Not trying to be annoying, but please help me out guys.
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Small life changes. Something i can stick with, every day. Like brushing my teeth earlier, so I won't snack late at night, for example.
Or waking up on time, and going to bed 'on time'. Little things like that, that improve over all health and performace. They keep me focused on the bigger picture.0 -
People can offer you encouragement and inspiration but true motivation is all internal.
We either have that drive or need to find a way to ignite it.
To light that fire, be honest, and answer for yourself:
Why do I want to be healthy and fit? Discover the real answer, and attach great pleasure to that as you set your goals.
Feel and experience that joy when you think of being healthy and fit.
And then ask yourself why do you NOT want to be fat?
Connect with that reason burning pain that you can really feel every time you think about being fat.
This is the key to internal motivation.
Few people can actually do this which is why most people fail in their efforts over and over.
Take the time to do this, and you'll touch off a powder keg of determination and drive.
Sure, you may have challenges; we all do, but you'll keep punching and reach your goals.
All Is Possible!
^^^^
This!
Bobby, well said my friend. Well said! This is so true. No one can motivate you but yourself. I am my biggest cheerleader now. When I finally tapped into why and why not the rest fell into place.0 -
You didn't lose 10 pounds of fat in a week and you also didn't gain 5 pounds of fat in a week. Your wild fluctuations in weight are simply due to water loss or build up in your system.
To even things out and get an accurate idea of how much you truly weigh you need to drink plenty of water EVERY day and balance out your sodium(salt) intake to around 2500 mg per day. Every pre-packaged item, every trip to a fast food joint is loading you up with sodium which causes you to bloat with water and think you are heavy. Then you go without all that extra sodium and the water is flushed out of your system and you think you've lost weight.
Once you take control of what you are eating and see some honest results it will become sort of addictive eating healthy. You will look forward to your successes and you will continue to lose weight over time.0 -
you had lost 10 lbs. Didn't THAT motivate you? And I don't think a BET will be effective long term. Set some small goals for yourself (walk a certain amount of miles per week, etc) It took years to put the weight on so taking it off doesn't happen overnight.0
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Take the bet off the table. Don't make it a competition. Just support each other and encourage each other. It seems like the wager is causing too much stress.0
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Get off the roller coaster, and get on the trolley. slow and steady.
^^ THIS!!! Stop looking at it as a diet, and start looking at it as a lifestyle change. What kind of activities do you find fun? Find a way to incorporate exercise into them! For example - I like being outside, exploring nature... so I found a nature walking trail and walk/jog it! Do you like to dance? Try a zumba class - and as far as food, look for good healthy foods, not packaged things that are easy to just rip open the bag and eat. I find I'm more apt to eat the healthy food if I had to take some time to get it ready - ie a salad, or a chicken dish. Peruse the internet for healthy recipes - there are a ton of them out there!!
But ultimately, the motivation and change has to come from within you - what is your main purpose for wanting to lose weight/get healthy? Find a way to think of that - EVERY DAY. If it's becuae you want to look sculpted, find pictures and hang them somewhere - like the fridge. If it's family, same thing... Good luck! You can do this!!!0 -
Losing 10 pounds in a week is a LOT...I am not surprised you went back up a little.
Having a weight loss contest isn't that healthy a way to lose, either. Sure you will lose but you will end up putting more back on and that's more of a motivation killer for me than my body evening things out. You both need to take your time. Set up goals of a few pounds a month.
If you are only into this a week and you are ready to give up, you probably aren't ready to lose. Its not a race...its a lifelong commitment. Are you ready to stick with the program of eating healthy for the rest of your life? Because that's what it means.0 -
If exercise and food are boring then I think you're doing it wrong. There are tons of good, diet-friendly foods out there and tons of good ways to exercise. If you're bored with what you're doing, find a way to fit your weight loss goals into what you like to do instead of what you think you're supposed to do.
^ This. It is absolutely true that neither have to be boring. If it is boring you are doing it wrong. Find exercise you like to do or try new things you haven't done before. You may discover an exercise you enjoy that you didn't think you would.
Foods. There are so many sites out there where you can search for healthy recipes for free. For example, http://www.skinnytaste.com/ . Heck, you can even go on Pinterest and find a zillion. When I first started out though, to make it easier on me and my family, I subscribed to a $5/mo service that delivered a weekly dinner menu and shopping list to my inbox. I printed it out, went shopping, came home and made dinner. Usually in 30 mins. The link is on my profile page if you are interested in checking it out.
Don't give up! Find a support group or someone to go to the gym with if you need motivation. I would think your buddy would but don't know based on what you wrote. Hope this helps!0 -
I am back on the weight loss roller coaster and I always seem to make it a little over a week and then I lose motivation. Well it's that time. I've been at it for a little over a week and I've gone from 195 to 185 and now I'm back at 190. I am in this with my friend and we have a small wager on each weigh-in. Tomorrow is the weigh in and I think this is going to be a time that I weigh more this week than last. I don't know how to keep myself motivated. The exercise and food is becoming boring. Any motivation or support is greatly appreciated. How do you keep things interesting?
As already said by others - motivation is different for everyone. I work as a software developer (pro nerd) so for me - it's the numbers. I obsessively track every little thing I can because while I may not always see progress in the mirror, the numbers simply don't lie. I can see that I added 5 lbs to that lift over the last workout. I can see that I did 2 more reps this time, etc.
The key word is *sustainable*. You can go on a drastic diet and workout twice a day, 7 days a week. But are you gonna do that for the rest of your life? Of course not. Small changes, baby steps. It adds up.
As also stated - there's no way you lost 10 lbs in a week that wasn't water weight unless you were morbidly obese to begin with. When it all comes down to it - weight loss comes down to simple math/physics. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Start tracking what you eat on MFP. Get a fitbit or similar device and track how much you're burning. Sustainable weight loss isn't about "dieting" - it's about changing your habits. If you "diet" you will continue to stay on that roller coaster. If instead you making eating right (and more importantly- reasonable amounts) a habit - then your life will change.
You only have to repeat something 21 consecutive times (on average) before it becomes a habit. So there's a goal for you - eat right for 21 days. On day 22 it will feel weird if you DONT do it.
But really - you have to find what works for you. If it's having buddies on MFP who will say "good job" then so be it. If it's having girls check you out because you look good, then so be it. If it's watching the ring around your midsection (assuming you have one) melt away in the mirror - then so be it. The point is - you need to find what works for YOU.
Good luck!0 -
Why is the food boring? You can still eat the same food just in moderation. Use a smaller plate and don't fill it up. Find a half a cup measuring cup and measure your food. Eat healthy cutting out as much fast food as you can. If you buy a whopper, next time eat the JR whopper instead. You have to want this more than you want to be overweight. It's not easy but it's worth fighting for.0
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Motivation comes from within. If it's REALLY important to you, then you do WHATEVER it takes to get it done. If not, then you'll just keep quitting or giving up.
Think about it, if someone told you that if you didn't lose ____ pounds by a certain date, you'd flat out die, you would find a way.
Ooooh, I love this! Might use this for my own motivation too.
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I love this one:
"Losing weight is hard, being overweight is hard, choose your hard."0 -
don't look at the big picture; set yourself a goal for a week. Like I will lose 1 lb this week and exercise for 3 days. When exercising do different types, like swimming, dancing, walking, etc... It does not have to be at the gym all the time.0
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Motivation comes from within. If it's REALLY important to you, then you do WHATEVER it takes to get it done. If not, then you'll just keep quitting or giving up.
Think about it, if someone told you that if you didn't lose ____ pounds by a certain date, you'd flat out die, you would find a way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I have to agree with this. You have to REALLY WANT it. Not the "I really want to lose weight (but not really going to do much about it)" For me I became borderline obsessed with it. Losing weight and bettering my life became my everything. I decided if I was going to do this then it had to become my life and I had to be okay with it. I have gotten to the point in which what I eat and how I exercise is how I now and will live my life, but I will never stop educating myself. If I come across something that I can incorporate into my life, then great. If it doesn't work, then I move on.
I hope you find what works for you! Good luck on your weight loss journey!
Thats the way I feel I am heading - I am constantly trying to learn more and improve and find my limits - noone else can do your motivating for you - you have to do it for yourself.0 -
I am back on the weight loss roller coaster and I always seem to make it a little over a week and then I lose motivation. Well it's that time. I've been at it for a little over a week and I've gone from 195 to 185 and now I'm back at 190. I am in this with my friend and we have a small wager on each weigh-in. Tomorrow is the weigh in and I think this is going to be a time that I weigh more this week than last. I don't know how to keep myself motivated. The exercise and food is becoming boring. Any motivation or support is greatly appreciated. How do you keep things interesting?
As already said by others - motivation is different for everyone. I work as a software developer (pro nerd) so for me - it's the numbers. I obsessively track every little thing I can because while I may not always see progress in the mirror, the numbers simply don't lie. I can see that I added 5 lbs to that lift over the last workout. I can see that I did 2 more reps this time, etc.
The key word is *sustainable*. You can go on a drastic diet and workout twice a day, 7 days a week. But are you gonna do that for the rest of your life? Of course not. Small changes, baby steps. It adds up.
As also stated - there's no way you lost 10 lbs in a week that wasn't water weight unless you were morbidly obese to begin with. When it all comes down to it - weight loss comes down to simple math/physics. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Start tracking what you eat on MFP. Get a fitbit or similar device and track how much you're burning. Sustainable weight loss isn't about "dieting" - it's about changing your habits. If you "diet" you will continue to stay on that roller coaster. If instead you making eating right (and more importantly- reasonable amounts) a habit - then your life will change.
You only have to repeat something 21 consecutive times (on average) before it becomes a habit. So there's a goal for you - eat right for 21 days. On day 22 it will feel weird if you DONT do it.
But really - you have to find what works for you. If it's having buddies on MFP who will say "good job" then so be it. If it's having girls check you out because you look good, then so be it. If it's watching the ring around your midsection (assuming you have one) melt away in the mirror - then so be it. The point is - you need to find what works for YOU.
Good luck!
This is my approach also. It's simple math. Eat less, do more. Consistency is the thing most people forget. If you want to look like the average overweight person simply eat like the average overweight person.0 -
well i think the fact that you are losing should be motivation...just think you dont want to go back up to the 195 so you should weigh yourself everyday and make sure you dont eat any sugars or anything right before you go to bed..that should help...but you are doing awesome....just keep it up..sometimes the scale fluctuates cuz of water weight....just dont give up now.....I wish i lost as much as you have already...good for you..be proud of yourself....and dont give up0
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Here's my thoughts:
1) Forget "diet" - think "muscle"
2) Forget the scale for a few months - use a tape measure to track your body changes. Chest, arms, waist, hips, thighs, calves
3) Weight/strength train 30-45 minutes every other day
4) Play sports (shoot hoops, tennis, frisbee, something where you're moving) the other days
5) Drink lots of water
6) Cut sodium and fat way down - if you're eating a lot of deep fried food, cut that down and bump up grilled. You don't have to cut it OUT, but try once a week or every other week instead of every day.
7) Find ways to have a good amount of protein in your diet. Instead of a bag of chips, maybe a boiled egg, grilled chicken, protein shake, etc.0 -
I would suggest just having some fun with your exercise. Do you like Basketball, tennis, swimming, kayaking.... Find some stuff that you really like and then go out and "Play"!! You'll burn calories and have fun!! Not sure what you are eating but watch the portion sizes and again find foods you really like that are healthy!! Summer is the best time for fruit and vegetable. If you want the results to last you have to do this smart which is slow and steady!! Don't think of this as a diet but lifestyle changes to make you more fit!!0
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