How do you guys stay motivated??

caitlinbrianne0817

I don’t know why but staying motivated is the hardest thing for me. I am an emotional eater so anytime I get upset or stressed the first thing I wanna do is eat. I never eat healthy stuff when I emotional eat though it’s always junk that I don’t need. I also get discouraged really easily. If I go a whole week eating healthy and don’t lose anything I get irritated and give up and eat (then the guilt sets in). I’m a 5’4” female and I weigh 231. I know I need to lose weight and focus on my health. Doesn’t help that I just got laid off from my job where at least I was physically active most the day. Any tips and advice? Or just someone for support and accountability?

kit_katty

I just started a group for hopefully high accountability. Because I completely understand! And I'm hoping by "detoxing" from my main problem foods that I can crave them less. I also run on the treadmill when I can which is a great destressor. If you want to join my group it's Junk Food/Sugar "detox" High Accountability Group!. If not, I completely understand and wish you luck!

Kjk024

I would start by not keeping those unhealthy foods you want to stress eat in the house!

Shortgirlrunning

I don’t overly restrict. If I’m craving something I figure out a way to fit it into my calories. Maybe not right away but usually within a day or two. I still eat all my favorite foods. I still have a glass of wine sometimes. I still enjoy going out to dinner with friends (well not right now because of coronavirus but usually)

New, healthier coping mechanisms. You can’t stop emotional eating if you don’t have a way to replace it. Running is good for me. Also taking a nice long bath while I listen to a podcast is good. Binging a favorite show on Netflix. I also took up knitting.

I weigh daily, not weekly, so I can see and understand how my weight fluctuates. I use an app called Happy Scale to track my weight and get a moving average which is more accurate than weighing less often.

Use a tape measure to track how many inches you are using. The scale is just one way to measure your progress.

Take progress pictures! Again, giving yourself another way besides the scale to see progress.

Set fitness goals that have nothing to do with weigh. I’m a runner so usually I have a pace or distance goals. Currently it’s being able to run up a big hill in my neighborhood.

Follow a workout program. I stick with my exercise a lot better when I’m following a specific program.

Weight loss is about persistence not perfection. All the things you think are making you fail aren’t as a big a deal as the fact that you keep quitting.

Deedoyle9721

At first, you have to make yourself diet & exercise.
As for exercise - make yourself do it, soon it will become a habit and then after more time it will feel like a normal part of your day (although after years I still don't love it as many people do but I do it 1st thing in the morning)


As for diet - results, no matter how small, keep me in line, and... don't beat yourself up for a bad day or meal but get right back on track the next day or the next meal!
Life has occasional special events and I allow myself those but just do small portions and get right back on track the next day!

Have a pair of pants/jeans you want to fit into and try them on every Monday to see your progress

Try this:


Gotta find what works for you and stick with it! Good luck!

And remember:

AwesomeSquirrel

I try to make my targets for habits or activities instead of weight, and I try to make those positive (do this) instead of negative (avoid that). My idea is that enough positive goals will crowd out the time and space I have to do less optimal things. My weight is going down, but even when it isn’t I know my fitness is improving and really my weight loss is primarily a quest for improved health (but yes please if I can become a more attractive person)

For example right now my goal is to complete the C25K. Making progress on that goal on a regular basis helps keep my spirit up even though I made some really poor food choice last weekend. And for me I find that I’m less likely to eat poorly when I’m being active so it can be a really positive loop.

caitlinbrianne0817

Those are all really great ideas! I try not to keep the foods in the house but if I happen to go to the store when I’m stressed/upset I’ll buy like a king size candy bar and eat it on the way back to the house 😔. I tend to let my negative thoughts overpower the positive ones. I got on the treadmill yesterday and felt pretty good after and today I push mowed the whole yard. I’ll definitely try to focus more on positive goals

Shortgirlrunning

caitlinbrianne0817 wrote: »

Those are all really great ideas! I try not to keep the foods in the house but if I happen to go to the store when I’m stressed/upset I’ll buy like a king size candy bar and eat it on the way back to the house 😔. I tend to let my negative thoughts overpower the positive ones. I got on the treadmill yesterday and felt pretty good after and today I push mowed the whole yard. I’ll definitely try to focus more on positive goals

I used to do that a lot - just grab a candy bar on the way out of the store and eat it in the car. It really helped me to break that habit when I forced myself to log everything before I eat it.

harper16

Deedoyle9721 wrote: »

At first, you have to make yourself diet & exercise.
As for exercise - make yourself do it, soon it will become a habit and then after more time it will feel like a normal part of your day (although after years I still don't love it as many people do but I do it 1st thing in the morning)


As for diet - results, no matter how small, keep me in line, and... don't beat yourself up for a bad day or meal but get right back on track the next day or the next meal!
Life has occasional special events and I allow myself those but just do small portions and get right back on track the next day!

Have a pair of pants/jeans you want to fit into and try them on every Monday to see your progress

Try this:


Gotta find what works for you and stick with it! Good luck!

And remember:

I like the bead idea. I think I'm going to give that a try. Having a visual aid beyond the scale might help keep me motivated and focused.

caitlinbrianne0817

That’s usually how I end up eating things I don’t need. But I like the bead idea too as just a little visual aid other than pictures and everything. Cause I’ve read the brain takes longer to catch up with the progress you’ve made. I haven’t made it far enough to experience the lag for myself unfortunately.

fiddletime

I pre-log every day. If I eat outside of my plan, I try to stay inside my calories. If I eat more calories than on mfp I still log it. That keeps me from totally blowing it. Better to be 300 calories over one day, than 1500 (me at Halloween 😩). I gain weight every time I stop logging everything for more than a day or two.

Doing_the_unstuck

I try and tell myself I will feel worse for not doing at least some exercise. That seems to work.

snowflake954

Losing weight is mostly being in a calorie deficit. Exercise helps with health and gives you a little more to eat, and it has to become a habit--something you do everyday like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. Motivation is fleeting. You can lose weight without exercising, so watch your calorie intake first and foremost. Do you use a digital food scale? That will help you get your portions down.

hanscanlan

Goals. Goals, goals. I start with little tiny goals. Almost like mini promises to myself. I can keep those promises and then every 4-5 mini goals reached and set bigger ones.

If I have a set back and don’t let it derail everything. Meditation and mindfulness has taught me how to be gentle with myself. It changed my thinking. I’m not just changing my diet and fitness for the better. I’m changing my mental and emotional health and becoming a better spirit.

Good luck!

JenInDeutschland

Every part of this is just awesome. I need to feel positive like this again. Thanks, Dee!

Deedoyle9721 wrote: »

At first, you have to make yourself diet & exercise.
As for exercise - make yourself do it, soon it will become a habit and then after more time it will feel like a normal part of your day (although after years I still don't love it as many people do but I do it 1st thing in the morning)

As for diet - results, no matter how small, keep me in line, and... don't beat yourself up for a bad day or meal but get right back on track the next day or the next meal!
Life has occasional special events and I allow myself those but just do small portions and get right back on track the next day!

Have a pair of pants/jeans you want to fit into and try them on every Monday to see your progress