Are you confident that you are able to reach your weight loss goals and maintain it?
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I will tell you in five years whether I am confident or not, because... statistics and reality.
On the other hand there is something almost liberating/enpowering in seeing your calories in/calories out displayed in MFP (and the anciliary apps many of us use), and then sometimes/often see your choices reflected on the scale.
And no matter how success is defined or what the (reality) chances of achieving that success are, being in the game gives you 100% more chance of success than not even trying!0 -
Will I hit my goal? Yes. That I can say for sure, because I'm almost there as it is.
Will I be able to maintain it? That's hard to say. I hope that I will be able to and I think, I will probably continue to use MFP for at least a year after I transition to help me. After that though, I'm young and I have no idea what life is going to throw at me. I started gaining weight because I went from very active to completely sedentary and I continued to eat like an active person. I can't let what could possibly go wrong in the future stop me from doing the best I can for my health/life right now.0 -
Best way would be paying off all my debt so I don't have to spend so much trying to get everything caught up haha. Otherwise I'm doing pretty good with what I haveI'm 95% confident in reaching my goal. I used to be fit at one point a few years ago, so I know I can be that fit again. The only thing that could push me to 100% is more money so I could afford to buy good food, but then again who couldn't use more money?
Interesting that you say that money plays a role. What would be the cheapest way to improve your lifestyle? And what would be the easiest way to save some money or earn some more?
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I'm more or less in maintenance. Confidence ...eh. All I can do is put one foot in front of the other and see what happens. One thing I do know is that I like to eat lots of calorie dense food and tend to get bored with my own cooking, so there's that. It feels like that's something that'll be a constant fight for some time to come0
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im not 100% sure i can maintain, i actually think having these last 5-10 pounds always in the distance helps me stay on track.0
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Honestly it's changed for me. I was 100% sure when I started this. Now I've been maintaining my 80 pounds loss for a year, even though I wanted to lose 3 more pounds, but I've been so hungry at times that I can't say for sure that the weight won't start creeping back up slowly... even though I doubt I'll ever be that big again.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »I'm 95% confident in reaching my goal. I used to be fit at one point a few years ago, so I know I can be that fit again. The only thing that could push me to 100% is more money so I could afford to buy good food, but then again who couldn't use more money?
I'm going to start a thread on affording good food; BBIAB with the link.
Share tips on purchasing "good food" for less.
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I am confident that I wil meet my goal of losing 118 more lbs and keep it off. I am on a lifestyle change, not a diet. I set realistic goals and I have changed my mindset. This is something my whole family is doing, not just me. We are all more active and eating right. We play together, cook together and enjoy eachother way more than before.0
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Wow, this topic hits me on a really bad day. My confidence is at an all time low. I know what to do and it's easy for me and yet I just don't consistently do it. I'm disappointed in myself.0
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Well, I lost the weight and gained it back once before. So on the one hand, I think I can because I believe I've learned from the mistakes I made. Also there were some immediate health problems this time that necessitated me losing the weight. But of course you're free to say that I'm full of it since I gained it back once.
As someone else stated above, talk to me in 5 years.0 -
lthames0810 wrote: »Wow, this topic hits me on a really bad day. My confidence is at an all time low. I know what to do and it's easy for me and yet I just don't consistently do it. I'm disappointed in myself.
I also have low confidence days every now and then (in other areas) and I hate them. Just try not too panic too much, it's normal to have bad days occasionally, and I hope you feel better tomorrow. This too shall pass.0 -
At this point I'm still not completely confident that I'll lose the weight. I've lost almost 25 lbs, but still have 70 lbs to go. It seems almost impossible (I know it's not, I've seen the success stories). The big picture is overwhelming though. I'm trying to focus on smaller goals, I've recently just reached my first one of 10% down. I've tried and failed in the past though and I was very confident then. Maybe too cocky. I'm being optimistically cautious this time. And hopeful.0
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Well, I lost the 50 pounds that I needed to lose and have maintained it now for 3 years, so yes I'm confident.
You need a maintenance plan to maintain your weight, just as you had a plan to lose weight:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/themedalist/view/what-s-your-maintenance-plan-624676
Best Wishes!0 -
nope. feels like never... but who knows0
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themedalist wrote: »Well, I lost the 50 pounds that I needed to lose and have maintained it now for 3 years, so yes I'm confident.
You need a maintenance plan to maintain your weight, just as you had a plan to lose weight:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/themedalist/view/what-s-your-maintenance-plan-624676
Best Wishes!
Well done!
Thanks for the advice... what I have in mind for maintenance is similar to your maintenance plan; lifestyle change, weighing regularly, etc. Great to hear that it works for you! 0 -
Interesting to read all your comments; I see many patterns, as well as many differences in where you get your confidence from.
Here's my own answer:
I am very confident that I will be successful, because:- I have already lost 20 kg and have maintained this loss for many months without much effort. I don't force myself to do this, it just feels good (both the process and the results).
- I have made many changes in my lifestyle (exercising/nutrition) and I continue to do so, as I have learnt over and over again that I can do this and that these little steps give me many benefits. The fact that my lifestyle is now so much more healthy gives me confidence that I will not suddenly gain again. Again these lifestyle changes are not forced on myself, I continue with these habits because I love them.
- Continuing my weight loss is harder, which I see as normal (I've read it hundreds of time that the last bit of weight loss is the most challenging) . I trust that the recent improvements I've made in my lifestyle (more exercise, healthier diet) will produce results (based on CICO).
Well, there you have it. I was thinking about responding, but you expressed it well. I don't even know what my ultimate goal is, but I'm very confident and content with the process and the results. I don't think I would do things any differently if I could right now. I'm eating well and am not deprived, I feel better and stronger, and I believe my mood has improved due to dietary and lifestyle changes. I can't foresee not maintaining my healthy habits indefinitely, and frankly that hasn't been true in the past.
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Nope. My weight loss has slowed so much it would take me another 4 years to lose the final 18#. Well, it would be faster if I didn't bother trying to not be hungry by doing that pesky food consumption.0
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I have reached my goal weight and maintained for about seven months now. Just 44 pounds or so, but I went from slightly obese to normal weight.
I like your idea that one can both be confident and doubtful at the same time. It's a more complex way of thinking, but also more realistic.
My doubts revolve around the fact that I have spent years with my head buried in bags of chips and m&ms. I have a taste for the sweet, salty and fatty, and it's easily available. The more I eat of that stuff, the more I will want it, and deny to myself that I have indeed a problem, and avoid dealing with it. I'm also quite lazy sedentary, and I need to trick my brain to motivate myself to move and eat well. Luckily, my brain is very easy to fool. I try to take advantage of that.
My confidence relies on knowledge and habit. I know that certain foods have addictive properties, but if I am careful, I can avoid being sucked back in. Last time I lost that amount of weight, I relied on a severely restricted diet, lots of low fat "diet" foods and some (in retrospect) unnecessary eating restrictions. I could put up with it for a while, but it got boring. And I couldn't resist the "saboteurs" - friends, family, ads, the glossy wrappers and the tantalizing smell. I also went to the gym several days of the week. Life events and changes in accessibility suddenly made that very difficult, so I quit.
This time around I've also applied a structure on my eating, like portion control and meals, but I feel that it is flexible enough to be constantly adjusted to my preferences and to real life. I cook more from scratch; this may be the first time in my life that I am getting all the nutrients I need - I have started to love fresh, natural, whole food, much because I have stopped worrying about fat. I try to challenge conventions and my own habits and beliefs, experiment with flavors and techniques. Food and eating has become a part of a bigger, self-sufficient system of meal planning, cooking, shopping and inventory management, which prevents waste and saves money, and I think it's fun and rewarding. The only exercise I do, is walking/running outside, and body weight resistance training, all very un-ambitious, but enough for health and well-being. I also weigh every day, and my goal now is to be the same weight as two months ago.
Overall, I find maintaining is getting more and more effortless and my approach and attitude more relaxed and intuitive.0 -
I'm confident that I can reach my weight loss goals because I have changed my thinking about food and nutrition. I went from thinking I could eat anything I want and as much as I want. Mindlessly eating junk food. To thinking about what I am eating and the amount I am eating. I still eat most of the foods I enjoy but in moderation. Other foods are rare treats because I can't afford the calories. My weight is coming down slowly, it took me over a year to lose 50 pounds. But I'm not gaining weight and I am slowly but surely moving toward my goal. I changed my lifestyle which is what will allow me to achieve success.0
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I will get there. And I feel I can stay there.
I finally got good advice on eating a nutritional diet to feed my body! I was advised on calorie consumption and food balance based on the activities planned
I don't need to carb up for s day of playing guitar!
Ha
But I do need to eat a few more for a 10 K run. Not 300 more though for me
Learning who not to listen to was a big deal.
Now that I have learned more about my body and how to fuel it and exercise it, I don't feel helpless regarding my weight and body composition
This last 6 months I targeted building my thigh muscles and did. Before that my trainer helped me target shoulders and chest.
There is truly no need to feel helpless inside your body.
And that is a great feeling it took way too many years to find
Peace0 -
Yes, absolutely.
There's a couple reasons I'm confident that I can and will do it. First is that I've learned so much about my calorie needs that I really can't see myself overstepping my maintenance calories as much as I did to become Obese. Second is, that after losing 57 lbs, getting pregnant and gaining a healthy amount and now having lost it, I've spent a good amount of time (coming up on 2 years in 4 days) at it. I was able to lose and gain within healthy parameters. I have every confidence that I'll be able to do the same for maintenance. I mean, if I can go from losing weight to suddenly having to gain weight for pregnancy, I can easily go from losing weight to maintaining. Gaining weight was a hard mental battle that I don't think I'll ever really have to deal with with maintenance.0 -
I'm positive I'm capable of meeting my goal. I've been gaining and losing a seasonal five or so pounds for most of my adult life. This past year I gained about three times that, and my activity level has decreased significantly, but science hasn't changed; I just have to eat less to accomodate my less active lifestyle.
As far as whether or not I will actually meet my goal -- who knows? Priorities change, health problems surface... But at this moment, I know I'm capable of it, and I know I am in control of my success or failure.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I am confident that I can greatly lower my weight and increase my fitness and strength and maintain my loss.
Beautifully put.0 -
I'm confident.. but my goal isn't set OVERLY high. It is set to be basically in the healthy weight range. I don't feel the need to be super slim/fit/toned etc. because I think it'd be hard to maintain permanently and I would end up miserable.0
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Are you?
What is the basis of your confidence and what is the basis of your doubt? For example, is your confidence (or doubt) based on solid evidence or are you fooling yourself?
What would help you to become more confident that you will reach your goals?
I am absolutely confident I will reach my weight loss goal.
Why?
Because I've done it before and I'm the type of person who sets a goal and does it.
I've also spent most of my life in the vicinity of my goal weight.
It also helps that I'm within about 0.3 grams of one of my second goal weight number ... and not far from my third goal weight number.
As for maintaining ... no, I won't ... not exactly. My weight fluctuates. It always has. Anywhere within my "normal" BMI range is all fair game. I only actively strive to lose weight when I find myself in the "overweight" range, and that has only ever happened 3 times in my life, and all 3 times, I've lost the weight and returned to "normal".
For me, the weight fluctuation depends on my activity level. I'm an avid cyclist and have been for about 25 years now, so in the spring, summer, and autumn I cycle a lot, and eat a lot, and will usually lose the weight. There were many years where I struggled to stay out of the "underweight" range because I was cycling so much, and doing so much other activity that I couldn't eat enough to maintain my weight within "normal".
The problem comes when I reduce my activity for one reason or another ... winter; injury or illness; going back to university while continuing to work ... I do reduce the amount I eat to compensate, but sometimes not quite enough. And that's when I gain the weight. Most years, I've increased my activity level again in early spring, before I reach the "overweight" range ... and next thing I know I'm eating half the grocery store trying to keep my weight up again.
But in recent years, my activity level hasn't been as high as it used to be, and although I have adjusted my eating, it wasn't quite enough. The encouraging thing was doing the math ...
I gained 15 kg in 4 years.
Using the calculation of 1 lb = 3500 calories
15 kg = 33 lb
33*3500 = 115500 calories ... extra calories
115500/4 years = 28875 extra calories per year
28875/365 days = 79 calories per day
So ... over the past 4 years, I averaged 79 extra calories per day.
I was really encouraged when I did that calculation ... it means that my estimate was really close and potentially quite manageable going forward.
What it means ... if I walk an extra 20-30 min/day, I'll burn those 79 cal. If I cycle an extra 3.75 km each day, I'll burn those 79 cal. A slightly smaller dinner portion could lop off 79 cal.
And if I happen to put on some weight over the next few years, it's easy enough to take it off again.
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Honestly, I don't know. I have been trying to lose weight most of my life. But I do know that this time before I started I thought about the last time, which was in 2013, I lasted 6 months doing really good, but only lost 20 some pounds. That is what always gets me, I lose super slowly. I was like "why did I stop?" I mean, I could be down a lot if I had kept going that time! So I am really trying to keep focused. It also helps that my dad is not bringing cookies and stuff in the house. If they are here we are going to eat them. My gains have typically come in cycles where I majorly restricted then went back to eating my normal way, which is 2 meals, and too much snacking! So I am staying away from snacking as much as possible, because that's the only way to keep it under control.
I feel like if I ever stood a chance to lose, I will do it this time. I am losing on average 1 pound a week, and hopefully when I can start exercising I can add a little more to that average. It is very frustrating having so much to lose, but I'm thinking of it this way, I can either stay the same weight +/- 5-10 pounds as usual, or I can lose a pound a week and worse case scenario, take about 5 years to lose it. That is assuming I am not able to amp up the rate of loss along the way. Also, my goal is somewhat flexible, I would prefer to get to the low end of my healthy range, but that would put me about 100 pounds, at 4'11", but I think the last time I was that low was at like 5 or 6 years old. lol So I currently have MFP set to 120, which would put me at the top range of healthy.
My thing is, I realized recently that I gained most of my weight before I even turned 18. So I have been fighting this battle for a long long time. That said, is why I prefer to get to the low end of healthy. I figure if I have a 24 pound buffer I should be able to maintain as long as I weigh myself regularly and don't go crazy eating too much, at the same time, there would be room for occasional splurges, because I know I'm not going to gain hundreds after one bad day! lol I have no intention of gaining this weight back when I finally get rid of it. I know that nobody intends to gain weight, but I know with my appetite, as long as I don't snack a lot I can maintain my weight pretty good, which is probably why I am not even bigger than I am. Snacking is what does me in, always has.
So I definitely feel confident that if I am able to lose this weight, I can do anything, including keeping my weight in a reasonable range, which means, sure I'd probably have ups and downs, but as long as I didn't say screw it and eat whatever I wanted, I don't see how I could put on all the weight without catching it early enough to correct it.0 -
Interesting thread. I am not confident. The success rate for maintaining is horrible. What is it 5%? Lower? It takes dedication and perseverance, for the rest of your life. Make the lifestyle change. But, life also changes around you and it can derail your efforts. It is an uphill battle, physical, emotional and mental.0
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MarziPanda95 wrote: »I used to be, but now I'm not so sure. I've gone from 211lbs to 152lbs with a goal of 140lbs at 5'7. Recently it's been really hard to get the weight off though. I've been going up and down 152lbs to 153lbs for two months now, but I know it's probably because I had a few high calorie days in a row and likely went way over maintenance. It's still been a knock to my confidence. I think I'll be back to thinking I can do it when I finally drop to 151.
This is me this week. Started at 197, down to 168-170. Stuck here for a week. I KNOW that's not a long time, and I'm not freaking out, but it's the first time so far that my scale hasn't moved consistently. Sometimes even when we know things, like that weight loss isn't always linear, it's still a little frustrating when we experience it. That's been coupled with my first few times of going over my calories. I'm set at a high weightless goal, so realistically I know that even going 200 calories over what I'm given is still going to add up to weight loss, I feel like a failure when I get there. That, and I still struggle with the calories MFP and my HRM give me to eat (without eating back all of the call it says) vs what iifym says I should eat...so I have allowed going over to play tricks with my mind this week with the scale being at a stand still.
That's all the irrational part me talking though. The realistic part of me tells my brain to stop being stupid, and keep working. I know I can do this. I am doing it, and I'm doing too damn well at it to think otherwise.0 -
I was confident because I finally locked into something that made sense to me and threw away all my dieting "knowledge" to focus on CICO and moving more
I hit my goal and surpassed it
I'm currently maintaining and am confident because I am still doing what I've done for the last year ...still logging still moving
The biggest difficulty is stopping losing weight, emotionally and actually working out calories0 -
No--I have very serious health issues which limit my ability to lose weight. I already weigh about 30 pounds less than my doctors predicted would be physically possible for me.
Honestly, just maintaining is a huge win in my case. I would love to lose 10 or 20 more pounds, and sometimes I get frustrated with not being able to do so no matter how hard I work...but mostly I just accept it as the reality that I have to deal with.
This has nothing at all to do with self confidence in my case.0
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