I knew this would HAPPEN...so why am I not prepared???

W

workingtobethin

New member
Hi Everyone, I've been changing my lifestyle since Jan 5/09. Doing great up to last month. I've lost 46lbs to date, only 4 of those in the last month...which being from 339lbs to 293lbs, I know I can lose more than that for sure. I guess I'm hitting a down period, but why do my motivation seem so high in the beginning, and I was getting great results...but now I'm barely getting any results or just maintaining...and the motivation is leaving me!!! I can't afford to lose my motivation, I have so far to go. I don't want to put pressure on myself, I wanted to make healthy choices and move more, but now I'm trying to wrap my brain about calories and daily intake...I think it's becoming too much for me to keep doing. But I dont' know any other way, I don't want to eat too little because I need to maintain once I get down to my goal. I've done this for many years over and over, I'm in a bad spot right now, and I need any encouragement I can get. I knew I'd plateau or slow down, but the scale was the same, I know I haven't been making as good choices, but that's what is confusing me. When it should be harder in the beginning, I stick so well to my plan. Once I see results it's like I ease up on myself but I SHOULD NOT! I won't give up, I'll never stop trying to reach my goal....but I'd like to find a steady pace. Any comments are welcome. A before and after pic of me to show how far I've come already... HELP!
 
Wow, thats great progress already. You look a lot better in your current pictures! I think the biggest problem that getting you down is that we want to be to our goal NOW. I know that's how I am. With summer coming up, I want to go out and do all the things that I havent enjoyed since I was a kid, but know that it's not going to happen this summer :( I just posted before and current pictures of myself yesterday and seeing the differneces side by side makes me feel a lot better. When I look at myself everyday in the mirror I don't neccessarily see the change, but when I see old pictures next to new pictures I see a lot of progress. There are quite a few stories on here that are so motivating that I know I am going to stick with eating healthy and exercise. I wish you the best. Stay strong and don't look back!
 
Congrats on losing 46 lbs. that's a huge loss,there is definitely a huge change.You look a lot more happier also :).I know what you say about motivation,but you need to tell yourself again and again that this is just not about weight its about being healthy.Do follow your exercise routine and your diet regularly and then you will be up again with some smashing before and after :)Always remember from where you have started and why are you doing this.I had been in a similar situation before , I lost 8- 10 kgs. and then the weight loss was so slow that I stopped exercising then started eating wrong foods and then gained all the weight again.But I have learned my lesson, I know I am much more worth than these scale numbers and a healthy lifestyle will give me a lot more, just imagine the after result.So best of luck.Please read the stickied thread "Scale Mentality" ,that will surely help you.
 
First of all - the difference in your pictures is obvious. Congrats! I think we all go through these tough spells. Key is - DON'T give up! Sometimes just taking it one day at a time helps. Seeing the loss slow down can be discouraging - but you are losing!! Keep faith in yourself, and do be too hard on yourself either. We that have been overweight can be really cruel to ourselves.
 
Thank you all for your replies. I do appreciate it. I keep coming back to this site daily for motivation and you are all right. It's about being healthy, I have two small boys and a husband that I desperately want to live for. I will keep pushing along and if I stay stuck for too long, then I'll have to readjust my plan of diet and exercise. a few bad choices along the way can mess up your whole week of loss....but what I have learned on the good side is that every CHOICE counts...works both ways I guess! Thanks again, that's what this site is all about. Finding inspiration and motivation in others when we find it hard to keep going. It's hard to UN-LEARN what I've done all my life...but this is a new life and each day is a chance to be a new! I know I won't give up...I feel too good with this amount of weight gone....I can hardly imagine what a few more pounds will feel like. I think you are right about putting too much pressure and being hard on ourselves. This is a lifelong challenge for me. I have to stop putting dates or timeframes on my goals....it just don't seem to work for me...if I don't meet it, I get very discouraged. I need to LOSE it when i LOSE it....no rush. I'll get there. Thanks again to you all!
 
Maybe you could keep a motivation journal. All the things you look forward to doing when you reach your goal. Maybe even clip some cute clothes you see in magazines and paste them in the journal. If you have some health problems from being overweight, maybe you could jot down all the health problems you'd be getting rid of when you get down to your goal size. Just anything that inspires you.

Keep reflecting on why you're doing this. Treat your current weight like its your starting weight and be excited about it. Don't keep thinking about the weight you HAVEN'T lost (especially last month), just focus on the weight you have lost and realize you can lose so much more, and that you WILL lose so much more.
 
track your intake as close as possible for a while. see how many calories you are REALLY eating, and adjust accordingly
 
You are off to a good start. So how about looking at it that way? You are simply off to a good start. Now you can keep going with it or you can slowly give up and gain it all back and maybe even more. Come on now, you have to be tougher than that!

Perhaps you are over analyzing things and it is wearing you out mentally? I have been guilty of that in the past. Perhaps it is time to simplify?

Eat smaller, healthy portions of food, at least 3 times a day. If you are still way too hungry then have healthy snacks in between meals. Work out at least 3 times per week. Preferably 4 or 5. Don't worry about the fine details at this point. You should still see great results doing that.

Finally, for the time being give yourself a mini goal. Simply tell yourself right here and now that no matter what you are going to lose X more pounds. I recommend 5 or 10 for you based on your current motivation level. Simply focus on that and nothing else. Forget about your overall goal and focus entirely on your mini goal. When you reach that goal we will all congratulate you and you will do the same. Then you can take a deep breath, regroup and set a new goal.

In the real world, this fat loss thing takes time...YEARS. But don't worry about that for now. Just focus on your mini goal.
 
RJAZ520 said:
track your intake as close as possible for a while. see how many calories you are REALLY eating, and adjust accordingly
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and dont forget that as you lose weight, your metabolism decreases. Hence you must eat less and less or increase exercise to keep losing.

I agree with the Mini goals in between. Or maybe if you're focusing too much on losing weight and it's driving you crazy, change goal completely?

ie. decide to run/walk/other for charity. Make weight loss a side effect of some other goal

I know for a fact that if I focuse too much on losing weight and "i must diet".. then I get depressed, resutls don't show fast etc...
It works best for me when I forget I 'm dieting. I'm gonna run the city's 20 km and the weight loss is just a side effect ;)

Good luck! and talk to us again if you need any help!
 
THANK YOU THANK YOU.... All of your ideas are very helpful. I think for me it's more of a MENTAL thing. I overthink, over analyze, and put pressure on it. But I lostr 46lbs by just making basic changes and not looking to my end goal too much. Now I notice I've been focusing on the end and also drinking some more diet pepsi than usual....got to get back to my WATER! And I'll take it as it comes. I'll keep doing what I'm doing for now, and try to be real strict with my eating and see what happens...I'll keep you posted on my progress. Thanks a million for all your replies.
 
Hey, that's what we are here for...hopefully. If you forget and start to have negative thoughts, come back and read the replies again.

Good luck on your next mini goal. Make sure you let us know when you reach it.
 
Don't know if anyone else has also suggested this, but keep all junk food/trigger foods out of your house!

Keep at it, one day at a time and one meal at a time. If you fall down, get right back up at the next meal. You can do this - AND YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

Best wishes on your journey
ABBA:waving:
 
I truly understand what you are going through, we are pretty much the same weight and some days my motivation is not as strong as i feel it should be. Please don't give up and realize that you are doing the most amazing thing for you and your family. You are looking awesome and I see a big difference. - Michelle
 
So far you have done an excellent job I definitely see the difference! You can do it, just think of how healthier you would be at a lighter weight and continue your hard work! I was 185 pounds and I starting losing in Feb '08 and now I am 146 pounds so it took me a year and 3 months just to lost 39 pounds...so 46 pounds in these few short months is really awesome!
 
Congrats, that is still a great loss. I know I have felt the same way too. But people have been telling me that they have noticed that I have lost weight, even though I know I won't be happy until I get under 300, and even then, won't be satisfied with my results until I get below 250 (and it'll be the "homestretch" after that for me).


Just hang in there! It's worth it in the end.
 
Wanted to update you on my Progress!

I DID IT! I hit my mini goal of 50lbs lost today! I had two tough weeks with no change on the scale. Today I dropped just under 5lbs. I am now from 339lbs to 289lbs!!!!!! I can't believe it. I worked so hard, and wished the scale would work with me, I didn't expect to meet my goal though. So to all of you who wrote kind , inspiring, sincere words to me, I THANK YOU! I needed the support and you all had great ideas and being told there is a difference in my pictures, it was enough to make me hold on and it worked. Back on the losing track. The 1st Plateau has been SMASHED! Thanks again, and just wanted to say thanks. I will post my 5 month pictures the first week of June, hope to see a big difference there! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!
 
Great Job!! I am teetering between 49 and 50 lbs lost too! I'm glad you have got your motivation back! Keep up the great work!
 
Thanks waterholic, I gotta say, it's the hardest thing to control. Such a mental thing for me. Plus one thing off, like not enough water, and I'm at a hault. Feels good to be at the 50 mark. Congrats to you too! I know it's no easy task.
 
Congratulations on what you have already lost. Losing weight and the motivation is an up and down thing. We all go through low periods.

Here is advice that has helped me:
1) drink water, at least you body weight (pounds) in ounces
2) try taking fiber to fill you up, chew gum, brush your teeth after eating
3) exercise is vital, even if it's a 30 minute walk. And don't miss 2 days in a row. Also, on days you don't feel like working out, just tell yourself you'll go out for 5 mintues. The toughest part is getting out and once you do you'll finish the entire 30 minutes.

Turn off the news, it's depressing, recession, flu, blah blah blah. Try watching upbeat TV instead.

Good luck! I hope you keep us posted.
 
18% Body Fat said:
3) exercise is vital, even if it's a 30 minute walk. And don't miss 2 days in a row. Also, on days you don't feel like working out, just tell yourself you'll go out for 5 mintues. The toughest part is getting out and once you do you'll finish the entire 30 minutes.
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I second that.. =.= man some days getting my butt to the gym is hard.

(I apologize for the relative rude word: butt, but I felt it conveyed nicely the horror and difficulty of the task described. :p)
 
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