Day One: Daunting

fuxxxake

Ello all!

Well, today is my day one. I've enrolled at the local gym and am tempted to join up at a local Slimming World group, but am not sure about that yet, anyone here go to one?

I'm partly eager to get started and partly daunted by the task ahead. I know it's a long journey ahead, I'm not looking for any fast fixes or "miracle diets", but looking down at myself I can see all the changes that need to take place, and it scares me a little.

Did anyone else feel like this at the start?

Also, please any newbies or oldies who want an extra fitness buddy please add me. I need all the encouragement I can get and can offer plenty in return.

Have a great day!

Paul.

kommodevaran

I wasn't really scared, because I had lost weight before, and I was fed up with looking the way I did and living the way I did.

Create a good plan and you'll be eager to stick with it.

Oh, and welcome to MFP

tinkerbellang83

Welcome back!

notreallychris

Welcome! It's good that you aren't searching for a quick fix. Make your changes a habit, and pick something you enjoy doing. You're more likely to stick to your lifestyle change that way. Feel free to add me if you'd like!

tulips_and_tea

Planning ahead and looking at your end goal is important in order to develop a plan, but after that, break it up into mini-goals and just work towards that. Once you hit that first goal, celebrate! Then, on to the next goal. The more small goals you achieve the higher your confidence will be and you'll build on that success.

everher

Take it a day at a time and a pound at a time and it will be far less daunting.

I remember when I started out I had so far to go it was overwhelming. I had to put that aside because it was going to discourage me.

It's much easier to set mini goals for yourself like logging all your food or staying within your calories or getting some exercise and accomplish those than focusing on the big picture as a whole.

sosteach

I was more sick and tired than scared. I figured I had nothing to lose but some weight. 35 down 65 to go! My best advice would be to set behavior goals not just scale number goals. Like I will go to the gym 3 times a week or I will log all of my food every day. You have much more control over your behavior than what the scale measures.

Lynnara

Baby steps. You didn't gain if all in a day, so don't rush trying to lose it quick either. You'll do better in the long run by raking it off slower.

rsclause

I have found that if I think of this as a new lifestyle rather than a diet it makes more sense to me. I new that if I did nothing it was only going to get harder to conquer. Once you make some positive changes and see the results your success will feed on itself. Get started and be patient, you got this!

NadNight

I know the feeling! Once you've been going for a few weeks and have dropped a couple of pounds you can see that the small changes and commitments do pay off (and you can have the occasional takeaway without it scuppering your efforts!). At the start it felt like almost dreamlike, like something I'd been wanting to do, saying I'd do, for years and all I really saw was the finish line but now I'm a few months in I'm appreciating the day to day and can now look back on how far I've come and that's way more motivating and empowering than a daunting goal.

quiksylver296

Good for you! This is a great thread to read through if you're just getting started...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

fuxxxake

Thanks for all the advice and info, it's honestly helped massively. I've decided to split the amount I want to lose into 1/4's and count each quarter as a mini goal. I'm also going to do weekly goals such as go to the gym 3 times or 4 times, just to keep goals close by and not waaaay off in the distance

wizzybeth

What are you afraid of?

Just put one foot in front of the other, ever moment, every hour, every day. If you slip up, that's OK, don't stop and wallow in self pity or self loathing; just dust yourself off and continue on the journey.

Everyone has good days and bad days. Yesterday was an "off plan" day for me but today I will be back on plan. I had too much alcohol and too much food last night and woke up this morning to a .4 gain on the scale - partly because I didn't drink enough water, I know I didn't eat enough over maintenance to gain that much, ha ha...I had some salty food yesterday and a lot more alcohol than I am used to drinking, so it's showing up in excess water weight on the scale. I didn't get my 10,000 steps in yesterday either. That's okay, that's yesterday, it's over and done, and today is a new day. Onward!

Lovephoenix365

The beginning of a new journey is always scary. You are leaving your comfort zone and venturing into the unknown. Wishing you all the best on your journey

Geocitiesuser

Once you get going it's not so bad It's always simple, just rarely easy.

cheryldumais

fuxxxake wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice and info, it's honestly helped massively. I've decided to split the amount I want to lose into 1/4's and count each quarter as a mini goal. I'm also going to do weekly goals such as go to the gym 3 times or 4 times, just to keep goals close by and not waaaay off in the distance

Great idea. I had to set mini goals as I had so much to lose and I am now only 10 pounds away from my final goal. Be sure to reward yourself with new clothes as you go so that you can actually see your progress. So many people try to wait and they get discouraged because no one notices how much they have lost. It's worth every single step you have to take to change your lifestyle. Good luck!

DebLaBounty

I just installed the app Happy Scale on my phone. I input my weight every so often and it tracks the changes. It also gives me "milestones" so I can celebrate achieving small goals as I go. Each milestone happens at around 5 pounds. The best part is that while your weight fluctuates, it shows by graph that there's a downward trend so I don't freak out anymore when my weight goes up a pound or two along the way. Good luck!