Need motivation

adcz75

Hi everyone! I am new here, too. I have about 25 lbs. to lose and am having lots of trouble finding the motivation. I have 3 kids, work full time, and stay very busy. I have the opportunity to get to the gym, and don't always follow through. I'm trying to take the first step to make it happen and stick. I AM my worst enemy, unfortunately.

mleipe

Do you have an iPod or something similar? When I start to lose my motivation to go to the gym I'll create a playlist of a bunch of my favourite high-energy tunes, especially those I haven't listened to in a long time, and will look forward to listening to that while I work out.

knyholm

I do the iPod thing too. I find that the right song really gets me going. The first step is getting to the gym though. I have a workout buddy and we are accountable to each other, so we are committed to going. Is there someone you can go to the gym with?

Tereztaylor07

I workout first thing in the morning. I get it out of the way, and I don't have all day to think of excuses not to do it.

auntiebabs

I just got to the 25lb mark...

My theory was small and consistent change.

Here's how I started:

1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
(although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)

2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
(Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)

4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress.
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me I did the math to find out the calories needed to maintain my goal weight and my current weight and I gave myself a range with 1200 as my rock bottom, lose 1 lb/wk as my target and maintain my goal weight as the top of my range. As long as I keep within in this range I'll lose. I tend to naturally zig zag my calories 3-4 at very close to my target and then a higher calorie day closer to the top of my range.

As long as I stayed under maintain my current weight calories I won't gain. So no need to throw in the towel, just pick-up where I left off.

Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people nee the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as acheivable. I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.)

I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.

I did have to take a break for a month due to a health scare, but otherwise I kept with the slow and steady approach. Took me 9 months (including the month off) At first I lost at the rate of about 3 lbs per month, but the closer you get to the goal the slower it goes. So be patient and hang in there.

Good Luck

aly1221

Make sure it's fun. I feel like the main reason people don't like to work out is because they don't always feel like it's fun. So do just that. Do the main work outs you do at the gym but if they have a class you want to try, set out part of your work out time for that. I feel like when I'm having fun or know I'll have fun working out, I'm more excited.
Another thing that could help is going with a friend, it keeps you accountable and you can support eachother during work outs

Good Luck!!

adcz75

Ok,this is me.

I'm 36 and have 3 kids.

I work out occasionally, but have trouble staying motivated. I am agile enough to be pretty athletic, although I don't do any sports.

I eat healthy for the most part. I eat the same thing for breakfast each day (one egg on toast with a slice of RF cheese), I typically eat a sandwich for lunch (wheat bread, RF Olive Oil mayo, oven roasted turkey)

I like veggies, although this is the only time I regularly eat them since they are fresh and everywhere.

I was a beanpole as a youngster, meaning I can be thin. I have the build to be thin.

My problem areas are 1) thighs 2)hips 3) tummy in that order. Tummy is just since my 3rd child.

I lose control at night. I'm a nightowl. When I stay up late, I get hungry. Even if I'm not hungry, I'll snack. This is when I crave usually crunchy/salty, sometimes sweets. I enjoy my nights becuase it is my only alone time. I just need to learn to do it healthy, and not sabbotage myself.

I have trouble seeing the end of the weight loss journey. I see one lb. at a time, grow impatient, and get weak. Then I give up.

I have no idea how to exercise effectively. I am good at cardio, but I am intimidated by weight training b/c I have no clue of the order, the rotation, the reps, whatever.

I like to run.

I am reading Bethenny Frankel's Natuarlly Thin. She says to list who you are, and what works and does not work for you. I guess this is it.

mleipe

Late night snacking is a killer! In fact, I did a bit of it myself last night.

Alcoholics Anonymous will tell you that you should never get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired because these will put you into emotional states in which you are inclined to drink. I strongly believe that the same principles apply to weight loss.

Understanding this idea has helped me quit smoking, cut my alcohol consumption down to a very respectable and non-destructive level, and helped me onto a two-pound-per-week weight-loss track for several weeks now.

When you're staying up late, especially if you're doing it alone, you're putting yourself into a position in which you are very vulnerable to the urge to eat! Find something else to do with that late-night time - knit or poke around at a musical instrument or do something else that uses at least your hands, if not your mouth, too. On those rare occasions that I find myself watching TV or a movie, I've usually got a guitar in my hands, noodling around with scales. I can't eat while I'm doing that.

Hey, a pound at a time is the way it goes, same as running a marathon takes a step at a time!

Agree that you need to make your work-out fun! I do that with my iPod but there are other ways to do it.

How old are your kids? Can you get active with them? My hyper-fit 15-year-old son has recently discovered cycling and I'm having a blast - not to mention burning massive amounts of calories - chasing him around on my bike.

Good luck, and hang in there!

adcz75

Thanks, mliepe!

I do have 3 kids that keep me going. My brother is in AA, and we have discussed that same thing. An addiction or habit is hard to break whether it is alcohol, smoking, or food. I need to recognize the vulnerable situation and stick to my guns. I am really good all day, and wreck it at night. So far, so good today, and I am goind to bed!