Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

[Rubysugar]

I would like to hear from some of you long term losers! Did your drive drop off a bit when you hit that first major mini goal??

I just hit my pre-baby weight. It had been a major issue for me, to get back to that particular weight and once I hit it, I started fudging my menu and adding bits and pieces from rungs I hadn't met yet. I didn't gain, but I certainly didn't lose!! It's been like a month of fudging my menu. I got kinda burnt out on what I had been eating for the last 6 months or so.

I am going to divise a few new recipes and looking for new menu ideas. My question is did this happen to anyone else? How did you re-motivate yourself?

[ttdriver]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Staying focused requires creativity in your recipes. I suggest this site for you:

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/

No need whatsoever to return to foods that stall you or cause you to gain.

Betty

[Rubysugar]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Thanks Betty! I have been to Linda's site many many times. It is an excellent source, to be sure!
Motivation has been more my trouble.
I had just lost another 12 lbs on Atkins, when I got pregnant. It made 164 a new all time low adult weight for me and I was thrilled. Then pregnant the next week, literally. I didn't gain anything while pregnant. I was actually 5 lbs lighter 6 weeks after birth. The secret was I threw up for the last 8 months I was pregnant. So being able to eat after months of not being able to was just soooooo great! I blew myself up an extra 35 lbs in 9 months. Now, I have offically lost that weight and am 1 lb less then my pre-baby weight. And my motivation has faltered. It's like I got here and got comfy with that size.
But I did better this morning. I did pilates, a 20 minute cardio speed walk and 20 sit-ups. That's more than I have done in the last 2 months combined! So I am working my way back, I guess. I was just curious if anyone else had hit a certain weight and got all comfy with it. I would like to see 135. On my 5'2" frame that should leave plenty of booty for shaking!!

[easttexasdaisy]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Hello and congradulations on reaching that prebaby weight! What a great accomplishment.I had a lot of trouble feeling any motivation after I found a comfortable size 12. I can wear some 10's (a very few generous 8's) and it is comfortable to be there. I am still a hearty 186, but I carry a ton of muscle and most of my "fat" is in my upper body (size extra large shirts).
Motivational stuff for me is pretty much 5 pound increments right now. 5 pounds equates to a big loss at this point in time. As you get closer to goal the weight is harder to take off. And if you set mini goals you feel like you can get there. After all it is just 5 pounds. I can do that. With a little planning and work, I can get there. And then work on your next 5 pounds and after awhile they add up. Focus on the obtainable.
BTW if you are eating things in OWL make a plan to work your way through OWL correctly. You learn so much about yourself and still can be very successfull with your weight loss. And a nice way to plan to add variety. I love that I can eat most things. My biggest problem is SALT. I really like the potassium salt substitute. You might keep an eye out for that as well.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

first congrats on your prebaby weight. Since you made that a major goal you need to refocus on what your true goal is a healtheir smaller you.
Sit down and write out why it is important to you to lose more fat and why being just prebaby weight is important. then look at the lists and give a value from 1 to 100 for each reason you can use the number more then once add them up and see if being smaller then prebaby weight is truely important to you and focus on acheiving it for the reasons you valued. Some folk aren't ready to move on and make another change and some are.

Some folk use their fatness to hide from the world and getting smaller is very scary for them with all the perceived threats to themselves as a skinner person. Gine wrotew a very good topic about psychological obesity that is stickied in a forum either the most memorable or the womens. you should read it if this is an issue for you.

Now if you truel6 want to get smaller forget about how far yoiuy have come and make theis day of the prebabyweight you becomeing a healthier smaller you and go from there. Don't look back on all you have acomplished keep looking forward to your healthier smaller goals and the motivation should be there. If you work better with negative reinforcement run from the huge person you were and think before you do anything is this letting that person back inside my body or moving me toward the smaller person i want to be. I ran all the way from the 300+ pounder to goal weight.


Happy low carbing

[Thinker]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

This is very

first congrats on your prebaby weight. Since you made that a major goal you need to refocus on what your true goal is a healtheir smaller you.
Sit down and write out why it is important to you to lose more fat and why being just prebaby weight is important. then look at the lists and give a value from 1 to 100 for each reason you can use the number more then once add them up and see if being smaller then prebaby weight is truely important to you and focus on acheiving it for the reasons you valued. Some folk aren't ready to move on and make another change and some are.

Some folk use their fatness to hide from the world and getting smaller is very scary for them with all the perceived threats to themselves as a skinner person. Gine wrotew a very good topic about psychological obesity that is stickied in a forum either the most memorable or the womens. you should read it if this is an issue for you.

Now if you truel6 want to get smaller forget about how far yoiuy have come and make theis day of the prebabyweight you becomeing a healthier smaller you and go from there. Don't look back on all you have acomplished keep looking forward to your healthier smaller goals and the motivation should be there. If you work better with negative reinforcement run from the huge person you were and think before you do anything is this letting that person back inside my body or moving me toward the smaller person i want to be. I ran all the way from the 300+ pounder to goal weight.


Happy low carbing

This is really good advice. For me, this is the biggest problem. I lost 100lbs and drifted back up - over 4 years by 10-15 lbs. But I didn't want to lose just 100lbs. I wanted to lose 110lbs!!!! That's a great weight for me. But, I hit such a major goal that it took me until this long, right now, to rally myself back down to it!!

The good news, for me, is that the low carb dieting, on maintenance, held pretty much of the weight off for a full 3 years after I lost the weight.

the bad news - I didn't make the big push to get rid of the remainder weight - just for the reasons you've said here.

one thing that helped me was to keep telling myself - it isn't good enough. I keep trying to raise my standards. I listened to motivational stuff (I'm a Tony Robbins fan) and I'm finally making a charge at the weight I really want!!

Another thing that's helping me ...although premature. I now take some time and plan my day each morning. One component of that is to mark down my weight and what I plan to eat. It isnt' something I ever did early on. But it is keeping me focused on getting back to induction.

Good Luck ...and Congratulations!!! Remember, you've done great thus far.

- Thinker

[Rubysugar]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Thanks for all the great advice!!

Just writing that post this morning pushed me to get my exercising in (first time in 2 months) and jump back on plan. I used a ketostix this morning and low and behold, I am in ketosis. I was so shocked, you could have pushed me off the pot, which my toddler tried, actually. And like I mentioned to someone earlier, I am just going to take being in ketosis as a sign from the Low Carb gods, that this is my get out of jail free card (well, get out of having induction flu) and jump back on plan. I haven't been horrible with my diet lately, I mean, I haven't eaten a bunch spaghetti sandwiches or anything but I have had a bite of something here or there. Kiss of death, I know.

But you guys hit it right on the nose. I had been thinking, ****, I've lost 112 lbs. I am impressed with myself. But I look back too much. I need to start thinking more about the 28 lbs I have left to go. I am setting a mini goal of 150 for June 1st. And I WILL (I almost typed "I'll try") do my exercises a minimum of 5 days a week. Thanks again!!

[cypressgirl]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

I am so exactly in your boat Mommaglass! I got to the pre baby #2 weight and then lost a month or MORE by messing around. I am happy to report that I am back on track and the scales have started to slide again. Like you, I have also refocused on my exercise and taken the focus off of my food. Yes, it happens to many of us!

[ValidRouge]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

You know, this is a great post because I'm 4lbs away from my first mini-goal. That goal's importance is that it is back down to where I had lost in 2003. I got complacent...figured, well I look good...and my husband asked me.."Can we have some fat food in the house?" and I caved. I DO NOT want that to happen again. I was just thinking about this earlier today. I'll repeat it, I DO NOT want to get complacent again. I want to lose ALL the weight this time. I want to move into maintenance and be able to eat the right foods for the rest of my life and be thin for that. I want to be healthy if I get pregnant this year (God willing).

[Rubysugar]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

"Complacent" is the exact word for it too!!

I am really glad you found this thread helpful. I was hoping I wasn't starting a thread on an already well discussed topic!

I am definitely feeling more motivated with my "look forward" mind set.
Now my only question is "Do they make suspenders for hiking up the flabby skin on my upper thighs??"

[ValidRouge]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Momma, if you find em...please let me know, cuz I definitely need them! LOL

[Heidi3]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

wow I love this tread!!!! lots of thinking ...

I fight complacency every single day

[sunflowergrl]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Thank you so much for this thread!!! I thought I was the only one who felt this way!! I haven't been this thin in years, and now 135 seems impossible and I feel good (not great) about this weight. I feel 100% better after reading the fact that I am not the only one who has felt this! I CAN get to 135!! Thank you so very much.

[Rubysugar]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

Man, it IS so refreshing to see other's in my boat!

I hear ya, Sun! I haven't been this weight since I was probably 20 or 21. It's almost like I would say that my goal weight was 135, but in my mind it was always 164. I have a renewed motivation from this thread. Part of my problem was staying in induction too long. I had just moved up 3 rungs and had enough whooshie to put me at 164 and then I said "Yay me!!" and stopped being tough with myself! Well, I will be soft no longer!!! (well, still kinda soft through the middle) I am back on track. I am concentrating on 150 now. I will have it by June 1st if not before, dag-nabit!
Thanks to everyone who let me know I wasn't alone in my "complacency"
You all rock!!

[Analog6]

Re: Re-motivating after hitting a major goal...

I think this is pretty normal I've lost 60+ lbs, then I had a car accident and have not been able to get to the gym (waiting for cheque to replace car). So I've just had a 'rest'. I'm eating what I ate before and I've actually lost a 1/2 kg or so. I heard I'll get my money tomorrow and then I'll be able to do a rethink and start back at the gym.

Just look on it as a hiatus, set a restart date and a new goal, and carry on losing!