Hi all,
So far I've lost 40 lbs and have really been battling with getting down under 160 lbs consistently. This is the lowest weight I've ever been as an adult so I almost feel accomplished at this weight but still want to lose more. Just for background, I've been doing this for 7 months with WW.
The hard part is that I no longer have that "I feel horrible about myself so I HAVE to lose weight." I actually feel pretty good about myself, besides the fact that I'd like to be even thinner. I have an all of nothing type attitude so I'm finding it hard to even transition into maintenance for a while just give my motivation a break and then continue the journey on when I'm feeling mentally prepared again. I just want to flip back into old habits because I'm tired of these new habits. I know I won't feel good doing that but I'm just kind of all of out fuel for motivation...
Has anyone felt like this before? I'm in need of some serious guidance and support!
I have kinda been all or nothing with my weight loss too. Maybe it's time to shake things up a bit, ww may have run it's course already. If u want to revert to your old ways of eating then your diet is not very do able as a life change. Sometimes I want something I deprive myself of lately, but going back to how I ate before is not even a choice for me. Maybe u can try another plan, or if posible like me I cook my meals and find creative ways to make my food all different and healthy. Well I was kinda of busy last week and strayed a bit but the weird part is that my weight plateau finally ended with me giving in a bit last week. I didn't eat horribly just found I ate more fast food, mainly salads and chicken breast. U don't want to mess up your accomplishments. I mean come on u r the lowest weight u have been as an adult, that is awesome. Do u exersize? Maybe your body has gotten used to your routine and it's time to rev it up! If nothing works, but I am sure something will then maybe it's time to reevaluate your goal. I have had stalls the longest only being 14 days of not dropping an ounce even, so I know quoting sounds like the way to go but I didn't and eventually my weight lowered And I was super glad I had not quit.
I totally get this. I'll drop weight, and then I hit a "comfort zone" and will stall out on my loss for months. Sometimes up to 6 months at a time. It makes me mad at myself because if I had stayed strict since I started, I'd BE at goal weight now. Instead, I've got another 50 lbs. I just hit this point where I'm happy where I'm at and tired of busting my butt trying to eat right and exercise right and I get lazy. Then I'll get remotivated and start again.
It's tough to keep going when the weight crisis that precipitated the losing effort is gone. That day where you just found your current weight to be totally unacceptable, where your blood pressure was up, or your knees hurt just a little too much passes, and you feel pretty good about yourself, you look good, at least by comparison, and the health reasons are under control.
What helped me get through that, and get to goal, was the realization that I had always done the same thing and it never worked. Always stopped at "that's good enough" and never really completed the mission. Never got to that goal number, never crossed the finish line and actually completed something. I had cheated myself of that moment and of the self-confidence that came with getting there. I feel like that was a big part of why I always gained it back; the weight was still in flux and a few up or down, and then a ton up, didn't matter that much. Once I had reached my goal, I had a new commitment to staying there that I never had before.
Motivation is vastly over rated anyway. Determination is what you need; determination that your new habits are really habits and not just a temporary measure, and determination to not settle for good enough.
It's tough to keep going when the weight crisis that precipitated the losing effort is gone. That day where you just found your current weight to be totally unacceptable, where your blood pressure was up, or your knees hurt just a little too much passes, and you feel pretty good about yourself, you look good, at least by comparison, and the health reasons are under control.
What helped me get through that, and get to goal, was the realization that I had always done the same thing and it never worked. Always stopped at "that's good enough" and never really completed the mission. Never got to that goal number, never crossed the finish line and actually completed something. I had cheated myself of that moment and of the self-confidence that came with getting there. I feel like that was a big part of why I always gained it back; the weight was still in flux and a few up or down, and then a ton up, didn't matter that much. Once I had reached my goal, I had a new commitment to staying there that I never had before.
Motivation is vastly over rated anyway. Determination is what you need; determination that your new habits are really habits and not just a temporary measure, and determination to not settle for good enough.
I could have written this (well, not as articulately though)!!! So well said. (Except I'm not quite at goal yet.)
Robin41, you said it so well! It's so true, I am completely out of my weight crisis and the lowest weight I've ever been as an adult so I'm proud of myself.
I don't want to completely revert back to old ways or how I felt when I decided to lose weight but EagleRiverDee hit the nail on the head, you just get tired of eating and exercising right.
My habits are sustainable for a lifetime, but I think I might just need to maintain for a while and gain some motivation or even concentrate on physical/exercise victories not scale related ones.
I'm about your height, weight, and starting point, and I hear you, totally. I just try to focus on losing 1 more pound, telling myself that surely I can do that, right?? And then the next, and so on. But with the urgency gone, I'm finding my rate of loss has slowed significantly... but with my tactic that I just described, I'm still losing.
Last edited by newleaf123; 02-05-2013 at 10:30 AM.
I've been through the same thing. My highest weight was 232lbs and a few years ago, over a period of 9 months, I got down to around 162lbs, even dropped to 158 at one point. Then I had a huge plateau and instead of pushing through it, I didn't bother anymore. Compared to being 60+ heavier, I was comfortable and thought I looked really slim.
What happened? I got comfortable and regained 20+lbs and now I'm back trying to lose again. And the funny thing is, is that now I'm back down to what I like to call my "comfortable weight", I think I'm still too big and have a ways to go. Perception is a funny thing.
I think it's really hard for people like us who start off around the low 200's and then stall, because although we're still mildly overweight, it's not enough to feel too uncomfortable.
My advice is to push through it. Like newleaf said, focus on 1lb at a time until you regain your weight loss drive and see it through to the end. Trust me, it's no fun regaining and then having to start the wholeee process again. Weight loss shouldn't be a temporary measure!
You are not alone! My weight has been creeping up since winter and I never got to goal, let alone 'maintenance'. It's like the brain wanted a vacation, but doesn't want to come back.
I've given myself the worse ultimatum - one more week & if things don't improve - the !@#$%^ ticker will get updated. No more smiley scale, no more happy emoticons . . . .
In a serious rut!
