How do you learn to be patient and not go crazy quick

I have 100 to lose and I'm not a patient person. I'm starting my 6th week and have lost 15 lbs. I realize that's a larger amount and will probably slow down considerably. You just have to picture the end result. I know I won't lose 100 lbs in 4 months. I probably won't reach my goal until 2015. But I'm so determined after seeing the first 15 lbs come off. I also keep thinking - if I stop now, I've ruined the past 5 weeks of work.

Just remembering "slow and steady" is helping me. Losing a ton of weight quickly usually backfires.

I think about what I want to look like when I'm done. I can lose weight quickly and end up a thinner, still flabby version of what I am now, or I can go slowly, eat plenty of calories and protein, and have an awesome body after all the fat comes off. I prefer option 2.

For me it's all about mini goals rather than looking at the big picture. What they are is up to you.

Some of mine along the way...

Lose SOMETHING
Lose 5 lbs
Get as close to my calorie goal as possible without going over for 5 days in a row (or 10 or 30)
Do one push up
Do 10 pushups etc

When the going gets tough don't look at the next 10 pounds, look at the next 2!

I find myself in a similar boat, lost 38 lbs in about 3.5 months and now just maintaining. I know I have to make more adjustments. But I do remind myself that the 60-some pounds I started out needing to lose didn't get there overnight or even a few months, they crept up on me over about 10 years. So if it takes me a year to get all them off, its still faster than putting them on. Also tell myself, ya I could go all crazy exercising and dropping like crazy but realistically I would never keep up that type of lifestyle and I would quickly gain back all the weight. So I am just trying to adjust my diet and exercise to something I WILL be able to maintain in the long run. Just remember you are working at it and it will take time.

I would advise getting a friend or family member involved with you.

Little competitions between yourselves add to the fun.

For instance : two week weight loss challenge by % of body weight. Loser treats the winner to a night at the Cinema with the winner choosing the film?

might sound a bit trivial, but it can be the difference between staying with it and giving up

I spend a lot more time naked in front of the mirror to be honest.

Before I'd maybe glance at myself when I was getting into or out of the shower, but now I take a really good look, then I turn to the side, then I hold my hands over the bits I plan on losing and look again. It sounds very vain, but it helps me visualize my end results and stay focused. Also I may only be down eight pounds, but already I look better naked, and that is pretty awesome to me.

I do this too!

I've lost around 19lbs since I started a month ago, I've done it by going from zero exercise and eating about 4000 calories a day, to running, cycling and eating around 1800. It's been fun to challenge myself and remind my body who is boss by flexing my willpower muscle, but now I'm starting to get bored with it.

It's the story of my life that I'm very good at doing things for a short time, but once it has to be for longer I lose interest (I guess it's a personality flaw, but hey, no one is perfect).

How do YOU learn to be patient and be happy with losing maybe one pound a week, when you know you could lose a lot more if you really tried? But the flip side of that is, you are correct by going for the long, slow, steady lifestyle change, rather than the short burst. I'm finding it hard to adapt to the slow burn. Hare and Tortoise deal. I need to learn how to be the tortoise but am naturally the hairy old hare who starts great but quickly burns out...

Thanks for any advice....

mx

Many of us approach the idea of dieting as a quick fix for overweight. The end goal is to be skinny and go back to eating everything you love. Speaking from experience, when you go back to the same old habits, you get the same old results. I eventually regained every lost pound and more. In order to have permanent success, you need to make a permanent lifestyle change. It takes time to learn new, better habits. You will be better off gradually lowering your calorie intake than following a "crash" diet.

Some people here succeed by counting calories and abstaining from trigger foods. Others count calories and use portion control to stay within our allowed calories. I'm in the group who uses portion control to stay within my allowed calories. I can recommend two essential tools. We bought a digital food scale to weigh our portions so we know how much we are eating. I bought a reasonably priced one at Amazon. I also use dishers to measure portions of things like potatoes and rice. Dishers look like ice cream scoops and I like them because they're easier to use than measuring cups. Measuring cups are just as effective at creating known portion sizes.

Exercise regularly. Find things you like so that it isn't a punishment. Dance, walk, ride a bike, go to the gym, swim, take yoga... Alternating between things you like will keep you from boredom and be good for your body. I regularly exercise in order to earn a treat. If I ride my bike X number of minutes I can have an ice cream cone, or something else that I love. Counting calories helps put you in charge.

Good luck. I hope we'll see you here offering advice to newcomers for years to come.

This is a race between the tortoise and the hare, and your life is at stake. You know who wins. Slow down, be kind to yourself, and be persistent. You can eat everything you like in moderate portions and still win. Good luck.

You have to wrap your head around the bigger picture. Your health, nutrition, and fitness are lifetime endeavors...there really is no finish line...you are never done...reaching some arbitrary scale value is just the beginning.

This! Exactly this!

You have to do activities that you genuinely enjoy on a regular basis, and adapt to a sensible diet for life. You don't have to give up the foods you enjoy, but unless you're a pro athlete, eating 4000 calories a day will jeopardize your health and really isn't a viable option for wellness.

Consider how good health will impact the quality of life for yourself and those in your life around you. My habits in the past involved being a workaholic and I wasn't managing my stress. I felt like total crap, I was often very depressed, and my life was a mess. But making the decision to mind my health has just made the quality of my life so much better. The way this makes me feel on the inside is probably what motivates me the most every day.

Yeah, kinda where I'm at. I know this 1,440 cal. thing will do the trick but I want it off FAST. I am familiar with the weight loss thing. Lost a lot of weight before but that was years ago. I found that breaking up the boredom thing is really important like you said. I had to start a new hobby or a new book or even try taking short trips in the car to places I've never been to break things up. I am an artist in my spare time and I usually had to start a new project to get my mind off of the refrigerator.

Good Luck to you!:drinker: