Motivation and Advice

Ruxie

I recently met with the wellness lady at my university and talked with her about the whole health approach and why she doesn’t like the “jogging and broccoli” stigma that wellness programs have. I was disappointed because I WANTED a jogging and broccoli approach and personally felt like the other areas of my life (happiness, home, work satisfaction) are already great. We had a lovely and healthy lunch at a local café, and I used the time to ask her about her own journey and what her “lightbulb” moments were. She gave me my second fitness lightbulb idea, so I thought I would share and then ask for some ideas from the community.

My first lightbulb idea was given to me by a friend when I had just had my second baby (well, several months after I had him, so I was fully released from any workout restrictions). I was struggling at that time being a single mom and having two kids in the house. I could NEVER seem to find the time to work out, whenever I’d hop on the elliptical it was never failing that within ten minutes someone would wake up, need something, be crying, you name it. I told my friend George about my problem, venting and feeling frustrated and like I would never be able to get myself back to where I wanted to be. His answer was simple, and something I’d never thought of, “If you can only work out for ten minutes, then work out for ten minutes. Then later in the day work out for ten more minutes, they will add up.” So that was what I did. That was four years ago. Since then I have had an emergency surgery, followed by a pregnancy, and so I’m back to square one and thankfully am lucky enough to have a supportive partner and father figure for my boys, and so life is easier now for me to find the time to work out. But that moment will stay with me and I like to share it with others who may be struggling with getting started like I was.

But now to the present, and to my second light bulb, which just as with my first one, seems so obvious now that I’ve had it. What the wellness lady said to me was that she had to figure out what worked for her, and try a lot of different things to get there. Of course, that WAS what I had basically been doing, but I kept getting really angry at myself when something I was doing wouldn’t work etc. Well, I think I found something that’s kind of working for me, it involves having a chart that I remake every two weeks so that I’m switching up which exercises I’m doing, but being accountable, it’s on the fridge along with my weight and so my partner sees it and is able to be encouraging when I need it and give me positive feedback when I’m doing really well.

I seem to see a pattern that I’ll do REALLY well in the first week, I’ll eat healthy and control my cravings, but then somehow around day 7 my strength and willpower not to overdo it sort of leaves me. Does this happen to you guys? What do you do to stop it? It seems so hard to lose the pounds and SO easy to put them back on with just one day of losing my head. Any tips or tricks? I already ensure that my house does not have junk food in it. Thank you for reading this and for giving me advice!

sbjmorgan

I'm five weeks in. Motivation to eat perfectly is waning. But I made logging all my food a habit, so I force myself to log, just like I force myself to get out of bed in the morning. Even if I eat terribly, it's in there.

RodaRose

Do you have some quiet time for yourself?
Do you get enough sleep?
Do you have help with housework?
I found that pre-planing in the diary a day before helps.
Also my hubby and I got ALL the clutter off the kitchen counter and organized the kitchen drawers so that we could prepare meals quickly and easily.

TiberiusClaudis

Yes...it happens to almost all of us..so you are "normal".

We can be "good" for only so long, then something gives. In my world, bodybuilding, when we on our sever diets, usually starting 3 (or more) months out from our shows, we eat below maintenance most of the time, but we do incorporate cheat meals (some of us do cheat days). But this allows are metab to no longer think we are strarving our bodies..and it allows us mentally to enjoy being human again...to eat like regular people do. And it works for most of us.

The key is planning it before hand, so you have something to look forward to. For me...it's pesto or ice cream. My personal trainer knows this and say..TC if you work out really really hard this week, you can have 2 scoops on Sunday. It works.

The other thing is to STAY busy during the time that you feel like grazing. For me, between 8-10 pm is when I have the urge to graze. So I get on this form or read other health websites, drink my water and try to keep my mind off food. In your case, that 7th day is when you want to stay very very busy.

Hope this helps. Keep at it...it is well worth it in the end.

VaxSA

Yes...it happens to almost all of us..so you are "normal".

We can be "good" for only so long, then something gives. In my world, bodybuilding, when we on our sever diets, usually starting 3 (or more) months out from our shows, we eat below maintenance most of the time, but we do incorporate cheat meals (some of us do cheat days). But this allows are metab to no longer think we are strarving our bodies..and it allows us mentally to enjoy being human again...to eat like regular people do. And it works for most of us.

The key is planning it before hand, so you have something to look forward to. For me...it's pesto or ice cream. My personal trainer knows this and say..TC if you work out really really hard this week, you can have 2 scoops on Sunday. It works.

The other thing is to STAY busy during the time that you feel like grazing. For me, between 8-10 pm is when I have the urge to graze. So I get on this form or read other health websites, drink my water and try to keep my mind off food. In your case, that 7th day is when you want to stay very very busy.

Hope this helps. Keep at it...it is well worth it in the end.

^^ All of this. You can do this.

meaghanmcb

I've been the same as you - and I AM the wellness lady . I have 2 degrees in health education, and I've been told I'm a great motivator, yet it can't seem to follow my own advice. I'm an emotional, binge eater and I hide food from my family. This "attempt" has been different.
What worked for me:
I'm a grazer - I like to eat all day long. So why not? I pack my lunch (which I used to hate) but now enlist my 8-year old to help with on Sunday afternoons. She helps, sees me eating healthy, and it seems to keep me motivated to finish making my little packs. 2.5 cup containers filled with raw veggies, fruits in a 1/2 cup container, a tiny container with peanut butter, turkey sausage sticks (yup, high in sodium but low in calories and I accept that trade off for now), snack Baggie of 7 almonds, Greek yogurt tube, Larabars, etc. every morning, and we are SO not morning people, I grab my prepackaged containers out of the fridge and dump them into my bag or lunchbox and run out the door. I graze to me heart's content.
What else motivates me? Well, for the past 14 weeks, I have been weighing myself near daily. Yes, I know my weight fluctuates but FOR ME it helps remind me what I'm working towards. In the middle of this week, I knew I was "up" 2 pounds, and I still opted for a chocolate bar in the afternoon. I walked an extra 10 minutes that night (all the time I could spare) and yesterday I was at the same weight. I log my weight every Sunday, and I write it on my bathroom mirror. Seeing those numbers every single time I look at the mirror reminds me to keep moving. No matter how or what.
I also have a FitBit and that seems to help too. I check it usually around my second bathroom break at work and know if I need to give myself an intervention or not . I have a coworker going through cancer radiation right now, and the doctor told her exercise would help control the hot flashes associated with her meds. For her, taking a lap around our building is more than she's accustomed to, so I often grab her and say "private meeting" which is code for talk and walk, 2 laps, 10 minutes. It's as much for her as it is for me.
Another thing I've been doing - I have a private Facebook group with some family members to share recipes, weight loss tips, and motivation. I googled motivation, weight loss, fitness, etc and saved about 200 images to my computer/iPad. Every single day, I post one to our FB group page - and the effort reminds me that I'm responsible for others, and for myself to live up to their expectations (wether they actually have them or not LOL).
I hope some of these ideas inspire you. Good luck - keep moving forward. Any time you feel you've made a "mistake" - file it away as a lesson learned, and try not to make the same mistake again.