How Do You Stay on Track?

RedWagon907
RedWagon907 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Life is messy, chaotic, ever-flowing and constantly shifting in one way or another. How do YOU stay focused on long-term weight loss goals when life bullies its way in and interrupts your efforts?

Hearing how others succeed at staying on track or at the very least how one might find one's way back may help me to find MY own way of maintaining focus.

I am here-by open to healthy amounts of inspiration! :)

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Figure out what your maintenance calories are, this is what you need to eat the rest of your life. If you are trying to lose, eat less than this amount. Adding, your calorie needs will get smaller as you get smaller. Track your calories, get accurate with your counting and then, after awhile, you can let go of tracking. If your weight goes up or down, get back to tracking your intake.

    I hope I am making sense.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    After the first couple weeks of logging I found that it became a habit, as opposed to something that requires focus or staying on track. It's now something I just do every day, like brushing my teeth.
  • spzjlb
    spzjlb Posts: 602 Member
    I weigh myself almost daily, which keeps my head in the game. I also do at least 30 min intense exercise every day at home. I find that short, daily home sessions are easier for me to do with regularity as opposed to 90 min workouts 3-4X per week at the gym. Those two things are important to keep me on track.
  • youdoyou2016
    youdoyou2016 Posts: 393 Member
    edited February 2017
    A few things have helped me:
    • I plan tomorrow's meals the day before so that I know I'll have the right number of calories
    • I took measurements and when the scale doesn't move, I check my measurements so that I have the experience of making progress -- I never felt defeated or "what's the use?" during my 100+lbs loss
    • I keep pretty detailed records of everything so that over time I could see trends (like sometimes I am really hungry for no reason -- food and activity is the same. I learned if I just ignore it that after a day or two I'll drop several pounds, so when that weird intense hunger happens, now I know to keep focused)
    • After awhile, it just became a habit, and I now really only eat when I'm hungry, and I stop when I start to get full. This awareness helps, too. It has me realize how much I have changed; I'm not tempted to eat when I'm not hungry. It's cliche, I guess, but success breeds success in this area for me.
  • arrghmatey1
    arrghmatey1 Posts: 91 Member
    edited February 2017
    Logging is Life!
    Weigh every day....the more data you have the better off you are.
    Learn your cycle ... mine is generally a low point with a gentle rebound and a new low point even if its .2 of a pound on the 3rd day.

    If there is a problem you can spot what it is right away and correct it.
    ie; I had a sodium rebound which was prolonged like 4 or 5 days.
    I went back and looked sure enough it was Mount Olive Zesty Kosher Garlic Spears.
    One a day is fine but 4 a day is a definite diet stopper.

    Set your goal for a half pound a week loss. I generally shoot for at least 2 which is a thousand calorie deficit but if I don't make it as long as I stay inside my goal I am still loosing weight and I get the ... finished under his calorie goal pat on the back.

    Make your macros work for you. Calories, Carbs and Sodium levels need to be kept with in there guide lines with Sodium being the toughest. If you can't keep Sodium in line don't sweat it just try to keep it as low as possible and drink more water.

    If you can manage it drop your carb intake by 25 to 50% and graduate them through out the day. Most at breakfast slightly less and lunch and cut them to a bare minimum at dinner.

    Going to bed with a lower blood sugar turns your body into a fat burning machine while you sleep as your body must release the carbs from stored fat to keep your blood sugar at normal levels.

    This takes some practice.
    To low and you will wake and forage and to high you won't get the effect.
    Between 90 and 100 at bed and you will burn fat all night long.
    A cheap meter and strips is well worth the investment even if your not diabetic
  • locoloon
    locoloon Posts: 29 Member
    have healthy options available.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I make it easier to make good decisions and harder to make bad decisions, and aim to make good decisions more often than bad decisions. I work to reduce the amount of stress that makes me prone to take bad decisions. Trying to be perfect is extremely stress-inducing, so I don't try to be perfect.

    I make sure I get enough sleep and rest. I eat meals and wait till I'm hungry before I eat. I plan my meals and always choose food I want to eat, so I eat what I planned. I buy what I planned and nothing else. I don't expect everything to always go as planned. I don't give up when something doesn't work out as planned, I look for alternative solutions.

    I don't do any planned exercise, but I move every day. I also weigh myself every day and track my weight. I aim to stay within a range (not go over); when I approach the top of the range, I cut back on extras and stick more rigidly to just meals.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    RedWagon907 wrote: »
    Life is messy, chaotic, ever-flowing and constantly shifting in one way or another. How do YOU stay focused on long-term weight loss goals when life bullies its way in and interrupts your efforts?

    Because life can be messy and chaotic, it is a relief to have control over the eating. :) I know what to eat and when to eat it and I log it all.

  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    I started this whole process a few years ago due to a medical issue that was caused by the extra weight (pre-diabetes). Since type 2 has wreaked havoc on so many of my overweight/obese family members, including causing death, I knew where I was headed if I didn't get my head out of my bum and get things taken care of. Throughout the past 5ish years that's been my focus. I have good and not so good days, but continue to focus on the big picture/long term and that keeps me on track.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Many people fail because they believe weight loss is linear and their goals and plan has no room for life. My experience and what I see most often in success stories is the eventual balance between being healthy and enjoying life. You always have the caloric deficit goal but you learn to be flexible in how you apply it. You learn not to let things spiral and accept the ebb and flow of it.

    So gives yourself moments to enjoy life.
    Don't let they moments get the best of you.

    That is, make the best choices for your health, most the time, for the rest of your life.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    I turned the long-term goal into a short-term one. My attention span is about three months, so that's what I work with. Fitness goals are achievable in that time frame: races and challenges, personal bests for speed or weight lifting, etc. and then the eating plan becomes a support for the goal. The more weight I lose, the faster I get.

    I do weigh everyday, but I can't directly control what I weigh. I can control what I eat and how I exercise. So I do.
  • conniehv40
    conniehv40 Posts: 442 Member
    For some reason, weighing myself exactly the same way, the minute I wake up, keeps me motivated. If it is down, I feel so much more motivated for the day. If it is up, I have been telling myself, look at what you have logged AND look at what you haven't logged!!! The weight in the morning on my digital scale is my truth every morning...
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,140 Member
    I plan my weight loss around my life, rather than the other way around. The less interferes with day-to-day life the easier it is to stick at it. I'm now 11 weeks in to planning meals a week ahead, accounting for going out some evenings and the occasional takeaway, if things change it's easy enough to switch my meals around to keep me on track. I still eat all the things I like just in far more moderation than I ever did before.
  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
    I stay on track by being disciplined.

    Disciplined in my meal planning.
    Disciplined in making it to the gym 4 days a week no later than 5 am. Weekends whenever I stroll in.
    Disciplined in fighting the candy at work and late night snacks.

    I have no motivation other than the results. The results have always motivated me but I've been in a happy place weight wise for 3.5 years. Motivation will not keep me here in the happy place. Discipline does.
  • snowprincess502
    snowprincess502 Posts: 103 Member
    I stay on track by meal planning for the week. Also make sure I log everything on MFP.

    Love the gym. Go 6 days a week. Do one hour of cardio and half an hour of weight training.

  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    Wake up every morning and re-commit? Once you decide you're "in," you just have to make it work.

    Another thing to think about is that not every day is a final exam. It is okay to get a little off-track and there is no F on your permanent record for going over your calorie goal occasionally. As long as it averages out well weekly, life goes on. Just be sure to keep measuring and recording so you know it actually is averaging correctly!

    If you have a long way to go, celebrating the little things can help feel like things are moving along. Get measurements, track your lifting progress and your endurance. ect.

    I'm celebrating my first "intensity minutes" with my new Garmin Vivosmart HR. It is sort of thrilling to watch my actions change the information displayed on the little watch. I can say with confidence that I never really liked to exercise but seeing "18 minutes of Aerobics, general" is nice. It feels good to have an app acknowledge me breaking a sweat, lol.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    Keep at it and stack the deck in your favor. If you fall off your plan...jump right back on the next day. Over time it slowly works. Set yourself up for success.. food in the fridge. frozen lean cuisines for quick emergencies. Low cal emergency snacks and bottled water in the car. Put tuna packs, cup of soup, low cal popcorn at work for snacks and emergency food.

    Most of us overeat when we are stuck with no other option.
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