Easing in

ehloring1
ehloring1 Posts: 26 Member
edited December 2024 in Getting Started
I have decided to make subtle changes instead of diving in. I just can't seem to wrap my head around all the adjustments I need to make at this time to lose weight so I'm going with little steps. I have started to track some of my meals, but not all. Today on my day off from work, first thing I did this morning was a 1 mile Leslie Sansone walking aerobics. I'm trying to do positive things and make better choices. I can't keep on starting over to get it "perfect" because that day will never come.

Replies

  • pmoran525
    pmoran525 Posts: 117 Member
    I totally understand. Im doing the same. I do good during the week then blow it on the weekends. I need to start moving more
  • J_NY_Z
    J_NY_Z Posts: 2,540 Member
    You're doing it right. Many people fail at their weight loss by trying to change 8 behaviors at once as opposed to trying one and then building on that success. There is no perfect; I have been doing this a while and its always a struggle, you're always evolving and getting better. Getting your eating under control is 100 times harder than trying to do workouts, at least that's what I have found. Good luck, you can do this.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    The biggest thing to remember is that if weight loss is your goal, the only change you need to make is consistently eating at or near your calorie goal without going over. That's literally all that is required for weight loss. Everything else, including exercise, is optional and/or for purposes other than weight loss.
  • ConfidentRaven
    ConfidentRaven Posts: 1,428 Member
    ehloring1 wrote: »
    I have decided to make subtle changes instead of diving in. I just can't seem to wrap my head around all the adjustments I need to make at this time to lose weight so I'm going with little steps. I have started to track some of my meals, but not all. Today on my day off from work, first thing I did this morning was a 1 mile Leslie Sansone walking aerobics. I'm trying to do positive things and make better choices. I can't keep on starting over to get it "perfect" because that day will never come.

    Little steps are perfect! Many of the people that started when I did are long gone, the few who remain all have one thing in common, they made small sustainable changes. The ones who are gone tried to make all the changes at once. You are the only one who knows how quickly or slowly you can make what changes, but trust me that you can do this and you are on the right track.

  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,595 Member
    This is SUCH a smart move! I lost a lot of weight over 2 years (reached goal!), and did it by focusing on one change at a time. Once that change was solidly a habit, I worked on making a new change.

    I think it is brilliant to focus on making small positive changes!

    Walking is a fabulous activity -- what a great choice! While food is the critical item for weight loss, getting moving can make you feel so much better!

    And tracking just some meals to start -- also great. I started off by creating a breakfast plan, and getting to where each day I was eating and tracking a healthy, reasonably-sized breakfast. If breakfast was a win, the whole day was a win. Seriously. I hung with that for about 3 weeks until it felt like a solid habit, and then picked another item to change.

    You might check out the work of James Clear. He has a book called Atomic Habits. This video on How to Get 1% Better Every Day has been particularly useful to me. He kicks it off this way:
    "So if you were able to improve by 1% each day for an entire year... you would end up 37 times better at the end of the year. And if you were to get 1% worse, you would whittle yourself down almost to zero."

    Oh, I have found company along the journey is super helpful. If that calls to you, do check out all the groups in the Community section of MFP. There are many to choose from. I am in one called Fat 2 Fit that has been particularly helpful. (More info here.)
  • SoulThriver88
    SoulThriver88 Posts: 27 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    The biggest thing to remember is that if weight loss is your goal, the only change you need to make is consistently eating at or near your calorie goal without going over. That's literally all that is required for weight loss. Everything else, including exercise, is optional and/or for purposes other than weight loss.

    Not exercising is not an option for me... I have tried eating less with no exercise to lose weight...I can eat under the calorie limit and somehow still gain weight. It could be about not moving enough, and if you have to sit at a desk for 8 to 10 hours a day then how can the calories really get burned in the most sufficient way.
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