What Other Factors (Besides Nutrition) Help You Succeed?

Getting my workout in first thing in the morning! I am not a morning person at all but I am a busy mom and if I don't get it in while the kids are still asleep first thing, something is likely to get in the way.

usmcmp wrote: »

Simplifying the process was the biggest one to me. As soon as I stopped worrying about eating the right foods or doing the right exercises I was able to make it work. I ate things I enjoyed that kept me full and did exercises I enjoyed.

Second biggest was to stop trying to lose weight so fast.

Exactly the same here. As soon as I got out of the mindset that eating healthily meant having to eat a bunch of foods that I don't normally eat and give up ones I do, I was so much better off. I eat whatever I want to, just within my calorie limit. And the thing is... knowing that I can have whatever I want to actually makes eating healthier foods easier. It doesn't feel like a chore, punishment, sacrifice, or rule, because it's a choice. If I go over by a bit, I don't tear myself apart for it either.

Can I just say thank you for everyone who posted? I read through all of it.

I used to be so anal with thinking I had to eat only lean foods and could never eat a hot dog or cake again, lol. This is what changed for me:

- Exercise! It's not so much what you do, but building a lifestyle Habit and working up from there.

- Moderation! You don't have to become a rabbit to lose weight. It helps to add wholesome foods, but it's not the end of the world if you have 1-2 cheat meals during the week as long as you eat in moderation and plan for it.

- It takes time! You have to go easy on yourself and enjoy the process of discovering new foods and exercises. If you concentrate only on numbers, you will get frustrated real fast that you arent dropping as much as you wanted when you wanted. Goals help, but make sure you are realistic.

- Log everything! It can be cringeworthy, but it can help change what you eat when you discover what is in your food.

- There is no one size fit all! It's important to tailor your meals to addressing what your problem areas are. What works for someone else may not work for you and that's ok.

I had to "trim the fat" so to speak and simplify my dieting approach. Being bogged down by details is stressful and not very sustainable for me... "perfect" meal timing, exact macronutrient distribution, rigid food choices, the "perfect" kind of workout, the "perfect" amount of weight loss per week...etc.

Making my diet flexible on all fronts was the key. Some weeks I will lose 2 pounds, others 1 pound, and some I just maintain. I do have a calorie goal, but in my mind it's more of a range than an exact number and depends on my appetite, preferences and plans for that day. I have a protein goal, but I don't fret if I don't hit it sometimes. Macros are more of a guideline than rules etched in stone. I pay zero attention to meal timing and have no problem skipping meals if I'm not hungry.

A very useful skill I found was learning how to manipulate my meals and activity to accommodate meals that aren't very diet-friendly and social gathering. I no longer feel like an outcast bringing my own salad containers while everyone else enjoys the food. Like someone on MFP said "it's like playing Tetris".

I also weigh myself daily. This desensitizes me to natural weight fluctuations and allows me to see a trend rather than fret about numbers.

I no longer look at my progress and habits as a means to an end. I only keep the things that I can truly carry sustainably into maintenance. Lifting is great, but I found it boring and it made me very hungry, so I stopped doing it and continued doing what I enjoy and/or can do. Tried hitting 20k steps every day, not sustainable, so I cut back to a manageable level and let my steps increase organically...etc. The goal is to do some work but not overdo it to the point where it's more overwhelming than beneficial.

To sum it up, I basically looked at the things that caused me to fail in the past and looked for a strategy to change them.

r/fatlogic

Pulling the wool from my eyes about obesity and seeing thick as cute

For me, I think the most important thing I did to lose weight, was to stop hating myself. I was in TERRIBLE emotional disarray. I was 315lbs. Depressed, stressed, angry, bitter, negative, and hopeless. I couldn't stand to look at myself! I wanted to cry every time I saw a picture of myself.

Here's what I did:

Decided that nobody was responsible for my body but me. I had to stop blaming my dudes eating habits, and own that I chose to go out to eat with him and his family. I chose to eat fast food when I was in a hurry and when I was lazy. I chose to drink soda instead of water. I chose to be fat. I can also choose NOT to make unhealthy choices.

I decided that I needed to take care of myself like I took care of everyone else. That I really couldn't keep trying to pour from an empty cup. That by loving myself too, I was providing a good example for my children (which took away the guilt I felt spending money on myself for a gym membership, spending time away from them while I was at the gym, and all of that).

I forced a positive change in perspective. I looked at my workouts as ME time. Time where I was only responsible for myself. I worked for the happy endorphins at the end of the workout, because I loved feeling happy. I thought about the food I was putting in my mouth as feeding my body what it needed/wanted. I told myself that I was beautiful. I thought about how strong I was getting and getting stronger all the time. When I was running, i would imagine I was running behind my future self and imagining how good she looks, how confident she is, how happy she is, how strong, how much endurance she has, and then told myself that I WAS her and I could keep going because I was strong, confident, happy, blah blah blah. Sounds so corny, but it really does work for me. I read tons and tons of cheesy quotes but the ones that stood out to me the most were:

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." Earl Nightingale.. I had so much to lose that I knew it was going to take forever and that was so discouraging. This changed my mindset. The time is going to pass anyway! Do I want to feel like this in a year? In 5 years? NO! I want to feel BETTER! I'll feel better if I only lose 10lbs, I'll feel a lot better if I lose 50... and here I am 87lbs down and I feel great!

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great" I had no illusions of grandeur, but I did choose some goals, some I've achieved and some I'm still working on.

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that's the one that's going to help you grow" O.M.G. This is my favorite thing about the changes I've made!!!! I was so anxious when I walked into the gym I thought I was going faint. I KNEW everyone would be judging the fat girl that didn't belong there. I did it anyway... it wasn't true. I still sometimes feel my heart rate go up when I walk in the door, I just tell myself it's excitement. lol But I've gone 3-5x a week for 7 months. I was afraid to lift free weights because I felt like I would do it wrong and people would see me making a fool of myself.... I did it anyway, and I LOVE to feel stronger. I was super afraid to try yoga because I'm over 200lbs and every yoga girl I've ever seen in a stick figure gorgeous person... and many of them are, but they got there somehow! I did it anyway, and I love it! Same thing with Spin class! Same thing with buying my first casual every day dress.... if you feel afraid, and you do it anyway, it gives you SO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF!

This is getting way too long... but it has been a long growing process. Changes don't happen over night. Decide that you're worth it. Dig deep and address the tough stuff that is making you feel like you need food to make you feel good. Challenge yourself to grow as a person. Forgive yourself over and over. Every day is a new day that we are BLESSED to have, and it's a great day to live like the person you know you have always been.