Slow and steady with 50lb to lose - how did you stay focused?

I'm a pretty stubborn person and it suddenly clicked with me. "Why shouldn't I be stubborn about weight loss too?"

So I decided that no matter what I was sticking to this and I used that stubbornness, refusing to allow myself to give up. It's all a mind game when it comes to willpower. Whatever trick works, use it.

I started with 50-60lb to lose (50lb is initial goal, but likely to then aim for an extra 10lb). To me, 50lb seemed like a huge amount of weight to have to lose. In the past when I had smaller amounts to lose, like 7lb, usually after eating lots in the holidays or similar, I did it just by being mindful of what I ate, no tracking. But with such a big number I felt like the only way to ensure I continue downwards is to be very organised with it and to make it as easy as possible.

I also went for a 1lb/week loss and focused on keeping within my calorie allowance. TDEE baffled me utterly so I got a FitBit to help determine my daily calorie goals. I eat whatever I feel like and just fit it into my calories, so there is no 'diet' feeling. If I want something high cal I fit it into the week's calories, and if it's a special occasion / out of the ordinary then I will go up to maintenance if needed - but I still track everything, even if I'm estimating calories (Chinese takeaway is always 2000 calories... ).

It's worked for me. I walk for exercise so I just replaced more and more of my journeys with walking. I've been here 6 months and have lost 32lb. I also found weighing myself daily/very regularly actually helped to recognise the non-linear character of weight loss so I don't obsess and I understand the fluctuations.

Most of all, I remember reading this: In a year from now, you'll wish you started today. I think of the long game, how I will feel or look in 6 months or 12 months, not rapid results. It has carried me very easily this far and I know if I keep doing it, it's a sure thing that the weight will continue to drop - some diets out there are just kidding folks! It feels great to KNOW that in a year I will feel awesome (well, I already do )

I'm not losing anymore, but I'm still following the steps I followed when I was losing. I've been on many a diet in the past. This time, though, I decided that the weight loss thing wouldn't be just as a temporary change of lifestyle. This is what I have to do to stay healthy, and if I stop paying attention to what I eat, I know I'll revert back to eating like a teenager, get fat again, and I'll have to pack away my skinny clothes again. And I don't want to make more work for myself.

I just made it part of what I do. I get up in the morning, feed the kids, grab a bottle of water, sit down at my computer and plan my menus for the day. I make the effort do do a minimum amount of exercise, mostly so I have free calories for my daily treat. I was lucky enough to realize early on that I needed to plan a treat for every day if I was going to stay on track. One dark chocolate covered frozen banana is both a serving of fruit AND a treat, lol. See how I justify that to myself?

Focused on my health, did what the doctor and dietitian told me to do. That's how I started. The weight loss was a by-product of getting more healthy.

The fat on my body is always a ginormous motivator. I wanted it gone for so many years.

If I ever need motivation to not eat a donut, I can look at my thighs.

It was difficult at first; a lot of bad habits that needed breaking!

First, i started with the food. I pre-planned all my meals and snacks for the entire week, weighed EVERYTHING, even kept a spreadsheet in which i could log all my meals, what the consisted of, the protein, carbs and fat in each of the foods i was eating-essentially i built my own database. It sounds obsessive (and it kind of was), but it wasn't long before i had a good understanding of the nutritional 'quality' of different types of food and it really helped me to think about what i was putting into my body. It also makes shopping for healthier foods much easier; i know the brands to buy with the most protein for the least amount of calories, which type of fruit will keep me fuller for longer on the least amount of calories, etc.

Late night binging was also a habit i had to break-i still haven't totally beaten it, but at least it doesn't happen as often! And i also make sure i keep calories back at the end of the day, just in case i do go a bit overboard.

I found that once i had my 'safe' foods (don't get me wrong, i'm not a clean eater or anything, i still love cookies and ice cream and do allow myself them if it fits in my goals) i found that experimenting with cooking, different recipes and herbs and spices, also helped keep me on track.

Once i had the food down and i felt happy and confident in wanting to make the right decisions, i started focusing on the exercise. I looked at my daily routine, worked out where i could fit more exercise in (i could walk here instead of getting the bus). I also experimented with different forms of exercise, to see which ones i genuinely enjoyed and thought i could keep up (at the moment it is running, weights, and bojutsu), and try to incorporate them more into my weekly life (although i have been ill most of this week so have been too drained to go for a run or do much with the weights. But i have been doing plenty of walking and a bit of bojutsu).

I remind myself of how confident i was before i put all this weight on, compared to how confident i am now, and how great it would be to feel that way again about myself.

I look at fitspiration pictures online (sorry, i am one of those!).

I push myself to do that extra minute, or that one extra rep, and feel proud of myself when i ave achieved it.

I weigh myself every day as i like to keep a track of the fluctuations, but i only count one of those (my Friday weigh in) as my official, tracked weigh in.

There are probably tons more, but i need to walk into town and stop distracting myself with MFP

Oi_Sunshine wrote: »

Someone on here wrote something to the effect of "you may as well keep trying because the time will pass, anyway."

Sounds like a pretty smart guy.

I'm not so sure it's a question of focus so much as a question of priorities. Is this food more important to me than my weight loss goal? No. It's not. Now, it may be important enough to rearrange calories from one meal, or day, to another, but it's not important enough to hinder accomplishing my goal.

One thing that might help, especially if you aren't seeing big results is to track your weight in a spreadsheet. Small losses add up to big ones. When I start thinking I'm not progressing like I want to, I can look at last week's average, or a few weeks back, and see that I am making progress.

gle8442 wrote: »

I have lost about 55 lbs in 9 months, about a pound a week after the first month... I think the main thing for me was the realization that it doesn't really matter if takes me six months, or a year, or even two years, to reach my goal weight, as long once I get there, I am able to stay there. So whatever I do to lose the weight has to be sustainable forever. People say that all the time but finally it clicked for me. I am not "dieting" rather I'm "learning how to eat like a skinny person".

I totally agree with this! I am not on a diet, this is just how I eat now.

OP- I am also 5'10. I sent you a friend request