Whether you have five pounds to lose or five hundred, it's all lost the same way - one pound at a time.
You can do it! Even if you lose MUCH slower (I have, for example, taken two years to lose fifty pounds, thanks to pregnancy and a less strict eating plan) it is still worlds better than it was, and my risk of regain is much lower.
Just focus on the next mini gol, and goal by goal you'll slide down the scale.
Sometimes I think "One pound. One pound down puts me one pound closer to goal and one pound farther from where I started. One pound - I can do that --".
Like some others, I prefer to keep the small picture firmly in front of my nose so I don't feel overwhelmed.
Just don't even look at that number! You only need to lose 5 pounds. That does not sound so hard, does it? Lose those 5 pounds and then look at the next 5. One step at a time!
Yes- this is how I like to look at it. I can't stand to look at the whole big picture it is just too overwhelming! And this is true for my weight loss goals as well as many other things going on in my life. I understand bad days with bad thoughts too- tomorrow is a new day and you are doing really good with your weight loss
Last edited by goal4agirl; 01-21-2011 at 09:58 PM.
A journey of 1000 miles begins with one step . . .
and you've already lost 22 POUNDS, did you know that is 88 sticks of BUTTER . . .
OMG, that's a lotta butter . . . if you lose 3 more pounds then it's 100 STICKS OF BUTTER, now that's AMAZING . . .
and
As long as you don't quit trying, then you won't fail!! (Something like that. I saw it in someone's signature . . . . sorry I can't remember the whole thing)
Try not think of it as 143 pounds to lose.Breaking it down helps me i've set mini goals, major goals, and 50 pound goals. Set goals for yourself it will make it seem so much easier. I remeber when I first got on here 4 months ago and saw my ticker and it said 150 pounds to loss ya its scary but now I only have 99 pounds to go . Good luck on your journey YOU CAN DO IT.
We all have those days. I can tell you I had them a lot more frequently in the first 40 lbs. I think because I had lost that much before. I would kind of get in a "I'll believe it when I see it " mode about losing the weight for good this time. But these days, while I have my "I'm not even half-way there" days. Usually just looking at how far I've come, makes the journey ahead seem less daunting. Also, I've accepted the fact that this will take a REALLY long time. I just don't lose fast. I could lose faster, if I were stricter. But I like allowing myself to enjoy dinner and drinks with friends (possibly a little too often) and yes, that slows down my progress. But it feels more like a lifestyle for me this way.
Even ten pounds makes my face look less bloated, makes a difference in how I feel, how my clothes fit, etc. So even if I never lose the whole of it, EVERYTHING makes a difference.
I take a picture every 10 lbs, because I don't always notice it in the mirror. This really helps. I get excited when it's close to that 10 lb mark. And every once in a while you notice something fantastic... like collar bones! (I'm still waiting to see my jaw bone)
You don't have 143 pounds to lose. According to your ticker, you have 13 pounds to lose to your next mini goal. That's the way you have to look at it. Celebrate the small stuff all the way down and you will get there!
This will be one the FIRST things you need to learn, that this process is about each meal or each day at a time! It's a journey and sometimes it feel's LONG- even for me....1.6 years in, I look back and think "wow, you would think it should have been quicker" but it's healthy to lose 1-2 pounds a week! It takes time and in that process you will create a new You inside and out.
Boy, do I hear you! Just this week someone said that I must be "incredibly proud" at the weight I have lost. Sometimes I am. But more then not, I think about how far I still have to go and I get mad at myself for letting myself having gotten so bad.
It's great that we have so many positive people here to keep my negativity at bay!
I feel like that sometimes too... I have 158 - 168 (haven't decided yet, 'cause it depends on what I look like at 120) left to lose. Just keep a series of small goals in mind (like 5 or 10 lbs) instead of thinking of the total number of lbs you have to lose. That way you won't be overwhelmed. I know there are times it'll be inevitable to think about it, but those are also the times to go over your list of motivators and goals.