Here we go again...

[lbk]

Umph.... Another attempt, again....
Am 27 years old, would like to lose 12 kgs, a quest I have been on for the past ten years. Don't understand it; I'm a resourceful, intelligent young woman with a successful career in finance and I speak 6 languages, yet losing this weight seems to be completely beyond me!! I have at least 50 self-help books on losing weight, have tried everything from Neurolinguistic Programming to hypnosis, and just don't know where to turn from here!
I think a lot of the problem lies in that I am an "all or nothing" person, and if I don't succeed instantly or see results right away I tend to sabotage myself...
So, I decided that 2009 was/is going to be the year of change for me. No more excuses! I managed in 2008 to get off serious antidepressants which I had taken for 6 years, so now if I could just lose the weight, I would be so happy with myself and feel comfortbale in my skin again!! Plus, hopefully the hurtful comments from my family would stop.

Here's to 2009 and all of us reaching our goals!!!

 

[Gen]

6 languages! Wow! Anyway, I get what you mean. You're the type that knows what you want and you learn how to do it and then you go out and get it. And thats that. Right? Except losing weight isn't as easy. You don't see results as quickly. Its not like in business or even school where you can see by peoples reactions to you how good you're doing. Its more like going to college and not getting any grades except for end of term time. You just have to know your stuff and do it. Don't forget about it but, kind of, forget about it. Check in, but not every hour, or every day. Mini goals help. If I could, I'd be focusing on my running goals and letting that carry over into weight loss. My legs don't like the impact it seems though, so I use the elliptical. Even with that though, I try to beat my last total calories burned, or go further in the same amount of time. Focus on fitness, or focus on finding the best recipes with the least fat and calories. Find goals and hobbies within your weightloss goal that have their own feedback built in. You can get excited about those and lose weight in the meantime.

Just an idea. Welcome!

 

[lbk]

Thanks for your reply, my first one! YAY!!!
I totally get what you mean about not obsessing about my weight too much, but I have to admit that it's hard. I gained a ton of weight with my antidepressants, and now hardly any of my clothes fit. oh well...
How do you get motivated to get on the elliptical? I have meniscus damage to my knees, so running is also not very good for me, but have thought about buying a machine of some kind... so seriously, how do you motivate yourself??

 

[Gen]

Thanks for your reply, my first one! YAY!!!
I totally get what you mean about not obsessing about my weight too much, but I have to admit that it's hard. I gained a ton of weight with my antidepressants, and now hardly any of my clothes fit. oh well...
How do you get motivated to get on the elliptical? I have meniscus damage to my knees, so running is also not very good for me, but have thought about buying a machine of some kind... so seriously, how do you motivate yourself??

I totally understand, I get really frustrated too. And most of my clothes don't fit either, but I refuse to buy too many larger ones because I SWEAR I will fit in them again. The thing is, the last time I did it was in such an unhealthy way. First, I lost it through nerves just before leaving my ex-husband 3 or so years ago, and I didn't want to gain it back. So I decided to stay around 1000 calories a day. I was super obsessive. I ate like a bird and was always hungry. I walked almost everyday obsessively (without realizing how little it was helping in reality, since I was 133). Long story short, I met my current husband and gained at least half back. This time I'll do it the right way.

Anyway, I channel the obsession (somehow) into information gathering, exercise and persistence. I'm an information junkie (you sound like one too), its just important to keep the good and throw out the bad. Persistence I learned by quitting smoking. One wrong move does not mean you've failed. Not even a little. Losing weight it even better because if you're counting calories a 200 calorie candy bar will not make you fat. It just means that you need to subtract 200 from dinner, or from lunch tomorrow, or spread out across the next few days. Its really fine.

As far as exercise, I've become addicted to it. Some days, of course, I'm tired and don't want to do it. But some days I'm tired and don't want to go to work, and that's not an option. Those days, I just show up. I show up at the gym or at work and aim to do what I can. I can usually do a lot better than I thought. And then I feel amazing because 1) endorphins are real, 2) I burned 300, 400, 500 calories, 3) I'm in control. Plus, in addition to the addiction, now that I've made it a habit, I'm terrified of what would happen if I stopped lol. I think that basically though, they need to be separate (though tied together) goals. Fitness is separate. It has its own different goals; as I said, go further, faster, harder, etc. This helps with weightloss but is an entirely different, enjoyable enterprise!

Do you believe me?