How to get/stay motivated???

CarliFries

So my mother-in-law just showed me this site and I'm stoked to get started! I think it's so cool that this is also a social network, but not one that you share your entire life on (Facebook gets tiring to me at times). I'll welcome any advise from any of you as I start this new goal of mine... I'd love to hear how you guys all keep motivated to eat healthy and stay on track, especially how you get your SPOUSE to be motivated and get them wanting to do the same.

mistyb47711

Welcome!!..having friends on here is great they offer so much support and when you need it stern advice....I think once you get started and your spouse see's the difference they will start looking at it different...Most spouse's just think uh oh another diet..but this isnt a diet it is a lifestyle change and when they see that it makes a big difference they accept it....So welcome and feel free to add me as a friend if you need support and I can always use some more support myself.

Rompa_87

So my mother-in-law just showed me this site and I'm stoked to get started! I think it's so cool that this is also a social network, but not one that you share your entire life on (Facebook gets tiring to me at times). I'll welcome any advise from any of you as I start this new goal of mine... I'd love to hear how you guys all keep motivated to eat healthy and stay on track, especially how you get your SPOUSE to be motivated and get them wanting to do the same.

You probably won't have a lot of success motivating your significant other unless they actually want to change. Best way is to succeed yourself and lead by example.

Best way to keep motivated is to set yourself specific mini goals with deadlines along the way to keep up a sense of achievement on the way to your goal. For example, I believe in training for fitness first and losing weight as a by product. So when I first started I aimed to run 12km in 16 weeks within 1hr 15min.

Once I achieved it I had lots weight and was healthier then set to do a half marathon within 6 months etc and then to do triathlons and eventually as I got much fitter I got in shape as well and stayed motivated

stevemcknight

Everytime I'm thinking of eating an apple pie or reece's - I just reach down and grab my belly fat.... it's enough to keep me away!

As for spouse - the only success I've seen in this department, is leading by example. It seems the longer one is health conscious (and proves it's not just a "phase") the other will jump in (or more likely, slowly dip his/her toe in.)

CarliFries

Wow you guys are quick! I love the support group - thanks! I really like the idea of training for fitness first. I know my husband wants to lose weight - he just lacks the motivation. We both want our high school/freshman year of college bodies back haha. I'm 22 and newly married, only been married 6 months. I've never had to lose weight before because I was an athlete and have always had a really fast metabolism (and still do, but I would like to keep an eye on it, as I've been gaining weight more easily as I've gotten older). I have 23 lbs to lose to be at my ideal 115 lb goal and don't know if I'm even capable of losing weight because I've never tried it! I guess the inches are really what matter more to me, I am okay with the size I am now (for the most part - I wouldn't mind being a size smaller), but I really need to get toned up again. Do you find that you need to eat super healthy, or can you eat things you enjoy, as long as you control your portions and don't get stuff that will kill you (like a Twinkie, my least favorite food in the world)?

CassandraD82

Welcome! I'd love to add you as a friend, too

I agree with the posters above: you succeeding (and more often than not it's not about losing weight but being able to stick to MFP for the long haul...) will inspire those around you to make the change.

How to stay motivated? I find that I always negotiate with my "cravings" now I can't ever seem to say "No, never eating bad food again!" so instead I promise myself, say, a breakfast out WITH hollandaise sauce if I do one more run interval/keep under my calorie limit for the rest of the week etc.

But I think the most important thing to do is remind yourself that eating healthier 95% of the time with the occasional slip up is better than eating whatever you want 100% of the time and feeling that your weight is out of your control.

You can do anything! Including reaching your goal weight!