How did you stay motivated while trying to lose 100 pnds?

tianormie

Hi there. I have lost 54 pounds with weight-loss surgery and still have 100 more to lose. Boy, oh boy, it is not easy. The surgery part of it was but the food triggers afterwards are a big challenge for me. Whoever said this was taking the easy way out is so wrong! :sad:

My dilemma is as follows: Every time I drive by a McDonald's I hear it calling my name. I'm not physically hungry but I find comfort in eating fast/junk food. Prior to surgery, I made a commitment to myself and want to honor it. I don't want to be obese for the remainder of my life. I WILL NOT be obese for the remainder of my life.

If you lost 100 pnds or more, how did you do it? I mean, how in the world did you avoid fast food or whatever your addiction was? I need some good advice please. How did you stay in control?!

Cherbear67

Sure I struggle and the odd time I do have take out.. I just looked at the big picture on how healthy I would be when I do finally hit maintenance. I feel better, I look better, I breath better, I have more energy,, Keep looking at the big picture and you will eventually get there.. Good luck.

Tatiyanya

Small steps for me.
I set a goal, to be healthy and strong , but thats long term one and i knew from experience that i wont be able t stick to that.
I added small goals.
Every milestone, like loosing 10lbs,eating clean for a week, going for 30+min walk everyday and i frequently awarded myself for it with haircuts, clothes, gadgets NEVER FOOD.
Also educating yourself, readin about how human body works , what nutritieents it needs.
And for example what retarded ammount of calories mcdonalds or other fastfoods stuff into not such a big meals.
I compared healthy/clean food with deep friend fast foods and i'll simply have more stuffed belly for the same money and less calories on healthy whole foods
Removing food triggers from the house helps too (tho now i cook for two and the other one eats all my triggers, doesnt bother me after a year tho )

Gosh I ramble.

Set long term goal:health/fitness. Remember it. THIS is your aim. Dont set time frame.
Set small goals, award yourself for reaching them. This is your tool to reach the big goal.
Give yourself FUN challenges. Enjoy the trip, really.
It was mind opening for me

NZRose7

I normally tell myself straight away, "I don't do that any more". My brain believes it and the urge goes away pretty much instantly. Replacing a bad comforting habit with a good habit is helpful too. So when you drive past McDonalds and feel like you just have to have some, drive to the nearest park and walk briskly or jog around the park. Once your done, you most likely wont crave bad food anymore. To stay motivated I pretty much constantly envision success.

melindanew

I eat the McDonalds. Or BK or whatever else I want, I just hold myself accountable and track everything. Food's not addicting, making things forbidden is silly, it just sets you up to fail. Therapy might help you, though, if you find yourself struggling with emotional eating. If you have 100lbs to lose you can make it fit your macros.



The pound thingy ticked over to 100 today, so I guess I qualify.

Mamoonie

I stayed motivated because I did not miss anything at all!
I still eat whatever I want, whenever I want, but cut down on quantities.
Best example is McDonalds! I used to have a burger with fries and soda, another burger and some chicken nuggets. Now I only have 2 burgers, no fries, no soda and no nuggets. Cuts calories into half.
Same with all the rest of my food. Instead of having a whole chocolate bar, I only eat a few pieces of it. Chocolate is my addiction ;-)

You don't need to avoid everything you like. You only need to avoid having it all, at the same time.

I wouldn't have made it this far with restrictions. I still have a life. I still want to go out, eat at restaurants, have a drink, fast food, dessert, without regrets!!! My weight loss is VERY slow because of this, but is IS going down.

Well, another motivation of mine is my personal trainer. My weight loss has slowed down too because of working out with him, doing lots of muscle and strength training, building up a new body. I lost more inches than lbs, and I look a lot better now that I would without all of this.

tianormie

Thank you everyone!. I really appreciate your feedback and encouragement.

keeponkickin

Hi there. I lost 110 pounds in a year. I think the death of my mom at a young age is part of what helped me. I look at my children and I don't want them to have the heart break I did of losing their mom too soon. I knew I was digging my early grave every time I made poor food choices. Once the pounds started coming off and I was moving through smaller clothing sizes it became easier. Hang in there. Just remind yourself of why you're doing this.

XXXMinnieXXX

The best advice i can give you is to get in to some therapy to help you break that comfort eating habit. I did and i'm soooo nuch better. Not saying it never happens, but it's now rare and i can snap myself out of it a lot quicker. I had one on one counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy!

Zara :-)

amann1976

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

Sweets1954

I don't have 100 lbs to lose but I try to break it down to smaller goals. I break it up in 5 to 10 lb increments and have a "treat" when I meet each one. A non-edible treat at that. A manicure, a new item of clothing, doing something I wouldn't normally do. That way the big goal doesn't seem so incermountible.

mcn79

Congratulations on losing 54 lbs!

If you aren't already doing it, I highly recommend therapy/counseling. I know it isn't for everyone, but working through the issues that taught me to turn to food for comfort from an early age and figuring out the triggers, observing how I felt (before, during, after),etc. all has really helped.

I agree that deprivation is silly, but I do believe that some of us do have food addictions. Maybe not to the food itself, but to the act of eating, the practice of soothing, etc. I am 28 lbs into a 92 lb loss. At the beginning I did eat my favorite foods, in moderation. Now I've changed my diet enough that I don't really want the foods I wanted before.

You'll figure it out!

Calliope610

I eat the McDonalds. Or BK or whatever else I want, I just hold myself accountable and track everything. Food's not addicting, making things forbidden is silly, it just sets you up to fail. Therapy might help you, though, if you find yourself struggling with emotional eating. If you have 100lbs to lose you can make it fit your macros.



The pound thingy ticked over to 100 today, so I guess I qualify.

That may work for some, but not for others. I am diligent about tracking ALL my food. However, I know myself all too well. My downfall is cheese. And yes, you guessed it, cheese is good for a body in moderation. Calcium, protein, lots of good stuff. But, for the time being, I can't do cheese in moderation. So the best thing for me to do is not do cheese at all. For the time being.

madamecj82

Thanks from me, too! *bump!*

leigaia

Giving up McDonalds is EASY. I use to eat it EVERYDAY, maybe twice a day. Give it up for awhile! Everytime you think about it...think of something really gross. After a couple of weeks of not having it you will start having an adversion to it. I still eat breakfast there (oatmeal or Egg Mcmuffin) if I am in a hurry but the smell of their food cooking makes me gag.

legnarevocrednu

Well at first, I just cut out all the junk...went cold turkey. I lost my craving for it. Now that I'm only 15 pounds away from goal, I do tend to fit some goodies within my calories. I suggest maybe going to a support group for people who have had a surgery? I'm sure they all struggle with the same thing, and can offer some good advice. Also, post encouraging quotes in your car (or on the fridge, wherever the cravings hit you the most). That way, if you think you are going to pull in to McDonalds, read the quote, and remind yourself that you deserve to be healthy and live a long, happy life. I have a quote at my desk right now that says "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall." We're not always going to eat perfectly, or get to the gym every week, but it's the not giving up part that counts!! Now that I've lost 105 pounds, I'm very scared about gaining it back, so I'm super careful. But like I said, I count my calories and I work out as much as I can. Just do the best you can, focus on the benefits of eating well and working out, and you WILL get there. Feel free to add me! Good luck with the rest of your journey!

legnarevocrednu

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

Why do you think she cheated? We all struggle with weight loss, sometimes people just need additional "tools" to get them to where they want to be. Very judgmental. This isn't a race against other people, but a game within ONESELF...how can she be cheating when it's her own, PERSONAL struggle?

JimLeonardRN

The hardest part is getting past the demons in your head! the ones that says "ITS OK TO EAT A FEW M&M's, a cheeseburger, chips, fries," or whatever your comfrot food is. Your body is not hungry, its your head! I am finally starting to get a grasp on it myself. But it is an every day battle. And its a matter of working every day to maintain the plan you and your surgeon has laid out for you. Good luck to you and fight the good fight.

TinaTeeTee

The old saying, you are what you eat keeps me motivated! I love soft pretzels and being from south hpilly, well, let's just say it showed. Until I started looking at all the people in line at Philly pretzel factory and realized how they resembled the soft pretzels they were about to buy, full of dough! I haven't had a soft pretzel in a long time.

You're doing great! keep up the good work!

JimLeonardRN

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

And here we go with the ignorance!

amann1976

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

And here we go with the ignorance!

it is far from ignorant; i was on my death bed from weight was cooped up in a hospital for 9 days with tubes and all kinds of other **** coming out of my body but i didnt take the easy way out.

so i want to know why does one need to be motivated when they have had surgery. isnt the hard part done?

Bettyeditor

Hi there. I have lost 54 pounds with weight-loss surgery and still have 100 more to lose. Boy, oh boy, it is not easy. The surgery part of it was but the food triggers afterwards are a big challenge for me. Whoever said this was taking the easy way out is so wrong! :sad:

My dilemma is as follows: Every time I drive by a McDonald's I hear it calling my name. I'm not physically hungry but I find comfort in eating fast/junk food. Prior to surgery, I made a commitment to myself and want to honor it. I don't want to be obese for the remainder of my life. I WILL NOT be obese for the remainder of my life.

If you lost 100 pnds or more, how did you do it? I mean, how in the world did you avoid fast food or whatever your addiction was? I need some good advice please. How did you stay in control?!

I can relate. I used to hear the sweet siren call of greasy gross fast food. And I had 100 pounds to lose too, I've lost more than half so far. I can say with relief and gratitude that I no longer struggle with cravings and I would as soon eat McDonald's as battery acid.

Here is what I have learned:
* My cravings were 99% physical in origin. My body was STARVED for nutrients.
* When I consistently fed my body large doses of good nutrients and adequate calories, 99% of my cravings went away.
* Turns out I was not as out of control as I thought.
* Turns out I was not the emotional eater I thought.

Our body does not have a "voice" -- it speaks to us through cravings. It does not necessarily want us to go to McDonalds. But when our brain gets a chemical/hormone signal for calories and specific nutrients like fats/proteins, it interprets that signal through the framework of what it is accustomed to eating. If it has more associations with McDonalds for protein/calories than it does for a chicken-and-veggie dinner, then MickeyD's will start to look enticing. But you can "reprogram" your cravings by filling yourself up every day with the right amount of protein/carb/fat via whole, healthy, natural foods.

I still get occasional "cravings." But they are gentle (because I respond quickly, so they don't need to escalate to urgent), and I tend to get cravings for more of what I already eat: Another tablespoon of walnuts in my oatmeal.... another half of that protein bar... another half cup of grapes....

So the good news is that cravings are perfectly normal and healthy. It's your body talking to you! And as you upgrade your diet, your cravings will naturally upgrade too. You never have to worry about being tormented by cravings. You will learn to give in to them joyfully and feel good about that extra scoop of walnuts or extra two ounces of salmon. :flowerforyou:

Cloud9Momma

I am super motivated. I don't and can't just not eat ony one food. I have 5 kids and live on a budget. If we are on the road and I have to eat out and I only have McDonald's coupons then McDonalds it is. I just make the best choice I can possibly make . I choose what will be the most filling and also sustain me the longest just like anywhere else. Protein over carbs and I take a couple of my kid's fries if they even got any. I then log it honestly and make adjustments accordingly to stay withi n my calorie range. Some days I choose to eat smaller meals and snack more. This helps on those days when I can't seem to get enough. It will be so worth it. I know I won't miss french fries a year from now but I will really regret it if I eat them and keep eating whatever so that I get no results. I just have to get through today. That is all I can do. I started 3 months ago and I honestly don't remember anything I said no to but I know I have eaten well within my calorie limit and have dropped the weight for my self control. I would love to mark the loss with a treat of sorts that is not food but I just can't do that. Fitting into my smaller clothes has had to be enough and really it is.

peace_pigeon

To quit the drive through habit, I locked my purse in the trunk every time I drove. Worked like a charm!

concordancia

I just get settled in. This is going to take a long time, so I might as well get comfortable!

I commit to doing 30 minutes of exercise a day, but I expect to keep going for 60 once I get started.

I commit to eating within my calorie goals.

I commit to eating lots of veggies and some fruits.

I expect to eat like this for the next forty years. That means I won't be perfect, I just aim to be reasonable.

keeponkickin

but i didnt take the easy way out.

so i want to know why does one need to be motivated when they have had surgery. isnt the hard part done?

I lost 110 pounds WITHOUT surgery but I know many people that have had WLS and by all means it is NOT the easy way out. I think you need to just bugger off this post. The OP needs help and to not have her feelings stomped on.

beetpoet

The biggest, most important part of MyFitnessPal is tracking everything you put in your mouth, be it a burger, a fishwich, or a martini. You see everything you consume and track the effects. Tracking your exercise just makes this more effective. When you see the effects of fast food and how it appears in your daily journal, you will be so motivated to switch to "real" food that is healthy and appropriate for your body.

For me, using an affirmative approach works best. If I say to myself I can't have something, I just want it all the more and it becomes an obsession. Then I have to track what I did! I don't like looking at my food log when I see bad stuff go in my mouth. I can honestly tell you that I now feel a sense of revolt if I even think of most fast food. I still have a soft spot for Taco Bell, but that's about it, and it's not near where I live. I do still have some other high calorie food cravings, which I won't mention because talking about food just makes me crazy. Even these are getting easier to manage.

Rose_bee

For me, the more I try to avoid & deny my cravings, the worse it gets.

I had McDonalds for dinner last night. I had water, half of a small fries, and one basic small cheeseburger with only one bun. I came in at around 300 calories for that meal.

Today there was green frosted chocolate cake and jelly filled doughnuts in the pool. I took a super-thin slice of cake (maybe 1/2 inch wide), and ate two bites before throwing the rest away. I took half of a jelly doughnut, took 2 bites, and then threw the rest away.

sjhalida

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

And here we go with the ignorance!

it is far from ignorant; i was on my death bed from weight was cooped up in a hospital for 9 days with tubes and all kinds of other **** coming out of my body but i didnt take the easy way out.

so i want to know why does one need to be motivated when they have had surgery. isnt the hard part done?

No, the hard part is not done. I have not chosen to take this route but I do have close friends who have. It does seem like the easy way out but it is NOT. There are a lot of physical and mental hardships that come along with having weight loss surgery. One of the hardest I think is that you have not built up the good habits to maintain a new healthy lifestyle. In two cases I have seen friends have large losses due to surgery and then go right back to where they were. People who have weight loss surgery have just as much difficulyt maintaining a new lifestyle as you and I....they have just chosen different tools to help them get there. Bottom line, in my opinion no matter what method we choose to use we all need support.

stanvoodoo

You have to work on your mind that is where the problem lies. You have to want to be healthier more than you want the Mc D's.

Think about something esle or turn up the radio when driving by or keep a protein bar handy to take a quick bite and say to yourself, hey I don't need that crap!! Water is another help, will help you feel fuller!!!

I struggle everyday and I don't win everyday but I never give up and thats the key!!

WLS is only a tool and is NOT the easy way out, make the most of your tool!!!

Keep the faith and stay in the fight!!!

Kat5343

why do you need motivation if you already cheated to win the game?????


my question is not meant to offend

And here we go with the ignorance!

it is far from ignorant; i was on my death bed from weight was cooped up in a hospital for 9 days with tubes and all kinds of other **** coming out of my body but i didnt take the easy way out.

so i want to know why does one need to be motivated when they have had surgery. isnt the hard part done?

I did not opt for weight loss surgery but I know people who have... It is by far the "easy way out". Some have terrible complications and infections and years of trouble afterward. And, just because your stomach has shrunk, the cravings are still there. She came out and said it wasn't the easy way out and asked for advice on her last 100 pounds.. So yes, your reply was ignorant in the fact you did not even read her post thoroughly before you couldn't wait to jump on her for having surgery.

we all need motivation!!! Jeez!!!