Motivation?

kylieblaha2007203

Hi guys, Im having a really hard time staying motivated in both keeping a healthy diet and also continuing working out. It seems I do fine for about 2 weeks and then I just slowly stop working out and then slowly stop staying in my calorie deficit. Does anyone have any ideas that could help with this?

Vicki_123059

The same happens with me. Any suggestions appreciated.

AnnPT77

My suggestion would be to make an easier plan, anything that's a move in a positive direction as compared to your pre-existing eating and activity routine.

Make a manageable change, practice it until it's a habit, then make another manageable change.

Eat foods you like, assuming you like at least some nutrient-dense food. Don't give up all treats, or at least not any treats you can successfully moderate (portion size or frequency). Look for fun ways of moving more, but definitely don't settle for less than tolerable and practical ones.

Too many people try for an instant revolution: Theoretically ideal diet of all superfoods, cut out all junk/treat/fast foods, add some punitively intense daily exercise program. Maybe they take on the trendy named diet, the hyped exercise program. That kind of thing takes nearly infinite motivation, so no surprise that it usually fails.

There are quite a few people here on MFP who've lost weight, gotten reasonably fit. The ones I'm most familiar with have done things that are pretty boring: Moderate, manageable positive changes, things they could realistically keep up consistently enough over a long enough time period to lose weight and improve fitness. That time is going to pass anyway. The only question is whether we're moving gradually toward improvement, or yo-yo-ing between extremes, or just staying stuck.

Speaking for myself, if it unavoidably required lots of motivation, discipline or willpower to reach a healthy weight (and stay there) or become reasonably fit (and stay there, too) . . . I would still be obese and out of shape. As a hedonistic aging-hippie flake, I have a limited budget of motivation, willpower and discipline. Enjoyable food (that happens to be mostly nutrient-dense and calorie appropriate) and fun activity? That, I can do . . . and have done, nearly ten years now at a healthy weight, and decently fit even longer.

Exactly what that process looks like will vary individually, because we're each unique individuals with different preferences, strengths, challenges and lifestyles. Almost certainly, it won't be the trendy named diet plus the hyped exercise program. But you can figure it out.

We don't need to be perfect. We just need to be pretty good on average most of the time. We can work toward that gradually. "Gradually better in ways we can stick with" is a whole different mindset from "lose weight fast and work out hard". Give it some thought. Make an easier plan.

elisa123gal

My two cents. Keep trying. That's all you can do. If you keep trying. One time, the two weeks will extend into a journey of fitness and weight loss. Each time you fail. you will fess up to yourself on why you are failing.. step by step. You will succeed.

csplatt

Can you aim to eat at maintenance calories when you feel unmotivated? May help.