I've lost my motivation and don't know how to get it back.

tmarple93

Hello,
So I'm 22 and female. I'm 5'9 and 146 pounds. I started trying to lose weight about a little over a year ago and lost 20 pounds and got down to 140 and was pretty comfortable. I am still a little chubby (not calling myself fat) but really all I was trying to do was tone up from there since I didn't really need to lose more weight. I just still have some unwanted fat around my stomach and thighs and back that I can't seem to get rid of.

These past couple months have a been a little rough. I got a new job and was working a lot of hours and also was dealing with my fiance being gone alot traveling for work so I've been a little stressed. I've came so far and really want to be happy with my body and want to continue to become fitter and stronger and get rid of the last amount of fat I have but I just have no energy or motivation anymore. I used to be a really on top of logging my food and making really healthy choices but for the past couple weeks I have been having a healthy breakfast and lunch but once dinner comes around I just end up eating bad stuff or having to much dessert and don't even log it becuase I feel bad about it. I try just not buying things like ice cream and stuff but lately I've just been craving it so bad or I end up having treats during the day that I normally wouldn't. And I know everything in moderation but I just have had no will power lately and its deffinitly starting to have a negative impact on the progress I've worked so hard for.

Also I used to love working out and was really good about working out for at least 30 minutes to an hour five days a week but lately I just don't want to do it. I've tried doing different things but I just get bored or am too tired or just don't want to finish.

I was 140 pounds and now am at 146 from this last month and I'm so bloated and uncomfortable and have been feeling so bad about myself but I just can't seem to get my drive back and my clothes are fitting tighter too.. Every night I feel bad about the choices I've made and promise to do better the next day and then I just keep making bad choices.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

mamccallum434

Hey chica, hang in there. You and me can do this together we may have different goals and bodies and I don't know where you're from but we can have some friendly competition. But, honesty will have to be key. Yesterday I stress are and still logged it. We can race to see who can get their exercise logged first. For me I run a mile in the treadmill and it only takes about 13 minutes. That's not to much time and you feel better. Also see who can without gorging their calories for the day at breakfast get their diaries done first. Catch my drift? Hang in there chica your not alone.

burly_man308

You need to find your "why" or your reason for wanting to lose weight and get fit. Sit down and write it out on a piece of paper. What is that motivating reason for why you want to do this? For your self esteem? For your fiance? For your health? To have your perfect body? Really flesh out on paper what your "why" is. It can be more than one thing. I have multiple why's. But it has to drive you. It has to have emotion behind it. It has to light that fire that you can feel deep in your stomach. So when you get that late night craving, when you don't feel like pushing out that workout, when you feel like crap, remember your why and let it be your fuel. Let it drive you towards your goals. That no matter what, when you think of it, you make the most productive choice for yourself at that point in time. And always remember, everyone is going to have slack days. Don't beat yourself up over it. Accept it, learn from it, and let it motivate you to do better the next day. We are all here for you. Lean on people here for support. Always keep moving forward.

Aani15

I heard this motivational phrase somewhere.
'If you can not start over, stop giving up!'. But it does not reflect true nature of human beings.
We fail cause we are not perfect but we know how to fight back.

If you miss a goal, start again and keep doing it until you get what you want.
Good luck!

Obnoxa

Log. Log, log, log. Skipping out because you ate beyond satiation or because you had dessert is doing the most damage. So you didn't stick to you dinner plan. Own it. Hell, post it on Facebook. What makes things like mfp, even WW or other programs, is the accountability; when you falter in motivation you are still forced to answer for your own choices. Sometimes that can be a pretty good crutch to push you through, but it only works if you make yourself.
So maybe you skip the workout, maybe you ate ice cream, these things happen but don't waver on logging even if its the only thing you cling too, keep clinging.
I fell into the same state a year ago and it was not logging, out of guilt, that did me in. Gained all the weight back plus an extra twenty two pounds. I'm now only eleven pounds away from where I was when I gave up and I've been going hard since June.
This time, I will log no matter what, even if its the only thing I do.
Good luck.

BethAnnieT

Also, don't wait until you are motivated to work out. On days (and maybe this is all days right now) when you absolutely cannot fathom the concept of like, changing into workout clothes, driving to a gym, or whatever, just leave on your work clothes, put on some decent shoes, and go out and walk. Tell yourself, you can quit after 10 minutes if you aren't feeling it. Take the pressure off. And really, you don't have to enjoy it to get benefits from it. If you do 10 minutes a day (and resent every single minute of it), your body still benefits from that 10 minutes, and it's 10 minutes you didn't do yesterday.

Personally I find that little bits of exercise throughout the day (I take 3-4 10-minute walks during my work day) keep my mood lighter, which makes me want to do it more. If I don't work out for a while, it makes me want to not work out. So basically I have to kick-start myself, and for a week or two I just hate it, but then momentum builds, my mood improves, and I want to do it more.

Also, I personally think that having a healthy breakfast and lunch, then a not-so-healthy dinner is way better than just giving up completely and having waffles four times a day. Maybe you can start out doing a healthy breakfast and lunch every day, and a healthy dinner every other day. Baby steps.

BethAnnieT

Also, I'm 5'9" and my personal goal weight is 148. I bet you look better than you think you do.

angelexperiment

I have these jags too. You have to find what motivates you. Pictures, weight loss stories, videos on youtube, challenges, goals, or try something you are excited about trying like zumba then just do it and you will feel better after a workout you didn't want to do.

ilovecereal1982

Hey lady! Soooo here is the thing...when I want to get all jacked up...or pumped up. ..some would say motivated ...I usually throw on a song that makes my body move in a way that some would call dancing...and then what I do is turn this dancing into a little working out you see...sooo in the end...I'm enjoying music...kinda dancing...working out and giving a whole lot of sweat....today's tune - Blink 182 Dammit....

goldthistime

I would add that you need to set the bar at the right level and most importantly, reset it when necessary. When life suddenly gets stressful, the best thing to do is recognize that you NEED all your calories right now, set your goal to maintenance and keep logging and exercising. No feeling of failure to add to your stress.

tmarple93

Thanks everyone for the support! It really helps knowing I'm not alone in this and that everybody goes through rough patches. I'm gonna try my best to push through. I don't want to give up just yet. Hopefully I'll get my drive back soon enough and snap out of this funk.

NewMeSM75

I'm having to start over myself. Motivation? That's a hard one. I found that I have to want it and set my mind to it. I know it's not easy to do. But you have to decide that you will get back on track. Don't wait until you're like me. I had the doctor tell me yesterday that with my high blood pressure and high cholesterol if I didn't eat right and exercise I could have a stroke at a young age. That's scary. From someone older, take care of your body... You can do it. If you've done it before, you CAN do it again.