How to get started and stay motivated - (even though you have all the motivation in the world)

RachEHay

I need help, I don't know how to keep going. I literally have all the motivation in the world and every reason to keep going but I always give in to temptation and make excuses that I'll do better tomorrow (tomorrow never seems to get here). I just want to lose the weight and keep it off. I need help

llanolady

It sounds like you've taken the right first step by voicing the willpower issue. We all have those and they can seem to be mountains at times. Try exchanging a reinforcement thought or activity in exchange for an "excuse" at least once a day. Maybe just walk around the block instead of going to the gym or drinking a water instead of something else. Change doesn't have to be an overwhelming thing if done in bits. It will come and you can do it. We are all in this together.

Holly92154

Tough love... Suck it up. If you want to be better, then be better. It is that simple. There is no magic quote, no perfect line, no great speech that will get you moving. This is a battle between yourself and your willpower. Will it happen overnight? No. Can you do something each and every day to get yourself to that goal? Yes. Have I passed up pizza and birthday cake? You betcha. It gets easier every time. It isn't easy and I've gone to bed hungry. It is a decision each and every day to follow through.

Pick out your favorite food. Mine was Oreos. Put it on the counter and everyday walk by, look at it and make the decision to keep walking. It is called desensitizing. Figure out your triggers and work towards overcoming them. Eventually, you will learn that cravings only last so long and the world doesn't end if you go without. Don't set yourself up for failure. Go above and beyond to diet proof your home and your life.

At the end of the day, you have to decide. "Do or do not, there is no try."

TavistockToad

RachEHay wrote: »

I need help, I don't know how to keep going. I literally have all the motivation in the world and every reason to keep going but I always give in to temptation and make excuses that I'll do better tomorrow (tomorrow never seems to get here). I just want to lose the weight and keep it off. I need help

to be honest, its not really about motivation... yes you need it to start, but its really about making the right choices and having healthy habits, which is totally in your control and at the moment you're choosing not to.

brushing your teeth is (I hope!) a habit... no one particularly enjoys it, but its just something you have to do, like going to work, paying your bills, doing your workout...

Lizzy622

I have been reading about SMART and setting SMART goals. S -specific M-measurable A - attainable R -realistic T - timely Too often I made lofty goals that were too vague or just not realistic. By making short term SMART goals, it helps you attain those long term more vague goals like "I want to lose weight" or " I want to be healthier".

TheRoseRoss

Here is what changed my perception of what it means to be motivated:

A fighter was asked "How badly do you want to win the championship?" He answered: "So badly. More than anything." He was then asked "Would you be willing to fight your training partner if the winner got a title shot?" He answered "No." The president of the company was on the mic, laughed and said "Then I guess he doesn't want it more than anything, does he?" The room erupted into laughter, but it resonated with me.

We all say "I want it so badly! I am so motivated! You wouldn't believe how motivated I am." Here's the measuring stick:

"What have you done to attain it?"

Ask yourself that question, and that will tell you how truly motivated you are.

"Wanting it" is not the same thing as being "motivated" to go after it.

How many lazy people do you know that sit on their *kitten* every single day talking about how badly they wish they had something? I wish I had a car. I wish I had a good paying job. I wish I could meet someone. I wish I was thinner, more muscular, more healthy.

What measurable steps have you taken to accomplish any of those things? You give into temptation, and make excuses. But you're "motivated," right? "Literally all the motivation in the world?" You need to be honest with yourself. Admit what's wrong, and then start fixing the things that are wrong. Everyone wants it. Not everyone wants to work for it.

sturm1000

I asked my old doctor how he stayed so slim. His answer was so perfectly succinct that it should be cast in bronze. To quote the old doc, he said, "I just don't put it in my mouth". The simplicity of that idea is golden.