What do you say to yourself?

Sheisinlove109

What phrases/thoughts/song lyrics do you tell yourself when you just don't feel like eating right or exercising? What gives you that extra boost for tough days?

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courtneyfabulous

Sometimes it helps to look in the mirror. Sometimes I check out the "success stories" forum. I also follow a lot of fitness people on YouTube and Instagram so I'll check those out when I need motivation. Also like to think about my "why"- my reason for doing this (health, confidence, to be a role model, to live longer and to enjoy my life more, to like what I see in the mirror, to be strong and fit and beautiful...)

lennyt91

If I am in the middle of a workout and I wanna give up, I always tell myself "The way out is through." I usually just repeat that over and over in my head until it sticks.
My ex-bf always used to say Pain is weakness leaving the body..I really hate that phrase but I guess that might be motivational to some people.

TimothyFish

It's okay to talk to yourself, as long as you don't respond.

lennyt91

I also really like to listen to the song "You Can't Stop Me" by Andy Mineo.. It's very motivational to me because the "You" that he is singing towards is himself..

Machka9

If I don't feel like exercising, it's because I'm not well or I'm really, exceptionally and unusually tired ... and I need a day off.

But it helps to incorporate exercise into my day. I walk as part of my commute. I need to go to work, and in order to get there, I need to walk. Can't get around that! I walk to run errands at lunch. Stuff needs to be done and I'm not going to get it done unless I walk.

As for eating, I make plans to take diet breaks periodically. I can stick to a diet without any difficulty at all ... as long as I know that in a few weeks, I'll take a weekend off. Craving cake or potato chips or whatever? That's OK ... no problem. I'll have them on my diet break. Just not right now. Funny thing is that when I get to my diet break, I think I'll have a long list of food I want to eat, but often the cravings have passed and I eat reasonably normally.

And the exercise I do every day allows me to eat more ... that's so much more of an incentive than saying some happy words. When I cycle a long distance on the weekend ... I can have pizza and ice cream. It all makes staying on my diet so much easier.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Lately, I don't have cable or internet, but I do have a couple of good exercise games for the wii, so all I have to tell myself is "I'm bored."

lorrpb

If I'm not moving forward, I'm going backwards to where I started. Don't want that, so I keep going.

PixelPuff

I SEE PRIDE.
I SEE POWER.
I SEE A BADASS MOTHA WHO DON'T TAKE NO CRAP FROM NOBODY.

ActionAnnieJXN

Good question. I have a lot of motivational songs and quotes and so forth on my phone, but I don't really think about them when it comes down to the wire. What I actually do is picture my life how I want it to be, doing the things I want to do - traveling, contributing to the world around me and helping others, involved in many activities, confident, fit, nicely dressed and groomed, and as healthy as possible.

I didn't start out thinking about that on purpose, the images just kind of popped in my head, and they were quite vague at first, but the more I use those images to battle detrimental eating behaviors, the more focused and powerful they become. Wow. Just now really realized this was happening when you asked, lol - thanks.

It truly is helping me. I don't want to give up those dreams for a moment's pleasure. I really, really don't. It looks like the more time, thought, and energy we invest in our dreams, the less likely we are to just toss them away so easily - maybe. There's still a lot of retraining of old habits and plain old work to be done, naturally. It's a renewal process, really, and it takes time, but having those psychological tools can really help us stay the course.

tgcake

During exercise, I break down how much longer I have to go. "It's been 10 minutes? You're a quarter of the way there!"

merrysailor88

I just look at myself in the mirror. Not being where I want to be, is motivation enough. That and I slam some preworkout and get *kitten* goin!

jjalbertt

During exercise if I'm doing cardio I tell myself..Just 5 more mins every 5 mins. That way I make it seem like smaller goals all within my larger 30 min goal.

CattOfTheGarage

"Of course you can eat it if you really want it".

Then I log it and see what effect it has. And sometimes I eat it anyway, even if it hurts the numbers. Often I don't.

It has to be a free choice for me, feeling I "can't" have it just causes mutiny. I'm an adult after all, if I want to eat coco pops and ice cream and watch cartoons all day, nobody's going to stop me. If I'm going to be sensible, it has to be because on some level I want the weight loss more than I want the cupcake. And most of the time I do, and the occasions when I don't are not frequent enough to ruin my goals.

MelanieCN77

I'm more likely to eyeroll than feel inspired by a clever quote or lyric as nothing is ever as simple as that.

merrysailor88

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

I'm more likely to eyeroll than feel inspired by a clever quote or lyric as nothing is ever as simple as that.

right! Even if I managed to be inspired, I am probably still rolling my eyes

Mini_Medic

For cardio (I'm a runner) I tell myself we are going to do 2 miles minimum and you have permission to stop after that if you are truly tired. Once I hit 2 I break through the tight legs and heaviness feeling and I always end up doing at least 3, sometimes 5. While I'm running I push myself, say to the next bend up ahead or to the flag pole, or it's especially helpful when I see I'm at 3.8 miles and really push it out to 4 knowing I'm almost done!

For the gym I tell myself I want to be strong and look hard not fluffy. Solid not shaky. I enjoy the gym more because the stretch and movement of my muscles feels so good! Lifting to failure may not work for everyone but I enjoy it and love the rush in my muscles when I'm pumped up.

jelleigh

I managed to lose a lot of weight years ago by stealing the Nike slogan "just do it". I waa so busy making excuses before that I just needed to tell myself to suck it up and just do it. Self tough love. That helped.
Now I have a play list of songs that I pretty much only listen to when working out - a lot of empowering girl power type stuff lol. But when I hear it, it's so fused with exercise in my mind that it makes me want to get up and be active!

timeforwork

Iv set my phone PIN number as my current weight and update it once a week so every time I use it I see how I'm doing both good and bad!

Need2Exerc1se

I don't say or do anything if I feel like not eating right. I've been eating a balanced nutritious diet for decades so if I have a day where I want to break from that and eat junk I just do it. It's not something I want to do often.

Exercise is another beast. During nice weather I'm active enough that I rarely exercise just for the sake of exercising. During the colder wetter months it is a challenge. I usually just think of the reason why I should do it, the history of obesity and disease in my family and go with the Nike slogan. I 'just do it'.

kommodevaran

I never try to "eat right" anymore. I eat what I need when I want it. I also don't exercise, but I move daily.

Need2Exerc1se

timeforwork wrote: »

Iv set my phone PIN number as my current weight and update it once a week so every time I use it I see how I'm doing both good and bad!

Nice idea!

Running_and_Coffee

I give myself benchmarks--just another mile if I'm running, just make it to 30 minutes on the tread/elliptical, and obviously if I am in a class, I have that imagined peer pressure ("why is SHE leaving early") so it's not an issue then...one reason why I love classes like CycleBar and OTF!

For food I try to plan out splurges...if I know I'm going out to dinner on Friday night, that keeps me in check the rest of the week.

Giuliaborg

When I am swimming or running and I want to stop I usually say to myself "Come on Giulia, you'll never be able to get the scholarship/finish your project/do something else related to my job or life if you can't even complete the training you planned". I might sound a bit harsh, but I find it very motivating for the other stuff I am doing outside the diet too! Is like "if I can finish my run for sure I can also solve the coding problem in my project"!

annacole94

"This is the part where I'm getting stronger." (for mid workout, when I really want to stop)
"I don't have to want to, I just have to do it." (to get my butt off the couch)

Self talk does matter, and improving it has improved my success.

bethanyka

It's not a 'should do' - it's a 'MUST DO'

JLG1986

"There is no can't, there is only won't"

(I like to emphasize to myself that I always have a choice - what to eat, how much to eat, and the same goes for exercise. When I say "I won't eat that" it makes me feel strong, compared to the feeling of missing out if I say "I can't eat that".)

Michaelxo444

I make healthy choices I have respect for myself,
I'm the only one in control of my eating habits I can Always resist something if I choose to,

I listen to Music to uplift my mood and I'll even look on IG #weightloss to get inspired and back in focused and know it's a Journey always be patient with yourself and enjoy it.

JeromeBarry1

I don't have it memorized by Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" seems to apply.

JeromeBarry1

TimothyFish wrote: »

It's okay to talk to yourself, as long as you don't respond.

It's even ok to respond and dialogue with yourself, as long as you don't bite your own head off.