Hopefully, here I will be able to get the support and encouragement I need to stay on track and really lose the weight I need to before our big trip. My spouse and I are going on our yearly vacation in a little over 22 weeks. We live very far from our families, so we make it a point to visit them (2 weeks in Chicago and 2 weeks in New York) toward the end of summer each year.
I am 5'10, and should be around 155 pounds. Unfortunately, I am out of shape and flabby, and weigh 198 right now. I have a really nice treadmill, a fancy polar watch that tracks my heartbeat and calories burned, the knowledge of what to eat in order to lose my excess weight, and the strong desire. What is lacking, however, is the follow-through. I have great difficulty being consistent.
How do you do the "right thing" and eat properly and exercise, when you just don't feel like it? Or even worse, how do you hold yourself back from doing the "wrong thing", when the temptation to do so is threatening to overpower you?
I'm hoping that by writing here to you guys who are going through some of the same challenges and successes, that we will be able to help each other all succeed in losing the weight we need for our big, special occasion.
I need to feel that I am not all alone in my quest to lose the weight. Everything around me seems to be going against me. Let's face it, most people would not be able to lose the 45 pounds I need to lose in 22 weeks; it will take a consistent, almost super-human effort of will power and determination. The easy way out is not to exercise, and the easy way out is not to eat healthy. Without proper preparation starting when I go shopping, the food I'll end up eating will not be good for me. My spouse, although supportive in theory, is not really there for me in this area.
That's why I am coming here to the "boards". I need some support group to make my dream of losing this weight and ugly flab a reality. Please respond and let me know that you are there for me, and that we can be there for each other, and really succeed in looking our best for the "big event". Thank you
p.s. The big joke around work is when I will actually START my diet and exercise program. I have wanted to for some time already, but haven't been able to really kick it into gear. Also, my sister (who is stick thin, and could actually GAIN a few pounds) has taken my picture each year when we come in. She told me that now that she has a "before" picture, she is looking forward to taking the "after" picture this year. I know that she didn't mean to be insensitive, but nevertheless, there is a lot of pressure on me to lose the weight (both at work and at home).
I have learned through the years that it’s ok to discuss your weight loss with others but not you diet – every body is an expert and the moment you mention “diet” it triggers something inside them, the insatiable need to give you there expert opinion- especially family. All you really want is support. That’s why I have found forums like this to be my main support network and have become a bit of an internet junkie since starting my programme nearly 8 weeks ago. It’s a great distraction and gives me the help I and inspiration I sometimes need. It means I am also in the position to help others who are struggling and that in itself is self motivating.
I am on the optifast programme which is like a modified liquid diet programme. After starting a diet every week for nearly 28 of my 48 years – I decided I need to do something different and radial. Now, after being a critic of liguid diets I am now one of their biggest fans. I am losing weight quickly and am now preparing myself for the biggest challenge – “the re-feed”. It is so important to follow this stage through or the weight will just as quickly return.
My programme is for the severely overweight to obese. My BMI was 33 which put me into the obese bracket and my goal is to reach a healthy BMI of around 24 - 67 kgs(147lbs). I am currently sitting on 28 and am very please with my progress so far.
Like you I have had the incentive of our forthcoming holiday. We are taking the family to Borneo for 10 days in April. We plan to spend a lot of time around the resort pool or snorkelling off the islands which requires me to wear bathers –in public - a very scary thought. So that is my main motivation at this stage.
Good luck with your weigh loss and I’ll look forward to hearing of your progress.
Cheers
Bev
How do you do the "right thing" and eat properly and exercise, when you just don't feel like it? Or even worse, how do you hold yourself back from doing the "wrong thing", when the temptation to do so is threatening to overpower you?
Hey, first of all you have come to the right place. We all deal with struggles everyday. I personally asked myself the same question when I started...honestly when you make your first tough decision to not make that bad food choice, your diet begins at that moment. Once I got past the first really bad temptation, it became a lil bit easier to do it next time.
Stay focused on the goal ahead. It may seem really far right now, but if you stay focused you can reap the benefits of all of your hard work. Some days you may slip, but the key is to get right back up.
As far as co-workers and other pressure. ZONE IT OUT. When I started I told everyone because I wanted them to know that I was serious about it. But yet, I'm in my own world when it comes to weight loss and exercise. I am so determined to reach my goal, no one or nothing will get in my way. When you start seeing results, your resolve becomes even stronger.
Go for it, welcome to your journey of weight loss.
Wow!! I can't believe how much this sounds like me. We know what needs to be done but it just fighting all the temptations. I started only last week and have it to be so hard. I was extremely motivated then on Saturday night my BF decides to fix home-made chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes. Not what I need when I'm in the first 2 weeks of South Beach. Needless to say I have ate only noodles since then. I packed a South Beach lunch and have re-comitted my self. I have to I have no other choice.
I am also going to start my walking program today.
The scale did say this morning that I had lost 3 lbs. but I'm sure that was all water at this point.
Staying focused is so VERY hard. I'm hoping with the support of these boards I will be able to do it.
For me, it was to start changing a few little things here and there (stop cooking with so much grease and butter, limiting my starchy veggies and eating more greens, setting aside a time each day for exercise, eating only in the kitchen area, brushing my teeth after dinner, stuff like that). They say it takes 21 days to break/start a habit so I would pick 1-2 items on my long list of bad habits and slowly replace them with new ones so when I had those days where I just wasn't motivated and didn't much care one way or other I had several good health habits already in place.
What works for one person at one time may not work for another person and/or at another time, but here's some thoughts:
- Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Anything that's better than you've been doing is a success. Be patient with yourself and love yourself regardless of your shape or size.
- Find exercise you really like to do and healthy food you really enjoy. Getting healthy doesn't have to be a slogging ordeal all the time. Sure, you need self-discipline but find a plan that will work for you and it's so much easier to stick with. For example, can you watch TV while you're on the treadmill, if you're a TV fan?
- I personally don't talk about my weight loss plans with most people. Everyone has such issues around food and diets that it's a minefield. This may not be your experience, but I find that if people are waiting for me to lose weight I will freak out and sabotage myself because of the pressure.
- *Write down* your goals and your plans. Use a notebook or a calendar, and plan out your eating strategy, shopping lists, and workouts (perhaps each week). Then all you have to do is execute the plan. I know that I'm a strategist and if I let myself, I just spend all day thinking about the options of what I could do rather than just picking one and running with it.
I like Dawnyal's post a lot too - there's a book out called ChangeOne which is a diet approach where you change one habit or issue each week. The first week you have healthy breakfasts, the next week you clean up lunch, etc. I could be completely off but from your original post I get the feeling that this 22 week deadline is really stressing you out. Ambitious goals are fine but a healthy lifestyle is for the rest of your life. What is your real goal, your touchstone for why you want to be less heavy? If you lose the weight by your vacation, what will happen afterwards? Don't want to give you a hard time but a lot of folks lose weight for a special occasion and then completely lose the plot after it's over. So if you think about it now, you will be able to transition effectively.
I guess what I'm saying is to answer your question, how do you do the right thing when you don't feel like it - it varies. Sometimes it's a matter of having a plan in place so you don't have to panic and eat whatever you can find. Sometimes it's a matter of reminding yourself of your goals and why they matter to you. And sometimes it's a matter of addressing the underlying emotional issues that may be unconsciously sabotaging you. And sometimes it's all of them at the same time
Hey Soontobe.....
When I started 10 weeks ago, I focused on nourishing my body rather than "dieting". I wanted to feel like I was doing something "for" myself rather than keeping something from myself. It seemed more optimistic, since diets had failed me for years.
I have lost 21 lbs and more than 10 inches. I have more to lose, but feel that I can eat this way for the rest of my life! I follow the "Body for Life" program, which also gives me a "free" day. On free day, I am able to eat what I want, when I want. It helps to plan it for holidays or family outings. It also curbs the cravings on other days.
Let's Lose Weight together
