A cool little motivator

Options
Posts: 98 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
If you’re stalled in your weight loss, don’t forget to appreciate the work that you’ve done. Next time you’re at the gym, go over to the free weights section and find a weight that equals the amount you’ve lost (a gallon of milk also works. It’s 8.7lbs). Lift it and really feel its weight. Think of how your joints must be thanking you, even if it’s a small difference. Congratulate yourself for that! For me, if I can hold it in my hand and think about that weight and how it is no longer clinging to my body and weighing on my knees, it brings it home. I have a hard time lifting the 50lb dumbbells, but I’ve lost more than that from my frame (or more than 6 gallons of milk!). Kind of crazy…

Remember to appreciate your body at whatever weight it is. Love it and it will love you back. If you are always criticizing your body at that higher-than-you-want weight, it can be hard to break that habit once you’ve reached your goal.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
Sign In
Register
«1

Replies

  • Posts: 10
    Great idea!

    My progress is slow. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not making any at all. I need to be more appreciative of how far I've come - Thanks!
  • Posts: 6,592 Member
    This is a great idea. I've heard people use bags of flour or sugar as a symbol of their weightloss but this is a great idea, too. Way to stay positive!
  • Posts: 3
    Awesome way to look at things. You are definitely right! Every pound loss is success!!
  • Posts: 289 Member
    I do the same thing, but with big buckets of lard (5 lb) or pound packages of butter at the store. Since it's pure fat, it gives me a visual as well as physical sense of my change in size and weight. good tip, OP!
  • Posts: 49 Member
    I'm a total lurker on this website - in fact, this is my first community post ever. But I just had to say that this is the best thing I've read on the forums.
  • Posts: 1,216 Member
    This is the best idea I have seen. Thank you. Sometimes it's hard when I go for weeks at a time without a single ounce lost, for whatever reason. To see my progress as something tangible will keep me from getting discouraged. Thank you so much.
  • Posts: 1,282 Member
    This is awesome.
  • Posts: 309 Member
    Great idea! I'm going to trying this tonight!
  • Posts: 432 Member
    Good idea. Currently, I'm at a gain/lose cycle of about 3 pounds and I'm incredibly frustrated. But, then I see my dog running around and remember that I just lost what he weighs and I'm amazed. Sometimes, I'll pick him up and weigh with him and then put him down and weigh without him just to see that drastic change!!
  • Posts: 489 Member
    I buy 1-lb of butter for every pound of weight I lose. I stick it in the freezer, and it's getting pretty full. Now when I get discouraged I just open the freezer and look at all that FAT! Fat that I am no longer carrying around!
    58369279.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Posts: 413 Member
    Thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Posts: 1,671 Member
    This is such a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing this. I think we all discredit our hard work here from time to time.
  • Posts: 10,477 Member
    Very cool
  • Posts: 211 Member
    Great post! Thanks.
  • Posts: 260 Member
    Great motivation. It's easy to get caught up in the end result and fail to see the progress made so far.
  • Posts: 610 Member
    Fantastic idea.

    When I go shopping, I put my groceries in a backpack and walk home (it's just a mile). A couple of months ago, I did this and was curious to find out how much was in the pack (it was pretty heavy...) I weighed myself with and without it when I got home and was surprised to find that a) it was 20lb and b) that I'd lost three of them. Judging by the way my knees felt after carrying it, goodness knows how they managed to support me when I was still carrying all three!

    Still got one and a half 20lb backpacks to go though.
  • Posts: 110 Member
    Definitely need to try this. I still feel as fat as I was when I started out.
    Thanks
  • Posts: 1,858 Member
    i carried a 50 pound bag of corn feed the other day, i can't imagine i was carrying twice that around everywhere with me.
  • Posts: 9
    That's my fear, not being able to stop after I get to my goal. Or maybe not realizing that my goal is unrealistic. Which is why I try to tell myself: "120 lbs or whenever I look and feel healthy."
  • Posts: 49,324 Member
    I use this technique a lot with clients who seem to feel that all their work is for naught. "I've been doing this for 3 months now and I'm not losing fast enough" is a common complaint. So I take the weight they've lost and have them do a few sets of stair climbs (actually climbing stairs while holding lost weight). Funny how it changes their attitudes right away.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Posts: 52 Member
    Thanks for this. I really needed it today. I've never had a stall this long, and I feel it is hormone related, but it really has me down. I know it will work itself out soon, but it can be discouraging. This was a nice picker-upper.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Posts: 9 Member
    It has taken me 7 months to lose 34 lbs but that 34 lbs is gone and I look at it this way. Those months would have gone by anyway and if I hadn't changed my way of eating, I'd still be fat! Some weeks I lose nothing or 1/2 a lb at most but most months I lose 3 to 4 lbs so keep your goal in mind and it will come off. I stopped eating all white sugar, potatoes, pasta and bread to begin with. Now I eat one very small potato once a week and one slice of low carb bread. I will never go back to white sugar, corn or vegetable oils, all bad stuff!
  • Posts: 76 Member
    Thanks I needed this today :)
  • Posts: 130 Member
    thank you for posting this.
  • Posts: 110 Member
    Thanks for this. I really needed it today. I've never had a stall this long, and I feel it is hormone related, but it really has me down. I know it will work itself out soon, but it can be discouraging. This was a nice picker-upper.

    :flowerforyou:
    My weight finally dropped after a 3 month stall. I didn't do anything other than continue with my goal. So, like many others on MFP have said, keep at it!
    :smile:
  • Posts: 638 Member
    This is a fantastic post! :)

    I would love to toss all the weight I lost (90lbs) in a backpack and carry it around for a day but I'm afraid I'd fall over at this point. It's really hard to see what you've really lost until you try to carry that weight again. It's pretty amazing what the human body can/will do.
  • Posts: 71 Member
    good point! thanks!
  • Posts: 6 Member
    I'm right there with you. I feel like I'm moving at a snails pace compared to others. I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be.
  • Posts: 519 Member
    Love this idea! Thanks for sharing!
This discussion has been closed.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
Sign In
Register

Quick Links

Categories