How to have a healthy mindset and lose weight at the same time...?

[Kayak8]

It seems that for so long I've wanted to lose weight because I wanted to a.) feel better about myself b.) feel better about the way I look c.) have higher self esteem d.)be more social, etc, etc. The list can go on and on. The older I get the more these reasons really urk me because I feel like I have to look a certain way to please myself and/or others. I don't want my value to be based on these things and I don't want to get skinny with these goals in mind because, otherwise, what good will have i accomplished? It just seems like I've been losing weight for all the wrong reasons and that if I don't change my mindset, not much will have changed after all the weight is gone.

My question for everyone is, have you ever felt the same way? And if so, what have you done to combat it AND get healthy in both body and mind? Just looking for more strategies to keep getting healthy. 🙂 

[SunsetRunner]

@Kayak8 

You raise a good point. I was terrible overweight all my life and felt like you ... life would be so much better if I could wear a size 10 ... if I looked better ... etc. It was not until Feb of '13 when a doctor finally told me I needed to start on meds for high blood pressure and cholestoral, and that my latest test showed I had developed Type 2 Diabetes. Then, another set of bloodwork showed I was genetically predispositioned to heart attack. She said I would not last another 10 years the way I was. This was my wake up call. Since then, I have been focused on better health. Yes, eating right and exercising regularly resulted in a nice weight loss, but the main thing that made me happy was the fact that now my blood pressure, cholestoral levels and sugar levels are all normal ... without any prescription medicine. Kind of amazing ... and very humbling.

Forget everything else. Get a thorough physical and some blood work. Then concentrate on fixing those numbers. I did this for me. You can do it for YOU. 

[steff]

If you have been losing weight for all the wrong reasons, what is the real reason you need to lose weight?  Once you know why you want to lose weight, you need to figure out why you aren't losing weight.  I want to lose weight because I look and feel better.  I am struggling with weight loss because I am hyprothyroid and it is really, really hard, I weigh more than I ever have.  I don't like the size I am, but that's not WHO I am.  Now, your turn.

[montnan]

Kayak, I think the only one of your reasons that isn't good is the part about pleasing others. Another good reason is to be healthier: lower blood pressure and/or keep it down, prevent diabetes and all its bad complications. Feeling better physically and having more energy are two more reasons I wnat to lose weight. The things I do to accomplish this - eating better and exercising - also have these benefits, so I don't have to wait to have lost the weight. I like to "dance as though no one is watching" to upbeat music, waving and pumping my arms, etc. The music itself lifts my spirits and the exercise does that too, as well as burning calories and tightening and strengthening muscles and improving my balance and flexibility. If there is aa Lifestyle Balance class offered by a hospital near you, I recommend it as a way to get lots of support and help with your awareness. You CAN do this! You WILL do this!

[montnan]

Isn't it a shame that sso many of us need some sort of wake-up call? I'm glad that yours didn't wait for an actual heart attack. Congratulations on getting all those values back to normal! You are an inspiration.

[Kayak8]

@ Carol-B

Thank you so much for sharing! Figuring out what my numbers are and trying to fix them would definitely put things in perspective. Thanks again! 

[Kayak8]

Great question. At this point in my life my reason for losing weight is to get healthy, to live the active lifestyle that I crave. I guess everyone's reasons are different. When I was younger, I had other reasons. At this point in my life, to me, they were not good reasons. Again, for me, they didn't create the kind of mindset I wanted to have. But in all honesty, they kind of sneak up on me every now and then and I have to put myself in check. That's why I posted this. Thanks so much for responding! I have to keep focusing on that thing that motivates me. Thanks again. 

[Kayak8]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate it! 🙂 

[SunsetRunner]

When I was trying to lose weight for all the wrong reasons, I always gained it back. Also, when doing it for the wrong reasons, I was using methods that ended up being unhealthy. My worse example was the liquid protein diet. Lost 70 lbs but gained it all back within four months. Talk about stress on the body! But losing it slowly, eating properly and exercising .... well, it is staying off. It's not easy. But for me, at least, doing it the right way and for the right reasons was best. I plan to live past 70.

[Cushman68]

Good topic and good question.

For me, I guess you could say it's kind of mixed. I was always the fat kid and I always dreamed of being skinny... Always feeling bad and envious of girls/women who were thin and fit, etc. It wasn't really so much about how I looked, I was always confident and happy in my own skin, but still.  Then one day I was sitting on the train commuting to work and this woman walked in, very very skinny, very healthy (looking) and I started my usual thinking in my head "I wish I could look like that..."  All of a sudden it struck me out of no where... I don't  have to WISH for that, I can BE that.  The very next day I changed everything about the way I was eating and I started exercising daily. I learned about food and nutrition, various exercises and all the tricks of the trade.  Almost one year later and 70 lbs lighter... I never looked back.  Now I love the way I look and feel. I feel strong and healthy and yeah sure I have hungry days where I want to just give it all up and go back... but that's never gonna happen. I am still trying to lose some vanity pounds and I will get there. Most likely by the end of this week 🙂

[montnan]

Kayak, here we are about 2&1/2 mos later. How are you doing?