Why can't I stay motivated!?

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Susan3M
Susan3M Posts: 6 Member
edited February 17 in Motivation and Support
I am a mommy of three, all under the age of 5, and I need to lose 20 pounds. I would like to lose 30 but I would be okay with 20. I start out strong and lose a few pounds then I just slowely stop exercising and go back to my bad habits. I just don't know how to keep motivated. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,588 Member
    My first question is what is your origional plan? If it is too aggressive then it is easy to poop out and quit.

    Since you only need to lose 20 lbs you should be setting a deficit of 1lb/ week or less. As for exercising the best way to keep at it is to set some goals and reach for something new. If you are just exercising for the calorie burn then it gets old fast. If you are trying to set new PRs then it gets more exciting.
  • christa279
    christa279 Posts: 222 Member
    Maybe you are being to strict with your diet? You say you go back to your bad habits. Are you cutting out "bad" foods completely when you are successfully losing weight? If so, it is much easy to limit those foods to within your calorie goals than to cut them out completely. Eliminating them means you will most likely gain the weight back if/when you start eating them again. I allow myself "treats" but keep to smaller portions and make sure they fit within my calorie goal for the day.

    Exercise is a tricky one to stay motivated with. You have to find something you enjoy and it will be easier to want to do it. My problem is making my exercise goals fit in with my busy schedule. I started out with a difficult to maintain schedule and have been tweaking it a bit. With little ones at home, it gets even trickier. I find that it's almost impossible to exercise with my 7 year old home.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Whatever your plan is - just remember motivation comes and goes for us all.

    If this is important to you, build the habits that will be there every day, every week, forever. Just get up every day and do it. IF you have a bad day, get up the next day and just do it.

    What keeps me going (over 21 months now) is that I am not focusing on pounds. I'm focusing on my health. Every decision I make is about being healthy. The better I feel, the better I look, the more I want to keep going.


    ETA: Here's a great link to read if you are unsure about what you are doing to get to your goal:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
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