What if . .

I’ve been realizing lately that I have not truly believed that I was capable of getting thin and fit. I am 60 years old and fat (I use fat merely as a descriptor), and I just realized that I’ve only been going through the motions of getting healthier. No wonder I have repeatedly failed, I’ve never really believed I could succeed. But what if I could suceed and did suceed. What if . . .

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Wow, I think you’ve already taken a step towards your goal. Before we moved over here to Discourse, I saved a marvelous little post from @suzanne4 in case it didn’t port over (it didn’t) - here it is:

(START SMALL - the winning tip in a contest we had here years ago in “Simple Steps to Healthy You” )

Diabetes is an overwhelming disease
that can take over your life and health. My suggestion, whether you are newly
diagnosed or not is to break goals up into small pieces. Rather than look at
all the things your doctor wants you to do like test X times a day, eat better,
and exercise, pick one goal and split it into little pieces and build on
success. For example, let’s say you were just diagnosed with type II and the
doctor wants you to test your blood 3 times a day, change your eating, and
start exercising. Pick one of these to start working on, like eating better.
Start by not going out for fast food for a week. Once you achieve that goal,
cut something out of your diet that you know is not good for you, like chips or
the Hungry Man frozen dinners. Try that for a week and when you get the hang of
it, pick something else to change or adjust. Within a month or two, you have
made major progress towards your goal of eating better and you can pat yourself
on the back. Then keep going and adding to the success.

Remember that a goal should be SMART:

Specific-What do you want to accomplish? How will you do it? Why do you
want to do it?

Measurable-how will you know you have attained the goal? Say I want to lose
10lbs, not I want to lose weight.

Attainable-Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you
probably won’t do. Be honest with yourself.

Realistic-is this goal do-able? Is it something I can really do? If you are
a chocoholic then setting a goal you will never eat chocolate again is not a
realistic goal for you.

Time limited- Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, next month,
or by a certain date. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target
to work towards.

It takes time to learn new habits and building on success is key for long term
success. Don’t be too hard on yourself, this is a learning process for all of
us!

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@MarieB,
Thank you for sharing this very helpful post from @Suzanne4. I had never heard of “SMART.” It will make a great road map for me.

Losing weight isn’t a switch you can “flip”, it’s hard work and, in most cases, slow and steady. I was 275 lbs c. 2004 and am now around 190. I’ve been lower but am 47 and getting into some wear and tear type of issues that have set me back exercising recently. I know quite a few folks who started working out and most of them say 'it’s 90% diet and 10% exercise" although all those things can be harder as you get older. I run a lot (although not as much as I used to…) and always give a thumbs up or salute folks who are out walking around the neighborhood. If I run in the AM, there’s an older gentleman with a knee brace who hammers it, really intense walking style. Walking but I can perceive the focus. When I was heavier and started walking and then progressed to running, there was an older woman with a walker in our neighborhood who was a machine. I think she may have had a stroke or something as she seemed to be working to recover however she was out in all sorts of crappy weather with a guy, I presume husband, holding an umbrella and helping her (or making sure she didn’t fall over I suppose…) but every bit as athletic as a 20 something running marathons or playing basketball or whatever. We read the book “Flow” in a Tae Kwon Do class I took and it really made an impression on me, not about “being good” but about “getting better” if you keep at any task…

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@acidrock23,
Congratulations on your success! I know it is hard work.

During my lifetime, I lost weight and became fit three times! The first time was when I was 14.

See the pattern?

There shouldn’t be a pattern. Once ought to do it. I believe this roller coaster history has colored my more recent attempts.

I’ve decided I just need to look forward and focus on getting fit.

Thank you for sharing your story with me.