This past holiday season I really packed on the lbs! I hit a recent history record of 195 (about 10 years ago I hit 225) and was really unhappy. I am doing my best to get on the program but feel like I have so much work ahead of me. I am feeling very down on myself and only have a couple of pairs of pants that I can fit into. I should feel great, as I have lost 9lbs since the new year but I just feel like I don't know how to harness the motivation I have now for the long haul!
Does anyone have any tips of what keeps you motivated?
make a commitment to yourself! Motivation is nice but with a commitment whether you feel like getting up and working out or you feel like having a chicken salad instead of big mac you promised yourself you would
IMO, the best suggestion for this is to concentrate on small goals. You will see many here doing this.....having tickers for their small goal....like lose 10 lbs....because viewing the entire amount you want to lose is just overwhelming and makes you feel hopeless and frustrated.
And believe me, 10 lbs. plus 10 lbs. plus 10 lbs. starts to add up to quite a few lbs. lost over time....and you will really begin to see it. Just keep your eyes and your mind focused on your small, reasonable goal....and when you reach it, set a second small, reasonable goal. It's very important to stay positive and motivated in order to stay on plan and having frequent successes by reaching small goals can really help immensely.
Believe me, starting off at 350 lbs and still having well over 100 lbs to lose, I know what you mean about it seeming overwhelming! I think the further along I get, the more I start really incorporating healthy lifestyle elements that are catching on. My goal, even more than how many pounds lost, is being a healthy, active person who eats mostly whole foods and nourishes my body properly. Over time, I am focusing on this person I want to be, which is all about changing my behaviors forever. It sounds so cliche, but I want a true lifestyle change! As I get there, the pounds are coming off as a side benefit. There is no end to it, I'll just be in various sizes on the way down.
I have kinda tackled it in stages, like I overhauled my eating first to include no junk food and lots of lean protein, veggies, complex carbs, then incorporated exercise after a few months after that took hold. My newest project is getting rid of the excess sodium in my diet - I eat way too much of it. And at the same time trying to work in more dairy. By the time I get to goal, I figure a lot of my new habits should be pretty ingrained. There won't be a time when I'll be able to say, "Sweet! Lost the weight, time to go back to my old ways!". That's how I keep from getting overwhelmed, just change behavior over time and watch the pounds come off as they will.
I don't use motivation at all. That's just a quick fix. I made a commitment to get back to a normal weight, no matter how long it takes or what I have to do. I also took it in steps, first working on the diet, then adding swimming in when I could, then I worked on tweaking it as I lost weight. This is my second year and I am working on mindful and intuitive eating techniques which is a transition off of calories counting and into how I want to eat when at my goal weight. Eventually I will be leaning yoga and meditation. What I definitely don't do, is pile on too many changes at once. I work one thing at a time until it becomes a permanent change and I feel ready to add to it.
Heed the overwhelmed feelings. That a cue it's time to concentrate on the most immediate need. If your eating is ok, perhaps you can concentrate on a new exercise routine. If your eating is out of control, that would be the place to start working on.
I think of this whole process as a daily requirement, like brushing my teeth or going to work. I may not like it everyday, and sometime it seems a chore, but it must be done. There are no other options.
If I really don't feel good about myself I look in the mirror and say, "I'm going to get rid of this, it has no place here, I don't want it." If I make the statement that it WILL happen no matter what, that there is no option for it to stay, then my brain follows suit. ^_^
I set my goals by both BMI and dress sizes. The BMI is easier to quantify for numeric goals, but the dress sizes are what really motivates me.
When I drop a size, I get rid of those pants and hit a resale shop to replace them. My bust size usually keeps me from dropping shirt sizes too often (I probably drop 2 to 3 jeans sizes for every shirt size). It's a double-whammy. Now I want the next shopping trip AND I know I have no option to fluff up again.
Also, I second martinimouse's suggestion. I'm not sure if 169 is your final goal or your mini goal, but for myself it was much easier to drop the first 60 than these last 20. It's getting even harder every day. So now I'm focusing on what makes me feel really good - energy, sleep, mood, immune system - instead of what makes me thin. I figure one will follow the other, and, if it doesn't, maybe this is where I'm supposed to be.
In high school I worked with a trainer...he told me to throw the scale away. The scale is our enemy. Make sure you measure...while you may not see the scale move...you could be losing inches. I lost 9lbs last week...which is alot in one week. I think my body just repsonded to what I did to it...I'm a daily weigher...I MUST way to see why I do not need to eat cake for bfast, lunch, and dinner. Its my motivation. This could also be a negative...the scale has not budged since Saturday. While I havent lost...I have kept in mind that I haven't gained...BUT I did lose another 1/2 inch. And inches are just as important...losing inches makes my pants feel looser!
Try Setting mini goals: To lose 5lbs to lose 10lbs
Treats: Clothes shopping to a spa trip
Or simply because you deserve to be healthy.
I made of list of small changes (this list goes everywhere with me) that I abide by: No sodas, not eating pass 7:30 PM, Drinking 80oz of water, Journal Everything, Planning my meals at least the day before, work out EVERYDAY, Stop eating to point Im about to vomit, NO EATING OUT...I pick out three things to work on each week. So far this has help take the focus off the weight loss and has put it on my LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!!!
I refuse to let the weight win this time. I'm going to win...I'm going to beat it. And so can you!!!!
Also, I second martinimouse's suggestion. I'm not sure if 169 is your final goal or your mini goal, but for myself it was much easier to drop the first 60 than these last 20. It's getting even harder every day. So now I'm focusing on what makes me feel really good - energy, sleep, mood, immune system - instead of what makes me thin. I figure one will follow the other, and, if it doesn't, maybe this is where I'm supposed to be.
As an adult my lightest weight has been 172. As a teen I weighted 194 consistently (until the freshman 25). I really want to hit 169 as a long/short term goal.
I feel drained at about 3 weeks into my program. I work a lot at my job and combining working out and eating right is exhausting!
I'm New and Feel OVERWHELMED
