What would you tell yourself in the beginning?

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Replies

  • jesslaur75
    jesslaur75 Posts: 75 Member
    That the free day really does make a huge difference getting through the rest of the days. Those first 20 minutes of exercise might be brutal, but once you get past them it feels fantastic! This really is a lifestyle change and fad diets do NOT work. It is okay to fall off the wagon, as long as you realize tomorrow is another day.
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    You can do this.

    I doubted myself at first that I really could do this. I told myself I'd start running and exercising every day, but I never really believed I could.

    I had an epiphany one day when I was running and I was listening to a song. The lyrics go,"Never better than now, There will never be a better time than now."
    And it is so true. It doesn't matter if you have failed in the past or how many times you've tried to do this, there is never a better time than the present to change those things and try to right what you've done wrong.
  • corpus_validum
    corpus_validum Posts: 292 Member
    Stop reading MFP boards. LOL.

    There's some good advice sprinkled within tons of nonsense, noise and varying topics that may distract you from the basic MFP approach that works, which is watch what you eat (i.e. consume less) and move more. Yes, it is that simple. No need to over-complicate it.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
    Don't give up.

    Drink water. It's your friend.

    You didn't get this way in a day, you wont lose it in a day.

    Ask questions.

    Trust your body, you know it better than anyone else.

    Save gas, burn calories.
  • embracingmycurves
    embracingmycurves Posts: 59 Member
    I would tell myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Do not give up on yourself.
  • honey_bee_keysha
    honey_bee_keysha Posts: 773 Member
    Don't drink your calories.
  • Crissena
    Crissena Posts: 13 Member
    I told myself it was a journey of learning how to eat and breaking addictions. I knew that everything else had failed and that this was it, I had to make it work for me and my family!! With much prayer and being addicted to MFP :) I am 2.5 pounds away from my goal!! It feels so great to not count on a diet plan or pill to lose weight, I know I am in control!!!

    url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker]11972893.png[/url]
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • spikefoot
    spikefoot Posts: 419
    Don't over complicate, stick to the basics.
  • Jolene8992
    Jolene8992 Posts: 127 Member
    There is no magic pill. Either lose the weight, or your gonna die!
  • Sheckypie
    Sheckypie Posts: 56
    If today you could go back and tell yourself something in the beginning of your weight loss journey or lifestyle change...what would it be?
    To not do this or that? To do something specific? To remember something?

    I would tell myself when I first started to want to get healthy over a year ago:

    Don't be afraid of losing your shape! (I used to not want to work out because I was terrified of losing my curvy girl looks) Define your curves with healthy habits!

    WATER!

    Really, truly, give up soda.

    Don't take out things completely, moderation in food!

    Waking up earlier really isn't that bad.


    I gave up before because of some of things and excuses I made up on my own and now I am back on track (or trying at least!)

    What would you tell you?

    hahahaha I LOVE IT AND I WOULD TELL MYSELF THE SAME!!!!!!!!
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    I'm pretty happy with my approach and my results. I think it worked well. I'd probably warn myself that MFP is completely addictive though! :D

    This!
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    Don't ever stop logging.

    Be patient. Don't let the fluctuations get the better of you!
  • Cheryl_66
    Cheryl_66 Posts: 68 Member
    Since 9/18 will mark one year for me logging, I've been think about this lately. Before I saw this post, I was just thinking of what I could have done differently or done better, or done faster and how much further along I SHOULD be...but seeing this post makes me think, screw that. What I should tell myself is "Cheryl, you are going to do a freaking awesome job" and for just this minute, I will believe it. And also tell myself to buy some new bras...
  • Janet9906
    Janet9906 Posts: 546 Member
    Focus more on weight training!

    This, I lost 80 pounds on diet and cardio alone, and now I"m going to spend years getting that muscle back that I could have just held on to... :sad:

    Yep! I lost 47 pounds, I hate the way I look.
  • trulycrazed
    trulycrazed Posts: 79 Member
    You're EVIL if you only eat 1200 cals... don't do it!

    Watch your protein and salt... not enough protein will make you tired and weak... but not enough salt, well, that will give you the shakes and heart palpitation. DON'T BE STUPID!

    Go a head and run. You can take it :-D

    Be firm when people try to sway you, but be nice! They aren't being the evil jerks you imagine them to be... calm down.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    "Stop the godd@mn binge drinking, you're just going to set yourself back and undo all your progress. You can't be a Fitness Pal if you're a drunk all the time. .... and you will order WAY too much pizza because you're lazy and hung over. So. Much. Pizza."

    :wink:
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    1. Buy a Fitbit ASAP. It will make all the mathy crap easier to understand.
    2. Don't bother asking for help. Dan, Eric, your doctor, et. al. don't care.
    3. STAY AWAY FROM THE PROTEIN POWDER!
  • biglew909
    biglew909 Posts: 57 Member
    Stop reading MFP boards. LOL.

    There's some good advice sprinkled within tons of nonsense, noise and varying topics that may distract you from the basic MFP approach that works, which is watch what you eat (i.e. consume less) and move more. Yes, it is that simple. No need to over-complicate it.

    This...all day long.
  • mrpurdy
    mrpurdy Posts: 262 Member
    LIFT THE ****ING WEIGHTS.

    EAT THE ****ING FOOD.

    I couldn't have stated it better. :drinker:
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
    A bad day / week / holiday / birthday doesn't mean I have to take multiple months off. It seems like the weight comes flying back on a faster pace than it ever came off, and I just end up that much further behind.

    And speaking of behind, that cellulite back there hates squats. Do them. With weights. Dooooo them.
  • kickers19
    kickers19 Posts: 63 Member
    I would have told myself that I'm going to gain a pound or two sometimes, but that just means to see what I did to gain the weight and change it. Not get discouraged about it and want to binge.
  • Sheckypie
    Sheckypie Posts: 56
    If I could give myself a piece of my mind I would say this:

    -IT TAKES TIME SUPER GENIUS!!!!! don't expect to see results overnight
    -Eating better genuinely does make you feel better
    -try and eat close to 1200 calories in a day... (it's getting harder for me to eat that much now)
    -Deprivation will be your downward spiral
    -Don't worry or measure your success rate with the scale... scales can mislead you
    -Do NOT and i repeat DO NOT give up!!!!! you can do this any doubts are all in your head
    -Shaina, it doesn't matter what others reactions are about your weight loss this about you and you only....
  • ritasice21
    ritasice21 Posts: 200 Member
    Take pics for before shots, and measure your body.
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    I would tell myself (and do tell myself!) that it is worth developing healthier habits even if you never reach a certain number. When you are 100 pounds overweight, it's depressing to think that, even after losing 50 pounds, you will still be 50 pounds overweight, and that makes it difficult to start. Now that I have lost 50 pounds (half pre-MFP), I realize that it will have been worth it even if I never lose another ounce, because I am so much healthier now than I was 50 pounds ago. In other words, eating right and exercising is a good decision, regardless of how fast the numbers on your scale do or don't change.
  • Kenzieb07
    Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
    I would tell myself that it's not going to be easy and to create realistic goals and to NOT compare myself to others. I'm still trying to remind myself of this today, 7 months into this journey!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    I would tell myself that it's not going to be easy and to create realistic goals and to NOT compare myself to others. I'm still trying to remind myself of this today, 7 months into this journey!

    You look fantastic!! *pokes abs* :D
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    That there is no magic diet or exercise.
    Changing habits to eat a bit less and move a bit more is the only thing that will work in the long term.

    Of course, I already knew this, but I wasn't ready to accept that I was going to have to change my habits for ever.
    Not by a lot though, and not all of them.
    I still eat chocolate and cake and drink beer and wine - I just do it less often and a less of them.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    I just read this today: "There's a great paradox at the heart of life that's hard to accept, namely, that freedom lies in obedience, maturity lies in surrender, and joy lies in accepting duty and obligation." - Father Ron Rolheiser

    Though he's talking about spirituality, it applies to what I've discovered by living a healthy lifestyle.

    The one thing I would tell myself is that making healthy choices and following the rules will bring me a feeling of freedom, maturity and joy. When you're in the throws of food addiction, it seems impossible that giving up your pleasure seeking habits would actually bring a feeling of freedom, maturity and joy, but that's exactly what I've experienced.
  • MissShyloh
    MissShyloh Posts: 39
    fantastic responses guys!
  • Merc71
    Merc71 Posts: 412 Member
    Really, truly, give up soda.

    Heh, I'm still telling myself this, but I continue to find myself falling off the wagon.

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