learning from past mistakes

I might get some flack for this, but I'm trying to do this slower this time. I'm trying to figure out what caused me to fail in the past and make positive changes.

Firstly, I'm trying to only weigh myself once a month - not having new batteries for my scale helps that one quite a bit! Generally I would be on the scale every day, and if I didn't see it move, well....that was not good!!!

Secondly, I'm trying to slow myself down. In the past with exercise and weight loss I would throw myself into it full force, I would exercise 6 or 7 days a week, sometimes twice a day, and I would burn myself out. I would make myself do it so much that I found I never looked forward to it and I wound up hating it.

That is not to say that I don't have goals, I do. For example, I'm planning to do the Bluenose 1/2 marathon. I'm just trying to work towards them at a more reasonable pace. I started running again, and I haven't run in about a year. I started this Thursday again and found that I could only run 2 mins at a time. I went down to run again today and had a significant amount of trouble keeping it at 2mins, instead of pushing myself to go 3 or 4 minutes - but I know that if I do that before I am truly ready, I will end up hating running and just stop altogether.

I know that my weight loss will be slower than it has been in the past, but I am trying to get myself to a program that I am willing to stick to for the rest of my life. Lets face it, 5k runs for the rest of my life is a hell of a lot better than zero k.

Wish me luck! And feel free to add me as a friend, I am always ready to give encouragement and receive it too!

Best of luck to all of you! :happy:

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    This sounds like such a sensible plan. The idea isn't to take it off, it's to keep at it and keep it off.

    Good luck!
  • I have found that and it's my first week !! I got myself a new exercise bike and decided to go on it everyday and some days twice a day plus doing chores etc......... and today I feel drained and just want to chill out and rest. I think I have been going full guns this week and it's something I am not used to. I am going to start going slow and just pacing it now like use the exercise bike every other day or something.

    Yeah, we will get there :happy:

    Annie xxx
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    I think you're being very wise. I think slower is better in general anyway. But I especially think that reflecting on your past experiences and knowing yourself so well that you know you need to make changes in your process, that is a wise and wonderful way to move your life in a different direction.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I, too, started slowly. Cut back on soda before cutting it out entirely. Counted calories for a month before I began exercising. And I'm only now, about three weeks in Pilates, starting to incorporate any real cardio in. Trying to overhaul the entire system in one go has always left me burned out, dissapointed, and exhausted.

    The loss may be slower. But this time, I can see doing this for as long as it takes, instead of desperately wanting every minute to go by faster so I can be done with it.

    Cheers to your way of doing it - it works!
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    You have a great plan. Anything that you can think of to change from your past behavior is just more ammunition for you. Kudos for being logical when this whole weigh loss / exercise thing cam make one so emotional. God job!
  • Beanie008
    Beanie008 Posts: 63 Member
    Thanks guys!