What's Keeping You from reaching Your Goal Weight

mpkpbk2015
mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What is your biggest challenge that's keeping you from reaching your goal weight?
Is it an external problem or internal? And what's your plan to deal with it.
How long have you been on the journey to goal?
How many restarts have you had?

Replies

  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    ThatCookieGurl wrote: »
    I have had too many restarts to count, but the past year or two has been the better restart as I am now within 8 to 10 pounds from my goal weight. Right now, it’s becoming tougher to stick with it due to a multitude of factors, but I’m getting back on track and getting a grip on things. The biggest challenge is mental barriers that pop up to make me THINK that I am weak.

    Thanks for sharing, I think your on the road to success by knowing what the barriers are to your success. Good luck on those last pounds.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Ooof. I think what's prevented it for me is knowing just how long it will take if I do it right. It can feel very daunting. I've had to take breaks for babies too, which extends the time period. It is very tempting to give up sometimes because figuring out a new way to live, while juggling other responsibilities, is very hard. If I have a bad week, it's tempting to think, "no way is this what I want to do for the rest of my life!"

    I am used to coping with food, too, so finding a new way to deal with problems is a gradual process. Those things don't feel totally intuitive yet.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    alisdairsmommy wrote: »
    Ooof. I think what's prevented it for me is knowing just how long it will take if I do it right. It can feel very daunting. I've had to take breaks for babies too, which extends the time period. It is very tempting to give up sometimes because figuring out a new way to live, while juggling other responsibilities, is very hard. If I have a bad week, it's tempting to think, "no way is this what I want to do for the rest of my life!"

    I am used to coping with food, too, so finding a new way to deal with problems is a gradual process. Those things don't feel totally intuitive yet.

    Thank you so much for sharing - yes it does seem daunting, and I too had periods where I wanted to give up. But hang in there you might check out my blog I have some tips that helped me in my journey it took me from May 2018 to February 2021 with lots of stalls and setbacks. Good luck. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/mpkpbk2015
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    edited March 2021
    Lifting weights :D ? Recently I started training again and to to gain muscle mass it's inevitable you will gain body fat as well. In fact the only times I got really fat in my life was when I was bulking and force-feeding to get stronger in the gym.

    Otherwise I don't struggle to stay relatively lean.

  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    Lifting weights :D ? Recently I started training again and to to gain muscle mass it's inevitable you will gain body fat as well. In fact the only times I got really fat in my life was when I was bulking and force-feeding to get stronger in the gym.

    Otherwise I don't struggle to stay relatively lean.

    Thanks for your share, congrats on being able to stay lean. Have a great week.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    lgfrie wrote: »
    With each pound lost, I am a teeny bit less dissatisfied with my weight and body. I started at 330 lbs and the motivation to get started was HUGE. I'm at 240 now, so there's still quite a ways to go, but tbh I feel pretty good and not like I'm just going to fall over dead if I don't nail my diet and exercise goals today. A big bowl of Mac and Cheese with a Snicker bar for dessert seemed unimaginable at 300+, but these days I'm a bit more like "I can just pick this project up tomorrow..." So I think the weight loss itself, at least for me, has made it challenging to keep pushing toward the goal weight. Or put much more simply, "good enough" sometimes gets in the way of things.

    Thanks for sharing and congrats on the first 90, that's a great accomplishment to me. And I agree weight loss itself is a daily struggle for many I know it is for me. Have a great day.
  • joyanna2016
    joyanna2016 Posts: 323 Member
    'Bout 50 pounds. 🤣
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    Time.

    I'm pretty close to at least my first 'big' goal (healthy on the BMI chart), but it is going to take the time it takes. My temptation to cut all my calories and up the exercise to rush it is real, but it's just not going to happen.

    BUT I REALLY WANT TO GET THERE RIGHT NOW OMG I AM SO CLOSE.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    joyanna2016 wrote: »
    'Bout 50 pounds. 🤣

    Thanks for sharing - I thought my 100 was an overwhelming number - then I broke it down into 10 pound increment and it didn't seem as big an obstacle. And now 3 yrs later its all gone. Good luck
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    wunderkindking wrote: »
    Time.

    I'm pretty close to at least my first 'big' goal (healthy on the BMI chart), but it is going to take the time it takes. My temptation to cut all my calories and up the exercise to rush it is real, but it's just not going to happen.

    BUT I REALLY WANT TO GET THERE RIGHT NOW OMG I AM SO CLOSE.

    time is always a big factor - for many people. Thanks for sharing have a good evening
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    Beautyofdreams wrote: »
    I started my health and fitness journey for the second time on March 8, 2020. At the time realized I had 4 risk factors that resulted in a poor outcome if I contracted covid. Have lost 73 pounds with 15 more to go. My body is telling me that I need a diet break and I will eat at maintenance for a week. This is the 3rd break that I have taken in a year and they always freak me out. I worry that I will continue to eat at higher calories after the break is over. Am off exercise until I see the doctor as I have injured myself so losing condition the longer I sit.
    My first serious diet was after I had my kidney/pancreas transplant in 2009. I had gained 75 pounds during 3 years of dialysis. Started walking and eating 1400 calories day. Eventually added 3 days of weights and went back to college in a different field. In 2010, I suffered a bowel obstruction and had surgery to remove part of the small intestine, scar tissue, repair leaking pancreas, left ovary and appendix. Restarted the diet and exercise and by 2011, had lost 93 pounds. Kept it off until I met my fiance in 2012. He was morbidly obese and enjoyed going to movies and dining out. Slowly gained most of the weight back over a 5 year period.
    My biggest obstacle is myself. I tend to have depression and low self esteem and am a bit of a perfectionist. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that my body looks the way it does or that I am not the most athletic person or that I make mistakes, too. Am currently going to counseling to work through these issues and grief since fiance died in December from Covid complications.[/q

    My deepest condolences for the loss of your fiance. Congrats on your 73 pound loss which shows me you know what to do to get the weight off 15 pounds is so close. Last year before covid started I had 12.5 to lose and it took me over a year to do it. I say that to tell you to be patient with yourself. You say you have low self esteem I think your a winner - your name BeautyofDreams reminds me of a quote about winners - Winners are Dreamers who never give up on their dreams. Again I wish you peace and success on the rest of your weight loss journey.
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 3,089 Member
    @Beautyofdreams

    I'm so sorry for your loss! 💕💕💕
  • quiltergirl1
    quiltergirl1 Posts: 10 Member
    edited March 2021
    I feel overwhelmed with life sometimes. I had made it to my goal once. In 2017 I had a total hip replacement. I put on 12 pounds. Now I just try and try again. A circle of knowing what to do but not knowing how to get there. I am 52 and I had a kidney transplant over 30 years ago. I want to get this extra weight off. Tammy
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    quiltergirl1 wrote: »
    I feel overwhelmed with life sometimes. I had made it to my goal once. In 2017 I had a total hip replacement. I put on 12 pounds. Now I just try and try again. A circle of knowing what to do but not knowing how to get there. I am 52 and I had a kidney transplant over 30 years ago. I want to get this extra weight off. Tammy

    Thank you so much for sharing, I am 66 and know about trying and trying. Hang in there and don't give up. Ask for help here on MFP - I have had lots of help and had to break the circle by asking for help. I learned you can't do it alone. It really takes a village. Please feel free to friend me and I will try to help you in anyway I can. Have a good evening. Virtual hugs to you. 💖💖💖💖
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    I've restarted this so many times.....I'm more determined than I've been in a few years and I recognize a few downfalls for myself! I generally do great until about 7pm...then I lose my motivation and my sweet tooth takes over, so I'm learning to account for some evening snacks and have those calories to be within my goal. I've always said that summers are hard....we go camping every weekend so sitting around the bonfire is a great temptation to roast hot dogs, eat chips and junk, and drink more than 1 alcoholic beverage (although my preferred choices aren't high calorie). I'm at my highest weight ever but somehow my clothes still fit. I know I need to exercise more, up my steps, measure and weigh my food, log daily and make the best choices most of the time. Sleep is also an issue....need to work on how to stay asleep all night....that's a challenge, think it's my age.
  • Lhenderson923
    Lhenderson923 Posts: 102 Member
    I’ve started this journey before. I lost 70lbs using MFP in 2018 and maintained about a 60lb loss. I was still about 15lbs above my goal weight though, and whenever I tried to lose those last lbs I would always end up in a terrible restrictive cycle of eating. I probably started those last 15lbs 3-4 times in two years but always ended up back. I recently had my first child and I gained 50lbs during the pregnancy (while a lot of it was fat, my son was over 9lbs and I had a lot of extra fluid which added to that). Now I’m 15lbs from my prepregnancy weight and 25 from my goal weight. But this time, since I’m breastfeeding I’m more or less forced to loose weight in a healthy manner which is great for me! I know that if I fall back into my old habits close to goal, I will impact my milk supply. So my problem is definitely internal and always strikes when I’m close to my goal.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    wahmx3 wrote: »
    I've restarted this so many times.....I'm more determined than I've been in a few years and I recognize a few downfalls for myself! I generally do great until about 7pm...then I lose my motivation and my sweet tooth takes over, so I'm learning to account for some evening snacks and have those calories to be within my goal. I've always said that summers are hard....we go camping every weekend so sitting around the bonfire is a great temptation to roast hot dogs, eat chips and junk, and drink more than 1 alcoholic beverage (although my preferred choices aren't high calorie). I'm at my highest weight ever but somehow my clothes still fit. I know I need to exercise more, up my steps, measure and weigh my food, log daily and make the best choices most of the time. Sleep is also an issue....need to work on how to stay asleep all night....that's a challenge, think it's my age.

    Thanks so much for sharing - I read that lack of sleep maybe causing some of your craving issues. When you don't get enough sleep or go into the REM cycle for a long enough period your both produces more of the hormone called ghreulin - I think that's how it's spelled. It's early so forgive me if I spelled it wrong/ But that's the hormone that causes cravings. Don't worry about your age your never to old - I know I am 66 and 3 years ago I got the motivation to finally stop serial dieting and now I have loss 100 pounds as of the first of February . So hang in there and be patient with yourself. It will happen for you.💖💖💖💖
  • emzoe13
    emzoe13 Posts: 11 Member
    Lhenderson923 wrote: »
    I’ve started this journey before. I lost 70lbs using MFP in 2018 and maintained about a 60lb loss. I was still about 15lbs above my goal weight though, and whenever I tried to lose those last lbs I would always end up in a terrible restrictive cycle of eating. I probably started those last 15lbs 3-4 times in two years but always ended up back. I recently had my first child and I gained 50lbs during the pregnancy (while a lot of it was fat, my son was over 9lbs and I had a lot of extra fluid which added to that). Now I’m 15lbs from my prepregnancy weight and 25 from my goal weight. But this time, since I’m breastfeeding I’m more or less forced to loose weight in a healthy manner which is great for me! I know that if I fall back into my old habits close to goal, I will impact my milk supply. So my problem is definitely internal and always strikes when I’m close to my goal.

    So relatable! What is it about those last few pounds that's so difficult? In the beginning of February I reached my goal (not in lbs because I don't use a scale but in terms of how my clothes fit), and immediately I lost control of my calorie intake and have gained a bit back. I really want to get back to my goal and maintain it, but I'm finding it difficult to motivate myself to control my cravings especially at night. I know a lot of it has to do with psychological factors of the pandemic and feeling a bit stuck and bored in my life, but it's almost like when I'm this close, my brain decides that I have a liiiitle bit of wiggle to treat myself, but when I do treat myself I end up going way overboard and sabotage myself because of my all-or-nothing attitude towards food. Not sure how to overcome this yet but working on it!
  • ggeise14
    ggeise14 Posts: 387 Member
    emzoe13 I agree! What is it about "getting to goal" weight and staying there!?
  • dragonwind67
    dragonwind67 Posts: 1 Member
    Beautyofdreams wrote: »
    I started my health and fitness journey for the second time on March 8, 2020. At the time realized I had 4 risk factors that resulted in a poor outcome if I contracted covid. Have lost 73 pounds with 15 more to go. My body is telling me that I need a diet break and I will eat at maintenance for a week. This is the 3rd break that I have taken in a year and they always freak me out. I worry that I will continue to eat at higher calories after the break is over. Am off exercise until I see the doctor as I have injured myself so losing condition the longer I sit.
    My first serious diet was after I had my kidney/pancreas transplant in 2009. I had gained 75 pounds during 3 years of dialysis. Started walking and eating 1400 calories day. Eventually added 3 days of weights and went back to college in a different field. In 2010, I suffered a bowel obstruction and had surgery to remove part of the small intestine, scar tissue, repair leaking pancreas, left ovary and appendix. Restarted the diet and exercise and by 2011, had lost 93 pounds. Kept it off until I met my fiance in 2012. He was morbidly obese and enjoyed going to movies and dining out. Slowly gained most of the weight back over a 5 year period.
    My biggest obstacle is myself. I tend to have depression and low self esteem and am a bit of a perfectionist. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that my body looks the way it does or that I am not the most athletic person or that I make mistakes, too. Am currently going to counseling to work through these issues and grief since fiance died in December from Covid complications.

    I am in stage 3 B Kidney disease. I am lucky at this point. my blood pressure, and other items were already under good control. But I am so confused about a kidney diet. I want to follow what is best while loosing weight. I am at 273.4 but am also five foot one. MY biggest obstacle is confusion about what to do that is right.

    If anyone had kidney advise message me I am totally at a loss here.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    Lhenderson923 wrote: »
    I’ve started this journey before. I lost 70lbs using MFP in 2018 and maintained about a 60lb loss. I was still about 15lbs above my goal weight though, and whenever I tried to lose those last lbs I would always end up in a terrible restrictive cycle of eating. I probably started those last 15lbs 3-4 times in two years but always ended up back. I recently had my first child and I gained 50lbs during the pregnancy (while a lot of it was fat, my son was over 9lbs and I had a lot of extra fluid which added to that). Now I’m 15lbs from my prepregnancy weight and 25 from my goal weight. But this time, since I’m breastfeeding I’m more or less forced to loose weight in a healthy manner which is great for me! I know that if I fall back into my old habits close to goal, I will impact my milk supply. So my problem is definitely internal and always strikes when I’m close to my goal.

    I know I was a serial dieter for most of my life and what would happen would be when I got close to goal I would let things slip, like I would take days off from exercising, I would skip logging a few days, I would eyeball measure because basically I was close and had loss most of the weight think I had done the hard part and those last few pound would eventually come off and they didn't instead I would always gain back what I lost. I think this is what happens to most dieters when we get close to that all elusive goal. Finally after over 30 years of doing that and after my mom died without seeing me reach my goal weight. And she was my biggest supporter. I decided enough. And this year I did it in Feb but it took me over a year to lost those last 14 pounds. It's a fight a battle with yourself I know and it is never in the beginning its always when your so close. No my battle is keeping it off since Feb of this year. I fight everyday with cravings and have to force my self to log and do the right thing. And stay motivated.
    All I am saying is don't give up on your dream to lose the weight fight for it.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    emzoe13 wrote: »
    Lhenderson923 wrote: »
    I’ve started this journey before. I lost 70lbs using MFP in 2018 and maintained about a 60lb loss. I was still about 15lbs above my goal weight though, and whenever I tried to lose those last lbs I would always end up in a terrible restrictive cycle of eating. I probably started those last 15lbs 3-4 times in two years but always ended up back. I recently had my first child and I gained 50lbs during the pregnancy (while a lot of it was fat, my son was over 9lbs and I had a lot of extra fluid which added to that). Now I’m 15lbs from my prepregnancy weight and 25 from my goal weight. But this time, since I’m breastfeeding I’m more or less forced to loose weight in a healthy manner which is great for me! I know that if I fall back into my old habits close to goal, I will impact my milk supply. So my problem is definitely internal and always strikes when I’m close to my goal.

    So relatable! What is it about those last few pounds that's so difficult? In the beginning of February I reached my goal (not in lbs because I don't use a scale but in terms of how my clothes fit), and immediately I lost control of my calorie intake and have gained a bit back. I really want to get back to my goal and maintain it, but I'm finding it difficult to motivate myself to control my cravings especially at night. I know a lot of it has to do with psychological factors of the pandemic and feeling a bit stuck and bored in my life, but it's almost like when I'm this close, my brain decides that I have a liiiitle bit of wiggle to treat myself, but when I do treat myself I end up going way overboard and sabotage myself because of my all-or-nothing attitude towards food. Not sure how to overcome this yet but working on it!

    I can relate too, I sometimes think it's been harder to maintain than it was getting here. Mine is the fear of another failure. I reach my the goal the same time as you in Feb after trying since May of 2018. So now everyday is a battle a fight with myself to stay here.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    ggeise14 wrote: »
    emzoe13 I agree! What is it about "getting to goal" weight and staying there!?

    I think sometimes I think I tried so long and made it and maybe I am not worthy of this success. So I do everything I can to prove my self wrong so I can maintain. It's a daily battle to eat right, exercise, log in. Drink water stay busy not think about cravings. But as of right now for me there's no turning back.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    dragonwind67 wrote: »
    Beautyofdreams wrote: »
    I started my health and fitness journey for the second time on March 8, 2020. At the time realized I had 4 risk factors that resulted in a poor outcome if I contracted covid. Have lost 73 pounds with 15 more to go. My body is telling me that I need a diet break and I will eat at maintenance for a week. This is the 3rd break that I have taken in a year and they always freak me out. I worry that I will continue to eat at higher calories after the break is over. Am off exercise until I see the doctor as I have injured myself so losing condition the longer I sit.
    My first serious diet was after I had my kidney/pancreas transplant in 2009. I had gained 75 pounds during 3 years of dialysis. Started walking and eating 1400 calories day. Eventually added 3 days of weights and went back to college in a different field. In 2010, I suffered a bowel obstruction and had surgery to remove part of the small intestine, scar tissue, repair leaking pancreas, left ovary and appendix. Restarted the diet and exercise and by 2011, had lost 93 pounds. Kept it off until I met my fiance in 2012. He was morbidly obese and enjoyed going to movies and dining out. Slowly gained most of the weight back over a 5 year period.
    My biggest obstacle is myself. I tend to have depression and low self esteem and am a bit of a perfectionist. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that my body looks the way it does or that I am not the most athletic person or that I make mistakes, too. Am currently going to counseling to work through these issues and grief since fiance died in December from Covid complications.

    I am in stage 3 B Kidney disease. I am lucky at this point. my blood pressure, and other items were already under good control. But I am so confused about a kidney diet. I want to follow what is best while loosing weight. I am at 273.4 but am also five foot one. MY biggest obstacle is confusion about what to do that is right.

    If anyone had kidney advise message me I am totally at a loss here.

    Do an actual post - and see what type of response you get. Do it under diet and nutrition no one will see it here.
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    It's interesting you posted this, because I was cleaning out stuff and came across my old "diet and fitness scrapbooks" that I made in my early 20's (so about 20 years ago). I found something in them called the "Inner Diet Profile." It was an online test I took to determine what the biggest barriers were to me successfully losing and maintaining weight loss. Mind you, this was about 20 years ago that I took it. I'm at my 2nd goal weight now (after losing about 8 more pounds from my weight loss 8 years ago), and currently am trying to see if I could lose a few more for vanity reasons. If I don't, no big deal.

    My biggest obstacles were my discomfort level (I had a "high degree" of discomfort with dieting/weight loss); inner control (Having doubts about my ability to succeed at weight control); and stress eating. Perfectionistic expectations was moderately high as well. WOW! I don't think I realized how accurate this was until I was able to be successful! This still held true even before my more recent (successful) attempt at losing about 8 pounds last year. For me to be successful, I had to do/think the following: Change my mindset to believing I was a person who could lose and maintain weight and control binges (inner control); be much more mindful of eating and if I was eating out of stress/anxiety, recognize it and fine other ways to cope; learning to accept that I might be hungry or even frustrated at times with losing weight loss and being okay with that (discomfort); and getting rid of the all-or-none thinking mentality I had with weight loss.

    It'd be interesting to know if something like this is still around. Granted, when I took this I must've only semi-absorbed what it said at the time, because I don't even remember taking this test. I also clearly didn't learn too much from it at the time, but I guess it was my own experiences and self-awareness and acceptance that lead me to successful weight loss and maintenance.
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    Speakeasy76 wrote: »
    It's interesting you posted this, because I was cleaning out stuff and came across my old "diet and fitness scrapbooks" that I made in my early 20's (so about 20 years ago). I found something in them called the "Inner Diet Profile." It was an online test I took to determine what the biggest barriers were to me successfully losing and maintaining weight loss. Mind you, this was about 20 years ago that I took it. I'm at my 2nd goal weight now (after losing about 8 more pounds from my weight loss 8 years ago), and currently am trying to see if I could lose a few more for vanity reasons. If I don't, no big deal.

    My biggest obstacles were my discomfort level (I had a "high degree" of discomfort with dieting/weight loss); inner control (Having doubts about my ability to succeed at weight control); and stress eating. Perfectionistic expectations was moderately high as well. WOW! I don't think I realized how accurate this was until I was able to be successful! This still held true even before my more recent (successful) attempt at losing about 8 pounds last year. For me to be successful, I had to do/think the following: Change my mindset to believing I was a person who could lose and maintain weight and control binges (inner control); be much more mindful of eating and if I was eating out of stress/anxiety, recognize it and fine other ways to cope; learning to accept that I might be hungry or even frustrated at times with losing weight loss and being okay with that (discomfort); and getting rid of the all-or-none thinking mentality I had with weight loss.

    It'd be interesting to know if something like this is still around. Granted, when I took this I must've only semi-absorbed what it said at the time, because I don't even remember taking this test. I also clearly didn't learn too much from it at the time, but I guess it was my own experiences and self-awareness and acceptance that lead me to successful weight loss and maintenance.

    Guess what it is still around this is what I found -
    THE INNER DIET IS COMPRISED OF THREE PARTS:
    1. THE INNER DIET QUESTIONNAIRE,
    2. THE INNER DIET PERSONAL PROFILE AND
    3. THE INNER DIET ACTIVITY BOOK.

    here's the link also -https://excelingnutrition.com/p/the-inner-diet

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