I "cheat" on motivation. I have a bit of an attention deficit thing going on anyway (that is, I get bored extremely quickly, even of losing weight), so I have to con myself with different motivations.
First thing I'll do is massage my perceptions of my weight loss so far depending on what sounds more impressive. "Half a stone" sounds more impressive than "7lbs", but "11lbs" sounds more impressive than "under a stone". "3stone" sounds more impressive than "42lbs", but "45lbs" is way more impressive than "A bit over 3 stone".
Then there's the ticker, in my sig below. I like the ticker. I can look at it and think "I've lost that much already and it's only been XYZ weeks!" Even in the early stages it's surprisingly motivational. You go "Wow, I've lost 6lbs in only three weeks! At that rate I'll be wearing a size 14 next Christmas!" And then later on, when the rate slows down, you recalculate and you go "Yeah, it might be Easter 2011, but it's a far more realistic rate now".
I also get along quite well by telling myself "You know, it might be two years before I lose all this, but if I'd bothered starting this diet two years ago, I'd be there by now. I don't wanna be here in two years wishing I'd started today."
You might think a year, two years, however long you think it'll take is a long way away, but that's because it's stretched out in front of you. Instead, look at how quickly the last year or two have actually gone, and realise that the next year or two will pass just as fast, and you'll really get to your target weight in very little time at all.
I quite like that I can make my size 26 clothes last so long. I've had to put darts in my trousers, yes, but buying new clothes for a size you're just going to pass through in a few months is a waste of money, and perhaps more demoralising than you'd think. I've caved and bought some long-sleeved t-shirts from an M&S Outlet (fiver each, can wear them under the baggier clothes to keep me warm!) but for the most part I'm trying to avoid downsizing until it's unavoidably necessary. It also has the hugely beneficial side effect of nobody looking at me and saying "Wow! You've lost a lot of weight!" or "You're losing it too fast, you need to stop!" or, worst of all, "Are you on a diet? Here, have some pie and chips!"
'Cause by gawd do people try to fatten you back up once they know you're losing it
And finally, I don't kick myself if I eat too much one day. It happens. We all have naff days where we're depressed, or really hungry, or tired, or put in a situation where we can't control what we eat so easily (a night out, for instance). So what? I'm in this for the long haul. One night's pizza in three months really isn't going to be a problem. Accidentally slipped up and ate everything that came within arm's reach? So what? Just don't do it again tomorrow
It's a marathon, not a sprint. And the sooner you get your head around the fact that there is no quick fix and that you are the only person who controls the size and shape of your body, the sooner you'll start shifting the weight.
Me? I've got about 10st in total to shift. Back when I started in September 2009 I'd look at people's tickers which were at the 40-50lbs mark and I'd go "Christ, that's a lot. Good for them!" Now I'm at the 40-50lb mark, I'm looking at the people whose tickers are at the 80-90lbs mark and going "Christ, that's a lot! Good for them!" Because if they can do it, I bloody well can.
Just like the four-minute-mile, it's impossible until one person makes it. Then suddenly that switch flips in everyone's mind and the impossible becomes attainable. Roger Bannister was the first, but since then the four-minute-mile has become the
standard by which middle-distance runners are measured.
Ten stone? Someone's already done it. That proves it's possible. So let's get it sorted!
