I've received a couple of requests for tips to stay motivated on the way down the scale. I've got ten suggestions that may help:
1) Choose an eating plan that isn't going to be a royal pain-in-the-patootie to follow.
My personal rule on this is that I'm not going to cook two different dinners every night. I try to include at least one food that is 'kid-friendly' in every meal, but they eat what I eat - no more Chef Boyardee or Neon Orange Mac and Cheese.
Also, I was miserable trying to count points and calories and fat grams... I chose The Fat Fallacy because it is more relaxed on the actual structure of the eating plan. Which leads me to number two:
2) Diets are for the short term. Lifestyle changes, including daily exercise, a healthier diet and smaller portions, are long term solutions.
Diets sort of suck. I mean, you can really and truly lose weight, but what happens when you do? If you lose all the weight, or some of the weight - but you've been eating in a way that is going to be difficult to maintain for the rest of your life, you're not going to be motivated to keep eating that way. You don't become thin and lose your taste for cheesecake - so either you have to learn to eat in moderation, and deal with stress in another non-food related way, or you're going to be dealing with some backsliding.
3) Get yourself a set of eating rules to live by, and post them on your fridge.
When I was thin, I had these unwritten rules that I lived by that helped me monitor the portion sizes I ate, the types of food I ordered in restaurants, and the exchanges I would allow. For example, an ice cream cone was fine, if I took a walk on my lunch break. I always had a salad before a meal, and planned to take half of my entree portion home.
My rules now: A serving of protein at breakfast. A salad for lunch. No sodas. One glass of juice a day. Three meals, no snacks. I shoot for 8 servings of veggies and 2 of fruit a day. I fail on this, a lot. But when I'm reaching into the fridge to make dinner, I try to pull out a veggie in every color I have.
4) Change the way you grocery shop - have a plan.
I really started packing on the pounds when I first lived with my husband. He grew up on Hamburger Helper and canned chili over rice, Spaghettios and Mac and Cheese. We'd eat these giant plates of these boxed entrees and maybe a single vegetable on the side. I gained about 30 pounds that first year.
I used to go into the store without a plan. I'd just wander down the middle aisles of the store, tossing packages of side dishes and boxes of entrees into the cart. Now, I plan out my menu for the week, make a detailed shopping list, and since I'm not shopping for mixes or kits, I find that my shopping rarely takes me into the middle aisles. I spend most of my time in the produce section and the dairy case, with quick stops at the bakery and meat counter.
5) Change the way you cook.
Instead of relying on nutritionally bankrupt kits and mixes, try fixing some real foods in a simple way. Cooking doesn't have to involve hours and big bucks. Take a look at my Small Slice album to see what kinds of foods we eat around here.
6) Add in some exercise that makes you smile.
We all know that we are supposed to be ''feeling the burn when we workout. For full-figured women like myself, it doesn't take much to go straight past burn into meltdown. I hate sweating. I hate hurting. And I hate any exercise that makes me do either.
But here's what I've learned about myself: I am a lousy runner. But I love to walk. I'm horrible at lap swimming, but I love to flip around and pretend I'm a synchronized swimmer or a mermaid. I would rather die than do aerobics - unless it is some corny offshoot like Cardio Striptease. I like to play, rather than work.
Here's the other thing - working out, or playing hard, it makes me a nicer person. It burns off some of the frustration I carry around from parenting, it gets all those lovely endorphins rushing around, and it allows me to laugh. I laugh because I can't get the steps right. I laugh because my kids are delighted at my mermaid impressions. I laugh because I'm not focusing on the end of the 20 minute tape, or the last mile I need to walk. I'm laughing because I'm having fun.
You don't get a medal for suffering through boring workouts. Find something that sounds like fun, and get busy. Netflix rents fitness DVDs. There are all sorts of cheap or free exercise classes through local recreation and parks departments. Heck, just go to the park with your kids, and do whatever they do for an hour. You'll be amazed at the fun you're having, and the quality workout you get. And if you don't like something, try something else.
7) Blog it.
I know that blogging is new to a lot of people, and can be scary. Few women would willingly talk about their weight loss plans online, right? WRONG. Check out the Fat Fighters directory in my sidebar. Do a Google search. You'll see that there is a huge community of bloggers who are cheering each other on, and sharing their progress.
Feeling fat, isolated and depressed can make it difficult to reach out to people in your own community. Our own families are often unable to motivate us to make the life changes we really want to make. Having a place to record your thoughts, connect with other people who face similar challenges, and build a community of your own is invaluable for those of us who don't have a support system in real life.
The internet is a fantastic place to find support, information and friendship. Free blogs are available through www.blogspot.com and a zillion other sites.
8) Appreciate who you are today.
There is a lot of self-loathing that goes on in the head of a dieter. Many of us eat for entertainment, or as a coping mechanism. We become angry with ourselves for letting ourselves gain weight. We often don't take the time we should with our appearance. What does it matter, right?
If you are dragging around in pants that are two sizes too small, or two sizes too big, or stretched out men's teeshirts, or constantly wearing yoga pants or sweats, here's my advice: take a friend who will be honest, and go shopping. You need to have a couple of fresh outfits that fit you and flatter you at your current weight. It doesn't have to cost a fortune - just a new pair of jeans and a few fresh teeshirts can be enough to change your whole outlook.
Respect yourself now, or you'll never have the strength to keep on keeping on with your diet. Forgive yourself for being heavy, let go of the anger, and allow yourself to move forward.
9) Expect some failure.
Rules were made to be broken, and sometimes you just need some cheesecake. If you fall off the dieting wagon, never fear. Once you surface from your sugar-coma, acknowledge that you overdid it, and take note of how your body feels. That sluggish feeling that follows overeating isn't a good one. Rather than punishing yourself with more overeating, or a drastically sparse day featuring only iceberg lettuce, take a deep breath and go back to the planned menu.
If you spiral out of control on vacation, or if stress causes you to lose control, remember that they don't crown winners for losing weight, nor is anyone keeping score to make sure that you never step out of bounds. Take a deep breath, and start again.
10) Set small goals and celebrate each one.
When you have lots of weight to lose, the thought of all those pounds can discourage even the peppiest of optimists. Trust me. I'm three months into this, and I've only lost 8 pounds. It's frustrating me to the extreme.
When I reach 10 pounds lost, I'm going to get a massage. I am not focusing on the whole 50 pounds - I've got two pounds to go, and then I'll work on that next ten.
These are just a few of the ways I try to keep myself on track. I'd love to hear some of your tips for staying motivated when you are working towards a weight loss goal.
