80% Mental?
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I think a lot of problems arise from all or nothing thinking...the notion that you have to be perfect and 100% on all of the time...that your diet is always going to be 100% and you're never going to miss a workout, etc...usually terms like "fall of the wagon", etc lead me to believe that an all or nothing mentality is in play.
It's not remotely realistic to think you're going to be 100% awesomeness 100% of the time...really, where else in life does that exist? We all have off days and sometimes life just happens. I don't see those things as falling off the wagon or something I need to pick myself back up from...I just move on with my life.
I'm about 4.5 years into this whole good livin' thing (with around 4 years of maintenance) and for the most part, everything I do is just what I do and I don't give it much thought. I eat well because I enjoy eating well...I don't have to prepare myself mentally to eat well. Positive nutrition makes me feel good and my training is enhanced when I'm eating well. I also make room for indulgences...example, most Friday nights are pizza night...except not tonight because I'm grilling burgers because it's like 75* and beautiful and I haven't really grilled all winter.
As exercise goes, there's really nothing much more enjoyable for me than being out on my bike...it's not only great exercise, but it's something I thoroughly enjoy...same with the weight room.
When I was losing, my strategy was pretty simple...chip away at bad habits and incorporate healthier habits. I didn't try to make whole sale changes overnight. It's not realistic to think that you're just going to flip a switch and completely change the way you're living overnight...it's a process. I also didn't put all of my focus on the scale...really, my focus was on improving my health as I had some pretty bad blood work when I started...and as someone who was an athlete growing up, I really wanted to get my fitness back...losing weight really just a nice bi-product of improving my nutrition and regular exercise.
Maintenance has been fairly easy...I do the things that lean, healthy, and fit people do. I think I do have some advantage in that most of the people around me...most of my family and friends are all pretty into health and fitness at some level. My mom is a former tri-athlete (who mostly dances and golfs now)...my sister runs marathons...my wife is an avid runner (though she sticks to 1/2 marathons) and loves to lift...my best friend is super into yoga...our best couples friends are both personal trainers and the husband is a retired professional athlete, etc.
Needless to say, the environment around me is conducive to good livin' and I think environment is pretty important...unfortunately, I don't think many people's environments are quite as accommodating.
Thanks wolfman - there's so much I like in this - although I confess to being slightly disappointed I can't be 100% awesomeness 100% of the time
(only joking - I realise I'm far from that!).
But you're right - it's not all or nothing..... my head has gone straight to the worse case scenario this week - but it's just one week - as verdenal says, forgiving myself when I fall down is going to take mental energy! Probably 120%! (can I revise my previous estimate?!)1 -
Zero percent.
You can think all day but it is your actions that produce the results.0 -
What percentage of successful weight loss and maintenance is mental, do you think?
100
It took determination, focus and motivation for me to get to where I am at the moment, but I feel like a combination of things this week has meant that my head has not been in the game. And the result has shown on the scale. I'm in need of a bit of a reality check!
it seem to me you have noticed what is happening and you are ready to make the adjustment in course. That's how it is, it isn't always straight sailing
How much of your success do you attribute to being psychologically in the 'right' place?
I think the right place isn't always super motivated, the right place is be kind to yourself and seek for healthy life that makes you happy living it
How easily are you derailed or spurred on by thoughts and feelings in your mind?
easy, that's why I remind myself to focus on positive, on where I want to go and what I want (not what I don't)
Do you think we almost give ourselves permission to succeed/fail/fall off the wagon?
I left the wagon long time ago. I have set myself minimums and I keep at them daily regardless of my motivation
Why do we do that?!
we don't know any difference. Most diet books and advice does not include look for way of eating and moving you enjoy. So we stick to things we don't love that much and when the motivation runs out (and it always does) we give up.
What strategies have you used to successfully avoid falling into that trap?
it was change in mindset for me to search for what feels happy instead of wagon to go on and off
100%. In fact I view maintenance of state, not number. If I wake up loving my life, if I eat in way to make me happy, if I am bursting with energy to do things, if I feel satisfied with my meals - I am in maintenance. For me maintenance is the healthiest lifestyle you can truly enjoy1 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Zero percent.
You can think all day but it is your actions that produce the results.
Quite agree. But do you not think that that's because there sometimes needs to be a conducive state of mind before action can be taken? A conscious (or even sub-conscious) decision to act?1 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Zero percent.
You can think all day but it is your actions that produce the results.
Yeah I'm quite sure that we are a sentient species and that it's our brain that decides our actions. Just saying.3 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Zero percent.
You can think all day but it is your actions that produce the results.
I chuckled to myself when I read this because you are so right. However, if I hadn't been "thinking" about my weight loss journey 100% of the time, I'd have fallen off the wagon on day 2 when my stomach growled and said "feed me, this is bullsh**!" That happened every time in my past because mentally I hadn't made the commitment to succeed.1 -
Just going to leave this here...
Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they'll become... habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny.
Margaret Thatcher2 -
Just going to leave this here...
Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they'll become... habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny.
Margaret Thatcher
Isn't that a Chinese proverb rather than Thatcher?0 -
100%
I eat healthy most of the time (but tasty food I enjoy) and if I feel like it I ll have a high calorie day, it s not a big deal at all.
There are periods when I eat a bit too much but I m not making myself sick about that as I have healthy habits overall.
The results of weight loss makes me feel so good - I m finally back to myself and not embarrassed anymore...
It s great!0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Zero percent.
You can think all day but it is your actions that produce the results.
Yeah I'm quite sure that we are a sentient species and that it's our brain that decides our actions. Just saying.
I don't mean to disregard that. My comment was intended more to show that whatever percentage we come up with is arbitrary because each of us may focus on different aspects of it.2 -
Don't beat yourself up too much over a week that didn't go your way, especially if it has anything to do with the scale. Remember that it takes an INSANE amount of calorie intake to truly gain pounds of fat back. If you are seeing a few extra pounds than the previous week, it is likely just water weight. Track it over time to see if you are trending back up, but my guess is that you should be fine
It took determination, focus and motivation for me to get to where I am at the moment, but I feel like a combination of things this week has meant that my head has not been in the game. And the result has shown on the scale. I'm in need of a bit of a reality check!
While I don't want to discredit your current progress, it sounds like you are not exactly comfortable with your current routine. Your long-game should be finding and building habits that feel as natural as brushing your teeth in the morning. When something doesn't feel right, or your routine feels like an unbearable chore, it might be worth taking a step back and evaluating your typical day. See if there are small adjustments you can make to improve the quality of your day.1 -
Don't beat yourself up too much over a week that didn't go your way, especially if it has anything to do with the scale. Remember that it takes an INSANE amount of calorie intake to truly gain pounds of fat back. If you are seeing a few extra pounds than the previous week, it is likely just water weight. Track it over time to see if you are trending back up, but my guess is that you should be fineIt took determination, focus and motivation for me to get to where I am at the moment, but I feel like a combination of things this week has meant that my head has not been in the game. And the result has shown on the scale. I'm in need of a bit of a reality check!
While I don't want to discredit your current progress, it sounds like you are not exactly comfortable with your current routine. Your long-game should be finding and building habits that feel as natural as brushing your teeth in the morning. When something doesn't feel right, or your routine feels like an unbearable chore, it might be worth taking a step back and evaluating your typical day. See if there are small adjustments you can make to improve the quality of your day.
Thanks Roosh513 - I'm not panicking over a few pounds in one week - I've been tracking the fluctuations since before I hit maintenance and know that it does tend to even itself out eventually. My current routine is also usually really easy - I'm loving being so active and I don't usually struggle with my calorie intake - I thought I'd happily found my balance.
Last week was a strange one - I had no problem with my usual level of exercise - but really struggled with my calorie intake. But interestingly, my difficulty seemed to stem from not being in the right state of mind to control the calorie intake! Almost giving myself permission to overindulge? Just shocked that, having worked so hard to lose the weight, I would be so easily swayed. And wondering whether anyone else thought that being psychologically up to the task played such a significant part? Or just me!?0 -
I think it's pretty normal to occasionally overindulge, especially when stressed. There's a reason why it's called comfort foodJust shocked that, having worked so hard to lose the weight, I would be so easily swayed. And wondering whether anyone else thought that being psychologically up to the task played such a significant part? Or just me!?
Sometimes, for sanity's sake, you just have to say "screw it", and enjoy a treat every once in awhile. A one-week break from the norm won't ruin months of progress. You just have to be willing to accept that you may be pausing progress for a week. The cool thing is, you shouldn't see any weight gain if you hop right back on the healthy bandwagon and avoid making a habit of binges on a regular basis. I've noticed, that even when I say "screw it" and try to binge, I'm only able to binge on a fraction of what I used to be able to eat in 1 sitting before my body says "screw you!!!"
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mburgess458 wrote: »Think about food/eating like a thin person and you end up a thin person.
Yes, you need to try adjust your mental state, but as a formerly effortlessly thin person I can attest that thin people often don't think about it. There's no need. If you are losing weight you have to add a thought process that you may have to maintain for the rest of your life.
Having to think and plan and persuade yourself to make good choices and forgive yourself when you fall down takes mental energy.
I've started watching those who I assumed were "effortlessly thin" and have started to realize a few things.. 1) they leave food on the plate and 2) they eat a handful of chips, not the basket. I've never been able to do either, so yes, effort is required.1 -
I think it's pretty normal to occasionally overindulge, especially when stressed. There's a reason why it's called comfort foodJust shocked that, having worked so hard to lose the weight, I would be so easily swayed. And wondering whether anyone else thought that being psychologically up to the task played such a significant part? Or just me!?
Sometimes, for sanity's sake, you just have to say "screw it", and enjoy a treat every once in awhile. A one-week break from the norm won't ruin months of progress. You just have to be willing to accept that you may be pausing progress for a week. The cool thing is, you shouldn't see any weight gain if you hop right back on the healthy bandwagon and avoid making a habit of binges on a regular basis. I've noticed, that even when I say "screw it" and try to binge, I'm only able to binge on a fraction of what I used to be able to eat in 1 sitting before my body says "screw you!!!"
Yeah - back on it now 0 -
I'm a psychologist. I've been maintaining 5 years. I don't have to be into this or in a good place. I need to have good habits. I log everything. I have to walk and exercise. I have to be persistent. I don't have to be enthusiastic and excited or positive. I have to do it.4
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I'm a psychologist. I've been maintaining 5 years. I don't have to be into this or in a good place. I need to have good habits. I log everything. I have to walk and exercise. I have to be persistent. I don't have to be enthusiastic and excited or positive. I have to do it.
Good attitude! I'm going to take a leaf out of your book! 0 -
How much of your success do you attribute to being psychologically in the 'right' place?
To me it's about 95% of the effort the other 5% is actually physically doing it. when I made the decision it became the easiest thing in the world I ever did.
How easily are you derailed or spurred on by thoughts and feelings in your mind?
When you say derailed that could be a subjective term yes there are days I blow my calorie limit or I don't work out like I want to. When I started my journey January 1st 2016 I wait approximately 280 my current weight as of today is about 2:08 I've been able to maintain my weight since last September give or take a couple pounds either way
Do you think we almost give ourselves permission to succeed/fail/fall off the wagon?
We always have the final say about outcome. You can't blame anybody else for your success or failure
Why do we do that?!
We're human we all have self-doubt and we all go through up and down. It's just a matter of getting back on track
What strategies have you used to successfully avoid falling into that trap?
To me you have to have a totally selfish why. That why can't be about your kids or your significant other, it has to be totally About You. By it being about you all your other little whys will take care of themselves.
Remember we're all going to have our ups and downs cuz we're just human but when you have a long-term goal and you're focused on it you have a totally different perspective and you don't let the up and downs of Life affect you on that goal yes you may have to Pivot but you're still going to get back on track.
Also you can't look at this as a job. if it becomes a job you're going to eventually hate it. I still enjoyed my Wendy's hamburger pizza and beers on the beach, if I had to give those up I would never be able to do it. If you want you could take a look at my food diary and it shocks a lot of people how I've been able to lose the weight and their preconceived notions of what it takes to lose weight
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