I just can't "do it" ....

[disneychrista]

I know I need to get back into eating right and exercising, and I am always going to start (ya know like today is the day) but I never end up following through.

I was going to exercise 3 times this week and today is Wednesday and I haven't even exericsed once. I have been eating Chocolate bars like there is not tomorrow (must be coming up on "that time of the month").

For some reason I just can't do it. Even though intelectually I know I need to, even want to, I just seem to lack any motivation. Can anyone help? Give me some advice, tips, tricks, a swift kick in my big rear. Please, I really want to loose weight, I know I look and more importantly feel like fat but I am just helpless right now to do anything about it.

 

[tiggerlover]

First of all let me say that YOU CAN DO IT!!

Don't take what I am going to say the wrong way, I am just telling you my perspective from my own personal experiences. I have been on this weight loss journey and I have had my successes and I have had what I perceive as failures. However, today I don't really look at my failures as failures, I look at them as part of the process, part of learning to make all of these changes for a lifetime. As with most people I had tried numerous times to lose weight and I always gave up even though I thought very much like you do. Last fall I started again and after losing 9 pounds I gave up "because of the holidays". When New Years came around I made a resolution to lose the weight once and for all, I was unhappy with myself and was set to go. Well, I failed, once again. Finally February 18 I got myself in gear and started my current journey. I have discovered that in order to be successful you have to really want to be successful and that you had to get out there, no matter how hard it is and do it. Sure I had a ton of excuses, my family needed me, I don't have time, but they were simply excuses. It wasn't until I made a conscience decision to take care of me and make me a priority that I saw things happen. And even though before I wanted to lose the weight, I discovered I wasn't prepared to do so until I committed to myself. Is it possible to get someone to make this journey with you, I know that has been helpful to me. Also, it helps being here on WISH and being accountable to others. One of the hardest things for me to do was to admit what size clothes I wore and how much I weighed, I was ashamed, but being here on WISH I did just that and for me I felt more accountable. I hated exercise before, I was a couch potato, but I knew I had to get moving to start losing, so I started going to the gym. I started out small, only doing 10-15 minutes of cardio and now 7 month later I am up to 45 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weight lifting. If going to the gym isn't the thing for you, walk, I have a friend who walked tons of weight off of her body. Just find something that works for you, something that you like. Another thing that helped me was to read about getting healthy, I get magazines like Weight Watchers, Shape and Self, and a lot of the success stories help to motivate me to keep going, plus a lot of their articles teach me things that are helpful in my weight loss journey.

I know how you feel, I was there, YOU CAN DO IT, make yourself the priority and you can be successful. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[catherine]

WOW tiggerlover that was some post!!! There is not really much more that I can add. Coming to WISH and reading posts like this helps me no end.

disneychrista I find that breaking the weight loss into small challenges helps me, for example, the Trick or Treat challenge, so that you concentrate on losing a little bit at a time instead of looking at how much you have to lose and how long it will take. Another thing I do is drink lots of water, it really does work. Before I came to WISH I never drank water, I was a diet coke junkie!! Now I have stopped the diet coke completely and I have replaced it with water. If you can't get motivated to work out, try putting a little more exercise into your everyday life, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park the car further away from the store. Whatever you do, please don't feel helpless. You can do this, and you will do this!! Be positive!!

 

[webray]

Being able to "do it" is definately something you have to set inside your head before you start any type of healty eating plan.

Before I started this last time...I was a snack food junkie...chips/dip, those large symphony bars, butterfingers...ugh.

Now, I am down over 30 pounds...I no longer have any of those cravings for chocolate like I used to...especially around my TOM. PMS is pretty much non existant as well. For me this is amazing, since I have been a chocolate freak my whole life.

Good luck to you in whatever you do!

 

[ohMom]

get set, GO!!!


You can do this, you can!!! We are here for you! Are you ready? Really ready?? Start with your attitude towards your new healthy lifestyle - you are choosing to eat healthy and exercise because you'll FEEL sooooooooo much better! That is the key thing that gets me back on track when I fall off the wagon - how I FEEL, not how I LOOK

Take it one day at a time. When you are ready. Take a brisk walk and limit yourself to one piece of chocolate today. Don't set standards too high, baby steps are fine.

I'm with you when your ready to jump back on the wagon with us! Do it for your health, mental and physical, YOU ARE SO WORTH IT!

 

[DoeWDW]

Maybe you're just feeling overwhelmed?? When I started, I made all these promises and goals - I'll eat healthy at every meal and exercise every day and drink more water and, and, and.....

Of course I could not make all those changes at once and still keep my sanity. So I started again with ONE small goal. I'll eat a healthy breakfast every day. Then when that's a habit, pick another one.

I realized that I needed to move more but could not find an hour to devote to exercise. I decided to just work more moving into my regular activities all day. I wear a pedometer all day that counts how many steps I take. My goal is to get 10,000 steps a day. If I don't have many steps in, then I'll walk a little at lunch time or make sure to walk the dog in the evening. This has really helped me!

You CAN do this. Just try not to make too many changes at once. You'll find a way, especially with everyone else here on the WISH board to help you with problems and questions and celebrate your successes!!

 

[CALIFLADY]

The ony one who can take this journey is YOU! We can kick, we can claw, we can beg, and we can take the journey with you, but the drive, commitment, the desire has to come from within you. You have to get to the point where you can taste the desire to get healthy more than you can taste the chocolate. It's gotta come from within.

A starting point? Like Doe WDW mentioned, take on one new habit at a time. Maybe start with water. Drink tons of water. Drink 1/2 of your weight in ounces every day. If you weigh 160 pounds, you need to minimally drink 80 ounces a day. Slowly up your water consumption for a week. Then start a new habit. Maybe no sweets after 6 PM. Or no fast food for a week. Or eating a healthy breakfast every day. Or 5 fruits/veggies a day. Then pick up another new habit. Take it one day at a time. Succeed for just one day. Don't worry about the long term. You have enough to worry about in just one day. Just concentrate on succeeding today. Then tomorrow, concentrate on succeeding tomorrow.

But, as we all know here at WISH, while we can support each other and hold each other accountable, the only one who can take my weight loss journey is me. It has to come from within me. So...are you ready? Really ready? Only you can decide for yourself.

Best of luck, Christa! Hope to see you back here soon with your own clippie!

 

[PAdisMOM]

I can really relate to how you're feeling. I have had 3 bad days this week and I'm getting discouraged. Every day I tell myself "This is a new day!" But 3 times this week I blew it.

But today I start again. I'm going to try the Cheat free star system to see if it helps to motivate me. I could get in 50 cheat free days before Thanksgiving.

I also thought today of the example I'm setting for my daughters. I started thinking, "Do I want them to eat the way I am?" NO!! So maybe trying to set an example will keep me motivated.

Hopefully something will "kick in" for both of us soon.

 

[perdidobay]

You are telling my story, disneychrista
Just take things one at a time as they come, but first you have to REALLY want to make a change. Think to yourself what you want to accomplish and picture yourself there first thing every morning.
Take all the good advice you'll find here among your friends. Just focus on today........
best wishes my friend

MJ

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Get it going now!

1.) Fitday.com and
2.) journal journal journal—Everything: eating, exercising, emotion. (What a book this could be.)
3.) Photograph your progress

No matter what the amount of weight there is to lose, it is a daily struggle to make the choice. It is difficult indeed.

Tell yourself you are going to take that road less traveled. Do something extremely difficult and make it one step at a time. You CAN do this.

Stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself every morning that you can. Tell yourself often during the day in front of the mirror that you will continue and never stop. (You will find yourself in the bathroom often as you will increase your water consumption and be there anyway…may as well talk to yourself as you wash your hands.)

Everyone has said it. You must have your mind in the game to proceed. YOU must SEE yourself doing this.

Do it for you. You are worth it. Only you can motivate you. We are here for you along the way.

I want you here for me too.

 

[maryliz]

I agree with everything already said ... especially the baby steps part. I always look at it this way: it took me 11 years to put all of this weight on, I don't expect it all to come off in a few months. I'm pretty pleased with my success so far, but I also know that this isn't just a phase for me, and unfortunately, french fries, wine, Bailey's Irish cream, fresh white-bread, chocolate milkshakes, etc will continue to be a part of my life. When I want one of those things, I have it, and I do not consider it "cheating" because hey, this is my life, and hopefully a long one. My one accomplishment, with the help of my WISH buddies who frequent the inside of my head is that I don't eat as much of my downfalls as I used to, because I've learned that I really don't WANT to anymore! So take all of the chocolate you've eaten this week ... don't beat yourself up over it. Someone already suggested that if you really want one, have it, but only one ... and if you substitute that next craving with a big glass of water and some raw veggies, I'll bet that by Sunday you won't even think about that yuckky-tasting chocolate anymore. You're looking at someone who ate 1/2 large bag of chips during "Survivor" last Thursday ... I wanted them, so I ate them. After I was done, I thought, "this was soooo not worth it". I don't see it as a mistake that I ate them ... but moreso a lesson that I really don't need them again for a very long time.

We're all here for you, sweetie! Hang in there. And fill that tummy up with water!

Mary Liz

 

[WDWLVR]

Everyone has already given you great advice and the best is that, yes, you have to be ready in your mind to do it. That's why I never really started it before a few weeks ago. I knew I wasn't ready - now I am.

Get yourself ready, read the posts here for motivation, then do it.

BTW - I find that a glass of ice water really does help me not want to snack as much. I was a big snacker!

 

[MelanieC]

Hi Christa,

I believe in you. You can do it! We can all do it, but we have to WANT to do it. Want it so bad that you can no longer do without it. It has to come from somewhere inside of you. I think all of us, have had times where we tried. We really wanted to be thin, healthy and free from the baggage we carry with us. We had to make a decision. That we would (no matter what) absolutely resolve ourself to loosing this weight no matter what it takes. It isn't easy, and it isn't always fun. Sometimes its overwhelming.

I can really hear from your post that you want it. You want it real bad, but you may have not come to that place yet where you say this is it. No matter what I will do it. I hope you find it soon. Its a great freedom once you do.

Last year I lost 37 pounds. I thought that was it, that I wanted it bad. I don't think I took it as something I would do forever. I kept looking for that magic end date where I was done. I don't think that for most of us it will ever be done. If you loose a lot of weight and go back to eating like you did you will gain it back. This year I have lost 30 pounds, and I know I have turned the corner. This isn't a diet. This is how I eat now. I am even trying to change the way I tell people about me being on a diet. I am trying to learn to say "I eat healthy" at restaurants, instead of saying I am on a diet.

Good luck, You can do it! You just must be ready. You have to become stronger than the food and be ready to take a stand against it. Just remember that you can eat everything you love on your diet (at least on WW's) you just can't have everything all at once. Its about learning to do everything in moderation.

Melanie

 

[disneychrista]

Thanks everyone. Baby steeps, one thing at a time. My one thing this week was suppose to be exercise, well it didn't happen, I can say it was because I had a sore back/neck/shoulders (which I really do have, along with tendinitis flare up in both wrists) but that is really only an excuse, if I had really REALLY wanted to I would have could have done something. So instead of an exercise goal for the week I am going to try a water "goal" for this weekEND and see how it goes. My mini-goal for this weekend will be to drink 4 (Pint) glasses of water which is really only half of what I "should" be drinking but it is still a big step (for me).

I "want" to do this but I really do lack the "I AM GOING TO DO IT" attitude that I had a few months ago. I am not sure why that part is gone nor am I sure how to get it back.

 

[DoeWDW]

Christa, have you been drinking your water???? If yes, then HOORAY!! If no, then GO GET A GLASS OF WATER!!!

You can do it - just think of it as DRINKING yourself thin!!!