For Success, What Mentally Changed For You?

ArtsieSarah
ArtsieSarah Posts: 129 Member
I think this is a very interesting and important topic to weight loss: the mental change. It's common knowledge that exercise and diet leads to success but A LOT (if not most) is a mental fight to get there.

If you were successful, what changed mentally during your journey and what helped you in that area?
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Replies

  • ArtsieSarah
    ArtsieSarah Posts: 129 Member
    So many great changes, I love all of these!
  • emmies_123
    emmies_123 Posts: 513 Member
    First, I found a type of exercise I enjoyed. Over time my brain changed from "ugh I have to exercise instead of sleep in" to "I'm up anyway, and I'll feel better about the day if I do it." Now it is second nature to get in my exercise gear first thing. I also view my exercise as helping my fitness level, not as a method of weight loss.

    On a side note, I have noticed a difference in how my husband and I treat exercise time. For me, it is 30 mins out of my day and I know I feel better afterwards. I do a variety of workouts related to strength and cardio, and I accept that I am going to hit my fitness goal slowly.

    My husband only cycles on a stationary bike, while playing video games on tv at same time. For him, exercise time is infringing on his free/fun time, and to be gotten through as efficiently as possible. I have asked him about finding ways to work his upper body, but as he can't play games or burn as many calories (based on bike counter) he views any other kind of exercise as a waste of his time.
  • ArtsieSarah
    ArtsieSarah Posts: 129 Member
    anl90 wrote: »
    I think it was a matter of changing habits. It is typically a slow process for me, but I ease myself out of bad habits and into good habits. Slow and steady wins the race, here.

    Omg I am totally finding this is my daily life now as I switch over to the healthy lifestyle. Things are SUCH a habit like snacking. I’m trying to make meal planning a habit 😂
  • ArtsieSarah
    ArtsieSarah Posts: 129 Member
    Stop being overly into my emotions. The creating boundaries with particular family members, cutting people off accordingly. The calmness came, when priorities changed and placing my mental health first. My children needing a positive role model, to teach them to live healthier lifestyle habits.

    I like routine. The early morning cardio, to have an hour to myself before the kids wake up and to start my day with a clear mind.

    Adding a exercise class, which helped being surrounded like minded people, who’re focused on taking care of their health. The energy is positive and the atmosphere is fun.

    Being more aware of what I'm eating and reading labels first. The list of foods, I’m better off avoiding and ones with limits, or my go to foods.

    Understanding not every day is going to be a highly disciplined day. To get it together, the next day if I have an off day.





    Really smart adding exercise classes, I bet having those would probably keep someone going mentally and physically on the whole lifestyle change thing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I think this is a very interesting and important topic to weight loss: the mental change. It's common knowledge that exercise and diet leads to success but A LOT (if not most) is a mental fight to get there.

    If you were successful, what changed mentally during your journey and what helped you in that area?

    For me, that all came with time. I didn't make wholesale changes overnight and try to do a complete 180. I knew that change would be incremental if I was going to be successful long term. I didn't really change anything at first, I just started logging and made sure I was hitting my calorie target most of the time.

    Over the first couple of months I slowly started working on different aspects of my diet a little bit at a time...getting in more veg and fruit...leaner proteins...more fish...reducing soda until I was down to none, etc.

    I also started slow with exercise. I was pretty sedentary, so I just started with getting out for a walk daily and nothing else. My wife signed up for a Turkey Trot 5K for Thanksgiving and that prompted me to start a C25K program. I wasn't really ready for a full 5K, but I did run a portion of it and walked some of it. That ultimately lead to more running and a couple months later I joined a gym to get back in the weight room.

    Slowly but surely I was building my fitness and it felt good and I felt better than I had in ages. I was a competitive multi sport athlete growing up and through high school with my primary being a track and field sprinter...so it felt really good to start getting that fitness back.

    I just kept on building up my fitness to the point where I signed up and started training for a sprint triathlon. This was about 9 months after I started and had lost the weight and gone into maintenance. I never did the race due to an injury a couple weeks before the race, but it was that training where I found my love for cycling. Previous to that, I enjoyed the fact that I was getting more fit, but I really didn't truly enjoy running...I found my love for cycling and it remains my primary exercise modality.

    I've been in maintenance for 6 years as of last month...still keepin' on with solid nutrition and regular exercise. I believe a lot of people go wring in trying to overhaul everything overnight and try to be 100% "clean" and go from nothing to a ton of exercise overnight, most of which isn't something they particularly enjoy and they think every workout has to be a sufferfest...people burn out pretty quickly with that mindset.
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    Planning my menus!
  • I was getting very little done on my own before a friend suggested a weight loss program she was on and all I had to do was snwer a few questions on a form online and I got a one on one meeting and they gave me a plan and I have been doing it for 4 months and the results are great. I would recommend it, but I only know of it in my country. It really helped me change myself completely mentally and physically get me closer to where I want to be. Sticking with it and the amazing people who help me :)
  • eromligyppah
    eromligyppah Posts: 112 Member
    In the past I had lost weight for others. This time I'm changing my body to how I want it for once.
  • kdbulger
    kdbulger Posts: 396 Member
    The change was that it went from a "want to be thinner, want to wear specific clothing" mentality to "I want to be around for a long time, feel energetic, and reduce my risk for chronic health issues". Once I could feel the difference, I was hooked.
  • mkm81
    mkm81 Posts: 34 Member
    Thank you all! These are great!
  • Wendyanneroberts
    Wendyanneroberts Posts: 270 Member
    Heard this saying a few days ago and thought it summed up my weight loss, this time.

    "Sucess is a journey, not a destination.

    Failure isn't fatal, as long as we have the courage to continue" with our "healthy" journey.

    Finding out my maintenance calorie allowance and calorie cycling. Helps me stay at a healthy weight and still fit in "life" and special occasions.

    Since finding & using all MFP has to offer (for free), as money's tight.

    Have successfully lost 52lb and more importantly, have stayed at/around this healthy goal. Daily logging through "ups and downs".

    1,127 day streak and after 30 years, I've finally stopped regaining, as soon as I stopped "dieting". Longest my weight has been stable.

    Learning about macros & healthy targets has also really helped with my overall health.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Understanding PTSD and nasty flashbacks. Getting to grips with mental health (depression.) realizing my trigger foods and how to avoid them. Adapting macros eaten according to my needs and staying within the daily calories calculated by MFP. Stop thinking about yesterday and stop worrying about tomorrow. Take it day by day, meal by meal. Trust MFP and listen to those members who are supporting my efforts.
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