HOW DO YOU DO IT?!

I had help. I had 4 weddings to attend during my weight loss journey and all the showers/bachelorette parties and such along the way.

That said, what worked for me was tiny rewards. I bought myself a day planner and got a sticker for every day that I stuck to my diet. Yes, it's a stupid reward, but it helped me see how often I'd gone off track and gave me some instant gratification. Plus, I like stickers!

Everyone is different, but I recommend finding little things to reward yourself with along the way. Set small goals along the way so that you feel like you're achieving something and, most importantly, try to remember to have fun. No system will help you stick to a diet you hate.

I know you can find something that works for you!

If I didn't lose the weight, I was going to go on meds for high blood pressure and cholesterol for the rest of my life. I knew once I started with the pharmaceuticals, it'd be over.

In 2.5 years I have lost 40lbs down to 170lbs. My BMI is 165lbs. My blood pressure now is 120/78 from 145/100.

I am doing blood work in a few weeks to see my numbers

My motivation? To stay alive.

I think a really important point is to HAVE FUN! It is really easy to stop a new fitness plan if it's miserable. The key for me is food. I LOVE FOOD. So I had to accept that If I want to eat certain foods, I have to put in the exercise. Planning out my whole day's worth of food after my morning workout works the best, because I am in a healthy state of mind. Everyday is not perfect, but as long as I don't beat myself up over missing a workout or going over calories, I get right back on the wagon.

Good point. I joined MFP, made some friends, keep my mind off the numbers and don't have a goal date. It's about changing my lifestyle and fitting into my skinny clothes again, but it's also about not getting on my back about my progress.

Also, support. In addition to MFP, I have a nutritionist that I see every week who helps me with my nutrition and moods.

I handle it in short chunks. I work in IT and sometimes our projects can last months if not years. We take a chunk approach to projects (We only focus on 2 week chunks) so we don't get overwhelmed. I have taken the same approach to my weight loss. I set short two week or so goals and go from there. That keeps me from being overwhelmed by what still remains.

When I started I had 100 lbs. I'm down almost 30 now and I'm getting through it by setting smaller goals. My first goal was to lose 30 lbs. by September 15th and I'm so happy to see myself almost there now! My second goal is 50 lbs.(in total) by Christmas and then I'm halfway there already. I think if you break it down into smaller goals it doesn't seem as daunting. I also plan on rewarding myself when I reach my mini-goals.

Make it fun, make it an adventure. See into the future, look how proud you will be of yourself for going through such an epic journey. And think how much better you will feel about yourself.

Think fun, think future That's how I keep going. I am just excited to see what I will look like with a small stomach, can't wait

Put your game face on, and your war paint on. YOU CAN DO THIS.

The easiest and best advice is to think of this as a LIFESTYLE and nothing else... There is no time limits, no diets.... You just make it part of your everyday life. I started my new life May 2009 and 37 months later and 311 lbs. lost and I am taking it one day at a time. I get up everyday and do everything I can to be as successful as I possible can and when I go to bed each night I have no regrets, then I get up tomorrow and do it all over again..... Best of Luck.....

Mental shift - Something snapped and now I want it more than at any other time.
[/quote


I totally agree. thats exactly what happend for me. i just got sick and tired of being sick and tired. don't look at the big picture. take it in baby steps . say five pound goals . and reward yourself with something other than food. thats what keeps me going and the fact i am 45 pounds down since feb! i have a class Reunion comming up and i will confess, i'd love to turn a few heads and give them the "how do you like me now " look. lol I know , i know it should only be about doing it to be healthy. don't judge me lol

When I first started dieting & had alot to lose my motivation was my grandson being born. I want to be alive & healthy enough to take him to Disneyworld/Land, fishing in Tampa & anywhere he wants to go. I also want to be alive to see him graduate & have kids!
Atkins gave me that extra UMPH I needed by allowing me to see quick results ) so when the numbers on the scale drop, THAT IS MOTIVATION

If I didn't lose the weight, I was going to go on meds for high blood pressure and cholesterol for the rest of my life. I knew once I started with the pharmaceuticals, it'd be over.

In 2.5 years I have lost 40lbs down to 170lbs. My BMI is 165lbs. My blood pressure now is 120/78 from 145/100.

I am doing blood work in a few weeks to see my numbers

My motivation? To stay alive.

This is my story.

By trial.

When I fail one day, it motivates me to to way better. To accept it, learn from it and move on.

The shedding pounds is soooo rewarding and u feel so good about urself, not only cuz ur dropping weight but also because ur learning self control. Which has been the best for because ive learned self-control not only with food, but with my life.

It motivates me to work out a date where I'll be at my goal weight. If I lose 1lb a week, it'll be Jan 1st. If I lose 2lb a week, it'll be Nov 1st or whatever. Time flies so quickly that it can sometimes be a massive motivator that in no time at all, I'll be where I want to be. If it helps, you can split your weight loss into smaller goal dates as well.

how DO *I* do it?

well as I said to the guv'nor

Flat on me back I was....

My sister came to visit!

She made me try on ALL my clothes and took photos of me wearing them - even the ones where the button didn't do up! Then she 'made' me order them from largest to smallest AND organise my clothes for the week. Friday outfits were always a little snug so if I went off the wagon during the week I would have trouble on the Friday... The deal was that I HAD to wear what we'd set aside.

She came for a few weeks but then couldn't manage always. I maintained the regime.

Since then I've started buying clothes from the charity shop - not a lot of money to spend on new!

I am VERY target driven - until it wears off anyway... so:

logging calories is good for me

logging food before I ate it

I had a cheapo HRM that I used for months - again it was all about calories and trying to beat what I'd done before 9 since bought a better one but have no idea what it can do... need to research!)

Set gym days where there was nothing else 'more important' to do.

A few months ago I stopped being so strict with myself, stopped logging, went on holiday... ... ...

Reading all this back again is reminding me about what worked then and there's no reason why I can't make it work again! (I'd still like to lose 25lbs or so!!!) Thanks OP!

Well, this site has been a huge help to me. Logging in here everyday helps keep me motivated since I see everyone else going through the same things.. I also like to look at success stories and pictures as much as possible. Really helps me, especially when I feel like giving up. I also constantly remind myself how very much I want to lose this weight.. If I don't keep trying now, in a year from now I will still be fat and unhappy with myself... That's not what I want.. In a year from now, I want to be at a comfortable weight. Life is too short not to be happy.