Baby steps

Losing weight is a learning lesson. Most of the time it's 2 steps forward, one step back. Don't focus on your over all goal. Visalus teaches us to set a 90 day challenge overall goal. For me, my current goal is to get to a size 12 before October 10.
I take it further though. Baby steps. I don't look at the scale and think oh I want to lose 50 lbs. That is a MAJOR goal, and it will take a long time to get there, and when you set a goal that big, you keep seeing that big number and get discouraged because the scale isn't moving fast enough. Break it up! For example, set your goal in 10 lb increments and starting at the 9, not the 0. What I mean is instead of shooting for 160, shoot for 159, then you are down another decimal bracket. If you shoot for 160, great but you are still in the 160s. Shoot for 159 & wow, you are in the 150s!!!!
I said earlier that most of the time it's 2 steps forward & one step back. For me, it's a pure struggle. I will be down 2 lbs one day & the next day I can be back up 5-7 lbs, and for no particular reason! Then, I have to work my way slowly back down. Heck yeah, it's frustrating! But, I figure, hey if I got there I can do it again, right?
As far as working out, DON'T OVERDO IT. I think I told you already I have AS (ankylosing spondylitis). I have learned to take any exercise in minute increments. By this I mean baby steps too. I started walking my dog. Usually we go a few houses down & then back home. So, I started adding a house on, walking one house further. Before I knew it I could do half a block easily, with little pain. Next, I stretched it to a full block, and when I could manage that, I added another 1/2 block on. Every few days, as I got used to each distance I'd add a little more on until I could walk to the beach & back, 1.7 miles round trip!
Then, I got a little cocky. I went to Walmart Super Center & walked all around there, next to Fresh Market, finally, I came home and took my little dog on a 2.8 mile walk. Yeah, I over did it. And, I spent the next 3 days barely able to move, sick as if I had a terrible flu. 2 steps forward, one step back.
Now, I started walking again. A half mile round trip first time, 48 the next time. The latest was .75. I can honestly say my hips & lower back aren't too please with me, Tomorrow, depending on how bad the AS is I will walk either 1/2 a mile or .75, I'll take the baby step back if I have to. After all, I'm still moving!