Ladies in the 200+ range..how'd you stay motivated?

olivewalnut · July 2012

I started at 262lbs and this morning I weighed in at 189.2! what keeps me motivated is remembering how miserable I was and how unhealthy I was. My kids keep me motivated because I want to be healthy for them, I want to be able to do stuff with them without being too tired all the time.
I am excited to see how my body is changing (I haven't been in the 180's in a decade at least) and just feeling "normal" is such a nice change.
I also always remind myself that i will never regret sticking to it.
I can recall quite easily all the times I'd calculate in my head how much weight I could have lost had I just started on x day, and feeling so down that another year had passed and I was bigger than the last.

As far as plateauing... I've had it happen a few times and this is largely due to eating 1200 calories or LESS a day... I upped my caloric intake (with whole unprocessed foods) to about 1400cal and I did go up a pound or two for about a week and a half and then the weight started to drop again. If you eat too few calories your body will become resistant to loss... and it isn't healthy!

It's a complete life change and I truly believe that you have to be really ready to make a permanent life and eating change or it wont work. It took me a long time to get there... I think I was mostly pissed off that I couldn't eat whatever I wanted to like my husband could lol. Once I got over that and really thought about the path I was headed and the likely health issues that would spring up sooner than later I knew I had to just do it!
I changed my thinking... instead of trying to lose weigh I was losing weight... saying you'll try allows you to fail. doing it is just doing it!
I also looked at it from a medical view instead of just a physical "thinner me" side.

and I can tell you almost 8 months in and I don't regret it at all.

melclare10 · July 2012

What works for me is to take your time, it isn't a race. Eat well and walk and cycle.Make a goal that is reasonable and one you can reach. Just research everything you eat and fuel your body with better "fuel". I would get really upset when my goal was coming up and i was two pounds higher than what I should have been. I continued training hard, eating right and drinking tons of water. The day after weigh in I was a pound less than my goal and it was due to water weight. Never give up, success is just around the corner. Your body will feel the change.

Wonderwoman2677 · July 2012

My weight seems to come off in clumps... it's weird but I'll drop 2-3 or more lbs in a week or 2, but stay the same the rest of the time. I keep body measurements a lot and track my success that way instead. Even when my scale isn't moving all month I'll go down an inch there, a 1/2 inch there... it keeps me going. I also try to stay in touch with how my body and mind feel. I'm much more calm and usually in a better frame of mind than I was 6 mos ago. I don't get out of breath going up the stairs and I can walk for an hour without collapsing when I get home. Don't use the scale as your only guide.

jeefyl · July 2012

I started at 299.8. For me the biggest motivator is how much better I feel and the extra energy I have. I take measurements and photos and really try to see the little changes. For example, I am starting to see my colar bones! I also have family members that are supportive and tell me I look great. On top of that, my husband and I want to have kids and I want to set a healthy example for them instead of giving them the same unhealthly examples I had growing up.

acawle00 · July 2012

I started at 231 back in January. Since then I've lost the same five pounds four or five times always getting excited about being under 230 only to end up back on the other side. After gaining a whopping six pounds while some friends were in town for a long weekend, I had had enough. Since they have left I lost all that i had put on plus an additional four pounds!! this time around i decided to set specific short term goals for myself. I start back to school at the end of August. My goal is to be down to 220 by then and im already over half way there. Other goals include birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and I am setting a realistic expectation for the given time frame to allow for slip-ups so i don't get discouraged if i gain a little. You also have to commit for the long haul. I've mapped out the next 18 months for weightloss. You cant just lose 100 pounds over night! Lasty, try to approach it as lifestyle change. After all, once you do reach your ultimate weight loss goal, you cant go back to what you were doing that made you gain all that weight in the first place. ive tried so many diets, exercise routines, and grand plans and they have all failed. however, keeping up with your calories and staying active are lifestyle choices. if you can change the way you think about losing weight it can make all the difference. as far as staying active, i have been quite a klutz this summer and hurt both my knee and ankle making it difficult to stick to a strict exercise routine so i just turn on my pandora disney station and dance around my house to it. seems to be working fine for now!! You can do this, just keep at it!

trhjrh06 · July 2012

DO NOT GIVE UP::::::::: Now I started at 274. I had 134lbs to lose. That's a whole person! YES it was daunting and terrifying. And yes I had tried MANY times before to lose weight and never succeeded because if I saw I gain I would basically give up. It takes a good mind set to do this. It's hard, it's not easy. But you can make it easy for you. I have been on a plateau for a few months now. And yes it's driving me crazy. But not ONCE have I thought about giving up. I NEVER want to go back to where I was and I never will! You just have to want it that bad. I always thought I wanted it so bad. And I did. But apparently not enough. This time I do. I have changed my lifestyle and will never go back. Yes I have bad days, yes I have slip ups. But you know what? I get right back at it afterwords. YOU CAN DO THIS! Just keep at it and try different things and see what works. I just recently upped my calories and I'm losing again. So you got this! If you want support and motivation add me I'll do the best I can!

amanda8o · July 2012

I started at 245 the end of Feb and now I'm at 196..just tell yourself you can do this,don't give up because a year or even 6 months from now just think how far you'll be,and if you don't keep at it you'll wish you had.Surround yourself with positive people and take full advantage of this website and the awesome people on here.Lots of times I felt that it was just to tough or I'm to hungry and just need that last snack for the night and I would get on here and start reading some of the success stories,knowing that soon I would be one of those.You can do this!!

herstrawberri · July 2012

Honestly you have to find the motivation within yourself. I started at 375. I now weigh 239. I have been doing this for 15 months. yes, i have had set backs and binges and weight gains. BUT. I never gave up. You have to believe that you are worth the hard work and just DO IT. It's not easy and some days it totally sucks. Change the way you think. Every day get up and believe that you WILL succeed that day. THE DAY YOU STOP TRYING IS THE DAY YOU FAIL. You CAN DO IT!!!

MommaKit79 · July 2012

I'm looking for some advice. I started trying to lose weight about 18 months ago and did great...at first. After I lost my first 20 lbs or so (I started at 227), I totally lost motivation and quit just about all of the good habits that I had started. No more exercise, eating bad foods ALL of the time, etc. I'm now back to where I started, around 227.

My question is, with having some much weight to lose, how did you stay motivated to succeed? When the scale stopped moving, I gave up and I have no idea how to work through it when it happens this time around... When I plan ahead and see that I won't possibly reach my final goal weight for quite some time, I start to doubt myself and give up.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Just keep pushing!! Plateaus are normal for everyone and just remember, your "weight" may not be changing but, your body is constantly changing. You could be losing inches but not weight (since a lb of fat takes up more space then a lb of muscle). SO, while you lose a lb of fat, you may gain it back in a lb of lean muscle. Try measuring yourself once every couple weeks or 1 a month and see if you notice more of a difference!

GOOD LUCK and KEEP PUSHING!!! YOU GOT THIS!!!!!

kayemme · July 2012

i started close to 270.

what has helped me most is just to focus on 10lbs at a time. i make it a little goal to get "under" the next set (today, in fact, i am under 220)

because 10lbs (especially with so much weight to lose) is really attainable, i feel good and positive all the time.

as i get smaller, I may have to reduce it to 5lb goals, but whatevz.

also, i try to put on my boyfriend's clothes as a measure. he's always about 50lbs lighter than me, and now his "fat" clothes are fitting me, sort of. two weeks ago, i had to lay down to button a pair of his jeans. this morning i buttoned them standing. maybe in a few weeks i won't have the muffin top, or at least it will be smaller. just step by step.

AshinAms · July 2012

Agree you have to find motivation to do it yourself but there are two things I do:

1. I ask myself before I eat anything whether the 'price is right'. ie. is the cost worth the pleasure? If it is then I should eat that thing guilt free, if not I need to think if I could eat something else that might have a better price-benefit ratio.
2. Every day is a new day. Think AA and pick yourself up when you fall off the wagon.

Hope that helps.

joydayval · July 2012

I started at 440# now down to 358 and falling. I had to join a twelve step program b/c I truly have an addiction. I have been working that program for 5 mos, but have only been on here for about 6 weeks. I am motivated by prayer, my twelve-step program and the tools on this program.

I have been morbidly obese since I was a young girl and have never lost more weight than 40 lbs on any program because I haven't been able to stick to anything for longer than a few mos. So far so good...!

lrichardson2360 · July 2012

I'm 37, 6'1" and when I started 3 years ago I was 297. I am 228 now, but am trying to get to 175. I have days when I think, "I've still got so far to go," but then I remind myself, "Look how far I've come." Even if I never lose another pound, I know that I've changed my life and I am healther now than I have been in many years. I look better and feel better. Sure I'm still 50+ lbs overweight, but i know it's going to continue to get better because I'm dedicated to eating healthy and getting lots of excercise. I may only lose a pound a month, but it's still better than gaining. Good luck to you and try top remember that being healthy is the most important thing!

raeleek · July 2012

I am convinced that small goals are the way to go.....I have one hundres pounds to lose...but I am breaking it up into smaller goals which I am achieving one by one.....never give up, find a friend to help you with this journey...it makes all the difference

This, in my opinion, is exactly right! I look at all the weight I would like to lose and rather than focus on that I focus on the next 10 lbs. This is a lifestyle change not a race to the finish. I am having to tell myself that DAILY. Even when the scale doesn't move I am still making the right health choices! I don't want to live forever but I want to live the best quality of life I can with the time I've been given. I realize you may not see the numbers you like and THAT is hard but think about the inside. Each time you workout, each time you make the right food choice, each time you take the quiet moment to relieve stress (I have a 15 minute leave mommy alone to deep breath and clear stress time in the evening) you are making a POSITIVE impact on your health. Keep up the fight! You are worth your good health!

dawnjessfit · July 2012

I love the expression "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" Don't look at how far you have to go; look at how far you've come. Rejoice in your accomplishment! Then, take each day as it comes. Weaknesses and plateaus are going to happen. I believe that when I start feeling deprived I am setting myself up for failure. So, if I need a "free day" every 10 days of so I take it. But just because I fall off, or willingly go off, for one day doesn't mean forever. Think of your free day as your mental health day from work. Take a break; It's good for the soul. The next day, go back to work.

laulyn · July 2012

I started at 231 back in January. Since then I've lost the same five pounds four or five times always getting excited about being under 230 only to end up back on the other side. After gaining a whopping six pounds while some friends were in town for a long weekend, I had had enough. Since they have left I lost all that i had put on plus an additional four pounds!! this time around i decided to set specific short term goals for myself. I start back to school at the end of August. My goal is to be down to 220 by then and im already over half way there. Other goals include birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and I am setting a realistic expectation for the given time frame to allow for slip-ups so i don't get discouraged if i gain a little. You also have to commit for the long haul. I've mapped out the next 18 months for weightloss. You cant just lose 100 pounds over night! Lasty, try to approach it as lifestyle change. After all, once you do reach your ultimate weight loss goal, you cant go back to what you were doing that made you gain all that weight in the first place. ive tried so many diets, exercise routines, and grand plans and they have all failed. however, keeping up with your calories and staying active are lifestyle choices. if you can change the way you think about losing weight it can make all the difference. as far as staying active, i have been quite a klutz this summer and hurt both my knee and ankle making it difficult to stick to a strict exercise routine so i just turn on my pandora disney station and dance around my house to it. seems to be working fine for now!! You can do this, just keep at it!

Well said! In addition to that, here is my "safety net":

So here is what I have done.... I have recognized, (since I am a social worker) I NEED the people around me who love me. I NEED accountability. I NEED support. I feel like my problem is bigger than what I can handle on my own. I know i must commit to a lifetime of health. So, just like any recovering addict (ugh, I hate using that to describe myself), I need an action plan. Just like an alcoholic needs a plan. An alcoholic may meditate and call their sponsor to stay on their road to recovery. I have created my own action plan. I wrote my action plan in a journal. It is my go to when the *kitten* hits the fan or I have a case of the"I don't wanna's" or the "What is the point anyway?". My personal action plan is #1-When I begin to struggle I will check out before and after stories, I find them inspiring. Before and afters light some sort of intrinsic motivation for me. #2- I will be accountable to people I love and feel safe with. My best friend and my long term boyfriend are on duty. If they see me beginning to slip, they can come to me in a loving manner to speak to me about it in a kind considerate manner. We even have a "safe word". When they come to me with the "safe word", I know it means they are concerned and they know I want to be fit for life and they are committed to helping me, by holding me accountable. #3- If i can not manage the motivation to eat healthy or work out, I will log on to MFP and do exactly what you just did. I will get on a forum and i will ask for help from a community of people I feel have walked 4,000 miles in my shoes and know my struggles. I know if I am slipping I will log on. No matter how sh*tty I feel, I can pick up the computer.

msmindylee · July 2012

About six years ago I had reached my highest weight ever, 257. Joined WW and lost about 40 lbs in a year, then about 15 the next year, and 10 the next year... and then I had an injury that first sidetracked my exercise and then physical therapy that completely messed with my psyche. Gained back a little bit, and was just starting to get it back under control when my mom passed away and everything went to heck in a handbasket. I didn't gain back everything, but a lot of it.

Tried WW again and honestly, they were flogging the WW products (so processed!) and artificial sweeteners and stuff so much - plus I got absolutely nowhere with weight loss - and finally I just said, no, this is not the way for me any more.

Since then I am trying a new approach. I'm ramping up my cardio exercise, and will soon be adding resistance. And I'm focusing on eating real, unprocessed (or minimally processed) food, and continuing to track calories here.

I don't own a scale (probably will get one soon) but my focus is NOT on that number right now anyway. But there are other ways to track progress - today on my walk I could tell that I was definitely going faster and feeling less tired than I have before. And yesterday I put on a pair of shorts that barely buttoned six weeks ago - and they FIT. By the way, that six weeks included two weeks in the Caribbean eating and drinking myself silly, so the rest of the time I had to have been doing something right, you know?

And THAT is what keeps me motivated. The trick is to keep finding those "little things" that mean so much more than the number (for me, anyway - I know everyone is different).

caroluherek · July 2012

My starting weight last June using another program was 246, I'm now down to 213.5. It's not been an easy road, take a look at what your doing and see if you can implement a few small changes to your day. I had been stuck @ 220 for a long time, I'm an emotional eater and turn to breads, crackers, baked chips whatever was at hand so a few weeks ago I cut those things from my daily eating and it seems to have helped. I'm a big believer in exercise, you don't have to work out for 2+ hours a day. Find something you enjoy and if possible have some variety. Last summer I started by taking a zumba class, had to pay for 8 weeks up front, that kept me motivated to keep going and I met some new friends who are really supportive and best of all the class was super fun. I've since joined a gym and kept up with the zumba but I've added some weight training, and it helps. When the scale doesn't move I pull out the measuring tape and can see the changes there. I used to weigh myself daily and have cut back to once per week. It's not any one big thing that will make the difference it's all the little things along the way. Good luck, stay strong

jordanreddick · July 2012

I started a year ago at 270 and am now as of this morning 183.4 My utter motivation was to see a 1 in front of my number, now it is to see my goal, you can do it!

Tishy78 · July 2012

I make sure to acknowledge/celebrate all of the small victories. Needing smaller cloths, changing BMI categories, killing another 10 lbs, not getting winded taking the stairs, working out longer, burning more calories, etc. ANY thing that will help you focus on the positive in your journey.

I'm doing this very slow. Started in May of 2011 at 255. I am down to 187. It would feel like nothing was happening at times until I started to really notice these types of things and give myself credit for them.

Ladies in the 200+ range..how'd you stay motivated?

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