Halfway on a long journey--any fellow travelers?

[gc102]

Hello all,

I've reached a point in my diet I'm sure some of you are familiar with, and thought it'd be interesting to go online and hear from anyone who's been in the same boat. I started last fall at 286; am now in the 220s, en route to 160. I'm excited but a little overwhelmed at the enormity of it all. It's not that I'm worried the weight will come back or anything: the plan I've been able to set up for myself is pretty firmly in place. I pride myself that it's kind of like this clock I've built and set running: no matter what else is going on in my life, my diet "keeps on ticking" in background; I keep my routines automatically and with little thought, and the pounds slowly, steadily come off.

...But in some ways, that's the problem. Well, ok, it's not really a "problem." But here's what I'm getting at: there's a moment when you've decisively left behind your starting point, but you're not yet close to your goal weight. I imagine it's like those swimmers across the English Channel, when you've left behind one coast, but can't yet see the other shore. It's a strange limbo, and one that's giving me surprisingly more anxiety than I imagined it would.

It's not a question of motivation--that's a non-issue. It's really more about impatience and, mentally, being ready to be thin before, physically, your body is. Not a bad problem to have, but some days I just wish I could undergo anesthesia and wake up in 6-8 months when I've hit my goal. Between the excitement of beginnings and endings lies the vast middle that's sometimes difficult to know what to do with.

Anyone else currently over "open waters"? What will we do when we see land?

 

[Korrie]

well, I'm not to the open waters yet. I'm still standing on shore saying "ok, i'm gonna jump now....ok now....ok now..." LOL! But good for you for getting this far. Don't put too much stress on yourself. Don't try to 'over anylize" this stage. Just keep putting one step infront of the other!

 

[fortyfour]

I haven't had this problem and so can't offer any insight. My diets have never lasted that long. I think it will this time though.

It sounds like you've just lost the excitement of when you start and also maybe your belief is wavering a little.

What if you go into a dress shop and look at all hte lovely clothes you will be able to wear when you reach your goal weight.

There used to be a time when i hated looking at fashion magazines because i could not identify with those women. But now i aspire to wear clothes so nice and to look as good in clothes as they do - even though for various reasons, that not possible. Anyway i no longer feel that getting to my goal weight is impossible. So i use fashion magazines in a more motivating way, though i don't actually go out and buy them. I would if i had more money though.

Its the same when i look at people on the street. I don't envy the skinny ones. I look at the way they dress and try to imagine myself dressing more stylishly and being able to wear things that i wouldn't dream of wearing yet.

So why you are still committed to your goal, it does sound like your motivation is not as sharp as it was. Maybe you also need just a bit of a change of routine. Maybe you are just a bit bored and it might not be with our diet but other factors.

 

[cowboy48]

I went through the open waters. The thing to do is keep swimming. The other shore is closer than you think. I know when people start their weight loss journey they are all fired up and most people religiously follow their diet and exercise plans. They lose some weight but about 3 months into it ( I call it "past the honeymoon" period-lol) some start slipping. Maybe they hit a plateau or they get tired of counting all their calories or just lose interest. A lot of the time they go back to eating normally and gain all their weight back- I know I did it myself for a lot of years. The thing to do if you want to be successful at this is just keep doing what you are doing until you reach the end. Easy to say and sometimes hard to do. I did it this time. I never gave up on myself and am 3 pounds from goal. You can do this too. Stay focused on what you want - don't let boredom or anything get in the way. Good Luck!!