How to get motivated

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cindy48
cindy48 Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
I recently had a 30 year class reunion and felt horrible about how I looked. I have gained 90 lbs since high school.I am motivated one day to try to lose weight and then the next day I eat everything in sight. How do I get motivated and stay motivated? This site does help a lot. I love the way I can track my food with MFP.

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  • lainey137
    lainey137 Posts: 39
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    Success tends to breed success. Tel yourself that you are going to do this really seriously for one week only. If you do you will lose a lot in that time. You will feel so good at the end of that one week that you will want to do one more, and so it goes on. 90lbs is a huge mental barrier, but one week of dieting is not- anyone can do one week right?
  • ct1986
    ct1986 Posts: 200
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    I think for me it also helps to have people who are there to support me (In my case most of those people are on here). I also have 'rewards' for every 10 lbs or so things that I REALLY want but haven't bought because the budget is kinda tight. When you look at the full picture 90 lbs. or 100 lbs. or whatever is a lot but if I'm looking at 10 lbs. that's completely doable and once I've done 10 lbs. I know I can do 10 more, etc. kind of building off of what lainey137 said.
  • Lady_C_the_1st
    Lady_C_the_1st Posts: 208
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    it will help to stay motivated if you do not restrict your diet too much too soon.. Ease yourself in by perhaps cutting down on one unhealthy snack to start with and replace it with something better. If you do too much too soon you will burn yourself out. That's what happened to me, I went for exercising and restricting my calories to having a 'summer of gluttony' and put back on the weight I'd lost plus more! I think if you take it slowly it allows your mind to change with your body at a more controlled speed and I imagine it's more likely that you'd keep up a new way of eating/exercising. Also if you are not ready to do it then you will find that you lose motivation much quicker! Allow yourself some space to make mistakes and go off the wagon for perhaps a day or a few. No point in feeling guilty about this though as it will only set you back.

    Good luck! xx
  • traceysturn
    traceysturn Posts: 196
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    I agree w/ CT completely! Do not look @ the big picture. 5-10-15 lbs at a time. Itw on't feel like such a big mountain to climb.
  • legalgal
    legalgal Posts: 7
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    WOW that is totally wonderful!! You can do it! YEAHHHHHHHH
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
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    Start by slowly replacing your bad habits for good ones (such as replacing soda with water, a bag of chips for a cup of fruit, or even regular popcorn for air popped popcorn) Keep at your small steps and they will lead to big change! I try to keep my mental focus at a week at a time, or sometimes I take it one day at a time.... if you think about the short term it will be easier to deal with. Looking at the big picture will make you overwhelmed and feel like you'll never get there. You will get there!

    Also, I have cheerleaders who help push me. Enlist people who will help push you to cheer you on. Everytime I mention working out or put on my workout clothes my fiance starts "Go Liz! You got this!", if I wait around and procrastinate he'll get on me "Aren't you gonna go work out? Go on!". He's a great cheerleader for me (though he still sabotages me with food, but we are working on that). I have cheerleaders here on MFP who cheer me on if I lose a pound, or if I'm under my calories for the day. I have cheerleaders at my group workout class who tell me how good I am doing. Find and enlist your cheerleaders - they definately will help push you and keep you on track.... and motivate you on those days where you really feel like throwing in the towel.

    Give yourself realistic goals. I set mine based on weight lost, not by days because I will be very discouraged if I don't lose 15 lbs by this day or whatever. I will celebrate when I hit 20 lbs, doesn't matter what day it is.... as long as its 20 lbs. Make sure you reward yourself with non-food things (like a manicure or new clothes.... instead of a big dinner out). You want to take your mentality away from revolving around food.

    Hope these suggestions help. If you need anything feel free to message/add me! Best of luck to you! You can do this! :flowerforyou:

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