newbie

cssand
cssand Posts: 22 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am new here and would love /need as much support as I can get. I don't have a lot of willpower so I need people to help me stay motivated and on track. Being retired, I have a tendency to sit more than I should.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,238 Member
    Hello, and welcome from a fellow retiree!

    Willpower isn't the sharpest tool in my toolbox, either. I'm basically a hedonistic aging-hippie flake. Things that require constant high motivation or strict discipline aren't going to work for me, realistically.

    But y'know what? I got reasonably fit, and lost weight (obese to healthy weight) anyway . . . in that order, separated by about 12 years. I'm now in year 8 at a healthy weight after loss. (I'm F, 68, if that matters - also severely hypothyroid but medicated for it, which doesn't matter IMO.)

    What worked best for me was thinking of the process as a fun, productive science-fair project for grown-ups, in which my goal was to experiment, find things that were enjoyable but an improvement on prior habits, then practice those until they became routine habits that could run almost on autopilot, without constant attention.

    During the loss phase, a sensibly moderate weight loss rate makes that more achievable, as opposed to the "lose weight fast" mentality. Super restrictive eating rules or punitively intense exercise are unnecessary, and can even be counterproductive.

    For me, weight management and fitness meant figuring out how to stay mostly full and happy eating foods I enjoy that added up to appropriate calories and reasonable nutrition on average over a day or few, plus finding ways of moving my body that were fun for me. I was lucky: The core of my exercise activity is something I enjoy so much I'd do it even if it weren't good for me, but it is.

    For me, the biggest issue was getting that switch to flip in my head from "I'd like to lose weight" or "I'd like to be fitter" to "I'm committed to keep chipping away at this goal until I get there". If I knew exactly how to do that, I'd bottle and sell it, and make millions. :D

    Best wishes - IME, the results are very much worth the effort!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,703 Member
    Welcome!

    There are some great threads created by our members, bookmarked to the top of each category that may be helpful. Just look for "Most Helpful Posts - whatever the category name is”.

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