Ladies in the 200+ range..how'd you stay motivated?
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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!
Awesome way to look at it!! Something I really needed as I'm looking down the long road to the "finish line".0 -
what kept me motivated was two things:
1. the support of all my friends on my fitness pal and my family
2. taking the photo of myself at my heaviest I didn't want to go back to being that girl again.
most important of all my daughter Rylee telling me how proud she is of me.0 -
I started my weight loss at 287lbs and lost the first 37lbs in 6 mos and have lost the last 6lbs in the last 6 mos :frown: When I step on the scale to see no change even while eating at or under my calorie goal, exercising and drinking way more water than ever before in my life I ask myself: What's the alternative? Start eating unhealthy again and get back the inches I've lost? Stop exercising and lose the strength and endurance that I've gained? Basically am I going to quit and gain back the weight, back to 287?? No thank you I'd rather work hard and stay the same then to gain it all back.
I understand wanting to quit but ask yourself if that is really who you want to see in the mirror?
"A year from now you will have wished you started today" - I think this every day...
I needed this today thank you so much!!!!0 -
I definitely agree that you should set small goals for yourself rather than focus on the big picture. Even if the scale doesn't cooperate, I tell myself that my body is getting stronger and healthier regardless of what the scale says. And giving up won't get me to where I want to be so I keep at it. I started at 332.4 in January 2011 and am currently 230.2. It is possible. You just have to be willing to put in the work. Good luck.0
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Started in February 2012, at 330 lbs, I am down roughly 50lbs. Scales are not your friends, water retention, and all the other reasons the scale doesn't move. Don't worry about the scale. I have been up and down 10 lbs for the last 2 months so I haven't changed my weight on MFP because I can't get it lower than what is recorded already. And that is ok, because I am a patient person, and its a journey. I feel better about how I look, and how I feel. I have more stamina, my body FEELS so much better. This is actually the longest "diet" I have been on- but the kicker is it really isn't a diet. I do not eat junk anymore- low fat, low calorie choices. I can have anything I want within reason. When I eat stuff that I was craving- it is not satisfying. And I go to the gym 3 and 4 times a week, and keep moving on the other days.. Good luck to you!0
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That is a very good idea!!0
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I started at 299. Went down to 221...right now back up to 241 (19 months). Feel off the wagon here and there but ended up gaining 20 back. The reason I gained?? I lost motivation. I grew very tired of fighting the fight. The most disappointing thing was the scale. So I stopped getting on. I believe our bodies have to catch up (don't care what the experts say) to the weightloss which is why *I think* we plateau. Whatever the reason for plateauing, don't give up! Your body will catch up. And remember to eat. If our body goes into starvation mode, it will shut down the weightloss. Don't think by eating less than you calculated calories will help; it won't. You may see an immediate drop but it will come to a screeching halt.
My remotivation:
I love the way I look and feel today even with an extra 20lbs
I never truly gave up...MFP was always in the back of my mind
I knew I didn't want to be sad all the time because I failed
Water Water Water
Stopped looking at the end gaol (150lbs)
Re-started looking at small goals again...1-5lbs at a time
And most importantly....Reengaged with MFP! Started logging again
This is for a life time...not for a moment in time.
You can do it! I know you can.
Motivational quips I posted on my News Feed:
Success is achieved and maintained by those who try-and keep trying
When you get to a plateau, think of it as a landing on the stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of "rehearsal" for maintenance isn't the worst thing in the world.
Rather than aiming for being perfect, just aim to be little bit better today than you were yesterday
Today is about keeping the faith
I'll send you a friend request.0 -
I seriously started using MFP in January this year 2012. My starting weight was 220, I am now as of today down to 156 lbs. I would have never believed I would be at this weight back then. I remember when I started exercising couldn't do a lot to begin with but gradually I was able to do more and more. And the weight began to move slowly but after maybe a month it began to come off like it should. I didn't give up even though there were times I felt like it because wasn't seeing results. And with losing weight and especially with exercising I can wear sizes that I would not believe with the weight I still am. I only started out with walking. I haven't been on a diet, I practice portion control and exercise now. I can't even tell you how much better I feel. YOU can do this just stick with it. I have people at work that admire the way I have stuck with my walking and I also use an eliptical machine at work, I don't go to gyms so I use Leslie Sansones walking dvd at home and think that has helped alot. My weight has been at a stand still for a few weeks now (frustrating) but PTL the scale moved 3 lbs this week, boy did I need that because it was hard to stay motivated. I have about 20 more lbs to go and know it will probably be slower than I will want and will be hard to stay motivated but WE CAN do this!!! Best wishes.0
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I started this journey at 314 pounds in February of 2011. For the 8 months I saw "steady" results. I loved stepping on the scale and seeing the number be lower than it was before. I'm a teacher and once the school year started up after an awesome summer of losing, the numbers stopped going down. I've been stuck between 230 and 240 for the past 6 months, but I'm not giving up. I still am careful with what I eat. I don't deprive myself of anything or I know I would utilmately fail, I just watch portions very closely. I love how I feel after a kickass workout so that helps too. I know that even if the number on the scale isn't going down that I'm still doing things right and eventually my body will respond.
In January I started dating a really great guy who had a great body without even trying. Eventually I let on to him the journey I was on and he was very encouraging. We would go on walks together and everything at first. But eventually that went by the wayside because we got too busy doing other things and he loved my body the way it was. Well, a month ago, he left me to get engaged to his ex. I've taken my "anger/agression" towards him out on my punching bag and other workouts. Other than kicking his *kitten* -lol- my biggest motivation right now is getting to Onderland. My ultimate goal is 180 or lower (I have a large frame and may look gaunt if I lose any more) but I am gonna be estatic the day the scale says 199.9. That number is my intrinsic motivation. Proving to myself that I have what it takes to lose 100+ pounds and be a success sotry. I've got a little bit of extrinsic motivation going too right now. In February of 2013, my parents are taking my siblings and I on a trip to Hawaii. I won't look Top Model-ish and I damn sure won't be in a bikini (I've got two gnarly footlong scars from gallbladder surgery) but I'm gonna look damn hot in my tankinis and sundresses!
My advice to anyone would be this. DON"T EVER GIVE UP! Even on the days you feel like the world is against you, keep on going - The end results are gonna be so worth it!0 -
As Dori would say, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming". When I started over 6 years ago, I weighed 396 lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery and lost 160 lbs. I ended up gaining back 60 of that. Last October I started at 300 again. I am now down to 227. I have had a really good incentive though. My 25 year high school reunion is next weekend and my goal was to weigh less than I did when I graduated from high school. I graduated high school at about 250 lbs. I compared pictures the other day and I'm actually thinner now. I still have about 60 lbs to go to my goal weight.
You can do this. We are all here to help you along.0 -
It's a day-to-day struggle. I just try to celebrate the small victories, whether it's buying my first size 12 dress or eating really healthy for a week without binging.
Celebrate what you can and eventually we will get to where we want to be.0 -
Surround your self with supportive people...I started at 231# in mid January. The first time the scale didn't move I was devistated! Felt like giving up...my mind was saying "look at how hard you worked...and you got NOTHING to show for it"....it was my support system of family and friends that pointed out the accomplishments that I had achieved and kept me pushing forward0
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Several women have said what I was going to say. For me, it was finally being realistic with myself. (Yes, my new found realism actually became my motivation. My realism is helping me become tough).
1) It's going to take a long time get there. A LONG TIME. (I don't have to be perfect, I can take my time and I can make this enjoyable).
2) When I get there, dealing with my weight will not end so I need to plan and start preparing for a LIFETIME right now. (Personally, this includes eating like I am maintaining my future goal weight, exercising the amount that I plan to exercise when I get to my goal, and dealing with all the mental stuff otherwise it will just keep popping up).
The MFP diary, my written goals and lots of checklists have helped me thus far. I love to cross things off my list. I feel very accomplished. Other than that, I take each day one at a time. My main focus right now is to make every single decision a "stronger choice". I know I can eat anything I want in moderation. I know I am physically capable of doing all sorts of exercise that I want to. I just like to frame things in this way ("stronger choice") so that I generally make better choices. For me, everytime I make a stronger choice (to skip the fries, to do my planks even when I don't want to, to remove myself from drama around me) each choice is a building block to make me stronger and inpenetrable. Over time, these building blocks that I am stacking will lead to me making something great of myself. There have been times that a few blocks fall off but the whole structure hasn't collapsed. I just get to re-building. Hopefully others with lots of weight to lose will see that building the YOU "you" want is much more pleasurable than eliminating foods, obsessing about the scale, etc.0 -
I am not in the 200s now but was exactly a year ago. I was 252. Motivation? Life was passing me by. I'm young (I think) and am not having the same social life those my age were. I REFUSED to be the weight I weighed in at ever again. I could have pretended that I would be successful and happy at my weight, but yes... I was realistic: the world does not see personality first. You are judged by looks and unfortunately heaviness is seen as laziness/sloppiness... Neither of which are me.
I am now ~175 with ~20lbs to go, done in just about a year!0 -
Really needed to read this thread today...thanks for posting and thanks for all the inspiration! One day at a time!0
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I started at 239lbs. and I too was overwhelmed at thinking that I had 100lbs. +/- to lose. But then I had to wrap my brain around small chunks at a time vs. the whole 100lb chunk. With each day that I was successful, I knew that I would experience a loss. And when I hit a plateau, I also "stayed the course", because I kept telling myself that weight loss is math... burn more than you consume and you will lose, and so when the scale seemed to get stuck, I knew that eventually the numbers would sort themselves out and the weight would come off. I am down 85lbs .
Here is a recent post with Before and After pics.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/661892-84-lbs-down-15-20-lbs-to-go-the-finish-line-is-near
Good Luck!0 -
The highest I have seen the scale is 291 lbs. I weighed 130 lbs 11 years ago. Ouch. I finally decided it was time to get my stuff together as I am getting married next July. I taught myself how to eat right and then started walking and then added extra stuff. Now I workout daily and take a day off. I do circuit training with a PT at my jobs gym. I think about how far I have come and I remind myself that I have to keep going because it will be worth it. I also think of it as at least I am not just starting to live healthier. Once you are in the game, you need to stay in the game. You will be glad you did. Good luck to you.0
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Also, I'd like to add something I just did. Using a photo editor app I did a side by side of me looking good about three years ago and one from about three months ago. The difference is incredible. I set it as my background on my iPad and I'm considering printing and taping it to the fridge/pantry.
Which app did you use, and how did you get the pictures next to each other? I think I'd like to do something like this but I'm not great at editing images!
ETA: I have a MacBook Pro if it makes a difference. No iPhone...but an Android phone.0 -
My highest weight was 259. I'm currently 235 today cause "mother nature is visiting", but when she isn't here I'm about 230. I can't seem to get below the 230's. I was sick a few weeks ago and I got down to 226, but since I'm better that all has came back. I keep telling myself that I can and will win this journey. I lost 55LBS in 2008, but I was working a more physical job than I'm doing now. I work with a personal trainer 3 day a week for an 1hour and I try to get to the gym at least 2-3x a week for 30-40 minutes. Keep me in your thoughts ladies.. I wish you all great success0
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I haven't had a chance to read through everyone's responses so forgive me if someone else has already said this or something similar....I started out with 80 pounds to lose & at times I feel totally hopeless. Someone on here once told me to not think of it as having to lose a whole 80 pounds though, think of it as losing 10 pounds 8 times. That has been the number one thing to keep me motivated & hopeful. 80 pounds sounds like such a hard goal to obtain so for years I've just given up when I didn't get the results I wanted as quickly as i thought I should, now thinking of it as losing 10 pound 8 times, I know I can do that!!!! I've already lost 14 which means I only have to lose 10 pounds 6.5 more times:) lol This might not help everyone but it definitely has kept me motivated! Good luck, you can definitely do this!!!!! Feel free to add me, I love new friends:)0
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Once you are in the game, you need to stay in the game. You will be glad you did.
Thank you for this!! Going to be my new desktop background!!0 -
I started at 248 in August 2010 (I had already lost about 10-15 pounds by this point but was too scared to get on the scale) and now I'm at 192. I thought I'd be at 150 by now no problem buuuuut life happens and I gotta deal with it. I envision myself shopping for wedding gowns someday and being able to NOT going towards the plus sized gowns, which I don't like the look of usually anyway. I want to be able to look back at my wedding photos and be like, "Damn, I look amazing!" I want to be a role model for my future babies in how to live their life, making responsible food choices. So if you had to ask me in a nutshell what motivates me, I'd say: My future.
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I'm 21 and started losing weight December 2011 at 256. Now I am 204 and it has been HARD! My goal is 150 and I know i'll get there. It is very hard to stay motivated, especially when the scale doesn't move for a month. Here are a few motivators I tell myself when I really want to give up:
1) I'll be able to go into a store and pick up a medium shirt and know it will fit
2) When I get married, my husband will be able to carry me across the doorway on our honeymoon
3) I'll be the hot girlfriend to my boyfriends friends instead of the nice girlfriend
4) I could go into any store to buy jeans instead of trying to find a plus size store
5) I'm freaking sick of being fat
6) Being able to do something that I wasn't able to do before I lost weight. And imagining how much i'll be able to do when I hit my goal.
7) I can buy bras at Victoria's Secret in store rather than having to special order.
8) I feel so much better!
And there are so many more reasons. Just Keep Going!!!0 -
I write a list of 101 things I wanna do when I am thinner........like #12 Shave legs without having to push stomach out of the way. lol.
When I am exercising I just keep a goal in my head.0 -
I started trying to change my lifestyle when I started college last fall. I was at 226. Right now, I'm 194. I've lost 31 pounds. That was with small changes, like having to walk around campus and just going to the gym most days of the week. I just recently added MFP, which has just helped me lose the weight faster.
Definitely set small goals. My first goal was to get out of the 200's. My next is to get out of the 190's (5 more pounds to go!!!). Then the next one: get out of the 180's. And so on. By doing this, you feel accomplished with every 10 pounds you lose. That is enough motivation in itself!
Whenever you reach a plateau (and it will happen eventually), just trick your body. Change your diet and your exercise routine. A plateau happens when your body gets used to your schedule. It has to work harder when you change it up!
Good luck and if you need anything, let me know! We're all in this together!0 -
my son is my biggest motivator right now! He's 15 months (almost 16 months) and he's eating what we are eating, so I want that to be good stuff. So we knew we had to change our diet. We now eat a lot healthier and he deters us from going out to eat too often, because he cant sit still through a whole meal ( he wants to run around and play). I want to be able to teach him to eat and love the good stuff and not be a hypocrite about it. So we are now eating about 85% organic, he eats more like 95% organic, and I make sure he has a fruit, veggie and protein at every meal. I also want the energy to run around with him and play with him, he's on the slower side now, but he's picking up speed and in a year or two he'll be moving like crazy and I want to be the fun mom participating with him not sitting on a bench cause I'm tired or dont have the energy or endurance to keep up.
I also am doing this for me of course! I want to prove to myself that I can do it and I can see under 200 again, its been about 8 years since I have. I'm also hoping that maybe in getting down to my goal weight that will help my fertility problems and we could think about having another baby. Right now I have PCOS and only have a 1% chance of getting pregnant on my own, we had to go through fertility treatments with my son and my pregnancy was not easy, so hoping that by cutting weight and fat out that maybe next time will be easier!
I started in April 2012 at 254lbs, I've lost 23lbs so far, its a slow process, but I work full time(sitting at a desk all day), am a mom and a part time student, and a wife, so there is a lot on my plate and not enough hours in the day! It will happen, hoping by the time swim suit season comes around next year I will have more luck finding a cute one!0 -
Best. Thread. Ever.
I have viewed hundreds of success stories to keep me motivated, posted goals and daily affirmations on my fridge and bathroom, pushed myself to the limit and NOTHING has been quite as awesome as reading all of your stories.
I will come back and read all of these again when I hit my next plateau. First, I have to break through this one.
Thank you for all the motivation. God bless.0 -
Purchase a smart scale. It keeps track of your body fat percentage, pounds of body fat , water weight, bone mass and some do muscle mass. I try to only weigh in once a week and I steer clear of the scale during my TOM. MFP has helped me tremendously!!! Get some friends, feel free to add me for motivation and a support system. And when I am really down in the dumps I look at success stories on here, when I get a food craving I exercise and it distracts me. Stay positive!! I feel the support of friends on here has pushed me through. Best of luck to you!!0
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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!!! And it doesn't even have to be weight goals...my goals lately are more about the simple things: water intake, logging EVERYthing I eat, and getting in more than 2 workouts a week. I am also really inspired by the workouts I've been having lately...when I feel ready to give up, I push through and do more and I feel so much better afterwards.
Here's an empowering story: my husband loves the elliptical, and for him it works and it's what he needs now. Tonight I hopped on the machine beside him to do 2 quick minutes to get my heart pumping and then I said, "well, see you later sweetie...I'm heading over to the manly man side of the gym". Then I went to the free weights. It felt AWESOME!0 -
I started at my highest weight of 270lbs (I am 5'6"ish). At first it was really slow (In approx 7-8 months I just lost my first 20lbs) HOWEVER I know I can lose the rest! First off, I am trying to join the US Navy which requires me to be at 160lbs or 33% BF before I can go to bootcamp && secondly WHY would I want to go back? I know its hard when the scale is not moving like you want (believe me) but the motivation has to come from within. I was just thinking today about how awesome it will be the first time I DO NOT have to shop in the plus size section!! I have NEVER not shopped there because I have been overweight 80% of my life (I am 21 years old).
ANOTHER THING I did is I set up 10lb goals with little prizes at the end of each one. My 10lb prize was to get a new body wash and my 20lb prize will be to get my first pedicure. I have them all written out on my page so that I can remember another thing I am working for
Feel free to add me because I would love to be there to support you!! We can do this together!!0
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