How do you stay movitvated when it is so easy to give up ?

zyxst

After 2 years, it's become habit. The only motivation I've had has been to be able to buy clothes at regular-sized shops. Now that I can do that, I keep going because what I've done is build habits.

shellma00

GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION!!!

That is my theory.....

karlospiklington

I'm glad this photo happened.

HiImJayme

I like to look at the "reports" when I feel my motivation slipping. Something about that downward line that brings be back to the reality that I am rocking this. Also, I find that reading the "Success Stories" gives me a little boost...

jpolinisse

I'm a very goal-oriented person, so my weight loss goal is like any other goal. I do not accept failure.

I will keep working at it until it is accomplished. So, when I don't feel like it, I remind myself of what needs to be done to achieve the end goal.

_db_

Because I feel so much better since I've been paying attention to my diet and eating (what I think is) a healthy diet. I have more energy during the day. I sleep better at night. Sure, I do miss my old breakfast of two meat, egg and cheese biscuits, but it's just not worth the risk of feeling like I did for so long: unwell.

TravelDog14

I stay motivated by setting small, incremental goals and by realizing this is a long process.

There is no secret, no crash diet that works long term, no magic pill or supplement, no way to jump start the weight loss, and most important, there is no excuse to not move more.
Being tired is NOT a valid excuse, even a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood is better than that same 20 minutes spent sitting on the couch surfing the 'net and eating.

Also, for me a huge part of successfully reaching my goal weight was I kept my goals and what I was doing to myself. I made no grand announcements to friends or family. I just started eating better and moving more. That took the outside pressure off to be immediately successful and allowed me to play around with what worked.

happysherri

<<<< would rather look like this than what I used to

Vanity mainly. :-) The health thing is a great side effect!

novembersuse

I rely alot on visual things. There's a dress that I love by can't fit into, and that's lying out. I've got a note next to my bed telling me to run when I wake up, not hit snooze. I keep reminding myself that if I like losing weight more than I like being lazy, and I feel better losing weight than I do being lazy, then how come I keep being lazy? But also diversion tactics. Like brushing my teeth when I'm hungry.

mel4bee

Because I'm pig headed. And when I decide I want something, I do anything possible to have it. And also because I know that it is all sooo worth it, for so many reasons (health, looks, confidence, strength...)

Because it is a passion now. A drug haha. I love working out and cooking healthy lunches,.

Also because I'm a hard worker and an overachiever. I like challenges.

KristinNicole82

Results keep me motivated. I love seeing them. Nothing is better then when I can do something that I couldn't do a month ago.

honeysprinkles

My motivation comes and goes on a daily basis, even after 2 years of this! I don't rely on motivation...I don't know what to call it but there's something else that keeps me going. Maybe dedication is a better word for it. I'm not always motivated to eat well or to exercise, I'll skip a few days, eat not only over my calorie goal but over maintenance sometimes, motivation can go completely out the window (especially with the last 5 pounds when I'm basically at my goal already). However, I always stay dedicated. Even if it takes me a week or more to finally get my motivation back, I keep trying until it happens. I've had more than my fair share of cheat days, plateaus, etc. but I've never once quit and I think that's the only reason I've been successful.

And the reasons that make it worth it: I don't like being overweight, I don't feel like myself. I want to like how my body looks, I like buying small clothing sizes, I like looking like what I consider the best version of myself, and that's what motivates me. And honestly, I like working out and I like eating well, even though it's so tempting to not do either at times (I still love restaurants, fast food, and some days I'm definitely still a couch potato), but overall I get more satisfaction by treating my body the right way.

1princesswarrior

My inner strength keep me motivated. It's a strength I'm just learning about. My friends have often told me how they admired it but I never saw it until some recent events. It keeps me going, it reminds me that I'm worth it.

MsJennyffer

It can be hard to keep motivated when the scale slows down. Which it always does at some point. When I was my top weight at 237, and my Triglycerides were close to 700 which meant Diabetes was knocking on my door, I started making changes in my diet and activity level. After my mom died, right before my granddaughter was born and I turned 49, that was the final push to get really serious about losing the weight as well. Not wanting to hit 50 at that weight was a huge motivation.

But now the 50th birthday has passed. My weight is out of the Obese range. My Triglycerides are down to 147. And I am in size 12 jeans. (down from 20s). I look and feel so much better. All my family and friends are telling me I am skinny (yeah, right) and even my doctor has said I have lost enough.
But I am still around180. That is too much for 5'6". That extra 25 lbs is still too much extra stress on my back and joints.

So I have to remind myself that this is not a diet. This is a permanent lifestyle change. And even tho I am lucky to get 1 pound a month at this point, as long as I continue to make any progress at all, I will eventually reach my goal weight, and this will remain a way of life for me so that I don't gain any weight back.

I so wish that I could open the eyes of many of the young people today to look forward to the time they will be 40 or 50 and decide where they want their health to be at that time, and start working toward that goal NOW.
It was SO much easier to simply lose weight when I was in my teens and 20s, but I really wish I had educated myself more about nutrition and exercise back then, so I never would have reached 80 pounds overweight by my 40s.

Kudos to you OP for taking control of your health at this age. Trust me, it doesn't get any easier.




Thanks so much .. I'm still surprised of how far I've gotten, every time I slip I feel like I'm back at my start weight which was also 237 btw. Slowly but surely one day at a time I try to make better decisions. Great job by the way

MsJennyffer

It is hard, very hard. When my alarm goes off at 5:45 every morning to exercise, I often ask why am I doing this, I could have another hour at least in bed!
Even when I'm working out I think why am I doing this!! But I do it because I know how rubbish I feel if I don’t, it helps me with so much in my life, not just being healthy and feeling better about myself.. this is what I tell myself constantly, I know how awful I use to feel before I changed my lifestyle and I’m not prepared to go back to that, No matter how hard it is.
You have to be mentally strong and push through! I know its hard and you often wonder why you bother but it is worth it and just think how you would feel if you gave up.. Be strong, you can do it.

.

Thanks for that, that is great advice

MsJennyffer

Focus on what I have accomplished rather that how much farther I have to go.

Maybe it is easy to give up? But think of it this way. Getting/staying in shape is hard. So is being fat.

Pick your hard. I would rather my "hard" be maxing out in the weight room or bringing down my mile time...instead of being out of breath trying to climb a flight of stairs...

That is great advice, I really like it.. Pick my hard..

MsJennyffer

So how do you stay motivated?

The mirror and how my clothes fit.

That definitely works for me, and helps motivate me when I'm getting lazy

twooliver

It is very easy to give up...one day turns into two and before you know it lots of pounds have inched their way onto your hips! Which is what happened to me... lost 45 lbs with lots of blood sweat and tears... and then went through a major transition and couldn't give any energy to staying motivated. So here I am again...and now my motivation is remembering how it felt to lose the weight and the fear of feeling worse with every pound gained. I don't like exercise...but I don't like obesity more...

Kevalicious99

I just got to a point that I was disgusted at what I saw in the mirror after a shower. I just want to look good naked now.

And .. by eating healthy and exercising, I want to get into a healthier state. Cause being overweight and just really sad is not a good place to be.