I’m overwhelmed with the amount of weight I need to lose. What can I do?
It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed when trying to make changes, especially since we like to see instant results -- but weight loss takes time.
Remind yourself that you didn’t gain your weight overnight, so you won’t lose it overnight either. That being said, there are several things you can do to make your journey a little less overwhelming.
1) Set Small Goals: Let’s say you have 50 pounds you want to lose -- that amount of weight may take you six months to one year to lose. That’s a long time to work toward something (but well worth it).
To make your goal less overwhelming, split your main goal into smaller, mini-goals. You may want to set an initial goal of losing 10 pounds.
Congratulate yourself when you reach your first milestone (maybe buy yourself a new CD from iTunes or that new book you want to read) and then set your next 10-pound weight-loss goal. Losing 10 pounds at a time is much more manageable and allows you to celebrate your progress along the way.
2) Be Realistic: On average, a realistic amount of weight to lose is 1-2 pounds per week. So if your goal is to lose 50 pounds, it would be unrealistic to expect to reach your goal in three months (that would be an average of 4 pounds a week you are losing). A more realistic time frame is six months to one year (25-50 weeks).
Realize that some weeks you may lose more weight (especially true in the first week or two of a weight loss program) and other weeks you may lose nothing (it is common to plateau as your body is adjusting to your new weight). But when you look at the big picture, you should be losing about 1-2 pounds per week.
3) Focus on Small Changes: When deciding to lose weight, it can be overwhelming just thinking about everything you need to do to succeed. For example:
-- Drinking water while limiting sugary and/or caffeinated beverages.
-- Planning ahead for your meals by picking what you will have and grocery shopping.
-- Making more meals and eating out less.
-- Not snacking mindlessly.
-- Not eating after dinner (or after your last planned snack of the day).
-- Exercising.
-- Eating more fruits and vegetables.
-- Choosing whole grains over processed sugars.
Just writing the list makes me feel overwhelmed! When facing this many changes, it’s best to focus on only a few changes at a time and then to build upon that each week (or two if there’s something you’re still working on).
For example, maybe your first week you want to focus on drinking eight glasses of water a day (64 ounces total) plus take a 20-minute walk four times during the week. The next week, you’ll want to continue to drink your water and maybe add the goal of eating two pieces of fruit a day. You’ll also continue to walk -- maybe 30 minutes four times this week.
It’s also OK to work toward a change in phases. For example, if you normally drink four regular sodas a day, start by cutting down to three regular sodas a day. The next week, work down to two regular sodas a day. The following week, make it one regular soda a day, and so on. This allows your body to adjust without going “cold turkey.”
4) Journal: A secret weapon to help you lose more weight is keeping a food diary. eDiets's Nutrition Tracker is the perfect tool to help you keep track of your food intake. And don’t miss our next online meeting "Journal Your Way to Success" at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, September 28, 2009, to learn more about journaling from our Nutrition Support Team.
Finally, while you may feel overwhelmed, take a moment to breathe and remember all the reasons why you are making these changes to reach your goals. Maybe it’s to feel better about yourself, be able to climb a flight of stairs without losing your breath, to set a good example for your children or to decrease your health risks.
Whatever your reasons are, you deserve to reach your goals so stick with it! There may be ups and downs, but if you take it one step at a time, you will reach your goal. Just imagine how that will feel!
Have a diet question for Pam? Email askpam@ediets.com and check back to see if your question is picked! And if you missed a previous column, click here to see the archive.
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Comment: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 10:34:00 AM - 
Iman said...
I am an avid exercise participant. I also travel a lot for business. Most times the hotel gyms are unreasonably expensive and as fall temperatures are starting to come around it is harder for me to run outside. Do you have any advice as too any other workouts I could do in my hotel room and/or exercise equipment I could purchase to stay fit while on the road?
Thanks
Comment: Thursday, October 01, 2009 2:11:00 PM - 
Nicole, RD, LD/N - eDiets said...
Hi Iman,
That's great to hear you are committed to working out while on the road. You can search for portable/travel fitness kits or create your own. Some good items to include are resistance bands, a jump rope (although may not always have enough room to use, especially if too cold to go outside. In that case, you can jump rope in place with an imaginary rope.) and even a inflatable fitness ball (you will want to deflate while traveling so don't forget a portable pump).
Another idea if you travel with a laptop with a DVD player, is to bring pilates/yoga and/or cardio workout DVDs to do in your hotel room. For those without a DVD player availabe, there are some fitness books geared to travelers that can give you sample exercise routines.
Doing sit ups, pushups, tricep dips (on the edge of a chair), lunges and squats can also work in a pinch. And you can always climb the stairs for additional cardio if it's too cold to go outside running.
Just be creative with your workouts on the road - getting some activity in is better than none at all!
Stay Motivated!
Nicole, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Support Team
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