Gradual Lifestyle Changes?

lcyfrnxo
lcyfrnxo Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

This is about the millionth time I'll be starting over, and I feel like I'm at my wits end. I am really struggling to conjure up will power but I know that I need to change. I am unconfident, unfit, unhappy and have been scared to go near the opposite sex for the past 2 years. I really need to find something that will work. I am wondering if there's anyone who has lost weight by gradually changing their habits. IE, just cutting out snacks and eating three regular meals a day/ adding in a tiny bit of exercise a few times a week. If this sounds like something you've done/ are doing, then please share your experiences with me. I'd love to hear how successful/ unsuccessful this has been for you. I think I'm just trying to tear myself away from that all/ nothing approach that seems to make losing weight so difficult for me. I'd really appreciate your input.

Thank you xoxo

Replies

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Start off by going for a walk every day. Then make the walk longer. Then cut out junk food. Then start logging and calorie counting in earnest. Then see if you can do more intense exercise on some days than just walking. Allow like a month for each change.
  • SabrinaLily
    SabrinaLily Posts: 121
    Yup. This is my millionth time starting over this year alone. For me, one of my BIG problems is alcohol. As soon as I get home from work I grab a beer and sit on the couch. It's the only way I know to relax especially when you have a house full of kids! That said, I started over on Monday and I have one precious hour of free time between when I quit work and when I have to get the baby from daycare. Instead of enjoying those oh-so-few minutes of peace and quiet at home, I've started going to the gym right after work and then I get her from daycare after. When I get home after having worked out, a beer doesn't sound very tempting. So by making this one small change three days a week, I've cut out alcohol and incorporated exercise. There are a few other little things I'm changing too and I hope to god this time it sticks. The good thing to keep in mind is that "summer bodies are made in the winter". The cold weather is coming so we can hide our fat in the bulky winter clothes while the transformation is taking place and then come summer- let's emerge like a skinny phoenix!
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    That's basically what I did for the first 4 months when I started, along with lifting 3x per week. Over those 4 months, I lost 4 pounds. I took progress pictures, and if I looked really close I could see a tiny bit of muscle in my back that wasn't there in the beginning. So that's when I went gung ho and educated myself about nutition. Following IIFYM and lifting 5x per week over the next 4-5 months, I lost around 20 more pounds. Same approximate time period, vastly different results.

    Point being, that was 4 months of basically wasted progress from just making minor changes.
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    Baby steps start by walking 30 minutes every day do that for a couple weeks then start adding another component.

    Good Luck on your Journey

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  • sharil2012
    sharil2012 Posts: 2 Member
    The slow and steady wins the race attitude definitely applies to weight loss. No one can make 15 changes to their lifestyle in a day and expect them to be permanent changes. I lost 35 lbs by changing one thing at a time. I first started with exercising regularly. I started with basic walking for 30 minutes 2 or 3 times per week and increased this to 5 days a week after about one month. Once I had a regular exercise schedule, I began to change my diet. I started eating more whole foods and stopped eating processed chips. Over the next 6 months, I realized that I had also stopped eating candy bars too without making a conscientious decision to do so. Eating healthier foods and limiting sweets and snacks started to just be a natural part of living. Not to say that I never ate a cheeseburger and fries, but this became something that I did once every month or so instead of once or twice per week. I can't say that I have always been good about staying on track. Recently my father in law passed away and in dealing with his death, his estate, and a demanding job, I have nearly stopped all of those healthy habits that used to just be life and have gained back 15 lbs in the past 5 months. Now that things have been settled, I re-started my gradual changes again this week and I started with the removal of processed foods. Next week I will begin exercising again at least 2 days per week. I hope that my story has helped. Just remember that it does not matter how often you slip up, pick yourself back up and begin again. I still have 35 lbs to loose and my goal is to have this gone by my 45th birthday next year. Good Luck and keep re-starting!
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    I started out making small dietary changes. Cut back on fried foods. Added more vegetables. Little things here and there, every month I would try to make a minor adjustment. At the end of the year I had retooled my diet. Trying to change it all at once would have been discouraging. I would have bailed out before too long. Small changes over time made the transition easier.

    I applied the same method to exercise. Walking short distances at first. Doing it on a regular basis was far more important that the distance. It set up the habit of exercising. From there I increased the distance and then began slowly adding in bodyweight exercises. A year later I was exercising 6 days a week (3 days strength training and 3 days of cardio).

    Some people can jump right in and go from 0 to 60 without any issues. That's not me. I needed to make gradual changes to diet and exercise to have a lifestyle change that is sustainable. It's been a little over 3 years since I started the process. Now it's just the new normal.
  • ChampCrucial
    ChampCrucial Posts: 120 Member
    Hello,

    I lost plenty of weight. One summer I stopped eating big meals in general and spaced out what I ate. In the end I ended up eating less in general. In addition, that summer I lifted weights even if it was only 2 sets of everything with my bro and played basketball every day one summer. Ok that wasn't gradual but it worked

    For real though

    1. I decided to only use one dressing when I get salads on campus. I still use one half of the time I go to the campus
    2. I started cutting out soda until I eventually lost a real taste for it
    3. I bought a membership with Nashville B Cycle and rode a bike once a week since I pay for it
    4. I used half of instant flavored oatmeal and half of old fashioned oatmeal to save calories and sugar.

    Can;t say if all of these worked but it sparked more little changes at a faster rate that eventually led to a give or take "fit" lifestyle. Hope this helps :(
  • GFDawn
    GFDawn Posts: 37 Member
    Yep, eventually it will all be something you do everyday! Look back in a month to see all the small changes that add up!

    I started with a walk on my 15 minute break, now both breaks. My goal is to walk after work as well which I maybe do once a week.

    Logging whatever I put in my mouth has really helped. I drink more water and watch my sugar & salt. I've cut corners where necessary. Now eating plain yogurt & yes using one oatmeal packet along with plain oatmeal. Eating more fruit as snacks and pretzels or granola bars.
  • Zerodette
    Zerodette Posts: 200 Member
    First I decided to make it a habit to go to the gym 4 to 5 times a week. That took about a month. Then I started coming here every day and logging everything I ate. As logging became a habit, it became easy for me to see what else needed to change, and build from there.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    Gradual change is definitely the best option. If you attempt to keep an eye on everything and be strict constantly after doing none of these things, it will feel like you are trying to be someone you are not, it won't feel natural, and it won't stick. Instead, try making a small change or two at a time, and once those become part of your normal routine, make another change or two. Don't get so overwhelmed with seeing the numbers fall off, but at first concentrate on them not piling on, and don't forget to reward yourself with this accomplishment (not with food)!

    I definitely think walking 30 mins, however slowly, several times a week is a great first goal. Also, you don't need to cut out snacking, but just trade them with healthy versions; most of us could use a pick me up between the bigger meals of the day. Hope this helps!
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    I think that is one of the best approaches you can take actually. If you try to do too much at once you are likely to feel overwhelmed and just give up completely. For me I started with exercise first and that was at the beginning of July. I "kinda" watched what I was eating and tried not to eat as much but I was not monitoring it that close. In August I set a goal to not miss a day of exercise the entire month but I also decided to quit drinking pop even though it was diet I was drinking.

    Joining MFP was actually the last thing I did and I've been logging every day since then. It has really helped me to have the support and accountability of people on the site and made me MUCH more aware of what I'm eating. Since joining MFP I have also purchased a heart rate monitor to accurately access my calories burned during exercise and using a food scale to accurately track what calories I'm consuming. Just pick a thing or two and start with that, there is always room for improvement where health and fitness are concerned. Best of luck, feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I started half-assed logging around this time in August. Then I joined a group challenge and felt a little obligated to not totally suck at logging. I logged a few heinous days. Then I started portioning my food out and weighing it - eating the actual serving size, not just whatever I ball parked as being a serving (let me tell you, I've had far less cheese than I was before, because I was THAT off).

    My exercise has been limited to be honest. It's not my favorite thing at the moment, and I'm focusing on eating better because for me that's where my true struggle is. I'm 10 pounds down in the past month on faithful food logging, a few walks, 1 Jillian Michaels video, random exercising (pushups, crunches, light weights), fall cleaning the hell out of my house and garage, and one 5 minute mishap where I thought I could totally run my stairs for a few songs. :embarassed:
  • lpendleton58
    lpendleton58 Posts: 285 Member
    I am almost down 80lbs from when I started over 3 years ago and the one thing I kept in mind that it is a slow process. You can't get to bog down when there are no immediate results as well as not become comfortable when you have success.

    A lot of the prior replies have provided great advice so I will past on repeating the same things. However, one thing to keep in mind that the process of a healthier lifestyle, in my opinion, is just as much mental than it is the actions you take. For instance, I noticed that I get urges to snack more when I'm in a kitchen, therefore, I limit as much time in the kitchen as possible to prevent the urges.

    Just find what works for you and stick to it. You may go weeks w/o positive results but if you are determined and persistent, then the results will come in due time. Good Luck!

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