Help

snicole3516

Hello, I’m shauna. I started my loss journey a few weeks ago. everyday since then, I’ve drank 38OZ of water each day. ive ate but not very healthy. what made you so motivated? how did you get motivated? I’m tired of being overweight. i weighed 177 at the beginning of this year. now I weigh 184.4. it hasn’t been easy. i need help on what to do.

springlering62

Hi, Shauna.

I was like you (only a lot heavier and presumably a lot older). I reached the point where for various reasons I was sick of it.

Basically, I had to dig down deep, set a goal (in my case not to go on some scary meds) and get to work.

I eventually lost 40% of my body weight and have been in maintenance a couple of years or so.

Yeah. I bet you were expecting a magic bean, weren’t you? There’s no such thing.

It’s hard at first. But it does get easier, surprisingly quickly.

I get rid of anything in the house I knew I’d binge on, from past experience. I mean everything, right down to chocolate chips in the pantry, tasty crackers, cookies, candy, cereal.

I had my husband hide the snacks he couldn’t live without. Luckily I found most of his unappealing, but in a pinch- i.e. a snack feeding frenzy- I’d eat anything. Ya know? The day I found the bag or Hersheys Minis hidden in the garage was a bummer.

I delved into these boards and read every day. I learned so much. Mainly that I wasn’t alone. Weight worries are a very very personal thing. You barely discuss them with your spouse, and if your doctor touches on it at all, it’s quickly because they’re as embarrassed as you are to tell you the obvious.

Finding that there were other people “suffering” (this isn’t cancer or a car wreck) like I was and willing to talk about it was amazing.

I learned from the people who had gone before me and been successful- and watched those who were not fall by the wayside. There was a very different attitude between the two groups.

One was determined, made actual changes and were willing to make mistakes.

The other was angry, unwilling to accept a temporary failure, and entitled. They thought they couldn’t live without it deserted to have that (fill in the blank here- while pizza, bag of cookies etc) and that the world owed them that along with svelteness.

I learnt that a three mile leisurely walk after dinner didn’t negate 3/4 if a Publix key lime pie or that whole family sized bag of Oreos. Maybe two Oreos or a slender sleeve of pie, yes.

I quickly learned to relate cause and effect, what substitutions I could make, that a bowl of frozen fruit was more filling and waaaaaay fewer calories than my previous choices.

I learned I didn’t have to be perfect to start out with, nor am I still perfect. My diary is open. You can go back two or three weeks and see the “epic fail” (which I can now laugh off) when I visited the kids and didn’t want to be a diet diva while they were coping with a newborn. You also see that I got right back on track the day of the return flight.

I’ve learned that a pig out once in a while is fine, but actually leaves me kinda gross feeling nowadays. It’s comforting to stick to my -date I say it- NEW comfort foods.

Your weight is going to bounce violently up and down the first six weeks as you try new eating and exercise habits. Many people quit after a few days or couple of weeks because they’ve been trained by society that weight loss should be instant and gratifying. It’s not.

But I promise you, the weeks go by quickly and the first time you realize,”well hey, this waistband is a lot looser” you’ll be motivated to keep it up.


Galadriel says “the quest Stands upon the blade if a knife”. So true. It’s up to you to decide which side you want to fall on.

Read the stickies at the top of each board for quick knowledge.

Then go here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/success-stories

I strongly suggest the NSV (non scale victory) thread and the What Nobody Told Me thread. I found both extremely motivating when I had low points and I have read and enjoyed every single post on both.

fatty2begone

I am not nearly as articulate as the above poster or some others on the boards. Spring and some others are put their words to script so beautifully. I however, am in this game called weight loss. I have been where you are and some days still am.

I started at the end of January at 205 lbs. My motivation was being tired of being winded from a leisure walk with the dog, climbing the flight of stairs in my house. (two stories and bedroom is on the upper floor). Lastly and not the top list of priority, was the way I looked. I avoided photos like a plaque. I could not stand to look at my self in a photograph. I was chubby everywhere including my fingers...

I had my annual physical in March of this year. I was down 15 lbs at the appointment and my markers were already improving from my last physical. (I had put on 8 lbs from the prior year). I am making sure to exercise everyday on purpose and that is making a huge difference.

As the weight starts to come off, the motivation improves. When there is a stall (there will be) it is a little more difficult because you start to wonder why is this not working or whats the point. But I assure you, keep tracking your calories, keep moving, and the scale will eventually move. Take measurements because even though the scale might stall, the measurements downward will continue.

Keep a positive mindset and remember you are in this to be healthy. Happiness will be a bonus. Its not just a matter of mind over matter, reading the boards and viewing the success photos are so motivating.

Do not quit. You can do this!