support for those who might be discouraged.

DeeDeeLHF

Hi everyone,

Well it is February! At this point we have made it past the holidays and are well into our New Years resolutions but what if you are not seeing the results you expected? That is tough! How many of us start out saying..."OK, it is Januaury ...if I am really good and eat well and excercise I should lose X pounds by St. Valentine's day (or the Summer or whatever) and can go out to celebrate!" or something like that. We pull out the mental calculater and set up an expectation, but what if that doesn't happen? I am totally guilty of this! Stepping on the scale each morning hoping today the miracle will happen! :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously though, what if you didn't lose 5 pounds the first week like you excpected so are already "behind" or worse what if for the past 4 weeks you have been trying but have seen very little change.

Some of you will quit but some of you will dig in your heals and keep going!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Let's start a list of what has helped you to keep going even when it is hard!!!:smokin:

Some ideas that help me:

I try to set up realistic goals. I am not a fast loser but if I keep doing the right things I know it will happen.:blushing:

Be sure you are eating enough good foods. A "diet" of low calorie but low nutrition foods will only leave you feeling depressed. You may see that "under goal" sign each day but if you are eating crap (white's, fake sugars, processed meals, etc) you won't feel well and your body DOES know the difference between a healthy calorie and garbage calories.:sick:

Mix up your excercise. Don't do the same thing everyday. First of all I get bored with it; second, it gets too easy; and third you are excercising the same muscles each time.

Self talk!!! What are you telling yourself.

Here are some ideas from Denise Austin: Next time you're heading to the gym or deciding whether or not to go for a jog, take note of any negative messages you send yourself and replace them with a positive spin! Here are some ways you can change negative thinking:
Instead of thinking "This won't work," think "I can make this work!"
Instead of "It's a waste of time," think "It will be worth the extra effort!"
Instead of "It's not going to make a difference," think "I'll never know unless I try!"
Instead of "It hasn't worked before," think "I'll try again!"
Instead of "I've already tried that," think "I can learn from my mistakes!"
Instead of "I don't like that exercise" or "It sounds too difficult," think "I'm excited to try some new things!"
Instead of "That was painful! Never again," think "Wow, I just got through some hard work, and next time it will be easier!"


I try to pick rewards that have nothing to do with food. A haircut, a home pedicure, a good book, some free time alone, etc.:smooched: yea me!


What ideas can you contribute to this list to help those who are either not losing "fast enough" or have stalled??:drinker:

DD

will4change

That was SUPER thank you!!!

aleefula

thanks so much for that!!! really motivational and i shall aply it!!! keep the faith girls and boys!!:happy: :happy: :happy:

jyt2573

Holy cats, this could not have come at a better time!

No mattter how much I tell myself that the scale matters so much less than feeling healthy, energetic, etc, I know I am a big liar when the scale stalls. Take this week for example. I have been steadily losing 1.5-2.5 pounds a week for the last 3 months. I swap out my exercise routines every 6 weeks or so, follow a healthy diet with plenty of natural calories and this has worked incredibly well for me. Suddenly, when I step on the scale last Friday, it says I lost 0.2 pounds!! 0.2??? How does one lose 0.2 pounds after a week of exercising diligently and coming in slightly under her calorie goals every day for an entire week?? I re-weighed on Saturday, because obviously, that was a bad reading...and the scale said I had gained 0.7 pounds! Putting things like retaining water and TOM aside, the scale is a complete mystery to me right now.

SO, like DeeDee says...

I take a deep breath and continue on.

I will still go to the gym and exercise becuse I like the way I feel afterwards.
I will still eat healthy and maintain my calorie goal because I truly like the food I eat and I love being in control of my calories - and not being controlled by them.
I will dress a little nicer when I go out today to get the sassy feeling of being 'hot stuff.'
...and I will thank DeeDee and everyone else here for the support that just happened to come when I really needed it today.

Jennifer

tigermom79

This is a great thread! Thanks DeDe! You have some super ideas there that I am going to hang on my wall. I think it is very normal for anyone to loose sight of the goal and to let every little set back become the "excuse" to quit. We all are strong in taking the first step to be here, so we are also strong enough to continue on the journey. To me that is what my weight loss is! A Journey to something better. Our minds play the biggest role in how we behave, the decisions we make and the things that we say. If we convince ourselves to be positive (with the little changes you suggest), then we will overcome those setbacks and stalls in our journey. But what is a journey without a few adventures and challenges.

Thanks again for starting this as it is perfect!!!!

Ann

walker3

thank-you deedee . thiscame just right . i will continus on with realistic goals !

DeeDeeLHF

Happy you like it. I was writing to myself as much as anyone else!!! I need lots of encouragement because I am the excuse queen!

2kidzlater

Since I restarted on January 4th I am down 6 or 7lbs. So the weight is coming off very slow but steady. I am addicted to the scale. I weigh myself daily (I know it's not a good thing to do but I do it anyway). I try to use the scale as my motivater whether I lose or gain. The thing that helps me is invisioning myself the way I want to be. I want to be thinner so I can by cute clothes, not listen to my mother in law talk about how fat woman are today (knowing she's directing it at me). I want to be healthier for my children and I already see the effect exercising has on my children. They see it as something that you just do. I am also more energized and in a better mood. To all you woman out there whoever gave birth you know that nothing compares to the pain of giving birth....so when I'm working out hard and I don't think I can't take anymore...... I remember that I've giving birth and that I can handle the pain.
So good luck everyone hope your reach your goals!

tigermom79

Since I restarted on January 4th I am down 6 or 7lbs. So the weight is coming off very slow but steady. I am addicted to the scale. I weigh myself daily (I know it's not a good thing to do but I do it anyway). I try to use the scale as my motivater whether I lose or gain. The thing that helps me is invisioning myself the way I want to be. I want to be thinner so I can by cute clothes, not listen to my mother in law talk about how fat woman are today (knowing she's directing it at me). I want to be healthier for my children and I already see the effect exercising has on my children. They see it as something that you just do. I am also more energized and in a better mood. To all you woman out there whoever gave birth you know that nothing compares to the pain of giving birth....so when I'm working out hard and I don't think I can't take anymore...... I remember that I've giving birth and that I can handle the pain.
So good luck everyone hope your reach your goals!

Excellent!!!! Welcome!!! Slow and steady is the safer and smarter way to loose. I am convincing myself of that! I too am addicted to the scale. I HAVE to weigh myself each morning. Even though I realize first thing in the morning is not the most accurate, I still do and like you say, it is a gauge. That is super that you are teaching your kids to excercise. I also agree that I have so much more energy now that I have an excercise routine. I feel deprived if I can't do it! I love your comparison on giving birth and working out! That is great!!!

Best of luck on your journey and see ya around!
Ann

thisislizz

Thanks DeeDee!! I'm totally bumming, I lost 2.8 lbs my first week, .2 the second, and nothing this week. I'm trying to remind myself that it's not just the scale that counts - I'm doing this to get healthier!! Good luck to everyone and sticking to your new years' resolutions :happy:

tigermom79

Thanks DeeDee!! I'm totally bumming, I lost 2.8 lbs my first week, .2 the second, and nothing this week. I'm trying to remind myself that it's not just the scale that counts - I'm doing this to get healthier!! Good luck to everyone and sticking to your new years' resolutions :happy:

Try and keep track of your measurements as well. I have found tht sometimes when the scale is not kind the measurements are...