For those of you who have lost 80+ pounds...

saryann79
saryann79 Posts: 81 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been struggling with my weight for a very long time, with very little follow through. I have great plans, but when it comes right down to it, I always seem to fall right back into my old, bad habits. I will lose 30 pounds, put back on 15 of those, then lose another couple, gain a couple, then forget that I was ever on a diet. I've been doing this yo yo for most of my life. Here's my question for those of you who have been successful in losing a lot of weight...

What finally motivated you to stick with your plan? Have you done a lot of yo-yoing? Any bits of advise/inspiration/etc would be really helpful. I seem to have the best of intentions, but can't make it happen. I don't really care for cooking fresh healthy meals. I don't really care for eating at home and cleaning up the mess. I don't really care for exercising. When it comes right down to it, I would rather make the same choices I've been making. How do you get out of this mindset?

Replies

  • saryann79
    saryann79 Posts: 81 Member
    I have been struggling with my weight for a very long time, with very little follow through. I have great plans, but when it comes right down to it, I always seem to fall right back into my old, bad habits. I will lose 30 pounds, put back on 15 of those, then lose another couple, gain a couple, then forget that I was ever on a diet. I've been doing this yo yo for most of my life. Here's my question for those of you who have been successful in losing a lot of weight...

    What finally motivated you to stick with your plan? Have you done a lot of yo-yoing? Any bits of advise/inspiration/etc would be really helpful. I seem to have the best of intentions, but can't make it happen. I don't really care for cooking fresh healthy meals. I don't really care for eating at home and cleaning up the mess. I don't really care for exercising. When it comes right down to it, I would rather make the same choices I've been making. How do you get out of this mindset?
  • Hannah_Banana
    Hannah_Banana Posts: 1,242 Member
    I made the decision when I started to see stretch marks and I wasn't pregnant. :tongue:

    I'm not sure what would help you, but what helped me was taking a 'before' picture of myself in a bikini from several angles standing/sitting down. I then printed them out and pasted them on my fridge, and made another the background for my computer. Nothing puts me off the sight of food like my roley poley body in a bikini. :blushing: :laugh:
  • artschoolgirl
    artschoolgirl Posts: 598 Member
    Taking it slow. I found that taking out small things one at a time rather than jumping fully on the wagon was much easier. If you drink pop, start limitting that. Then take away friend foods. Just take small steps and take your time. It took me about 3 years to lose 115 lbs, granted, i didn't start exercising until 6 months ago, but just diet alone. I started losing when I started college. Walking to and from college everyday for 20 minutes total helped me lose 30 lbs in about 3 months. I never ate fruits and veggies, i started adding those to my diet. Just small steps made it easy peasy! Seriously! I know because I took my time that it will take a lot of hard work to put that weight back on, which I won't let happen.

    Also, just being on this site is the biggest key. Now we're all watching you!!! hehehe :smile:
  • HISjuggalette061808
    HISjuggalette061808 Posts: 46
    i haven't lost 80+ lbs, but i've lost 17 and i'll tell you what motivated me.....

    my doctor telling me i was going to be infertile, never have a family, and that if i kept the way i was going up, i was going to die.

    those aren't the best words to tell a 16 year old girl, but it def. motivated me. but i did the exact same thing you did....istarted losing weight, i would see the difference, but then when i knew i lost a few pounds, it would stick in my mind that no matter what i ate after that, i would stay the same weight i was at when i lost the few pounds.

    i went to my doctor and he told me that i actually GAINED weight. this was when i was 17 and all icould do was break down and cry.

    finally, one day, i woke up and something just hit me. i decided that day that i was not gonna be a victim to my own self. it hit me that it wasn't everyone else doing this to me, it was me shoving food down my throat that i knew i shouldn't have eaten.

    but now i'm 17 lbs lighter and going strong. i work out everyday and measure everything i eat. its a real pain sometimes and it can be emotionally exhausting, but you just have to keep up with it and tell yourself everyday that you won't be your own victim.

    just stick to it and you'll be fine ! :flowerforyou:
  • GTOgirl1969
    GTOgirl1969 Posts: 2,527 Member
    you just have to keep up with it and tell yourself everyday that you won't be your own victim.

    Well said!:drinker:
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    You should talk to "TamTastic" she has an inspiring story of losing over 100 lbs, and being at it for over a year now.

    I've lost 31lbs with MFP (I'm now on maintenance) but I've lost over 60 lbs since Jan of 07.

    What keeps me going is the dedication - I just had to make the committment to it. Done. No more old habits. When you slip up, you resume the plan the MINUTE you realize the slip up. Not tommorow. Not Monday.

    Interesting side note:
    I once read that people who start diet's on Mondays, "Oh, I'll have one last big meal, then start the diet on Monday" are most likely to always be overweight / have dieting issues. The one thing consistent amoung successful losers is that when they slip up, they get right back on the program that minute, and move forward.
    :flowerforyou:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    50 pounds to lose...but the difference this time from all others is One Day at a Time. really....I dont think about tomorrow. I say TODAY, this MOMENT I am going to have a salad and chicken breast.

    Next thing ya know it was 5 months and 25 pounds later!

    Good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Hey! I saw this post earlier and meant to respond to it. Thanks for reminding me Amanda!!

    Anyway, I can totally relate to the yo-yo dieting thing. I yo-yo'ed through my 20's! I would get down small and then up heavy. Unfortunately it took those many failed attempts for me to finally get it through my head that the only way to do this was through eating right and exercise.

    I think what worked for me this time is I didn't just jump in head first. I slowly started to make one small change after another. I didn't stress myself out. The fact is, if you stress out, you won't stick to this. All these small changes over the last year lead me to a new lifestyle and it was almost effortless.

    Calorie counting helps a lot! Just paying attention to what you are eating and educating yourself on proper portions will help a lot. Changing the way you view food is also a huge thing. One day, I just started to think about what food is there for, which is to nourish us! We have everything we need to keep ourselves healthy and yet so many of us fail at it. Eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and drinking a lot of water can do WONDERS for your health that have nothing to do with weight. But when you treat your body right, it will reward you!

    That isn't to say I never treat myself. I started my new lifestyle in September of last year. I got through the holiday season because I allowed myself to enjoy my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I ate Super Bowl junk. The difference is, while I enjoyed it, I payed attention to my body and stopped when I was full AND I got back on my "normal" routine the very next day.

    I have said this before but I read somewhere that one of the traits of "naturally thin" people, is that they DO allow themselves to eat junk and enjoy "bad" foods sometimes. The difference is, they do it ONCE IN AWHILE and then get right back on track in their healthier lifestyle. When you get that in your head that eating right isn't about deprivation, the journey becomes a lot easier and you are able to relax a bit. Also, every time you are successful at it, you learn to trust yourself more and your confidence will grow.

    You can do this! Don't let food control your life anymore. It just isn't worth it.

    Take care!
    -Tami
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Interesting side note:
    I once read that people who start diet's on Mondays, "Oh, I'll have one last big meal, then start the diet on Monday" are most likely to always be overweight / have dieting issues. The one thing consistent amoung successful losers is that when they slip up, they get right back on the program that minute,
    That's a good point Amanda!

    The fact of the matter is, it isn't one meal that makes us overweight and there will be days that aren't going to be perfect, but just get back on track and you will be ok! Allowing yourself to be human and relax here and there is FINE. Just don't ignore those warning signs that we all get when we know we are heading down the wrong path again.
  • chipper15173
    chipper15173 Posts: 3,981 Member
    well said tam......:flowerforyou:

    i changed my way of eating when the doctor told me at 286 #s you are a diabetic and you need to lose weight or else. i started 6/18/06. (stopped to quit smoking and now back at it.)

    it is about letting yourself go "sometimes" enjoy life. it's not going to stop and wait. you need to be aware of what you are eating at all times and listen well to what your body tells you.

    good luck......
  • watch48win
    watch48win Posts: 1,668 Member
    Hey! I saw this post earlier and meant to respond to it. Thanks for reminding me Amanda!!

    Anyway, I can totally relate to the yo-yo dieting thing. I yo-yo'ed through my 20's! I would get down small and then up heavy. Unfortunately it took those many failed attempts for me to finally get it through my head that the only way to do this was through eating right and exercise.

    I think what worked for me this time is I didn't just jump in head first. I slowly started to make one small change after another. I didn't stress myself out. The fact is, if you stress out, you won't stick to this. All these small changes over the last year lead me to a new lifestyle and it was almost effortless.

    Calorie counting helps a lot! Just paying attention to what you are eating and educating yourself on proper portions will help a lot. Changing the way you view food is also a huge thing. One day, I just started to think about what food is there for, which is to nourish us! We have everything we need to keep ourselves healthy and yet so many of us fail at it. Eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and drinking a lot of water can do WONDERS for your health that have nothing to do with weight. But when you treat your body right, it will reward you!

    That isn't to say I never treat myself. I started my new lifestyle in September of last year. I got through the holiday season because I allowed myself to enjoy my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I ate Super Bowl junk. The difference is, while I enjoyed it, I payed attention to my body and stopped when I was full AND I got back on my "normal" routine the very next day.

    I have said this before but I read somewhere that one of the traits of "naturally thin" people, is that they DO allow themselves to eat junk and enjoy "bad" foods sometimes. The difference is, they do it ONCE IN AWHILE and then get right back on track in their healthier lifestyle. When you get that in your head that eating right isn't about deprivation, the journey becomes a lot easier and you are able to relax a bit. Also, every time you are successful at it, you learn to trust yourself more and your confidence will grow.

    You can do this! Don't let food control your life anymore. It just isn't worth it.

    Take care!
    -Tami

    Well said....I second everything Tami wrote.
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Hey! I saw this post earlier and meant to respond to it. Thanks for reminding me Amanda!!

    Anyway, I can totally relate to the yo-yo dieting thing. I yo-yo'ed through my 20's! I would get down small and then up heavy. Unfortunately it took those many failed attempts for me to finally get it through my head that the only way to do this was through eating right and exercise.

    I think what worked for me this time is I didn't just jump in head first. I slowly started to make one small change after another. I didn't stress myself out. The fact is, if you stress out, you won't stick to this. All these small changes over the last year lead me to a new lifestyle and it was almost effortless.

    Calorie counting helps a lot! Just paying attention to what you are eating and educating yourself on proper portions will help a lot. Changing the way you view food is also a huge thing. One day, I just started to think about what food is there for, which is to nourish us! We have everything we need to keep ourselves healthy and yet so many of us fail at it. Eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and drinking a lot of water can do WONDERS for your health that have nothing to do with weight. But when you treat your body right, it will reward you!

    That isn't to say I never treat myself. I started my new lifestyle in September of last year. I got through the holiday season because I allowed myself to enjoy my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I ate Super Bowl junk. The difference is, while I enjoyed it, I payed attention to my body and stopped when I was full AND I got back on my "normal" routine the very next day.

    I have said this before but I read somewhere that one of the traits of "naturally thin" people, is that they DO allow themselves to eat junk and enjoy "bad" foods sometimes. The difference is, they do it ONCE IN AWHILE and then get right back on track in their healthier lifestyle. When you get that in your head that eating right isn't about deprivation, the journey becomes a lot easier and you are able to relax a bit. Also, every time you are successful at it, you learn to trust yourself more and your confidence will grow.

    You can do this! Don't let food control your life anymore. It just isn't worth it.

    Take care!
    -Tami

    Well said....I second everything Tami wrote.
    Thanks!!!!! :bigsmile:
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