Newbie, needing motivation/advice

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Long story short, I've gained 50 lbs over the last 5 years. In August I will be 30, and I'm ready to get back to my goal weight. Just bought a treadmill and have been doing at least 1 hour of exercise every night since I bought it 1 week ago (yes I know, it's only been a week). But I need some feedback, or motivation, success stories, or Something to let me know that my goal is attainable. My biggest flaw I believe is that I literally only eat once a day. Any advice/motivation is appreciated. Thanks.

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  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    50lbs is realistic if you put ur mind to it! there's people on here that have lost 2 or 3 times that amount.
    What i've learnt on here is as long as you dont go over your daily calorie allowance you can eat as many meals as you like. Just try to get your 5 a day in of fruit or veg, protein foods will keep you fuller for longer. The more foods you try from the different food groups the better you will feel. Hopefully giving you more energy during the day aswell!
    Good Luck!
    Remember there's no such thing as I can't !! show some willpower!! :D
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    You are establishing good habits with the treadmill. The one meal a day is fine.
  • eminentclapper
    eminentclapper Posts: 15 Member
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    I have successfully lost 45 lbs in the last 5 months with a combination of resistance training and a change in diet. Both in regards to weight training and diet, consistency, patience and willpower has been the key factors to getting the results I wanted.

    It's also about attitude. Having an all or nothing approach is a recipe for disaster. I recommend setting yourself small daily goals that are nearly impossible not to reach, setting yourself up to winning on a daily basis instead of failing. E.g. some days I have zero motivation to go to the gym, but I force myself to do it anyway, even if only for 10 minutes. If I can do just that, I have won, as I have at least done something! I also keep detailed records to keep track of my progress (or lack thereof...) to motivate me to stay on the straight and narrow as much as possible.

    In regards to diet, I have almost completely cut out soft drinks (I used to drink at least 2 litres of diet coke, every day... Now I drink a glass or two maybe once a month when eating out...), learned to LOVE water (seriously!), and avoiding foods containing sugar or artificial sweeteners, that are both very addictive and stimulates your appetite tremendously. Avoid at all costs! As a result, I am a lot less hungry so I eat less without any effort at all... Apart from those few changes, I eat pretty much what I want and what I like.

    I have also experienced a raft of other benefits. E.g. I've completely stopped snoring, my blood pressure has gone down to a normal level, my blood sugar has come under control, I have more energy generally, and even my memory has become a lot better!

    But it would not have happened without consistency, willpower and patience! Remember that your motivation is bound to fail you from time to time and that's when you need your willpower.

    I still have about 88 lbs to go to reach a healthy weight, but I now know for a fact that I'll get there, as long as I'm consistent and patient.

    And above all, don't forget to enjoy life too! ;)
  • cnickolem
    cnickolem Posts: 15
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    I only ate once a day for years then I started a new job and training was 8-5 m-f and I started eating 3x's a day and ending up losing 15lbs within a month. I find that if I eat a decent meal at least 3x's a day and maybe 2 snacks, 1 in between each meal I feel so much better and it gets my body in a routine and enough of what my body needs, unlike the 1x. I always felt sluggish and exhausted. I'm new to this whole calorie counting, exercising thing too and I could use all the advice I can get too.