How do you believe you can do it?

sarahcuddle

I have struggled with my weight for about 20 years and although I have been up and down I have never got back to a 'normal ' healthy weight in all that time. My question is to all you successful people out there is

How do you really believe in yourself enough?
Maybe my problem is one of low self esteem?
I really want to be successful this time but I'm not sure that I actually believe I can do it.
I have many things in my favour including:
Being a good and creative cook so I can make healthy food
Having a degree in Biochemistry!!! so I should know what I should be eating
The motivation of wanting to be healthy for my kids who are still quite young

Elizabeth_C34

Just take it one day at a time. Hit your calorie goal and exercise goals for the day. Do it again the next day. Forgive yourself when you screw up on day 3 (or day 10 or whatever), and just keep going. Don't look at it as dropping 60 lbs. Look at it as, "I'm going to do better today."

One day, you'll wake up and realize that you just did it.

MsNewBooty83

i just know that i need to or i will never get anywhere. as long as you keep going, no matter what happens or if you have set backs you gotta get back on that horse. no one can do it but you and its ultimatly always your choice how you want to live your life. dont feel powerless youre in control ALWAYS!

taso42

Belief is EVERYTHING. Do a little background reading, grok the basics. That's the easy part. DECIDE you want to change, and do it. My self esteem isn't the greatest either, but the moment I decided to set my plan in motion, I had already succeeded.

myfitnessnmhoy

For me, after a 30+ year journey, I'm finally reaching the end with more confidence than I've ever had, and it's all because this site has really showed me that you can do weight loss through actual applied mathematics rather than voodoo, ridiculously hard work, and sacrifice - followed by returning to old habits and the resulting return to old weight.

I'm learning (slowly) to CONTROL my weight, with simple addition and subtraction.

(Calories In - Calories Burned) * 3,500 = Weight Change in Pounds.

The part I'm learning is how many calories I'm burning, how my eating habits and exercise affect that burn rate, and how many calories I'm taking in, and what proportions of those calories taken in are allowing me to eat specific quantities of them without resorting to feeling hungry all the time.

Honestly, I'm less hungry now than when I was GAINING weight eating crap.

I don't think I'll ever master it all completely, but I think I've got enough of a handle on it now to reach my goal weight and do some of the things I haven't considered in years. Riding 100 miles on my bike in a day. Climbing larger mountains. Running a 5K and maybe even a 10K. I don't have to be perfect to do any of those things. I just have to get "good enough".

Ritzbrit

I agree with the above. Just take it one day at a time. I too have always gone up and down with my weight. This time it's going to be different because I want it to be. I have also started taking pictures so I can see the changes (very motivating) and counting calories keeps me accountable. I've also set rewards for myself when I get to certain goals, like a pedicure or tattoo. I don't beat myself up for screwing up, I just get back on the horse. And I can still have all the food I like, just in moderation which is different from any other kind of diet I've done before. But I consider this a lifestyle change. Good luck to you!! You can do it!

BlueInkDot

Getting from unhealthy to healthy is 15 percent exercise, 15 percent diet, and 70 percent mindset. Changing my mindset is the number one contributor to my success thus far and I am completely set in the determination that I will succeed.

If you would like to friend me or send me a message, I can try to describe to you what I did to make this change. I'm convinced that it was entirely essential to my success thus far and will make my future success possible. It's it, however, a very deliberate change that needs to happen in order for this to work - but it is definitely possible. Once you're aware of the mindset change that needs to take place, then you can start addressing it in your everyday life.

Anyways I don't want to ramble, send me a message or friend request if you'd like to talk more.

Best of luck - Mary

d0gma

I KNOW that it will happen. I am eating less and working out, there's no other possible result.*







*If you know another result, please don't tell me.

jg627

I didn't get fat until I started getting older. Along with the weight came the health problems, particularly those that affect the posterior region. If Oderus Urungus can fix his colon through diet and exercise, so can I. Oderus is my inspiration. He's also an excellent role model for kids and he was an interplanetary news consultant for FoxNews for a time.

nwg74

Work to smaller more achievable goals. As each one is achieved, the bigger goal is closer each time.

beachlover718

Forgiving myself when i go a little crazy (too many oreos!) And then getting right back on track is important for me. The "old me" would eat too much of something and say "oh well i screwed up for the day, might as well just give up and start again tomorrow" not a good attitude lol. And remember slow and steady wins the race!

BaconMD

Belief is EVERYTHING. Do a little background reading, grok the basics. That's the easy part. DECIDE you want to change, and do it. My self esteem isn't the greatest either, but the moment I decided to set my plan in motion, I had already succeeded.

This sums it up exactly.

The important thing is to start. Just do it. The longer you wait, the more you'll wish you hadn't. I myself put it off for far too long, but at the end of this, it'll make for a more impressive story, I suppose.

When I first started, I could only do ten minutes of working out. Walking up one set of stairs to go to the bathroom was exhausting. I was out of breath - seriously, really out of breath - by the time I got to the top. I'm well on my way now, but I got here by celebrating every little achievement (not with a physical reward, just telling someone who supported me, and using it to help strengthen my belief in myself). Set small goals - some of my first were to increase my exercise duration, five minutes at a time when I felt ready. I went from 10 to 15 to 20, and now I could workout for as long as I probably want to. On top of that, only set out to do what you know you can keep up with forever. For me, that means working out every-other-day or so. And finally, trust the math. Unless your metabolism is damaged, eating between your estimated BMR and TDEE is going to work. If the scale fluctuates from week to week, don't lose your head - bodies do that. If you're being honest and not over-eating, just trust in the process.

Good luck. I know you can do it, because I can.

Elizabeth_C34

Forgiving myself when i go a little crazy (too many oreos!) And then getting right back on track is important for me. The "old me" would eat too much of something and say "oh well i screwed up for the day, might as well just give up and start again tomorrow" not a good attitude lol. And remember slow and steady wins the race!

My grandma said something to me before she died that I will always remember. She asked me if I tripped over a rock if I pick it up and smash myself in the face with it?

Smart lady she was....

sarahcuddle

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Its really encouraging and I will take what everyone has said on board

shanolap

I believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. I believe in one day at a time, one step at a time, one workout at a time. I also plan my meals in advance for the week. Nothing is off limits and I really enjoy wine.

I keep a calender where I log my workouts, I find it very motivational.

BTW, I applaud you for also listing your positives!

shanolap

Forgiving myself when i go a little crazy (too many oreos!) And then getting right back on track is important for me. The "old me" would eat too much of something and say "oh well i screwed up for the day, might as well just give up and start again tomorrow" not a good attitude lol. And remember slow and steady wins the race!

My grandma said something to me before she died that I will always remember. She asked me if I tripped over a rock if I pick it up and smash myself in the face with it?

Smart lady she was....

Very smart lady!

I have a note on my bulletin board that says "Setbacks are like getting a flat tire - you fix it and move on, you don't poke holes in the rest of your tires. You are not Perfect!"

trejon

CHANGE YOUR STORY! All I am reading is what you cannot do instead of positive affirmations of what you are going to do.

1. Baby steps - you did not gain it all in one day and you will not lose it all in one day.
2. Whatever you feed grows - you are feeding the negative and thus this is what you are growing a negative story.
3. Make yourself a GOAL and create a strategy by which you will complete this goal and this goal ONLY. After that, make another...
4. Fear, Anger and Frustrations are HABITS that you have created for yourself. Get rid of those bad habits and get you some new ones that are going to get you where you want to go instead of staying stuck where you are.
5. I lost 35 pounds and got to my goal weight - since then I have put 38 back on. I have owned up to my part in gaining the weight back. Instead of being stuck in my FAT story, I am going to start a new one. I fell off the horse but the horse did not fall on me nor am I not dead, so I get the opportunity to ride again. SADDLE UP YOUNG MAN AND LET’S RIDE.

SPNLuver83

Exercise is like the cure. You should know that exercising releases all those feel-good chemicals. Work out intensely and you will get a high like no other!

celebrity328

I take my life one day at a time, sometimes I have to talk myself down from eating something I know that will make me sick but I stopped using the word "can't".

I never realized until I started this little journey how I used excuses to do things that I knew I wasnt suppose to (like going and getting ice cream lol) The words cant, to hard, I dont want to, im sick of this, and anything negative are not allowed anymore. I didnt get fat over night etc and its going to take probably a long time to change my thinking but I have to take it one day at a time.