One month down! What have you learned?

cmerideth73
cmerideth73 Posts: 7 Member
in Motivation and Support
One of my first breakthroughs was realizing that self control is the key to all of this. In addition, it can be strengthened, just like a muscle. Each time you say no to that food temptation or go to the gym when you dont want to or finish that last minute on the cardio you get stronger mentally.

Word of caution! Self control is like glass, if you drop your guard, the temptations regain power.

Replies

  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    That I can do it. That I will mess up. That I will start over the next day. That I am worth it.
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
    We have do things we don't want, hard things, to get to where we want to be. Every single day. Nothing worth having comes easy or just falls into your lap.
  • MizzzBrown
    MizzzBrown Posts: 4 Member
    That I have to be all in or not in at all. When I'm all in I can push and motivate myself to keep going. To do whatever it is I need to do to finally reach my goals. I'm sure I'll get there this year and stay there. I decided I want at least those 10.000 steps a day and since I did that, I was able to do so much more. Start small. Dream big. Every step counts.
  • cmerideth73
    cmerideth73 Posts: 7 Member
    edited February 2016
    I love that you have a specific goal, stay at it MizzzBrown!

    Jazmin220, you are right, we only grow when we lean into discomfort and stretch ourselves passed our comfort zone, keep pushing!

    rcthompson, I love that! Acknowledge who we really are! When you discover that, how could we except anything less? Good for you!
  • wrknonmedaily
    wrknonmedaily Posts: 203 Member
    That I want to reach my GOAL, bad, this time around. That I will have days that I FAIL but I can get right back on track and that I can not have or buy chocolate in any form. I WIL BINGE ON IT!
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Three months of really dedicating myself here (always was dedicated to diet, but have since dedicated to lifting in addition to cardio and the basics). I've realized that you make a lot more progress than you actually feel some days. That no matter what, you are going to get bloated, and you are going to have "ups and downs" of feeling like you're in the best shape possible and the worst shape of your life. You have to take rest days, you have to treat yourself occassionally, and neither is going to make or break you. You have to listen to your body. Consistency is key. Motivation is key. And yeah, some days 5AM is gonna seem way too early but if you go, you're gonna feel a lot better about yourself come 6PM than you would if you were lazy and didn't put in that two-hours at the gym.
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    rchlthompson wrote: »
    That I can do it. That I will mess up. That I will start over the next day. That I am worth it.

    I love this!!!
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    I've learnt to just keep going. Slip-ups and bad days once in a while literally don't matter at all, as long as you just pick yourself up and recommit and keep going. Life happens sometimes, and I'd rather enjoy those moments and reach my ultimate goal a few weeks later than feel guilty and miss out on things.
  • samikirkby2016
    samikirkby2016 Posts: 12 Member
    I'm just over a month in, I'm eating healthy and exercising regularly. I've lost 7lbs so far and that's motivating me to keep doing what I'm doing.
  • tnm7760
    tnm7760 Posts: 109 Member
    To trust the process. It has to work. And if it's not working, I'm eating too much. I've repeated this to myself 100 times a day.

    That consistency really is key.

    That all efforts aren't ruined by one crappy day.

    That even an accidental indulgence can often be remedied. I've let my perfectionism derail me every time-- so being "over budget" because I ate 150 calories of unplanned candy would ruin my motivation and I'd literally give in thinking I'd ruined my streak. This time I've been trying to adjust the next meal by a few calories or adding in some casual walking on the treadmill. And, if I still can't make up for it reasonably, I'm not letting it stop me from trusting the process and sticking with it.

    That when your weight loss is super slow, fluctuations on the scale make it even harder to recognize any loss. Even though I know weight loss isn't linear, and fluctuations are normal, when it appears that your fluctuations aren't trending down then it can be discouraging. TrendWeight.com has been great for me.




  • makaryan11
    makaryan11 Posts: 40 Member
    I learned that I don't need to deprive myself of any food as long as I can fit it into my calory goal, consistency is key and that I can have a peace of chicken breast and salad and feel full and satisfied instead of protain ban for the same amount of calories.
  • stmokomoko
    stmokomoko Posts: 98 Member
    Patience is a virtue - obvious results wont happen overnight.
  • smiles4jo
    smiles4jo Posts: 202 Member
    Today, I hit a 30 day streak :smile: I'm down 10 pounds exactly and I'm thrilled. Over the last 30 days, I've learned that this is A LOT of work.

    But it's worth it...

    And I'm worth it :smile:
  • becca_rup23
    becca_rup23 Posts: 396 Member
    That I CAN actually lose weight, and have been doing really well, and if I really want to I can keep it up for the rest of the weight I want to lose!
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
    That building and sustaining healthy and weight loss/maintenance habits is more important than the day to day details. Planning meals and tracking meals is powerful. Every bite matters and just because I screw up for one meal doesn't mean I can or should drop my habits for the rest of the day, or week, or month, like I used to.
  • hittrain
    hittrain Posts: 38 Member
    I've learned I need more measuring cups! =) Great first month (my second time) and the difference this time is I've learned how to not eat the same thing over and over which was a factor in losing focus last time. Hoping to be down a total of 20 after weigh in tomorrow morning (16.4 so far).

  • fitdaisygrrl
    fitdaisygrrl Posts: 139 Member
    That the weight is coming off and it's not a race. My husband loses about 3 times as fast as me, and that's okay! I can let him enjoy his victory without feeling like I'm not doing fantastic myself. Nine pounds in a month is amazing and even five pounds in a month will get me to my goal before then end of this year. Consistency is key. Cheat days aren't worth it.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    I know I am going to slip at times, but my slips get less and less drastic.
    The biggest thing I am finding this time is that I am not trying to be perfect all at once. I am way too much of an all or nothing thinker and by being ok with not being perfect and knowing there is room to improve I am far more comfortable at looking at this as a lifestyle change and it is about far more than just weight loss.
    The discipline I am adding to my eating isn't actually a chore, it is freeing because it makes choices easier. I don't obsess on what my next meal is going to be, or what recipe I should try all the time. I plan ahead, follow the plan, allow myself indulgences and realize I will need to get stricter as I drop more weight.
    If you can consider yourself lucky to be morbidly obese I guess I am. I have so much weight to lose that I don't have to be exact on my measurements and I don't have to incorporate a lot of exercise YET. I am just working on doing good enough for now and know I will have to get better as I lose more weight. I can ease into this and build the habits I need for a new lifestyle.
  • tara2502
    tara2502 Posts: 20 Member
    I have learnt a very simple but valuable lesson - that having a bad day doesn't mean it's all over - it just means I gave in to temptation that day - even if the giving in lasted all day - it doesn't matter - just remember not to expect miracles at that weeks weigh in - this has been a very important lesson to learn as frequently on previous weight loss journeys I have lost motivation due to a single bad day and ended up giving up!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I learned that by making measuring and logging accurately my focus, the rest fell into place. I saw what my calorie allotment was, I'm able to chose the pieces to create my menu, and knowing I'm measuring and logging it makes me take an extra second before making a decision.

    I spent all of January just trying to focus on logging, and now I've added in actually staying under my goal. So I'm building progress slowly. I feel confident.
  • newbie2143
    newbie2143 Posts: 328 Member
    Great idea for a thread!

    I have learned to be PATIENT with myself,
    I have learned that using a food scale and measuring cups/spoons make a difference,
    I have learned that finding a community on MFP has helped me to stay focused and motivated.
    I am learning that I CAN do this.
  • shushu1433
    shushu1433 Posts: 11 Member
    I have learned that I can do this! That sometimes it is hard and that sometimes it is ok to be hungry I will NOT starve to death. I have never stuck to a diet for 30 days and now I'm in 35 days and excited for tomorrow. I'm learning patience and to NOT step on the scale for a while, it brings me down sometimes and I don't want that drama playing in my head. I'm learning to listen to the feel of my clothes and how loose they are getting. And I feel great!!!!!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    This is not my first time at MFP... I have been back and forth for several years now. This time is a little different for me though... I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I cannot "work out". Raising my heart rate will send me into a flare-up that may last days to weeks. So, I'm having to focus on diet and making the most of the activities that I can do. I've lost almost 11 pounds since January 8th. I'm learning to make each bend into the washing machine a deep knee bend, each walk down into the hall a high knee march, and each time I bend to pick something up is a squat. I'm learning the importance of stretching. I think though, the thing that amazes me is how much real food you can eat for a small amount of calories! Also the importance of water. It's not going to happen fast, but each pound lost is a little less punishment that my already aching body doesn't have to deal with.
  • bri170lb
    bri170lb Posts: 1,375 Member
    I did it yesterday, so...I CAN do it again today!
  • VryIrishGirl76
    VryIrishGirl76 Posts: 1,167 Member
    sonjavon wrote: »
    This is not my first time at MFP... I have been back and forth for several years now. This time is a little different for me though... I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I cannot "work out". Raising my heart rate will send me into a flare-up that may last days to weeks. So, I'm having to focus on diet and making the most of the activities that I can do. I've lost almost 11 pounds since January 8th. I'm learning to make each bend into the washing machine a deep knee bend, each walk down into the hall a high knee march, and each time I bend to pick something up is a squat. I'm learning the importance of stretching. I think though, the thing that amazes me is how much real food you can eat for a small amount of calories! Also the importance of water. It's not going to happen fast, but each pound lost is a little less punishment that my already aching body doesn't have to deal with.

    This is so awesome.
    I caught myself doing a sumo squat at work as I was reshelving a form.
  • VryIrishGirl76
    VryIrishGirl76 Posts: 1,167 Member
    bri170lb wrote: »
    I did it yesterday, so...I CAN do it again today!

    Love that !
  • olive1968
    olive1968 Posts: 148 Member
    Somewhere in the last 5 or so weeks I stopped saying "if I lose this weight" and now say "when". That's proven very beneficial for me.

    And honestly? I feel GREAT.
  • samchez0
    samchez0 Posts: 364 Member
    That one bad day doesn't make me,a failure and is not an excuse to give up.

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