Sorry of that title offends anyone, I've never joined a diet forum before so I have no idea whats deemed appropriate and whats not. Well anyway, today I kind of realized that I've spent the last 5 years looking at the big picture, I've always looked at my weight loss as "I have to lose 100 pounds" "I have to lose 150 pounds" and now "I have to lose 170 pounds" but today I decided that I'm not going to look at the big picture, instead I'm going to look at it like "I have to lose 25 pounds" and when I lose those 25, I'll say ok I need to lose another 25 etc, etc, until I get to my big goal. So I'm going to spend the rest of this afternoon setting up meal and exercise plans (I've never done that before either, its always been crash diets and 0 exercise), and then Tuesday I'll go grocery shopping and start this. Why not tomorrow? because tomorrow is my birthday and I have reservations at a 150$ a seat "feast" and can't see myself wasting that kind of money.

Sorry is this is where this belongs, but I wanted to post in 300+ category, because I'm to self conscious to post anywhere else...

I do believe you have discovered the secret to how to lose weight and gain it all back and then some........the secret is the big picture.
it is definitely much easier and "doable" to take it step by step instead of being overwhelmed by it all.
good luck and glad to have you around!

And you know what, sometimes even 25 is too big to look at - maybe break it in 10's ... Then you're meeting goals and pushing forward and feeling a sense of success! GOOD LUCK!

Welcome! And remember - every pound you lose is a success!!!

That's a really great way to look at things. I need to do that too, I think.

And PLEASE don't be afraid to post outside here. Every once in a while I notice how everyone's ticker in a certain thread says 206, 188, 164, 122...and I get a little ashamed thinking "I'm even the fat kid in the forum for fat kids?" BUT everyone here is incredibly supportive, and I've gotten some of my best input and answers from the skinnies in the main forum

I lost 1 pound 120 times!

Welcome!

Yeah, screw the big picture! hehehe I read another thread somewhere on the boards where a lady was saying, "Do I think of the fact that I will have to load the dishwasher 15,000 more times in my life? No, I think about loading it THAT DAY." Such an interesting analogy, I thought!

Best wishes on your goals, I know how it feels to be over 300 lbs -- and even though I've lost 78 now, still well over 100 to go. One day/pound at a time!!

Welcome welcome! You will find much support and advice here - this is a terrific place to be!

You might find it helpful to not look at the end weight / number you want at all. For me, it really helped that I looked at time as my goal. I told myself I would be on track for one full year and then see how I felt. I didn't look at it like "I want to lose X in 1 year", just, "I will do this for one year". My one year mark past 2 weeks ago, and now I am going to go for another year and see how I feel at the end.

The other thing I did was imagine myself at certain events I had coming up and idealize how I wanted to look and feel. I knew to get to where my imagination took me I had to stay on track until those events. This strategy was just another time trick, but it worked / is working!

hm... This makes me think! Thanks for the advice, I'm also going to do it a pound at a time!
I have to lose a lot, but in installments of 5 pounds, it doesn't seem that much suddenly

Welcome! Your header caught my attention! You are absolutely right! Take it steps at a time, and it will work. I actually thought when you said "big picture" that you meant putting everyone else's needs before yours, and that you were going to start worrying about yourself more. Still true.

I LOVE the dishwasher analogy. We don't stop doing dishes because there are too many, right? WE DONT STOP!
Best wishes with all your goals.

I think this is awesome and I have to be reminded to break it down every now and then.

I've had to look at small goals lately, too. I have roughly 167 more pounds to lose, and that seems sooooo impossible. I realized, though, that I've lost almost 25 pounds and I'm doing pretty darn well! I set my first mini-goal, and I feel proud of myself for doing so. I wish you the best of luck and hope to see us both meet our goals, one step at a time.

Good for you! I agree with DisgruntledOne that you have discovered the secret to weight loss....... or at least my secret.

I have had to put on blinders and just not look at the big picture. I only look at 5 pounds at a time, one day at a time. It is working for me. You don't have to lose 170 pounds to feel the benefits. They start way before then!