trying to stay motivated

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kassondral123
kassondral123 Posts: 7
in Motivation and Support
I've tried so many diets and then I found this last week. I was so excited about it but I'm sad to say that I messed up big time last night and today. I only need to lose 15 lbs but I REALLY need to lose it (I'm only 5'4 and every lb shows). I need to be able to make this a lifestyle but I'm having such a hard time. I see so many of you who have had a lot of success. How do you do it? I need some motivation and encouragement. Thanks.

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  • freya1948
    freya1948 Posts: 13
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    Kudos for wanting to change and for understanding it is a lifestyle change... that is half the battle.
    I lost over 100 lbs and still have about 20 lbs to go...my motivation was health...looking at other people that were extremely overweight and understanding how miserable they are. Buying cute clothes...dating....
    I dont diet, ever, for the simple fact it only works for a little while. I signed up with the gym and I go almost everyday for about an hour cardio and free weights. It is important to understand muscle burns fat! I eat healthy...and dont try to change everything at once...it takes 3-4 weeks they say for something to become a habit, so I started with 2 changes a month. I replaced potato chips with healthy multigrain baked chips, pasta with whole wheat pasta, brown rice instead of white. I eat more lean protein and veggies and fried stuff doesnt even taste good anymore. Oh and I hardly ever eat out...so I saved money too. :)
    And dont give up...if you need support we are all here...we all fall of the wagon every now and then...I actually have one cheat day a week...where I allow myself a treat without feeling guilty it seems to keep the cravings under control...

    Hope this helped...if you want to know more I am here....
  • ghudnub
    ghudnub Posts: 5
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    I've never been REALLY overweight either. I reached a point where I realized it had been about 5 years since I last felt good about the way I looked. I just decided that September 12th was THE day I would change forever. I tend to be rather sedentary, so working out 6 days a week is a big change for me. Have you really decided that you are committed to the change in lifestyle?

    I don't have a lot of people providing positive reinforcement to keep me motivated. I tell myself several times daily that I am proud of what I am accomplishing. Stepping on the scale, taking the belt up a notch and melting inches off the waist takes care of the rest. For me, the accountability of logging each and every calorie in the iPhone app works wonders.

    Just think of a blown day like this, it was merely 1 meal out of 21 for the week. You can recover easily from that with an extra 15 minutes of cardio each day.
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
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    You have to be ready to do this. I tried things before but either didn't have the right tools, which I do now thanks to MFP, or my mind wasn't set that I was going to do it.

    I've been on here almost 6 months now, and I have had the occasional bad day. Went on vacation for a week and gained almost 9 pounds from water weight. Had it off again in a week, but it was an eye opener that this is a lifestyle not a short term fix.

    I am doing this for myself, first and foremost. Then, for my kids, so I can be the mom they deserve. Then, lastly, to show the world that I can do this and succeed, and that I WILL NOT gain it all back again.

    I have been happy to share my success with family, and I have friends and family that have joined the site after seeing my progress. My doctor is now recommending this site to all of his patients that want to lose weight, after seeing how it has helped me. I love the good feeling that comes with my successes, such as seeing that scale drop, moving down a pant size a month, or having the will power to have a small bite of cake or pie without having to eat the whole thing.

    And lastly, I have learned to deal with stress via exercise, instead of with food. Now, if I have a bad day, I burn it off with a run or my elliptical, pick myself up and start over the next day. No bad feelings, no guilt, no self recrimination. It is about my health and feeling good about myself.

    Hope that helps! :wink:
  • xxquzme
    xxquzme Posts: 157 Member
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    Its tuff out here learning to eat right and get exercise. The thing that you have ti remember is that this isnt science really. Its just math. 3500 calories equal 1 pound. Take your weight and multiply it by 10. IE 200 pounds x 10 = 2000. Thats how many calories that your body will burn to maintain. Now just make a deficit. Eat 7 times your body weight and that will cause a caloric deficit. 600 calories a day that you didnt eat x 7 days = loss of pounds. Keep an open mind and make sure that you stay active. Its really hard when you dont have someone to do it with you, so try to find someone. Good luck.
  • kassondral123
    kassondral123 Posts: 7
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    I think I am definitely going to have to do a cheat day. I think that is the only way I'll be able to live this way ( I have a terrible sweet tooth.) Thanks for the advice.
  • mandy78
    mandy78 Posts: 6
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    I am the same I have a Choc side of me that I have a hard time fighting off, But I find that just a little piece is worth it just not get my Choc fix. It is when we over do it, that is the problem. So I have small amount of Choc and then get my hands and mind busy and as soon as I know it the craving is gone and I really don't have to walk, run or any other excrise and harder then normal to work off the Choc I ate. Plus I started to drink alot more water with or with out the drink mix and I am finding I am not craving my Choc as much! I don't think it is cheating as long as a person is not over doing it.

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