What tricks do you use to keep yourself focused?

Cass0208

I'm new to this program and am having a few troubles with those times when you can almost justify eating badly and things like that. Ive tried to use inspiration pictures but they float to the back of my mind and then i end up in a circle of doubt, bad eating and slowing down on exercise. Does anyone have any tips for how to avoid the trips and ruts?

Any ideas would be appeciated

Danger2OneSelf

One thing that helps me I make an agreement with myself that anytime I eat extra calories, I have to match it with some form of exercise that burns at least the same amount. Another huge thing that helped tremendously was doing more of the really fun and out of the box types of exercise. Things most people wouldn't think of as exercise like water skiing, swimming, and hiking. Even switching up my walks/runs and make my routes go thorough places I actually like to be like parks.

yolandaelizabet

Hi,

Don't know what kind of diet you are following. Is it eating less to lose weight? For most people that will work only for a short time and then they are back to being overweight again.

I am on a low carb (less than 30-50gr) , no sugar (well 20 gr or less per day) and high fat (120gr) and I'm dropping weight very fast without feeling tired, hungry and cranky all the time. And I have tons of energy. Maybe this would be the right lifestyle for you too? If you are interested try dr Mercola's website, Mark's Daily Apple and google Gary Taubes. They all have tons of info for you to live a healthy long life, maintaining a normal weight & have loads of energy.

Hope this helps!

Aieria

I'm finding this hard too my boyfriend really helps to motivate me. He says you just gotta keep your goal of your skinny self in mind and don't give up! Exorcise has to feel enjoyable and not like a chore. Try to focus on the positive like having some alone time, smelling the fresh air if you're outside, feeling the sunshine, hearing the birds chirping and insects flying by you peacefully. I like to listen to audiobooks when I work out or run, it's really relaxing and helps keep my mind off what I'm doing and whether it's hard or not. I always run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays because I know there is going to be more temptations to eat during those days so I need room for those extra calories.

It also really helps to have a deadline too of when you should realistically reach your goal weight, or one of the goals where you can take a break from being on a calorie deficit. That way you know how long you need to stick it out.

I try to picture my scale when I want to cheat, and think of whether the number will go up or down. How happy I am when it goes down but I know when I cheat it will go up instead and ill feel so disappointed in myself. I don't want to sabotage myself anymore so I'm going to be good. : >

d2footballJRC

I'm thinking of doing something like:



I think the visual reminder daily would be nice.

Mguilmot

Youtube can help. Short motivational movies like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ help me to stay focused and motivated. How bad do you want it ?

erbell3

Maybe think about the differences that you feel right away, such as maybe it was a little easier to walk up a hill this week than it was last week, or maybe you could walk just a little bit farther. It's amazing how quickly some changes happen, but they are usually really subtle and you have to be really mindful to notice them, but they're there. Feeling your body become stronger and healthier is a powerful motivator, but particularly in the beginning you have to be watching for it. Good luck

Cass0208

Thankyou all of you for your replies :):)
I will attempt these other ways
Thankyou!

HealthyVitamins

Hi,

Don't know what kind of diet you are following. Is it eating less to lose weight? For most people that will work only for a short time and then they are back to being overweight again.

lol wut?

You have to eat less to lose weight, it's called a deficit.

ToBeAStrongerMan

Convince your heart that you want this.... and your brain and body will follow.

sassy1grl

I'm thinking of doing something like:



I think the visual reminder daily would be nice.

I have seen this idea posted before and I do like it. I also keep a picture of the "bigger me" on the fridge and i see it every time i go to open the fridge. I am currently reading "The Skinny Rules" by Bob Harper. I figure at this point if I do more reading up on the subject, maybe this time I will be able to keep it off for good. Also, I log my food for the day when I wake up. So seeing that I went over my calories or close to maxing out, I know I need to get my butt to the gym, or outside doing something.

BIW2012

I'm a daily weigher and when I'm tempted by something, I just focus on seeing the scale move down again the next morning and it keeps me focused. I also love this quote:

Don't give up what you want most, for what you want now.

I.e. I want a hot, healthy bod more than I want chocolate!

serafin366

Setting short attainable goals, yes my ultimate goal is to lose 100+ pounds, but I have smaller goals that I focus such as losing 5 pounds, getting into the 250's, walks so many miles a week, etc.

As far as food goes, plan ahead! I pack lunches for my fiance and myself the night before. We try to plan a menu for dinner for the week and stick our grocery shopping to it. I try not to have any junk in the house, but do have plenty of healthier option sweets/snacks. (Jello, pudding, yogurt, fruit, granola) If I know I will be eating out, I look at the menu and nutrition ahead of time and choose my meal then, so I am not tempted by other stuff. For me I find motivation in seeing that what I would normally get is 2000 calories, but something equally yummy may only be 600.

Everything you consume is a decision, before you eat or drink it ask yourself these questions:
Am I hungry?
Why do I want this?
Are their better options?
If this is a craving, can I kill it with a smaller portion?
How will this affect my goal of XYZ?

sugarbum1990

I always look to the fact that I could extend my life so that I can spend and enjoy many years with family and friends...plus when I was a weight that I was happy with..I think back to how good I felt and would love to feel like that again!

Never give up you can do anything you wanna do

Maidofmer

look at my daughter and see that I'm MIA from nearly all pictures 6 month to 3 years

Ninkyou

Keep your eye on the prize.

Focus on what you can do, instead of what you can't.

Find something you truly enjoy for exercise.

Don't cut out any foods. Just eat them in moderation.

DoingitWell

When I want ice cream or other snacks. I think about how much money I save by not purchasing it.

FezzesRCool

Craving something? Find a healthier alternative. I am no vegan as that I still freely eat meat and other animal products, but sometimes substituting meat - free alternatives cut down the fat, calories and cholesterol, sometimes a LOT. Example: a cup of skim milk is 80 calories whereas a cup of unsweetened Blue Diamond almondmilk/coconutmilk is 45 calories a cup, has higher calcium and no cholesterol. I prefer the taste of sweetened, which is 60 calories, but it's still an improvement. I also cook with Morningstar Crumbles instead of beef for less fat and calories (remember to grease the pan with a fat free spray if making tacos since it doesn't make its own grease).

Experiment. Most of what I had tastes the same as the original, so nothing is really missed. For workouts, find something fun to do. Dance workouts like Zumba are awesome and there are several types. Pick one or more that suit your needs and tastes. Sign up for a fun run like Color Me Rad or Run For Your Lives. They make running a distance into a silly or even downright awesome game. If you're looking forward to it, you don't need to motivate yourself because it's a motivation in of itself.

Ratzz_zz

I do the same thing. I weight myself every morning...and before going to bed...if the weight remains the same that means i have burned what i have eaten. Some people say that u should weigh yourself after 7-8 days but this keeps me motivated.

I also keep my old jeans for a reminder and try to get into them 1 st of every month, so if im able to pull them up a little more every month, im happy.I want to fit into them in 4 months. Thats my goal.

I'm a daily weigher and when I'm tempted by something, I just focus on seeing the scale move down again the next morning and it keeps me focused. I also love this quote:

Don't give up what you want most, for what you want now.

I.e. I want a hot, healthy bod more than I want chocolate!

bex4health

I'm not sure what your daily calories are set at but make sure you're eating enough to not feel like you hungry all the time. That would get old fast if I was constantly hungry. MFP sets to 1200 often and honestly not sure how anyone does this. Instead of looking to lose 2 or more pounds a week just aim for 1 and just a heads up that won't happen either every week so don't get discouraged if the scale doesn't move much in a week. Also, you have to find an exercise you like to do. Everyone is different and not everyone enjoys the same activities. If someone told me I had to run everyday I wouldn't have even started. As far as motivation, I want to look good, feel good, wear those cute clothes! When I go on pinterest I look at fitness boards and usually gives me motivation. I can't even look at all the yummy recipes! Good Luck