new here and need motivation!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2004
new here and need motivation!
8
Mon, 05-22-2006 - 10:51pm
Hi everyone!
I'm so glad to have found this board. I'm a nurse with a full time job and am a wife (for now) with 2 teenage daughters and I need some help! I need to lose just over 100 lbs and can't seem to get motivated. I can't climb the stairs to my bedroom without huffing and puffing, my knees are killing me and all I can do is EAT!!! Every day I say "today is the day I'm going to do it - eat better, eat less" but I find myself at the vending machine eating twinkies and potato chips! Then when I get home it's double servings for supper and snacking all evening long. You would think that the way my health is going would make me stop - i'm afraid I won't even be around to see my girls grow up, get married and all that good stuff. My doctor has even broached the gastric bypass route as an option but I don't want surgery. I know I can do this - I just need to get in the mode!! Any suggestions to help me get - and stay - motivated? At this point it seems that 100 lbs is soooo unattainable!!!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2006
Mon, 05-22-2006 - 11:27pm

start small, aim for 10 lbs, 20 lbs, 25 lbs so on and so forth. I have heard a lot of the women here talk about doing that. My goal right now is 25 lbs then my friend is taking me out for a night of bowling and fun. Maybe you can just aim for a smaller amount, reward yourself with that, then go from there. 100 lbs does seem unattainable when you look at it from the big pic, believe me I know. LOL I need to lose 100 lb just to be at my top weight range of normal, but like I said I am aiming for 25 lbs, it is slow going but I have lost 4 lbs in the last 2 weeks (okay so I lost all of it the first week and crashed last week but I didn't gain it back that counts) I have lost 7 in the last couple months only, but once again I didn't gain it all back. Now I am trying again so hard this week, and I went over my calories today but I didn't go over my maintain my weight calories so there is the rest of the week. All I can stress is take it slow and easy and if you cave don't beat yourself up but DO pick yourself back up and don't let it take control. Try to eliminate one thing for now (again what I have read from others on here and it seems to work for most). Say for instance those beloved twinkies (man aren't those good though). Or maybe if you drink it cut the soda. My point is pick 1 thing that seems to be a reasonable choice that you can live without and eliminate it. Give it a couple weeks then eliminate something else. And come here for support anytime you need it. Welcome and good luck with your journey.

Angela

 

Angela

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2005
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 3:33am
Angela is right--don't look at it as having to lose 100 lbs all at once. Start small, and work your way towards your goal. If snacking is a big problem for you, try replacing the Twinkies and chips with somewhat healthier snacks. Like popcorn (light) or sugar-free,fat-free pudding. I know, the pudding sounds like it would be yucky tasting on account of it being fat-free and sugar-free, but I have recently discovered to my delight, that it tastes wonderful! I think all the new products that have come out recently such as Splenda really are helping make diet food taste like REAL food. Yay! I, to, have a ways to go, but little by little I AM going to do this. I wish you all the best of luck in your journey towards a healthier you.
Sincerely,
Katherine
starting weight/current weight/goal weight (349.2/347.8/140) Mini-goal: size 26 jeans
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2006
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 7:53am

Hello and welcome to the board.. and welcome to the club! Your story is so familiar around here. Lack of motivation happens a lot. Not just at the beginning, but also a lot during the weight loss journey. You shouldn't wait until you get motivated to start because this could mean several lbs gained from now, so why wait for it to become harder?


I agree with the previous posters about breaking up your goal. A lot of members used to repeat this: I may be overwhelmed to lose 100lbs, but I can lose 10 lbs 10 times. Just work on losing 10 pounds only. And once you reach that, think about your next goal.


I also recommend that you start slow and build up. If you tell yourself that you can't have any junk food, sweats, or fat and it's going to be boiled vegetables from now on, you probably will feel sick thinking of it (I know I will UGGG). Think about progress instead of perfection (I just read this here today). Make healthier choices instead of the best choices. And set a couple of attainable goals that you HAVE to keep for the whole week. This will make you feel committed to your weight loss. If you can do extra things, then great, that's bonus. But you HAVE to keep your set goal(s).


I wish you luck. Please come here as often as you like. We're here for the support and to share with each other our daily victories and struggles. Plug right along with us.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 8:27am
Hi and welcome to the board. This is a great place for support and advice. The other ladies gave you such wonderful advice I don't know what to add. :)
 
 
 
 

 
 
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-31-2005
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 10:00am
Hi and welcome.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2006
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 10:30am

Gosh I never thought of making a list like that, Think I will do that and see if it will help my motivation as well....thanks for the tip Lori

angela

 

Angela

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 4:21pm

1 thing i do that helps with not having 2nd or even 3rds at night is to put the food on my plate, then immediatly put all the leftovers away.
if i'm still hungry, i fill up on water.

Sara
342/311/200
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/s/samanthagrace/

Sara  

342-300-200

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2004
Tue, 05-23-2006 - 9:45pm
Thank you all so much for warm welcome and great tips. I started out good today but then after working 12 hours I had a fight with hubby, got attitude from DD#1 and found out that DD#2 did not do the chores she was supposed to do today, so I went straight for the BEN AND JERRYS! BUt - tada- I didn't eat the whole thing. I took about 4 bites and then put it away. That's definitely a step in the right direction for me. And I LOVE the idea of writing down the things I can't do because of my weight - that might put things in perspective for me.I know myself well enough to know that I can't give up the foods I love but I know that I can make a pint of ice cream last a couple of weeks rather than eat it all in one sitting so I really just need to come up with a routine for planning my meals and snacks. I'm definitely a stress eater, too so I need to make some lifestyle changes as well. But I love the idea of "losing 10 lbs 10 times" - makes it seem so easy. I put that right on my fridge!
Again, thank you for the suppport - I hope to become an active member of the board!
Gracie
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