10 Tips For Losing “Those Last 10″
I can see how a figure competition is great motivation. For me the last ten are the hardest, I have been struggling for months!!!! I guess its that they are vanity pounds and really I’m just not that vain! I keep telling myself just lose them and then you can decide what to do…but seriously the last ten have been the worst. Advice, tips, motivation???
Thanks for commenting Brandi!! I agree the last 10 pounds are the hardest for me too. They really are the vanity pounds. I know I look fine or even good by most people’s standards at 125 (I’m 5′ 3.5″ tall) but that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming (or obsessing) about what it would feel like to lose 10 pounds. You have two options forget the last 10 or lose the last 10. If you are anything like me you will spend the rest of your life thinking about the 10 stupid pounds so it was good for me to lose 8 of those last 10 because I got to decide if the effort was worth it. You very well may decide that those last 10 aren’t worth it and there is NOTHING wrong with that. But at least you gave yourself the opportunity to decide instead of always just thinking about it. I decided I’m happy at 121-122 because 115 takes too much effort to maintain. I still need discipline to maintain 121-122 something I’ve lacked of late but I don’t need to be militant. The truth is for most people those last 10 pounds are going to take an enourmous amount of effort, that is why they are the LAST 10 pounds and probably have been for some time. This is what helped me lose 8 of the 10 last go around. And things I tell myself as I prep for my upcoming competition.
- Make sure you really do want to lose them. If so then decide you will do it. I’ve found it helps if I start telling myself I WILL lose them not TRY to lose them. Try = thinking. Will = doing.
- Set a date and make the date important. You have to find something that works for you. Some people can just choose and arbitrary date and stick with it. Not me. For 10 years I bumped that date back again and again. But maybe a special vacation, a reunion, a party…whatever will motivate you.
- An accountability partner is great help. It seems like everyone wants to lose 10 pounds. Find someone else who you can text during moments of weakness or check in by email in the evenings. Right now if I feel I am going to eat everything in the kitchen except the cabinets I tell my husband how I’m struggling and he reminds me of my goals. This is where I think online training can be really helpful.
- In moments of temptation, remind yourself that constantly saying no to foods that won’t allow you to reach your goal doesn’t have to be forever. By the date I have set, I will decide if these restrictions are worth it but I am going to allow myself to see what it feels like to lose those last 10 pounds. If it’s not worth it, I can go back to ordering a foot long chili cheese steak sub sandwiches instead of a 6 inch turkey minus the cheese and mayo.
- Realize that continually telling yourself you will lose those 10 pounds but not following through you may be creating or adding to your self doubt. Commit to your decision and not only will you shed body fat you will develop more confidence in yourself. By the time, I started training for my competition I had lied to myself so many times it would take a microscope to see the sliver of self-belief I had left. I am much more confident than I was a year ago. It has nothing to do with winning it was losing. For once, I was able to follow through.
- Hang a pair of jeans or some sort of clothing that you would like to fit into in plain sight. I bought a pair of jeans one size to small and hung them in my room. Along with the sparkly suits!
- Tell your friends and family. Pride can be the downfall of men but it can also be a great motivator. For the first 3 months of training for my competition I didn’t tell anyone except my family and my closest friends. These people had heard me talk about that last 10 (or 20 or 30 pounds) for years so it wasn’t really that motivating. But once I started to tell everyone I knew and didn’t know 😉 the motivation kicked in.
- If you sense disbelief from those around you let it fuel your fire, “I’ll show them”, instead of a smother the fire.
- When an intense craving hits repeat, “This too shall pass.” They will. Or drink a cup of scalding hot tea. That way your tongue won’t hurt and the Captain Crunch now sounds painful instead of delightful. 😉 I also chew gum, eat fruit, brush my teeth, call a friend, or go to bed.
- “Fail to plan. Plan to fail.” It’s cliche but true. Those last 10 will take considerable effort. Lessen your effort by planning. You may say planning takes effort. Yes, but it’s nothing compared to coming home starving after not eating for 6 hours and spotting a box of Ritz crackers that you bought for “the kids” then having to resist the crackers while you scramble to make a healthy meal for yourself. Do yourself a favor and do a little planning. Cook a batch of chicken during the weekend and freeze portions. Always have hard boiled eggs or cottage cheese in your fridge. Don’t show up at a party starving. Don’t keep a shelf full of junk for “the kids” in your pantry. They don’t need it anyway. Throw out the foods you have that you know will cause you stress and anguish, especially if you have a tendency to binge like me. Or put them somewhere where you can’t get to them easily. We put peanuts on top of my husband’s shelf in the office. Pathetic, I know, but it works.
j
This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
Jen- Thanks for these tips! Oh, those last few pounds are impossible it seems- but I think I know that it takes sacrifices that i have not been willing to make. Like you, I look pretty good by most peopple’s opinions- so why give up free day- the thought of never having ice cream seems cruel, and yet I want to see what the bod would look like at it’s buffest
Question for you — Do you think it is possible to lose the 10- to get to competition weight- and then, keep off – maybe not the 10 but say 5 of those pounds? And still be able to have a relatively normal- not normal by most people’s standards- but be able to eat more than chicken and vegetables at every meal???? Maybe have a free day or free meal once in awhile? Thanks
Sal
Yet another great post Jenn! I am struggling with those last ten and your words of wisdom definitely gave me a few things to think about
Have a wonderful Easter!
Sal – I do think it’s possible. Of course every body is unique. For about 2 or 3 months I was able to maintain 120-121 fairly easily which was 2-3 pounds over my last competition weight. Then I started struggling with my self-control because I decided I wasn’t eating enough to “bulk”, build muscle for my next show. Well my bulking turned into justification to eat more like 5 or 6 sane/free meals a week instead of my usual 2 or 3. And they were uncontrolled-full-on stuffing-myself-meals. I also decided it was okay to eat more “snacks” than I should because I was “bulking” and my body “needed” the extra calories. (Which maybe partially true but I have no intentions of being a serious competitor so i was really just justification.) Within a few weeks I put on 4 more pounds. So yes I think is possible but you have to be really disciplined or at least I know I do. To maintain around 120 (5 pounds over my ideal weight) means I have to be eating clean 90% of the time.
Michelle – Thanks!! Happy Easter to you too!