120 lbs to lose and feeling overwhelmed

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KolaCabana
KolaCabana Posts: 19
in Motivation and Support
How do those with a lot to lose stay motivated? I feel overwhelmed by the amount of weight I have to lose and often give up before I've even started. I am interested to learn new ways to change my thinking and adopting different habits. Have any tips or sage advice to share? I could use them! Thanks!
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Replies

  • GURLEY_GIRL3
    GURLEY_GIRL3 Posts: 359 Member
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    Set mini goals! thats what I do..Im gonna lose 10 lbs this month...reward yourself for your mini goals.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    Hey girl! Set small goals - at 5 lbs, 10 lbs, 15 lbs and so on - and schedule rewards for each goal reach. The bigger the goal, the better the reward!!

    You can do this chica!
  • oskybosky4
    oskybosky4 Posts: 62
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    Hi don't even think about the final goal, just aim to loose 1 to 2 lb. a week, if you loose more think of it as a bonus, :heart: ou stay the same or gain, don't worry just stick with the plan, drink more water and do a bit more exercise.
    I have lost 22lb in the last 14 weeks and am very happy with this progress, even though I have lots more to go. I am just about starting to see a difference in my clothes, they are a bit looser now. If you loose it slowly and steadily its more likely to stay off as you eating habits change. Good luck and don't give up.

    :heart: :heart: :heart:
  • Maris_Swan
    Maris_Swan Posts: 197 Member
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    I agree with everyone about setting small 5-10lb goals. Looking at it in the big picture can be very frustrating. Start small and those little victories will add up!
  • wwhickok
    wwhickok Posts: 29
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    Those above me ABSOLUTELY speak the truth. My wife who's lost, for her, what is a considerable amount of weight, did exactly that. Set smaller goals, "I wanna lose X Amount of Weight by X-Date" . Don't focus on the total amount of weight you want to lose, that is your worst enemy. Weigh yourself, set a small go, hide your scale, work hard, reach your date, weigh yourself again. Don't get over obsessed with it, just work hard, stay positive, and despite taking a lot of time I'm sure, good results will come. Believe in yourself.

    But also, imo, keep something VERY important in mind, it's not the worst thing in the world if you don't reach your goal, if you get close. Push yourself, you know you, you know how much you can take, and try as hard as you can. If you're a few pounds off, then adjust your next couple of goals to compensate, eventually you'll be smashing through goals like they were made of paper, but it's not easy, I can only imagine it'll be the hardest thing you've ever done. Don't let it get you down, don't lose your smile and positive attitude, because THOSE are the things that are going to get you through it.

    Good luck!

    P.S. The reward thing is also a really good Idea, imo, do that! Give yourself something to look forward to.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    When I started out I bought myself a day planner and some stickers. Every day that I stuck to my diet I got a sticker in the day planner. It's a silly little reward and it gave me a quick visual on whether or not I was skipping too many days.

    That's what worked for me. It may or may not work for you. But look around and see if you can find some small, non-food thing to reward yourself with.
  • hkmurphy83
    hkmurphy83 Posts: 262 Member
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    Like previous posters have said, set mini goals. When I started, I had 86.4 lbs to lose. Now I have less than 16. I created an excel spreadsheet with 5 lbs increments so that is all I'd look at. It didn't seem so hard then. OH and don' t set a timeline, like I'll lose 20 lbs by this date. If you make it, it feels incredible, but if you don't, then I always felt like a failure and wanted to give up. Just break it into manageable chunks and you'll be amazed at what you can do.
  • fluffymcfluffster
    fluffymcfluffster Posts: 51 Member
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    I was looking at 50 pounds to lose. I felt overwhelmed by that as I couldn't even lose 10 pounds and keep it up. It was a mountain. I get that 120 seems overwhelming. If it didn't, it would mean you didn't understand the journey ahead of you. You have to change your thinking to learn to stick with it. I had to accept that I may not meet my "mini" goals but would set them and try to get to them. I had to accept when I was having a bad day, I couldn't eat McDonald's because I could use that excuse too often. I had to learn that it was ok to cheat occasionally or else I would not stick with it. I had to learn what excuses I used in the past and ways to get past them. The good thing is, the weight comes off easier in the beginning because we have more to lose. Closer to the goal, it will get more difficult so it is motivating to see it start to come off and want to keep it up. I agree - set mini goals, find ways to change your thinking. You need to be excited - fake it until you make it. I say, I am looking forward to my walk/jog and the food I am eating is good, even though most times I am not. You can trick your mind. It gets easier once you accept it and get deep enough in your journey. We are all here for you! Good luck! You got this!
  • debbash68
    debbash68 Posts: 981 Member
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    I have a lot to lose too shall we do it together? We will be thin! Might as well start now with little changes and then it doesn't seem so overwhelming. I am stopping alcohol and cutting out take away foods this week , x
  • MrsDanner78
    MrsDanner78 Posts: 107
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    Give yourself small goals - and each time you meet that goal, give yourself a new goal!

    I just started 10 weeks ago, and I had 90-100 lbs to lose. Now, 100 lbs sounds totally overwhelming, especially when you realize that it will most likely take a year or more to reach my final goal. So my first goal was to lose 5% of my body weight, which was just about 12 lbs. I hit that goal about 7 weeks in! When I reached that goal, my next goal was to lose 10%, which is about 25 lbs. I am currently working on that goal, and have 9 more to go. When I reach that goal, my next goal will be to get under 200 lbs... after that, I'm not sure what I goals will be, yet. Having these small goals - goals that you still have to work at, but that are attainable in shorter periods of time, make it so much easier to deal with, mentally!

    The other thing that I am working on is fitness goals - so I have two sets of goals that, together, are making each other happen. My first goal was to start exercising at least 3 times a week. As part of that I started a couch to 5K running program. Once I reached my workout goal, I decided that my next goal was to run a mile in less than 13 minutes. I hit that goal on May 9th when I ran in a 1-mile race - my first chip-timed run ever. I beat my personal goal by 10 seconds and finished in 12:50! My next goal, now, is to run a 5K by the end of September. These fitness goals are helping my weight loss, and as an added bonus, I am seeing a huge drop in my tape measurements, too!! And they help keep me motivated: even though my weight loss doesn't seem to be huge, I'm obviously gaining a LOT of muscle because I've lost over 15 inches in tape measurements!

    Anyway, keep at it - and don't get discouraged at the big picture! Think small victories! And lean on supporters! I'd love to hook up with you here on MFP and cheer you on - as long as you can do the same for me! :D
  • torymichaels
    torymichaels Posts: 79
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    Absolutely get where you're coming from. As you can see from my ticker, I'm chasing about the same amount down as you and I felt about the same way back in February when I got serious. I remember the beginning of March thinking, "I only lost 12.5 pounds and God, this'll take forever!"

    My husband, God bless that awesome man for loving me, responded like this: "Do that again next month and you'll be down 25, and that's a lot." It only seems small at first. But as you keep going, you start feeling better.

    I didn't rely on exercise the first two months, but as my energy level went up (having lost 20+, and started moving at least a little), I've branched out into actual exercise.

    I still feel like it'll take forever, but I've come to realize that's okay. I'm not feeling deprived, I'm not in a race. This is a choice I've made, and a lifestyle I can live with, even at maintenance. When I'm done, heck, I'll be able to eat more than I do now and if you check out my diary, I clearly don't starve myself to keep going.

    Just take it one day at a time and soon enough you'll find yourself getting into this and being excited about what you're doing.

    ETA: Personally, I'm getting super excited as I close in on the 60 pound mark. That's a huge point for me (no pun intended), because after that, I'll be able to say "I've lost more weight than I still have left to lose", and that is awesome!
  • JasmineOravec
    JasmineOravec Posts: 88 Member
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    This may sound strange but I've been searching for "motivational quotes" on google images or tumblr and reading them always gets me really motivated. It's really hard to change and break habits but I think if you can redirect your thoughts to some of these positive and encouraging quotes, it might help you. Hope so! Good luck, my friend!
  • Robcrusade
    Robcrusade Posts: 1
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    Just feel good about whatever it is that you've accomplished thus far. And really feel good about it. Before you know it, it'll become routine and you'll be wondering how you ever had a concern.
  • semarsh12
    semarsh12 Posts: 77 Member
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    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!
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    Someone else just did it
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/996886-140-pounds-lost
  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
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    I really suggest reading through this thread thats going on now:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/994529-success-tips-that-helped-you-the-most

    There are some amazing tips on there now that might help you on your journey.
  • Skratchie
    Skratchie Posts: 131 Member
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    I started with 120 to lose, and knew I would be overwhelmed. So I decided to look at it in five pound increments. I need to lose five pounds.

    Twenty-four times over.

    So far I've hit my goal four times. :-) I don't let myself get overwhelmed by the fact that I still have 100 lbs I want to lose. I'm only focused on the next five.

    If you need a friend, I'm always willing to support folks. Feel free to add me.
  • Neeser926
    Neeser926 Posts: 100 Member
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    I am with everyone else. Do not focus on the finish line. Focus instead on today. Eat right and move more today. If you do that every day before you know it you will find yourself within site of the the goal. I started in July 2012 with 133 pounds to lose. I'm now 23 pounds from my goal and actually thinking of lowering my goal!
  • StaycJulia
    StaycJulia Posts: 32
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    So much great advice already given. I would just be re-itterating. I can tell you though, that 124 pounds ago, I felt the same way. When I changed the way I thought and decided not to worry about how fast or how much I had to lose, it seemed to go quickly. There were times ( like now) where I felt stalled, but then I would have a sudden drop. Just stick with it even when you aren't seeing immediate results. You can definitely do it.
  • btsinmd
    btsinmd Posts: 921 Member
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    "They", whoever they are, say that you can increase your health and decrease health problems by losing 10% of your weight. So, for you, lose 12 lbs. You will feel better. Then lose another 10%.

    I'm not even halfway to my goal, but I feel so much better. My blood pressure pills have been reduced and will be reduced more next month. My clothes are fitting better and people are noticing.

    You can do this too!

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