How do you make it a lifestyle change?

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  • 78105234a
    78105234a Posts: 41 Member
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    One day at a time.
  • mjcongleton
    mjcongleton Posts: 9 Member
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    I've also started and stopped many times. Always gaining my weight back each time.

    I started again in the last two weeks here. From what I've read above I'm noticing two recurring trends:

    1. Baby Steps - several small changes over a long time seem to make for a new habits/lifestyle
    2. Sustainable Changes - The baby steps above must be sustainable. IE: If you can't do it forever, then you failed before you started.

    Thanks everyone for helping me realize what I also have to do.
  • FitnessTrainer69
    FitnessTrainer69 Posts: 283 Member
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    Start by just eating better. Make better choices when cooking. Set time aside for you, even if its 30minutes before kids get up. Everyone has a barrier, find away around it. Hope you find a solution.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    I am with you OP. I did the same thing. I'm on my 71 day streak and this time i did a few things differently..


    1. I realized that how i lose the weight is how i will have to maintain it. So no excluding carbs..sugar..or any food groups. i make my food tasty and eat what i like… i don't feel deprived at all. I also set my calories high..at 1640..and eat exercise calories back too.

    2. I exercise so i can eat more and i feel much better too

    3. I consider myself at maintenance already

    4. i am not weighing myself until i get to how i want to look. I do measure and try clothes on… that way i don't let the scale get me down.. i'm just getting healthier.

    Good luck..
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    You have to be willing to help yourself. Just judging from your post, you're on and off, and no one can make you stick with it. Weight loss is simply calories in versus calories out. IOW it's all about portion control.

    If you're not counting your calories by being faithful about logging in each day, you won't make it. You are exercising already, and with 3 kids and running them all over the place, you're burning calories. So you're problem is with food and drink consumption.

    Your Motivation?

    With Diabetes in your family, start looking at your limbs when you eat, and say to yourself do I want this food or do I want to keep my foot. Do I want all of the diseases to my internal organs that are directly associated with diabetes. Make your choice.

    Make the right choice--Good Luck and Welcome!
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
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    Lots of great advice already.

    I agree one day at a time and it has to mean enough to YOU!!!!

    WHY do you want this?
    Your healthy?
    your kids?
    To be around?

    Etc.
    Write it Down! Put it up someplace at the house. We ALL fall at times, but then look at WHY you want this and you CAN do it.
    One day at a time,
    One pound at a time.

    Motivation is ultimately from within, but lots of people helping and cheering can mean a Ton. :)
    We are here for you!

    For me? It was starting to gain weight and feeling bad and then having my cholestoral (and my husbands) come back Really Low on the 'good' side. We had two very young kids then. Someone needs to be here for them! So Bam... I found the things I had to do to make me keep doing it.
    A big part of that is being here, and encouraging others. It encourages me.

    My numbers are Much better... not perfect, but better.
    My husband hasn't made any changes and his numbers are exactly the same.

    Each day you wait is another day your body is working harder to do the very basics.
    Breath
    Pump Blood
    Digest food
    Handle sugar.
    Etc. etc.

    We get One body... thats it.
    What we do with it is up to us
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I stopped letting the excuses win.

    ^^^ This...

    i even wrote that as my 'success' story. you truly have to get rid of the excuses. it may not happen overnight, but it has to happen. yes, i still have them today, but i recognize them and get past it. when i began, it was small attainable goals. first thing was giving up soda. done - 20 lbs gone w/in two months. find something that works for you, but you need to seriously get RID of your excuses. oh and one more thing... get RID of the word DIET! it's a lifestyle change and/or healthy eating. diets come and go but healthy eating is here to stay. :flowerforyou:
  • indunna
    indunna Posts: 221 Member
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    Bump for later
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Why not set fitness goals for yourself instead of 5 k either make your own routed 5 k and have a sate you have to do it by. Or do it by bike or change it to a 10k or full marathon or half ironman? Or set a goal of a 15 mile hike or more and your goal or deadline is 6 mo. Or climb a mountain or a building with 1500 steps? All those are a thing to work to and are free. Each is a challenge to you.
  • srmchan
    srmchan Posts: 206 Member
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    Habit it is the key idea here.

    “Watch your thoughts for they become words.
    Watch your words for they become actions.
    Watch your actions for they become habits.
    Watch your habits for they become your character.
    And watch your character for it becomes your destiny.
    What we think, we become.
    My father always said that... and I think I am fine.”
    - Margaret Thatcher
  • juliesauber
    juliesauber Posts: 22 Member
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    A friend of mine says that an excuse is the skin of reason, stuffed with a lie. We all have excuses we can use, we can try and reason our bad choices but they may not be true. I have found that making my workouts and sticking to my meal plans a priority has really made a difference. I log in all my food, water intake, and exercise to MFP faithfully and I like the instant feedback of how much I would weigh if I ate/exercised like this everyday. I'm under 200 lbs for the first time in a long time and still have 25 lbs more to go, but I take it one meal at a time, one workout at a time, and I don't let myself get sidetracked. I keep my schedule flexible enough to be able to respond to any sudden bumps in the road. Planning and preparation are key also. I lay my workout clothes on the bed so when I get home in the afternoon I immediately put them on and go work out. I think out my whole meal plan for the week and buy groceries accordingly. I also cook several meals in advance. Go through the pantry and remove the junk. Take one meal a week as a cheat meal. Enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it. It's not what you do occassionally that will make a difference, it's what you do consistently that will. Best of success

    ^^ Excellent advice.

    This whole thread in general might be one of the best I've come across. Really excellent, thoughtful advice here. Thanks to all who contributed. I've been stuck in a rut controlled by my food cravings/emotional eating patterns and this thread is really getting me thinking HARD about what I need to do. :)
  • Runcakes
    Runcakes Posts: 92 Member
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    If you enjoyed running stick with it! Sure races are fun, but you can still set running goals for yourself without having to participate in actual races.
  • KEAVES13
    KEAVES13 Posts: 90 Member
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    mitchfergustitus wrote: »
    It's not what you do occassionally that will make a difference, it's what you do consistently that will.

    Wow. This is so right..thanks for this :)
  • Reel81
    Reel81 Posts: 8
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    pplastics wrote: »
    I stopped letting the excuses win.
    This is pretty much the only answer. Lots of good tips and tricks in this thread, but this statement is the heart of it.

    Even being selfless and saying, "I'm busy helping the kids" or "I had to work late" is a poor excuse once reframed, "I was tired after helping the kids and didn't feel like cooking", "I stopped and picked something up after a late night at the office instead of planning ahead". Sometimes you just have to put in the grunt work.

    Just my two cents.
  • scoronado3
    scoronado3 Posts: 12
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    The best motivation is the kids. I started working out and keeping it going because I have become a great role model for my son. He is proud of me and tells me everyday. I workout at home so I can still be with him and don't have to go anywhere. Plus I found a great support from my facebook challenge group. Find like-minded people to push you. I would love to connect with you and help you if you like others have done for me.

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