What do YOU use as motivation?

jhvozdik

And what do you do to get thru those "hungry" times of day? I work from home, so it can be tough when hunger strikes which for me is usually between noon and 4 and I tend to give in. I really want to get serious about my weightloss. Just looking for some advice and some tips on how to get thru those tough times of day.

Azuriaz

I have an out of town date the first weekend of October. I'll have better things to focus on than the size of my belly. Definitely motivating!

Halloween: I'm a kid at heart. I want to go to a costume party, and my costume will be skintight. No room for rolls!

New Year's Eve: I better have a date this year, and whether I do or don't, I better not be stressing my appearance.

Longterm goal: I want to try running again. It's hard on my back and knees. I'm going on the theory that the less useless weight I'm carrying, the better chance I'll have of being able to run again.

So yeah, pick upcoming goals that aren't too far off and work toward those, then pick a new one when that's done.

RoseTheWarrior

I use the Success Stories section of the message boards here as motivation. My back and hip pain also help to motivate me!

As for hunger, I like to eat 5 small meals throughout the day. I cannot stand to be hungry. I go all "Joe Peschi", as my husband says , when I get really hungry. So the smaller meals work for me. For instance, I'll have a reasonable breakfast, like one slice of whole wheat toast, one boiled egg and an oz of cheese, at around 6:45 a.m. At about 9:15 I have 100g of cottage cheese and about 1/2 to 1 cup of fruit. At noon I have my lunch, which is not big. Today I have one 4.5 oz chicken breast on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato. Around 3:30 I'll have a greek yogurt. Then a healthy dinner on the smaller side. around 6:30 p.m. I'm not a night time snacker, so this works for me.

I think maybe you could plan your meals. Basically, make a "daily meal" bag, or something like as if you were going out to work. The rest of the kitchen is off limits. Make sure you allow for healthy snacks within your calorie limit. Good luck!

SueInAz

Azuriaz wrote: »

I have an out of town date the first weekend of October. I'll have better things to focus on than the size of my belly. Definitely motivating!

Halloween: I'm a kid at heart. I want to go to a costume party, and my costume will be skintight. No room for rolls!

New Year's Eve: I better have a date this year, and whether I do or don't, I better not be stressing my appearance.

Longterm goal: I want to try running again. It's hard on my back and knees. I'm going on the theory that the less useless weight I'm carrying, the better chance I'll have of being able to run again.

So yeah, pick upcoming goals that aren't too far off and work toward those, then pick a new one when that's done.

Every 10 pounds of extra weight is like 30 pounds to your knees so your theory isn't farfetched.

OP, I don't rely on motivation, I rely on habit. Motivation comes and goes, you can't count on it being there when you need it. If, however, you build good habits and routines you'll have an easier time following through.

As far as the afternoons... my evenings are like that since I'm at work during the day. Since I really do enjoy an evening snack, I usually build one into my calories for the day so I can have one. I measure out the portion that fits into my calories and take it into another room. I eat it slowly and enjoy it and when it's gone, it's gone.

For the evenings where it's a little more out of control or I don't have enough calories left, I try to find things to distract myself or keep my hands occupied. Evenings I'm often doing homework so I mostly keep the snacks out of my computer room where I'm studying. The few nights where I have time to watch TV I'll play mindless games on my phone (slots, etc.) to keep my hands busy. I also have a stationary bike in my computer room so I can watch TV while riding the bike if I have time and feel like it.

cwolfman13

if you're hungry at certain times of day then why don't you plan a snack or something for that time of day? you should also look at your diet overall to make sure you're eating high satiety value foods.

also, motivation is a fleeting emotion...you can't rely on motivation...nobody is motivated all of the time. it's like any other goal you set for yourself...you establish the goal and determine what needs to be done to achieve that goal...from there, discipline is what is necessary...discipline leads to consistency and consistency leads to crushing your goals.

motivation is just too much about the feelz...and the feelz are never going to get you anywhere.

Azuriaz

cwolfman13 wrote: »

if you're hungry at certain times of day then why don't you plan a snack or something for that time of day? you should also look at your diet overall to make sure you're eating high satiety value foods.

also, motivation is a fleeting emotion...you can't rely on motivation...nobody is motivated all of the time. it's like any other goal you set for yourself...you establish the goal and determine what needs to be done to achieve that goal...from there, discipline is what is necessary...discipline leads to consistency and consistency leads to crushing your goals.

motivation is just too much about the feelz...and the feelz are never going to get you anywhere.

The goal is still motivation, though. Completely agree about consistency being important for obtaining that goal.

Also, meant to add: I tend to get weak-willed around 4 p.m. I've read many experience a natural seratonin drop in the late afternoon or evening. So I do my best to go for a brisk walk to counter it. It hasn't always worked (or I wouldn't still have weight to lose!) but it often helps.