I need a little help. I am determined to lose 50 lbs!

amg777

My goal is to lose 50 pounds. Target date is April 27, 2016. I will be turning 42 and I am determined to be healthy, fit, and lean when I celebrate my birthday.



My fitness plan:
1. tracking what I eat daily.
2. minimum of 30 mins exercise/movement a day
3. Working out at the gym at least 3x a week
4. Low carb diet
5. eating more vegetables and fruits everyday
6. Consuming 8 glasses of water a day
7. Motivating myself everyday

Number 7 is the hardest. Staying on the treadmill for more than 30 mins I find my motivation waning and literally wanting to cry . I am going to do this because I want to do this.

For the first time in my life I am losing weight for myself and not for anyone else. I lost weight before but the reason was something else or someone else. This time it's for me, and knowing that feels really liberating and good.

My start weight was 190lbs I have lost a few pounds but still far from my goal of 50lbs.

I posted this because I need help. I want to stay on track. A little encouragement, a little advice, pat in the back, poke, not sure what. Any help would be appreciated.

malibu927

Important threads for anyone starting out:

community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

Don't beat yourself up if you don't reach your goal. When I started out I wanted to be under 200 (48 pounds lost) by my birthday nine months later. I missed it by three weeks. You'll still be in an excellent place regardless compared to where you are now.

And if the treadmill isn't motivating you, walk outside! I feel I do better in the fresh air. Take a walk around the neighborhood, or find a local park.

ncboiler89

Treadmills suck. If you can walk outside then do that instead.

amg777

Thanks! I will walk outside. My routine has been work-gym-sleep-work. I'm afraid I'm not doing enough yet at this point. Walking outside would be a great.

karmagirl71

You are doing this for you, and this is the best reason! That said, motivation can be hard, particularly when you're on a treadmill. Sometimes, distraction can be your best friend. I made a playlist of my favourite upbeat songs. When I'm on my stationary bike, I start the playlist and bike. When I feel my motivation slipping, I say I'll bike for "one more song". It's guaranteed to be a song I love because I picked it for my list. Then, when that song ends, I say "one more song". That can keep me going for a while. I also make a point of focusing on the good things about my body. There are all kinds of parts of my body I may hate, but I look at my arms and I think how good they are starting to look as I lose fat - I'm not doing any weight training, but I'm getting some muscle definition simply because the muscles aren't hidden by as much fat. As you focus on those good things (I don't get out of breath as easily, my calves feel strong, my fingers aren't as puffy, whatever), you find yourself wanting to improve those things even more. You ARE worth being as healthy as you can be. Good luck.

lesliezimmer

If I were you, don't set a date. Just set small goals daily "I will stay under my calorie goal today" or "I will run/walk 5 miles today" or whatever the goal is... As long as you set small goals and stay on course, you'll get to your goal weight but everybody's bodies and lives are different, so some people may lose 50 lbs in 9 months and some people may lose 50 lbs in 2 years. Don't beat yourself up, is most important!

I learned that I had to do exercise I enjoyed in order to be motivated enough to stick to it for my entire life. I learned this the hard way - this is my THIRD time back on MFP, the first two times I lost a little weight, but I did it in ways I wasn't absolutely loving. If you love moving your body, you're gonna wanna wake up every day and move your body. That's the rhythm you wanna get to to be successful and healthy for life! Personally, I hate treadmills

themedalist

I was in your shoes 4 years ago. I did it and so have many others and you can too.

A few thoughts on your approach. Weight loss is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise. You lose weight when you eat at a caloric deficit. Exercise is for your health and fitness. Find an exercise you enjoy and you'll be more likely to stick with it.

Are you insulin resistant? If not, you don't need to eat low carb to lose weight. I ate 50-60% carbs and lost weight no problem (I was 50 years old at the time). Some people do need to reduce their carbs for medical reasons, but if you're not one of them don't make weight loss harder than it needs to be.

Regarding motivation, I think it's overrated. Motivation is very fickle and it comes and goes. You don't need motivation to lose weight, you just need to eat at a caloric deficit. This blog makes the point superbly:

http://www.vicmagary.com/blog/fitness-motivation/

Best Wishes!

amg777

@karmagirl71 Thanks! I don't have a playlist yet. I'll make one. Thanks for the encouragement and the tip. I am imagining myself breathing out all the fat and weight when I'm moving. That usually helps me stay on the treadmill. Now I'll focus on other good things as well "I am getting leaner as I walk.. "

themedalist

One last suggestion. Get a food scale. Best $20 I ever spent. Here's why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

amg777

@lesliezimmer Thank you. Okay I will do just that. Set and meet small goals daily. I have to find an exercise I like. I like playing video games. I wonder if getting an xbox kinect would work. I'll try it and update you guys if it does. I'd like to walk outside everyday but work and where I live it's hard to do that on a regular basis.

amg777

@themedalist thanks for the article. I read it. I'll bookmark it. I know I'll be reading this again and again. When I feel myself not putting down that cookie or exercising I will remember this article because I have decided to lose weight. Thank you for sharing. It's a good article.

81jenny79

My long term goal is to do the same! I have gained and lost a couple times over the past few years. My heaviest I was (am) 260, lowest (over the past 15 years) was 225. I struggle with motivation, myself, but have started setting small goals toward my end goal of at least 50 pounds. 25 pounds by the end of the summer, another 25 by my cousin's wedding in October. I started walking this week again - set my goal at walking 5-7 miles and made 5.7 (including a short jog). I use the MapMyWalk app and it connects directly to MFP (although it logged my lawn mowing as "gymnastics" lol). As far as where you live, maybe try the local track? And for music, if you like rock, I set my playlist to my friend's band "Sad Robot". They have 3 albums out and I have used each of them, currently their most recent album, "Apres Moi, Le Deluge" is what I'm using. They are all very upbeat and keep me moving. Good luck, keep us posted!

arbourm

When you can go outside and have to jump on the treadmill, try to make it fun. I'm always playing games to enjoy the moment and look forward for the next workout.
2 examples:
- With a playlist on random, say that you're gonna increase the incline by 2% if it's a women signing, 5% if it's a band, etc.
- I randomly pick some excercices every 3-5 minutes on the treadmill and jump off it to do what's picked. Could be squats, push-ups, etc.

OldAssDude

Instead of the treadmill go out and walk for 30 minutes or more. Also, do you have a bicycle?

themedalist

amg777 wrote: »

@themedalist thanks for the article. I read it. I'll bookmark it. I know I'll be reading this again and again. When I feel myself not putting down that cookie or exercising I will remember this article because I have decided to lose weight. Thank you for sharing. It's a good article.

You are very welcome! You can do this! You seem to have all the markers of someone who will be successful. Consistency, perseverance, and patience will get you to your goal!