120 lbs to lose and feeling overwhelmed

Clovergirl143

Honestly, I try not to think about how much I actually have to lose. I set smaller mini-goals for myself and focus on those. I know that if I keep meeting the smaller goals, I will eventually get to where I want to be for my ultimate goal, so I don't need to freak out about the big goal.

Like my first goal is to lose 15 pounds, though I'm not sure what my reward will be. It is important to not reward yourself with food though, it's counter-productive .

So I would suggest setting mini-goals for yourself and focus on meeting those, it helps me to not freak out about the big goal

I wish you the best of luck, and if you'd like a supportive friend, I have a lot of weight to lose (my first big goal is to lose 100 pounds, then probably another 75-90 pounds after that.) It depends on how I feel once I get down towards that weight level. I'm 6 feet tall so 180 might make me look anorexic, I have no idea (I've never been below 300 pounds in my adult life). My goal is to be healthy, looks are just a perk . Anyway, feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like support on your journey!

jlcrph

When I started, I too had 120 pounds to lose and remember feeling just like you do! As others have said, focus on small goals, 5%, 10%, a certain weight by July 4th, Labor Day, etc. I don't think too far ahead - I just try each week to be as healthy as possible - honestly weigh/track your food, add some physical activity each day - and you WILL see results. Remember how you change your lifestyle to lose weight is a life long commitment so there is no rush - just take it day by day! Good luck. You can do this!!!!

wizbeth1218

I am interested to learn new ways to change my thinking and adopting different habits.

(emphasis added)

That's the key, right there. Change your thinking and adopt new habits.

The first bit of thinking to change is to NOT concentrate on how much weight you have to lose. Instead, focus on what you will do today, right now, to have a healthier life. And then focus on one choice at a time.

When I first started - and still even now - I can't tackle an entire day at one time. 24 hours is a long time! So I focus on one choice at a time.

And then adopt different habits. Take your lunch to work. Walk every day. Switch to just water to drink. Whatever it is, decide that YOU ARE WORTH these healthier habits. Not because you want to lose weight, but because YOU ARE WORTH IT.

If you put an expiration date on your choices ("I will eat right and exercise until I lose 120 pounds, and then I can go back to my old ways") then it's too easy to slip back into old habits long before you ever reach your "goal" weight. Instead, make the LIFESTYLE your goal, and the weight loss is then a happy side effect of your more important goal, which is having a healthy lifestyle.

That's just my $0.02... from someone who has a LOT of experience doing it the wrong way.

cook6609

I will repeat what almost everyone has said... Set mini goals!!! When I started, I had to lose 110 pounds. (240 SW). I just focused on and still focus on 10 pounds at a time. I am currently 186 pounds. I'm just looking to get to 180 pounds currently even though my end goal is 130 pounds. Just focus on little goals. Also, look for NSVs (non scale victories). Look for your clothes to get loose, buy a belt and watch when you move down a belt hole (that was a big visual for me), and think about how you feel health wise. Stay strong :-) Feel free to add me as a friend to help keep you motivated :-)

sassyann45

I am 48 and have lost 62 pounds so far and have at least another 40 to go. It has taken me almost 2 years. I am losing it slowly but I am losing. There have been days that I gets discourage and want to give up however, I keep on keeping on;-) I have dropped from a tight 24 to size misses 18 and almost into a 16.

I made small attainable goals for myself, after reached those I set another small attainable goal. When I started exercising I thought I was going to die. It was hard for me but now exercise is part of my life and actually miss it when I am not able to exercise.

I am looking better and feeling better now and love that feeling and determined to lose the rest of the weight.

You can lose this weight, there is no easy way to lose weight. Eat less exercise more and be completely honest when counting those calories, yes that lick of icing does count. You can add me as a friend if you want.

As I am learning there is a lot of great, knowledgeable and supportive people on myfitness.

Have a great Day!!!

oX_Vanessa_Xo

Set mini goals! thats what I do..Im gonna lose 10 lbs this month...reward yourself for your mini goals.

This!

Dont right away say I have 120 lbs to lose.
I started at 220 and my goals went like this
199
189
167
150

If I right off the bat said my goal is 70 lbs, I would of gotten so discouraged so many times by now.

And if you don't want to start now because it will take so long then you'll never reach your goal
I want to give up, specially after todays weigh in... but I know if I keep going, I'll be where I want to be by this time next year.

lindseygibeault

Main thing to keep in mind is you did not put this weight on over night. Therefore its NOT going to come off over night. Lose it slowly but steadily and the healthy way. Try not to discouraged even though its so hard to do and we ALL do it at some point.

thesupremeforce

I don't really think about it. I just take things a day at a time, try to be better every day, and be satisfied with myself for working toward self-improvement. Don't make it all about a number on a scale.

Philllbis

I ended up losing 110 lbs. As everyone said, set small goal. I focused on losing 10lbs a month but I also focused on fitness goals. As lilRicki said, forget about using "I can't" as an excuse. You can do it, it won't be easy but when you hit a roadblock, like exercising or eating well, you need to find a solution for "I can't".

When I started exercising I thought, this is too hard, I can't do this. The truth is it was hard but I could do it. I just had to make myself do it. It was uncomfortable and I thought about quitting quite a bit but quitting was my past behavior and how could I expect to change when I repeated what I had done in the past.

You'll have days where you want to quit and give up but keeping at it on those types of days is huge. Before you know it, exercising and eating well become a habit.

FabFitFemale

I use Pinterest as motivation. I post healthy eats, fitness motivation, health facts, etc.

zytah

You know what? I LOVE to look at the 'success stories' section of the message boards and look at the people who have lost a WHOLE bunch of weight. Then I think to myself, "Damn, real people did that with no surgeries or weird diets and I can too." It keeps me inspired. I don't set a time frame, I just set those small goals. I still haven't made friends with the exercise thing yet, so that's my next step. There will be days when we say, "screw it" and feel guilty over something. Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP!!! It's going to take time but it will be soooooo worth it!

i love reading the "success stories" here too! it is major motivation for me! just seeng these transformations is truly a wake up call for me regardless if the person lost 5, 10, 50, 100+ lbs. these people look absolutely fantastic and are amazing to be able to change their lifestyle, stick with it and chip away at their goals. if these people can do it than damn it i can better myself and do it too!

these small goals add up. im only losing around 1 lb a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. but when all those little pounds and ounces add up im like "damn! i lost 5 lbs already and lost x inches! all right!!" :drinker:

metacognition

Well, think of it as a day by day thing. I used to feel overwhelmed at the thought of losing 60 pounds when the first 10 was always the most unpleasant and took over 3 months !

But if you make small changes they will start building. This isn't a diet for a day or a month. There's no "on it" or "off it." It is something you get used to that becomes easy and second nature. Eventually you'll be at a goal weight and able to maintain it with minimal work ! So don't worry about the destination for the next few months, even the next year.

If you are eating at a deficit over time and doing some kind of activity, you will eventually get to your goal weight no matter what. If you stall out at a plateau, eat less - or do more intense exercise (and boost your calories to match, if needed).

As long as you don't overeat you will never have to worry about being overweight again. And as long as you work something into your calories you can eat anything - although it's easier to maintain fewer calories if you eat "clean" (lean meat - whole grain - fruit - veg).

TwelveSticks

I wrote a blog post about this subject with some ideas I found useful...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TwelveSticks/view/setting-goals-or-chipping-away-at-it-517800

ayankeefan51

I also have 110 lbs to lose and was overwhelmed a first, until I started focusing on the workouts and my eating habits instead. That gave me less time to think about how much I have to lose. I also measure myself once a month, which helps a lot especially at first when you might not see much of a difference in the mirror or your clothes. I also set mini goals of 8 lbs a month. Anything more than that is gravy. And I take pictures of myself as well to keep me motivated. I've only lost about 30 lbs from my highest weight at 280 and noticed a huge difference in pictures and in my clothes. Pictures, measurements and this site/app keep me motivated daily to stick with it. Also my goal to lose the weight and look amazing next summer at my sister's wedding is a lot of motivation as well. Anyway feel free to add me for support if you want. Good luck in your journey!

Apogree

diannethegeek: That's a really great idea! I'm going to snag it from you.

lesle1

I lost 120 pounds from running. Start slow with walking. You'll get there!

alasin1derland

I put a sign on my fridge, you'll wish you started a year from now, with the date I started. A year has gone by and that sign is still there making me smile. That year was going to go by either way. Before mfp, I would torture myself with restrictions and if I gained weight I would be so discouraged and think what is the point. Because of mfp, I now know, calories in, calories out and that when the scale says I gained weight I know it is anything but fat. I am honest about logging my food and my exercise so I am confident when the scale fluctuates in the wrong direction, I can ride it out and wait for my whoosh of weight loss. The best thing I ever read on here is,unless I ate an extra 3500 calories its not possible for me to have gained a pound of fat. Nevermind the 3-5 I gain once a month. I eat extra salt, the scale goes up. I drink extra water and cut back the sodium, the scale reflects my true weight. So if you are honest with your logging, and you are maintaining a deficit, no matter what the scale says, you can be confident you are moving in the right direction. Drink your water and incorporate exercise of any kind. Don't torture yourself. Eat enough to keep you going. There is a lot of good sensible advice on this site. Remember, you don't have to be at goal to start feeling and looking better. The benefits start long before that. Eat what makes you happy but spend your calories like money. Plan ahead so you have enough food for the whole day. If you want pizza for dinner, then you probably should have salad and chicken breast for lunch. I noticed just by changing to whipped peanut butter, I saved 60 calories on 2 tbsp and that allowed me to enjoy an nice lemon sherbert at the end of the day. The fact that I like beer actually has me eating healthier because if I want volume in my food with low enough calories to leave room for beer, its more likely that I will reach for healthier foods to achieve that. Mix it up and find out what works for you. But most of all Enjoy your changes!

bigtree2

You are off to a great start! MFP and all the great support will help keep you going. I am focusing on the journey, learning new ways to think, eat, and exercise encorporating them in to my life to become my new healthier habits.

luly727

all of the above ^^^ small steps is the way to get it off and then keep it off come here and post often, vent, read whatever you need to do to stay motivated.. Good luck

amatxuof5

You know what? I LOVE to look at the 'success stories' section of the message boards and look at the people who have lost a WHOLE bunch of weight. Then I think to myself, "Damn, real people did that with no surgeries or weird diets and I can too." It keeps me inspired. I don't set a time frame, I just set those small goals. I still haven't made friends with the exercise thing yet, so that's my next step. There will be days when we say, "screw it" and feel guilty over something. Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP!!! It's going to take time but it will be soooooo worth it!

Me too! I love that! I think you also need to remember that if you "fall off the wagon" that you shouldn't give up - just get right back on!!!! Don't be too hard on yourself. I would look at it as one day at a time, one pound at a time. Little by little. Baby steps. Once you get about a month in and start seeing some real change on the scale, you will be self-motivated.

NikiChicken

Eat what makes you happy but spend your calories like money.

This is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever seen.

ShannonMpls

Sorry for the bad pun, but it's apt.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

You can see from my ticker that I've lost 133 pounds. I did that between June 2011 and September 2012 and I've been maintaining since.

When I first set up my ticker, I did not tell it my actual, long-term, "I'll never possibly weigh that amount" weight. Ugh, that would have been depressing. Instead I told it I wanted to be 25 pounds lighter. Because, after all, even that would have been great, right? And it was ATTAINABLE. Once I reached it, I told it I wanted to weigh 40 pounds less than my starting weight. Then 60. Then 75. Then 199 - the elusive "onederland". Then 185. Then I finally gave it my actual goal weigh. Even now, I've adjusted it downwards a bit. I like to work toward mini-goals, because they feel SO great to reach.

My other tips:

- Don't make any changes you're not willing to make for a lifetime. That means you'll be making a whole lot of small, easy changes. That means you can still have ice cream and doughnuts, and don't call them cheats - you have nothing to cheat on. You're getting fit for life, not for a diet.

- Exercise. No matter what it is. Move your body.

- Don't let a bad meal become a bad day. Log it and move forward. Don't think, "screw it, might as well eat a pint of ice cream." Similarly, don't let a bad day become a bad weekend.

- If you have a special occasion that involves food, eat the food. You can only go to so many events and watch other people eating delicious things before you start to wonder if being fat is better than being deprived. Log it, or don't. But move on.

- Make a commitment to log onto MFP every. single. day. I did. I'll hit my 710th day soon. It doesn't mean you need to log your food every day, but it will remind you EVERY SINGLE DAY that you are now a person who is focused on health and fitness. You are not willing to return to old habits; the rewards are simply too great. My morning ritual of logging on keeps me focused.

- Build a support network here. I am madly in love with so many of my MFP friends, it's a travesty we're spread around the world. They are amazing people who inspire me and support me, and allow me to do the same for them. I couldn't/wouldn't have made it without my buddies.

Check out my blog here - oodles of tips and photos there:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ShannonMpls

shannashannabobana

1. I'm going to echo everyone with the advice to take it in small bits and really celebrate. Even 10 pounds makes you feel better and makes you healthier! Don't look at the big number, just take it in manageable chunks.

2. Don't Self Sabotage! I don't know if you have problems with this, but I know I have at times. Don't say oh crap I ate cake yesterday and use that as an excuse to have even more cake! Just say, I enjoyed that yesterday (or possibly it made you sick and sleepy all afternoon in which case remember that), now back to my regular schedule. Don't freak out that it's that you can't make it and backslide. Don't freak out that you're plateauing (if you need to evaluate, that's a different story). Treat weight loss like a science experiment. You are an N of 1. Take what works and what doesn't and reevaluate going forward. Always improving.

3. Slow weight loss is ok. It stays off better. It took me two years to lose 40 pounds but it's relatively easy to maintain.

Wraiythe

Try to set mini goals, 10 to 20 lbs at a time. Also look at it as "This is how far I've COME" not "This is how far I have to GO". If I did that I'd give up. I have 120 lbs to lose as well. And only 14 so far. So I just try to keep my eye on what I've done and not what I still have to do. Good luck on your journey!!

NoeHead

Set mini goals! thats what I do..Im gonna lose 10 lbs this month...reward yourself for your mini goals.

I do the same thing. I just make sure my rewards are nonfood things. I always used to reward myself with food so I personally need to change my mindset. To each their own. I have to loose over 100lbs too so i understand. one step at a time and watching that ticker move everytime you weigh in is a great thing

shannashannabobana

Oh, one more thing I'm shamelessly stealing from another site: Always Dominate Mondays!

dawningr

I agree definitely small goals.

harpere87

I totally agree about the mini goals. I have about 75 lbs to lose - and sometimes that number on the scale just won't move - I made two little jars with marbles - one that said "pounds to lose" and one said "pounds lost" and would move a little marble when i lost a lb, if i gained it i had to put it back in the other jar. its helped. also, when i started working out regularly, i would give myself a dollar for every work out, that way i could be saving money towards new clothes, or a treat when i reached another goal! you can do it! just acknowledging you have the weight to lose is a big step. know you're not alone out there, and you can do it!

salladeve

I'm trying not to think about the total amount that I want to lose, I'm just focusing on eating better and getting in cardo 3/4 times a week. The way I look at it is, this time is going to go by no matter what I do and I have been at this weight for a very long time and not feeling good at all. So I can keep on eating the way I was and not taking care of myself OR I can eat better and take better care of myself. Next year at this time I will have made progress in the right direction, as opposed to staying the way I am or feeling even worse. Whether it is 20lbs or 80lbs, at this time next year it really doesn't matter. What matters is I am starting to take care of myself and feel better already. The pounds will follow however they will, not my top priority, feeling better is my priority.

That being said, try not to focus on the total, focus on taking care of yourself. When you start feeling better that will give you the motivation to go on.

Edited to add:
quote @ShannonMpls "When I first set up my ticker, I did not tell it my actual, long-term, "I'll never possibly weigh that amount" weight. Ugh, that would have been depressing. Instead I told it I wanted to be 25 pounds lighter. Because, after all, even that would have been great, right? And it was ATTAINABLE. Once I reached it, I told it I wanted to weigh 40 pounds less than my starting weight. Then 60. Then 75. Then 199 - the elusive "onederland". Then 185. Then I finally gave it my actual goal weigh. Even now, I've adjusted it downwards a bit. I like to work toward mini-goals, because they feel SO great to reach. "

this is such a great idea, I think I am going to adjust my ticker to my shorter goals. THANKS for the idea :drinker:
Good luck

angelique_redhead

I had 118.8 pounds to lose. I'm down 47.8 pounds so have 71 more pounds to lose. I'm aiming for 10 pounds at a time. Good luck!