I can't hate myself thin(ner), the only way for me to move forward is to love myself. Negative and shaming motivation might work for some people, but it is a sure backfire for me.
my mindset that's helping me get through: every pound is a victory, celebrate!
it's so much easier for me to look at it as one pound at a time. than try to wrap my brain around the fact that even though i've lost 28, i've still got 107 to go. losing a pound is easy. i can do that at least once or twice a week. losing 107 is just really scary and makes me want to eat cake!
right now i'm super uber focused on losing down to 269.9 so i can claim i escaped the title of 'morbidly obese'... 2.2 pounds doesn't seem all that scary either.
I got rid of the all-or-nothing mentality, either i was eating nuts & twigs and starving, or shoving food in my face like a linebacker LOL there was no in between! Either I was on a diet, or it was a free for all, so I stopped that
And my inner child was a spoiled demanding brat about food - if the idea popped into my head, I acted on it. Only with food. Never saw a $500 purse and bought it withoug thought, just stupid food. So I beat that little inner child into submission!
Phew, there were a lot for me too..
The ones that made the most change, some of which have already been said;
- Lose the all or nothing approach. When I used to diet, after messing up one day, only one day, I would just let it go. I had disappointed myself and would comfort (and punish) myself by eating chips and chocolate and fries, just unhealthy foods. Which would make me even more disappointed. Vicious circle I have been in since I was 12. Now I rarely 'mess up' anymore, but in the beginning, when I did, the next day was a new day, and I hoisted myself back on track.
- There are no limits to my diet. I can have anything I want, as long as I make sure I stay within my calorie limit, or only go over a bit.
- I'm an emotional eater, so when I find myself longing for food (the longing is always for the fatty salty chocolaty food, never do I crave a carrot -.-') I stop and ask myself 'am I hungry?' And most of the time the answer will be 'No'. And then I ask myself, 'then what are you hungry for'? It's confronting, but it's helped me.
- I keep using the word diet, but I see it merely as a word for eating schedule. This is my new way of eating. Not a temporary change.
- Exercising has really grown on me. I used to absolutely despise it. Now, when I don't exercise 5 times a week, it doesn't sit right with me. It's a way for me to be proud of myself. Everytime I acclompish a fitness goal I have never been able to, or pushed myself further then I thought I could(in a you can do it! kinda way, not in a if you stop now you are weak kind of way), I feel that pride and love for myself. Pride and love are so much more powerful than shame and punishment ever were.
- Most important; BELIEVE you can do it. That you earn it. That you are worth it. Although that's easier said then done.
There is more, but I can't think of them right now.
I got rid of the all-or-nothing mentality, either i was eating nuts & twigs and starving, or shoving food in my face like a linebacker LOL there was no in between! Either I was on a diet, or it was a free for all, so I stopped that
This so resonates with me. That was why every time I had tried before, I failed. I'd get down to 205 or 210 and gve up. Because I had enough of the nuts and twigs. Yes people, you can eat a lot of high quality food and lose weight!
Also, I do not eat one piece of chocolate cake or something off plan and then use my slip up as an excuse to simply throw in the towel. Small transgression, right back on plan.
For me, I have to have music. If I'm doing a DVD workout, I turn the tv on "mute" and blast my music. It makes me more likely to complete the workout than if I listen to the instructor. If I go for a walk or jog, I make sure I have my iPod with me (I once cut a walk short when my iPod died after I had forgotten to charge it) and I switch up the tunes occasionally. Music motivates me...to do other things besides exercise, like housework. I have always loved music though....my mother once figured I would someday wind up working in the music industry, which never happened, unfortunately.
Phew, there were a lot for me too..
The ones that made the most change, some of which have already been said;
- Lose the all or nothing approach. When I used to diet, after messing up one day, only one day, I would just let it go. I had disappointed myself and would comfort (and punish) myself by eating chips and chocolate and fries, just unhealthy foods. Which would make me even more disappointed. Vicious circle I have been in since I was 12. Now I rarely 'mess up' anymore, but in the beginning, when I did, the next day was a new day, and I hoisted myself back on track.
- There are no limits to my diet. I can have anything I want, as long as I make sure I stay within my calorie limit, or only go over a bit.
- I'm an emotional eater, so when I find myself longing for food (the longing is always for the fatty salty chocolaty food, never do I crave a carrot -.-') I stop and ask myself 'am I hungry?' And most of the time the answer will be 'No'. And then I ask myself, 'then what are you hungry for'? It's confronting, but it's helped me.
- I keep using the word diet, but I see it merely as a word for eating schedule. This is my new way of eating. Not a temporary change.
- Exercising has really grown on me. I used to absolutely despise it. Now, when I don't exercise 5 times a week, it doesn't sit right with me. It's a way for me to be proud of myself. Everytime I acclompish a fitness goal I have never been able to, or pushed myself further then I thought I could(in a you can do it! kinda way, not in a if you stop now you are weak kind of way), I feel that pride and love for myself. Pride and love are so much more powerful than shame and punishment ever were.
- Most important; BELIEVE you can do it. That you earn it. That you are worth it. Although that's easier said then done.
There is more, but I can't think of them right now.
I hope my english isn't annoyingly bad!
your english is fine and i get every single point you made!
...even the exercising one.
i could have written this myself.
