How do you guys stay positive??

siiil209

Hey guys ! I'm just looking for some motivation. Wondering how you guys stay motivated ? I find that I doubt myself a lot . And I start to get discouraged. I really want to reach my goal . But sometimes I just feel like it's impossible

Stella3838

I set smaller goals. Looking at the total can be overwhelming. I set 5 pound increment weight loss goals. I look for other wins that aren't the scale. Like this morning, the pants I put on for work are really loose. So, while the scale might not always be moving down, I KNOW I'm losing inches. I pay attention to how I feel. I have more energy. Workouts don't totally kill me because I've built some endurance. Heck, I started the C25K app a little over 2 weeks ago and I am actually RUNNING (albeit in intervals). When I look at the little wins, I can tell I'm moving forward and making progress. So, don't take it all in one bite. Make it manageable. And look for your small wins. That'll help get you to the larger wins. Best of luck!

EauRouge1

The important thing is to not let a slip up spell the end. I'd be lying if I didn't say I had hormonal days where I ate half a packet of biscuits in between crying. But I don't let that stop me trying again the next day, and the day after. Every day you get another chance to get it right.

pinuplove

Long term thinking. And sometimes chocolate when that doesn't work. Within my calorie limit of course!

Machka9

I lost weight relatively quickly at first ... 1 kg/week. If I hadn't done that, I would have lost interest.

I also decided to stick with it for only 16 weeks. In 16 weeks, I lost 15 kg which put me back into my normal BMI range. At that point, I took a 1-month diet break ... a holiday and also a decision-making time. Would I continue or not?

I decided to stick with it for another 16 weeks, and lost another 10 kg which took me down into the lower half of my normal BMI range.

The other thing I did was to start to do stuff. The reason I started losing weight was because I was having such difficulty cycling up hills in the area where I live now. I wanted to be able to do my long distance cycling events, but I couldn't. So as I lost weight, I started taking on longer distances and hillier rides.

Lizzy622

I lose weight very slowly so non scale victories(NSV) are very important. Things like being able to up my speed or climb that taller hill or just that my pants are a little easier to close help to bolster my confidence and keep me going. What can you do now that was really difficult when you started?

Macy9336

My medication keeps me motivated. I need it to live, unfortunately it causes weight gain....so if I want to live and not be 450lbs, I have to actively manage my weight.

Lounmoun

Is your goal reasonable and manageable? If your goal is too aggressive that may make it hard for you to stick to your plan long term.

My motivation to lose weight was to improve my health and quality of life.
I set my goal to lose 1 lb a week. No deadlines. I didn't tell everyone I knew. I have eaten my normal food.
I have planned meals and prelogged my food.
I did not do an overly restrictive weird diet. I did not start exercising for hours. I did not try to lose 20 lbs in a month.
I did not view one high calorie day as a failure.
I understand that weight fluctuations and am not devastated if the scale goes up a pound.

Theo166

Spend more time in the "Success Stories" subforum.

I started at the beginning of the long PHOTO threads and worked through them several pages a skim.

Sheisinlove109

Watching the news motivates me. It's so crazy and sad...all the things in the world it helps me keep in mind that my issues are peanuts and that my goals are attainable and I have no excuses.

Success stories on MFP

Certain songs..."the fighter" gym class heros for example

I take a daily selfie so even if I just go back a month I can see a difference.

PrincessTinyheart

Non-scale victories and small goals. I will admit that right now I'm struggling with motivation and positive thinking myself... and it seems like at times I'm consumed with the idea of losing weight to the exclusion of everything else, especially when I hit plateaus that last for several weeks even though overall I'm eating at or under my calorie limit consistently. Coming to these forums really helps me a lot... the positive energy and motivation here can really get you going!

happysherri

Everyone feels that way sometimes. Especially when we don't see the number on the scale changing. This is what works for me:
-set small weekly goals (eat veggies everyday, workout at least 4 times this week, wake up earlier, whatever you need). I find setting smaller goals and then reaching them each week feels like I'm accomplishing little wins on my way to my larger goals.
-focus on the good and what you've achieved (no matter how small) Yesterday I vowed to eat more calories and I did, Win! I also did 67 minutes of back and biceps (when I really felt like skipping the gym)
-when you do have a bad day (eating or other wise) keep going with your goal. Don't think about it, just look ahead at the next day and what you want to accomplish

I use to play the positive game with my daughter. She would tend to focus on the negative parts of her day. I would make her list at least 3 positive things that happened no matter how small - she usually could list more than 3, it was like a snowball affect. Maybe we should also do this as adults!

Believe in yourself!

KeepRunningFatboy

Daily affirmations and. Daily positive self talk.

graceanthony19

Hi!!!!! I think accountability and support from others that are going through the same journey has been a huge factor in my success. I'm actually starting a Support and accountability group over on Facebook if your interested? It will be a place where everyone can share recipes, meal plans, workouts and celebrate each other's successes along the way. Let me know if you would be interested!

I am a mamma of 3 and have recently lost over 50 lbs. I would like to lose 10 more and I'm focusing on eating clean (or at least 80/20) and working out to try to tone up and get in better shape.

Kevindagul

Everytime I'm feelig down or discoraged, I just try to remind myself of my long term goals.

Just imagine if you just gave up on your goals? I'd feel like crap