Up and down mindset?...

Fatvaporizer

Is it just me who's like this? I'll get motivated and excited to start a whole new exercise regime, consisting of daily or almost daily exercise, along with dieting. It'll go on for a month or two, maybe even more. But then afterwards, I lose all motivation and forget about my goals, and don't feel inclined to work out anymore. I go back to eating as I did before I started the new routine. That feeling of excitement and 'wanting to get slim' just goes away, and it's like I don't care anymore about it. Why does that happen? Does it happen to you, and if so, how do you stay on track and try to stay motivated? The problem is, I stop seeing the rewards that comes with losing weight, and I just don't care enough for it. It's such a waste and bad mindset.

Fatvaporizer

Fatvaporizer

Fatvaporizer

leanjogreen18

Yoyo dieter here. No I can't identify. Once I make up my mind to lose weight I'm single minded and focused. I'm pretty excited that I've learned about CICO and TDEE so now I'm armed with how to keep it off. This will be my last time.

Things that help me that may help you...
Try not to eliminate foods. This causes people to feel guilty when eating them or binge.
Eat what you love within your calorie goal. This is not a diet so nothing to "fall off of" it's energy balance.
Play around with foods that keep you satisfied, limit the ones that don't.
Set reasonable, specific, attainable goals.

Read and reread the threads here. Really some knowledgeable folks here that helped dispell a lot of diet myths I once thought was gospel.

Hope this helps some.

TavistockToad

Sounds like you're making mega changes all in one go that aren't sustainable.

distinctlybeautiful

I agree with what's already been said. What also helped me was finding a physical activity that I really liked and starting to look at that as something I do for fitness and health, not for weight loss.

The only other thing I'll add is that the question to ask yourself, especially at first, is "what's the most I can eat and still lose weight?" Finding a manageable deficit and losing weight slowly is more sustainable than losing quickly and dramatically.

Ok, I guess I have one other thing to add. Once you start to look at this as a lifestyle change, something you'll do forever, it's easier to accept that you're going to have bad days or weeks or even months. It's inevitable. You're not going to be on it or excited about it every day for the rest of your life. Accepting that made it easier for me to get over it when I made less-than-ideal choices. I just spent a good four months struggling with making healthy choices, but I never felt like I'd fallen off or given up or had to start over.

It really is possible to keep it up.. I think you've just gotta have that moment where something clicks. Unfortunately I think that moment is so individualized that you've gotta keep trying until it happens, and sometimes I think you don't even know it happened until you look back on it.

CM_73

Nope, not just you, I've been the same for Years.
Wish I had some answers for you, but I really don't!
I twigged a while ago that it was all about making small changes and just being patient, that worked for a while but failed on that eventually and just lost interest and screwed up a Years worth of work.

Current strategy is not to get too involved with it, not get obsessive about recording every stat/target/goal etc but just to quietly plod along with it. My only requirement is to weigh every single day and just ensure that the trend line is always dropping, I never want to see rises again.

All I can really do is just keep on trying, keep plugging away and hope that at some point it actually sticks. Hopefully, this time is it! And, as it's in my hands, it's entirely down to me whether it is or not.

Probably not much help to you, but just wanted to say that you're not alone - and good luck!!

EDIT: Just read that point above about it being an individual moment, I think there's an awful lot of truth in that, I'm just trying to trigger mine!

LivingtheLeanDream

TavistockToad wrote: »

Sounds like you're making mega changes all in one go that aren't sustainable.

+1

everher

The only difference between success and failure is determination.

If you wait until you're motivated or feel like it nothing will ever get done. I never want to go the gym. Never. I still get up and go in the mornings before work. Me. The person who hates mornings.

I'm a yoyo dieter as well. This will be the last time. For one, I've accepted it's going to take a long time for me to get down to a healthy weight. It's easy to get discouraged when you set unreasonable goals. It's not going to happen overnight and I've accepted that and made my peace with it.

Another thing that's helping me is I haven't cut anything out this time. Before, I would always try to eat "clean" and eventually I would cave and go back to old eating habits. I eat whatever I want now - just within my calories. Yes, it was hard the first few days but now honestly I'm used to eating this amount of food and don't feel hungry after eating. Nor do I feel restricted because I still eat all the foods I want.

My advice - just do it everyday whether you feel like it or not, don't cut things out that you like to eat or eventually you will cave just stick to your calorie allotment, and don't set it in your mind you will lose all the weight in x amount of time.

tinamarie6624

I think the difference with me this time is that I stopped asking myself it I felt like exercising. I now just do it! With the food, I backside a little but not too bad and then I just take of the issue the next day. My best wishes for you to be able to get through this period as I know you will be happy you did.

nowine4me

This is coming from an "all-or-nothing" personality.....

You're doing too much at once. Focus on simply getting 10k steps a day -- no matter what. Then track all your food for a few weeks to determine your current calories. Then, cut back to what MFP tells you to lose 1 pound a week. All the little changes will add up and you will learn great habits you can sustain long term.

Taylor076097

I set small goals- 10 lbs at a time. And I look for things to notice... first was I could go faster and longer on the treadmill. Recently i discovered I still had collarbones. I felt them. ( don't judge, I am big chested and over weight..wasn't sure they were there).

Fatvaporizer

Thanks! All responses are appreciated.

cwolfman13

In my experience, it has to go beyond just wanting to lose weight or whatever. I don't train to lose weight...I train for my healthy and well being....

I also enjoy what I do...I don't need a whole lot of motivation to get out and ride...I love it. I also sign up for various cycling events and races throughout the year which keeps my training interesting and provides for times when I'm pushing myself harder and times when I'm a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.

I'd also agree with others...you're probably trying to do too much too fast and that usually results in burnout. In the beginning, more than four years ago, I really just focused on moving a bit more and improving the quality of my diet and focused on the process of developing healthier habits...as time passed I did a little more and then a little more and so on and so forth.

Also keep in mind that you don't have to be balls to the wall all of the time...I train most days, but not everything is an all out sufferfest....find something you enjoy doing and follow a prescribed training protocol for that activity...

Jain

I see myself in your post. I'm exactly the same, with the additional issue of if anyone comments on my progress that's enough to knock me back to my bad habits.
But this time I'm trying to take things slower, and not go to extremes. The event I'm trying to look good for is 16 months away, I'm not leaving it to the last moment this time. And thanks to a recent diagnosis of arthritis, I'm never going to be as fit as I once was. So I'm concentrating on eating 3 healthy meals a day, and walking a little further every week. This time I KNOW I have to take things slowly, I have no choice!

courtneyfabulous

That's pretty common except that most people that do that barely get through the first week without giving up & going back to their old ways. And usually it's not because they stop caring about weight loss, more like the approach they take is unsustainable or too much change all at once.

Try making a permanent lifestyle change for one thing- not just get hooked on a certain diet or training program. Though it is normal to cycle through training programs- they usually are for a certain time period like 6 or 12 weeks, then you're supposed to move onto something new. But try real training programs, not scammy overpriced infomercial fad stuff.

I guess you just have to decide what kind of person you want to be and then be it, and not temporarily, for ever.