How do you stay motivated?

dagreen419

Good Morning all, I am on the brink of 50lbs lost and feel good about where I am. My doc wants another 25-30 gone for me to be at my healthy weight. I am having motivation issues, this week has been horrible, little exercise topped off with dinner from Papa Johns last night. I want to lose the rest of the weight, but I am just burned out. How do you all keep going?

bkthomas2004

Its all mental. You have to find what makes you happy or something to get the fire under your butt. We all get off track here and there so no need to be bummed. But for me, I motivate myself by thinking about how far I've come along and imagine the reward and pride I'll feel when I reach my goal. I also look at others I may aspire to look like physically, the clothes I hope to someday buy, etc. I never deprive myself of the foods I want because I know I will go overboard down the line if I don't eat them. Also, I'm not too sure about your workout regime, but maybe try some new exercise dvds, or join a class at a gym or rec center, being around others has helped give me an extra push too. HTH some.

ShellBelle76

Congrats on the 50lbs! That's quite an accomplishment!

Have you tried shaking up your workout routine? Trying something different?
A lot of times I get bored with my workout and I don't feel like doing it. I end up not doing it. So now I try to do different things. It's helped me out a lot.
Also, try not to think of it as being on a diet. Think of it as a lifestyle change because that's really what it is! You want to keep the weight off right? You'll have to continue what you're doing now.


I know it's hard but sometimes just your attitude about something makes all the difference. Good luck and keep up the good work!

Cmccracken1

pure fear of becoming what i was... i am at the same point i have lost right at 40 lbs and i need about 10 more but i feel awesome where i am,,, i have stopped looking at my weight every day, But this is a lifestyle change for me, so i am still running 5k at least 3 times a week and if i eat a lot of crap during the day then i make sure i get a good run in. Also i am still tracking all my food because i really think i just never realized how many calories in a day i was eating.

DanOhh

Give yourself rewards for making weight goals. Such as every 10lbs. lost get yourself something fun (not food).

sightnowchanging

What really helped me was just saying to myself, "You can do this. It's not as hard as you're making it seem." Because really, when you think about it, you're doing this for yourself. You want to look good, feel good, and be healthier, and no one is making you eat anything that will impede your progress (well... most of the time). I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a "normal" person in the sense that I just wake up, eat whatever I want for breakfast, and go through the day eating whatever I feel like. I track my food, plan my meals, and maybe even think about what healthy foods and exercises I'm going to eat/do next. But you know what? That makes me feel good! These days, I'm proud of myself for being different than most and tracking what I eat. I'm proud that I've been lifting weights, losing weight, and eating healthily. I've learned so much about nutrition on this journey and that's something that I'm going to pass on to my family someday. It's something I try to share with my family right now, as well. And it would be hypocritical of me to tell them what foods are and are not good for them, and then I just sneak ten spoonfuls of peanut butter when no one is watching. You know?
I don't want to stray too far off topic here... haha. My other big motivator as of late is my two buddies who are also up and coming fitness freaks like me. It really pushes you to have competition with someone!

I hope this helps, even just a little bit.

Hang in there man. Just remember, you're doing this for yourself. Only you can make this happen.

NeshBeMe

My motivation comes from seeing myself naked!! Sad but true. I'm at my heaviest and know I don't want to go another day not doing something about it. Setting an end result reward for yourself (e.g. a vacation, a new watch, etc.) to also be a motivator. There's nothing wrong with having Papa Johns every now and then, just remember moderation and exercise. And when all else fails, sign into MFP and let your new friends help get you going!!! You can do it!!

mlrtym44

Constantly change up your routines. I get bored with just doing the same stuff so I have to change it up a lot. I tried doing P90X, but got so sick of it after about 45 days. He may change stuff up but you are still watching the same crap and listening to him talk and talk and talk..... I have also found that if i take a week off of all working out every 45 days to 60 days it helps me remotivate. It is like i enjoy doing it all over again. Just don't go crazy eating that week off. because of my work I actually took about 2 weeks off and still saw weight loss. No that could simply be muscle loss, but it really motivated me to get back in the gym!

Hope this helps a little. Keep it up though. The worst thing ever is working your butt off to give up and gain it all back. What takes a year to lose can come back in like a month!

LorinaLynn

On the other hand... there's no saying you can't take a break and do "maintenance" for a week or so. Even just changing your goals to lose a half pound a week instead of one pound a week gives more wiggle room. Taking a little longer to reach your ultimate goal is better than burning yourself out.

Steph_135

I love the suggestions above. I've lost 70 lbs over the years, and MFP support has been great over the past year!

* Make sure you have people watching what you are doing and checking in with you.
* Reach the chapter "Motivation" from Bob Greene's book "Keep the Connection".
* Look at yourself in the mirror, and if you've got some muscle, flex it. Remember that YOU LOOK AWESOME!! And tell this to yourself often. You are making these changes to keep looking and feeling awesome.
* Remind yourself why you are going to achieve your goals. Write all the reasons why you will be successful on a piece of paper, and read it morning noon and night (or just morning, if three times is too much).
* Visualize yourself achieving your goal weight. Think about it everyday!
* Think about how great working out and eating right makes you feel.
* When you don't feel like working out, just put on your workout clothes, put on some music, start the process you usually do before you work out (in my case, put on a DVD), and don't think about it. JUST DO IT! Go through the motions and once you get started, it ALWAYS becomes more fun once you get started. Getting started can be the hardest part.

That's some stuff that I do, and try to do often. Good luck!! :drinker:

healthyjen342

make yourself a before and after picture comparison...you will be amazed by the differences!

BTW, congrats on losing 50! WOOHOO!

BR1986FB

First, congrats on your progress.

What keeps me motivated is a) I LOVE working out and b) I know that someday I won't be able to and I want to "make hay while the sun is shining."