will motivate you. .....okay that was pretty lame the way I just put it. BUT! you get my meaning right?

This decision was along time coming for me. I had lost the weight several times before. So I knew it could be done. I had trouble with the why in Gods name would I let myself get fat again! Well I still dont know all the reasons as to why. I do really but why bother? I had trouble with getting motivated. Aside from the obvious signs of me getting heavier and heavier.

So as I try to communicate to you all.... I still dont know what. I guess this is a decision and a commitment. The commitment is the big part. It raises your decision up to a very important level in your life. Like committments to your partner, kids, job, faith. You would not shirk those commitments.

You self talk your way through those ALL the time. You focus in on them and make them right if they are stumbling. Same way with weight loss. I really want this, I need to feel the self pride in having accomplished this, I am not just a fat person.

Kind of an odd ramble.... I am excted for myself and all of you too. I wan you all to make it!
Kriss

[ShyCammie]

Hey Kriss,
I follow your thoughts. You know, it'd be easy to say "Well my cross trainer broke so, I guess I don't need to exercise in the am anymore."

But like you said...just going and doing it helps. Unfortunately, I've done this a lot of times and gotten NO results. That stinks!

So what would make this (or anyother time) different?
I figure KNOWING (not just believing) but knowing deep inside me, that I can and will lose weight - that is a critical key.

We'll see how this oddessy of the mind turns out. I'm sure it can only be positive.

[Jen415]

A great book for learning to visualize is "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain....EXCELLENT!

[kimmieone]

This is a wonderful post, Cammie. I do believe in reprogramming the mind. I use positive self talks, positive quotes, pictures, and any other mental tools I can think of to keep myself focused. I use these techniques for all kinds of stuff now, not just for dropping pounds.

Newskinnyme, I might have to check Psycho-Cybernetics.

The one thing I have trouble doing is the visualization thing. I can't seem to focus on what I want to look like when I've completed my goal. I try but I can't really see myself clearly. I wonder what kind of crazy person can't visualize properly!