For me to lose 100 pounds, I mean? I am currently 247, and I can't even picture what my body would look like at 147. I think that is what I weighed in Junior High - which was about 20 years ago!! Do I have the motivation, the drive, the determination??

At the moment, I have a 50-pound goal. I want to lose 50 pounds by July. That seems like a reasonable goal to start off with.

But I know in my heart that I SHOULD lose 100 pounds. I will just keep moving forward!

When you started your weight-loss, did you plan on losing over 100, or did you have mini-goals?

When I first started, I really doubted it was possible for me to lose 100+ lbs. Having failed at diets so many times before, I gave up trying to lose weight for many years.

This time I set out on a plan for life, and set mini weight loss goals. Looking at the enormity of the total amount to lose is daunting. I can lose 10 lbs, though, so I lose 10 lbs at a time.

Here I am more than 60 lbs in, and now I can see that it is possible to lose all the weight.

it is ABSOLOUTLEY possible. Sure it takes some concerted effort, some determination (and perhaps selfishness in remaining focused at times) but the payoff for doing it? Immeasurable

Browse the boards, join the discussions or just lurk - I'm still amazed at how much people know on these boards be it nutrition, exercise or just plain old living and getting on with it.

Hope to see you around

Hiya! Welcome!

Someone on here had a GREAT quote in their signature that says "I can't lost 100 pounds, but I can lose 10 pounds 10 times!". Start with mini-goals! I do my mini goals to coincide with holidays or birthdays, etc. Don't do more than 15 or 20 pounds for one mini-goal. It's reaching a mini goal that gives you a great boost for the next one. So, set your mini-goals low! I did that last year and I lost 40 pounds (I gave up on my diet from March until August... so I could have lost a whole heck of a lot more...but I'm happy with 40...and still going for more!). I lost 30 of those 40 pounds since August. But, I did them in little incraments from 7-10 pounds a mini-goal. And before I knew it, I was down 40!!!!
If you say you need to lose 100 pounds it seems daunting... so say you want to lose 7 pounds by Valentines Day... and then come V-Day, set another mini-goal. Good luck to you! You found a great place!

Why wouldn't it be possible for you to lose 100 pounds? Granted it is a long journey, but you are certainly capable of doing it!

I have absolutely no clue of what I will look like at any less than 170. I haven't weighed less than that in 20 years. I am just going with the flow, and reveling in the new discoveries of parts of my body that have been buried in fat for years - hello hip bones and collarbones!

I started at 238 and was in a similar situation in that I couldn't even imagine myself at a weight under 170. In fact, I had myself completely convinced that I would look like a bag of bones if I ever got below 170. Well...let me tell you I was wrong. I am now in the 60's and still have plenty to lose. I am MUCH smaller than I was at 238, obviously, but I am not as small as I predicted I would be at this weight. My goal is now to lose 100, I really want to get to 138 just becuase I think it would be really cool to lose that much but I will adjust that goal if need be. There is nothing wrong with 90 lost or 80 lost or whatever but at this point I know that I CAN be healthy at 138 and I will not dissolve away to nothing so I really want to go for the 100 lb lost mark. Everyone is different, though, and I think the mini goals are great. I keep adjusting my ticker to be about 5-10 pounds below what I currently am so that I have a number I am constantly chasing that is achieveable. As far as whether you have the motivation, drive and determination, that is a question only you can answer. Losing weight is really a personal thing and you can't (and shouldn't) rely on anyone else too much. You said it best, just keep moving forward!

I LOVE the idea of mini-goals!! That makes it seem so much more obtainable

My dh and I are VERY determined to do this. We have been planning our meals together, and have been wearing pedometers to motivate us to "keep moving"!

You guys are SO encouraging! I am so glad I found this forum!!

It's been about 20 years since I was last thin & as I get closer to goal, I have to say that my body is not looking like it did back then. I AM 20 years older & the girls have retired. But it is a heck of a lot better than I looked at 284!

I started out with 134#s to lose & what was easiest for me was to break it up in 10# chunks. First the 270s, then the 260s, etc. It didn't seem so overwhelming to me that way.

Good luck on your weight loss journey. There are a lot of people here who have been successful. You can be too!

Ahhh... and having your hubby doing it with you is AWESOME! My hubby and I started this together last year (1-3-07) and it's so nice to have someone to ask me if that bag of Funyans now will be worth it on the scale tomorrow...and vice versa! Just know that typically men lose faster than women, so don't get discouraged if he loses faster than you do, or has to do less to lose weight than you do. As you can see in the 1 year anni. pics of me and the hubby, he lost twice as much weight as I did... but to me... as long as we're both losing SOMETHING, then it's worth it. We've lost 130 pounds combined this past year!!!!!! Neither of us were as small as we are now when we got married almost 5 years ago...... lemme tell ya.... "certain things" are brand new to us now even though we've been doing it for 5 years now... having 130 pounds less between us makes it a WHOLE new experience!

Eight months ago I set me a target of 120lbs. At that point I was not certain it was possible but now I am more than half way to that goal, I know it is. I'm not sure of the exact point I changed from IF I reach my goal to WHEN but my mindset had changed along the way. I've even started thinking beyond 170 but will leave that decision when I get there.

Kitty

You can totaly do this! I'm a huge fan of mini goals, they totaly make it seem like less daunting of a task. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

I'll say it can be done...planning and determination...you are on your way!

I have never really tried to lose weight before this last summer ( I have thought about it for forever though) and I really think having mini-goals, as well as, reconizing small victories (pants aren't tight, are able of walk for a longer period, chairs feel more roomy, etc.) is what kept me motivated. Also, since I did the South Beach Diet with phase one I lost quite a bit and it gave me a sort of jump start, as well as keeping me excited to stay on track. Good Luck I hope this helps!

When I first started this journey I wanted to get down to 135 lbs. I began at a whopping 287 lbs, being only 5 feet zero inches tall. That meant I would have had to have lost 152 lbs. That's a whole lot of poundage. But I didn't start out this venture only to stop part way, but that's just me. I wanted to be a healthy weight so very much after suffering for so many years. To date I have lost 165 lbs. The truth is, I was so sick and tired of being fat, I was so determined to get my life back, I became so incredibly dedicated, that I could have probably lost 200 lbs or more, if need be. Who knows?

Don't let the numbers scare you. Please. It's doable. It's very doable. I knew in my heart of hearts and in my head that weight loss, any amount WAS a doable thing. I knew that if I stuck with my plan, if I ate right and exercised that there was no way I COULDN'T lose the weight - eventually. Eating less and moving more WILL result in weight loss.

Try to not look at the big picture. Deal with things on a day to day basis. Start incorporating better habits into your daily life. Rid your home of the junk, it's the only way really to do it. ADD in healthy, nutritious DELICIOUS foods. Experiment with new spices and vegetables and methods of cooking. Tweak your current favorites. Cruise around the internet for healthy, low cal recipes - there's tons of them. Plan your meals and snacks in advance. Set yourself up for success. Always be prepared.

One thing I did in the beginning was give myself rewards for every 10 lbs lost. I wrote it in my little journal what I was shooting for. I think my first reward was a new pocket book. Then it was a new pair of slippers. The next 10, was a new wallet.

My entire weight loss journey has been a thrilling, thrilling ride. Better then I ever could have hoped for.

I know without a doubt that you can lose the weight, all the weight. I was the worlds worst eater for over 20 years. And I changed my life around. And so can you. I wish you enormous amounts of good luck.

Robin- First, CONGRATS! WOW- you give the rest of us such incentive.
What type of exercise did you start out doing? Were you eating three main meals a day? How did you stay motivated? Did having a journal help? You have such a positive spirit. Thank you for sharing your story.
Sandy