Halfway there.. Need motivation to keep going!

Brittany_Ann

I'm slightly past the halfway mark on my goal to lose 100 (plus 3) pounds. It's been amazing to me that I have been able to come so far, but now my progress is slowing down dramatically to the point where if I lose 1 pound a week, I'm lucky. It's frustrating. But I don't-- No, I won't go back to being unhealthy and fat(ter).

So, question is... Those who have reached their goal or near to it, what kept you going when the journey got tough? And how how how do you stop beating yourself up for little slip ups or stop comparing yourself to others?

Where are the fitness and weight loss pros?! I need you!

beaches61

A pound a week is a great loss. It may not have been what you lost when you first started, but that's really good. I never really lost more than a pound a week except maybe my first week.

I had less to lose, but still my progress really started to slow down once I got within my normal BMI and within 10 pounds of my goal and half a pound was a good loss for a week. I actually took a bit of a break during the summer due to vacations and such and am getting back on track now.

If you really want it, you'll do it, it's as simple as that. Some people take a break here and then or maintain for a while and then get going again.

One thing I do is look at pictures of myself before I lost the weight and think about how unhappy I was. That's motivation.

I don't want to go back to where I was either.

captmiddy

Honestly I started out with a goal to lose 30 lbs, then I changed it to 50lbs, then it was 60lbs by vacation, then ....

For me the motivation was in reaching the next horizon and then setting out a new target. Plateaus happen, and they aren't fun and they can be demotivating but remember that it is about forming a better you. The amount you weigh isn't the indicator, it is the healthier lifestyle, the increased activity and the fact that you likely feel better. 4 years ago I did a hike with some friends, it took me forever, I had to pause about 40 times to complete the hike, last year I did the hike again with the same friends, and it was straight through to the back minus one detour where I tried to fall down the side of the hill while posing for a picture . (Style points definitely do not count). Find something that you couldn't do when you were at your highest weight, like ride certain rides at a park, or climb a certain hill or walk a complete trail and make that a target, the weight will follow as long as you continue down the same pattern of improved eating habits and increased activity.

The biggest downer was that my exercise didn't count as much . At 300lbs walking 5 miles killed a lot more calories than it does at 175lbs. So now I have to walk a little faster and a little farther to get bonus calories for the end of the day snack.