how do you love yourself on the way to weight loss?

Wahbluffet
Wahbluffet Posts: 93 Member
edited November 27 in Motivation and Support
i mean, on this site, there is so much negative bs. people think that giving tough love is motivational, but for many people, its why they stay obese or fat.

i have been stuck in the low 140's for a while (still down from 158 earlier this summer) and its tough to love myself enough to continue. there is always that "who cares, you're fat and you aren't gonna change" in my mind.

i cant go on this site and love myself, it seems almost impossible. ive been a fitness nut before so its just too triggering. what do i do to love myself enough to continue? cause right now i feel like i wish i wasnt here and i could just go back in time to 12 months ago when i was 96 lbs.

Replies

  • Flybeetle
    Flybeetle Posts: 387 Member
    I agree with DebbieFerr, and how nice of her to supply so many suggestions!

    What do your best friends and, if applicable, partner, love and admire most about you? I'm sure they didn't love you more when you weighed less so there must be some(many)thing that makes you amazing for who you are that has nothing whatsoever to do with your body...

    What would they say if they knew how bad you felt about yourself?

    I'm not sure if you're a mother, but if you were your own daughter and you found out she was down on herself like you are, what would you say to her to counteract that?

    Perhaps this is so not what you need, my babbling, but I guess my heart goes out to you and I really think that if you could approach weight loss whilst being kinder to yourself, you could get to your goals whilst enjoying the beautiful person I'm certain you already are.
  • TheBeachgod
    TheBeachgod Posts: 825 Member
    edited December 2015
    You could stay off the forums if the negative bs is affecting you that much.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    I just tune those people out. I doubt they are the most successful long term.
    The thing is, the basic premise remains the same -- CICO -- but the theme & variation among individuals is infinite. You are doing your journey. What does it mean? How does it unfold? What might you change and why? You have to be a compassionate listener with yourself to get to the bottom of these questions.
    Best wishes to you! xo
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    The time is going to pass anyway, why not pass it in a way that contributes to your health and looks instead of taking away from them?
  • LuckyMe2017
    LuckyMe2017 Posts: 454 Member
    Not sure what to say about how you should continue on your journey... However, love is unconditional. You don't love if, when,... You just love. Take the conditions off of your love for yourself and affirm who you are as well as who you are becoming.
  • matttucker2015
    matttucker2015 Posts: 31 Member
    All I know is I always feel much better after a workout than how I felt after a cheat meal. You can do it! Only keep friends that will stay positive in this negative world we live in. Just stay consistent and stay off the scale for a while. Add me if you want. :smile:
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    I think for me, I had come to accept myself even when I was over 320 lb. I stopped tying self-worth to weight; I have a good job, I have good friends, I own a great cat (or he owns me, I can't always tell which).

    For me, weight loss isn't something I do because I think I'll be happier with myself, weight loss is something I do because I want to do things in life that I simply can't accomplish if I'm obese.
  • camillemyrick
    camillemyrick Posts: 6 Member
    edited December 2015
    I love you just for asking this question. Please add. I will never degrade you. I struggle so badly with self hatred but it's about getting up every morning and choosing to fight that negativity. In my weight loss log I started tallying self-deprecating thoughts. It gives you a visual and makes you
    More aware about what you are saying to yourself
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    You could stay off the forums if the negative bs is affecting you that much.

    This.

    If doing optional activity X makes you feel bad about yourself, don't do it.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    Well - I'm not sure I'm at the point where I can say I love myself, but I can say I'm doing better at not beating myself up. I once read in "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" the number one thing was to make peace with imperfection. I know this journey isn't going to be perfect. I'm going to stumble, and then life happens when you make other plans, so it's not a case of if something's going to happen, but when, and how I deal with it.

    Another thing is to monitor your input. If you're watching news shows or shows that are "downers" then quit watching them. I mean really - when you watch the news or read the paper, it's all "These people got shot.....that building got bombed......that person was arrested for something horrible...." There's 30 minutes of news like that, and maybe 20 seconds of "On a lighter note....someone dropped a $100 bill in the Salvation Army kettle". There's too much gloom/doom that a 20 second blip isn't going to counteract the negativity.

    Eventually, the gloom/doom starts to subside.

    It really does matter both what you pay attention to, and what you eat - all the input matters, so make changes all around.
  • becbo22
    becbo22 Posts: 283 Member
    Change happens when we care about ourselves and want to do right by our bodies, not when we try to force change out of hatred for ourselves. You must do this for the right reasons. Do it to feel strong and healthy, do it to live a long life. Don't do it because you think you will be happy if/when you reach a certain weight. If you do not deal with the issue of loving yourself now, you will still have that issue when you reach your goal weight. We may shrink, but our problems do not shrink with us.
  • bdfarrall
    bdfarrall Posts: 28 Member
    I am new to this site but I have to admit that I was shocked by some of the comments I've read. Some of these people are just rude and condescending. I thought the whole point was to get encouragement and support. I have felt the same way you feel for a long time. I finally decided to do something about it regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. If I can't get support here, I'll go somewhere else to get it. I have found a few threads that have been very positive and supporting. I stick to those and stay away from the others. I hope you begin to love yourself. I wish you all the best.
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    edited December 2015
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  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I think it might be possible to both work on being kinder to yourself - or at least not hating yourself as you are - and working towards a weight loss goal in a way that doesn't punish you.

    First thing: you're seeing a doctor for your actual health issues, and getting continued help for ED thinking, right, maybe in a support group? That should happen, get any specialist help you need.

    If you do want community support, from MFP: +1 to avoiding triggers. You can apparently hide particular forums if you want to. I'd stay away from the Fitness, General, and Success Stories forums, and only post in Motivation, in that case.

    But maybe MFP isn't a good place for you, and there are other ways to be mindful of food and fitness that aren't triggering*.

    Being kind to yourself:

    +1 to blocking fitspo and unreasonable body image ideals anywhere else, in all kinds of media.

    Dress in ways that make you feel comfortable and show you to your best advantage, no clingy stuff for now.

    Pick up some hobbies that take your full attention and have nothing to do with fitness. Something creative, maybe. If you're already doing something creative in an intense way, choose something new that you're just going to do for fun.

    Do the minimum amount of fitness (and thinking about fitness and dieting) possible and trust that the program will get you there. Choose your approach carefully.

    Strength training, if you want to do it for your bones and strength and general health (as well as reshaping, it's ok to admit that, I think) - pick a plan, track your progress and wins on a paper notepad, and put it away when you're done with your session. Then go do something else that's productive.

    For cardio, forget anything intense or even in a gym and don't even call it "cardio" or think about calories. Just go for walks, in your normal clothes (but supportive shoes). Don't do it for longer than an hour. Just notice the trees and birds and that sort of thing. Think of it as enjoying getting fresh air and being alive and connected to the world.


    *If you do still want to lose weight, I wonder if non-calorie-counting methods might be better for you. (I don't know, guidelines like that might be worse, especially if you were 98 pounds only a year ago.) But I wonder - with no knowledge of ED, mind you - whether this post might have something for you:

    Non tracking methods and behaviors that may help while tracking

    Because, basically, the way to control intake without weighing things and counting calories is to control either the kind of food so less of it's calorific (I think it can still be tasty) - without demonizing foods that are calorific, just limiting them, or, using portion control, using visual estimates, like in a lot of food guides. (e.g. "1/2 cup rice with a piece of meat the size of your palm and a salad" sort of thing).

    I lost my weight by following a simple diet focused on lean meats, grains, veg, fruit, dairy, and nuts. I used measuring cups (very roughly), and had small treats occasionally, but limited them in amounts and just didn't keep them in the house to avoid making me feel like I had to fight myself. (Basically what's in that link above.) *I don't know if that would be ok for you*.

    I also got really into cooking and enjoying the delicious and healthy food I was eating for the taste. So it was thinking of it in terms of adding great stuff, rather than taking things away.

    I mentioned in your last thread that I can't work out like I used to, right, and how not being able to work out is a bummer. I'm doing all that stuff above, and it helps. I don't go to the Fitness forum anymore (unless a thread about an injury I've had happens to float to the top, ha, and I think I can be helpful.) I focus on what I can do - right now that's just food-related, so nutrition and cooking. I dress in clothes that make me feel good.
  • TheBeachgod
    TheBeachgod Posts: 825 Member
    A geographical cure can be a huge step in the right direction so good for you for getting away from the abusive living situation!

    Get a digital food scale, set your goals on mfp and make the numbers match as close as possible and you'll be on your way. It won't happen overnight so don't be impatient.

    Some, not all, of the people here who seem mean are exactly the people who know and care the most. Take a look at this thread community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1088600/dear-mean-people-of-mfp

    and maybe start here with figuring out your weight loss plan. community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260517/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
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