How do you keep the motivation with so much to lose?

GamecockFan14

It's so hard. Some days are easier than others, whereas some days are nothing but a struggle. I have over 100lbs to lose... I'm at 13. 13? 120 left. It's SO discouraging. I know it's not a race and it will come off slowly, but 133 lbs to lose is a lot....... I have an entire young woman to shed off of my body, and I dont know how to handle the mental aspect of this sometimes. It's so hard. Some days I'm completely dedicated, and I have the passion, drive and enthusiasm...... other days, are like today.....Any advice?

sexforjaffacakes

Make smaller goals! Aim for 20lb, then another 20, then another. Change your ticker to reflect this. I'm in the same position, but I find I'm a lot more motivated if I just set small goals at a time. It's a long journey but as you meet each mini goal you'll feel a lot better and more motivated!

kayemme

i never focus on the end goal. i just take it 10lbs at a time. also, i just try to move my body as much as possible so i don't have to worry about what i eat so much and with all that moving around, i'm not sitting and eating, i'm burning. so just take it one step at a time, drink a lot of water and move your body more than not.

hth

hstallings13

I know the feeling. When I tend to get bummed I go through the sucess stories part of the forum and see how many people have made amazing changes in their lives. If they can do it, so can it with hard work. I have also started a picture log to be able to see the changes when the scale doesn't want to be my friend. I take measurements too for another back up. It has kept me going so far

frg4bama

baby steps.....one day at a time, and set mini goals with a special treat for yourself (pedicure, spa day, movie, hair highlights, craft classes) whatever excites you and work towards your next "treat" not losing over 100 pounds

GorillaNJ

I totally understand what you are talking about... even now after losing close to 80lbs I look in the mirror and will be discouraged about how much more I have to go... but then I find myself out for a run or hitting the gym extra hard and realizing that this time last year (really not long ago AT ALL) there was no way in hell I could ever be doing this... in one year from today what will I be doing that would be unthinkable of me now?

That is what helps drive me... plus so many very supportive friends on here! They all work so hard and do so well how can I let them down by not doing the same!

SueGeer

It's so hard. Some days are easier than others, whereas some days are nothing but a struggle. I have over 100lbs to lose... I'm at 13. 13? 120 left. It's SO discouraging. I know it's not a race and it will come off slowly, but 133 lbs to lose is a lot....... I have an entire young woman to shed off of my body, and I dont know how to handle the mental aspect of this sometimes. It's so hard. Some days I'm completely dedicated, and I have the passion, drive and enthusiasm...... other days, are like today.....Any advice?

I'm one of those 130lb women you have to lose!! The key is to do it slowly - 2-3lbs a week and watch your scales & weightloss ticker go down. Perhaps try measuring and compare that as well as weight. Add as many people as you can as friends to give you motivation. There are others on here who have lost over 100lbs.....it can be done. Just don't give up......we all have bad days....just jump back on & start again.

Sorry I'm not the best person to give advice as my weightloss goal have only been minimal.....been heavier than I want to be but not too overweight.

Have added you as a friend. Good luck!

Sue x

RhonndaJ

When I began, I had 230lbs to lose and so far I'm down 27lbs.

I agree with you, it looks like a long depressing road when you look at the whole thing, and I tell you, I don't even have a glimpse at the light at the end of the tunnel. So I've set my sights differently.

I look at the journey, not the destination. I set mini goals to work towards. I make certain what I'm eating is food that I love so that I never feel deprived. I'm slowly working in exercise so that it doesn't feel like a chore.

Yeah, it's going to take me a few years to get to my goal, but I plan on having fun on the way. My life is now, not when i get to my goal weight.

Which is not to say that I don't have down days. I do. But I look for silver linings, reminders of the successes I've accomplished, be they weight or how many days or whatever.

SarahJayRigdon

Remind your self what your motivation is. Why did you start to lose weight? I gotta be honost, if your only motivation is looking good, it won't last long. Untill I started caring about my long term health, really caring and really believing it, I could never lose the weight. As silly as it seems I repeat mantras to myself. And I remind myself if out were easy, everyone would do it! Good luck!

Morglem

Set up small goals 10 to 15 pounds. Celebrate every pound you loose (Yay for you its a pound less). Make sure to make time for exercise at least 30 min a day it makes you feel soo good when you are done with exercising its a accomplishment. Make the best choices you can when eating (you will slip from time to time, everyone does). Be kind to yourself. If you take a step back get back to the right direction and keep going. YOU CAN DO IT!!!! DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! Everytime you give up you are giving up on yourself! I gave up sooo many times, nothing worse than letting yourself down. You can do it!!! Believe in yourself. You deserve to be the best you can be!!! Best wishes on your jorney! Morgana

Amy_B

I always remembered my reason for wanting to lose, imagined myself in smaller clothes and being able to be more physically active, and something I still do...I look at others' before and after pictures.

This site might give you some motivation as well... http://makeovr.com/weightmirror/

AdAstra47

For me, the key is mini-goals. Do you do any online gaming? You start off with, like, $5 in Mafia Wars or Farmville, while your friends may already have $5 million. But the game keeps you hooked & playing by offering you little challenges that give you a feeling of accomplishment. Same psychological principles can be applied here.

I have 150 to lose. So I gave myself a realistic timeframe (March 2011 - Christmas 2012) and then did the math to divide up the time & the weight, and created mini-goals for myself. For example, by February 2012 I hope to be halfway there, and by this time next year I hope to be down to my 2001 weight, etc. My current goal I'm working towards is to lose 10% of my starting body weight (30 lbs) by the end of July. I'm on track to hit that one early! But I tried to create new goals every month or so, and I focus on reaching them, rather than looking at the big scary number. It works for me!

fitnessjch

Yep, go with the small goals - it has helped me massively, I am aiming for 10 at a time, as it seems manageable. Then, when you have done that 10, start on the next 10

PhoenixRising17

I agree with everyone who has said to set smaller goals...try not to focus on the BIG picture because I know at times it can seem VERY overwhelming I too have about 175lbs to lose after already losing 25 and sometimes I am just like ugggh really?! but you just have to keep pushing forward and think about the progress you have, and will continue to make if you just stick with it...to me 25lbs compared to what I have to lose doesn't seem like much but at least its 25lbs I dont have to worry about anymore try and stay positive and take things one day at a time...some days are harder than others but you have to take the good with the bad and always say "I will try again tomorrow" try to not let one day or even one week mess up your progress thus far you have a great support system here we wont let you fail! Keep up the great work!!!

lil_pulp

In addition to focusing on smaller goals (e.g., losing 10 pounds--and then getting some sort of non-food reward), focus on non-weight related "lifestyle" goals. Each week (or month) choose ONE thing you want to work on. For example, this week/month you could focus on getting in 8 glasses of water a day (or start with 4 if you aren't used to drinking water and then increase from there). Other goals include getting in a certain number of veggies and/or fruit, working out for a certain amount of time per day, spending less time staring at screens, eating one new healthy food each day, etc. My husband and I both found that paying attention to healthy habits in addition to just weight loss was beneficial for us--and we were able to feel successful even when the scale didn't move. Also, as others have said, measure! My biggest regret is that I didn't have pre-loss measurements or many "before" photos. Good luck!

silvershe

Recently i read that the weight goes on slowly, same as it is for coming off. I took 10 years to gain this weight and will take years to get back to my normal weight. It is a life long change in your habits. But have faith in yourself and know that everyone will have bad days, just pick yourself up and carry on the journey.

Shishkeberry

What helps me is realizing that the time will pass no matter what I do. I'd rather spend it getting smaller and healthier (even if I go slowly) than spend it possibly getting even bigger.

Amy_B

I think this was said, but along with your 10 pound goals, give yourself non-food related treats every time you lose 10 pounds (or pass into a new "decade"). For instance, get a pedicure, buy yourself new shoes, go on a mini-vacation, etc. You will look forward to rewards, so you'll try extra hard to lose that weight.

melsinct

i never focus on the end goal. i just take it 10lbs at a time.

YES! I find it easier to focus on 10 pound goals, as that's when you get to see significant numbers change. I was thrilled going from the 170s to the 160s, 160s to the 150s, and now I wait anxiously for the 140s! Focusing on a narrow goal like that keeps your motivation up and I am always looking forward to that middle number on the scale changing. Otherwise, thinking of the total number I needed to lose was just too overwhelming.

Don't discredit the big loss you have already accomplished, you are doing great. Also, a secondary motivating factor is when your clothes keep getting looser and looser. It feels like a big victory when you have to change pant sizes! Non-food treats are always good as others have mentioned. I haven't had any yet but after I lose this last 10 pounds I am buying a pair of designer jeans that will make my rear end look fantastic. :laugh:

KnottyJen

I agree with everything that's been said. When I started in April, I was staring at 150 lbs to lose. And that still leaves me obese. But it's my first major goal that I've set for myself. And I break it down into minis. Ideally, I'd like to lose 10lbs per month. I have specific dates with specific weights that I want to achieve. Believe me, I understand. In the past, when I've thought about weightloss, I always felt like I had this enormous mountain to climb. And being over 350lbs, climbing a mountain doesn't sound like any kind of fun. But then I decided to do this and I have just been taking it one day, one week, one month at a time. I think about my reasons for deciding to climb this mountain. And I just HAVE to stick with it.

And recently, something I've started doing that has been a phenomenal motivation is to join a team challenge (or two or three! ). Everyone on your team is striving for the same goal. And I feel like my teams depend on me to really do my best. Not only has it motivated me to work out on the days where I really felt like taking a day off, but it's motivated me to work even HARDER! You can surprise yourself when you see what you can actually do. When I started working out, I was going for 15 minute walks around the block. Then I started doing workout videos in the house. And those were 20-40 minutes. And then I finally decided it was time to hit the gym. I initially did 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the bike and then I was done. Now, I'm up to at least 40 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the bike, 15 minutes of weight training, and if I get there early enough - at least an hour in the pool. And it's all because I want to support my team. I want us to be the best that we can be.

And the last thing for me has been all of the support that I've gotten. I share my weightlosses with my friends on Facebook and I have been so blown away by the support from people that I never expected to receive it from. And not only that, but the friends that I've made on MFP. We're all in this together and we all want to see one another succeed. If you're looking for a cheerleader, feel free to friend me. I would be happy to cheer you on!

openskybeach

Small goals, like most have said. You guys feel free to friend me. Could use some friends in the same boat :)

kapeluza

Someone just posted this video in another thread (which I am currently trying to find so I can thank her for posting it). VERY inspirational!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU&feature=related

Also, every time I want to give up I remind myself " A year from now you will wish you had started today". That is my new motto!!!

frg4bama

BTW this question inspired me to set up my own goals...thanks

frostiegurl

It's so hard. Some days are easier than others, whereas some days are nothing but a struggle. I have over 100lbs to lose... I'm at 13. 13? 120 left. It's SO discouraging. I know it's not a race and it will come off slowly, but 133 lbs to lose is a lot....... I have an entire young woman to shed off of my body, and I dont know how to handle the mental aspect of this sometimes. It's so hard. Some days I'm completely dedicated, and I have the passion, drive and enthusiasm...... other days, are like today.....Any advice?

I'm probably not going to add anything that hasn't been mentioned before. So, I'll just reiterate what has been said. Set small goals initially and give yourself a reward for reaching those goals. The rewards don't have to be expensive or even cost you anything. Examples might be to give yourself a mani/pedi at home, take a day to pamper yourself at home, get together with friends and have a makeover party, go to a few of your local thrift stores/consignment shops and pick up some pretty new (to you) clothes in smaller sizes (even if they don't quite fit yet) as incentive to continue on your path.

When I first started in December, I wasn't sure what my goal weight was going to be so I started out with an initial goal weight that didn't seem so daunting. As I got closer to that goal I would add another 5-10 lbs to the goal and worked my way down from there. Initially started out wanting to lose at least 75lbs and currently I'm down nearly100 lbs and still going strong.

Ideally, the motivation to continue will come from within and from your own desire to be the best you can be.

Jasmine_Moonstone

It is a very hard road to go on. I myself have lost 32lbs, but it has taken me since January to loss that much. I still have 50lbs left to go. I set small goals for myself & award myself here & there with small things. I went to the thrift store with my mom Saturday & bought myself 2 new shirts b/c most of my nicer shirts are to big & starting to look rediculous on me, so I needed a couple of nice shirts to wear when I go off.

I also look at the small picture. As long as the scale keeps moving down, I am happy. I also took a break for a short while. I also allow myself to have small treats along the way if I am really craving it. If I have a bad day, I just move on to the next day. If I get discouraged & want to give up I look back at where I was when I started & think about how much better I feel now & how much better I will continue to feel the more I loose.

RainyDayKelli

I know it's a lot to lose (I'm in the same boat). But think about how much 13 lbs is! Go to the grocery store and just pick up a 10lb bag of sugar or flour. Really hold it in your arms and think to yourself how awesome it is that you don't have to carry that around 24 hours a day anymore. I love doing things like that. I've lost 13 lbs now myself, with about 130 left to go. I use things like that as a good example.

goofynat

It's so hard. Some days are easier than others, whereas some days are nothing but a struggle. I have over 100lbs to lose... I'm at 13. 13? 120 left. It's SO discouraging. I know it's not a race and it will come off slowly, but 133 lbs to lose is a lot....... I have an entire young woman to shed off of my body, and I dont know how to handle the mental aspect of this sometimes. It's so hard. Some days I'm completely dedicated, and I have the passion, drive and enthusiasm...... other days, are like today.....Any advice?

I'm right here with ya. It is both encouraging and daunting to see so many sucess stories on here and wondering if you too could be that storey someday. I have to remind myself each day that I matter, that this is for me, and life is for the living....to get moving...even parking in the furthest away spot at the supermarket and walking the store inside 3 times on the outer aisles is more than I did 1 month ago. so celebrate the small victories as they matter. I kind of make my trips to the boxed stores as a mini work-out and walk with my full cart of food...3+ times around...that way noone knows what you are doing, you have the weight of the food, and it's kinda fun as you can still look at stuff...doesnt feel like excersizing...
cheers ~ Nat

goofynat

I know it's a lot to lose (I'm in the same boat). But think about how much 13 lbs is! Go to the grocery store and just pick up a 10lb bag of sugar or flour. Really hold it in your arms and think to yourself how awesome it is that you don't have to carry that around 24 hours a day anymore. I love doing things like that. I've lost 13 lbs now myself, with about 130 left to go. I use things like that as a good example.

I am so gonna do this...what a moral booster.
cheers ~ Nat

goofynat

Yep, go with the small goals - it has helped me massively, I am aiming for 10 at a time, as it seems manageable. Then, when you have done that 10, start on the next 10

smart way to do it. I have been concentrating on the end goal...baby steps seems more rewarding. thanks for the tip.
cheers ~ Nat

jmruef

I know it's a lot to lose (I'm in the same boat). But think about how much 13 lbs is! Go to the grocery store and just pick up a 10lb bag of sugar or flour. Really hold it in your arms and think to yourself how awesome it is that you don't have to carry that around 24 hours a day anymore. I love doing things like that. I've lost 13 lbs now myself, with about 130 left to go. I use things like that as a good example.

I am so gonna do this...what a moral booster.
cheers ~ Nat

No kidding! Every time I think I haven't lost a lot of weight I think of what my weight loss looks like in "real life" terms. I've lost 21 pounds - that's as much as my nephew weighs and really - after hauling him around for a while last weekend, I was glad to give someone else a chance! I also think of my weight loss in terms of packages of butter. 4 sticks = 1 pound....do the math. [Hm, I'm starting to see why I don't add butter to my food very often anymore! :laugh: ]

Gary6030

I've lost an entire adult man at 180lbs in 17 months. This might seem cliche but the old saying goes, "Do you know how to eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time". Changing your life is just like that. One day, one step, one choice every day. Some of the little things I started doing was not walking by things on the floor. I always stoop down to pick up anything on the floor instead of thinking my wife would get it when she vacuumed. Another helpful hint is always take stairs, never yell for the kids instead go to them and talk to them, always park farther than you need to for extra steps. Little things like these, have proven in my life to help me overcome the enormous goal of 237lbs I'm wanting to lose. I've got 58lbs to go. Honestly its still hard to believe and at the same time I can't believe its been that long. Hang in there you can do it! One step, One bend, One Change, One Pound at a time!