How to stick to this journey when you feel OK?

Sued0nim
Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
edited March 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing really well with MFP over the last 3 months or so, lost 27lbs (yes my ticker is inaccurate) through calorie deficit and exercise regime and I'm pleased with how my body is looking. My lifestyle has changed massively from couch potato to gym 3 x a week plus fitbit walking tracking.

Only I'm starting to feel a bit smug and it's interfering with my self-control and my calorie count is beginning to build daily (I'm set to lose a lb a week now). My problem is I'm quietly happy with my body and get great compliments, I'm tall and hourglass so carry extra weight quite well even though I definitely have another 20lbs to lose, I've dropped one size to a UK 14 (US 10), still have wobbly bits am 14lbs away from the weight I was when I married and another 7 from top BMI

So I know rationally that I'm still on the weight loss journey and not near maintenance but I'm beginning to slip mentally and worried that I will slip too far and lose all that I've gained ...am I alone in being this stupid and how do I regain that focus and drive and avoid that roller coaster again?

Replies

  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Well you've said deep down you know what you still need to do, focus on that. You should feel proud of your achievement so far, just think how much prouder you will feel when you reach your goal!!

    "Just do it"
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Thank you

    I'm trying, I think I've been accustomed to how easy it all seemed and now I'm getting the emotional kickback of you're OK that stalled me before

    I suppose I just want it to be a little easier
  • IHateThinkingOfAUsername
    IHateThinkingOfAUsername Posts: 568 Member
    Am I alone in being this stupid and how do I regain that focus and drive and avoid that roller coaster again?

    No you aren't alone. I'm at my 'wow I'm fab' weight. What I mean is, on previous weight loss sections of my journey, when I've lost around 1-2stone I've gotten to 10st7, and thought yay I look great. I can see my hips (when I lay down), my clothes look fab, I'm a UK size 10/12 (I'm also an hour glass so I can hide fat well)... and I usually kid myself into thinking that I can stop.

    Well this time I've decided I'm not going to, those additional 21lbs I want to lose *do* matter. I am not in the healthy BMI. I still have fat that I can see when I'm naked. My arm muscles are hidden by a layer of fat and skin. I want to hit my goal weight.

    I don't know if what I've written makes sense lol - but no you aren't alone.
  • IHateThinkingOfAUsername
    IHateThinkingOfAUsername Posts: 568 Member
    Also to say it doesn't help that at this weight I get lots of compliments because my weight loss is noticable. That always boosts me up (and also fools me into thinking I don't need to carry on).... and in the past when I have said I'm carrying on those comments turn into the typical 'don't' type of comments which leads me to stop....
    ... I'm not letting other people's opinions impact upon my journey this time.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Well, you are OK. There's nothing wrong with being happy about your progress even when you still have a ways to go. You lost weight and made changes to improve your health. That's huge, be proud of it.

    Remember this isn't a sprint. You don't have to go-go-go until you hit goal weight. You can slow down and relax a bit. I'm not saying go back to old habits, but you can ease up if you want to. Reduce your calorie deficit so you only lose 1/2 lb per week. Eat at maintenance for a week. Plan a special night out where you don't worry about calories. Or just relax in general and choose different goals, like running a 5k, doing a pull-up, mastering a position in yoga, etc, and just take the attitude that the weight will still come off while you're working towards those goals. Sometimes just taking the focus off the scale as the measure of success can help.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,149 Member
    Well, you are OK. There's nothing wrong with being happy about your progress even when you still have a ways to go. You lost weight and made changes to improve your health. That's huge, be proud of it.

    Remember this isn't a sprint. You don't have to go-go-go until you hit goal weight. You can slow down and relax a bit. I'm not saying go back to old habits, but you can ease up if you want to. Reduce your calorie deficit so you only lose 1/2 lb per week. Eat at maintenance for a week. Plan a special night out where you don't worry about calories. Or just relax in general and choose different goals, like running a 5k, doing a pull-up, mastering a position in yoga, etc, and just take the attitude that the weight will still come off while you're working towards those goals. Sometimes just taking the focus off the scale as the measure of success can help.
    Well said! +1
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    Well, you are OK. There's nothing wrong with being happy about your progress even when you still have a ways to go. You lost weight and made changes to improve your health. That's huge, be proud of it.

    Remember this isn't a sprint. You don't have to go-go-go until you hit goal weight. You can slow down and relax a bit. I'm not saying go back to old habits, but you can ease up if you want to. Reduce your calorie deficit so you only lose 1/2 lb per week. Eat at maintenance for a week. Plan a special night out where you don't worry about calories. Or just relax in general and choose different goals, like running a 5k, doing a pull-up, mastering a position in yoga, etc, and just take the attitude that the weight will still come off while you're working towards those goals. Sometimes just taking the focus off the scale as the measure of success can help.

    This!

    I've actually been maintaining my current weight for the last two years after having lost a considerable amount. I'm still overweight and have now started to lose again but my focus shifted a lot from just the scale. Not saying you should 'pause' for two years necessarily but shifting your focus and taking it a bit more easy for a while might help.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Even when I don't feel like being all go go go like the other poster described, I still log and do my exercises. I think that has really helped because I haven't abandoned all the habits that made me be successful in one fell swoop. That way, in a week or three when I have renewed motivation to press on, all the tools and habits are still in place and it's not starting from scratch at all
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    Focus on what you still don't like. If really you're not finding the motivation, increase your goal to half a pound a week... it feels much less like a 'diet' but you still make progress.
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    I've been doing really well with MFP over the last 3 months or so, lost 27lbs (yes my ticker is inaccurate) through calorie deficit and exercise regime and I'm pleased with how my body is looking. My lifestyle has changed massively from couch potato to gym 3 x a week plus fitbit walking tracking.

    Only I'm starting to feel a bit smug and it's interfering with my self-control and my calorie count is beginning to build daily (I'm set to lose a lb a week now). My problem is I'm quietly happy with my body and get great compliments, I'm tall and hourglass so carry extra weight quite well even though I definitely have another 20lbs to lose, I've dropped one size to a UK 14 (US 10), still have wobbly bits am 14lbs away from the weight I was when I married and another 7 from top BMI

    So I know rationally that I'm still on the weight loss journey and not near maintenance but I'm beginning to slip mentally and worried that I will slip too far and lose all that I've gained ...am I alone in being this stupid and how do I regain that focus and drive and avoid that roller coaster again?

    If you enjoy the way you look and feel, it makes sense that you're losing the motivation to continue (at least if you're like most, and feel even a little bit of deprivation during the process).

    You have to ask yourself: Who are you doing this for? You say you like the way you look. If that's why you started losing in the first place, maybe you're finished.

    Perhaps you should enter maintenance and re-evaluate how you feel a bit later.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Well, you are OK. There's nothing wrong with being happy about your progress even when you still have a ways to go. You lost weight and made changes to improve your health. That's huge, be proud of it.

    Remember this isn't a sprint. You don't have to go-go-go until you hit goal weight. You can slow down and relax a bit. I'm not saying go back to old habits, but you can ease up if you want to. Reduce your calorie deficit so you only lose 1/2 lb per week. Eat at maintenance for a week. Plan a special night out where you don't worry about calories. Or just relax in general and choose different goals, like running a 5k, doing a pull-up, mastering a position in yoga, etc, and just take the attitude that the weight will still come off while you're working towards those goals. Sometimes just taking the focus off the scale as the measure of success can help.

    Yes, this. If you feel pretty good where you are, you might want to think about what you will do to stay there or reduce your goal, since you feel better about just losing slowly. What you don't want is to get complacent and slip back into bad habits and start going the other way. This gives you the opportunity to start working on how you avoid that.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    Start making more fitness goals, less weight driven. Sure, you feel fine, you go to the gym three times a week, now, get a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you carve some muscle and work on that elusive six pack.

    New goals...That will keep you motivated.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Ultimately, this has to be about more than just the scale. Being at and maintaining a healthy weight is simply a bi-product of living a healthful life, not the reason for living a healthful life...figuring that out is winning....

    Take a step back and try to see the bigger picture. Set some goals for yourself that don't have anything to do with the scale.
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  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,377 Member
    I understand. When you're tall you can carry an extra 20 pounds …that with clothes on..doesn't look all that bad.

    I say this..cause i do the same thing. I start looking like my old self and get over confident and go back to my old ways and never really get to goal like the shorter people on here that every five pounds on them look like 20 on us.

    I say??? take naked pictures of yourself. Hedi Klume said she had her mom take naked pictures of her until she lost all every bit of her baby weight. When you look good naked…then feel smug.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    Well you've said deep down you know what you still need to do, focus on that. You should feel proud of your achievement so far, just think how much prouder you will feel when you reach your goal!!

    "Just do it"

    yes I say this quote a lot to myself and also I say "because you said you would"
  • Tracey_B_72
    Tracey_B_72 Posts: 1,021 Member
    Seriously just keep going as the compliments will keep coming and become more and more, where you are now is just the tip of the iceberg.
This discussion has been closed.

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