Where do you dig your motivation from?

NewBallGown

I hear people who have lost weight say, "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" but I just can't identify with them.

I have gone down this road before and lost 50 pounds, but I did not feel any differently at the end. I still had the aspects of my body that I wished weren't there. I wasn't running any marathons. And I still had trouble finding clothes that were cut for my body type.

Back then I had a job that I could walk to and it kept me on my feet all day. I had a gym in my apartment complex that I went to on my days off. But I didn't have to try all that hard to get the weight to come off.

Years later, many emotional events later, the weight is back (plus some) and I'm chained to a desk all day. I don't eat junk food or fast food, so my diet isn't terrible but the weight keeps creeping up. I know I should care to protect my health, but I just can't be motivated to become a gym rat. I love to cook and am around food a lot. When I am the one cooking, food does taste better than thin feels. How do you overcome the emotional fulfillment that food brings?

I am getting to an age where we have to decide if we are going to have kids or not but I am too heavy for what I would consider a healthy pregnancy (5'9" & 227lbs).

I want to care. I want to be motivated. I'm just not. Where do you find the motivation to care enough to do something about the weight?

Helloitsdan

The trick is understanding that it didnt take you 12 weeks to get fat and its going to take longer to lose it the healthy way.
Start out by setting realistic goals.
Take photos of yourself to chart progress and ditch the scale.

Having a firm understanding of how weight loss and fat loss works helps as well.

Check the link on my profile for info and if you have any questions let me know.

Anayalata

From the intense desire to NOT be someone who is sick due to being overweight. People in other places are starving and I'm getting fatter? Sounds like gluttony and ignorance at its strongest.

sollyn

Hi, I love pottering about in the kitchen and have enjoyed the challenge of cooking the most healthy versions of my favourite foods. Also there are so many yummy recipes to try out on this website!
Maybe that would change where your motivation is coming from.
Also, you don't have to be a gym rat to lose weight. I haven't set foot in a gym and have lost 19lbs. I do a bit of swimming a bit of walking a bit of vigorous cleaning etc.

NewBallGown

Wow ... I'm a glutton and ignorant? Thanks for the "support"... do you run a suicide prevention line with hold music too?

MissNations

My motivation comes from the fact that MFP is working for me. I've lost at least 1 lb a week since I started. I feel better and have more energy. I like that my pants are looser and I almost need a new belt. I like feeling smaller and lighter. These things keep me from taking the donuts that people frequently bring in...

NewBallGown

The trick is understanding that it didnt take you 12 weeks to get fat and its going to take longer to lose it the healthy way.
Start out by setting realistic goals.
Take photos of yourself to chart progress and ditch the scale.

Having a firm understanding of how weight loss and fat loss works helps as well.

Check the link on my profile for info and if you have any questions let me know.

Dan - thanks for the tips ... it isn't that I don't know HOW to do it .... its that I'm finding myself not caring enough to just DO it. I need something to kick me into that "I give a crap" zone.

joannezuk

So if you don't care enough to make changes for yourself, you could consider turning your motivation inside out, focusing externally until something does click. Ok, that sounds super-academic. What I mean is best illustrated with an example.

My best friend is 38 years old and has Multiple Sclerosis. A few years ago, I started doing the MS Bike Tour in my community in the effort to raise money to help the researchers find a cure so that I don't lose her prematurely. It's a tough experience - 170km over two days on a bicycle. There is no way you can do it if you don't train. So every year, as the tour approaches, I need to get my butt in gear.

My suggestion - find something you're passionate about and have a personal connection to - cancer, diabetes, heart and stroke - and sign up for an endurance event that is 4-6 months out. Sit down and make a realistic plan for how you'll achieve the goal. As you fundraise, you'll find supporters make a huge difference in motivating you to work out. When they give you money for an event, even if it's a dollar, they expect you to put in the training.

What I always find is that with the exercise comes the food. When you're working hard, your body really does crave the good stuff!

I hope this helps!

d4rkn3ss06

Wow ... I'm a glutton and ignorant? Thanks for the "support"... do you run a suicide prevention line with hold music too?

You asked what was every ones personal motivation!! This wasn't an attack on you it was an answer to your question -__- This was an irrational over reaction!

Helloitsdan

The trick is understanding that it didnt take you 12 weeks to get fat and its going to take longer to lose it the healthy way.
Start out by setting realistic goals.
Take photos of yourself to chart progress and ditch the scale.

Having a firm understanding of how weight loss and fat loss works helps as well.

Check the link on my profile for info and if you have any questions let me know.

Dan - thanks for the tips ... it isn't that I don't know HOW to do it .... its that I'm finding myself not caring enough to just DO it. I need something to kick me into that "I give a crap" zone.

I think when you have your first NSV youll be hooked.
I can show you the road!
Its hilly and long and some places will be scary.
I'll show you but I wont hold your hand.
=D
Just understand that you can eat well, sleep well and workout every once in a while and youll lose the weight.
Join a gym!
Make sure it has a squat rack though and stay far away from weight machines!
=D

bridgie101

I hear people who have lost weight say, "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" but I just can't identify with them.

I have gone down this road before and lost 50 pounds, but I did not feel any differently at the end. I still had the aspects of my body that I wished weren't there. I wasn't running any marathons. And I still had trouble finding clothes that were cut for my body type.

Back then I had a job that I could walk to and it kept me on my feet all day. I had a gym in my apartment complex that I went to on my days off. But I didn't have to try all that hard to get the weight to come off.

Years later, many emotional events later, the weight is back (plus some) and I'm chained to a desk all day. I don't eat junk food or fast food, so my diet isn't terrible but the weight keeps creeping up. I know I should care to protect my health, but I just can't be motivated to become a gym rat. I love to cook and am around food a lot. When I am the one cooking, food does taste better than thin feels. How do you overcome the emotional fulfillment that food brings?

I am getting to an age where we have to decide if we are going to have kids or not but I am too heavy for what I would consider a healthy pregnancy (5'9" & 227lbs).

I want to care. I want to be motivated. I'm just not. Where do you find the motivation to care enough to do something about the weight?

Sorry to be a pain but if you've got no interest in yourself I'd look at my job and my marriage and ask myself what I don't like. Are you trying to avoid the child issue by not dieting? Are you sick of your husband and trying not to turn him on? I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to find out what the wall is in the way. Everyone has motivation unless it is blocked: you have to unblock it and then it will flow again.

As it so happens you don't need motivation to diet. You just need to restrict your calorie intake. As the people above say, and I agree - once the kilos start disappearing it gives you all the motivation you need. I find myself saying 'no, I'll stick to the diet and see what I've lost tomorrow morning!" and it's an exciting adventure, and no privation at all. But the rest of my life is in line, and I spent years overweight without the rest of my life in line. Maybe I'm projecting but I suspect you're in no-man's-land personally and not losing weight is protecting you from something.

If you sit down and ask yourself what is stopping you, you might find your answer and you also might avoid wasting years of your life living in a cocoon you don't enjoy.

shmunster

When people talk of motivation, it reminds me of Michelle Bridges, and her attitude towards motivation

Here is an article which describes it better than I can

http://www.mamamia.com.au/health-wellbeing/heres-the-secret-to-motivation/

This is probably the most important part though

"As the panel discussed some research into how many Australians are overweight, the subject of how to change people’s behaviour came up and I directed a question to Michelle: ”How do we motivate ourselves to exercise? What’s the secret?”

Her answer was surprising.

Basically, Michelle thinks the idea of motivation is bull****. I’m paraphrasing because her mouth is not as potty-ish as mine but that’s her basic view.

Like the rest of us, Michelle doesn’t adore exercise when she’s doing it and she doesn’t particularly look forward to it. And it’s this myth – that we should LOVE exercise and be inspired to do it – that so many of us use as an excuse not to.

Michelle says she’s asked about motivation all the time because people assume she is a motivation machine. But she’s not. “I don’t wake up, pump my fist in the air and go ‘YES! I’M GOING RUNNING! RUNNING! YESSSSSSS!’” she insists. Just like she doesn’t wake up and go “YES! I’M HAVING A SHOWER AND BRUSHING MY TEETH.” Or “YES! I HAVE A DENTIST APPOINTMENT!” It’s just what she does.

If you wait for motivation to magically appear? You’ll still be sprawled on your couch watching The Real Housewives in a decade.

The clouds do not part. Inspiration does not strike. You will probably never be overcome by the urge to exercise. You. Just. Do. It.

It turns out Nike might be onto something. Who knew?"

stephm112

I was always big, overweight from the age of about 7. During the teenage years I'd always say ok I'll loose x amount of weight by summer. Did 1 day of exercise and ate 1 bowl of salad and didn't see a change so carried on eating massive bowls of cheesy pasta and wondered where I was going wrong. I put on even more weight when I was pregnant and when my daughter was 5 months I was like "shhh*it! I'm going to be having to run around after her soon. And making her all this healthy stuff to heat while I was shovelling in cake and fried stuff was a massive wake up call. I cut out fat, well, stopped eating things with more than 5g of fat per 100g. It's worked and I'm nearly at my goal. I've joined a gym, I exercise still eat well but allow myself the odd treat knowing that I can lose the couple of lbs I may put on. It's definitely a lifestyle change. I don't think I could ever eat as much as I used to anyway my stomach wouldn't fit it in!

ChasingSweatandTears

When people talk of motivation, it reminds me of Michelle Bridges, and her attitude towards motivation

Here is an article which describes it better than I can

http://www.mamamia.com.au/health-wellbeing/heres-the-secret-to-motivation/

This is probably the most important part though

"As the panel discussed some research into how many Australians are overweight, the subject of how to change people’s behaviour came up and I directed a question to Michelle: ”How do we motivate ourselves to exercise? What’s the secret?”

Her answer was surprising.

Basically, Michelle thinks the idea of motivation is bull****. I’m paraphrasing because her mouth is not as potty-ish as mine but that’s her basic view.

Like the rest of us, Michelle doesn’t adore exercise when she’s doing it and she doesn’t particularly look forward to it. And it’s this myth – that we should LOVE exercise and be inspired to do it – that so many of us use as an excuse not to.

Michelle says she’s asked about motivation all the time because people assume she is a motivation machine. But she’s not. “I don’t wake up, pump my fist in the air and go ‘YES! I’M GOING RUNNING! RUNNING! YESSSSSSS!’” she insists. Just like she doesn’t wake up and go “YES! I’M HAVING A SHOWER AND BRUSHING MY TEETH.” Or “YES! I HAVE A DENTIST APPOINTMENT!” It’s just what she does.

If you wait for motivation to magically appear? You’ll still be sprawled on your couch watching The Real Housewives in a decade.

The clouds do not part. Inspiration does not strike. You will probably never be overcome by the urge to exercise. You. Just. Do. It.

It turns out Nike might be onto something. Who knew?"

Yep! I love this answer

digitaltara

I hear people who have lost weight say, "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate that saying.

TheAncientMariner

I'm just going to keep it real with you: If you don't care, then you can't possibly hope for someone else to care. What I mean by that is this: Helping others takes energy. Motivating others takes energy. You share in their triumphs and failures. But for those who motivates others, regardless if they fall a thousand times, the energy comes from the individual at least caring enough to take that first step of a thousand mile journey. Good luck to you.

mrsmel55

My husband had a heart attack and nearly died. He ate what I fed him. What a wake up call! I knew it was past time for a lifestyle change if we wanted to live a healthier life. I could hardly walk. I was miserable. I just decided I was going to do this for him and for me. He also wanted to change. He got a heck of a scare. Its a shame you have to get older before you realize how precious life is. And not just life but a good life. Thats what I want for myself. I have lost 34 pounds. Its not easy and I have a long way to go but I decided I am worth it. I want to feel good and feel good about myself. I never really have felt good about myself because I always struggled with weight issues. How sad it that? Do it now, do it while you are young, don't wait for a health crisis to realize you want to live!

Redbird99ky

I am getting to an age where we have to decide if we are going to have kids or not but I am too heavy for what I would consider a healthy pregnancy (5'9" & 227lbs).

I want to care. I want to be motivated. I'm just not. Where do you find the motivation to care enough to do something about the weight?

You are about where I was when I started (@ 5'9", 235+lbs). Quite honestly, no one can make you want to care, except YOU. like others have said, find external reasons for caring ... perhaps use the goal of having kids as motivation/inspiration. For me, it was a combination of things, but the main ones are:
1. Me being a good steward of this body that God gave me so that I can fulfill my mission for Him here on earth.
2. Being healthy for myself and my wife, so that we can enjoy ourselves. I watched my mom and dad's health decline and it was pretty sobering (literally - for me) to see how poor diet and no real exercise can tear your health down. Dad suffered from diabetic neuropathy, largely as a result of diet and alcohol. Mom was in pretty good health when dad got sick but she wore herself down caring for him.
3. I would like to be able to see my granddaughters grow up. Kinda hard to do if I'm not able to get around.

That being said, I am FAR from a gym rat, and, for me, don't feel that I need to be one to get healthy. I DO walk ALOT as part of my normal day, and then at home with the dogs. I want to stay active, so that I can stay healthy, and I need to stay healthy so that I can stay active.

I hear people who have lost weight say, "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" but I just can't identify with them.

I have gone down this road before and lost 50 pounds, but I did not feel any differently at the end. I still had the aspects of my body that I wished weren't there. I wasn't running any marathons. And I still had trouble finding clothes that were cut for my body type.

Back then I had a job that I could walk to and it kept me on my feet all day. I had a gym in my apartment complex that I went to on my days off. But I didn't have to try all that hard to get the weight to come off.

Years later, many emotional events later, the weight is back (plus some) and I'm chained to a desk all day. I don't eat junk food or fast food, so my diet isn't terrible but the weight keeps creeping up. I know I should care to protect my health, but I just can't be motivated to become a gym rat. I love to cook and am around food a lot. When I am the one cooking, food does taste better than thin feels. How do you overcome the emotional fulfillment that food brings?

The "emotional fulfillment" that food brings is a myth. Just like the "emotional fulfillment" that alcohol brings is a myth. We are trying to fill a void in our souls that cannot be filled. Check out www.therecoverygroup.org for more information on food addictions. Those emotional events that you have had over the years may have taken their toll on you, both physically and mentally, and may also have warped your perspective on how you view food, relationships and circumstances.

I hope these answers help. Please feel free to add me as a friend if you would like. Given that I am in a 12 step program (AA), I feel I may be able to offer some help and insight.

Mceastes

OK, so this is totally normal. Don't do it for external reasons if those aren't motivating - having a kid, looking good, etc. Do it cause it will make YOU feel good. Not right away maybe, but give it time. Being fit and strong is one of those things where when you don't do it, you don't see what the big deal is. But when you are doing it, you realize how good it feels. It's kind of like watching someone else play a sport or ride a roller coaster - you have to experience it, not just watch it, to get what the big deal is. I'd figure out what you enjoy - do you like to dance, are you competitive, do you enjoy being alone or do you want company? If you start with things you like, you'll be more likely to stick to it. If you want company, sign up for classes or join a running group (all levels of fitness are welcome). There are so many ways to burn calories and have fun - don't do something you don't want to do. Also, do you have a good friend in the same boat who needs to start walking or working out? If so, then team up. Walks and runs go by much faster with a friend.

I hate that phrase "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" as well. That's crap. It's not about never eating a pizza or ice cream ever again. I eat those things in moderation and I can stay at my goal weight. But don't look at what you have to give up, look at what you'll get. For me, finishing a race with my best time or sweating in a dance class and laughing with other women is rewarding. And the more you do it, the more you feel rewarded by it. When you're new or not good at something yet, it's not always enjoyable, so give yourself time to get good at something physical and you'll get addicted to improving and not want to go back. And when you exercise regularly, you really earn your treats!

Saruman_w

I want to continue to strive to be better. I don't want to be down in the dumps again hating myself 'cause I felt fat, ugly and useless. I want to remain fit and healthy for as long as possible so one day if I ever get kids I want to teach them to be healthy too.

tabulator32

From the intense desire to NOT be someone who is sick due to being overweight.

^^^^ This.

Three months ago, I couldn't keep any food down for a week because I had finally worn away my stomach lining with coffee and eating whatever I wanted. I weighed close to 240. I could only drink soy milk and gatorade for a week while my doctor had me taking Zantac AND Prilosec each day for the next month. They told me some people have to take the stuff every day the rest of their lives. I winced each time I tried to eat something solid because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep it down.

That was it. I was not going to be that person. I changed my eating habits and my menu. I ate a ton of vegetables. I drank a gallon of water every day. I exercised more.

This morning, I weighed in at 192 for about the third day in a row and, this evening, I jogged a solid 10 minute mile non-stop. (Haven't done that since I was in the Navy a couple decades ago.)

I am eating pretty much whatever I want including those tomatoes, pizza sauce and other acidic foods I could not touch in the weeks prior. I haven't had bacon in three months. I had one shot of espresso in a soy latte in three months (just the other day as a treat...didn't really crave it).

What is my motivation? Three months ago, my motivation was to not be sick.

This morning? My motivation is continuing to feel awesome each day as I get out of bed.

Your motivation will change as you make your own journey.