Strange Famous

the last two weeks Ive kind of fallen off the diet regime, and have been drinking a lot, and when I drink that also means I tend to eat crap (well, not literally crap, but you know...)

It is really pissing me off, cos I was so pleased with how well I'd done, and I felt it really increased my confidence massively... even to the extent were I took a girl home, which I probably wouldnt have had the confidence to have seen though before... but I seem to have hit this plateu REALLY early... I mean, dropping 20 lbs is pretty great, but Im still pretty fat!

Does anyone have any tips for what to do when you kind of hit this mental wall? I mean, I know exactly why I stopped losing weight, and I know exactly what I need to do to start again.. and its like.. I just need to fucking do it!

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Sultana

First off, big congrats on your success so far! Getting started is a huge part of the battle, and you've already got that done. It's great that you've already improved your self-esteem enough to alter your outlook!

It's very important (at least, it is for me) to vary your routine. I tend to be the Queen of the Ruts, and your body becomes accustomed to routine and makes itself more efficient to deal with changes. Which is not what you want for weight loss.

So you need to vary the types of food, the types of exersize, everything that you can. If you can manage some fitness training into your life/budget, that will speed up your progress tremendously.

As far as mental motivation goes...focus on how wonderful it felt to, umm, take the girl home (??) lol! And then build on that. I'm telling you, it's unbelieveable how it feels when your body/physique stops holding you back from what you want in life.

Good luck!!

__________________
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come." -

Matt Groening

My goal? To fulfill my potential.

Mister Coaster

Strange famous, I'm happy to hear from you, despite it being because of a setback. I am a regular poster in the TFP Weight Watchers thread that you started a while back ans I was wondering what happened.

I would have to say, quit drinking. I know that sounds tough but it is doable, because I was a heavy drinker myself. But it is the single most important thing you can do. I managed to do it (well, I cut back by about 90 - 95%) and it feels great. See, when you get drunk, you are more likely to give in and "eat crap." Not only that, but alcohol/beer calories are the worst kind.

I have been pretty good for the past 3 months, with a few parties (4th of july, my birthday and the like) and have lost about 45 lbs. But, I do have to ask myself every single day if I want to be in shape or do I want that drink/cheeseburger/pizza/whatever. It's all about mental makeup, and the human brain is the most powerful tool. You CAN make the right decision, like Nike says, just do it.

It isn't easy, but you CAN make the right choices.

This may be a drastic step, but if alcohol is your downfall, take control!! Go to your fridge/liquor cabinet and dump it all down the drain. It will always give you something to look back on and say "This is the point where I took control." and that can give you strength when you are about to give in.

Good luck!!! You CAN DO IT!

__________________
If you have any poo... fling it NOW!

hunnychile

Dang dude, whenever I go off the wagon, I drop lots of pounds (whoo-ho)....until I start partying again (and let's face it, I LOVE to party!). It's tough, but some battles get won and some are lost.

Such is life.

__________________
"I need compassion, understanding and chocolate." - NJB

Ustwo

No one can motivate you, only you can. Nothing we can say can do it. For me sex has always been a great motivator, or I should say, lack there of, but I doubt that would motivate everyone.

You basicly have to want to do it more than you want to do the other activities that make you gain weight.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

thingstodo

Perhaps you could figure out why you drink. If that seems to be holding you back, it may be worth learning more about.

__________________
If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves.

Stangers have the best candy.

maleficent

Ok.... so we're glossing over two very important things here...

1. you lost 20 pounds
2. you had enough confidence to take a girl home

Well that earns ya a YIPPEE!!

Now, 20 pounds is a lot to drop in a month... you didn't put it on overnight, it's not going to come off overnight. Set yourself some goals... Every 10 pounds treat yourself to something non-food/drink related.

You know that drinking isn't good for you... I'd agree with things and say find out why you are drinking so much... it's not that you eat crap when you drink that is the problem, it's the drinking to the point where your self control is lowered that is.

You want to be on a diet that doesn't deprive you... Actually, you don't want to be on a diet at all... you want to make some lifestyle changes. Dont keep crap in the house. Have food int he house, food that is easy to prepare, and healthy.

You've been talking for a while how you think you drink too much, why not stop for a while... Go cold turkey for a month... use the money you'd be saving to treat yourself to somethig really cool.

__________________

dtheriault

Make a bet and make it big enough to hurt with someone you can't stand losing money to.

I've lost 20 pounds in a month for 200$. If I lost it I didn't pay. If I didn't then I had to pay up. I hate losing money.

__________________
"Remember, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." -Homer

Unless you are the freakin Highlander, what is the point in learning how to fight with a sword?

Vincentt

Maybe you did too much of a 'crash diet'.

They are hard to stay on.

It takes a long time to loose weight, if it was easy, everyone would be thin.

__________________
.

TopRamen66

Have you found any activity you particularly enjoyed in the last month? Running, Biking, Swimming, Weight Lifting, etc? Consider joining a club for that event. Do a couple bike tours, join some swim classes etc. Have you considered getting a personal trainer? Find a good one and they will really keep you motivated, its their job! Go to the gyms in your area and ask to meet a few trainers, ask them about designing a program based on your interests and preferences, they will be more than happy to work with you!

jwoody

Don't underestimate the benefits of losing 20lbs.



That's only ten. You were carrying twice that amount with you everywhere you went.

Now you're not.

odu_sonar_AE

First off, congrats on losing the 20 lbs. That is a good start. I know, I remember when I lost my 1st 20 lbs.

Well, every diet will hit a plateau of sorts a few weeks after you start it. I know I did, and everybody else I have talked to that dieted. This is just your body catching up to your change.

You said you started drinking a lot, well that’s one of the main problems right there. Drinking brings in empty calories (i.e. they do nothing for you, so they need to be burned off) in the alcohol itself, not to mention the “crap food” you eat while drinking. As with everything, if you feel the need to drink, do so in moderation. That is the key. Cutting it off completely can drive you nuts, so you just have to be careful in the quantities you use.

I don’t know what type of exercise program you are on, but make sure you are doing something. Cardio is good, but weight lifting is even better. When you develop muscle, you will burn more calories during the day. Not to mention, it will help to transform your body into the shape you want.

As for motivation goes, you said it yourself when you said, “I’m still pretty fat!” You’ve fallen off the horse a bit, but it is time to get back on. Look at it this way, when you lose your next 20 lbs, do you want to be 20 lbs lighter from when you lost your 1st 20 lbs, or do you want to have to “re-lose” some weight?

I know that might seem harsh (and I apologize if it is), but I’m just saying it how I see it. I’ve been in the same boat, so I know motivation can be tough to come by, but I know you can do it. Your 1st 20 lbs showed me that. Now it is just time to go for the next 20.

I’ll share a motivation tip I used. I broke my weight loss into 10 lb segments. Whenever I would lose another 10 lbs, I purchased a “reward” for myself. You might not have to do something like that, but make sure you have a reward in sight (other than the # of lbs lost).

Good luck!

sexymama

In 2001 my son got married. I wanted to look better for his wedding. I got rid of 30 some lbs. That was a lot -- but I knew it wasn't enough. Then I went through major changes in my life. I made a major move to save a marriage. Within six weeks it was clear it was not worth the move. We divorced while living together for the year until I could move back home. My goal then became to maintain. I did it and that was GREAT!

I was determined to lose the rest; then Lebell and I started dating. We were having way too much fun so the diet went to the wayside. However, I focused on what I was doing well: exercise and water. I maintained the weight loss through the wedding. Now it was time to start. Oops, pregnant. The goal became to come out on the other end at the weight I started at. I did! We are finally on WW together.

Why this long story? Because, to me, it is not about how much you lose or when you lose it. It is about being healthy! Up and down is not good for you. So, this wasn't such a hot time period. Today is the first day of the rest of your life (trite, I know, but true.) Start now. And when you "vacation," know it is okay -- just get right back on it and don't use those times as excuses to stop being good to yourself.

__________________
If you can go deeply into lovemaking, the ego disappears. That is the beauty of lovemaking, that it is another source of a glimpse of god

It's not about being perfect; it's about developing some skill at managing imperfection.

Martian

Another good trick is visualization. Were you always big? If you have a picture of yourself when you were thinner, stick it up on the bathroom mirror so that you'll be able to see it every day. If you don't you need to use your imagination. Tell yourself that you're going to be thin every day, imagine yourself doing things that you're unable to do now but will be able to when you're healthier and you'll start believeing it. Once you start believeing it you'll be able to make the changes that will make it happen.

The human mind is an incredible thing. Believe in yourself, believe that it's going to happen and it will.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame