What keeps you motivated when things get tough?

corecult

Hey everyone !

I’m new here and really inspired by how supportive this community is.

One thing I’ve noticed (for myself and others) is that motivation isn’t always constant. Some days you feel unstoppable , and other days it’s so easy to skip the workout or grab the wrong food.

I wanted to ask:
What do you do to stay motivated when life gets in the way?

• Is it music?
• A workout buddy?
• Tracking progress?
• Or something else that works for you?

Would love to hear your strategies — maybe we can build a list that helps everyone who struggles with consistency

– Core Cult"

AnnPT77

I respect people who can keep their motivation up, but honestly that's not my strongest trait.

I'm a big fan of being wily enough to work out a fairly easy-to-follow plan, one that makes progress toward goals, but requires minimum motivation, discipline, or willpower. I look for tactics that are reasonably easy, ideally fun, at minimum tolerable and practical. It's not glamorous.

Yeah, there's need for a commitment to the process; and I guess there's need for consistency on a "pretty good on average most of the time" basis.

Keep chipping away, I guess, when the will is there: Two steps forward, one step back is still progress. I feel like - at least for me - an approach that requires high motivation is more likely to make me want quick/big results, and maybe result in giving up in frustration when those don't materialize.

I feel like weight loss and fitness improvement are both long games. Small increments of postive progress add up over time to surprisingly good long-term results.

AdahPotatah2024

Hope for better days ahead! Change is the only constant in life, and it motivates me to keep going to see what else life is going to put in path!:D

corecult

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48744936#Comment_48744936

I personally get inspired by your guidence. Thank you.

corecult

"Yeah, it's a good thing to wait for better days. There's a saying: 'Time has a unique quality — whether good or bad, it always passes.'"

88olds

Habit. Frankly I think motivation is overrated. We won’t get far only working when we feel like it. Good habits are probably the most helpful. But sometimes habits need to be defended. Say it’s time to go to the gym but I’m dreading the thought today. What to do? I make a deal with myself to go to the gym and do 50% of my program. Or maybe go to the gym and just walk on the treadmill. Why? Because getting to the gym is the most important part. (Not to be confused with getting in the habit of going & regularly goofing off.)

Because if I’m not at the gym I’m going to fill in the time sitting on the couch. Which tomorrow will be sitting on the couch eating snacks. So some days I just need to defend my gym habit. Even if it’s just time slot filler. Then some days once I’m there I stick to the plan. But sometimes not.

When habit isn’t enough? I look for determination, tenacity, persistence. Sometimes I remind myself my grandfathers were circa 1920s coal miners.

corecult

Really helpful. Thank you so much.

iLive2Walk

I started my weight loss journey in January 2023. Started just by walking, started with a mile and added a little more each week. I also started tracking my calories on MFP, I lost 15 pounds the first few months, but then was getting bored. This was my usual weight loss journey - I would get bored and then quit and gain it all back (and then some) just to repeat the process all over again. Then found the challenges page on MFP and the Biggest Loser Challenge  was one of those that I tried. Losing weight became fun with this challenge and I also met some wonderful people. It keeps me motivated and accountable. I found I would do more for the team than I would do for myself - which in the long run helped me as well. I loved it so much, I became a leader.

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elisa123gal

Being motivated is better than not being motivated. So.. nothing wrong with wanting motivation as much as you can. Of course motivation doesn't always show up. But, I find going shopping and trying on clothes motivates me. Looking at my current progress photos helps too. And ..coming here, to MFP.. to read posts..often results in staying on track.

On days or periods where I don't feel motivated, I resort to habits and routine to see me through until my dear friend.. motivation returns.

corecult

Discipline is the Key.

cupcakesandproteinshakes

Not motivation or willpower or anything like that. These traits are overrated. Just boring daily habits that I can stick to. And repeat forever. Like walking and eating mainly fruit veg whole grains and lean protein. Strength training, dancing, reading and sleeping 7 hours a night. Very dull but they are my default behaviours and have been for 15 years and have allowed me to maintain a 50 pound weight loss.

AnnPT77

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48769035#Comment_48769035

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Anything that takes constant discipline, motivation, or willpower is not something I can or will stick with for the whole rest of my life, and I'd sure like to stay at a healthy weight for however many years I have left.

Habits. Practical, tolerable, ideally enjoyable habits. Mostly boring habits. Habits that leave enough time and energy for everything else important in life: Family, job, chores, social connection, non-exercise hobbies, the whole gamut.

Every once in a while I can give myself a little pep talk and power up for a bit, but most of the things that need to happen to keep me healthy need to occur pretty much on autopilot the overwhelming majority of the time.

Maybe that's just me, but for me that's a fact.

rms62003

I really think it's a mixture - you need things to motivate you, but then when stuff you had to be motivated for become a habit, you don't tend to need it as much (makes sense?)

At first, I needed to push myself to get out of bed at 4:30 to hit the gym before work. I would tell myself that I'll feel better, I can do more if I work out. Now, I don't need to pep talk myself as much (some days, though) because it's just the habit.

When I don't see a lot of change on the scale is when I need the most motivation. My biggest motivation is going back and looking at how far I've come. Even if it's something small, it can help you move forward - used to walk 1/2 mile, now can do a mile for example