Goal Setting

BabyLeila23

I want to lose a total of 60 lbs. I seem to keep losing my motivation. I'm trying to find something that I absolutely enjoy doing instead of feeling like a chore so it can be a lifestyle change instead of another epic fail. Any ideas on how to make it fun?

Southernb3lle

I would suggest starting out with small goals. That is what I do. If I look at the whole picture I tend to give up. Any kind of activity that you are moving is "exercise". Do things that don't seem to be like a "workout". Swimming for fun or strolling around.

gypsycoyote

Yoga is my most favorite thing to do when I am feeling unmotivated - it is something I love doing anyways! Just yoga alone wont get you the weight loss - well, it might, but it would take years; however, yoga in the morning always works to set me up for a good and productive day And I agree, swimming for fun and walking is a good idea

TeachTheGirl

Remember that it's not a race. I initially kept beating myself up when I wouldn't hit my scale goals, but I'm the only person I need to hold myself accountable to. So I still enjoy foods I love, in moderation, and I find workouts I enjoy to keep me exercising. And I lean on my friends ALL the time for support.

So feel free to lean on us. It's what we're here for.

BabyLeila23

Thanks guys! Has anyone tried insanity? I'm thinking about it....

Puddles0308

Whenever I dont feel like exercising, I usually crank up my radio and dance.
I dont feel like i'm working out but I still burn calories!

soehlerking

Personally I'm a cardio-freak...Insanity sounds great (I plan to do it to "tone up" at the end) but I love the calorie-burn I get from pure cardio. In terms of making it "fun," I like to set goals--teaching myself to run has been a big one. Every time I'm able to make it to a new high (3 miles, 4 miles...nothing too crazy here), I feel like I've accomplished something. But like you said, you need to find what's "fun" for you and accept that it won't be fun every day, but it'll be worth it. If you do the bare minimum of just recording everything you eat, you'll already be on the track toward being healthy!

mwestonp

Like some of the others said, set small goals. A big goal can seem intimidating. I set mini goals at every 5 lbs. which made it seem like when I hit one goal the next one was right around the corner. It's not related to goal setting, but here are some of the other things that really helped me so far:

1.) Drink Water: Drink lots of water. It will re-hydrate you, keep you full, make you feel great and it helps mobilize all that fat you're losing. To make it easier I bought a 32 oz. bottle made by CamelBak and I carry it around nearly everywhere I go.

2.) Eat Often: In the past I would often skip breakfast and sometimes even lunch. Now I eat at least 5 times per day, trying to eat something at least every 3 hours. I find that I am less hungry at each meal and never famished.

3.) Plan Meals: My most important time of the day is the 10-15 minutes in the morning where I make breakfast and get my snacks and lunch ready. I basically get 4/5ths of my meals prepared at once. I never need to run out to get something while at work and my meals are always healthy.

4.) Portion Control: Buy a food scale. I always thought I was eating relatively healthy, but it wasn't until I bought a food scale that I realized my portions had been way too big. Now I know exactly what I'm eating which was a huge help in counting calories on MFP and losing weight.

5.) Exercise: Find an exercise you enjoy and keep doing it...and set exercise-related goals. When I first started out I only did the elliptical machine. In fact, I didn't want to have any excuses for not going to the gym, so I bought one for my house. Over time I was able to do it longer and at a higher intensity. After a while I started lifting weights. I always keep new goals in front of me which has kept me going.

6.) Find Your Motivation: It’s not enough to say you want it. You have to boil it down to the one resounding reason why you can’t go another day without making a change. For me it was my daughter. When I feel like crap and don’t want to work out I just think of her.

I have a bunch of others, but those are the ones that have been most important for me so far. Keep up the good work. 60 lbs. may seem like a lot, but if you focus on the individual steps instead of the entire journey you'll see that it goes fast.

BabyLeila23

Whenever I dont feel like exercising, I usually crank up my radio and dance.
I dont feel like i'm working out but I still burn calories!

Hahahaha....you have no idea, I do this too

yoovie

do it for all the wrong reasons. 5 lbs at a time. and reward yourself with things that will help you get to the next 5 lbs, like workout clothing, trying new exercises, new water bottles, kitchen supplies, etc and naughty naughty naughty lingerie.

BabyLeila23

Thank you so much guys

BabyLeila23

do it for all the wrong reasons. 5 lbs at a time. and reward yourself with things that will help you get to the next 5 lbs, like workout clothing, trying new exercises, new water bottles, kitchen supplies, etc and naughty naughty naughty lingerie.

LOVE your picture

heretocount

just be more active,

take the stairs, park on the fair side of the parking lot, take nice long walks, go to the beach and ride some waves, hike in the mountains on the weekends, maybe dance

sashanicole88

Honestly...I didn't even know where to start when I started. I started with a total of 90-95 pounds to loose - that's a lot haha. I just couldn't look at the numbers, though. All I did was make small changes daily. Fewer calories..some smarter choices. That's all I did. I didn't even work out until about two months ago! Instead of looking at the big picture, look at the smaller picture; what SMALL changes can you make TODAY? You'll be so extremely surprised at how a few small changes add up to a very profound difference over time. I promise you. Don't deprive yourself, don't go on any crash diets, don't look at this as a brief stint to get skinny. Promise yourself that you are going to get healthier. Take time. You will get there, I absolutely promise you. I still have a good 35 pounds left to lose, so I'll be there right beside you!

ReinventingLisa

I like to plan daily and weekly goals to keep me level headed. I have about 60 something more pounds to lose before I am happy. What I do is on Sundays, I weigh myself and figure out what I want to accomplish that week. Example being remember to take my vitamins daily, not eating over x-amount of carbs/sugar, etc. Then, every morning, I plan my eating for the day using MFP and my goal for that day is to stick with it. It's hard to do the first few days but it works for me and helps keep me motivated. Even if that goal is to also lose 2lbs by the Sunday's weigh in, it becomes something I actually look forward to doing. Also, on Wednesday's, I weigh myself to "check in" to make sure the scale is going in the right direction. If not, then I refocus and check out my eating, exercises, etc.

jessrbt

I found Tae Kwon Do and I love it! Been doing it for two years, started to spend more time with my teenage son, quit smoking because I love TKD more than smoking and although I've had to take a year off to let a knee injury heal I am still going for my black belt next year. I only have two one hour classes a week, the other three days I get on my stationary bike at home (therapy for the knee) and I am working to lose weight so I can do things like tornado kicks, and 45 kicks, and jump kicks. I love that I am doing something for me, its fun, I now know how to defend myself and I get to spend time with my boy. If you can find something that makes you so happy that you cant wait to do it then thats gonna be your key to success! Good luck!

BabyLeila23

Sounds great! And Small changes, here I come