Motivation and Discipline

jessie62993

Hello! I was just wondering what you all do to stay motivated? I often stay on track for a week or even a month, but then it is all ruined when I lose self-control and eat something really bad for me. And then I keep eating things that are bad for me and I never see any progress.

Things I try to do is mentally think of all the reason I want to lose weight, imagine "skinny me", look at picture of clothes I want to wear and look up motivational quotes.

Does anyone have some more effective ideas?

jstout365

I don't consider any foods as "bad" foods. I eat what I want and in moderation to fit in my calorie goals. Hunger also motivates me to make healthier food choices so some foods have become occasional treats so I can eat a large amount of healthy food and be full most of the time.

I also have shifted from this being something I do to lose weight to something I do for life. I always want to be fit and strong. Eating healthy-ish and working out help me stay that way.

MostlyWater

Read self-help books and fitness magazines. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

GiveMeCoffee

When I stopped thinking of food as good or bad, it was much easier. Don't overly restrict your calories and don't demonize any foods.

If you have a day you are over, enjoy it, log it and move on it's just one day. When you stop trying to do it perfectly and go for consistent it helps too.

iBMikey

This is how I think of food, "One bad meal will not make you fat. Just like one healthy meal will not make you skinny."

Don't beat yourself up. Forgive it and move on.

ndj1979

I don't consider any foods as "bad" foods. I eat what I want and in moderation to fit in my calorie goals. Hunger also motivates me to make healthier food choices so some foods have become occasional treats so I can eat a large amount of healthy food and be full most of the time.

I also have shifted from this being something I do to lose weight to something I do for life. I always want to be fit and strong. Eating healthy-ish and working out help me stay that way.

pretty much this...

knra_grl

Hello! I was just wondering what you all do to stay motivated? I often stay on track for a week or even a month, but then it is all ruined when I lose self-control and eat something really bad for me. And then I keep eating things that are bad for me and I never see any progress.

Things I try to do is mentally think of all the reason I want to lose weight, imagine "skinny me", look at picture of clothes I want to wear and look up motivational quotes.

Does anyone have some more effective ideas?

If you have a bad day, the great thing is tomorrow is a new day. Why let an off day defeat any progress you made?

Calliope610

I think of how I want to live my "golden years". In a nursing home with a walker, or hiking, climbing (small) mountains, kayaking, running, lifting (and I'm not talking about grandbabies) and all around kicking *kitten*.

jessie62993

Thank you everyone! I have a problem of not wanting to keep tracking my calories on days that I start getting close to going over, but am still hungry.

I think I definitely need to change the way I think about food...I have too much of an emotional connection with it. I will try these suggestions that you all have posted so far.




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daw0518

When I stopped thinking of food as good or bad, it was much easier. Don't overly restrict your calories and don't demonize any foods.

If you have a day you are over, enjoy it, log it and move on it's just one day. When you stop trying to do it perfectly and go for consistent it helps too.

100% this. Even on so-called "cheat" days, I track my food. I like knowing how much I go over because it's never nearly as bad as I expect it to be. When I go over, I'm usually still in minimal deficit or maintaining - I rarely go over so much that I could gain. For me, that's so important to know so I can keep things in perspective.

I also remind myself that sometimes I'm just not going to be able to make it work. Sometimes I go 'over' several days or weeks in a row & losing has slowed to almost nothing. I just have to remind myself that I have done this before & been successful, and I can do it again. There's no big hurry to this journey. Continuing to track & starting each day optimistic is half the battle.

kar328

What's great is that if you have a bad day, it resets at midnight so you can just move on and start fresh. Don't think of foods as bad for you - unless you have an allergy. Last night at work - we're in the beginnings of a new charting system and super stressed - one of the tech support bought us "Insomnia cookies" - freshly baked and delivered in the middle of the night cookies that are worth every calorie (230), carb (34) , etc. I had one and logged it (chuckled because they're all here in the database). I enjoyed every bit of it and licked my fingers. :drinker: In my old preMFP life, I would have had several. I had to play around with today's food a bit to fit my macros, but it was so worth it.

Sometimes for extra motivation, I read the Success Stories threads here. People's stories and pictures are a great kick in the pants.

Keep going. It's worth it.

establishingaplace

I stopped focusing on vanity as my goal. I don't think about skinny me or thinner me or the scale or a label on a piece of clothing. My #1 goal now is to meet my calories/macros for the day with foods I enjoy. Tomorrow my goal will be to meet my calories/macros for the day with foods I enjoy. And so on. At least one day a week I just make my goal to eat food I enjoy, and I find that without logging I usually come up around maintenance or slightly over.

The other end of that ticker seems far away. But I can meet my numbers today.

jessie62993

I stopped focusing on vanity as my goal. I don't think about skinny me or thinner me or the scale or a label on a piece of clothing. My #1 goal now is to meet my calories/macros for the day with foods I enjoy. Tomorrow my goal will be to meet my calories/macros for the day with foods I enjoy. And so on. At least one day a week I just make my goal to eat food I enjoy, and I find that without logging I usually come up around maintenance or slightly over.

The other end of that ticker seems far away. But I can meet my numbers today.

The thing you said about vanity really resonates with me. I have a list of all the reasons I want to lose weight/get healthy and a good amount of them are vanity based. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing, but focusing on smaller everyday goals may be more beneficial for me. Thanks for the input!


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ellechim1

I think of how I want to live my "golden years". In a nursing home with a walker, or hiking, climbing (small) mountains, kayaking, running, lifting (and I'm not talking about grandbabies) and all around kicking *kitten*.

I just said this very thing to my husband last night.

For motivation I like to look at everyone's progress pics

firestation12

I don't motivate myself by imagining how I look skinnier. I look in the mirror every day, that is what motivates me.

Deipneus

Things I try to do is mentally think of all the reason I want to lose weight, imagine "skinny me", look at picture of clothes I want to wear and look up motivational quotes.

Does anyone have some more effective ideas?

I got motivated by getting so ticked off at myself for gaining so much weight that I firmly resolved to do something about it. Firm resolve is different from getting all fired up which is usually fleeting. I know of no way to trigger it except to get so angry with myself about something, in this case weight loss, that the feeling lasts. I've found that this work in other areas of my life and not just weight loss.

Maintaining it over a long period of time is the hardest part. I've been on maintenance since May of '12. I have logged on every day going on 1,000 days in a row. I still track my calorie intake and weigh myself every day. For me, anything less than obsessive attention causes me to drift.

Sara2652

I really think it is less about discipline and more about learning the skills to cope with inevitable negative affect.

I eat 5 times a day and/or every 3-4 hours this was something that was difficult to start but after a few weeks has became second nature something I can continue my whole life. When I 'screw up' I log it and just pick up at my next planned meal. No more 'Ill just start again tomorrow' or 'I just won't eat anything for the rest of the day to make up for......' or 'I've already mess up so....'

fitmominkc3

I think of how I want to live my "golden years". In a nursing home with a walker, or hiking, climbing (small) mountains, kayaking, running, lifting (and I'm not talking about grandbabies) and all around kicking *kitten*.

Me, too!

sympha01

Thank you everyone! I have a problem of not wanting to keep tracking my calories on days that I start getting close to going over, but am still hungry.

Ah. THIS problem can be addressed a different way. If you are finding that you start "running out" of calorie budget too early in the day, you need to start pre-planning and pre-logging more. Don't log AFTER you eat and then find yourself surprised that you're running out of calories.

One thing that helps me a lot of reserving part of my calorie budget every day for something particularly yummy for the time between dinner and bedtime. That might be a Kind bar, or a graham cracker with cream cheese on it, or a piece of toast with nutella or peanut butter, or a couple of squares of chocolate, or a belt of scotch. Something to look forward to, and something I know I CAN'T have if I blow my calorie budget for the day too early.

ublanchard

I have fitness goals besides weight loss than I can pursue even if I don't lose weight. It keeps me going because it's a positive accomplishment, of doing something. Sometimes staying in a calorie deficit can feel like less of an accomplishment because it's more like I'm *stopping myself* from doing something. And fitness goals motivate me to eat healthy to fuel my running. I know I'll feel better when I run if I eat better.

One day of excess calories in junk food isn't going to ruin everything. You can have one day of excess calories in a week and still lose weight. It's pretty hard to have one day of excess calories and gain weight. The important thing is to not view that as a shameful failure, or an irreparable mistake and get right back on track.

What's great is that if you have a bad day, it resets at midnight so you can just move on and start fresh. Don't think of foods as bad for you - unless you have an allergy.

Quoted for truth!

wonderwoman234

When you have a framework of "perfection" of course you are going to avoid tracking on "bad" days.

Changing the way you think will help you greatly.

I don't consider a day I eat more as a "bad" day or as a "cheat" day or even "falling off the wagon". I think of it as a day where I wanted/chose to eat more. It's a day where I won't be losing weight, but if we are making lifestyle changes that are sustainable, we need to allow for days when we eat more (holidays, special occasions, etc.)

Also, you should never be starving when you are eating at a deficit. Cutting out 500 calories, or cutting out 250 calories and doing 250 calories' worth of exercise, is doable and easy.

I have been losing 1 lb. per week eating well, having treats occasionally, and never going hungry. In fact, my focus is on eating ENOUGH of the right foods - protein, veggies, etc. instead of focusing on what I can't have - because I can have anything I want in moderation.

32sami

I don't do anything special. I like to eat and exercise, makes me feel good when I do. Sometimes I blow it off or eat bad cause I'm tired but I always get back to it.

KezJB

This is how I think of food, "One bad meal will not make you fat. Just like one healthy meal will not make you skinny."

Don't beat yourself up. Forgive it and move on.

Good advice!

m_johannes

I think what helps me stay motivated the most is paying close attention to how I FEEL. I hate feeling bloated or gassy or, simply, fat. One night in particular sticks out in my mind. Typically, I eat a very light, healthy meal before I go out dancing, and I avoid alcohol, but one night recently I ate Dominos pizza and breadsticks and had a couple beers. I felt AWFUL! I felt so bloated and short of breath, and my stamina was at rock bottom. Idefinitely never want to feel that way again! So now, when I'm tempted by fast food or sweets, I stop and think, "How am I going to feel after I eat this?" So there really isn't "bad" food, as other posters have stated, so much as just foods that effect you in different ways!

P.S. I really like what others have had to say on this subject, too! Y'all are a bunch of smart, insightful folks!

wannakimmy

What keeps me motivated... seeing the progress i've made thus far. Not just in pounds lost, but in how I feel both physically and emotionally. I've not felt this good in years. I don't ever want to go back to the way things were. Small sustainable goals and life changes is what is working for me. It can and will work for you too if you let it. Good luck!

mishtery

a good friend got me motivated by getting me out walking with her. then I rejoined the gym and we go there together. although she has been sick i have still kept up with my exercise. The nutrition is harder but I have my daughters wedding in the new yr and I also am having my head shaved for a cause in november. so I would like to have the weight off and also look healthier when the hair disappears.
Think of the health benefits by keeping up with good food and exercise

KingRat79

I don't consider any foods as "bad" foods. I eat what I want and in moderation to fit in my calorie goals. Hunger also motivates me to make healthier food choices so some foods have become occasional treats so I can eat a large amount of healthy food and be full most of the time.

I also have shifted from this being something I do to lose weight to something I do for life. I always want to be fit and strong. Eating healthy-ish and working out help me stay that way.

This^^^^ sumes up my approach,

fknlardarse

I keep logging! Everything. Even when I'm miles over. It's surprising sometimes I think I've gone way over yet when I log it, it might not seem too bad. Other days it's bad but seeing it in black and white helps motivate me the next day to stay on track.

mishtery

The other thing keeping me going now is I'm 44 with osteoarthritis,fibromyalgia and sacroilitis. I'm a nurse and work in aged care. So I see what happens with people and how they live with these conditions. Sad thing is to people give up due to the pain. I don't want to end up in aged care at a young age plus I want to be active for when my kids start giving me grand kids. Best thing I can do for me is keep moving. I can sit back in pain and do nothing or I can keep moving with pain and know I have done something to help myself. Move it or lose it they say.

sontaneda1

Good morning all! I am somewhat of a newbie here, trying like all of us to stay motivated. I've dedicated myself these past 2-3 weeks more than I have in my life but I know I can do better. I was a bit depressed to see that I hadn't lost any weight. I'm 36 Female currently160lbs looking to lose 30-35lbs. I am a member of RetroFitness and have a trainer who's great. I told her she needs to "male me" do it! lol But if I miss an appt with her I feel lost like I don't know what to do....

jessie62993

Good morning all! I am somewhat of a newbie here, trying like all of us to stay motivated. I've dedicated myself these past 2-3 weeks more than I have in my life but I know I can do better. I was a bit depressed to see that I hadn't lost any weight. I'm 36 Female currently160lbs looking to lose 30-35lbs. I am a member of RetroFitness and have a trainer who's great. I told her she needs to "male me" do it! lol But if I miss an appt with her I feel lost like I don't know what to do....

We have similar fitness goals! Don't get too down on yourself about not losing weight, because the numbers on the scale do not tell the whole story. Have you considered using measurements as a better tracker of progress? It is awesome that you have a trainer and I think that is a great motivator. Maybe try thinking about your appointments with your trainer as you would an appointment for you job. Maybe you will be less likely to miss them then!