# Need to lose 40lbs....just can't find the motivation!



## Charlottesmom

We are on vacation right now, right by the beach so yes, the dreaded bathing suit has been worn quite a few times this week. There is just no denying that my extra "baby" weight has to go (the baby is now 12!!!), I just can't seem to go more than 3 days on a plan without losing steam and basically giving up. The motivation is just not there this time around.  anyone else having a tough time with losing weight and or motivation to lose weight? Maybe we can motivate each other...


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## Marie5656

Tell me about it. I basically stick to my husband's diet plan, as he is diabetic and has to watch his intake and portion control. I go by reminding myself that we are actually full before our brain tells us we are full. I will stop eating when I feel I have had enough, even if I just have two or three bites left on my plate. I also do the usual cutting back on bread and fat. Eat a lot of chicken, ground turkey. Bu I also remember to treat myself. Yes, ice cream is OK..just not the whole half gallon. LOL. I walk a lot

So, lets start so motivation.


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## ksaxton

Hey! I'm trying to loose weight too. I joined calorie count and started logging everything I ate. What I did is I had a 1,300 calorie a day limit, and if I ate over that limit I would exercise it off to bring it down to my limit. What's good about that is, if you don't feel like exercising that day then as long as you stay below your calorie limit you'll still loose weight. My boyfriend and I did it together, so I had a buddy, which I would really recommend you do. It's good to have a real life buddy, but an online buddy (like on CC) is good too. I haven't been doing too well lately, I've been lazy about logging, so I totally get the whole "I'll start tomorrow" and then you just keep procrastinating and start feeling hopeless and out of control. What I would do is: 
1) Set a healthy goal weight, and a realistic date you want to achieve it by
2) Join Calorie Count, MyFitnessPal, anything like that 
3) Get a friend/family member to be your buddy
4) Find some motivation. You could take pictures of yourself as you progress, or you could also go our and buy some nice clothes for yourself in the size you want to be, and hang it up where you can see it as motivation. 
5) Some days, you're going to fail. You're going to come home exhausted, irritable, etc and you're going to eat ice cream and Taco Bell and lay around and just generally feel crappy. Don't let days like that discourage your goal. Tomorrow is a new day. 

If you need any motivation or support you can always talk to me! I started out at about 5'3 and 163 pounds. Now I'm about 135 and still going (or trying anyway). Good luck!



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## Mrs.Brisby

You could try replacing things you really like with healthy alternatives. For example ice cream could be replaced with sorbet or non-dairy ice cream, burgers could be replaced with veggie burgers ( they're delicious I swear!) they're only a fraction of the calories. Little things really add up over time. I used to drink a lot of soda when I replaced it with flavored water I lost about 10 pounds.


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## mimsy

Like Brisby said, little things add up. All diets work. It's just a matter of burning more calories than your eating. So whether you lessen the calories of what you eat, or up your exercise or some combination of them you are doing great. I gained weight after getting laid off and I've been on the slow mo method of dieting, it's working but I'm not really in a rush...I just change things I know I can leave with permanently.


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## ClassicFAIL

I keep telling myself to go to the gym. I'm 4'11 3/4" and I am 155lbs. I need to loose at least 35lbs. I keep telling myself "oh lets go to the gym" but then I start to feel really bad mentally and dont want to do anything. -.- I use to be before finals week 140 and before that 125 back when I was 16 and even then i was still fat.


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## nanashi7

If social pressure works, I have seen people post their weight, goals, and a picture in a blog type thing and then the fact you put it out there youre doing it (instead of alone at home) provides pressure to keep on it.


You also have to get something that works for you. Weight lifting, heavy calorie counting...uh-uh. No go. But, switching things like to a vegetarian diet, eradicating all drinks that aren't water, etc help. I went from 160 to 135 on that, no exercise.


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## thenightgoddess

I am also having a problem with this I was exercising a half an hour every other day for like two weeks and then I lost steam and stopped. Starting last weekend I have been trying to eat better and eat at least one salad a day and eat a little better with other stuff. I really don't want to calorie count at all I am really lazy the last time I tried to do that it only lasted a few days. I am 5'4" and weigh about 185 and I want to be between 130-140. 140 is my lowest weight during high school and I want to be back there. I don't have the extra money to join anything that would cost money. It also doesn't help that I work at a pharmacy so we sell a lot of drinks and snacks that aren't good for you and I can't seem to stop myself from getting them.


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## Charlottesmom

I've been doing a modified low carb "diet" for 5 days now and have lost 3lbs, yes it is water weight but it feels good to see the numbers go down. I mostly eat, chicken, hamburger, steak, tuna, haddock, mayo, butter, strawberries (small portions), blueberries (small portions), salad, low carb dressing, sour cream, cottege cheese, cheese, mushrooms, broccoli, the occasional serving of bacon, eggs, coffee, water, 1/2 & 1/2, lemons, and an occasional small serving of low carb ice cream, that is pretty much it. I LOVE low carb because I'm never hungry and I have to keep wheat out of my life anyways due to serious issues with it. Low carb does NOT work for everyone though and some find it exceedingly difficult to stick with, and a lot of people are afraid to try it because of all the fat. I can tell you from my personal experience though, fat does not make me fat, cereals, bread, and sugar does, I do horribly with Weight Watchers and calorie resrtictive plans, because I eat mostly low calorie crapola because high fat low carb foods are generally higher in calories, and I'm typically always starving and constantly thinking about food.


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## gotchea

I LOVE food. One thing that worked for me when I am craving something, like ice cream, is that I will wait half an hour. Most the time after the 30 minutes, I get so busy with something else that I completely forgot about the food I wanted or I end up not wanting it anymore.


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## Jaguar

It's really a matter of calories in, calories out, though. 500 calorie deficit a day = a pound ish lost a week. Don't go too crazy - it's better to lose 40 in a year and keep it off than lose it in 3 months and gain it back when you realize you can't sustain starving yourself. Plug in your info here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and subtract 500 from "Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) or go with the number below that. Track your calories (everything - even fruits/veg) on something like MFP, and use a scale, NOT the portion sizes on the back of the box. You'd be surprised how much those really overestimate! Intermittent fasting may also be something worth looking into.


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## Charlottesmom

Jaguar said:


> It's really a matter of calories in, calories out, though. 500 calorie deficit a day = a pound ish lost a week. Don't go too crazy - it's better to lose 40 in a year and keep it off than lose it in 3 months and gain it back when you realize you can't sustain starving yourself. Plug in your info here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and subtract 500 from "Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) or go with the number below that. Track your calories (everything - even fruits/veg) on something like MFP, and use a scale, NOT the portion sizes on the back of the box. You'd be surprised how much those really overestimate! Intermittent fasting may also be something worth looking into.


I actually did a version of intermittent fasting over a year ago... JUDDD (Johnson Up Day Down Day Diet) it was excellent!! I did 1700 for my Up days and 600 for my Down days, I lost 18 pounds in two months, looked good, felt great....but then we went on vacation and I slipped into the "well I AM on vacation" way of thinking skipped a few down days and fell out of motivation (I have that problem a lot!). I think about starting it up every now and again. I should reread the book, that in itself would motivate me. I really like low carb but do miss certain foods, mostly fruit!


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## ratswithfoxandbear

There are lots of great sites that support motivation. FitBits are great because it tracks your steps. Your friends can have them, and you can have mini competitions. It's neat. Those do cost money, though.

I write down everything I eat and track calories via a mobile app. You can eat whatever you want as long as you are good at portion control. Portions should stay under the size of a fist. Load up on greens. If you are hungry, drink half a glass or a full glass of water first. If you are still hungry-- eat!

Reddit is both awful and awesome but r/loseit and r/motivation and r/progresspics and r/fitness are all really great. Also, I am currently working on a Couch to 5K because I know running is great (but I dislike it). It is nice to have something that is incredibly structured but also not ridiculously difficult. Setting yourself up for failure by restricting too much or hoping to work out like an MMA Fighter takes away a lot of steam.

You can use pinterest to choose three snacks or meals that are low-cal and healthy. Only pin three a week because you have to commit yourself to making them! Then, next week, you pick another three. This also gets you working with different types of foods.

Losing can be tough but it is very rewarding. Also remember if you are working out that muscle weighs more than fat. You may "lose less" but actually gain a lot more if you are working out your muscles!

Make sure whatever you do that you have fun! If you are upset and feel like you are being denied, it won't work. It is better to lose weight through your desire to be happy, healthy and through acts of self-love than self-deprecation and self-hate!


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## LilCritter

I've found that cutting out processed sugars really helps. I went out of the country for a week to somewhere where they didn't add so much sugar into their food. When I came back, everything tasted too sweet to me and I changed my diet so that I could actually eat the food here. I limited my access to processed sugars (cake, ice cream, frozen yogurt, candy, etc) to only social events. That way, I could still enjoy a sweet with friends. 
By cutting back on sugars this much, I lost 12 pounds in a month. I'm not sure if this helps with motivation, but I've never been able to stick with a diet. Cutting back really helped me. I hope this helps. Good luck!


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## Charlottesmom

Ratswithfoxandbear: My 12 year old and I were all set to start couch to 5k, last winter we decided we would start this spring. Unfortunatly, around January my left knee started "clicking out of joint" for a second, then in a few weeks it started just plain hurting....bad! I dislike doctors in general and avoid them at times but my knee was so bad that I HAD to see my doctor. She ordered x rays, I was ordered to go to a orthapedic (sp??) specialist. My specialist said I had fluid on my knee and arthritis and to take it very easy, only swimming or recumbant biking, had to go to Physical Therapy for 4 months but finally feel good, but was still ordered walking only and no long distance (5-10 minutes on the treadmill) and no running.  I can however do weight training, which is very good.


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## ratswithfoxandbear

Charlottesmom said:


> Ratswithfoxandbear: My 12 year old and I were all set to start couch to 5k, last winter we decided we would start this spring. Unfortunatly, around January my left knee started "clicking out of joint" for a second, then in a few weeks it started just plain hurting....bad! I dislike doctors in general and avoid them at times but my knee was so bad that I HAD to see my doctor. She ordered x rays, I was ordered to go to a orthapedic (sp??) specialist. My specialist said I had fluid on my knee and arthritis and to take it very easy, only swimming or recumbant biking, had to go to Physical Therapy for 4 months but finally feel good, but was still ordered walking only and no long distance (5-10 minutes on the treadmill) and no running.  I can however do weight training, which is very good.


That is really tough! My beau has trouble with his knees, and he definitely pushes himself way too hard.

Have you looked into a pool-- like a YMCA? Swimming is definitely a worthwhile workout that would be better for you. Doctors freak me out to the max, but they can have important advice. It's good that you went and figured out what is okay and what you should not do. Keeping yourself fit should be a healthy endeavor-- not one that kicks your butt and leaves you in more pain!


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## Mitsy

I think a thread for everyone to be motivated that wants to lose weight or even just tone and build their body etc would be great I am always trying to get that toned tight stomach but I don't have the motivation or support at home they all say I am small already but to them I am because I come from a family that struggles with their weight. So for me to be not over weight and not under weight to want to exercise and get the body I want sounds weird to them.

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## Jaguar

The best way to build muscle is to lift free weights. Though you generally can't lose a lot of fat and build a lot of muscle at the same time (unless you're very overweight), it is a great way to "tone" up, as you say. You *can* simply diet and lose weight, but maintaining some decent muscle is very good for your long term health and physique.


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## Mitsy

Thanks jaguar there are soke weights here some where I will have to find them. 

Does anyone have any really good work outs? Or a work out routine? I just do a loy of leg and abdominal stretching I don't really have certain way of doing it.

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## Jaguar

If you like body weight stuff, Neila Rey has a lot of good ones - but there's gonna come a time when they're too easy and just adding reps doesn't help. Starting Strength is a great beginner's weightlifting routine and I'm sure you could find equivalent exercises if you have to use dumbbells  If you like to just do stretches (or something like Yoga), take a 5 minute jog to get warmed up first.


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## thenightgoddess

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?203681-weight-loss&p=1427521#post1427521
Would love some help on my thread too


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## twitchNsketch

Has anyone tried the garcinia cambogia & Colin cleanse method? I have and i lost 21lbs in a month without changing my lifestyle AT ALL. Except the amount of food i ate cuz i just wasn't AS hungry and i got full quicker. It's an amazing thing for ppl like me who don't have time or motivation to change my lifestyle


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## thenightgoddess

Read this before you even think about trying that
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/garcinia-cambogia


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## Charlottesmom

I would Never take any sort of diet pills....


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## gotchea

thenightgoddess said:


> Read this before you even think about trying that
> http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/garcinia-cambogia


Commenters seemed pretty pissed that that article has so many errors.

I have nothing really for or against diet pills. To each their own, as long as you know the consequences of your actions. Gotta make are the juice is worth the squeeze ;]


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## Jaguar

Forget about the pills, fad diets, detoxes, cleanses - don't look for an easy way out, because there isn't one. Losing weight is a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet. You have to stay true and dedicated to your (realistic) plans - if you don't, you won't be seeing the results you expect, which is setting yourself up for disappointment, and eventually, failure.


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## Charlottesmom

IMO, there is no temporary diet, if you lose all the weight you want on a "diet" then go back to eating the way you were previously, obviously the weight will creep back on. I love it when people say "the diet didn't work bacause I gained weight when I stopped doing it". That is why people need to find something they can live with....very long term. I am still doing low carb and am not seeing the numbers go down too much but the gut is shrinking. I think I am going to go by the way my clothes fit and how I feel, more than by the numbers.


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## thenightgoddess

Have you tried using my fitness pal? I like it and have been able to keep it up for five days so far which is actually a big deal for me and I would love another friend on it to keep me motiviated.


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## Mischief

I used to use My Fitness Pal quite religiously. I'd never been on any sort of calorie-counter or diet planner before, so it was a huge wake up call when I saw that I was eating only about 800-1000 calories a day. With that app I slowly raised my daily calorie intake to about 1500-1800 a day. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that it helps just to see where you're at, even if you only use it for a week or two, at least then you'll have an idea of where you're currently standing and can set realistic and achievable goals from there.

One thing I'd like to say is don't stress about the weight. Pay attention to your clothing size, how you feel when you look in the mirror or are wearing your bathing suit, things you can see. Weight looks different on everybody and it's an inaccurate measurement of your health. Another thing is, if you're dying to eat that entire chocolate cake and you know it will ruin you, don't say "I can't have that." Say instead, "I don't want that." It'll make you feel like it is a choice you have made, and not something you're being forced to do.

And don't let your curves, lumps, bumps, or jiggles make you feel any less beautiful. Make sure that you're taken care of and are going to live a long time, but don't try to make it all go away. And let yourself be proud and celebrate when you take a step towards your goal -- even if it's just a tiny step!


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## MissSix

I know it's not for everyone, but I'm vegetarian and turned my mom vegetarian. She's lost about 20 lbs so far. 
One thing with dropping the meat is that it kind of forces you to plan meals more, there's just not a lot of other options. It kind of has the benefit that you can't get a lot of the bad stuff (like fast food) when you're not eating meat. There's tons of great vegetarian and vegan recipes out there! 
If you really crave meat, you can always grab some gardein, quorn, or boca. Though don't go too heave on the soy, it tends to effect the estrogen levels in women pretty bad if you eat too much, so I mostly stick to Quorn. 

Also second finding a support group. It's way easier to keep motivation up when you have other people around you working to a common goal. Maybe get the family involved in going for walks and light exercise. It's actually a lot of fun to get everyone around you involved; my friends and I sometimes play an exercise version of drinking games with bad movies (ex: Watch original Flash Gordon- do 5 push ups every time Casey the parrot shows up, 10 jumping jacks when futuristic technology is not the least bit futuristic). You gotta make it fun or you fall off the wagon real fast. 

Also Pomegranate juice! Drink some everyday. It is a great cleanser, it lowers your cholesterol, and overall I found it just improved my health so much. 

Like Mischief said, it's also important to love yourself and not be so critical of your body. It's far more important to be happy with yourself.


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## kksrats

Depending on which suits your lifestyle better, I'd recommend going vegetarian, pescetarian or doing ketosis. As said above, these are lifestyle changes, not fads. Ketosis is one of the more harmful if you slip easily, pescetarian can be expensive and vegetarian can be downright bland, but there are so many more positive aspects than negative to each of these. I personally favor being pescetarian because I just love eating fish and it's the most adaptable. Whatever you choose to do, remember that moderation is always key to getting the most out of your diet.


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