Find courage...

[stci]

How to find courage to lose weight?

It''s time for me to make change in my life but I can''t find motivation and courage.

Could you give me some tips ?

I need to lose 50 pounds. It''s like a mountain for me...

 

[panda08]

Sylvie,

Come over to the Healthy Lifestyle section! There''s a thread with a great group of people who are encouraging and inspiring.

Every journey begins with a step, however small. And with weight loss, that''s literally true. It''s weird, when I exercise regularly, I eat much better because I don''t want to waste the 30 minutes I slaved on the stair climber by eating a cookie. Write down your goals. Be specific and realistic. Put it somewhere you''ll see daily. Join Weight Watchers or other support groups. Do an activity you enjoy. Park far away from the door. Take the stairs. You don''t have to go all the flights, just start with one or two. Learn how to make lunches and/or dinners. Don''t be so hard on yourself. If you fall off the wagon (and I have, MANY times), you can always get back on. You can do it!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Date: 2/27/2010 1:36:38 AM
Author: panda08
Sylvie,

Come over to the Healthy Lifestyle section! There's a thread with a great group of people who are encouraging and inspiring.

Every journey begins with a step, however small. And with weight loss, that's literally true. It's weird, when I exercise regularly, I eat much better because I don't want to waste the 30 minutes I slaved on the stair climber by eating a cookie. Write down your goals. Be specific and realistic. Put it somewhere you'll see daily. Join Weight Watchers or other support groups. Do an activity you enjoy. Park far away from the door. Take the stairs. You don't have to go all the flights, just start with one or two. Learn how to make lunches and/or dinners. Don't be so hard on yourself. If you fall off the wagon (and I have, MANY times), you can always get back on. You can do it!

I've just recently started posting in the Healthy Lifestyle section, everyone there is so welcoming. They all inspire me and encourage me to keep working out and eating healthy!

I think you should start working out, be careful not to over do it. Even going for a twenty minute walk a couple times a week is great, every little bit helps. I used to work out with a personal trainer, she kicked my butt and kept me motivated--that's always an option. I always find it's easier to eat healthier and workout if you have a partner, maybe getting healthy is something you can do with a family member or friend. I honestly HATE working out, but I feel soooo much better after it do. I think it will help lift your spirits and motivate you.

Make sure to use portion control and keep healthy food options readily available. I avoid temptation by not having junk food or sweets in my house, if I do indulge I make sure not to go crazy, it's all about portions I think! You don't have to be super strict with your diet, losing weight slowly is the best way and it makes eating healthy long term much easier IMO.

I don't know you personally, but I found that when I went through a rough year or two I became a little depresses, started gaining weight, and was not very motivated. I hope this isn't the case with you, but it's something to consider.

Good luck Sylvie, you can do it! Definitely check out the Healthier Lifestyle section, I hope to see you post there.

 

[sunseeker101]

Sylvie, the easiest way I've found to lose weight is to attack with a low-glycemic index diet.
This means combining proteins and carbohydrates in a certain ratio (1:3) at every meal, and
eating 5 to 6 times a day -- these are the basics of it anyway. Here is a good book
to have a look at. Eating like this means lower insulin responses -- giving more energy to do
more exercise and dis-enabling more weight-gain. Apologies if you already know this -- the
motivation I have for you is that it doesn't feel like a diet: you never feel hungry and the
weight just falls off! For courage, remember that the body you love and look after will return
the favor to you a million times over. HTH

 

[sunseeker101]

Sorry, book I meant to link to (can''t edit links for some reason) is here.

 

[stci]

Thank you all! You are nice!

I fly on the healthy lifestyle section right away!

Thank you for the book! I think it could help lot cause I''m diabetic.

 

[deegee]

I joined Weight Watchers in April 2009, and lost 65 pounds. I knew I needed to lose weight and just never did anything about it until I broke the top of my foot in September 2008, and the break just wouldn't heal. I knew my weight had a lot to do with the swelling not going down. After a miserable winter last year, I joined a Weight Watchers at Work group on a whim because a friend joined. I haven't looked back! Losing weight and realizing I could do it was a major motivator. I met my goal and have maintained for 7 weeks now, and got my WW lifetime membership card in the mail today. So exciting!! WW really isn't a diet, but a change in lifestyle.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you. I agree that the Healthy Lifestyle thread is a great place. Everyone is so encouraging and motivating, and they give great ideas and suggestions.

 

[stci]

Wow Deegee! I admire you! It''s a big success!

I have to find a Weight Watchers group near my home!

 

[marcy]

Stci, finding your motivation is difficult but you have to figure out why it is important to you. I changed my lifestyle for my health.

As for tips I think it is easier to focus on a small goal than a large one. I would work towards something small at first like 5 pounds and don''t put a date on it - just work towards it then set another goal. Start out by figuring out a way to cut calories and to increase your activity level. Sparkpeople.com is a great place to figure out how many calories you should eat every day based on your activity level. I find that eating 5 or 6 small meals a day works well for me. I don''t get hungry and I eat exactly what I want and try to stay in my calorie range. I drink a lot of water. I highly recommend using a food scale to weigh out your portions.

I hope you join us on the Healthy Living thread. Good luck reaching your goal.

 

[Porridge]

stci - congratulations on deciding to lose the weight, and best of luck to you. I have an awful sweet tooth, and the pounds can slip on without my noticing if I don''t keep on top of things.

In my experience, what works motivates me is to have a firm grasp on why you''re doing this. Focus on how truly amazing you will feel - healthy, energetic and alert. Focus on how great you will look! Think about what wonderful things you are doing for your health. Nobody else will do it for you. You deserve the best for yourself. I don''t want to feel sluggish and bloated, I want to feel great! That little motivational pep talk always makes me reach for an apple rather than a chocolate biscuit

Other than that, find exercise you enjoy doing, be it dancing or housework or walking to work. Get into a routine. It helps to be accountable to somebody at the beginning, a workout buddy or a trainer. Plan and prepare food in advance. Have lots of lovely food around for when the cravings kick in, so you don''t run to the vending machine. Set goals. And allow yourself treats too sometimes. Don''t beat yourself up if you slip up and overindulge, everybody does. Get over it and move on, keep at it.

It is sooooooooooooooo worth it.