Taking things one pound at a time. Setting ten- or fifteen-pound "mini goals" instead of looking at the long road ahead. Knowing that every ounce I lose is a step toward better health. Keeping in mind that it took many, many months to gain the weight, and so it will--and should--take time to lose it. All these things helped me, as well as near-daily visits to this site. Best of luck!
One pound at a time....maybe make a 10 pound mini goal for yourself if the whole amount is freaking you out?
I am at the point now where I know this is how I need to take care of myself for the rest of my life. If you look at it from that point of view it doesn't really matter how long it takes, as long as you are working on a healthier you every day.
Over 80 lbs down and I'm still blown away by how much I have left to go. The slow pace can be very frustrating... sometimes it feels like I will never get there. But like callystia and chick_in_the_hat already said, it's all about the little decisions we make every day.. you don't always have to be thinking about the big picture.
I did 10 lb increments too. I set up a plan of rewards, every time I lost 10 lbs, I treated myself to something - sometimes little things (new sandals), sometimes big things (expensive cut/color at a fancy salon). I knew it would take time, but I figured the time was going to pass anyway. If it took 2 years, at least I would be thinner in 2 years and not the same weight (or god forbid, heavier) in 2 years.
Yup - little goals all along the way. I focused on losing 10% of my starting weight as my first big goal, but I set little weekly goals, too (ie - I want to be below x lbs when I get on the scale on Sunday). Before you know it, all these little goals will add up, and you'll have made a lot of progress. Good luck!
I think the percentages are a good idea -- me, personally -- I looked at it as "I have to lose over 150 pounds -- it sucks, but I've got to do it." I never took it on with small increments. I liked the big number - I just viewed it as a huge challenging obstacle -- I just felt like I wanted to climb the 'big mountain' instead of maybe 15 'little hills'. And both lead to the same place. It's personal preference about how you want to view your journey.
And I want to add that overwhelming feeling is strongest at the beginning, and virtually disappeared when I started kicking butt at losing the weight.
I couldn't really conceive of the whole picture. I think setting small goals along the way is really helpful (though I'd be careful of attaching those goals to dates!). I committed to the process of losing weight and becoming healthier. I did not try to lose weight really quickly by eating very little food, but focused on portion control, shifting the kind of food I ate and building in exercise. Even with the absence of big goals, I lost 100 pounds in just over a year and am still going.
It really really is the little decisions you make every single day that make this process work. And you can't give up on yourself because you sometimes make the wrong ones. We all do that from time to time.
My advice if you're overwhelmed: start with small changes and keep building. Don't look at the big picture in terms of weight only, but focus on the goal of health and fitness too. Keep committed and keep making changes. Little changes will make a big difference in the end!
I've been kind of overwhelmed about the amount I have to lose lately too. But just look at how much weight these other posters have lost! It's amazing and SO inspiring! If they can do it, we can too!
I think it's true that it helps to look at it one day at a time, or one mini-goal at a time. You'll often hear "I may not be able to lose 100 pounds, but I can lose 10 pounds 10 times," and I think that's a good way to look at it. I keep just thinking about what "ten" I'm in, as in..."Ok, I'm in the 260s now...and now the 250s...and now the 240s...." Even though it still seems like I weigh a crazy amount, soon I'll be in the 230s, then the 220s...and it'll just keep going until I'm done. Simple, right? That time will pass anyway -- my pants might as well be getting looser while it does.
What gets people through, I think, are the little non-scale victories along the way. The compliments, the way your clothes feel, the strength you feel when working out (strength you never imagined you could have), seeing your collarbones again (I can't wait for that for some reason). I haven't had compliments yet (except from my best friend), but I lost a pants size or two, and that keeps me going.
It was overwhelming at first. But, in the beginning, the thought that kept running through my mind was "If I don't start it/do it now, I'll still be in this exact same spot 6 months, 1 year, two years down the road". I don't know exactly why, but that single thought was a lot of motivation for me. I also planned out some splurges at my mini-goals, and DH agreed that I should do it. For example, every 20 lbs I get my hair colored and foiled (if it needs it again). For the first 50 lb loss, a new digital camera. The second 50 lb loss, an MP3/video player. The third 50 pounds, a new laptop. When I get to my goal, a trip to Paris (I'm not really holding my breath for DH to do this, but I DO plan to get to goal.)
Once the scale started moving, I seemed to relax and realized that I could do this, it will just take some time.
I absolutely agree with Heather to make small changes at first. No way could I have made all of the changes that I've made in one week, or even one month. My steps were small, but as soon as I felt comfortable in one thing, I added another, till a year down the road, I've turned my life around.
And if 10 pound goals are overwhelming... I know a woman who started on this forum weighing at or over 600 pounds and was down to 338 (she hasn't been here in a while!). Anyway, she used to say she couldn't lose 100 pounds, but she could lose 1 pound 100 times...
When I started, I didn't think I needed "mini-goals." I printed out the 3FC weight tracker and weighed daily (a need for me). After a while, and especially this summer when I kept yo-yoing with the same 2-3 pounds, I decided that mini-goals were the way to go. I began with the 3FC weight tracker. Each sheet gives you 4 columns of about 2 1/2 weeks per column. I decided on a 2 pound loss at the bottom of each column. So far, I'm not doing too bad (missed the first goal by 1 pound and the 2nd goal by 1/2 pound). I've also given me a September goal to lose 4 pounds and after that, I'll have a Thanksgiving goal to lose the last 4 pounds.
exasperated
The slow pace can be very frustrating... sometimes it feels like I will never get there. But like callystia and chick_in_the_hat already said, it's all about the little decisions we make every day.. you don't always have to be thinking about the big picture.
