WW: we are going to start with a 5 % goal of 13 lbs, then a 10% goal..
ME: LIKe uh..13 lbs is nothing..its going to take forever!!!
WW: one day at a time..
ME: this sucks..267lbs!! how did I get so fat!ok so I had two kids..but like oh my god!!
WW: before you know it u will reach your 5% goal...
ME: woopdidoo..then I will be 254..which is closer to the weight i thought I was.. hey do you guys rig the machines to make us like 10 lbs heavier so you will get more money out of us???
I noticed a big difference once I got into the 240's. Seriously. Don't think about the long haul. I used to do that and get mad at myself for getting "so huge", blah, blah. I just take it one step at a time, one pound at a time. And truly, for me, the weight literally fell off at the beginning. I went from 270 something (I weighed at 3 weeks into my lifestyle change and was 266, so 270 was a guesstimate, I'm sure I was more at some point) to 214 from July to December, so 5 months. Roughly 10lbs per month. I think actually the first month I lost 15lbs or so.
So yeah, it's been a year, and I feel like it has been forever, but also like it was yesterday. And yeah, I'm not at goal. 23lbs away. But I don't care if it takes 3 years to get there. I'm happy to be where I am now.
You just have to take it one day at a time. And like fattymcfatty said, it flies off in the beginning and that definitely helps. By the time it starts slowing up, you're already well on your way. You probably didn't gain all that weight in a year. You can't expect it to all come off in a few months.
There's a reason they start with mini-goals. The longest journey begins with a single step. The largest weight loss begins with a single pound.
Yes. It can absolutely be overwhelming to look at the whole thing.
Use me as an example: I have to lose 150 pounds total to even be considered anywhere near normal weight. Do you know what I'd go through if that was the only goal I had? I probably wouldn't have even made it this far! Each pound would be only a pound. I'd be thinking "Ugh... 28 pounds lost... a million to go" constantly.
Mini-goals. One day at a time. They make things manageable and real. I made my 5%. I'm now under 300 pounds. And I'm within 5 pounds of my 10% goal. If I only focus on how much I have left to go, instead of looking at how far I've come... I doubt I'd be on this journey for very long.
WW works great. As another posted stated, we (I work as a WW receptionist) try not to overwhelm members with the "big picture". We give awards for every 5 pounds lost, plus the 5% and 10% milestones. Good luck to you. You can do it!
I know how you feel. Every time I climb on the scale and see "97 kgs" I weep because I can't believe I let it get this far. When I came back home for the summer and I weighed "99kgs"- I was terrified because I always swore that I'd never get to "100 kgs" (220lbs). I'm a lot shorter than you- so we're probably around the same BMI, but I've also not had any kids.
My very first thought was- how could I have done this to myself. I have been going to the gym almost everyday and even though I've only lost 2 kgs (~4.4 lbs) and 8" I'm okay. I know it's a long battle, but I also know that it is my battle and it needs to be won. Because nobody but me would be the loser.
I know it seems hard, and WTF-ish. But if you're angry about your weight and getting there- I think it's a good motivator. Because then you have beef to grind with yourself and your habits- so you'll keep yourself in check more. This is entirely my opinion though.
Have faith- and take it a step at a time- you may not always see the results you want, but what you do see are still results- even if they take months to show up. Just don't give up because there's truly nothing worse you could do to yourself.
Mini goals are great, and they really will help! I set mine at fairly large intervals, but I was over the moon when I reached each one of the three I've hit so far. That first 5% is going to melt right off of you, and you'll feel awesome for having achieved it. And then you'll be on to 10%, and by the time you get there you will REALLY feel the difference in your body, your energy level, the way your clothes fit, etc. Keep focused on those mini goals, and celebrate your success when you achieve them!!
Best of luck, and congratulations on taking the hardest step - the first one.
As a HW of 288lb, I TOTALLY feel ya! Ya just gotta think about it like this... 13lb lost is better than nothing! Every pound brings you to a healthier weight -- 254 is healthier than 267! Really, the mini goals help me a lot, especially in the beginning. I set mine like this...
Start - 288
BMI under 40 - 270
10% lost - 260
15% lost - 245
BMI under 35 (about 1/2way) - 236
Under lowest adult weight =- 229
25% lost - 216
BMI under 30 (under obese) - 202
"onederland" - 199
Minus 100lb - 188
Final Goal - 175
Once you get over the shock, you'll feel more prepared to get down to business! Good luck!
I think I had the very same conversation with my scale when I weighed myself in May...but it didn't talk back! I have 2 kids too and for me, when I tell someone I am trying to lose the baby weight then tell them my youngest is almost 5...I get that shocked look lol. Or the, "Oh honey. My baby is as old as you and I still can't get it all off." Hmn. Not so encouraging.
You'll do great. Little steps. They really do work. I have been doing better once I stopped obsessing over how much 100+ lbs was really to lose. Good luck, hon!
SLIMplicity- I totally understand what you mean. When i got on the scale and saw 274 and thought I was going to see 250 something I wanted to cry. That was the day I found this blog. I just posted my mini goals and yes it seems like a long haul but I know I will be happy to see 250 anything again. Stay positive!
Location: The land of Spare Room in the City of Wardrobe..-C.S. Lewis
Posts: 109
Giiiiiiirl (said in a black southern womens accent from the bronx) I would looooooove to be 267 (finger snap here and there)
You see my booty??? Okay..you cant see it.. i would love it if this jelly roll of a tummy sat at 267 ok...but it doesnt..it sits somewhere closer to 300...So you just keep your head held high there buttercup!
If it helps, I started at 267, and it has been a long, hard road, but I've come a long way. Seriously, the small rewards and goals help. It gives you something to be proud of short-term while you work for that long-term goal.
Your frustrations are sooo common. We've all been there. (Even though I can rationalize it, I still have my days where I feel this way too.)
BUT, there was a post that I read a while back that has really stuck with me and helped with this concept. (I'm not good at finding the links, maybe someone can help me?) I just spent 20 minutes looking for it and I can't find it. Let me try to remember the key points for you.
One Year From Now
One thing I can absolutely promise you without a doubt, is that time will pass. 24 hours from now will be tomorrow. 7 days will be a week later. 365 days from now, a year will have past. This part is certain. What isn't certain is what your life will be like then. The next year will pass in its own time the same way the past year has gone by. The question is - what do you want to be doing/feeling one year from now?
You can decide that the amount you have to lose is too daunting and will never happen and give up. That is a choice that you can make. Think about the consequences of that. Your life will be much like it is right now. You will probably be having the same emotional feelings about your weight and your past year will be filled with happy moments and sad ones just like this previous year.
Or, you can decide right now that you want to start today and make one healthy choice after another. Each choice gives your body nutrients it needs to build healthier organ functions and strong muscles. Even before you see results on the scale, you will feel better because your body is functioning better. I can't promise you that you'll be at goal weight or that you will have even lost a lot of weight, but I can promise that if you spend the next year making healthy choices you will feel better than you do today and will be well on your way to getting to goal. You will have learned what works for you and what doesn't and you will have tackled some of the emotional issues that keep us overweight. This journey is about more than losing weight. It's about self-discovery. That isn't something you can "gain back." I can't promise that your year will be void of sadness and nothing but pure elation. It won't be. I would predict that you'll find that when you learn to deal with the ups and downs of life in non-food and self-destructive ways, you will handle them better and your self-esteem will skyrocket.
So, the next year will pass regardless of what choice you make. The question is do you want to look back and thank yourself for starting today and allowing yourself to feel better and be healthier or do you want to look back and wish you had started?
You can do this! Break it into smaller goals, but think of your progress as a long term journey.
267lbs..had a hissy fit with the WW weigh in..
