Resolve Is Weakening...any tips?

Morethanwillpower12

I'm trying not to be disappointed in losing only 3 pounds. I was really shooting for hitting my first mini goal of 220 today which would have taken a 6 pound loss. I know in reality that 3 pounds is great, but there is still that little voice in my head saying..see I knew I couldn't do it! I have been at this for 10 weeks now and I am feeling my resolve starting to weaken. Have any tips for staying motivated even through disappointments like this?

ellk2

3 pounds is better than no pounds or gaining:) But it is frustrating....there will be days that you will pass your goal and those are great moments...I live for those ones and they get me through. Keep going you can do it!

ImaKnitter67

Keep reading this Motivation and Support forum. Especially the thread by Official Epic titled "ask me anything..." He is a fitness counselor and trainer and such a sensible, great guy. Here's a little gem from him - "If you are not losing, you are eating too much for your activity level." Doi.

Really, we just need to find the point between our BMR and TDEE where we are losing and eat that many calories. That's another one of his gems. Do whatever exercise you enjoy. Ignore anything else that is discouraging you. Be happy. I do like a simple plan.

BTW, following this advice, I recently upped my calories and after a 3-1/2 week plateau, I finally lost a little bit more. I am now going to eat just a little bit more per day (to balance my activity) and I am certain my losses will continue. The major thing to remember is to personalize your fitness plan to YOU. Most of the advice you read is just generic.

Morethanwillpower12

Thank you all!! :happy:

liufunnygrl

I encourage you, at the end of the day give your self credit for what you did do that was good for your and reaching your goal. Don't beat yourself up over the set backs or disappointments. Only focus on the good and know everyday of doing something to reach your goal will get you there. Losing 3lbs is progress and not a dissappointment but a celebration. You are three pounds closer to your goal!

bcattoes

I'm trying not to be disappointed in losing only 3 pounds. I was really shooting for hitting my first mini goal of 220 today which would have taken a 6 pound loss. I know in reality that 3 pounds is great, but there is still that little voice in my head saying..see I knew I couldn't do it! I have been at this for 10 weeks now and I am feeling my resolve starting to weaken. Have any tips for staying motivated even through disappointments like this?

What is the alternative to continuing? Giving up? Disease? More disappointment? That doesn't sound like a good plan to me.

Take that disappointment and kick it to the curb. Resolve to work harder and meet the goal next time. You LOST weight, right? So you did well. Not as well you hoped, but you still did it. You LOST!!! And in this case losing is winning.

Keep doing it. You now know that you CAN, so continue.

amysmith987

I found it helpful to cut out the friends that did not support my goals (the social eaters and fast foodies) and I joined meetup.com and started going to fitness related activities after work...it's been motivating to hit the RSVP button and know that people are going to be waiting for me to hike/walk/run/kayak etc...

missywill1

Great tip---you need support to get through this! It is so easy to say yes to the Happy Hour or the Movie popcorn. Look for those that really can help you in your journey!

jcstanton

Any step forward is a step in the right direction. To give up would be a step backward. Don't give up! Even if the scale isn't moving, you're still doing something good for your body through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Find other ways to measure your success (i.e. regular body measurements, body fat %, lipid levels, etc...) besides the bathroom scale, as that doesn't always reflect the whole story. It's like that song in the movie "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor. Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door." It's all about baby steps.

Qatsi

"Never give up! Never surrender!" - Galaxy Quest

I've found the three biggest hurdles I've faced in the past were not physical but mental. impatience (because we want to see results NOW), frustration (because we're not seeing the results you were hoping for) and boredom (after we've been doing it for a while and we get into a rut). This time was no exception, but I've made a commitment to myself to stick it through, no matter what.

Keep reminding yourself that you're in it for the long haul. While it might take longer than you originally planned, you WILL get there if you stick with it.

Having said that, take a look at what you're doing and see if there's anything you can improve on. (Your diary is closed so I can't look.) Are you exercising regularly? Are there a couple small dietary changes you can make to kick-start the metabolism? I had a mini-plateau over the winter and after reviewing my diary I saw that I was blowing off my daily walks too often, and that I had too many "red" days, calorie-wise. (I still allow the "red" days to happen, but I try harder to have more "green" ones.)