How did you commit to weightloss?

MandyQ1972

Now that I've joined I keep thinking "I'll start tomorrow". What steps did you take to begin and how did you stay focused?

Montepulciano

Honestly it was a combination of my mom struggling with arthritis in her knees and seeing the number on the scale.

Francl27

It took 15 years of 'I'll start tomorrow' until I was actually ready to make a change. It took a doctor checkup (with my weight actually up after maintaining at 200 for years) and Holidays when I stuffed my face and made myself sick of food to get there and be ready to make a change forever.

Artemiris

I gained weight in a very short amount of time. It became hard to fit into my clothes. So I finally decided to step on the scale. What I saw scared me so much that I was immediately committed to start using MFP again and promised myself to never ever stop counting calories.

rainbowbow

When do people change? When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.

rankinsect

I spent many years planning to "start tomorrow" too. Finally I thought about why I wanted to lose weight, set goals for myself, and made a plan that involved starting immediately.

abatonfan

1. Making small changes. There's no need for you to jump right into day one weighing everything, running 10K for cardio, and eating 150g of protein a day. You'll tire out and become more likely to crash and give up. Instead, shoot for small changes like logging your food into MFP regardless of if you go over your calorie goal (and then maybe tighten your goal so that next month you'll be shooting to accurately log 50% of your meals with a food scale for instance)
2. Keeping up with those small changes over a long period. Though I don't know if this is true, many say it takes 21-28 days to form a habit. Find ways to motivate yourself to reach that 21-28-day milestone and keep at those small changes. I feel like after those 28 days it gets a lot easier, because it's more incorporated into my lifestyle (For instance, I do not need to think about weighing my food -it's almost automatic for me to grab my food scale when I want something to eat).
3. Start today. "Tomorrow" is just another wasted day if you hold onto the "I'll start tomorrow" mindset.

For me, changing my diet was almost immediate. I was diagnosed with a medical condition that requires that I pay super close attention to what and how much I consume. It was either get myself and my diet together or risk an early death.

DeguelloTex

Left the doctor's office. Sat in the car. Said screw this. Downloaded MapMyWalk, MFP, and a few others. Went home, read about weight loss. Lost the weight.

CoffeeNCardio

Start logging today. Start counting calories tomorrow. I logged all damn near 3000 calories a day I was eating for about a week, and seeing that was what made me commit to my deficit. Baby steps, do the thing-do the thing well-enjoy the thing

MarcyKirkton

I just took it a step at a time.......first setting up the MFB profile. Momentum came as I kept doing the next baby step.

ariana_eatsandlifts

Four years ago, I was accepted into professional school for a career in health care. I was 200 pounds at the time. What right did I have to talk to patients about their health if I was neglecting my own? I've had a lot of ups and downs since then, but I've learned a lot both on my own and from MFP.

nvmomketo

My health issues and pain became great enough that I had to change the way I ate, then I lowered calories because I was feeling better and less hungry.

I guess I hit a new low before I would make the changes I needed.

Kalikel

I had a Come To Jesus at the doctor and left the office committed. I literally stopped at the grocery store on the way home to buy some healthy food, which I ate for dinner that night. Woke up to Crunch Berries and donuts,went to bed after baked chicken and green beans.

Nothing like a medical problem to scare you healthy!

Unknown

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blkandwhite77

I roped my husband and son into going on this plan with me when I felt my determination wavering. It's been great for all of us. We hold each other accountable for our calorie intake and making sure we go to the gym

UncaToddly

I promised my wife the next "20, 30, 40 years" and I can't keep that promise if I eat myself to death. A heartscare earlier in the year that turned out to be stress was part of it. My knees kept getting worse. My back hurts everyday. At nearly 400 pounds I had to do SOMETHING.

I have always had good willpower on other things. When I was in my 20s and smoking weed and the money wasn't there.... I stopped smoking. No biggie. I didn't understand what the big deal with addiction was when I experimented with cocaine at one point in my 20s. One day heard myself say "I need to do some coke" as opposed to "I WANT to do some coke", I was done and haven't touched it again. I smoked cigarettes for about 8-10 years in my late teens/20s. When I quit I was just done with it. Even now, I live in a state with legal recreational marijuana and I can and have easily purchased it in stores no different than going to 7-11 to buy a 6pack of Budweiser but I still don't smoke it because work doesn't allow it.

I have questioned myself many times about why I could have willpower on many things but couldn't stop myself from eating more food in a day than most people go through in a week. I still don't have the answer but what I do know is that I have to be alive for her and I want much better for myself.

I am not looking to be in great shape to do 3 day/160 mile bike rides like i used to do when I was 17 but it would really be nice to be able to buy clothes from most any clothing store because I don't need to look for a 5x or 54"+ waist pants. As I lose weight it just makes me more determined to keep it up.

shadowfax_c11

If you wait until you are ready, you will never be ready. I just started. Start right now this minute.

You just do it. There is no magic trick, special moment, epiphany, etc. You just do. Because to do otherwise would not be acceptable anymore.

scolaris

My come-to-jeebus moment was when my weight began with a '2.' And no, I was not 20-something pounds...
~shudders~

lithezebra

I've made changes gradually. Rather than saying "I'll start today," I've cut things out of my diet one at a time, found a new recipe that I like, or committed to a certain number of minutes of exercise per week. I didn't do all of those things in one day, in one week, or in one month.

MoCo88

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Left the doctor's office. Sat in the car. Said screw this. Downloaded MapMyWalk, MFP, and a few others. Went home, read about weight loss. Lost the weight.

This is pretty much how it went for me, too. It was a combination of the doctor telling me that my weight was my biggest health risk and my realizing that being overweight was holding me back from doing things I want to do. Screw that.

pandyg180

Cold turkey! I started my weight loss journey about 45 days ago. My mindset switched and went to the grocery store day one and bought healthy food instead of getting fast-food which I would normally do. Lost 23 lbs so far and no turning back now!

KateTii

When I started, I didn't have a doctor tell me I needed to lose weight. I realised that in the course of a few years I had slowly put on 10kgs as I came out of puberty (high metabolism) and started settling into my adult metabolism. I bought food, did some meal preparation and started the next day (was already past dinner at that point). I never had failed "i'll start tomorrow" so when I said to my mother (who has been "starting tomorrow" for most of my life) that I was starting the next day, she was shocked when I actually did.

OhMsDiva

When I was miserable everyday. When my knees hurt everyday. When I could barely move without being in pain. When I felt that I had no control over my health. When I turned 45 and was fed up

OhMsDiva

OhMsDiva wrote: »

When I was miserable everyday. When my knees hurt everyday. When I could barely move without being in pain. When I felt that I had no control over my health. When I turned 45 and was fed up

Orphia

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Left the doctor's office. Sat in the car. Said screw this. Downloaded MapMyWalk, MFP, and a few others. Went home, read about weight loss. Lost the weight.

You rock.

Orphia

For me, it was a finding out a friend who'd lost 50 kg and kept it off for two years wasn't a mathematical genius with her calorie counting and learning she was using MFP to make calorie counting easier.

I thought, "Science! New! Shiny!", and signed up, and was instantly hooked. 6 months later I've lost 22 kg.

FrankieandSpots

I've wanted to lose weight for a while.
I was going to be travelling for 6 weeks, so I decided I would make a serious go of it when I got back and to use the 6 weeks to concentrate on eating more vegetables. And while I was gone my friend recommended MFP so I joined up and lucked into a challenge starting the next day (3 weeks ago). So far so good; apart from today...

suziecue20

There's nothing like a Doctor telling you that "you're a heart attack waiting to happen" to give you motivation to lose weight!!

neversaynever_43

I am usually an all or nothing kinda girl. Go all in with exercise and calorie restriction. This last time I was sick so I couldn't exercise. I just focused on my calories. At first I was over everyday but now I stay within my allotment. And started running again. But I find that just focusing on my portions in the beginning and not relying on exercise calories to help me out really helped put me in control.

rainbow198

Without realizing it at the time I took baby steps.

I first worked on my fitness. All I could do at the time is walk slowly so that's what I did. As I got into better shape I tried different workouts and discovered what I liked and what I didn't like.

Then on the hardest part for me...my nutrition. I slowly started incorporating veggies and greens, then I worked on reducing my portion sizes and the amount sweets I used to eat.

Later on I slowly made the switch from drinking soda, store-bought juices and alcohol to water and unsweetened tea. My taste buds eventually changed and I got used to eating/drinking this way.

Also I started soaking in information from health and fitness books from the library, forums and sciency things about weight/fat loss online.

Before I knew it, I got into a groove and found a good, comfortable balance between exercising moderately and eating healthy while still incorporating treats here and there.

Everyday wasn't a good day and I lost the majority of my weight somewhat slower, but I stayed the course and things stuck. I steadily lost weight and inches and I've kept 80 lbs off for 2 and a half years.

I never had a goal weight (I did have a dream measurement range/dress size however) and I didn't lose weight for an event or had medical issues etc. I was just tired. And determined.

choppie70

My turning point was when the Nephrologist said to me, " I think the pain you are feeling in your flank is due to the extra weight!". I bought a pair of new sneeks on the way home and started. Of course, the pain was not from the extra weight and caused by a 22mm kidney stone the nephrologist "missed".