seeking some great advice

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ivory88chic
ivory88chic Posts: 13 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey all,

So after a ... too-long hiatus from caring about myself, (and realizing how horrible I look in a COAT) ...I'm jumping back into myfitnesspal. I know that when I log eating, I lose weight. So yay here we go.

Here's one of my main problems: I set unrealistic expectations and then get real bummed when I fail and then give up on life for the next 6 months. I'm tired of that trend!

So, particularly considering that it's December, which is already quite tricky...can some of you give me some realistic goals to help me start? (I need to lose 100 pounds to get to healthy, so yeah - long journey ahead of me. Typing that hurts.)

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    The turning of a new year is always such a great time to mark a new start :) A nice, realistic goal, imho, is pretty much always TDEE-20% (if you have much to lose), and make that TDEE include a bit of exercise. 3 days a week is great. Consider anything more than that extra points :)

    Of course there are a zillion reasonable ways of doing it, so that's just one suggestion. I'd go ahead and start the exercise now, easier at first, and start switching out foods, too. Think of what you'll have instead of chips every day, for an example. Or will you just have a little single-serve bag? That sort of thing. Baby steps until after Christmas, but get your feet wet.

    Best of luck!
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
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    This post includes what's worked for me:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1095703-mfp-1-year-anniversary

    Bottom line: I've made it easy on myself however I can, so that my healthy eating and exercise become sustainable over the long run.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    aim for slow weight loss, maybe half to 1 lb a week. Do exercise that you enjoy. Focus on the long term, and focus on enjoying all of what you eat. Eating more slowly makes smaller portion sizes seem bigger. That's it really... don't make it too complicated.

    It may take some trial and error to find the ideal number of calories for you.... you need to eat enough that you feel satisfied and can enjoy all the foods you love (albeit in smaller portions or less frequently) while also eating less than you burn off so you lose weight slowly.
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
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    How about something simple like just getting back into the swing of logging everything consistently and completely so that you lose 4-5lbs prior to Xmas, and then are in a reasonable position to still be blow your start weight after Xmas. Everyone over-indulges, particularly at Xmas, and proving to yourself that you can survive such a time is a great motivator!
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
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    I stick to my goals most of the time. I do not turn down dinner dates because I cant count the calories. I make healthier choices when I cant count the calories. Accepting that ahead of time is key for me. It is not a failure of my diet; It is part of the plan
  • Vex3521
    Vex3521 Posts: 385 Member
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    I do this. So to break my cycle (still working on letting things go and forgiving myself) I just started logging. I miss a day or 2 here or there and it's not destroying me. I'm not going over calories those days, I just do not having the extra few minutes in my schedule to sit down and get it all posted in here. I do keep watch of what I'm eating and honestly I know that I'm doing a good job.

    11/30 was my 1 month back here, I just started to log in here and post and blog and that helped get me back on track. I wanted to start working out and eating better but my carb detox was a little rough on me so it's better that I did wait it out. Sure I'm disappointed but all I can do is move past that and keep working out. I'm following a 90 day program and it's a little intense so I know that waiting was the right thing otherwise I'm not sure how I would have felt with so many changes at once.

    21 days makes something a habit, so just take the next 21 to start logging.
  • candiceh3
    candiceh3 Posts: 379
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    Some short term goals for December:

    Christmas is only one day, but usually people make it stretch all month. Give yourself three events where you can eat all you want (family, friends, work) and the other 28 days commit to eating healthy with a modest deficit.

    Log your calories no matter what.

    Try some exercise - a power walk of 30 minutes every second day is a nice gentle start. That is only 15 walks in December.

    Take some time to plan how you want to lose your first 10%. Get some recipes together, find the local health store if necessary, learn how to cook a few different low calorie recipes so you don't get bored of the same old stuff all the time.

    So in short - start modest, but address the patterns and habits.

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