Try not to get bogged down in your overall goal, set yourself smaller goals and they'll add up. Try losing that 'odd' 6lbs first then perhaps another 8lbs to make your first stone then try another stone and you're half way there and you'll be in clothes a size or two smaller.
I'd second that! Just concentrate on 'the next 10lbs', then 'the next 10lbs'. Rather than UK stones/lbs, I switched to thinking lbs like the US system. So rather than think of it was 14lbs (a stone) for each benchmark, I made it just 10lbs. (I started in the 190s, and now am in the 150s! That's seemed easier to achieve than 'starting as nearly 14 stone and aiming at nearly 11 st'). If that makes sense...
Also, give yourself treats along the way for each 10lb. I would NEVER have lost most of my weight (still a bit to go which just isn't shifting!) if at the start I'd sat down and thought *I have to lose 40lb*. So I just said to myself *Lose 30lb then adjust it* - as the weight started coming off I sarted to believe I could do it!
The psychological advantage of thinking in 10lbs rather than 14lbs as we Brits tend to do, really helped me.
I have PCOS so most weeks I dieted really hard, and exercised probably double what most people would have to, to lose weight - and week in week out, I'd lost 0lb or just half a lb - and saw others here losing 2lbs plus a week! Rather than let it make me dis-spirited, I just thought - it might take me three times as long as anyone else because of my insulin problems but it's such an achievement, I don't care. In other words - stop measuring yourself against others, as well (we all do it subconsciously) - just praise yourself for whatever you can do, and don't get upset however hard it gets. Just be pelased for how far you've come!
There's no time limit - it's taken me just over a year and I still can't lose the final few lb - but I'm happier and healthier and whereas at the start of this I'd have given anything to lose it all in 3 or 6 months - the time has gone so fast, I no longer care how long it's taken! It's like running a marathon - don't be downhearted because others round you only have to do a short sprint. You take it step by step, and those many steps one after the other will take you a **** of a way!
When you first star it does seem a big job but once you make a few changes
and you see the lbs dropping off. Then sometimes nothings drop off for weeks on end. You just have to keep at it.
I was once 15 stone and I am only five feet tall. I am now about ten stone
4. So I've lost almost five stone now. The joy of wearing size 12 jeans
still gives me a thrill. This site is so good as we are in the same boat.
Some are at the beginning of their journey and others are maintaining which
I think is as hard as losing weight. Once you are in the right mindset you can
do it.
Thanx everyone, you're all rite, so I'm aiming for 10lbs. That will then only give me 46lb to loose and so on. So starting Monday (lol) I'm giving it my all.
I had so much to lose that I focused mine in 10 lb. increments too. This makes it seem more doable and not as frustrating. You can do it too. Good luck and best wishes.
I set myself loads of small targets - I celebrate every half stone (7lbs) and then the significant changes in Body Mass Index, I also celebrated when I got in to a pair of 22 jeans, then a size 20, then a size 18 - we recently celebrated my first pair of size 16 jeans - all kinds of goals - not all are weight related, some are exercise or fitness related - like the first time I managed to walk 5 miles, then 10 miles, etc. I made a HUGE list of all the goals I could possibly think of and its stuck on the wall just above my computer monitor so I can't miss it and each goal I reach I cross through it in red and put the date achieved beside it - it gives me a big sense of achievement every time I look at it and can see how far I've come, even on the weeks when I don't actually lose weight.
The other thing I do is put a fiver in a pot each time I lose a pound and then when I reach my next target I go out and buy myself a CD or perfume or something. I had to put a lot of money away in the early weeks but its slowed down now , much to my husband's relief!
You know what girlies, with all this wonderful support and encouragement it should be way easy to get started. This is my last fat weekend. Im finishing off all the sweets and coke and Monday all my friut and veg etc is moving in. Im gutted to think that I have 2 days of goodies left, but I'm looking to xmas and i want to be at least 28lbs lighter. Am I being to expectant of some many lbs in only 20 weeks????
Laura xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
No, 28lbs in 20 weeks isn't unrealistic. You'll lose a fair amount of water weight on the first week or two but then 1 to 2 pounds a week is realistic, especially if you add in some exercise.
The problem with finishing off all the coke and sweets is that, of course, you will also have to work off those calories when you start dieting. The best place for them is in the bin - not in you!
SARAH.............................NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I need my goodies lol, but u r sooooo right. I shall therefore feed them to my hubby. xx
Too much to lose
Well if you're fat I'm faaaaaaaaaaaaat and 5ft 4 is perfectly normal height 
, much to my husband's relief!
