How do you make your weight loss journey interesting?

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

Hi MFPians

I am into trying to loose weight for quite some time now! I still find it very tough, kind of not interested but wanting to lose weight.
I would love to know how to make this journey happy and interesting!!
I feel even tough to stay under 1200 cals. or exercise regular!!

hookilau · September 2013

well, first, 1200 cal can be a tough row to hoe...the progress I make keeps me going but not on 1200 cal. I wear a fitbit and try to get as active as possible. This means 10k steps per day and heavy lifting 3x weekly. With the 10k steps daily, that puts my activity level at mod to lightly active, so coupled with my age (45) I get about 2000 cal to maintain weight, but net 1500 to lose a pound a week.

If you're younger than I, then you'd get even more calories...have you calculated your TDEE or are you using the default MFP calculations?

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

I am using default MFP calculation.......before coming here and logging i used to eat about 5000 cals per day !!!:embarassed:

JDubIsShrinking · September 2013

What has helped me was finding a form of exercise that I love... and not being afraid to try something new.
I have found classes at my gym that I can't live without - they are challenging, a fantastic workout, and kinda-sorta FUN. Not every class I have ever tried have I liked - same goes for machines in the fitness center. And, remember, it's not all lettuce and water. Losing weight does not have to be boring in the food department! If you need ideas, check out the recipes on here, or go to www.skinnytaste.com (my go-to when I am looking for a new healthy recipe to try).

alisonlynn1976 · September 2013

It helps a lot to find a kind of exercise that you think is fun.

The main motivator for me is being able to wear smaller and more fashionable clothing.

You can almost certainly eat more than 1200 calories and still lose weight. If you're eating so little that it's making you hungry and that's taking your motivation away, no need to torture yourself like that!

(Edited to correct a typo)

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

I can clearly see that 1200 cal is creating a stress on me !! I need to change this

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

What has helped me was finding a form of exercise that I love... and not being afraid to try something new.
I have found classes at my gym that I can't live without - they are challenging, a fantastic workout, and kinda-sorta FUN. Not every class I have ever tried have I liked - same goes for machines in the fitness center. And, remember, it's not all lettuce and water. Losing weight does not have to be boring in the food department! If you need ideas, check out the recipes on here, or go to www.skinnytaste.com (my go-to when I am looking for a new healthy recipe to try).

I love dancing madly freestyle....I was good dancer in school and won prices, but now I have stopped I think I will have to do it......I live in hostel and my room is extremely small....i dont have a private place to dance....with this big body i would be embarased to dance infront of others!!

Mia_RagazzaTosta · September 2013

I creeped these boards for a long time and saw what other successful people were doing. I got a little education on TDEE and metabolism and how they all work. I also learned that successful weight loss was going to take time. There would be no 2#/week loss for me on a consistent basis. It's more like 0.5#/week. I learned that I needed to be patient. I learned that I didn't need to starve and I didn't need any special diet (I don't have any medical conditions, though). As far as fitness goes, I learned that strength training goes a long way.

So, I started by getting a ballpark idea of what my TDEE was and took a 10-20% cut off of it. Then I cut down on all the cardio I was doing and threw some lifting into the mix. Cardio is not bad; it just wasn't getting me anywhere. Once I started lifting I started seeing results.

Good luck to you!

hookilau · September 2013

I am using default MFP calculation.......before coming here and logging i used to eat about 5000 cals per day !!!:embarassed:

That's something I would change, but do so slowly. In other words, you will likely need more calories but you need to increase slowly, like 100 cal per week or so till you get to the optimal amount for weight loss.

Go here and fill in the appropriate variables:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

You might maintain or gain during the time of increased calories, but it will 'right' itself in no time. If you've been under eating for a long time, you may need to do a 'reset'. You can use the search function for 'metabolism reset' and you should get plenty of info and anecdotal information.

For additional information on TDEE, use the search function to find a thread called 'in place of a road map'

Good luck :drinker:

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

Thanks all for clearing the cloud

JesterMFP · September 2013

Setting goals can help to keep you motivated. Mini scale goals of losing 5 lbs, or 10 lbs can be easier to aim or than your total weight loss. You can write down rewards for reaching each milestone. Taking progress photos also helps - take pictures now, from all angles, and then either every month, or when you;ve lost a certain amount of weight. That really helps when you start feeling discouraged. Setting fitness related goals is also really good, because they don't depend on the scale. Aim to run a certain distance, or lift a certain weight, or learn to play a new sport.

One thing you have to bear in mind though is that weight loss, for the most part, is boring. It isn't interesting. Maintaining your weight loss once you've met your goal is even less interesting because then you don't have all the changes in your body to keep you motivated. So, at some point you just have to accept that it won't always be fun or interesting, but you need to get into habits so that you keep doing what you need to do anyway. Going to work isn't always fun or interesting (unless you're very lucky!) but we do it anyway, because the results are worth it. Brushing your teeth and showering aren't interesting, but I'm guessing you make sure you do those things anyway. Its the same thing with eating well and keeping fit. It might be fun sometimes, but you can't rely on that as the only thing to keep you going. You have to just decide that the results are worth it, and then you just put the effort in regardless of whether you're still motivated/interested.

With the calories, 1200 is very low for a lot of people. If you've genuinely eating in the region of 5000 calories up to now, why don't you find out what your estimated TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is, and start by aiming for that for a little while? Get into the groove of tracking all your food, see where you need to make changes in order to reach your goal, and then gradually cut down from there? It's not a race, your learning new ways of living, and it can take some time to get your head around it all.

elisa123gal · September 2013

I'm doing it different from the OP. I am trying to eat as much as possible and lose. That way when I maintain and I can have a life. I have embraced exercise as it permits me to achieve my goal of eating more. lol. also.. i find it rewarding to make foods I love more healthy and low calorie. It is really just a shift in mind.... I can eat a steamed artichoke and love it just as much as nachos. It is all choices; choose to move more and eat great tasting food within your calorie goal.

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

Thanks that helps me a lot....I found out my TDEE to be 2050

and yea I need to go there slow and steady!

albionjen · September 2013

You don't give your height and weight, but 1200kcal is probably too low for most people. I am 160cm (5'3) and 67kg (148lbs) and my target is around 1600kcal (1400kcal basic plus 200kcal exercise calories per day).

The simplest way to sort this is to use the MFP calculator, but set your target to 1lb loss per week.

If you want to have complete control, read up on TDEE and use an online calculator to work out your own personal calorie target then fix the settings manually on MFP. One website that is useful for this is:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

In reply to your original question of making weight loss interesting, I have a few things that have helped me:
- Change your exercise from time to time. I started off just using wii fitness games like "get in shape" and exerbeat, but also have done couch to 5k to get into running, resistance training at the gym (weights, machines etc.), swimming, cycling, hiking
- Try new recipes. I've adapted some of my old recipes to make then healthier but also have a whole load of new meals that I have learned to cook as well.
- Make little targets along the way with rewards when you reach them. I bought myself an ipad when I was no longer obese. When I hit "healthy weight" I am planning a clothes shopping spree

- Allow yourself to have treats every week. If you plan well, you can fit a little bit of icecream, wine, chocolate into your calorie allowance.

Remember that you need to make permanent changes, otherwise as soon as you stop the "diet" you will start gaining weight again. All your new healthy habits need to be things you find interesting (or at least not too boring) or it will be really hard to keep on track. I'm not saying this to be harsh, just being realistic. Dancing is a great idea if that is something you love, I wouldn't worry about being "too big". I doubt if anyone else would care what size you are if you went along to a class. Certainly in my local health centre there are people of all shapes and sizes. (Secretly I actually have the most admiration for all the overweight people as they are out there making an effort to change instead of being sat at home on the sofa)

EDIT: I see someone already posted the calculator!

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

You don't give your height and weight, but 1200kcal is probably too low for most people. I am 160cm (5'3) and 67kg (148lbs) and my target is around 1600kcal (1400kcal basic plus 200kcal exercise calories per day).

The simplest way to sort this is to use the MFP calculator, but set your target to 1lb loss per week.

If you want to have complete control, read up on TDEE and use an online calculator to work out your own personal calorie target then fix the settings manually on MFP. One website that is useful for this is:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

In reply to your original question of making weight loss interesting, I have a few things that have helped me:
- Change your exercise from time to time. I started off just using wii fitness games like "get in shape" and exerbeat, but also have done couch to 5k to get into running, resistance training at the gym (weights, machines etc.), swimming, cycling, hiking
- Try new recipes. I've adapted some of my old recipes to make then healthier but also have a whole load of new meals that I have learned to cook as well.
- Make little targets along the way with rewards when you reach them. I bought myself an ipad when I was no longer obese. When I hit "healthy weight" I am planning a clothes shopping spree
- Allow yourself to have treats every week. If you plan well, you can fit a little bit of icecream, wine, chocolate into your calorie allowance.

Remember that you need to make permanent changes, otherwise as soon as you stop the "diet" you will start gaining weight again. All your new healthy habits need to be things you find interesting (or at least not too boring) or it will be really hard to keep on track. I'm not saying this to be harsh, just being realistic. Dancing is a great idea if that is something you love, I wouldn't worry about being "too big". I doubt if anyone else would care what size you are if you went along to a class. Certainly in my local health centre there are people of all shapes and sizes. (Secretly I actually have the most admiration for all the overweight people as they are out there making an effort to change instead of being sat at home on the sofa)

EDIT: I see someone already posted the calculator!

Thanks for this discussion

You know what I am starting to dance today!

:drinker:

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

Setting goals can help to keep you motivated. Mini scale goals of losing 5 lbs, or 10 lbs can be easier to aim or than your total weight loss. You can write down rewards for reaching each milestone. Taking progress photos also helps - take pictures now, from all angles, and then either every month, or when you;ve lost a certain amount of weight. That really helps when you start feeling discouraged. Setting fitness related goals is also really good, because they don't depend on the scale. Aim to run a certain distance, or lift a certain weight, or learn to play a new sport.

One thing you have to bear in mind though is that weight loss, for the most part, is boring. It isn't interesting. Maintaining your weight loss once you've met your goal is even less interesting because then you don't have all the changes in your body to keep you motivated. So, at some point you just have to accept that it won't always be fun or interesting, but you need to get into habits so that you keep doing what you need to do anyway. Going to work isn't always fun or interesting (unless you're very lucky!) but we do it anyway, because the results are worth it. Brushing your teeth and showering aren't interesting, but I'm guessing you make sure you do those things anyway. Its the same thing with eating well and keeping fit. It might be fun sometimes, but you can't rely on that as the only thing to keep you going. You have to just decide that the results are worth it, and then you just put the effort in regardless of whether you're still motivated/interested.

With the calories, 1200 is very low for a lot of people. If you've genuinely eating in the region of 5000 calories up to now, why don't you find out what your estimated TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is, and start by aiming for that for a little while? Get into the groove of tracking all your food, see where you need to make changes in order to reach your goal, and then gradually cut down from there? It's not a race, your learning new ways of living, and it can take some time to get your head around it all.

Thank you it helped me a lot

MelStren · September 2013

I love dancing madly freestyle....I was good dancer in school and won prices, but now I have stopped I think I will have to do it......I live in hostel and my room is extremely small....i dont have a private place to dance....with this big body i would be embarased to dance infront of others!!

I think you should dance in front of others if dancing makes you happy and feels good. Who knows, you may motivate someone else to get healthy with you! Or at the very least, your emotional well being may brighten someone else's day! Win, Win!

Red_Scorpio_www · September 2013

I love dancing madly freestyle....I was good dancer in school and won prices, but now I have stopped I think I will have to do it......I live in hostel and my room is extremely small....i dont have a private place to dance....with this big body i would be embarased to dance infront of others!!

I think you should dance in front of others if dancing makes you happy and feels good. Who knows, you may motivate someone else to get healthy with you! Or at the very least, your emotional well being may brighten someone else's day! Win, Win!

I am dancing today evening for sure dear thanks

The idea of dancing itself is making me happy

:drinker:

MzzFaith · October 2013

Find something enjoyable, music motivates some

SonyaCele · October 2013

if you like dancing, you might like some of the Wii video games? I got the DDR for the Wii, it comes with a dance pad and you start out at the beginner level and as you get good you work through the advanced levels and get high scores to beat. I'm a video game addict so i was addicted to beating my high scores , I bought every dvd and did them all through the expert levels and by the time i was done i had lost about 80 pounds. I liked that it mentally stimulatd me while i was exercising, instead of just being bored.

Duck_Puddle · October 2013

My fun comes from my mfp friends. For real. The amount of nonsense that happens on my newsfeed is astounding, but incredibly entertaining. I log on every day for the laughs. And I figure while I'm here, might as well log my food. Then I see all my awesome friends out doing all these amazing workouts and become inspired to go do something.

chynaredd40 · October 2013

I understand. I feel the same too! Love music and looking for a zumba class in my area but I dont have a lot of energy after work!
Sometimes im too tired to excercise or even eat! Im sweating all day because of my job but im still not losing the pounds!!!!!
I just started snacking more between meals because its hard with my job to do.......

How do you make your weight loss journey interesting?

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