The Emotional Side of Losing Weight

I just try and focus on the little things like getting more fit so if I run further today it just means I'm getting healthier try not to focus on the weight just the positive side effects

Hiya I'm new to MFP as well. I have needed to lose between 60-80 pounds in the last five years without much success. It sometimes feels too much as I kept failing EVERY DAY at eating good. I was a stalker of MFP but here I am! I am taking each day as it comes as well. Weighing weekly with one day I can cut myself slack and eat whatever I want. If you want a friend in the same boat feel free to add

I set smaller goals: losing 10% of my body weight, getting to 200lbs (closely followed by getting out of the obese BMI range). It's much easier when you don't hold out for a goal that's a really long way away and can celebrate the smaller wins. And getting into smaller sizes is nice too, but it took me a while to start dropping sizes.

ETA: Wait, is the OP banned?

One day at a time, dude.

I had 90 to lose when I first started, and couldn't think about it. I still can't think about it in one big chunk. I think about it in 5 pound increments.

5 pounds at a time? I can handle that. That gives me a goal that's reachable. I also go day to day with meeting my goal of eating within my deficit, weighing and measuring my food, and logging.

So far, for closing in on 4 months, it's worked.

By focusing on the process, not the results. I brush my teeth every day and I don't necessarily see "rewards" for it -- the biggest reward is the absense of a negative (a clean dental check-up) but I brush my teeth because it's just habit. There's no end goal.

I break it down into 5-10 pound increments. That may work for you. Weighing daily motivates me - it pulls a lot of people down so you have to figure out what works for you. Can you pull someone into your weight loss journey with you? Start a blog? Take before and after pics? Enjoy each day - watch the sunrise, enjoy dancing in your living room, meditate, whatever works for you. Peace and support your way!

I had 170 to lose - I never even thought 50 was possible ! I just focused on small goals -fitting into a dress, going out with mates and it just melted off as I increased my exercise from zero to walking 3 miles a day and now I do 6 days a week at the gym. Im on the last 61 pounds now. Im 5 7 and carry most on my legs so from waist up and dressing well I look virtually slim - but its definitely an emotional journey to realise Im not the fat girl ignored in the corner.

Good luck on your journey x

I agree with not making your reward food! New nail polish, a new pair of shoes, a walk on a new route, sleeping in 10 extra minutes... something like that. Honestly, losing weight is its own reward.

Nothing could have made me as happy as slipping into my smallest pair of jeans (which I had well outgrown) straight out of the dryer. When they get too loose on me, I will finally buy some new ones. That's my next "big" goal. Not the other 65 pounds I have to lose. I also have another goal of increasing the incline on the treadmill.

There are ALL sorts of little victories along the way to keep your focus and set your mind to. Savor them.

I started out at nearly 100 lbs. to lose. Now down to about 70 to lose to be at my ideal. DON'T think about "how much" you have to lose. DO celebrate every pound. Every. Single. Pound. That pound is one pound less that you now have to lose! When you're down to, say, five pounds lost, think about this: you'd have killed or died to have been five pounds lighter a month ago! Now you ARE! And just keep going with it.

There are so many different ways to look at it. I started with a goal of 100 pounds from 244 to 144 at 5'2" - I made to about 96 pounds down. Along the way you will discover things that you can't even imagine and some of the ones you are imagining may never materialize But I think everyone on here would agree it is totally worth it.

There were times when I counted what I had lost 10, 11, 12 seeing those number going up was at times easier than still seeing the 2?? on the scale. I kept track of all my workouts - time, resistance, distance, etc. as time went on I could look back and remember being able to only do 15 min of something at resistance 2 and I could gauge my progress. For a lack of a better of way of putting this - get in touch with your body, there are times when the scale is not cooperating, during these times you may notice changes in your body that at least let you know something is going on that your work has not really stalled and this is part of the process. I also took part in several challenges, a 30 day challenge gives you a time to focus on something without it being too much of a commitment - my proudest one was the no candy for so many days before Halloween, I actually made it Self proclaimed lover of sweets I am!

Don't focus so much on that 100 lbs. think about being healthy and fit and what you see in the mirror, because you may see something you really like before losing that 100 lbs

Best wishes!

It's a perspective thing. As soon as I realized that I would have to change my habits for LIFE, not just until I reach a certain number on the scale, the numbers and the time seemed of little consequence. I focused on other numbers instead, my daily macros and micros. Making sure I hit all of those in whatever target zone every day so I could change the numbers the doctors were giving me. Reaching a certain number of minutes of intentional exercise everyday.

I still have the number I want to reach in the back of my mind, but I focus on today and on making the most of the moment that I'm in. Can I make a better choice this moment? Can I work myself a little harder in this moment?

Focus on putting one foot in front of the other, both literally and figuratively, and you will reach your destination.

Try reading this thread:
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10052379/unexpected-results-of-weight-loss/p1

It's quite emotional at times, but in a hilarious and positive way. I check in on it every day. Even the little things can really keep you going, and this thread gives you a lot to look forward to that you might not have thought about in a while. Sometimes when the scale doesn't move, you need a different perspective.

Don't let yourself focus on the big picture. This takes discipline, but then it takes discipline to los weight. Focus on the week-to-week progress. You lost a lb this week? Great! Or the day-to-day day. You wanted 14 slices of pizza for dinner but only ate 2? AWESOME. The point is: make small goals, meet them, and the big picture will take care of itself.

Once you lose a few pounds it gives you incentive to keep on, especially when you realize that the method of losing weight is not at all complicated and the same method works throughout the entire weight loss time period.

I'm one of the people who post my ticker on threads I respond to. This is kind of a big deal to me because back when I was getting started, and having a ticker displayed was an option for everyone (it could always be displayed -- you didn't have to paste it into every post), I used to look at mine and wonder what it would feel like to see "20 pounds lost". I hoped by the time my ticker showed a 20 pound loss I would feel like I understood how to lose weight. At 18 pounds lost I knew I had learned quite a bit and was anxious to see 20 because I felt like it was sort of a badge, kind of like, "okay, I've made it to this level". The next time I felt that way, that I could say I understood this weight loss process even better, was about 38 pounds, waiting for the ticker to read 40.

It's slowed down a lot now because I have to eat at a greater deficit since I've lost quite a bit, but the ticker still inspires me to keep at it and see the numbers-lost increase. Now I know I will continue losing and continue learning as I go along, and each number increase on the ticker is as gratifying as those early big numbers were.

Not sure how helpful all that is. LOL. Maybe I didn't need to share. But oh well, we talk about constipation and underwear on this site so, meh.