i need to relax over this weight loss. It's holding me back. i'm trying too hard, being too hard on myself. i've only lost a few pounds and i've got 100 to go yet. How do i let go? How do i just let this natural progression happen? The Dr has ordered me to lose weight and it's really playing with my mind.


i need some guidance here.

I believe we all need to lose weight out of love for our bodies, ourselves, and our health, not out of hate for what we have become. Every single positive choice you have made to change your lifestyle is a wonderful achievement. Celebrate every pound lost, every time you resisted temptation, every time you chose to exercise, every small change that takes you on the right path. Honor your body with good, nutritious food. Take joy in the movement of your new body.

The numbers on the scale can fluctuate for so many reasons. I know that it is tough, but try not to get discouraged. If you are living a more healthy life than you have already succeeded! The weight loss will come. Have hope and give yourself a break.

You have already lost 17 pounds. That is amazing! Just keep up the good work.

Instead of worrying/thinking/obsessing about the future, focus on today. Figure out your plan for today, then implement your plan for today.

Repeat the process tomorrow.

If after tomorrow you have not lost all the weight you want to lose, keep repeating plan -> action until you do Then, keep repeating in order to maintain your weight loss.

But fundamentally, don't think about the whole thing. Just think about today.

I had 200+ pounds to lose and I took it one day at a time. Well, I did/and still do plan my meals for a week at a time, then I can get everything I need in one grocery trip and have no reason not to stay on my plan. Exercise is 100% necessary. That doesn't mean you have to go to the gym. Walking is a great exercise. I also use exercise bands and my exercise bike and the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD (I'm 68 years old). Focus on making good choices each day and the weight will come off.

I have seen some people here with the following in their signatures:

"I may not be able to loose 100 pounds, but I can lose 10 pounds 10 times."

I think when trying to lose a lot of weight, it is important to set little goals. Do 10lbs at a time. As you are losing focus on NSV's (Non-Scale Victories) - like the way your clothes fit, or being able to walk further/longer, etc.

totally true. if you have a large amount of weight to lose, you cant look at the big picture, its too overwhelming. work on this pound, then the next. set 5 lb goals or something and try to only focus on the moment you're in right now and reaching the next small goal.

You ladies are so wise, i know i post here for a reason.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Let me tell you even to this day I get caught up with how much weight is left to lose. I'm down to between 14 and 24 lbs to go and I still find myself focusing on how far I have to go instead of being proud of what I have already accomplished. I know it it so overwhelming, but it just takes time and you really do have to just focus on today.

I don't think I have lost weight yet (though my mom says I look better already), but the mental trick that works for me is only weighing myself once a month. A few years ago, I lost nearly 40 pounds and I would only weigh myself on the 4th of every month, because that was the day I started. It takes quite a bit of discipline (much less than not eating that cookie), but it is WAY more fun to look at the scale and see an 8 lb. drop instead of one or two.

Also, I LOVE that idea of losing 10 pounds 10 times. I have 140 pounds to lose, but I've done 10 before and I can do it again. Good luck and hang in there!

You are right when you say that you need to relax but, of course, that is easier said than done. I think that part of relaxing is accepting that you are in this for the long haul. Don't think about how long it will take to lose the weight, just incorporate daily healthy lifestyle changes. It will become part of your life and won't seem so hard and strange.

I think of it like high school or college. When I was a freshman, I did not stop and think that I had 4 years and x number of courses to get though. I went to school everyday and did what I had to do. Some days were hard but most were not. It was just my life. Then in what seemed like a surprisingly short time, I was graduating.

Weight loss is just part of my life now, what I do everyday. I have accepted that and now I am relaxing. I believe that one day I will have the equivalent of "graduating" but it still won't be over.

Just take it one day at a time and try to relax. Stick with it and you will get there. You can do it!