I don't know what's wrong with me. I felt all motivated when I first joined up here (back in March, I think). I think I've lost about 5 pounds (I had the trip I was worried about - seeing my family and them seeing how fat I am). Now I'm back, was motivated again, but I think I may have started putting on weight again. What's wrong with me?
I always do this. I start feeling motivated, lose some weight, begin feeling good about myself, and then sabotage myself.
Why do I do this? I want so badly to lose weight. I want my kids to be proud of me. What's wrong with me? How do I stay motivated?
I went to the doctor, and I'm already on blood pressure meds. They're not working anymore, he added a pill to what I'm already taking. If I'd lose weight, that wouldn't happen.
Nothing is wrong with you. Weight loss isn't the easiest thing in the world, that's for sure. It's both easier and sometimes cheaper to eat unhealthy. I am trying to not look at the short term of this and look at a couple of years away. My daughter just turned 2, I need to do this for her future as well as mine.
I think it's the same thing we all have. I have been on this site for 3 days and am more motivated than I have been in the past. I think we get tired of fighting this and lazy. I was sad and upset the other day and I am feeling a bit better. I don't even want to go to my doctor until I lose some weight. I trying to exercise more and eat healthy. I don't know what else to do. I thought about taking Allie but it is expensive. Let me know what you think. Good luck.
I'll have to agree that there's nothing wrong with you. Losing weight is one of thee hardest things in the world to do.
There are plenty, plenty of reasons to stay motivated and lose weight. Plenty. Our health first and foremost. Being a healthy weight is one way to help avoid many, many dreaded diseases. There are hundreds more.
But you simply can not rely on motivation alone. Motivation is all fine and dandy, but it never seems to be around when there's cheesecake, Peanut M&M's, ice cream and bread nearby. Which is why we can't rely on it.
What we can rely on - is a commitment. When you make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, that sticks with you. Regardless of the temptations all around us.
That being said, it really is vital to set yourself up for success. Eating healthy does not happen by chance and must be planned for in ADVANCE. Get rid of the junk in your home, stock it with good healthy fruits, veggies (lots and lots of these), & low fat proteins. Map out your food scheduele ahead of time and know for certain what you will be eating for your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
It's hard in the beginning. But then you get used to it and it really does get much, much easier. It becomes your way of life and an enjoyable one at that. Find a plan you can STICK with and then STICK with it. You won't regret it for a single second. Good luck to you.
I agree with the other posts, but would like to add something. Weight loss is so psychological. Getting together with people who you think are judging you makes it so much harder to stay on track. For example, right now, I'm losing weight, but other people don't know....they think I'm the same person I was before I started. They don't know the monumental effort it takes for me to lose weight because unlike a drug addict, a food addict isn't taken seriously. The thing I had to get past for myself was my self worth...regardless of what I look like. I'm a wonderful person and anyone who thinks less of me because I have some extra padding is the one who has something wrong with them! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU! Food is an addiction to some people and to others, it's just not. Get yourself a plan and do make a commitment beause without CONSISTENCY, you will be dring yourself crazy without a good destination. Plan your meals ahead and dedicate yourself to exercising...especially some weight training to boost your metabolism.
I agree. There is nothing wrong with you. I could have written your same post for the last 15 years. I would get all motivated, lose a few, then lose motivation and gain back the weight. Over and over and over.
The key is to do what you need to do whether you feel like it or not. Treat your weight loss like it is a job. You get up and go to work everyday whether you feel like it or not. You don't have to be "motivated" to go to work. You just have to go. Same with losing weight. When I got this in my head I was able to stick with it long term.
What are you doing to lose weight? Are you trying to do something that is too difficult for you to keep up in the long term?
Are you journaling?
You might be trying to change too much at once, which can lead to going totally off program.
Start changing one thing at a time, either adding in a bit of exercise each day and making it your goal to stick to that. Or, switching out to healthier foods. One step at a time, and when you get used to that change, add another.
Thank you all for the support. Angie, you've lost 35 pounds! I look at that and am inspired, and wonder how do you do it? I like how you sign off with "changing my life". Thank you Andrea. Good luck to us all. What's Allie? Robin, you lost 165 pounds!!!! How? You are right. It's committment. Motivation gets me started, but it doesn't last. It's committment. Every day. How do you do it?
Thank you also, Lori, Lyn and Lucky. You are all losing! And I feel like life is passing me by and I'm watching other people succeed. And I'm so tired of it. I'm also tired of talking about it, and feeling bad about it. You are right. It is psychological. And I don't really have a plan. My plan every day is "OK, today is the day". But then it's not.
I start to journal and then the next day, don't. I start to exercise, and then don't.
OK, starting now (here I go again), I am stating a time, 9:00 at night, to do a 20 minute exercise video. That's a time when I am done with dinner and homework and am usually just watching TV. I will say also that I will make a daily food plan and try to stick with it. Every day, whether I want to or not. Consistency and committment.
To lose the 35 pounds I have lost, I also had to lose the first 5 pounds you have lost. If you can just stick with it it gets easier as you see the scale go down and the clothes get loser. Just plain feeling a little better every day. But I have also had months go on without losing anything, I could beat myself up over that, but I also didn't GAIN anything. So I will take the maintenance I acheived over those months and work on the next 30 pounds. Then as I maintain that I think I have a better chance at keeping the weight off and really CHANGING MY LIFE!!
Thank you Angie. That's a good thought. The first five pounds do lead to the next five pounds (hopefuly!).
I want to read everyone's blog. Lyn, I did read yours. What you wrote about is exactly what I've been feeling! Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
And I don't really have a plan. My plan every day is "OK, today is the day". But then it's not.
I start to journal and then the next day, don't. I start to exercise, and then don't.
OK, starting now (here I go again), I am stating a time, 9:00 at night, to do a 20 minute exercise video.
I'm going to offer a bit of a different approach to you, try it if you think it might work.
I think you may be feeling like a failure (and setting yourself up for feeling that way) because you are convinced you need a "plan" and that you must "stick to plan." While we all talk a lot about "plans," the truth is that ultimately what you need is not a plan; you need a lot of small lifestyle changes that will add up to create the big picture of a more healthy (and weight-losing) you. That's what we all need; that's all a plan really is, a more healthy way of living.
So instead of deciding that you need a plan, and that today is the day you'll have a plan, and that you'll stick to the plan...and then ending up bummed at the end of the day when that didn't happen...Instead, today pick ONE small healthy habit you will begin to instill in yourself. Commit to making this habit happen for 30 days.
Maybe your new habit could be "I will drink 64 ounces of water." Or it could be "I will not drink soda." Or it could be "I will get 8 hours of sleep each night."
Working on just one new habit will help you feel successful, and will get you prepared to start working on another new habit in the near future. In a week or two (or maybe even just a few days), when you are feeling successful and like your first new habit is really becoming part of you, then add in another new, healthy habit.
Eventually you will have a lot of new, healthy habits going, and you'll have a "plan," and you'll be successful. But it will start with just one baby step.
This is how I started making healthy changes about a month ago. First, I gave up drinking coffee, because I knew that would be very easy for me. Taking coffee out of my day started a cascade of other positive changes, because I needed to replace that special feeling that a hot cup at my desk gave me.
Now, I am on a habit of not eating sugar as well. And I'm working on fine-tuning my whole diet to lead to long-term, permanent weight-loss. My plan is still in process, and it always will be; meantime, I feel very successful and happy with what I've done so far, even if the scale isn't showing it yet. (Eventually, I will get it all figured out, one new good habit at a time!)
I never really understood Robin's advice about motivation until I was at this for awhile, but what do you know, it turns out she's right.
Motivation is fleeting at best, and it's hard when you're hit with a craving/temptation to remember the 'future you' you've been working so hard to uncover. There are days when we *all* just feel like we're going through the motions, even the maintainers. I'm having one of those days myself right now. The only thing that helps me get through those days is having all my food for the day planned out before I even get started.
Every weekend I plan my food for the entire week ahead, cook everything, and portion it into single servings. Then I'm prepared no matter what I'm faced with, whether it's birthday cake at work or just a 'fat day' where I'm feeling cranky and miserable and like none of my hard work is making a difference.
I really recommend planning ahead. It's a pain, sure, but it makes the rest of your week much easier to get through. And before long you'll see that number going down, down, down and you'll remember why you're still plugging along.
Can any of you please give me step-by-steps on how you plan your weekly food? Do you make 7 bags of carrots? 7 bags of tuna? What do you plan, exactly? Do you plan ahead for when you are alone at night watching TV and are bored and/or lonely and just want to binge? I want to do this planning, but am very "food stupid" and don't know how.
Thank you all for the support. Angie, you've lost 35 pounds! I look at that and am inspired, and wonder how do you do it? I like how you sign off with "changing my life". Thank you Andrea. Good luck to us all. What's Allie? Robin, you lost 165 pounds!!!! How? You are right. It's committment. Motivation gets me started, but it doesn't last. It's committment. Every day. How do you do it?
How did I do it? Yup, I made the commitment to. I got sick and tired of being fat and realized that I didn't have to be if I didn't want to be. That it was within my power, within my control.
And then I made a plan. And I stuck to it like glue. Like glue. Cause' yes, consistiency is a big factor.
And I got EXCITED, because I knew that if I really, really stuck with this, the end of my misery would be near. And that happy, healthy fit me would emerge.
My plan was to count calories (the only thing that sets portion limits for me). I wanted the most volume and nutrients for my allotment, so I made those calories COUNT. I rid the house of all junk, and added in tons and tons of veggies, some fruits and lots of low fat proteins. And I planned ahead. Every meal, snack and what not. No exceptions. I added exercise into the mix, regardless of whether I felt like doing it or not.
And it became my new lifestyle. My new normal. And I couldn't be happier.
Just know that you too CAN do this. Losing weight IS doable and anyone can do it. I was the worlds' worst eater. But with determination, hard work and commitment, anything can be achieved.
What's Wrong With Me?
I felt all motivated when I first joined up here (back in March, I think). I think I've lost about 5 pounds (I had the trip I was worried about - seeing my family and them seeing how fat I am). Now I'm back, was motivated again, but I think I may have started putting on weight again. What's wrong with me?
I want so badly to lose weight. I want my kids to be proud of me. What's wrong with me? How do I stay motivated?
