So I have started dieting again and am on week 2. I have been so good so far I am kind of shocked and can barely recognize myself. I am working out every day and staying under my calorie goals, even on the weekend (first for time in my 50+ tries of dieting)
The bad news is that I find myself constantly wondering "why it will not work this time". Every time I start to get excited I suddenly worry about what will cause me to go off the rails "this time" and wow when I actually realized what I was doing to myself internally I am really shocked!
The last time I was on such a "roll" with exercise I sprained my ankle really badly (while working out!) and had to stop working out for a month. That derailed me completely and it was so much harder to get back in the groove this go-round. It took about 3 tries of going to the gym more than a day at a time before I was successful in making working out a habit again.
In Zumba tonight I started to tear up (happy tears) because I was not even that tired - it actually felt good (finally over that hump). And every challenge I have been faced with foodwise was easier than ever to deal with. I guess I am wondering how to get over this stupid internal voice that keeps telling me this time is not for real like the last 50 tries! And I am also paranoid about hurting myself again which would simply screw up my working out again. Ok I probably repeated myself 100 times in this message. Thank you for reading, and if anyone has experienced this and found a way to overcome it please let me know!
Hey PinkNPurple, your thoughts are completely understandable. You're basically trying to ask yourself why this time it will work when every other time, you have been somehow derailed. Well, it WILL work! Believe it! Tell yourself positive things every day. They are called affirmations. For every negative thought, say 2 or 3 positive ones and eventually, it will sink in.
Also, I strongly believe in one day at a time. Don't think long term (unless you're grocery shopping for the week...but you know what I mean). If you know you're just going to make it today, that's a lot easier to wrap your mind around.
Set up some goals and rewards and every time you reach a new goal, you'll feel your confidence grow! Also, don't let something like an injury derail you.....it's more about your eating and state of mind than the physical (which is important for getting fit, but not so crucial in weight loss).
Practice moderation with your workouts in order to avoid injuries too. You can do this!!!
You are reminding me (as I almost forgot!) about how I had those feelings constantly in the first few months of my new lifestyle. To be honest, I still get fleeting thoughts in that direction, but overall, I can silence them pretty quickly these days. I guess the only thing to really do is just keep DOING it until your mind catches on that THIS IS IT!
One thing it helped to tell myself when I still wasn't quite convinced, when I had given really good tries in the past only to give up, was that those other times were "practice" for the real thing. Spent some time thinking on WHY I gave up/was derailed those other times, and what I will do differently this time if something gets in my way. They say the average smoker tries to quit x amount of times before it sticks. Think of it the same way.
Like for you. Say you DO injure yourself again. Does that mean you have to throw in the towel and start eating poorly again and quit losing or regain? Losing weight is mostly diet anyway, so even if you get sidelined for a bit, you can still continue to lose till you are back on your feet.
Your mind just needs some convincing that your body is serious about this. The affirmations are a good idea!
I've had those thoughts a few times. Once, I my ankle started hurting like nothing else and I couldn't run for a few days. I did other exercise, but my negative internal voice kept telling me I was failing. I didn't quit eating right or even exercising, but I was still getting negative feedback from myself. Did I fail? No. Did I keep running? Sure, but I let myself heal. I kept eating well, and I kept myself safe from giving up. Don't listen to your negative voice.
I can sooooo relate. I'm seven weeks in, but I've made it this far before. In the past I've mostly just lost motivation for doing it, although there was often some minor physical stressor that played into it.
So I'm trying to do it differently this time. I really am. I'm not eating quite as well, I'm exercising less as in times past. Hardly sounds like a recipe for success. But I am eating pretty well, and I am exercising. The big thing is I'm trying not to obsess. (My CONSTANT presence on this board belies that lack of obsession, but I'm doing what I can.) I'm hoping/planning on getting into more intense exercise eventually, but for now I'm focusing on the little things.
OK this is what I find is one of the largest hurdles, having confidence in yourself and your plan. If your plan is liveable, healthy, not overly restrictive, have faith in it. Build up your own personal confidence so that you believe it until there is enough of a difference for you to see it. Barring any medical reason, a good solid moderate plan in conjunction with exercise WILL take weight off. As others have told me, have faith in your plan. I add to that, have faith in yourself. If you are ready to make the change, your body will change and those changes have no choice but to show on the outside.
I found the book The Beck Diet Solution helpful for these thoughts. Judith Beck helps you develop new skills and, with that, comes new confidence. The reason that I successfully lost weight this time is because I learned things that I didn't know before about how to get the job done.
Find a positive side!
Every failed diet so far can be THE REASON this time will be good. Draw from your experience and be proud.
Just a few tips that work with me:
-Don't say "I will like myself when...". Start now. Get new clothes, the haircut you like, go on walks. Strut your stuff, because you're only alive once and it is attitude not weight that will make you a healthier person in the long run. You will find it so much easier to lose weight when you actually care about yourself like you should.
-Do not reward yourself with food. "I did x minutes excersize... now I really deserve the y meal" Even if that meal is healthy. Reward yourself with a bubblebath, a massage, sex... anything that isn't food and you enjoy.
-Add just a little bit of fruit and vegetables to every meal. You will feel so much fuller and make your life easier. Add chopped cabbage to spaggetti and rice, add peas, lettuce etc as a side dish to meat instead of potatoes, etc.
-Do NOT think how much you will eat/cook before you actually eat. Put a tiny portion on the plate, eat it and THEN decide if you really really need more or if you're just used to more. Do not expect to leave a large portion of food unfinished. Use smaller plates also.
That's some stuff you probably heard again in the past, but I thought to remind
I often have thoughts along the same lines, but i don't see it so much as a negative thing; rather, i think it's a reminder that we must ALWAYS be vigilant. In the past i'd think "i just have to make it 30 days on plan and then it will become habit"...but haha, what a joke, it is SO easy to fall back into your old ways! This time i have resolve that it WILL be different, and i believe in myself, but at the same time i have to remember that it is not going to be easy, and i have to work hard at this 100% of the time, and there is no "end" to this journey.
Thank you all so much for your replies!! I will be reading this thread every time i hear that bratty little voice telling me im not good enough to make this work!
Internal voice is against me
But I am eating pretty well, and I am exercising. The big thing is I'm trying not to obsess. (My CONSTANT presence on this board belies that lack of obsession, but I'm doing what I can.) I'm hoping/planning on getting into more intense exercise eventually, but for now I'm focusing on the little things.
