I'm back!

mrsprazak05

Hello! My name is Jennifer, and I was a member on MFP this past summer...and I was GUNG HO about exercising and eating right. Since then, I have become LAZY! I have lost all my motivation to work out...and have taken on the mindset that..."oh my God...I'm fat and I don't know why! I JUST WANT TO BE THIN AND HEALTHY AND SEXY!"...but then I do NOTHING to help it along. I've gone through several weight loss "partners" and I just can't find someone who's dedicated...and who can kick my butt into gear...cause that's what I need...a good swift kick in the pants!! I need a new challenge...I lost a lot of weight doing a biggest losers challenge with some friends...but then when it was over...i love my motivation....and I have no idea how to get it back. I need help :sad: :sad: :sad:

katielouhoo

Staying motivated is hard. It is so much easier to relax and not count calories, not make good choices, and make excuses instead of working out. I started dieting the end of August. My start was motivated by my doctor, who was ready to make an appointment for me at the diabetes center... my sugars were bad and i was totally headed down that path. My reaction was, I can't live like that and took myself in hand to change my life.

So far, i've been making great progress. My concern is remaining focused when my weight loss slows down. I know the closer to my goal i get the slower my body will drop weight and that worries me. It is easier for me to say the heck with it if I think my efforts are wasted. And I continue to grit my teeth and force myself to stay focused on my workout plan. For me, once I make an excuse and skip a day, then it that much easier to skip the next day, too.

One if the things I have been doing is setting small goals ( my end goal is months & months away even if I continue to work this hard). I weigh weekly (daily would make me nuts) on Wednesdays cause that's the day I started. And have mini-celebrations of each 10 lb. mark i cross. (even it is just a woohoo go me!) My 1st big goal was my doctor visit 12 weeks after i started. I was down 40 lbs. and definitely heading the right direction. Doctor wanted me to lose 25 more in 3 more months. good goal. Personally, I wanted to be down 50 lbs. by the time my daughter comes home from college. well, she comes home this thursday, and last wednesday (week 15 of dieting) i made 50 lbs. That's 50 lbs in 3 1/2 months. Well, we have a big trip coming up memorial day weekend- 5 1/2 months from now. My next big goal is the next 50 lbs by the time we go.

only i can do this and though i appreciate the support of others on this site. my dependence has to be on myself. no one else will go to the office party with me and keep me making good choices. No immediate gratification eating the wrong thing will be worth more than getting to my goal weight and being a new me.

I wish you luck jennifer :flowerforyou: and i would gladly chat and share thoughts, good and bad, if you'd like.:bigsmile: -katie

ziggycat

Hi Jennifer - well you made the big step of getting back on here - just like I did yesterdasy. Staying is motivated is soooo hard, but I think sometimes it is better to focus of being healthy. I have had a bad few months, and even though I have not gained too much back I have felt rubbish in myself from all the bad food and alcohol. I have to say, that from just yesterday being good and watching my cals and food, I have woke up feeling slimmer already (all in the head I know).

Just try and make small changes to your lifestyle if your neady for 'all out' changes, each tiny 1/4 lbs loss is a stepp in the right direction.

Keep up the good work.

Ziggycat

mszSHOGAN

I'm glad to hear you're back! That is the FIRST step that needed to be taken. I completely know how you feel - I joined MFP last spring and under guidance lost 36 pounds. I unfortunately gained almost half of it back when I fell off the wagon. But...I'm back now and am working on re-losing it and then some. You can do it and if you'd like to help each other stay accountable I'M IN!!!!

~Katie :flowerforyou:

chulie

Maybe that's the issue? Your relying on someone else to movitate you? And i honestly mean that in the gentlest way. My name is Julie and I was QUEEN of excuses. My mom and I used to go the gym together and when she couldn't go, I wouldn't either. I was always relying on someone else to keep me going. A friend, a co worker, family, you name it. The PROBLEM with this is, when you turn to someone else for motivation, you immediately give yourself room for excuses.You dont do something cause they dont, if they arent motivating you, you arent motivated.....it's a very stressful feeling... I lost weight a year ago because was in a competition with my sister,husband and brother in law. For the first time, I only had MYSELF to answer to....every week we "weighed in"..i knew whatever was on that scale was my own fault or my own victory. I didnt rely on anyone else because we were all competiting with eachother!!!hahaha It was the very first time in my life.....i was my own motivation...winning was my motivation..(and once i lost the weight, seeing an old picture of me and how big i'd gotten was my motivation to NEVER go back there)....hahaha..and as the pounds came off I started to just feel better and change my attitude and because i was doing a balance of exercise,healthy eating and portion control, i never needed to "cheat" or "fall" or anything like that...cause it was all about everything in moderation and exercise....Now, all that being said i am 110% for everyone needing a good kick in the pants once in a while...I myself was like that 3 weeks ago....after a year of being good i just got lazy....BUT....the upside to motivating yourself is, it's a skill you never lose. So for me, I came on here, admitted my sins got a few kind words from the folks here and that was all i needed to jump start my own motivation...cause at the end of the day, you only have yourself to be accountable to....

So find whatever works for you....an old picture, a moment you felt really sad about your weight....something.....and use THAT as your motivation.......and the best part it...you'll feel SOOOOO good about it..because you did it YOURSELF!!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!! (ps are your pants kicked enough?hehehe)

mrsprazak05

Wow! Thanks ladies! And you know what, "Chulie"....you're 110% correct!! I've been saying, "I can't find a good workout partner, and thats why I'm not motivated." I've bee pushing all the power onto others, and in turn...all the blame. I only have myself to answer too...and only have myself to motivate me! You're right...cause when my "partners" bail on me...I'm down and think, "Now what am I going to do?"...and if I had the skill to motivate myself...I'd just get right back on that horse and ride!! Thanks for that kick in the pants!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

chulie

Nooo problem...honestly the only reason i know so well is cause I've been exactly where you've been........my before pictures have become my motivation...i use those when i just dont feel "in the mood",,,or when i want to pass by the gym on my way home and NOT stop....i think of how that once choice is a slippery slope and got me where i was so making that ONE choice to GO to the gym and not pass it by is one step closer to being healthy.........dont look at the BIG picture...just ONE choice at a time....that's how you get where you want to be....just one choice, one saying "no" to a cookie, one saying "no" to fast food.....that's it!!!!

And the other great thing is...once you start making the right choices one at a time...you feel so GOOD about making the right choice, the next decisions, you want to make the right one because you know how good it felt.....and then you get on THAT cycle....hehehee.....all about the cycles!hahaha...and ya whatever you make a bad one here and there, but because you live life by each choice, then you dont feel bad because the next choice is just around the corner!!there's no let down