What do you do when all motivation is gone??

dakotababy

So I have been at this for over a year. My progress has been slow, but still noticeable. I have found myself to be completely unmotivated lately to keep going. This last 2 weeks has been brutal for eating and exercising. I just find myself to essentially "not care".

I have done a variety of things in the past to get my motivation back, but I almost don't want to. Its like I am burnt out from trying to lose weight! Does this happen to you? What do you do to get over this feeling??

Safiyandi

I just start trying to groove in a routine - my motivation comes from habit more than anything else.

When I first started going to the gym a few years ago, I hated it - but I got myself in there at least three times a week. Sometimes I wouldn't push myself hard if I really, really didn't want to be there, I'd just screw around on the elliptical on a low setting for 20 minutes and chat with friends and go home. More often than not, though, just getting myself there was enough to push myself into a decent workout. Now I don't even think about not going unless I'm sick or injured, because it's just so normal and routine. Now I enjoy going 3x/week for weightlifting, but I really need to add some cardio so I'm going to apply that same principle - I'm going to show up to the gym an additional two days for cardio and do SOMETHING, even if it's easy stuff right now. Later on I'll ramp up the intensity.

Did the same thing for food. Started out counting calories on a moderate deficit. After that was routine I started adding more greens into my diet. Months later I began tracking macros.

I don't know if this works for everyone or just me, but I know when I would try to go all-in and try to fix everything at once I'd burn out like 3 weeks later.

RaggedyPond

Find something else to do. You probably just want to be done but you are never done. NEVER! If you stop completely you will be back where you were. Cold hard fact.

Personally it has been over a year straight for me and I got sick of counting so I slowly stopped but I am still exercising. I just eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. Much happier now.

EL2EL1

Perhaps you need a different focus for a few weeks? Maybe trying something new exercise wise like a new gym class, a 5km fun run or an enticer triathlon would get you back to your sparkly self! ????

Francl27

Well, see your options. You might not care about now, and want to enjoy the food, but do you really want to gain all your weight back?

lambchoplewis

I just decided that Today is my best friend not tomorrow. I went off my regimen of weighing, logging food and exercise and reading these posts. A few months later I found 10 extra lbs. Not happy. I then did the old - I will start tomorrow. As you know, tomorrow comes and goes. I have been with no alcohol, good food and exercise for 6 days and I feel great. No bloat and the weight will come off.

Today is your best friend.

sassymanatee

I have a problem with procrastination and my therapist told me that "Action comes before motivation". This is what I tell myself when I find myself waiting to FEEL like doing something. Once I force myself to start then in about five minutes or so I actually want to be doing what I'm doing. I hope things get better, sweetie. I know it's really difficult on this journey, but there's a whole community on this website ready to support you through the good and bad.

9thChakra

Hey, dakotababy!

I find that I can get too focused on the constant monitoring of myself. For me, eating can be a way of coping with or ignoring other things going on in my life. Currently, I am in the process on really examining the things that are the true source of my pain. It is a very difficult yet rewarding process. Through this process I have really been able to see the way I use food in a new light.

I found the audiobook "Intuitive Eating" to be very helpful in this process and I also see a therapist on and off for my "real" issues...as I have realized my food issues are a byproduct of these.

While I am very impressed with some of the consistency and dedication of some of the folks here, with logging hundreds of days, I also know that is not for me at this time. I'm okay with missing a day of logging. Missing a day of logging doesn't mean I've gone off the deep end. I'm just giving myself a break from the tediousness of it. I'm a grown-*kitten* woman. I'm using this as a tool and I do not want to be a slave to it.

I appreciate those saying to keep at it and not give up...but I feel I am constantly changing. My overall goal is to feel healthy and do things that get me there. If I feel it's healthy for me to take a break from MFP I do, and I have. No guilt, no worries. That doesn't mean that I'm giving up on myself.

I'm learning to tune in to my true needs and it's wonderful. I wish that for everyone. It feels so much better.

Again...consider the audiobook...I found it very supportive:

http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-Practical-Yourself-Chronic/dp/1591796822/ref=la_B001H6IO86_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383833848&sr=1-3

Best to you!

9thChakra

funkim55

Meditate or pray (smile)!!!

beachlover317

My motivation comes and goes. Like the wind. It's fickle. Do you know what is there every day? Habits. Build good habits that are based on your health goals. When your motivation fades - you can fall back on the habit of eating healthy and moving your body in whatever way you choose. I love lifting and running. What do you love?

I have found with this plan, I've made it 18 months - somewhere I have never been before and never dreamed possible. Anyone can be successful. Good luck!

themedalist

I have a problem with procrastination and my therapist told me that "Action comes before motivation". This is what I tell myself when I find myself waiting to FEEL like doing something. Once I force myself to start then in about five minutes or so I actually want to be doing what I'm doing. I hope things get better, sweetie. I know it's really difficult on this journey, but there's a whole community on this website ready to support you through the good and bad.

Good advice. Motivation comes and goes. You don't have to feel like going to the gym and exercising every time. You just need to go.

Maybe some visuals around your house reminding you why you are trying to get healthier?

loserbaby84

Go to the gym. The hardest part is walking through the door. Once you start a routine you can look around and the motivation of others is infectious. Just do it

stfuriada

What inspired you in the first place?

Why don't you revisit it to get motivated again?

Iron_Lotus

Push, push, push

clambert1273

I look at the before and afters of the women who heavy lift... puts me where I want to be mentally - because I would kill to look like that :bigsmile:

wertgirlfor

make a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight/eat better/etc.
keep it in a place you see every day, like your desk
this helps me a lot when I want to give up

SpecialKitty7

that defiitely happens to me, i'll run into what i call *kitten* it periods where i'm tired of "behaving" all the time and i just want to give up. what i do is allow myself a week to relax, not stress about what i'm eating and just take it easy. i've found it renews me, and although i may eat a bit more than normal, i certainly do not return to my old pizza and mcd's habits. more like eat a peanut butter sandwich without shame. most of the bad habits are definitely long gone.

Lizzy622

Fake it until you make it. Just do it. If you are bored with your exercise, find something new to try. If you are bored with your food, buy a new cook book or go to the farmers market and pick up a vegetable or two that you never had before. We all have ups and downs and rough patches. If life is getting in the way, eating at maintenance for a week could reset your mood. You can get through this.

patmoomur

Well, you got a lot of tips here. Your situation struck me as similar to mine. I lost 15 lbs. and then lost motivation. I have it back and more and now have 100 lbs to lose. Many of the others' advice helped me. I got back on track only a week ago and think that you have to know yourself and how you work. I am a spontaneous person and routine kills my motivation. However, constant spontineity does also, because things get done or not, in such a scattered way. I decided to forgive myself for losing the motivation, even though in my case, I think the diet caused a brain chemistry shift and I am living with depression. I take meds and these build up in the fat, along with other things. I saw a real threat to my tracking and dieting routine when I lost my motivation. I added new things to my regimen. Yes, I ignored the diet and ate sweets, but I added walking, now some yoga, and meeting people. Getting out and talking with new people and seeing myself taking action. It seems that the diet is back in focus. I do not want to continually take off and put on, so I have to get control of that. So there it is. Take at look at who you are and how you function and take "action" and the motivation will come back. Good luck!

BernadetteChurch

Think about where you'd end up if you chucked it in now, stopped exercising and ate whatever you want. Would you be back where you were before MFP, or worse off? Do you really want that?

michelegurr

Fake it until you make it. Just do it. If you are bored with your exercise, find something new to try. If you are bored with your food, buy a new cook book or go to the farmers market and pick up a vegetable or two that you never had before. We all have ups and downs and rough patches. If life is getting in the way, eating at maintenance for a week could reset your mood. You can get through this.

Says it all!