Need motivational support

monlynn615

Hey everyone! I feel like this is chapter 26749027 in my fitness and weight loss journey. I used MyFitnessPal 5 years ago and lost a good amount of weight, then got sidetracked. Last year I started weight watchers and lost almost 20 pounds, and am almost at the point of gaining it all back. I workout about 3-5 times per week, but every time I eat healthy I get discouraged if I don’t see results ASAP. I fear I’ve lost my mojo.

Anyone with tips, tricks, or advice I’m open to it. Maybe if I try to be accountable to other people I’ll actually do something about it.

RelCanonical

It sounds kind of weird, but I refocused my attention on the process of losing weight rather than losing weight itself. For me, logging accurately the food I eat is the goal, and weight loss is a bonus. I reinforce this by weighing only once a month to "check in" and keep my focus on developing good habits rather than pushing towards an end goal. If I take pride in my self-care (taking care of my skin, exercising, eating a nutritionally dense diet, getting enough sleep etc.) the rest just seems to come with it. Otherwise, I start focusing on each pound lost, every pimple, bags under my eyes, and those things just don't change fast enough to keep me going.

I guess, in short, I get my accomplishment "high" from good habits rather than the results of those good habits.

I'm not perfect, of course, and I do still struggle with body image issues and impatience, but this has helped make it much easier to handle.

amgreenwell

I'll be honest. There are no "tips or tricks" to this healthy lifestyle journey. You eat less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight. End of story. There are a million excuses and reasons why but just eating within a calorie deficit and you will succeed. Working out and trying to "diet" never work. If you want this to a forever lifestyle change then change how you look at food and exercise and make it a journey that's fun and readily available for you to enjoy. Exercise when/how/what makes you feel good. Eat when/how/what makes you feel good, but with moderation and within a calorie deficit. It's hard to maintain after losing then gaining then losing again but that's the challenge. You got this. There's no easy way to get there though.

MichaelK1007

amgreenwell wrote: »

I'll be honest. There are no "tips or tricks" to this healthy lifestyle journey. You eat less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight. End of story. There are a million excuses and reasons why but just eating within a calorie deficit and you will succeed. Working out and trying to "diet" never work. If you want this to a forever lifestyle change then change how you look at food and exercise and make it a journey that's fun and readily available for you to enjoy. Exercise when/how/what makes you feel good. Eat when/how/what makes you feel good, but with moderation and within a calorie deficit. It's hard to maintain after losing then gaining then losing again but that's the challenge. You got this. There's no easy way to get there though.

I couldn’t agree more. No tips or tricks and remember to “trust the process”. I know that it can be discouraging when you aren’t seeing progress every day. Consider this a journey and lifestyle change that takes time if done correctly. No magic pill. If you are logging your foods, sticking to your fitness program and maintaining a deficit you will reach your goals. Take your time and trust the process and have fun doing it.

tiffanyleilarsen

The thing I'm doing different this time that seems to help is that I weigh everyday but only log once a week.
I weigh every day to keep me on track. If I overeat than I know that I will weigh more the next morning, so I'm less likely to overeat. I only log once a week so that if I do fluctuate a little, through no fault of my own, than I compare to the weight I logged, not the weight from the previous day, so that I can still see a loss everyday.

elisa123gal

The general idea is to move your lifestyle habits into the direction of true change. This takes time and what seems like failure after failure -- if you choose to look at it that way.

But..not really. I could beat myself up because I'm not exactly at the weight I was mid summer.

But.. I don't. I know I can lose 3 to 5 pounds and get back to my goal, because the eating habits I established while losing come naturally to me now. It is sad..but junk food doesn't even taste good any more.

Then, when I realized I put fitness equipment on my wish list for Christmas this year..and last year it would never have entered my mind... I was relieved and let the fear of gaining it all back go.

coulsonavenged

The one no one wants to hear, but we all know is true: it's a long-term thing, and a lifestyle change. Think of it this way: the weight didn't get put on overnight, so it won't be lost overnight. Forgive yourself for mess ups and start fresh again the following meal or day- that's a realistic approach. Focus on the little things, like having more energy, less achy bones, and how clothes fit- a lot of times I find those things are more indicative of success than the scale.