One of my biggest obstacles to losing weight was my belief that I could not lose a huge amount of weight. It was not doable, simply not possible at my size and my age with hypothyroidism. I initially got past this doubt by not looking at the big picture. I believed that I could lose 10 or 20 pounds so I tackled those pounds. Then 10 more pounds and 10 more pounds, etc. After losing 50 pounds, which I would not have dreamed possible, I started focusing on 5 pounds, just lose 5 more pounds.
Probably the most important thing that I have learned here at 3FC is that it is possible to lose large amounts of weight. Many of you have done it. Eighteen months ago I did not think that losing 85 pounds was achievable but I have done it!
Now I am standing on the threshold of onderland and am trying to peak inside. I have no doubt that I will get below 200 for the first time in over 30 years. I am losing so slowly that it may take awhile but I will get there. However, I do have doubts that I can get to my "no longer obese" goal of 163 and to get to a "normal" weight of 135 certainly seems far fetched. Maybe I just don't have that good of an imagination or maybe I have a little devil sitting on my shoulder.
Don't take me wrong, I am not discouraged or about to give up. Actually the opposite of that. I have created eating and exercise habits that are sustainable indefinitely. I am confident that if nothing else, I can maintain my current weight loss and lose at least a few more pounds. My life is already so greatly improved that I certainly don't want to go back to my old life. I often think of a post that Lori Bell made recently, "Don't give up this time. Keep on going. If you can't walk, crawl. It is worth every amount of effort you put into it." I am going to keep going whether I am running, walking, or crawling.
Sometimes though, I just wonder. Am I at the only one that doubts or, just can't imagine, getting to a "normal" weight?
I'm so glad you said this, because I feel exactly the same way. I have a really hard time believing that I can physically change my body into something that isn't overweight. I can't imagine myself being "thin" or "normal" or a size 6. I wish I could, I wish I knew how to tell you to convince yourself it's possible.
It seems to me that being able to convince yourself it is possible is a really big step. I mean, if you're working hard at losing weight, but all the while in the back of your mind your goal is really impossible to reach, it almost feels like you're setting yourself up to fail. So, I realize it's important to KNOW beyond all doubt that my goal is possible. I just don't know how to convince myself of it. I'm very fearful about this, actually. I don't want my efforts to be in vain. I don't want to set myself up for failure. But I've been fat for so long, I don't know how to think of myself any other way.
I'd love to hear advice about this from folks who've had the same problem and have figured it out!
I don't think that you are alone. Everyone has their doubts about loosing weight, it is scary. But you have proved to yourself that you can do it. Just keep reminding yourself of how far you have already came. I loose slowly as well, which gets frustrating and discouraging, I think that sometimes it can make the doubt feel greater, but just remember it will eventually come off if you keep working at it. If you have to crawl, crawl, sometimes when you are down and feel like you can't do it, doing just half of what you have been is enough for that day!! Hey I bet crawling actually burns more calories than walking.. haha
I doubt my ability to lose 100 pounds all the time. All the time! Mainly because I've been stuck in the 150s for so long, and I only saw 95 pounds lost for one glorious day back in October. I keep bouncing between the 'obese' and 'overweight' line (153 lbs.) so I have trouble believing I'll ever get to 'normal' (128 lbs.) but man, do I ever hope I can. The only way I'll know is to keep trying and see what my body does, I guess.
Wow here I was thinking I was the only one that felt this way... There is no way I can loose 100lbs. And last year I proved myself that. I started back in September 2008 and all I was telling myself is you can do it loose that 100lbs and did great until last march and it got to be too much and I couldn't see the end of the 100lb. So I gained 20 lbs back and got to be discourage again about my weight my clothes got tight and some I couldn't wear again. But I am back on the wagon now since january 4th and I have a new look I am only looking at loosing 5 lbs at a time. The way I see it now is that I can't loose 100lbs but I can sure loose 5lbs 20 times. So hope this change of mind sticks with me but so far so good. And I am so happy and makes me feel better when I hear that i am not the only one feeling this way.
NEVER did I doubt I could lose my excess weight. Even when I was wallowing around in self pity at 333 pounds, I always knew I COULD do it, if I would just do it. The day I finally committed it was just a matter of time before I reached my goal. Now I have committed to maintain my goal...and I have no doubt I can keep it off, but only if I WORK for it....and today I am working much harder at it than I was on Sunday...lol
Wow here I was thinking I was the only one that felt this way... There is no way I can loose 100lbs. And last year I proved myself that. I started back in September 2008 and all I was telling myself is you can do it loose that 100lbs and did great until last march and it got to be too much and I couldn't see the end of the 100lb. So I gained 20 lbs back and got to be discourage again about my weight my clothes got tight and some I couldn't wear again. But I am back on the wagon now since january 4th and I have a new look I am only looking at loosing 5 lbs at a time. The way I see it now is that I can't loose 100lbs but I can sure loose 5lbs 20 times. So hope this change of mind sticks with me but so far so good. And I am so happy and makes me feel better when I hear that i am not the only one feeling this way.
Sometimes I think about resetting my ticker with my current weight as my starting weight, and setting my goal at five pounds down. I don't have a clue if it would help, and I don't do it because I know it's encouraging for newbies to see tickers of people who *have* lost substantial amounts of weight, but still. I wonder if I could trick my brain into thinking I was starting at the very beginning and that all I have to do is lose five measly pounds. Piece of cake! I suppose I should try it some time and see.
It took this month's weigh in to truly convince myself I'm going to make my 100 lb. loss goal. I've exuded confidence to any who've asked that I am going to make it, but secretly I keep expecting the numbers to stop dropping.
Now the interesting thing is I'm totally confident that I'll be able to maintain the loss despite statistics about regained weight. I am going to be one of those people who beats the odds. I know it. After all, even my doctor has been amazed a woman of my age (50) and size is taking all of this weight off on my own plan. But because it is my own plan, there won't be anything to stop. I expect that at some point the calories will match the new body size and the loss will just stop. We shall see.
For me it's not if I can loose the weight...if I can keep it off. That scares me a lot...to loose this weight and then have it come back! I really try to focus on what I am doing today I will need to do forever. I know forever is a long time. I also know that what I do today I may not be doing next week (like sitting here drinking a diet dew). What I mean is...I will NEVER go back to eating what I want when I want a.k.a. grazing! You know, I don't know if I have even looked at the big picture, can I loose this weight? Can I do this? Hummmm do I need to look at that?
Don't take me wrong, I am not about to give up. Looking at those 5 pound goals works well for me and I celebrate each and everyone of them. I am close enough to losing 100 pounds that I can picture myself there. Maybe I should not have used the word "doubt"; maybe it is just that I can not picture myself at 135 or 165. I was in college the last time I weighed in that range and here I am a grandma now. Maybe it is like driving in the fog when you can only see a short distance ahead of you. Maybe I will just have to get there to be able to see myself. maybe, maybe, maybe - It is kind of exciting to wonder about the future!
Forever it seems that losing 100 pounds was a daunting task that I could never do. That looking at the long term goal just made it seem impossible. For me, I must take it in five pound mini goals - just as it as always said under my ticker. I will move forward in this journey - day by day. But, I DO believe it can happen.
Normal weight? I'm not sure how I'd define that. Do I expect I'll ever be a size 8 or less? Not really. Do I think I could be a size 10 or 12? Sure. It is one of the reasons that even though I've struggled a lot in the past couple years, I am not discouraged. I just need to figure out the right mix for me to get further down.
For me it's not if I can loose the weight...if I can keep it off. That scares me a lot...to loose this weight and then have it come back! I really try to focus on what I am doing today I will need to do forever. I know forever is a long time.
Exactly how I felt at the beginning! It drove my attitude that I would do only those things that I thought I could do forever. I started with 1800 calories/day because I didn't think that I could eat only 1200/day (my doctor's recommendation). Over time I have dropped to a daily average of 1350 and feel confident that I can stay there. So I guess that my "what I can do forever" is changing.
I'm another who is wary and worried about maintenance. Part of me wants to wait until I get there and just take on a new challenge. I have also thought about taking a break of several months when I reach my intermediate goal of 169 to practice maintenance. Then tackle the remaining pounds...
I haven't decided yet, but it is certainly on my mind.
I don't know if I can lose 100 pounds - or even the 80 pounds I've set as a goal.
But - I do know that I can stay on plan and eat the maintenance calories of a 160 pound woman and let whatever happens from there, happen. That is how I got started. Just deciding to do that much and let the results happen.
Beverlyjoy - I have loved seeing your signature since I joined the forum. "I can't lose 100 pounds....but, just maybe I can lose five pounds twenty times." Yes yes yes. Exactly. Thank you for having this in your signature so we can be reminded every time you post.
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timetolose: maybe it is just that I can not picture myself at 135 or 165. I was in college the last time I weighed in that range and here I am a grandma now. Maybe it is like driving in the fog when you can only see a short distance ahead of you. Maybe I will just have to get there to be able to see myself. maybe, maybe, maybe - It is kind of exciting to wonder about the future!
Yes, exciting and mystifying! One of the things I love about the 3fc forum is that there are so many great role models here of all ages, to help me visualize my success!
Do you ever still doubt?
Many of you have done it. Eighteen months ago I did not think that losing 85 pounds was achievable but I have done it! 
maybe, maybe, maybe - It is kind of exciting to wonder about the future!
