Staying motivated

Options
bubblewrap91
bubblewrap91 Posts: 45 Member
in Motivation and Support
I was just wondering how people stay motivated? So many times i've started eating healthy, really trying and started feeling better but if anything at all knocks me off course then I struggle to get back into it. Or if I don't see results I feel like it's never going to make a real difference - I know that change isn't going to happen overnight but I just wondered what it is that helps people to stay motivated?

Also - what sort of eating plan do you have? Like on a typical day what are the sort of things you'd eat? I need some inspiration because I end up eating a couple of things over and over and then get bored!

Would be really grateful of some help , thanks =) ! x

Replies

  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)
  • laursoar
    laursoar Posts: 131 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself every morning. This is a controversial strategy as many struggle with feeling discouraged on the weeks when weight doesn't dip down or due to the small day-to-day fluctuations. For me though, it helps me see the bigger picture. Even when I have a hard time noticing aspects of my weight loss, I can see the numbers going down. It's a reminder to be patient too and keeps me accountable.

    Otherwise, the food part actually has become a lot easier after the first few weeks. I've found that I enjoy many foods that have healthy substitutions and a lot less calories. I cook a lot more. I also bake a batch of cookies or muffins that end up being 70-80 calories each. Then, I have one or two of those a day all week. It's hard to feel deprived when you're snacking on strawberry chocolate chip muffins and eating pumpkin french toast for dinner. As I've adapted to planning my days ahead for food, keeping up with eating and tracking has become just a part of my normal routine.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    Options
    My biggest constant motivation is now small goals. You might see a lot of people on here have goal weights for Thanksgiving or the end of the year. it's a lot easier for me to break it down in small chunks instead of the overall picture that I won't get to until the Spring.

    I also have different types of goals - some are measureable, like a number on the scale. Some are more subjective like how I feel about myself.

    And don't limit yourself, like laursoar said. Everything in moderation. And if you have a bad day, well you can't get it back. Start over. If you ntoice that by lunchtime you have already eaten a ton don't just throw the day away - make the best of it. One "bad" day won't prevent you from hitting your goal. The only thing that will is you stopping!
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)

    I just looked at your diary. I saw your Sunday entry first and thought - wow you only ate like 600 calories for thanksgiving dinner! That's amazing. Then I realized it was on Saturday! lol. Thanks for tracking everything. There are certain foods I love that I won't sacrifice and others that I don't love so I won't eat them. You having traditional foods and posting them gives me an idea of calories! Thanks!
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)

    I just looked at your diary. I saw your Sunday entry first and thought - wow you only ate like 600 calories for thanksgiving dinner! That's amazing. Then I realized it was on Saturday! lol. Thanks for tracking everything. There are certain foods I love that I won't sacrifice and others that I don't love so I won't eat them. You having traditional foods and posting them gives me an idea of calories! Thanks!

    :laugh: :laugh: you notice I had nothing that day but cookies first :laugh: I think it ended up being like 1,000 over my normal intake ... still not bad in the grand scheme of things.

    I think people forget the law of averages :) Some days I hit 1500 - some days 2700 :) it all averages out in the end and as long as I am in a deficit then I win :bigsmile:
  • kater86
    kater86 Posts: 11
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)


    oh goodness! how is your calorie allowance so high? i'm only allowed 1200 (not including workouts).
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)


    oh goodness! how is your calorie allowance so high? i'm only allowed 1200 (not including workouts).

    I would bet you a large amount of money you can eat more than that :) but I don't eat exercise calories since I only workout 3 days a week heavy lifting. I stay with a steady stream of calories - much easier in my head :)
  • kdwilcox1195
    kdwilcox1195 Posts: 21
    Options
    My biggest motivation is challenging myself! For instance, my mom and I have this competition going right now. Whoever loses 10lbs first wins $50 from the other person. :) set yourself a ton of little goals instead of huge ones, and reward yourself once you reach those little goals.
    For example, say "I'm gonna eat 1500 (or certain calorie amount) a day until Christmas so then I don't have to worry about Christmas dinner! I'm gonna lose 7 lbs before then, too!" Give yourself a date you will have lost weight by. I like to say "I'm strictly dieting for a week." Since it's so short, it's easier to stick to my diet, and once the week is over you'll want to add another week on! :D
  • kdwilcox1195
    kdwilcox1195 Posts: 21
    Options
    you can thumb through my diary... I don't limit myself :) Mind you - dont be shocked lol I eat 1700+ calories a day and last weekend we did our Thanksgiving and I logged it for fun :)


    Still losing :drinker:


    ETA: I don't "need" motivation... I am a very disciplined person (thank you Army lol) so I just put my mind to it and stick with what I know. I lift weights 3x a week and that's it. I get up at 4am those days ;)


    oh goodness! how is your calorie allowance so high? i'm only allowed 1200 (not including workouts).

    I'm in the same boat! I don't exercise often, so I'm only allowed a few calories! lol.
  • kdwilcox1195
    kdwilcox1195 Posts: 21
    Options
    Oh, here are some things I eat that I like a lot.
    In the morning, monster energy. A lot of them only have 20 calories and they give you a huge amount of energy! :D just limit them to once a week or something like that. Here's a few things I eat
    -greek (vanilla) yogurt
    -protein bars
    -slimfast shakes
    -string cheese, grapes, cracker crisps
    -'light' canned soup. You'd be surprised, most of the huge soup cans are super filling and don't have a lot of calories!
    -fit and active popsicles (70 calories for a HUGE ice cream bar? count me in. They are found at Aldi)
    -raw stuffed chicken breast filled with broccoli and cheese or delicious buttery sause. Only 230 calories, and these are also found at Aldi
    -cuties (those mini oranges. I just throw them in my purse for when I have the munchies)
  • bubblewrap91
    bubblewrap91 Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone! I'm thinking that setting myself smaller goals might be something I try then I might feel like I've achieved something sooner and it may spur me on to keep going! x
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Options
    I've been doing this for about 19 months. The one thing I've learned is that motivation comes and goes. What really sticks and WORKS is getting up and just doing it every day. Day after day after day. It's also about not restricting your diet in a way that makes you scream and grab the cookies and ice cream. Eat the foods you enjoy, while staying in your healthy calorie deficit. Work on improving your diet, but don't make huge changes that will be too hard to continue over time.

    The habits you build when eating healthy and exercising every day will be what saves you. When you lack the motivation, your habits will kick in.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Options
    When I'm feeling like I'm not making progress or anything, I force myself to list the things that I AM improving..

    For instance, I can actually do push-ups now. They're still girl push-ups, but they're in the double digits and I'm using full form. I can run a solid mile, without pausing to walk. I no longer find myself short of breath when I'm walking up stairs. Even though I'm pretty sure realistically they're not any different, if I flex I can feel muscles in my arms, etc. I sleep better. My digestion is a bit more regular.

    Just focus on the "little," fun things - the NSVs. Those are your motivation for this journey.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Options
    When I'm feeling like I'm not making progress or anything, I force myself to list the things that I AM improving..

    For instance, I can actually do push-ups now. They're still girl push-ups, but they're in the double digits and I'm using full form. I can run a solid mile, without pausing to walk. I no longer find myself short of breath when I'm walking up stairs. Even though I'm pretty sure realistically they're not any different, if I flex I can feel muscles in my arms, etc. I sleep better. My digestion is a bit more regular.

    Just focus on the "little," fun things - the NSVs. Those are your motivation for this journey.


    This is a GREAT idea! I do this every so often and it is pretty amazing. Over time, we lose sight of all the small successes we have. They just become the norm. Everyone should do this!!

    High-Five-GIF-2.gif

Categories