Are most of us just weak?

I WANT to lose 10lbs

I know HOW to lose 10lbs.

I bet, that if I took everything I knew about eating and excersise I could totally lose 10lbs in 3 weeks.

What stops me?

Why is, lets say, ice cream...stronger than my will? Why is alcohol or cookies stronger than my will?

lets talk about how to break THAT (going against our instict/will), rather than how to exercise more or counting WW points
??

Thoughts or Suggestions?

Message edited 6/18/2008 8:51:39 PM.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Ohhhh, I hear ya. I have very little discipline.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I WISH I knew. Im so unhealthy right now. And just plain LAzy.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I set running goals for myself each week and that is how I stick with. I always find that when I do not have target mileage I tend to slack off. As for ice cream that is my downfall, but the exercising is what keeps me in line.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Fat Free Ice Cream, Light beer and only 3 cookies a day can make a BIG difference.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Message edited 6/4/2012 12:39:15 PM.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I tend to believe that the biggest reason people have a hard time losing weight is in the way they approach it.

First off, you need to find a plan that works for you and your lifestyle. I read somewhere never to do a "diet" that you cannot maintain forever. If you have been cutting all your carbs and working out 7 days a week for two hour to lose weight, eventually you won't be able to maintain that and you will gain weight again. This is obviously extreme but you get my point.

This brings me to my next point - too hard, too fast. So many people want a quick fix. The longer it takes you to lose the weight, the longer you will keep it off. Slow and steady is key and once again, this goes back to something you can live with.

I don't think it is a matter of weakness at all - it really is how badly you want it. If you want something bad enough you will make it happen!

Good luck!!

ETA: I forgot to say, the hardest thing about losing weight is changing your habits. Once I accepted the fact that my goal at the end of the day was really just to live a healthier life I slowly began changing habits. It is definitely hard in the beginning but once you get used to it, it just becomes a way of life!

Message edited 6/19/2008 11:16:14 AM.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I don't like to deprive myself - if I want a treat I have it. But I don't eat a lot ever, unless I'm specifically trying to avoid something. Then it calls my name. For the most part, we don't keep junk in the house - it's much easier to avoid it if it's not there.

My biggest problem is finding the time to work out. Now that I'm back at work any time spent on exercise means time not spent with DD. I hate that because I'm not happy with my body but I'd rather play with my baby while I can. When I was home her nap time was my exercise time.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

This is a topic I know much about

For me, my journey has not been about eating whatever I want, just less of it. My journey is and has been about changing my habits and THAT is the difficult part.

Once you condition yourself to say no to something, let's say ice cream every day, you realize that you don't miss it anymore. Then, when y ou do have it...it's a treat. Which is the way it should be. It's not that you should totally deny yoursef, but you have to be in control of your mind and your food. Until you take control over that, then it's just a 'diet' and not a true change of lifestyle.

Message edited 6/19/2008 3:34:21 PM.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Posted by azoodie

I tend to believe that the biggest reason people have a hard time losing weight is in the way they approach it.

First off, you need to find a plan that works for you and your lifestyle. I read somewhere never to do a "diet" that you cannot maintain forever. If you have been cutting all your carbs and working out 7 days a week for two hour to lose weight, eventually you won't be able to maintain that and you will gain weight again. This is obviously extreme but you get my point.

This brings me to my next point - too hard, too fast. So many people want a quick fix. The longer it takes you to lose the weight, the longer you will keep it off. Slow and steady is key and once again, this goes back to something you can live with.

I don't think it is a matter of weakness at all - it really is how badly you want it. If you want something bad enough you will make it happen!

Good luck!!

ETA: I forgot to say, the hardest thing about losing weight is changing your habits. Once I accepted the fact that my goal at the end of the day was really just to live a healthier life I slowly began changing habits. It is definitely hard in the beginning but once you get used to it, it just becomes a way of life!

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Posted by pmpkn087

I just read your post after I posted.

I LOVE how you and I are on the exact same page

Re: Are most of us just weak?

No, like Azoodie and Pmpkn say, I think it's more of a lifestyle change than anything else.

I think that many, many people in this Country are overweight, not because they are weak, but because they have bad eating habits. When you've eaten a certain way for 20, 30 years, and sometimes don't even know what healthy eating and exercise entails, then it can be very difficult to make the transition.

Too many people look for a quick fix to lose weight only, and quickly. That's not weakness, per say, but just a misunderstanding of how the body works, and what good *health* really means.

If you are dedicated to lose weight quickly, sure, you can get it done, but you probably won't be able to sustain it.

If you are dedicated to changing your habits, and your lifestyle to live a healthier, longer life, then the prospect of taking weight off, and keeping it off, is much better. It BECOMES your life instead of just a weight loss goal that most attain with some really drastic, unhealthy measures.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I think it's totally about your mind being in the right place.
It's not just an intellectual thing, like knowing how to or even wanting to. It's just a focus and a drive and a commitment that guides your eating & exercise behavior day in and day out.
I once lost 60 pounds (a very long time ago), and I know now the same things I knew then, but right now my mind isn't in the right place & I don't have the focus & drive that I had back then to do it all over again.
So I don't think it's "weakness" so much as maybe a lack of motivation or even just not having the same amount of time to devote to it, or some other factor that's preventing us from actually doing what it takes to make it happen.
Not to mention that I've also realized that my body just won't burn off the fat as easily as it did when I was younger! It's harder this time around for sure.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

I spent 2 years taking off 44 lbs and it came back on very quickly. I lost my motivation and had to stop working with my trainer. Those 2 things were big factors. Unhealthy food choices and emotional eating didn't help either.

Re: Are most of us just weak?

Posted by azoodie

Posted by pmpkn087

I just read your post after I posted.

I LOVE how you and I are on the exact same page

Great minds

Message edited 6/20/2008 8:21:27 PM.