help me !! I've lost my motivation . . . . . .

NWfluffy

Only 3 weeks on MFP. It's a great tool & I was doing great. Then went out to dinner w/ friends, exercised NO discipline, and can't get it back. Help!!! My gym bag sits in the car as I drive past the gym, I've been eating everything that doesn't move out of the way fast enough. I'm back wallowing in my bad time -- those couple of hours in the early afternoon when I'm home alone and can relax with a book and baaaaad snacks. I need help/encouragement/a good butt kicking! My 13 year old just came home from school & I asked her to drag me to the gym when the childcare opens up later this afternoon. Please help me flip that switch back to "good" from where it is now. Thanks, friends!!!

Starkle09

I know how you feel. Once youve started to get back into the old habits its easy to keep going. Maybe when u have some time alone u could go for a walk instead of being at home where all the bad stuff is. Also so me it helps on my walks to not take any money so im not tempted to buy anything along the way. Best of luck to you!

bearlysgirl

just remember that one day of poor eating doesn't ruin three weeks of effort. and everyday that you let pass without exercise, makes it one day harder to come back to it. show your daughter what a great role model you are:) keep up the good work that you have started!!!

dd122436

I'm in the same place as you today...I was doing awesome and today is just a bust after having bad late night snacks last night. (buttered toast with sugar) I'm not planning on exercising today and basically just want to go back to bed....I had perogies for breakfast! aaaaahhhhhh, sorry I can't help, but hopefully someone else can?

cmriverside

Get off that perfectionist train.


It's an accident waiting to happen.


You ate out and you feel you failed. You merely ate out.


You only fail if you quit.

shallo

It seems so much harder to get restarted than it was to get started. I've been slacking a lot lately.

maryriffle

I am so there with you. I lose my motivation very quickly. Then I get down again. Try again. Give up. Try again. It's a vicious cycle. I think if we keep trying eventually it becomes a habit. Good Luck.
:happy:

chardawg80

Gotta tell yourself you can do it....focus on the prize.....tell yourself you will NOT give in....Start out by sticking to your diet for 6 of the 7 days.....give yourself 1 day off.

Eat 6 small meals and drink 16oz of water at 4 of the six meals (will make you feel less hungry):
Breakfast, Mid-morning snack (apple, fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt), Lunch, Mid-afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack.

6 meals/day will kick your metabolism into high gear...Focus on healthy foods like veggies and fruits..

It's hard at first...but the prize at the end is worth more than the struggle...the better shape you are in, the more you want, and the harder you will fight to achieve it....

Below are the lyrics from a popular rapper that fit quite appropriately here....

♪♫'Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength and just pull it out of you and get that motivation
to not give up and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.♪♫

~Eminem, Till I collapse~


BEST OF ALL, get the support you need here...these people are wonderful and will lift your spirits and motivation higher than ever....you can do it...but it takes some inner strength and focus...

Good luck!

dawnw30

You can do it...check out the success stories posts and see how great these people are looking - you could be there too! Don't give up!! :flowerforyou:

Jconner30

First, set aside ONE day - such as Sunday or Saturday (preferabally the day you are not working out) to splurge on 'bad' foods that are really high in everything. Look forward to that day - dont splurge before or after that day (unless you change the day due to schedule conflicts). I use Saturday because I do a really hard workout on Friday. I call this my 'couch potato day'. You need that day for your muscles to rest and grow.

DONT feel discouraged! That leads to BINGE EATING!! If you 'throw in the towel' then you will gain all the weight you lost PLUS some and that leads to worse eating habits. Set a realistic goal. Each time you achieve those goals, scream it to the world! You need to celebrate victories! My short term goal is to reach 229 pounds. I have been in the 230's for over a month and yes I was VERY discouraged, but, that is human nature. Smile, follow the goals you set. Understand that you may only lose a pound a week or every two weeks at first - OR - you may actually GAIN some weight. If you gain and you are working out - you are gaining muscle faster than you are losing fat. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn just because they are there.

Starting weight: 240 (7 days ago)
Today's weigh in: 231 YEA!!! only 2 pounds to go!! I will be there by Friday!!!! VICTORY!!!!!!

bean177

it's VERY easy to slip!!! Just remember that every morning is a new opportunity to start out and continue "right". Too many slips make a pattern and before you know it, the pounds are on!
p.s. - get the baaaaadddd stuff out of your house!!! I have a problem when I have to smell the food at work (lunch) or have it accessible to me - was tooo much temptation for me to resist!!!!!!!!! B

micki59

Boy, do i hear you! How easy it is to lose and hard to get it back! The longer I avoid whatever it is the harder it is to re-start. I have to ask myself to I want to go back to the beginning and have to start ALL over again and lose any ground i've gained or just start doing it again.

Pam3

it was one day, dont make a month...come on lets get back to the gym, healthy eating , tracking all these things will be good for and make you happy...good luck

lbewley3

Been there a couple times over the last 2 years. Blew the food intake and next day wanted to say the hell with it, but have found that doing a bit of exercise, even a 10 minute walk, reminds me how much better I feel physically and more importantly, mentally, when I am taking care of myself. I'll never go back - I've learned that this is a lifetime commitment and will face choices every day. I've also found that some of my best weight loss weeks included a holiday, party, or some other event where I've overeaten but don't that that one occasion blow the whole week. Hang in there and try to do a little exercise to change your mental state.

mardavlais

I lost my motivation after I injured my feet... for two days I binged because I was depressed I wouldn't be able to do my regular exercise routine. Then I decided to simply find something else to do to burn the calories - so I joined the gym and started doing exercises that would have little to no impact on my feet. I may not weigh any less than when I joined, but am I *ever* stronger.

Shortly thereafter, I lost my motivation after we had a party... then there was the recovery. For a moment, I let myself go into doom and gloom for gaining 2 lbs - then decided I can't let all my hard work go to waste. I'm totally back on the wagon and have set a higher goal than before. I can do it - and YOU can too!

Nothing feels as good as losing a dress size or two, ya know? ...

bcattoes

So, do you really want to be overweight and pig out more than you want to be healthy and slim and not pig out? Do you? If not, then ask yourself that question everytime you drive past the gym. Or if the gym isn't fun for you. Do some other form of exercise. Walk, run, squat, bike, hike, Zumba, dance, step, lift , push. Do something.

If you're hungry then eat. But ask yourself the question first. Because do you really want that particular food or that much food more than you want to reach your goal?

Only you can answer that question, and only you can do it. It may not be easy, but you CAN do it.

LG61820

Take a walk or run or dance around your living room. When I'm not active my motivation goes into hiding and my general overall mood deteriorates. You don't have to go to the gym to burn calories. Get up and take a walk!

melsinct

My motivation is I don't want to be fat. I can't believe that has kept me going for 4 months, including a big ol' plateau, but it did. I simply am tired of being fat.

One bad day does not ruin weight loss. Next time you have a dinner out with friends and eat a lot, chalk it up to a "cheat meal" and move on (just don't do that regularly!). Every time I have a bad eating (or drinking) day, I get back on track the next day and I log every little terrible thing I ate. Then I move on. It is never to late to start over again!

kmarx65

Hey! Are you living my life???? I had the same struggle yesterday. I got home, picked up a book and raided the house for snacks! Try to not look at the big picture. Try to look at just the next 5 minutes, then the next 5 minutes etc. You know the ol' saying, "If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow you tinkle all over today."

GetFitE

I've been in the position of being off motivation (several times actually), so there are several things I do to find motivation again:

a) I have a couple of friends that I text and Facebook with--so when I'm losing motivation, I usually text them and seek them for motivation. I have a friend & we're very blunt with each other--so we tell each "gotta get to the gym so we're not fatties". Seeing exercise posts on Facebook from my friends usually will help me find motivation again because I feel bad that they're working out hard and I have nothing to post along with theirs.

I constantly tell myself that I'm doing this for me so that I can live a healthy lifestyle. I try to remember how I feel after I workout (which is 9x out of 10 is AMAZING) and I feel more productive mentally if I get a workout in (even if I haven't done ANYTHING else for the day).

C) Another thing is to remember your goal(s) and think futuristically: how will you feel when you get to your goal weight? And tell yourself in order to get there, you gotta put the work in. Just take it day-by-day. I know the journey isn't easy (I've been losing weight for 3 years now), but when I slip-up, I just tell myself not to feel guilty and to just do better the next day. And add mini-goals along the way "If I eat great for 6 days, on day 7 I will get myself a pedicure, or if I workout 5x a week for 3 weeks, I'll buy myself some new workout gear). My boyfriend and I came up with a mini-goal of if I workout 5x a week, he'll give me a foot massage--so that motivates me to get up and get going cause I LOVE massages! So maybe have set up an incentive program with your significant other.

D) Also, if you're finding it hard to get to the gym in the afternoon--try going earlier in the day if possible--like wake up and just get the workout in, that way you get it over with and it's out-of-sight/out-of-mind for the rest of the day. I say try that for a few days and then that should help you get that "good feeling" back and you'll be more inclined to find the desire to go in the afternoons, or whenever you're going.

E) and Last, but not least, find a class to take. I took a kickboxing class a while back ago and INSTANTLY fell in love--when I am losing motivation, I try to find time to go take a class. Check facebook/groupon/livingsocial/etc for class deals in your area--there's usually a ton of them, or personal trainer sessions and what-not. I just got a 1 month unlimited kickboxing class coupon for $20, which is SO worth it. Or look for dance studios in your area that you can pay to take one or two classes or something. This will help you find something you enjoy doing that you might be able to add into your regular routine.

I hope all these suggestions help!

mary127

Wow, I think after you see how many people have replied to this post and read everything they say that THAT would definitely help motivate you! :bigsmile: Some of the things I was going to say have already been covered. Just the fact that you spoke up and asked for some help from everyone out there should help you! You're in the right spot for support, that's for sure! When I was six weeks into MFP (and doing great) I was able to get away for a very rare few nights alone with my husband and went to Las Vegas (talk about opportunity to blow everything you worked on!). :noway: I told myself it was okay to enjoy my time away and I ended up having a blast, enjoying some food & drink but didn't feel like I was overdoing anything. We also walked all over so I picked up the pace to make it more of a fitness walk rather than browsing. When I got home I was so happy because we had a great time, was able to eat & drink, and found myself ready to work hard again. In the past when I had tried other diets, etc., I just went back to my old ways. But I found it different this time, knowing that I had friends here at MFP and when I read everyone's posts I see a lot of people are like me and have good and bad days and it just motivates me to stick with this and keep going. Good luck!! :flowerforyou: