How did you find motvation that works for you?

Erindipitous

[Forgive the typo in the topic title.. My nails are wet and I was paying attention to not messing them up rather than my typing.]

I'm struggling to find motivation that I can stick to. I'm struggling to find what works for *me*. I don't even know where to start, really.

Sometimes I'll feel so "I'm going to start fresh tomorrow and everything will be on track!" and then I get bogged down with work, classes, and clinical, lack of sleep, and I just fall apart. What is it that keeps you all going? What do you slap yourself if the face with when you're feeling weak enough to give up?

Should I hang up pictures of skinny people? Paint "PUT THAT DOWN!" on my kitchen wall? Purposely park my car two miles away so I'm forced to exercise?

Sorry.. I'm feeling rock-bottom tonight. :frown: Any input on your successes would be awesome.

4lafz

First I had to find lots of different food and drink products that I could have - with less calories than I was eating. I spent hours in grocery stores reading labels - I still do some of that LOL. Still today I get up every morning and lecture myself about why I want this. Logging onto MFP and seeing all the great things my friends are doing gets me moving too. Looking at my fat pictures - and to a certain extent my sjinny (past) pics is also motivating,

Diane07

Getting started is the worst part, but once you do it becomes second nature. You just have to really want it basically hit rock bottom before you get that drive. I have a goal weight and picture of myself that I wish to look like again and that helps me. I also have a gym buddy and without her the gym gets pretty boring. I hope you find your motivation soon! You mentioned clinical are you in nursing school?

Amboo

what gets you motivated in the first place? Motivation is a hard thing. I too struggle with it, but I have to weigh in monthly at my doctors office because I take pills so having to be accountable is what is keeping me going. Yes I have horrible days and usually around a certain time of the month is when that happens but I just have to get back on track so I don't disappoint myself or my doctor. I am very much a people pleaser and that is a downfall of a quality but it is working great with this.
I really hope that you find what gets you going and stay going. ♥

Craig772

I lost my mojo when I changed my job about two and a half years ago. I set up a running club in my last place and people depended on me to kick their *kitten* a few times a week during lunch. So that kind of kept me ticking over. That isn't possible with this job as I can be in any number of offices. Often I work late (done 4 hours tonight) so I tend to train by myself at a time to suit. I've had a few false starts but since finding MFP just over a week ago my mojo has re-surfaced. It's like a virtual team, club or society. Being able to post your exercise or food acheivements and knowing that a few virtual friends make a comment is really motivational.

Also I keep some pictures of me training nearby. Things like lifting weights or running cross country. They put the thought of getting off my *kitten* into gear. They work more for me than the fat pictures.

ironmule2042

The secret for me is to have a lot of small motivators I can switch between depending on the day. Some days I'll look at a picture of what I looked like at the start and that reminds me how much I hated myself back then. I don't want to feel that way anymore. Some days I'll talk to family and friends about it and they will encourage me. Other days its easy and I just do it without thinking.

I found one of the best things to do was to keep my goals small, like lose 5lbs. this month and work to each one. That way when I reached one goal I felt like if I hit that one I must be able to get to the next one.

There is no magic motivator but it IS in each of us to do it. You CAN do it and you WILL do it. You'll find your way. Stay strong.

melanie92

I put a picture of myself from years ago when I was all slim and trim on the fridge! Playing tennis no less! :happy:

But that was one of my biggest motivations - to be able to play tennis again! Not for my kids or my dogs or anyone else. My motivation was and is purely selfish!! I want to look hot again before I get too old to be a hottie!! :laugh:

Erindipitous

Thank you for your input, 4lafz!! I think with my chaotic schedule, I need to make a list of foods I am allowed to eat, and stock my kitchen with them. I used to love reading labels.. Therapeutic in a way?? lol. I need to start doing that again and really, REALLY focusing on them. It's easier to put a box back on a shelf before buying it than putting it back in your cabinet after you've already spent money.. It's almost like you feel inclined because you don't want to "waste" money.


Diane07- Thank you! I really believe that once I establish a routine and start to see solid results I will have a better chance of not letting myself lose focus. I am in nursing school -- And if I had to do it again, I think I'd join the police academy instead. Not because I don't like nursing -- I LOVE nursing.. But getting to RN status is brutal, and that's such an understatement, especially since I'm working full-time when they warned us that they highly recommend that we don't work at all during the program (How unrealistic!). Are you a nurse/in nursing school?

ProTFitness

People always ask me how do you do it? Why do you Do it? I tell them this what I can do to help prevent current or future health problems. THis is my preventive Health plan. That is the main reason that keeps me going and motivated. I want to know that I did everything that I could to prevent disease and so I dont have to take a tons of pills later in life. Also I have more energy and I want to look good! Thats great Motivation

priskar

Sometimes I'll feel so "I'm going to start fresh tomorrow and everything will be on track!" and then I get bogged down with work, classes, and clinical, lack of sleep, and I just fall apart. What is it that keeps you all going? What do you slap yourself if the face with when you're feeling weak enough to give up?

Should I hang up pictures of skinny people? Paint "PUT THAT DOWN!" on my kitchen wall? Purposely park my car two miles away so I'm forced to exercise?

Sorry.. I'm feeling rock-bottom tonight. :frown: Any input on your successes would be awesome.

You're young and very involved. At the risk of sounding old and dated, think about how much more difficult "work, classes, clinicals, lack of sleep" would be if you failed to get control of weight now and, perhaps, over the years put on more lbs. We already know that exercise is a stress-buster and mood enhancer which might help you lift yourself out of "the bottom". Easier said than done, I know, but SO worth it!

I think that making that ONE hour of exercise (or even a brisk walk) a priority won't make or break a class...even if you have to break that hour up into 2 or 3 shorter brisk walks throughout the day. Buying and preparing fresh food is a little more time consuming but even in restaurants (or fast food) there are healthier choices.

Make YOU the priority and things will fall into place and remember, that this crazy, exhausting stage of your life won't last forever. Things will normalize and you will get a breather at some point.

Good luck!

Priska

priskar

Oh, and don't forget to reward yourself! Whether it's a new piece of clothing, a massage that will ease your stress, Be good & kind to yourself.

SkierElle

I just wrote a essay on motivation (related to my career path I want someday). The four "parts" of motivation are value, volition, success, and enjoyment. I'll give an example of each. What do you value in your life that could go away if you stay overweight? what sorts of things do you value (relationships, activites etc) that will be improved if you lose weight), success - is it reachable, ie. a lot of ppl split their weight loss into small goals so it is more attainable. what sorts of rewards will you have when you are successful? volition - this means choice. it has to be YOUR choice to want to do this, no one else's, and no one else should impede your volition! and lastly, enjoyment. somehow the process of weight loss has to be enjoyable. I think MFP works well for that. Also you have to find activites and healthy food you love and soon you will crave that and not the crap you have wired yourself to crave.

Reading and studying about the principles of motivation has really done it for me! just personalize the different parts of motivation to your life, and it may help you! Good luck!

velix

I have been stop and go for the last 2 years - but this time, it is full steam ahead - the difference... ? I took front, side and back full length pictures in my sports bra and boy shorts - and let me tell you - it wasn't pretty....(used to hiding those bumps with clothes!)

So, when I lose motivation, I open the folder on my desk top and take a long hard stare at those pictures .... it has been the best motivation yet...

asltiffm

I am a cheap person. I hate to spend money so I found that if I put money on the line, I am more likely to stick to things. I started a challenge with a friend. We were supposed to be giving up chocolate and all sweets for a year. The first to indulge in any kind of sweets in that year would have to pay for something expensive that the other person chose at the beginning of it. No way was I going to pay that much for anything! I had some struggles in the first couple months but in the end, I lasted the full year, even though he didn't make it past the fourth month. By that time it was so easy that I went on to not eat any sweets for another year. Sadly, the end of it came when I met my DH and he convinced me to eat some chocolate cake (and I'm not even a cake person!). That was a shadow of how the rest of life would be like for me, Always trying to be healthier but my DH trying to sabotage my efforts. Money is harder to put on the line nowadays since it's not just mine anymore so I have had to find other things that help me stay on track. I pick something big to work toward, with a certain date attached to it. This year and last it was a bicycle tour. We carried everything on our bikes that we needed for camping, biking, eating, drinking and entertainment for 8 days each year and biked anywhere from 30 miles to 70 something miles each day before setting up camp and hiking in the evening. That is something I LOVE doing so it was great motivation. Find something you love doing that you HAVE to be in shape to do and make sure you commit to it with other people. That's the hard part. It took me years before I found someone who was interested in bike touring. I was more out of shape and overweight those years I had nothing physical I was planning for.

Once you get going, it has a momentum that's hard to stop (at least until life gets in the way). ;o)

Erindipitous

{{ I'm totally trying to respond to everyone because I am THRILLED with all of your awesome feedback!! }}



Amboo- I hope I find what keeps me going.. It's out there.. Just need to find it, hold it, and stick with it! Thank you.

Craig772- I wish I could set up some sort of running club where other people could depend on me, then I'd feel forced not to let them down.. If only where was more time (and energy) in the day! What a great idea, though.. Maybe something I can try over my month-long winter break.. I should be able to establish a habit in that time period, right?

ironmule2042- Oo.. Different motivators to fit the day makes a lot of sense. Maybe I should make a list of why I want to do this and pick one each day to really focus on? Awesome.. Thank you so much for the idea!

melanie92- "I want to look hot again before I get too old to be a hottie!" -- I never thought of it like that before! Great point!!

ProTFitness- You would think I'd be more on the ball with fitness since I'll be a nurse in six months. Then again, look at how out-of-shape a great deal of nurses are, so maybe we're all in denial?? Either way, I think I should push myself to be a good role model for my patients.. That way I don't end up in some of their situations later on in life.

priskar- What fabulous advice. And I've thought about brisk walks or a run between work and classes.. I should really force myself to do that.. Any stress relief would be extremely beneficial. But you're right, I really need to nip this in the butt and establish routines before it progresses and becomes more difficult in the future.

SkierElle- Oh, wow! Super helpful! Thank you!! I'm going to write in my journal with those points in mind.

velix- I've really thought about making a progress blog where I post pictures every week or two weeks in the same outfit and at the same angles so I can SEE the difference.. I think the reason I haven't is because I'm embarrassed to take the plunge, but maybe I NEED that as a push. I'm glad that works for you! A mini-goal is for me to start that before the new year and then stick to it! Thank you!

asltiffm- "Once you get going, it has a momentum that's hard to stop" -- God, I hope so! I really need to start searching for something that is like bike-riding is for you. I wish I could find someone on the same schedule as me that I could push through this with. I really like the money idea.. I can be pretty competitive, so that might actually work if it's me up against someone else. Thank you!!

amymeenieminymo

I've found being organized helps a lot. If you have a healthy dinner planned out you'll be less likely to hit the fast food joint after a long day when you're starving and have no other plans.

Pack a healthy lunch for work so you won't be tempted to go in on pizza or snack on other candy and garbage around the office. Pack healthy snacks so you have something good to munch on when you get munch cravings.

One thing that really helps me when I want something that will screw up my day....I ask myself, did I get up at 5am and work out only to screw it up by eating this piece of cake? That usually helps put things into perspective.

Erindipitous

I've found being organized helps a lot. If you have a healthy dinner planned out you'll be less likely to hit the fast food joint after a long day when you're starving and have no other plans.

Pack a healthy lunch for work so you won't be tempted to go in on pizza or snack on other candy and garbage around the office. Pack healthy snacks so you have something good to munch on when you get munch cravings.

One thing that really helps me when I want something that will screw up my day....I ask myself, did I get up at 5am and work out only to screw it up by eating this piece of cake? That usually helps put things into perspective.

I can see this helping me a lot since I'm so busy and don't make the best "I'm starving and I need to eat something" decisions.

Making a store list for healthy dinners and snacks right now! Do you happen to know of any good websites for healthy realistic meals? (I find a lot of recipes containing uncommon ingredients or meals that just take too long to cook, hence unrealistic in my eyes). Eating Well irritates me sometimes for this reason.

I'm down for making meals ahead of time -- Maybe I'll start a Sunday tradition of making my dinners ahead of time and putting them in the freezer so they're quick to have between work and class.

Thank you for the response!