How do you continue to motivate yourself

hibaq1994

I think covid has taken a toll on everyone, myself included. I decided to kick-start a healthy lifestyle change. I am 3 weeks in and around 4kg down. I was wondering if anyone had tips on pushing yourself when the initial motivation starts to wear off.

Diatonic12

Willpower and motivation are limited resources. They run out because they're rooted in emotions.
Momentum will take you much further than motivation ever will.

Maintain flexibility with consistency, consistency, consistency. Create your own positive food management plan that you can live with for the rest of your life. I'm bent on long term weight stability. When you're operating under your steam you learn how to keep yourself going. Take full responsibility for everything. Own it.

Lietchi

Personally, motivation is only secondary for me, first and foremost is creating good habits and consistency (weighing and logging everything, starting within my calorie goal or at least maintenance...).

And I also make sure I don't need a lot of motivation by making my weight loss as easy as possible. By that I mean: I chose a slow rate of loss so I can eat as much as possible while still losing weight, and no foods are off limits as long as they fit in my calories (or at least within maintenance calories).

For exercise, my motivation stems from improving my fitness level. But when I really don't feel like it and it's been too long since I've exercised, I push myself to at least do something light for a short time and usually I'll keep on going for a longer time once I start.
And, to be totally honest, I have on occasion exercised simply to allow myself to eat more when I felt extra hungry or had a specific craving.

steph6556

@hibaq1994, I don’t have a “ plan” nor do I weigh everything or log every little thing. All I do is lace my shoes and walk out the front door. Doing that consistently makes my body kind of “trained” to want it every day. That consistency is what helps me make good choices. The daily exercise is what I shoot for. Everything else is icing. Okay, I realize I’m pretty much at goal and I only had vanity pounds to lose (10) but anything that is too strict makes me crazy and claustrophobic and I tap out. Exercise is actually fun when you’re ten minutes into it. Keep a mental image of what you want always in the forefront of your mind and your body will lead you to that goal. That’s what I do, anyway. Feel free to roll your eyes at me if you want😉

Duck_Puddle

So...this is something you will need to do forever. For the entire rest Of your life. There’s no “done”.

Are you doing things that you can see yourself doing forever? Or have you become incredibly restrictive with good/bad foods, good/bad days and all or nothing thinking?

4 kg in 3 weeks is....a lot. Even while some will be water, that’s still a lot.

That leads me to believe your current plan is quite strict and possibly very restrictive - which is why it’s very difficult to stick to without “motivation”.

FWIW-my activity level was WAY down for several months of lockdown but I’ve been eating in a way that is sustainable for me. I’ve lost 5kg in just under 6 months. Am I winning speed awards? Nope. But I’m not “starting over” or “messing up” or “falling off the wagon” or looking for motivation to maintain my habits or looking forward to when it’s over.

If your plan is very restrictive-perhaps loosen up to something that is sustainable forever and you’ll find that you don’t need quite so much motivation to stick to it.

lucy_Jada

This is so helpful. I am inn the midst of tretraining my mind to not be so goal oriented with my weight and my work outs. Instead of doing the exercise to lose weight, it's a lifestyle and something that is a part of my life.
My diet was also too restrictive. I had to loosen it up, adding grains, fats, treats,...

88olds

4Kg in 3 weeks is a lot. You don’t say how much you have to lose, but losing a significant amount has more to do with determination than motivation. Motivation and weight loss reminds me a bit of falling in love and relationships. The real question is what happens when the initial buzz starts to wear off?

To lose a significant amount we can’t just work when it feels good. Weight loss has 2 parts, eating in a calorie deficit and living with it. Folks tend to go all in on the deficit and try to beat themselves into living with it. Generally doesn’t work.

How livable is your program? Are you trying to lose in a hurry to get it over with? As pointed out by @Duck_Puddle, there is no over with. Doing this for the rest of your life might seem like a burden. But it doesn’t have to be. Maintaining a healthy weight is mostly a matter of healthy habits. The good new is that good habits will stick around as well as bad habits. Sometimes good habits need tune ups but not a lot. Work on finding a plan you can live with long term and the need to psych yourself up to do it will fade.

Lietchi

88olds wrote: »

4Kg in 3 weeks is a lot. You don’t say how much you have to lose, but losing a significant amount has more to do with determination than motivation. Motivation and weight loss reminds me a bit of falling in love and relationships. The real question is what happens when the initial buzz starts to wear off?

To lose a significant amount we can’t just work when it feels good. Weight loss has 2 parts, eating in a calorie deficit and living with it. Folks tend to go all in on the deficit and try to beat themselves into living with it. Generally doesn’t work.

How livable is your program? Are you trying to lose in a hurry to get it over with? As pointed out by @Duck_Puddle, there is no over with. Doing this for the rest of your life might seem like a burden. But it doesn’t have to be. Maintaining a healthy weight is mostly a matter of healthy habits. The good new is that good habits will stick around as well as bad habits. Sometimes good habits need tune ups but not a lot. Work on finding a plan you can live with long term and the need to psych yourself up to do it will fade.

Unfortunately OP hasn't come back to the forums since September 🙁