[milliondollarbbw]

I need to lose over 100lbs....more like 122lbs to get to my goal of 190lbs. I would be happy with 210 pounds as well.

I have been having some cravings lately, and the idea of having to lose so much weight can be daunting at times.

I find that focusing on the things that I enjoy and can do more easily at a lower weight is what is helping to keep me focused. Sure, I want that piece of bread, but I think how much better the bread will taste if I am somewhere else, in a far off country, tasting it! I have also been repeating to myself that I have tasted the food before, and will taste it again (just not at that moment) as a way of avoiding the urge to taste things that are not on my food plan.

What do you do to help keep you focused and avoiding trigger foods?

[starfishkitty]

I try to focus on things that don't revolve around food at all... like being healthy, feeling amazing, living long, etc!

Even smaller things like that size 14 pair of jeans I want to see, or that shirt I want to look great in.

When I'm really in need of a boost, I always try to think of the saying "Eat to live, not live to eat." It's so true.

[Stella]

Taking baby steps. Not focusing on what`s still in front of you but what`s already down. If you lost 2lb, celebrate them, enjoy being 2lb down from last week rather than thinking of the 120 that still need to go.

Weigh *and* measure. I found it hugely motivatign to see where I have slimmed down, and by how much. Numbers are just numbers but the measuring tape is hard evidence! :-)

[Tai]

I carried around a list of all the reasons I wanted and needed to lose weight. It's sounds sort of goofy; but it really kept me on track.

[marigrace]

We all need a few tricks to stay in focus some days. For me it is looking at some of the non-scale progress...like the way clothes fit. I think the list idea that Tai has is great. I would make two lists ..side by side...one of the benefits (energy level, knees don't hurt, look better etc) and one of the damage that is possible (diabetes, low self-esteem, feeling hopeless etc)

[slimmingsi]

For those that know matt on here I have him on facebook and he is doing extremely well a propper slim jim these days. So when I feel myself flagging I take a look at his pics and his updates about running 5k races etc and think you B*****d! I wanna do that and weigh what you do! And that shames me into working out. Not conventional I know but very effective to see someone you've known on this forum for 7 years (eek)! Finally succeed after seeing them struggle and pick themselves up again and agaain for so long. It just goes to show it's never too late, and you should always try again because this time it may be the time it all comes together and is a success.

I wish matt all the best and he's a really nice guy but I'm so bloody jealous of him grrrrrd!

[rockinrobin]

How to stay focused?

Make this an absolute tippy top priority! Make this your job, your mission. Make it SO important (because it is) that to not adhere to healthy eating habits would be down right insane. Make it out of the question to eat any other way. And of course set yourself up for success - get rid of all junk - all of it. When faced with temptations out of your home, your trigger foods - MAKE THEM DEFINITE NO'S. No maybe just one bite, should I?/shouldn't I? No decide ahead of time that you will stay away from "off" foods. Let your wants and desires for those foods dry up. But DO make sure to plan ahead and ALWAYS have healthy food options - ALWAYS. Keep a WELL stocked home - take foods with you. Eat often, avoiding that hungry, munchie feeling.

Ask yourself a set of questions or choose one before you eat anything:

-Is this going to get me closer to my goals – or further?
-How will I feel after I eat it?
-Why is it more important for me to eat it, then to lose the weight?
-Is it really worth it?
- Can I live without it? Do I really need this?

Make this/these/one of em' your mantra.

People ask me all the time how I lost 165 lbs when they can't seem to lose even 5 and I tell them very simply - I DECIDED to. Decide to do this. Commit to do this. Be willing to put forth the continuous effort needed to do so. Don't stop till you get to your goals - and it CAN be done.

And yes, break down the numbers. Make a game of it. Work on 10 lb chunks at a time. Chip away and chip away at those numbers, focus on those good eating habits and watch the pounds melt off of you.

Work past the initial temporary discomfort of establishing new habits - and stand back and be prepared to AMAZE yourself. Just AMAZE yourself. Push yourself. Elevate yourself to new heights. Reach. Stretch. Learn. Grow. Prosper. Discover who you were intended to be.

[Eliana]

I like to remember all the things I couldn't do when I began this journey and I feel doing those things now. Things like how hard it was to tie my shoes and how now I kick them off with glee to hop on the scale too many times a day. Or the fact that I used to have to squeeze my rear past the arm rests in the movie theater and then the seat was comfortable. That's no longer an issue. Memories like those keep me motivated.

I like to keep smaller sizes of clothing in my closet and try them on FREQUENTLY, especially when the scale is not moving. I'm always amazed at how things start to fit better even when the scale stays stagnant.

Mostly though, I made a commitment to myself to just keep doing this and I chose a timeline of one year. I want to see where I'll be a year from my start if I just keep going, day after day, no excuses.

[PeanutsMom704]

The POINTS challenge here helps me to focus. I don't have to think about losing 100 or more lbs. I just have to think about staying in my calorie target range, drinking all my water and getting my activity. And I just have to think about it for TODAY. I know I cannot control the scale, but I CAN control those three things.

[marigrace]

Amen to that PeanutsMom !

[jigglefree]

If I'm at home and I feel like I'm losing focus I try on clothes that used to fit and are now too big and then see how much closer I am to my next size down.

I also remember MY why!! Why did I start this journey in the first place. It's important to know WHY and if the why was important enough to start and be serious enough to make progress then it's important enough to help you finish the journey.

[caryesings]

The paper towel analogy someone referenced really helped me when the work was just hard and no results showing.

[Lyn2007]

I write. And write and write and write. Write out exactly how you are feeling. It helps FEEL the feelings and then they sort of change to more helpful feelings as your brain processes them.

[milliondollarbbw]

Originally Posted by rockinrobin

How to stay focused?

Make this an absolute tippy top priority! Make this your job, your mission. Make it SO important (because it is) that to not adhere to healthy eating habits would be down right insane. Make it out of the question to eat any other way. And of course set yourself up for success - get rid of all junk - all of it. When faced with temptations out of your home, your trigger foods - MAKE THEM DEFINITE NO'S. No maybe just one bite, should I?/shouldn't I? No decide ahead of time that you will stay away from "off" foods. Let your wants and desires for those foods dry up. But DO make sure to plan ahead and ALWAYS have healthy food options - ALWAYS. Keep a WELL stocked home - take foods with you. Eat often, avoiding that hungry, munchie feeling.

Ask yourself a set of questions or choose one before you eat anything:

-Is this going to get me closer to my goals – or further?
-How will I feel after I eat it?
-Why is it more important for me to eat it, then to lose the weight?
-Is it really worth it?
- Can I live without it? Do I really need this?

Make this/these/one of em' your mantra.

People ask me all the time how I lost 165 lbs when they can't seem to lose even 5 and I tell them very simply - I DECIDED to. Decide to do this. Commit to do this. Be willing to put forth the continuous effort needed to do so. Don't stop till you get to your goals - and it CAN be done.

And yes, break down the numbers. Make a game of it. Work on 10 lb chunks at a time. Chip away and chip away at those numbers, focus on those good eating habits and watch the pounds melt off of you.

Work past the initial temporary discomfort of establishing new habits - and stand back and be prepared to AMAZE yourself. Just AMAZE yourself. Push yourself. Elevate yourself to new heights. Reach. Stretch. Learn. Grow. Prosper. Discover who you were intended to be.

Wow. Just wow. I mean, wow. Can you be my coach? I really liked your response.

It may sound simple to some people, but yeah, I have to make a decision to do this, and I have to be aware of my strengths and weaknesses and avoid having tempting foods around me.

Thank you everybody for your awesome posts!

[milliondollarbbw]

Originally Posted by Lyn2007

I write. And write and write and write. Write out exactly how you are feeling. It helps FEEL the feelings and then they sort of change to more helpful feelings as your brain processes them.

I need to do that more. That would probably help me to destress at the end of the day.