How do YOU stay motivated?

OK, to be honest, this is the point where I usually flake out and just give up. I have had this same 10 pounds to lose for 2 or 3 years now. And, since it's only 10 pounds, people usually tell me "you look fine, don't worry about it."

The thing is, when your weight creeps up over the years, you don't want to wait 'till it gets so difficult that you always give up, or need an even longer and more difficult plan.

So here I am, only 10 pounds too high, I am giving up. Please don't let me give up. Please help me out. Why do I do this to myself? It has been 3 weeks. I shouldn't see much change, because if I lost more than 1-3 pounds right now, I'd just yo-yo back.

But, it has been 3 weeks and I want to see more results than I am seeing. That is unrealistic for me right now. How do I keep myself motivated when I am aiming to lose a half pound or less per week--only 1-2 pounds per month?

(In the past, I have been able to lose it faster, but it comes back. I figured, this way, I'd have a new lifestyle after 10 months, and I'd just stay the "right" weight by doing the same plan, which would feel "normal" by then.)

Any ideas to renew my weight loss challenge so I feel like I do at the start?

Tue. Jan 23, 9:58pm

Maybe you could make "challenges" for yourself that would ultimately aid in weight loss. For instance, make a goal of eating a certain number of fruits/veggies a day or week and track that. Or find a race or walk to participate in and then begin training for it. You could find other exercise challenges like walking, running, biking, riding the elliptical and tracking the miles with a goal in mind (make the distance from your house to a distant relative's or friend's) and see how long it takes you to accumulate that many miles. Set up a reward system based upon healthy habits (a certain numbers of days=the reward) instead of based upon what the scale says. Just hang in there! The last 10 pounds are hard to lose. I'm about 5 from where I want to be and for me sometimes it comes off 2 or 3 in a short period of time and then I'll go 2 or 3 weeks or more without much change in the scale. Don't get discouraged--you're in good range right now but now you're so close, you just have to "tweak" things. Think of it as fine tuning, trying to make yourself the best you can be. It's hard work and takes discipline, but you can do it. In the same line of thinking as above, maybe look at what you're eating and see if there is anything you want to improve--more calcium or fiber, less sugar or salt. If so, make some changes starting with one meal of the day until you have a *better* diet/menu for yourself. Hopefully some of these thoughts will spark something for you!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 10:49 PM

Motivation

I am having the same problem you are with staying motivated! It's so hard! Ok- this is going to sound crazy, but in the past, I have done the Hollywood Diet (liquid diet... and I allow myself to have veggies, too) for 2 days to jump start my deit and to give me that initial weight loss (I have lost up to 5 lbs in those 2 days and I find that that motivates me to want to keep losing. It doesn't have to be the Hollywood Diet, but try something drastic for 2 days and see if it gets you going....

I also have tried writing "WILL POWER" on my hand and anytime I wanted to eat something that I knew I shouldn't, I would look at my hand! It actually works!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 10:50 PM

Keep going! You can do it

Track other achievements you are making as well as your weight loss, things that will make you feel good about what you're doing. Read magazines about the sport/exercise you like.

Keep using the web -- Put *everything* you eat, even a tootsie roll, in your peertrainer log so you can see if you are sabotaging yourself (little things add up when you're at this stage). Click "watch thread" so you can refer to this post when you're feeling low.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 11:10 PM

Thank you, from OP

Thank you for all the advice. I will try each thing, and see how it works. I'll let you know.

I also welcome any different (or modified) advice, if you have any.

Thanks!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 1:08 AM

Goals

I stay focused by setting goals, I then work toward the goal setting small bench marks along the way, the small goals lead to the big goals every time.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 7:31 AM

I agree!

Small goals add up. Looking at the big picture can be overwhelming. Make mini-goals, and celebrate your success!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 12:55 PM

Mini Goal ideas

With only 10 pounds to go--I never know if a pound lost is a fluctuation or an actual loss. Do you have any suggestions on the types of "mini goals" I could set?

My "big" road to my "big" goal was to exercize more and worry less about food (make sure I have a calorie debt, but incur it from exercizing a lot more, not eating a lot less [but hopefully a tiny bit less]).

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 3:17 AM

Great ideas

All thiese ideas are just wonderful, especially 10.49 pm above. Focusing on the steps needed to reach your Ultimate Goal may be the best answer when the Ultimate Goal stands firmly out of reach.

My advice is to up your water intake.

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 3:24 AM

Make it less about weight loss, than about your health in the near- and long-term. The scale can make you crazy. With only 10lbs, you're not going to see anything dramatic in the first couple of weeks or at all, really. In weight lifting, for example, you don't see any change or marked difference for the first six weeks. Make exercise a pathway to health and vitality rather than a means to an end. An acknowledge how you look and feel, rather than the number on the scale which can be so deceiving!

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 12:57 PM

Hi, this is the second poster (10:49) again. As I read back through these it occurred to me that one thing I didn't mention and no one else either from what I skimmed, is using measurements to track progress. I did this for awhile, when I was within 3-5 pounds of my goal. The scale didn't move much but the inches (or centimeters) still did. That gave me a boost and kept me moving in the right direction!

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 5:22 PM

Mini Goal Suggestions

How about...
-if you walk, start jogging, if you jog, jog farther
-if you eat dessert every night, only eat dessert on Saturday and Sunday night
-if you go to the gym three nights a week, go four
-if you eat some snack every day, like a granola bar, switch to an apple or a banana

And... don't forget to reward yourself when you meet a goal!

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 10:18 PM

Make the Scale Your Friend

I've been stuck with the last ten pounds for several years now. I would only weigh myself once every few months at weight watchers. I've maintained my weight loss for three years but have always wanted to lose the ten more. Before Christmas I read Thin Commandments by Steven Gullo. He said successful dieters weigh themselves weekly. I bought a scale and started to do that. Then I gained over the holidays and some stress about my health. Now I'm weighing myself several times a week and challenging myself to loose a tenth of a pound (my scale is like 128.5, 128.4, etc.). If I don't, I try again the next time. I never ever thought I would say this but it's kind of fun to see if I can do it. So far creeping down by tenths of a pound at a time but being okay with it. I'm really thinking now about ways to shave off a few calories or exercise more to meet that challenge. Good luck, LC

Thursday, January 25, 2007, 11:14 PM

Thank you 11:14 (from OP)

I think I should get a scale and count tenths. I can do tenths.

Because... I already jog more, walk more, am techinically "healthy enough" but if I lose this last 10, I will have less pain when running and can probably then work on my (future) goal of running faster.

Tenths! What an idea. Thanks!

Friday, January 26, 2007, 2:24 AM

bumping for those who want advise but do not want to search. i think there are some great tips on this thread!

Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 1:21 PM

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