150lbs + To lose. How to stay motivated for that incredible journey?

Just realizing that and knowing that you have to come to terms with it is half the battle, honestly. I have a fit and healthy friend who -- bless her! -- never used to judge or nag me about my weight, although I know it bothered her to see me so unhealthy at my "super morbidly obese" weight. Once I had lost enough weight for her to see it, we talked about it a little. I remember the look on her face -- a huge lightbulb going off, actually -- when I said something about how I can't even imagine what it must be like to need to lose just 20 lbs. "I mean, to be able to approach this without the handicap of knowing it's going to take YEARS. That was a huge obstacle to my getting started. Because I didn't think I could face years of this." It had never occurred to her what a huge issue that is for anyone who has a lot of weight to lose.

My advice is

1. Be gentle with yourself. When setting your calorie goals at the beginning, don't be too restrictive. Sure you're all motivated at the beginning and you think "the faster the better," but you'll burn out your motivation faster too. The more you're eating, the easier it is to feel committed to the program. If you feel like you're eating an enjoyable diet, you'll stay motivated much better. And frankly, none of us got 150+ pounds overweight by eating a reasonable number of calories -- getting the calorie count down to a reasonable number will be a big difference and it will work.
2. Give yourself lots of easy wins. Short term goals are better than long-term ones, because you'll succeed at them sooner, and over and over again. But don't get anxious because you don't lose weight one week or two. Bodies don't work like that.
3. And when setting your goals, focus more on the process than on results. By that I mean, try to focus more on the goal of making new healthy habits than on the pounds lost. Decide what habits you want to change, how you're going to change them, and make a plan for gradual improvement. Start by focussing more on the goal of tracking accurately, honestly and consistently every day than on meeting your calorie goal. Once you've established the tracking habit, then it's about meeting calorie goals consistently. Once you have a handle on your calorie goals, maybe it's about starting an exercise habit. Focus on these things more than on losing a certain amount of weight each week or each month. The weight matters, but really if you get your habits truly under control, the weight will follow. And meanwhile you'll be filling your motivational bank with win after win after win.
4. Learn to love to cook if you don't already. I've been losing weight for 16 months and I still get excited about cooking new healthy recipes all the time. My food is interesting and delicious, so I don't feel deprived.
5. Don't totally eliminate delicious food from your life. A lot of people make this mistake. They "give up" sweets or alcohol or bread or butter or all of the above, whatever. "Giving up" something you love will only make you want it more. You'll find yourself fantasizing about how you're going to love eating that stuff when your diet is over. And guess what? That kind of thinking leads directly to your diet being over a lot sooner. Instead, establish a plan for how to include your favorite foods in moderation as a treat while meeting your calorie goals. If you love pizza, maybe you get a slice of pizza (logged, of course) every other Friday for dinner. Sure you'll have to compensate somehow to accommodate the pizza, but damn you'll enjoy it.

sympha01 wrote: »

Just realizing that and knowing that you have to come to terms with it is half the battle, honestly. I have a fit and healthy friend who -- bless her! -- never used to judge or nag me about my weight, although I know it bothered her to see me so unhealthy at my "super morbidly obese" weight. Once I had lost enough weight for her to see it, we talked about it a little. I remember the look on her face -- a huge lightbulb going off, actually -- when I said something about how I can't even imagine what it must be like to need to lose just 20 lbs. "I mean, to be able to approach this without the handicap of knowing it's going to take YEARS. That was a huge obstacle to my getting started. Because I didn't think I could face years of this." It had never occurred to her what a huge issue that is for anyone who has a lot of weight to lose.

My advice is

1. Be gentle with yourself. When setting your calorie goals at the beginning, don't be too restrictive. Sure you're all motivated at the beginning and you think "the faster the better," but you'll burn out your motivation faster too. The more you're eating, the easier it is to feel committed to the program. If you feel like you're eating an enjoyable diet, you'll stay motivated much better. And frankly, none of us got 150+ pounds overweight by eating a reasonable number of calories -- getting the calorie count down to a reasonable number will be a big difference and it will work.
2. Give yourself lots of easy wins. Short term goals are better than long-term ones, because you'll succeed at them sooner, and over and over again. But don't get anxious because you don't lose weight one week or two. Bodies don't work like that.
3. And when setting your goals, focus more on the process than on results. By that I mean, try to focus more on the goal of making new healthy habits than on the pounds lost. Decide what habits you want to change, how you're going to change them, and make a plan for gradual improvement. Start by focussing more on the goal of tracking accurately, honestly and consistently every day than on meeting your calorie goal. Once you've established the tracking habit, then it's about meeting calorie goals consistently. Once you have a handle on your calorie goals, maybe it's about starting an exercise habit. Focus on these things more than on losing a certain amount of weight each week or each month. The weight matters, but really if you get your habits truly under control, the weight will follow. And meanwhile you'll be filling your motivational bank with win after win after win.
4. Learn to love to cook if you don't already. I've been losing weight for 16 months and I still get excited about cooking new healthy recipes all the time. My food is interesting and delicious, so I don't feel deprived.
5. Don't totally eliminate delicious food from your life. A lot of people make this mistake. They "give up" sweets or alcohol or bread or butter or all of the above, whatever. "Giving up" something you love will only make you want it more. You'll find yourself fantasizing about how you're going to love eating that stuff when your diet is over. And guess what? That kind of thinking leads directly to your diet being over a lot sooner. Instead, establish a plan for how to include your favorite foods in moderation as a treat while meeting your calorie goals. If you love pizza, maybe you get a slice of pizza (logged, of course) every other Friday for dinner. Sure you'll have to compensate somehow to accommodate the pizza, but damn you'll enjoy it.

This is excellent advice. I lost 124 pounds and my husband 127. Yes, it can be overwhelming, but you just take it a day at a time, sometimes a minute at a time. Make sure you eat the correct amount of calories, this means also not eating too low, this will cause you to burn out and quit. Weigh and measure all your food, (get a food scale). Remember, there are no "bad" foods. Anything in moderation.

I think one of the most important things is surrounding people that support your journey. This whole journey is long and trying and having people that respect your goals and that you can go to if you need reassurance or guidance is a lifesaver. I have been up and down on the weightless journey for the last few years. I joined a very supportive group that has kept me motivated and helps me feel more accountable for my own choices. I have done really well with my goals since I joined.

Good luck with your journey. Also here are some ideas that I came across earlier today.

http://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/weight-loss/motivation/3-tips-stay-committed-goals?ICID=CT_BLOG_STAY_COMMITTED

Remember that you are establishing a new life style. The weight loss will follow. Even when I had weeks where I lost zero pounds I was happy that I felt good every day that wasn't spent stuffed and bloated. Hang in there day by day and there is a healthier you in the future.

I love all this advice!! It has been hard to make a lifestyle change.