the #1 thing for success

Realistic expectations for me came from education. As I studied how successful people got there, I discovered a slower consistent pace. Also shifting the focus of what was gratifying. Significant changes in blood test results, strength, as well as scale measurements are visually delayed. There are daily goals, steps, staying within a calorie range, getting enough protein or other macro, micro nutrient goals even just honestly tracking are achievable daily goals. Success breeds success.

Learning about nutrition and a food scale.

Realistic expectations.
Being consistent.
Educating myself on weight loss.
Eating and exercising in a way that is sustainable for me.
Not comparing myself and my progress to others progress.

I've always been good at it in many other aspects of life, so I asked myself why I couldn't do the same with weight loss. Part of it was in those other areas I believed it would work, for some reason with weight loss I'd convinced myself it would not. Realizing that was silly and -- even more importantly -- redefining the goal as about things I KNEW I could achieve (eating in a healthful way, being more fit through specific, reasonable workout goals) was helpful.

Beyond that, as with other goals that involved delayed gratification and hard work, I made sure to crystalize, make specific, what I was working for and map out a plan with results that I could visualize. For me this did involve some weight loss goals (I know that can be counterproductive for some), but also other goals I had more control over. For example, I planned that in 6 months I'd run a particular race or do a particular bike ride and be around a particular amount down. Doing that and being able to peg it to a specific date in the future made it seem more real, and I also thought about what I wanted to be doing and the kind of lifestyle I wanted (with specific healthy habits I was working on) -- for me that helped it seem real and concrete, not some vague future thing that might happen eventually.

It also helped that as I get older longer time periods like 3 months or 6 months or even a year seem to fly by, and that I didn't think of the goal as getting all the weight off but in smaller chunks (by X I could be 20 lbs down!). And once that started happening that in itself kept me going.

Believing in myself, loving myself no matter what, and wanting a better me to love.

(I am not extremely competitive with others, nor do I work (35+ years) in a multi person environment where a persons success is often rewarded, therefore I am extremely self directed, and nearly all my success' are personal.

I think, for me, not expecting external reassurance during my weight loss, but relying on my own determination led to my success losing weight.)

Cheers, h.

I committed to logging every day. Since I hate being in the red, it's rare that I go over.

I'm just good at this because I'm good at everything. Next question.