How to you keep up the motivation to lose weight?

freckles88

I have no problem GETTING the motivation to lose weight, every day I look in the mirror and tell myself I need to lose weight but it's keeping it up that's the problem for me. I always seem to give up after a couple of weeks

I'm looking for some advice/tips or strategies on how to keep up the weight loss. So far I've found that cooking a batch of healthy food and freezing it in portions helps as I've alway got a low cal meal on hand to stop me reaching for the take away menu but that's about it. What else do you find helps? Thanks

awolf2011

When I started my journey, I took things very slowly and didn't just dive right in. It took me awhile to really understand how to change things and how to implement them. I figured it out right away in the beginning and went all out, but the past couple of months have been harder for me to stay on track. I have 3 young boys and a husband who are all pretty active, so our house is very chaotic a lot of the time. I try to always put at least 20 minutes aside for just me everyday even if I don't workout, just so that I can relax and have some time to think. I also try to put together some luch options and snacks that I want to pick up at the store. I find that if I have a premade out list for the store I am less likely to buy the crap foods. Of course, this is hard with a growing family cause I don't want them to not be able to eat some of that stuff, but I buy in moderation. I have heard that some people put sticky notes in certain places like the fridge, their closet, mirrors, etc. that just gives them a reminder of why they want to lose the weight and get healthy. If you know why you are doing this, just put those reminders around.

Well, I could be babbling on and I don't know if this helps at all, but everyone is different and it takes a lot of willpower to get yourself together everyday and keep going. That is why we are all here too, to give you the motivation that you need!! Keep moving forward!!

jensfitpal2012

I look in the mirror state my goals and I make my environment conducive to losing.I have removed all unhealthy foods/snacks,replaced them with healthy ones. I think of the reasons I want to be thinner and healthier,that keeps me MOTIVATED. When I get upset,I go to the gym,not the fridge anymore.Best of luck,YOU CAN DO IT<TELL YOURSELF THIS DAILY!!:)

jmeyer925

Routine, routine, routine.

Make it a habit to always look at the calories in a meal, decide it's it's worth it. Making the food in bulk is a great idea!

See if you can find someone in your life to talk about your weight loss goals and is maybe looking to lose some weight too. Try to check in with eachother.

Make working out easier. You will probably not be able to keep up at a fast pace on the treadmill unless you're well conditioned for it. Start out with a bicycle, elliptical, or go outside and enjoy the weather for a walk!

You're probably giving up so quickly because you're not seeing the results right away. Keep at it and you will!

jensfitpal2012

Jmeyer925,Love the message on your scale>>LOLThat's a motivator. Congratulations on losing all that weight,how long has it taken you to lose,and did you have a period when the scale was not changing no matter how hard you were working?

bulbadoof

I'm fortunate that it kind of just comes to me. The way I feel in the morning, the way I fit into clothes, the way friends and family treat me, the way my body burns gently after a workout, the way my homemade, nutritious foods taste and feel in my stomach.. it just feels good to treat myself well. Whenever I think about skipping a workout or reaching for a bag of potato chips, I think about how much better, physically and mentally, that I feel when I take care of myself. I'm well rested, I have lots of energy, I never get sick, and I love my life.

That said, when I was just starting out it really helped me to keep a detailed food diary on how certain nutrients made me feel, physically. I learned that large amounts of sugar gave me headaches and made me tired, and didn't really fill me up. I learned that deep-fried or incredibly salty foods gave me chest pains and made me feel uncomfortably warm. I learned that I didn't pay attention to how much I eat when I'm sitting in front of the computer, and usually overate to the point of feeling sick. All of these things helped me break those habits, and knowing how my body reacts to them keeps me away from those things for good because I don't like the immediate physical consequences.

icimani

If I'm continuing to lose weight that, in itself, keeps me motivated. It's the plateaus that drive me crazy and that's when it gets tough to stay motivated.

I have a colleague who keeps me motivated, but not in the way you'd think. She and I have both had our knees replaced, but she had hers done about a year before I did and I'm walking much better than she is. She is VERY overweight, isn't doing anything about it, walks very peg-legged and just looks like walking is very painful. So I look at her and realize that's where I could be if I don't keep working at losing weight and keep working on my knees.