Ugh...I have to lose what?!

Hey guys...when I first started here I was 185....I am now 175 and don't see any changes in anything...I started here the second week in January....

My ideal weight is between 109-125 pounds but I think that will make me too skinny (I am 4'11'')

I want to get to maybe 130 and then think about it...I could probably use losing a good 60 pounds but it just seems SO FAR AWAY!

How do I keep a level head about this and just stay on my goal? Should I make smaller goals for myself and say, "Ok, I want to lose just 5 pounds, then 10 pounds, etc?" or should I look at is as a whole? Any methods work better for you than others??

Also, I have been eating those stupid Lean Cuisines everyday for lunch and they are really starting to get to me...I want something different...any other good yet healthy suggestions? Thanks guys!

Congratulations on the 10 pounds you have lost!  That's a great start to a healthier lifestyle!

As for setting smaller, intermediate goals, it really works well for me.  I have a weight loss goal, and an exercise goal for this month, and will set a new one for April.  I've almost made my weight loss goal, and I'm really happy about that.  Being sick for several days is probably going to keep me from hitting the exercise goal, but I'm gonna get close, so I'll just try again next month.

As for eating the Lean Cuisine's I think it's always better if you can prepare your own foods from scratch.  The processed foods have a lot of salt, etc even if they are low in calories/fat.  However, I love some of the Lean Cuisine stuff, and never get tired of the brickoven pizzas, lol.  

Also remember if you have been exercising you may be losing fat (and inches) without seeing much of a change on the scale, so make sure you are taking measurements.  Losing inches is SOOO much more satisfying to me than losing pounds.  I know if I lose the fat and replace it with muscle the scale will show it eventually.   

From posts I've read in the forums, I think most people prefer to have a number of smaller goals. One can just get kind of boggled at a number that seems to big or a date that's too far away. My personal preference would be for something that can reasonably be reached in about 6 weeks, so that would be in the range of 10 to 15 pounds.

I would have gone bonkers on lean cuisines after about a week! They all start to taste the same and there's not much food in there for the calories and price too. Go for masses of vegys with a little lean protein (tuna, egg white, chicken breast, etc.) Make salads sometimes, and eat them individually at others so it's less boring.  Soups are great. I make my own fat free yogurt. Look in the Foods section of the forums. You'll find tons of suggestions.

I like to look at it as: okay, I need to lose 75 pounds.

Well, if I break that into 10 pound goals, those seem pretty manageable. :)

And, looking at it that way, I only have 7.5 10-pound goals, which makes it seem even more managable, I think because 7.5 sets of 10 seems like less than 75.  Especially when I see that I've lost 3.4 pounds, and that's already almost halfway to my first goal! :)

 

As far as lunches, I usually have a main something, and some sort of snack with it.  I also like to get creative with leftovers.

Like today for lunch, I had a peanut butter sandwich, measured out 2 tbsp of PB onto 2 slices of light rye bread, and had a serving of Light Sour Cream and Onion Pringles.

For dinner, I have a salad of plenty of the pre-packaged salad micture, 3oz of diced ham from Easter leftover, and 1/4 cup cheese, with a spritzer dressing, and an applesauce on the side.

Not to be the buzzkill, but remember that, while it will become easier to make healthy choices (because you're creating good habits), you will also lose a lot more quickly at first.  The weight loss will drastically slow over time.

I mainly say that to remind you not to be discouraged when those first few "10 pound goals" come easily and the last "10 pound goal" becomes a nightmare.

congrats! 10 pounds is amazing! i think the key is to focus on changing your life RIGHT NOW as opposed to worrying about the future. if you take it in incriments, 60 pounds wont seem like such a huge task. my first suggestion would be to stop with the pre-packaged meals! it'll make losing weight so much more productive and fun if you cook your own meals. any nutritionist would agree with me I'm sure. not only are you controlling what you eat better, but you can make whatever you want and explore with different flavors and tastes and things. it sucks but losing weight does get harder after those first 10-20 pounds are shed. the key really is exercise and portion control. i fasted my weight off, which is certainly not recommended to everyone, but maybe you could dabble in that? you could do a 3-4 day juice fast every 2 weeks or something. if you reduce your calorie intake to a certain number, you could lose up to 2 pounds a week! that number is different for everyone, but there are websites where you can calculate it depending on your bmi. anyway, good luck and dont get discouraged.

Congratulations on the 10lbs! you're well on your way. 

I have a lot of weight to lose and you're right it is so daunting.  Every time I think, 95 more pounds, that evil little voice in the back of my head tells me that I'll give up, it won't happen.  Then I have to beat the crap out of that little voice.  I definitely like small goals (I do 5lbs goals as I've been losing pretty slowly)

I'm torn on Lean Cuisine.  I lived off the stuff when I was a teacher, but now that I have a longer lunch, not so much.  They're not very good for you, they're most just about portion control.  You can eat almost anything and only get 300 calories if you use that little microwave tray as your plate.  I prefer larger quantities of lower calorie food.  I usually have a lean protein like chicken or tuna and a large helping of fruit or veggies with small treat on the side like a few salty crackers, chocolate pudding, or a hard candy to help satisfy whatever mid-day craving I'm having.  I know this last bit isn't as good for me, but if it helps keep me away from the vending machine or binging on salt/sugar when I get home it's worth the 60-90 calories at lunch.

You're doing great. Listen to what your body wants it's slightly different for everyone.

Thanks a million to those who have replied...I definately needed that hope of reassurance...I'm a very impatient person when it comes to weight loss...ugh!

I'm doing my best and thats all that matters at this point! I felt guilty last night from binging on olives (thought I did anyways but only ate about 9 or 10 lol) but the good news is that no matter how much I liked the looks of ice cream in the ice cream aisle at the supermarket, i didn't buy any....

make your own food! i only eat lean cuisines when im really busy or tired.

For lunches i usually makes sandwiches (wheat bread, wheat bagels, wheat english muffins), wraps (wheat wraps), and salads with any combination of ham, turkey, chicken, cheese (only a portion size!), spinach, lettuce, bell peppers, avocados, carrots, radishes, salsa, mustard, low fat dressings. You'd be surprised how many different foods you can get out of these kinds of things, especially if you use different cheeses (i really like cheese). Many of these are healthy and low cal enough that i can still have a couple of cookies or a serving of crackers along with it and still be good. Also none of the foods i make take more than a couple minutes, and few even involve cooking.

Soup is good too if you find relatively low cal/fat/sodium ones. Progresso makes some good soups.

I also try to eat healthy dinner leftovers, although im not big on leftovers.

Congratulations on the 10 lbs!  I set myself 5 lb goals which worked out well for me on my first 30 lbs.

When it comes to pizza and similar items (as in those that i will eat just because they're there), I've changed from ordering a pizza to buying the personal size pizza. It does a few things for me, one saves me money which is always good. It gives me a specific calorie amount which is lower than what you order in and I can have the whole thing if I want to or save the other 1/2 for another meal. I like to combine the not so good for you foods with healthy foods so I'll have a pound of broccoli with it. Yes, a whole pound. At 125 calories for a pound I almost can't afford not to eat it from a nutrition view.

For lunches, I try to do things like make a pot of rice in my rice cooker (brown or wild) and portion it out into serving containers. Add a large serving (maybe 1/2 a pound) of a frozen vegetable which will cook nicely when I reheat it and then a serving of chicken breast or whatever protein I've made.

You can also make your own soups in a crock pot.

If I know that I don't have time to make lunch, I try to drop by the grocery store and pick up a sandwich. My local Ralph's does a sandwich combo where for another 50 cents you can have a serving of any salad and a bottle of water. If I ask them nicely, they're usually perfectly happy to double the lettuce and tomato and I usually have them hold the mayo or put just a light coating on.

I was in the same boat as you, I am even 5' too! haha I started at 180 and Ill tell you what... when you stop thinkin about the actual number on the scale it'll start flyin off. trust me!!!

gemink88--congratulations on your transformation!  Your pix look great!! You're an inspiration. did the last 20 pounds come off slowly?

You are right the lean cuisines can get boring if that is all you eat.. but they have some really great flat breads now, have you tried those? Add a tasty side salad and I am satisfied and my tastebuds are not bored.

I think the main thing with them is the portion control... my main weakness. I was not eating that unhealthily before.. just gigantic portions (restaurant sized!!). They do tend to be high in sodium though, so I try not to eat them more than three times a week. Great for when you are tired and can't be bothered to cook or mess about chopping stuff.

As for smaller goals..That is a great idea. I still have 68 lbs to lose, (lost 25 already) that sounds almost impossible. But have broken it down into smaller chunks to make it less intimidating. A monthly goal is a good idea. Courtbarb is right, as you get nearer to your goal weight, the pounds will come off much more slowly, so you will need to set much smaller "mini goals".

You have the right plan, and it's working for you, so just keep up the good work.