Motivation: it's a choice

melissaaridgeway
melissaaridgeway Posts: 278 Member
in Getting Started
I have heard a lot of talk about, and have personally said "I need motivation to lose weight" and "I need an accountability partner to help me".

But the motivation isn't something that appears out of thin air. It's always there. It's just a decision you choose to listen to or ignore because something else is screaming louder: the cheesecake in the fridge, the cold weather outside, you're "feeling bad", etc.

I know I am an emotional eater and having sweets and candy around me a bad thing to have because it's a major temptation. However I have to balance this with a husband who has a major sweet tooth and must keep sweets around. Just knowing those cookies are in the cupboard is a pull for me.

But...(there's always a but)

It's the choice I make to personally get up and open the cupboards. It's the choice I make to look at the cold weather outside and decide to stay in. It's the choice I make when I'm emotional/hormonal/sad/etc to fill that hole inside me with food to make me temporarily satisfied.

It's a choice. Simply put. Your own choice. No accountability partner will keep you accountable if you make the wrong choice. And I write this mostly to myself, not to anyone else. I am my own worst enemy.

So I am choosing to embrace motivation. I'm choosing to make better choices. I'm new here, but I'm not new to my weight journey. Feel free to add me because I like sharing my successes and failures, and reading about others as well.

I've got 100lbs to lose. That's a lot. That's daunting. But I gotta start somewhere. Come join me and we can lose together.
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Replies

  • ChickadeeSongs
    ChickadeeSongs Posts: 12 Member
    Hi. One thing I do believe. With regard to exercise, motivation follows action. Best wishes on your journey.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,202 Member
    This is excellent, IMO. Realizing that I had control, that I could exercise agency over eating and therefore body weight: That's a switch that had to flip in my mind before I could reach and stay at a healthy weight. I don't know what made that switch flip - if I did, I'd bottle and sell it, make millions.

    IMO, that realization of agency can have an expanding influence on other parts of life: It's empowering. I have the power of choices, so - not totally but in large part - power over my results.

    The practical methods for better body weight (and nutrition, fitness) are surprisingly simple. The psychological side can be more difficult. Grabbing the personal power, at a visceral level, is an important step, IMO.

    Go, you!
  • Lynatea
    Lynatea Posts: 311 Member
    I completely, 100 % agree with this. A person has to find the motivation inside themselves to make this a lifestyle. And when you slip a day/week/month or longer, "you" are the one who has the ultimate control. We can inspire, support, suggest and help each other up when we fall, but at the end of every day, if I can't find my own motivation to keep going or start again, nobody else can. The buck stops here.
  • lziebka
    lziebka Posts: 5 Member
    I’m an emotional eater too with a husband that has a sweet tooth. So hard to keep my hand out of the cookie jar. Once I start it is so hard to stop. Easy to say just don’t start! When you’re tired, emotional any pointers to stay out of the cookie jar?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    lziebka wrote: »
    I’m an emotional eater too with a husband that has a sweet tooth. So hard to keep my hand out of the cookie jar. Once I start it is so hard to stop. Easy to say just don’t start! When you’re tired, emotional any pointers to stay out of the cookie jar?

    I'd just throw out the cookie jar---or pack it away for awhile, or make sure there's nothing in it.
  • Lynatea
    Lynatea Posts: 311 Member
    lziebka wrote: »
    I’m an emotional eater too with a husband that has a sweet tooth. So hard to keep my hand out of the cookie jar. Once I start it is so hard to stop. Easy to say just don’t start! When you’re tired, emotional any pointers to stay out of the cookie jar?

    I saw someone else here who had the same issue and ended up making one small cupboard for hubby's snacks only, so there was no reason for her to open it. But if this won't help you, I agree with @snowflake954. If you can't get rid of the cookie jar, you'll have to find sweet alternatives that's easy for you to grab. Fresh fruit, applesauce cups, sugar free jello or pudding cups, or smaller cookies like 2 ginger snaps. Those outshine yogurt bars are amazing and only around 100 calories.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,826 Member
    One tip I've heard is to keep the sweets/cookies in the freezer. If you want a treat, you at least need to wait for it to thaw, which is enough of a threshold to reduce impulsive snacking.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Good suggestions so far. Also, stop and ask yourself, "How will I feel after I eat the cookies?" Sometimes it might be worth it, but other times not. But thinking about the consequences beforehand can help.

    No sense eating a cookie if you're going to beat yourself up afterwards. If you'll enjoy the cookie and move on, then by all means have it.

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