Vicious Cycle...

girliepotternerd

Hello all... I've been having an issue, and hope to get some advice, please. You see, I have this vicious cycle of being really pumped to lose weight, and I'll do it. I'll lose about ten pounds, diet and excersize, ect to do it. And than all of a sudden, I lose motivation. Either someone say's I look disgusting, or I finally looked in that mirror... whatever. Then I give up, don't care anymore and become miserable about it. And then I restart when I see someone working out again and I'm all like, "cool, lets do this" It's getting out of control, and I can't keep doing this to myself... does anyone have any advice on how to get out of this rut? thanks.

neandermagnon

are you making it too difficult for yourself when you're dieting? Do you have an "all or nothing" mentality? - both of these are common reasons why people find it hard to keep going for the long haul.

try to focus on long term success... make changes that are easy for you to stick to, and you don't have to make all the changes at once. Have a calorie goal that's going to give you room to enjoy the foods you want to enjoy while staying within your calories. Focus on portion control rather than eliminating foods. Do exercise that you enjoy and know you'll be able to stick to. Work on getting into good habits, e.g. doing exercise, tracking your food.

Also, don't fall into all or nothing thinking. If you slip up or have a bad day.... forgive yourself and get back on with the plan. One bad day isn't going to screw you up in the long term and doesn't mean you've failed already. If people took that attitude with babies learning to walk they'd say "oh, he fell over, looks like walking just isn't something he's ever going to be good at" - how many times do babies fall over? They just get up and carry on, even if they're hurt, after they're picked up and cuddled they carry on trying. So be like that. You fall down, then you get up again and don't get into negative self talk either. You fall down you say "ooops! time to get back on track" and not "oh I'm so stupid, I'm a failure, I can't do this, no point trying" etc etc. How you talk to yourself and how you view slip-ups plays a big part in how easily you give up.

Instead of setting targets to lose x lbs, set targets for long term compliance with your lifestyle changes.... i.e. one week, three weeks, one month, three months, six months, one year, etc. If you focus on this and your calorie goal is set right (you can always adjust it if it's not) then weight loss will happen. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.

TavistockToad

stop thinking about it as diet and exercise that you either 'do' or 'dont do'.... think of it as a healthy lifestyle that includes some good food and a bit of regular exercise

bheathfit

First, you are being too hard on yourself. You are likely your own worst critic.

Second, set small goals. Get close to your eating goals one meal at a time. Exercise one workout at a time.

Third, Realize that you are a great person who has already made progress. If you have a 5000+ calorie day due to excessive alcohol consumption (Like I did two days ago) Enjoy the heck out of it and get back to your goals one meal at a time, one workout at a time.

You will not always have motivation. That is where character comes in. “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” -Lao Tzu-

Cheers!

starrylioness

I started really losing and feeling motivated when I realised I can't think of it as a diet. No crazy fad diet stuff like cutting things completely out, etc. I just eat balanced and healthy (try to avoid processed stuff when I can) and keep in my calorie count.

What were you doing to lose?

meeper123

I use too feel like that a lot.



Only you are going to be able to do this. No one can do it for you. Don't over complicate this don't eat too little, or extreme fad diets be reasonable and gentle with yourself.

bregalad5

bump

kenijosa4

Thank you for this, great advice and great analogy of a baby walking, love it!