How do you motivate yourself to lose the last 5 lbs?

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Zodikosis
Zodikosis Posts: 149 Member
in Motivation and Support
I’ve been hovering just slightly above where I wanna be since March, never finding the extra kick to finish the last 5 lbs. I know it’s gonna much more of a PITA than the first 30 lbs, requiring meticulous attention to my diet and more discipline than ever.

How do you push yourself to go the full distance? It seems so easy to just accept “good enough”, especially when the worst of it is finally behind you.

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Well, you decide what's good enough. If your current weight isn't good enough, you prioritize eating less and moving more. If it is good enough, you accept it as it is.
  • prettyshambolic
    prettyshambolic Posts: 33 Member
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    Following because I am also struggling with the last 5lbs.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
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    I feel ya. I am currently 4.2 lbs away from my goal. I am much happier with my body now than I was 6 months ago. I also thought about throwing in the towel and just hanging out at this current weight. However, I am very stubborn and once I set a goal, I am bound and determined to complete it. So what I decided to do is to set a reward for myself for when I do hit this last 5 lbs. It is something I really want and is giving me the motivation to push through to hit my goal weight.

    So that is my advice. Find something you really want, maybe something you were already planning on getting for yourself or something you have been eyeing for a long time, and make that your reward for hitting your final goal.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    I'm not sure why the last 5 are considered any different than any other random 5. Create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary.

    This is just another step in the process, not the end of a process. It doesn't stop with the last 5 since you then transition to maintenance. Maintenance is the same process - create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary. This should be viewed is a long-term, lifetime endeavor, not a race to the finish.
  • Zodikosis
    Zodikosis Posts: 149 Member
    edited August 2018
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    funjen1972 wrote: »
    I'm not sure why the last 5 are considered any different than any other random 5. Create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary.

    This is just another step in the process, not the end of a process. It doesn't stop with the last 5 since you then transition to maintenance. Maintenance is the same process - create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary. This should be viewed is a long-term, lifetime endeavor, not a race to the finish.

    It's mostly mental. I think it's because if you've got a lot of pounds (and months of weight loss) behind you, the fatigue starts catching up. You look a lot better than you used to, maybe not exactly perfect, but still passable, so it's easy to slouch and say "good enough". 5 lbs seems to matter a lot less, the urgency is gone.

    That and the last 5 lbs definitely is way more difficult for me, since I am quite small and already cannot eat that many calories. The last 5 lbs almost invariably means turning down a lot of dinner invites, since I need pretty strict control to make any sort of meaningful deficit. Doesn't sound fun.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    Zodikosis wrote: »
    funjen1972 wrote: »
    I'm not sure why the last 5 are considered any different than any other random 5. Create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary.

    This is just another step in the process, not the end of a process. It doesn't stop with the last 5 since you then transition to maintenance. Maintenance is the same process - create a plan, stick to it, readjust as necessary. This should be viewed is a long-term, lifetime endeavor, not a race to the finish.

    It's mostly mental. I think it's because if you've got a lot of pounds (and months of weight loss) behind you, the fatigue starts catching up. You look a lot better than you used to, maybe not exactly perfect, but still passable, so it's easy to slouch and say "good enough".

    That and the last 5 lbs definitely is way more difficult for me, since I am quite small and already cannot eat that many calories. The last 5 lbs almost invariably means turning down a lot of dinner invites, since I need pretty strict control to make any sort of meaningful deficit.

    The mental game is tough for some, I know. I'm very literal and data based so I looked at it as a math equation (calories out>calories in = loss).


  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    The last few lbs can be hard for many, especially if you are fairly lean trying to get leaner. I have about 3lbs left and it is so easy to fall into a comfortable mentality and to think "is it really worth it"

    What helps me is keeping my eye on the prize, setting new goals or things to look forward to when you reach that goal, taking breaks when I get overwhelmed, and focusing on fitness goals (vs aesthetics or the scale) when I become discouraged. In the end you have to want it and work for it. You have to decide if it is worth it to you.
  • Zodikosis
    Zodikosis Posts: 149 Member
    edited August 2018
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    The last few lbs can be hard for many, especially if you are fairly lean trying to get leaner. I have about 3lbs left and it is so easy to fall into a comfortable mentality and to think "is it really worth it"

    What helps me is keeping my eye on the prize, setting new goals or things to look forward to when you reach that goal, taking breaks when I get overwhelmed, and focusing on fitness goals (vs aesthetics or the scale) when I become discouraged. In the end you have to want it and work for it. You have to decide if it is worth it to you.

    Yeah, that is the problem for me. I'm ~130 lbs right now (5'1" female). I'd like to be 125 lbs or even 120 lbs, which is where I last felt super comfortable with my body, but there's so much less room for error now if I want to reach that. I'm trying to be easy on myself and setting a super doable goal of getting the rest of in the next year, so I can go slow (1/4 lb - 1/2 lb of loss a week). Unfortunately, a single moderately sized brownie, an extra helping of rice, or a steak that's slightly bigger than I thought can take my day from a decent deficit to just breaking even and getting nowhere. It can be mentally tiring to be that observant and strict for months.

    I've set myself a non-scale goal of getting into a daily weight lifting routine (I had to quit almost a year ago due to injury and then just never got back into it) so that at least I can accomplish something. Really, the last 5-10 lbs matter to me mostly because I think they're standing in the way of some of my aesthetic goals, but if weight lifting can help me achieve those goals without necessarily seeing the number on the scale go down, that still works for me!

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