How did you know this time was it?

hedean
hedean Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can't even tell you the number of times I have begun changing my lifestyle for the better, and then after a few days/weeks gone back to my old ways. Each time I tell myself "This is going to be it, I'm going to lose weight", but so far none of the times have stuck.

I am wondering for those of you who are success stories or are on the road to becoming one...how did you guys know that you were for real? Or did you not think about it and just do it?
«1

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    I didn't know. The doctor told me I needed to eat healthy foods, so I did. I was damned afraid not to! I didn't count a single calorie for the first forty pounds or so. I just changed my diet. And I did it justlikethat. Bam. Changed.

    When I see people come to MFP and say "This time is different - it's for real!" and use phrases like, "I've got this!" I always wonder just who they're trying to convince. The cockiness seems (to me) to be a dead giveaway that they'll fail. But I'm sure someone started off that way and succeeded, so it's not like I'm certain.

    My best advice is to learn about nutrition from a trustable source, like a dietitian, not a fitness magazine. I think this is a nice start: http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/

    Do some exercise. Whatever you want, even walking. But get off your butt and do some damn thing every day.

    If you haven't seen your doctor, do that. Get a check-up and discuss losing weight. Then, eat right and exercise. You'll be thinner, healthier and happier...IF you're willing to do all the work. :)
  • 4ever420
    4ever420 Posts: 4,088 Member
    I have made many weight loss attempts over the years that never "stuck". This time I have been very successful and I knew very early into my journey that it was different this time. Don't really know how to explain it, it's just like this switch turned on in my brain.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Just woke up one day and decided to start exercising and watching my calories. Two months in, woke up one day and decided to quit smoking. Just did it.
  • hilaria81
    hilaria81 Posts: 84 Member
    Being told by 2 doctors that I was at risk of stroke in my early 30s was a pretty good motivator. I've been at this for 10 months now, have definitely slipped up a whole bunch of times, but I always keep trying to dust off and move forward!
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
    I've been at this for a couple years now - dropped 30 and maintained for a while and now dropping another 20 or so. I still don't know for sure. I take it one day at a time. Today, I will make good decisions that bring me closer to my goal. Tomorrow? Hopefully I will, maybe I won't. But today I certainly will.
  • Taajsgpm
    Taajsgpm Posts: 36
    4ever420 wrote: »
    I have made many weight loss attempts over the years that never "stuck". This time I have been very successful and I knew very early into my journey that it was different this time. Don't really know how to explain it, it's just like this switch turned on in my brain.

    What did you change, after multiple failures , very interesting and congrats
  • FitnessTrainer69
    FitnessTrainer69 Posts: 283 Member
    I changed the way I shopped for food and what foods I ate. Never gave up but had plenty of set backs and even took a week or two here and there due to injuries or illness. Honestly on the days you feel like not going, if you can just find one reason to get you to the gym then youve already succeeded for the day. The hardest part for me I guess is tring to change my families eating habits but also enjoy food aswell. I just tell myself to be better then the guy I used to be.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    It's like coming to the end of a movie. No matter the previous twists, turns, rise and fall, you know when the credits are about to roll.

    All of the false starts, and there were thousands, just didn't matter. I knew that this was "it". The time was always coming, it just had finally arrived.

    You know when you know. At least that was my experience.
  • hedean
    hedean Posts: 40 Member
    FitnessTrainer69 wrote: »
    I changed the way I shopped for food and what foods I ate.

    Thank you all for the interesting comments. In particular, FitnessTrainer69, what do you mean you changed the way you shop for food?

  • janiceclark08
    janiceclark08 Posts: 1,341 Member
    4ever420 wrote: »
    I have made many weight loss attempts over the years that never "stuck". This time I have been very successful and I knew very early into my journey that it was different this time. Don't really know how to explain it, it's just like this switch turned on in my brain.

    I started out just trying to cut back, but I ultimately wanted to lose weight. I didn't want to say I was dieting because I was afraid if I failed it would look like another failed a ttempt to lose the weight I had gained after I got married. Somehow it agreed with me, I didnt do anything extreme, that I knew wouldnt last. I've lost 41 lbs and am still motivated to lose more.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Just woke up one day and decided to start exercising and watching my calories. Two months in, woke up one day and decided to quit smoking. Just did it.

    Pretty much ^^ this for me, too. I decided to do it, so I did. No setting a start date, no waiting for a Monday, no "final binge" no nothing. Just "I'm tired of the way I am, so I'm not going to be this way anymore." And I did it from that day on.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    I finally accepted it would take time, that I'd fall over and just had to start again very next meal, that I only had to compete with myself.

    I kept it simple. Didn't do anything that I hated. It had to have longevity. I didn't tell anyone either because I knew I'd fail occasionally and didn't want an audience for that but I also knew that I'd want cheesecake every now and then and didn't need anyone telling me I shouldn't have it.

    I literally walked out of a biggest loser competition (local gym...which I came last in) and after a million realisations ran through my head I knew that day I would get the job done.

    The realisation was that I knew everything I needed to know, there aren't excuses anymore and I just needed to do it.
  • cloieclo
    cloieclo Posts: 33 Member
    Once you start losing weight, and you see the change in your body, you become more determined to carry on. That's how I know. I love seeing this change and I can't imagine going back to my old ways.
    I honestly, whole heartily, enjoy running and going to the gym. It's not a chore.
    This is all a new way of living. If you see it as a diet and a chore, your rebel.
    You have to WANT to do it. For yourself.
  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
    edited November 2014
    I remember seeing a dietitian years ago who told me "You just aren't ready to lose the weight." I was super angry with her because I really really wanted to lose the weight. However, she was kind of right. I wasn't ready to lose weight because I didn't want to stop eating extra food. I wanted to eat the extra food and lose weight.

    Well that isn't going to happen.

    When I lost the weight for real, it was because I was finally ready to stop overeating. I was ready to stop overeating because I was having binging issues that scared the crap out of me.

    Once I stopped overeating, I dropped the weight in a matter of months and have maintained a weight loss of 40 pounds for nearly 10 years. I've just recently let my weight creep back up, so I'm counting calories here on MFP and have lost 15 pounds in the past 10 weeks.

    I don't know what your "aha" moment will be, but I hope you find it!



  • DanoWpg
    DanoWpg Posts: 1 Member
    I was having a conversation with a close friend one evening, where I was telling her that I was going to do something about my weight. In that conversation I recall telling her, "It's time and I'm in charge of my own destiny". At that very moment, it was like someone turned on a switch and I felt like the world just came off my shoulders. It just clicked for me, right then and there...I've never looked back. I think once you've dealt with the mental issues holding you back, the rest falls into place.
  • katieskite
    katieskite Posts: 1 Member
    Honestly it was probably when my "fat" pants didn't fit anymore. Like the pants I bought at my highest weight were barely fitting. And I just felt so gross and bloated all the time I knew this was the time I really had to try.
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
    I gained about 40 pounds after I got married, and tried a few times to lose it. Each time, I knew what I needed to do, but didn't want to and tried to find ways to work around it or told myself I'd make up for overeating later. Finally, I reached a point where the work didn't bother me. That's when I knew this was it.
  • melbmeg
    melbmeg Posts: 32 Member
    edited November 2014
    I can't say for certain that this is it (how can we ever really know for sure?) but it FEELS different this time, in every way. Like previous posters, I've accepted this is a permanent lifestyle change. I've lost the "all or nothing" mindset that so often led me to abandoning 'diets' and bingeing, and instead I've realised that plateaus, feast days and fluctuations are fine because this is a 40-year journey that I'm on (hopefully).

    I think that my focus on health now - as opposed to looking hot - is also helping. I am not discouraged by the prospect of loose skin or saggy tits!

    Basically, I think in my case I had to grow the hell up and embrace adult concepts like moderation, patience, gentleness, self-control, and long-term thinking. I don't want to be a self-destructive child any more.
  • coueswhitetail
    coueswhitetail Posts: 309 Member
    I watched Dr. Joel Fuhrman on public TV and what he said made sense to me. Then I watched more videos online and read his book. I realized I had gotten lazy about what we were eating. It was just too easy to eat high calorie, low-nutrient foods like pasta, cheese and meat all the time. Then we started a fitness challenge on a website I run and it helped motivate me because we had a weekly check in. Once the weight started coming off, it really cemented in my mind that this was it and there was no going back. I have revamped what we eat, not just to lose weight but to improve our longterm health. Now I am so excited to come up with new recipes that focus on maximizing nutrition. We are eating such tasty and exciting foods now!
  • MelanieRBrace
    MelanieRBrace Posts: 245 Member
    katieskite wrote: »
    Honestly it was probably when my "fat" pants didn't fit anymore. Like the pants I bought at my highest weight were barely fitting. And I just felt so gross and bloated all the time I knew this was the time I really had to try.

    This was it for me. The fat clothes weren't fitting anymore and I couldn't stand to catch that glimpse of me in the window and didn't want photos taken with my child...it was long over due and due time.

Categories