How Do You Keep the Momentum

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  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    I've always been active, and fortunately caught my weight gain pretty early....but once I realized it's not something that really starts or stops, it just kind of clicked. It's life. Every day. It's a choice. And this is how I choose to live.

    I choose to be healthy for my husband and son.

    I choose to be healthy for my wonderful brother, amazing father, and the mother I lost to breast cancer.

    I choose to be healthy for myself because I want to be better each and every day....and because living healthy makes me feel better mentally and physically.
  • spikefoot
    spikefoot Posts: 419
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    anger helps me...

    I am not an angry person by any means, but I am angry when it comes to being out of shape and disliking my body.
  • ChangeIsADecision
    ChangeIsADecision Posts: 709 Member
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    I'm with you on this... I've actually been doing really well with exercise but I'm a FOOD LOVER and I just can't cut anymore out.... I go in spurts - I do really well during the week but the weekend comes and poof... I hang out with friends and my husband and love to enjoy myself too! I guess I should be happy that I'm not gaining...I'm staying within 2-3 lbs every week. Looking forward to seeing everyone suggestions... so many people on here are so motivating and inspirational.....MFP is such a great tool and it's FREEEEEE!!!!!
  • jackieatx
    jackieatx Posts: 578 Member
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    I take pictures of my fat butt and force myself to look at them, very motivating
  • Bagman12002
    Bagman12002 Posts: 216 Member
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    I've stuck to this for over a year, here are a few tricks that I have picked up along the way:-

    1) Small mini goals that can be achieved quickly - the big picture is too far off.
    2) Small rewards for achieving them (not food, mine were beauty products or cheap new clothes)
    3) Visualisation - really focus on seeing the 'new you' for a few minutes every day, very motivating.
    4) Goal outfit - try it on regularly.
    5) Take measurements - these can show progress even when the scale doesnt
    6) Make exercise part of every day - even if its just a walk.
    7) Plan a big treat for your goal celebration - holiday, new experience etc
    8) Record every single item that you eat - its really easy to let little extras creep in which will slow you down.


    Really good Ideas..
  • Paxtonite
    Paxtonite Posts: 22
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    read your goals on your profile page when you feel a slip coming on. it's why you started here in the first place, after all. good luck!
  • ChangeIsADecision
    ChangeIsADecision Posts: 709 Member
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    See here... GREAT SUGGESTIONS!!! Mini goals.... I think I will focus on that!
    I've stuck to this for over a year, here are a few tricks that I have picked up along the way:-

    1) Small mini goals that can be achieved quickly - the big picture is too far off.
    2) Small rewards for achieving them (not food, mine were beauty products or cheap new clothes)
    3) Visualisation - really focus on seeing the 'new you' for a few minutes every day, very motivating.
    4) Goal outfit - try it on regularly.
    5) Take measurements - these can show progress even when the scale doesnt
    6) Make exercise part of every day - even if its just a walk.
    7) Plan a big treat for your goal celebration - holiday, new experience etc
    8) Record every single item that you eat - its really easy to let little extras creep in which will slow you down.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    - consistently make mini goals that require you to always work. it could be stuff like perfecting a healthy recipe version of your favorite unhealthy meal, finishing a 5k, beating your last time/distance on a cardio machine etc. i'm pretty competitive, even with myself :laugh:, so this really works for me

    - think of some good rewards for when you reach your smaller milestones. dont make these food related, either. for instance once i hit 30 pounds i'm getting 3 new nail polishes!!

    - remember the larger reasons for why you wnt to be healthy and be committed to seeing that through. if you're committed to your goal then honestly it's not going to matter how motivated you are to do it.

    - dont beat yourself up when you falter a bit, just continue on. this definitely helps when you slip up on a meal and overeat, just get over it and eat better the next meal
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    You have to want it. You have to want it bad enough to do it even when you hurt, when you don't feel like it, when you're stressed out, when you're cranky, when you're busy.... No excuses. There is no "try" only "do."
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Its not moment you seek.

    It's habit. And a damn great one!
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    Give away your clothes as soon as you ungrow them (can't really say "out" grow, can we?!). You won't have any safe clothes to fall back on, and you can't go to work naked! Well, I can't anyway. :smile: I personally love putting clothes in the giveaway pile.
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,808 Member
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    At first I would google motivationial sayings, image. Then I would find one that talked to me and print it out. When that stopped I would find another. Then I thought heck I am going to write my own. So on a up day (great workout, lost weight, was feeling great) I wrote this out for myself. So this is more for me then anything. A reminder to myself. But maybe some of you can relate to it,

    This for me is a lfestyle change. And life isnt always easy. So if I want to reach and hope keep my goals I have to keep moving forward. Sometime you have to hit the wall and push on through. Before life would happen and I'd use that as a reason to stop. Not for a day or two but just stop until things calm down. You need balance in everything yes. But I dont want life to stop me anymore. A pause may happen. Like a coma in a sentance life may make me pause. However no more end of sentance period stops for me.

    This is a life style change. Not just for when times are easy.

    Regardless of where we are on our journey we all need pick me ups from time to time. Its called being human. Just hang in there. Find something that speaks to you be it a piece of clothing you want, a saying, mini goals with a reward (non food) whatever it is, keep that in front of you always. Then on your up day write your own saying. Something from your heart. Something that you feel. Then add to it on your next really up day. Keep these sayings in a book, a jar whatever and read them often. My fridge is covered with saying that motivate me.

    Just remember it didn't all come on in a day and it wont all come off in a day. Keep at it. Celebrate each little success cause they all lead to the big goal you have.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
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    I've said this in other threads, but for me the biggest challenges have been mental, not physical. I've failed at weight loss in the past because I either got impatient at not losing fast enough, frustrated when I'd hit a plateau, or bored once the novelty of the effort wore off. I realized that if I wanted to succeed THIS time, I had to lose the negative thoughts, and commit myself to sticking this out.

    Six and a half months in, the progress I'm making provides me with all the momentum I need. But those first couple months can be tough, as are the times when you plateau. Those are the times you especially need to keep the positive mental mojo working.

    A couple weeks ago, when I hit my six-month anniversary on MFP, I made a list of the mental tricks that have kept me committed to this and posted it to the message board. I wrote a paragraph about each one, but here's the Reader's Digest version:

    #1 - N I /\/\ - NO INSTANT MIRACLES.
    #2 - LOSE THE DEADLINE - THIS ISN'T A RACE.
    #3 - SET AMBITIOUS GOALS, BUT ACCEPT PARTIAL VICTORIES.
    #4 - I'M NOT PERFECT AT THIS, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO BE TO SUCCEED.
    #5 - DON'T GIVE UP EVERYTHING - LIVE A LITTLE.
    #6 - CELEBRATE LOTS OF SMALL VICTORIES.
    #7 - TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME.
    #8 - VISUALIZE YOUR VICTORIES.

    The full post is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/590668-six-months-in-40-there-and-lessons-learned (#8 was a follow-up comment).

    Hope this helps!
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I just picture that end goal and all the fun I am having shopping in my closet for clothes I have not worn in years because I was too fat for them. I cannot wait for the first time I get to buy "non-plus size" clothes.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
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    Give away your clothes as soon as you ungrow them (can't really say "out" grow, can we?!). You won't have any safe clothes to fall back on, and you can't go to work naked! Well, I can't anyway. :smile: I personally love putting clothes in the giveaway pile.
    I tried doing that once a few years ago. Even got as far as bagging up the clothes to donate, but never got around to dropping them off. It was a dark, dark day when I realized I needed to return those clothes to my wardrobe. :cry: THIS time I need to follow through on getting rid of my "fat" clothes before I have a chance to put the weight back on.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    another thing is to not make too many changes too soon and don't starve yourself. it seems that a lot of people who look at this as a short term diet rather than a lifestyle change are the ones who have the hardest times sticking with it.

    if you are suddenly requiring yourself to exercise 3 hours a day even though you previously did none or doing some very low calorie diet that has you having to choose between an egg or a cup of yogurt because only fits in the calories, then odds are you werent stick with it
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    Give away your clothes as soon as you ungrow them (can't really say "out" grow, can we?!). You won't have any safe clothes to fall back on, and you can't go to work naked! Well, I can't anyway. :smile: I personally love putting clothes in the giveaway pile.
    I tried doing that once a few years ago. Even got as far as bagging up the clothes to donate, but never got around to dropping them off. It was a dark, dark day when I realized I needed to return those clothes to my wardrobe. :cry: THIS time I need to follow through on getting rid of my "fat" clothes before I have a chance to put the weight back on.

    If that happens to me I'm screwed. I already gave them away! I hope you're able to get rid of them for good this time.

    I made a vision board a few years ago as part of a challenge, and I put it on my refrigerator. This helps keep me focused because I see it as soon as I walk into the kitchen. I've filled it in a little more since then.

    vision.jpg
  • amymimi12
    amymimi12 Posts: 51 Member
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    Totally in the same boat! Great post and great advice!
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    You know, a wise man once said...
    Don't stop believin'
    Hold on to the feelin'
    I really do have a wonderful singing voice. You should hear me in the shower. Good luck on your 'Journey'.

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