Where do you get your motivation from?

strong_curves

Looking at myself naked in the mirror. Now that I'm getting smaller, I'm looking better so that motivates me even more.

softblondechick

I have a hypodermic needle on my fridge and table.

I don't want to be diabetic.

professionalHobbyist

I have seen a few die from the fork.

You get treated differently as a fat person. Ask any single fat person.

At a point I wanted to get the life I always wanted before it was too late!

The time is now. My life is now.

Each day is a decision to eat right and exercise! So now I look at being 10-15 lbs from target back when it was so very far away.

If you grit your teeth and just do it. In a month you will have some success. In two months that much more, in three months a habit and a good feeling

Nobody can give you the desire

This is a save your own butt sort of thing.

Machka9

Another bit of motivation for me was a cycling jacket. It fit when we bought it about 4 years ago, but gradually over 4 years it got tighter and tighter until I couldn't do it up. So I figured we'd just buy me another one, and when I went online and looked at the prices, I had a small coughing fit. It had gone up quite a bit!! Or maybe we got the jackets on sale before.

So then I figured that losing weight was probably less expensive than buying a new jacket, especially when I had a perfectly good, hardly used one already.

About 6 weeks into the process, I could do the jacket up ... just. About 8 weeks in, it was wearable. And by about 10 weeks in, it became quite comfortable.

cavia

I spent my 30s sick, weak, in pain and steadily getting bigger. I hit bottom when the scale read 190lbs. Nothing else mattered but getting stronger and getting smaller. The stronger and smaller I got, the better I felt, not just physically but emotionally as well. I only focussed on the next pound and didn't look beyond that because the only pound I could ever tackle was the next one. I recognized that this was going to be a long-term endeavor. I work 12h shifts also OP in an ICU setting. It was like a switch went off for me and I just got down to doing the work. I never cancelled a pt session and I quickly stopped balking at weighing my food when the scale started moving downwards. It quickly turned into a new way of life. That was over two years and 48lbs ago.

flinx1241

Fear of dying young. Want to be around to see my boys grow into men. Everything else is gravy...

vixtris

kayva91011 wrote: »

I HATE how overweight I am and feel totally and completely unattractive but it seems to not be enough.

That should literally be your motivation right there. I also like looking through the success stories forum and seeing other peoples success, it makes me excited for when I get there lol. Setting reachable goals and obtaining them is motivating too!

drywall_painter

I am motivated by the way my clothes fit and and my desire to avoid depression that seems to get worse as I gain weight and I become uncomfortable with myself. I recently was injured and gained 10 pounds, I started getting down on myself, I even deleted my MFP account. I'm slowly pulling myself out of it now

tomatoey

I have less motivation to lose some weight that I regained than I did when I lost most of my weight.

I think the best antidote is good planning / prep - stocking up on foods that help, and avoiding foods that tempt you (at least for now).

My motivations are vanity and health, same as last time. But what kept me going last time was the fitness side. I used to get a lot out of it on multiple levels. But I can't do a lot of those activities, and the ones I can, not to the degree I did before.

So my progress is way more reliant on the diet side, which is the part I hate. I'm having to figure out some ways around it. I'm going to try reducing carbs and upping fats so I can feel fuller on fewer cals.

tomatoey

kayva91011 wrote: »

I don't know what it is but I can't seem to find the motivation to stick to a diet. I HATE how overweight I am and feel totally and completely unattractive but it seems to not be enough.

For instance I ate decent all day at work... Came home and binge ate on a 1/2 carton of ice cream. -.-

Also if this is going on, look at your diet again. Maybe you're having that much ice cream because you're not eating enough calories through the day. In which case, decrease your deficit to .5 lb / week. And look at your macronutrients again, see what ratios fill you up best.

kellellie

This is going to sound stereotypical, but it's true. I don't have motivation. I'm not on a diet. I eat the way I do because it makes me feel better. I treat my food like medicine for my body. When I eat crap, I feel like crap. I'd rather eat well and not take meds than eat poorly and be on them the rest of my life. Losing weight is sort of just a perk to feeling better. Its a nice perk, but it isn't the reason. Dont use hating yourself as motivation, or think that that should be your motivator, hating yourself is a terrible idea. You should love yourself and do good things FOR yourself.

I have a shift work job as well (though without the kids) Sometimes I make a big pot of something (soup, or stir fry, whatever) and I eat that in little nibbles through the day when I can, and just log it as "lunch". Make sure what you eat has protein and fat to keep you going if your shifts are longer.

snowflakesav

you have a stressful job and it is difficult to switch gears and put yourself first. If you see people who are successful as different than you it isn't helping. Use them as role models...they will tell you it isn't easy...but it is totally worth it. You are totally worth it.

shedthesweater

I lov

professionalHobbyist wrote: »

I have seen a few die from the fork.

You get treated differently as a fat person. Ask any single fat person.

At a point I wanted to get the life I always wanted before it was too late!

The time is now. My life is now.

Each day is a decision to eat right and exercise! So now I look at being 10-15 lbs from target back when it was so very far away.

If you grit your teeth and just do it. In a month you will have some success. In two months that much more, in three months a habit and a good feeling

Nobody can give you the desire

This is a save your own butt sort of thing.

I love it! well said!

shedthesweater

shedthesweater wrote: »

I lov

professionalHobbyist wrote: »

I have seen a few die from the fork.

You get treated differently as a fat person. Ask any single fat person.

At a point I wanted to get the life I always wanted before it was too late!

The time is now. My life is now.

Each day is a decision to eat right and exercise! So now I look at being 10-15 lbs from target back when it was so very far away.

If you grit your teeth and just do it. In a month you will have some success. In two months that much more, in three months a habit and a good feeling

Nobody can give you the desire

This is a save your own butt sort of thing.

I love it! well said!

I had to share this, I really like what you wrote.

gle8442

I don't think motivation is all or nothing, something you either have or you don't. For me it's more like a battery that gets used up throughout the day and can get recharged too. I have to avoid things that will drain the battery quickly. I think those vary from person to person though! For me one thing that helps is to make good choices easier to make than bad choices. For example in your shoes the first thing I would probably do is throw out the ice cream or make a rule that the half gallon in the freezer is for the kids only. If you get home at the end of the day and you really, really want ice cream as a treat then put your shoes back on, go to the store and get yourself a pint of whatever the stuff you really love is. But you have to make the extra trip to the store. If you are like me, nine times out of ten that extra step of being forced to go out again will seem like too much trouble and you will end up skipping the ice cream out of laziness.

TakingBackForever

I didn't read all the replies. But I get my motivation from myself. I'm strong, beautiful and worth it! But it took me 2 years to realize that. So I think you really need to be ready, because it's up to you. I've finally started and I'm enjoying it immensely!

Good luck with your lifestyle change. You're a hard worker. Got to figure out your priorities.

kayva91011

I seriously read everyone's reply and I love them all.

I love everyone's different point of view and suggestions.

I know I can do better. I hope one day I can be the one giving advice to someone struggling.

Thanks everyone... Really.

I NEED to do this.

ArizonaToast

heidipat wrote: »

I found if I have a tub of ice cream I will eat it so I buy the ice cream sandwiches because then I will only eat one. When it comes to chips I buy a bag of chips and zip lock bags when I get home I portion the chips out. My husband and daughter do laugh at me but if you are a mindless eater this helps. I like to also log my meals at the beginning of the day too it helps me realize for this I need to give up that. Hope this helps you just remember we all have been there and struggled it helps if you can find someone to encourage you even with my family laughing they still help me count stuff out.

Same here. If I have it in the house, I will eat it. If I want ice cream (or soda or other snacks that I would binge on) I make it so I have to go to a fast food place to get it. It makes it more expensive (so I can't do it all the time), plus comes in a smaller serving than a tub. My personal rule is that I am allowed to have it if I am out, but never in the house. This works for me.

chismmegan

I also don't get REAL ice cream. I know some people don't like to eat "garbage" but when I want ice cream I eat the Artic Zero "diet" type of ice cream. I also have an obsession with coconut, so I get those coconut fruit bars. (120 Cal) Kinda like getting the ice cream sandwiches because you have to physically open each popsicle you eat, so it makes you more aware of how much you're eating. Also those Artic Zero ice creams only come in pint sizes and I think it's only like 70 calories for the whole pint.

I saw snack size fudge bars from weight watchers. I don't know if they are any good, but 45 cal portion control right there! Good luck!

WeddedBliss1992

my inspiration just started coming to me through my clothes. i still have all my clothes from when i was my target weight and i found my shorts. they are a size 0. i wore them 2 years ago. sickens me. i WILL get back in them. THAT is my inspiration.