[susanpesek]

Don't beat yourself up!!
I just learned that lesson after reading a doctor's article online. What we think can really cause us to stumble. We have to keep positive thoughts about food, our exercises, and ourselves.

We usually expect to lose 2 pounds per week. Where did THAT come from?? At our BEST, maybe a pound or two is reasonable. If you are 20 pounds overweight, count on losing one a week if you are really sharp about what you eat and do.

Thing is, we are not always sharp. We get so antsy and excited and want to to lose overnight. Don't expect too much too soon because you set yourself up for failure that way. Take the 'starving yourself' shortcut and you will reap the consequences and fail.

You may lose, but you learn nothing and as soon as you eat regularly again, you will gain and start loathing yourself for again failing. Be diligent, faithful and patient.

Maybe you start out great guns but then some life drama starts playing out in your life. Could be any event with anyone or anything that is significant to you. You get ill, depressed, lose your mate, children problems, work problems... some kind of hurdle you have to jump. Kiddos, those things happen.

Expect it. Plan for it. Write it down. Have Plan 1, 2 and 3 already in mind.
1. I will eat 1200 calories today.
2. Ooops. I already ate 1700. So, I will take away 100 each day for the next couple days and add 5 minutes to my exercising.
3. Power is out, pouring rain out, so will run in place rather than using equipment.

No more negatives. Make a daily plan that you can reach. End every day on a positive. Celebrate your achievements! Though you may hit several plateaus, keep walking forward, especially during stressful times. Acknowledge what happened and put it in the past.

To do that, substitute positive ways to encourage yourself. Find what's important to YOU. When your down times come, and you must choose healthy or yucky food, remind yourself of your motivation. Health is so important that you've got to make it personal to YOU.

We each have to work at healthy eating and exercise; it's an every day battle, though it does get easier. Get healthy, get moving and get better.

[ruthere145]

Thanks Susan,

What you have posted is so true. 1 to 2 pounds a week is reasonable. Although many of us want to loose more and we want it to happen immediately. The realistic side of life is that "it came on slowly it will leave slowly". I've been averaging 1 to 2 pounds a week and I find it frustrating but I know it is the best thing.

Also...when I first started on this forum the advice was so helpful. I think the food journal was a reality check. It made me realize my problems.

[arabiyya]

Thanks so much for this Susan

This was so helpful for someone like me who is always loathing over my mistakes which makes me give up in the end.

[susanpesek]

Thanks for the responses, Ladies. I think being able to come back from setbacks is the MOST important thing about both losing and maintaining that loss.

I just hated my loss was so S-L-O-W, but some of us must take things more gradually. I started out to get healthy and ate nutritious food all day for that purpose- to start NEW HABITS!

[cowgirrlup]

I totally agree...slow and steady is the way to go.

I used to get fed up and quit if I was only losing a pound or so a week. I never stopped and thought about how one little pound a week could in theory be 52 pounds in a year!

52 pounds!

I do agree its so very, very hard to be patient though.