What do you tell yourself to keep you from quitting?

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  • mdnic1
    mdnic1 Posts: 6
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    It's just one day at a time. Not everyday is going to be perfect. (I had an affair with a bag of chocoate chips yesterday). But today is a new day and all you have to do is try to make better choices. Don't limit yourself to an unreasonalbe amount of calories either. Go to a webiste and find out your basal metabolic rate. It made me realize that I didn't have to cut down to 1200 calories to still lose weight. Remember that success comes from making this a lifestyle change rather than a crash diet. Good luck and keep on trying
  • ziggiezambi
    ziggiezambi Posts: 253
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    I look at the parts of me I don't like and ask myself if it is worth it to continue eating unhealthy. We are our own biggest critics. I have chubby areas I don’t like and if I can change a few simple habits and get results, why not?
    Don’t get me wrong losing weight is something you have to work towards but there are small things that can be changed to improve weight loss. It doesn’t technically mean you have to starve yourself.

    Tip # 1: Cut out drink calories.
    There are soooo many calories in soft drinks and juice and sweetened drinks. So its possible to cut back on a lot of extra calories switching to drinking water, "unsweetened" ice tea, and coffee if you take it black.
    It doesn't mean you can’t treat yourself maybe once a week to something different but if you give it a try that’s tons of calories to be lost.

    Tip#2: Don't eat in front of the TV or computer go to the kitchen to eat.
    This cuts out boredom eating if you’re truly starving or hungry enough to eat you will go to the kitchen and sit down and have a snack.

    Tip#3: Exercise during commercial breaks.
    Do sit ups, jumping jacks, or pushups.
    You don’t have to hit the gym or run yourself to death to lose weight.
    Why not do a few exercises when the commercials are on? Commercials take up a lot of TV time.
    You don't get that time back. Why not put that time towards getting in shape.

    Tip#4: No eating two hours before bedtime.
    It is just pointless calories.
    It also helps if you don't eat first thing when you wake up.

    Tip#5 Eat fruit before each meal.
    Fruit is healthy and there aren’t many calories in fruit.
    You won’t need to eat as much of the meal to fill up.
    I'd recommend having a wide variety of fresh fruit in the house instead of snacking on chips eat fruit.
  • cds_momto3
    cds_momto3 Posts: 316 Member
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    I take a photo of myself with my phone and look at it. I have the problem of feeling way skinnier than I am, ha. But when I would see photos of myself it would always be like, "Wait, THAT'S me?" So I made a rule... whenever I feel like quitting (haven't yet, thankfully) or I want to eat something really unhealthy, I have to take a pic or look at a pic of myself and remember what I'm working toward first.

    It also helps me to remember that I don't only want to look better, I want to be healthier to live a longer life with my husband and kids.
  • cds_momto3
    cds_momto3 Posts: 316 Member
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    "Losing weight is hard.
    Maintaining weight is hard
    Being overweight is hard
    Choose your hard."

    This gave me goosebumps. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
  • mmyers1129
    mmyers1129 Posts: 67 Member
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    Once you just keep at it, it will be like second nature
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
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    you need to make smaller goals (lose 5 lbs, lose 8 lbs, lose 12 lbs) etc. if all you want to see is the end result, it is going to feel like a daunting task.
  • Amy62575
    Amy62575 Posts: 422 Member
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    dont-quit.jpg

    This is what I tell myself. Sometimes daily.
  • savyjenn
    savyjenn Posts: 41 Member
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    I'm only a week in and I'm SO tired of counting calories, and so defeated by how much good eating and exercise it actually takes to lose a lb... Can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I feel like just giving up. But I won't, because I'm in this for the long haul and I know there are gonna be ups and downs. My question to you is: what do you do when you feel like this? How do you pick yourself up from such a slump?

    Well, you're only a week in and it takes time to change old habits. Personally, when 'm feeling discouraged I come here and log in to MFP and read all the success stories and advice. Just seeing how other people have stuck with it and made such amazing transformations is enough to motivate me.



    Like this - 4 weeksin and that is what I do....
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,650 Member
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    I log in to MFP and read motivational reports, especially the ones with pictures. It helps me know there are so many other people that were in my position at one time (I'm 4 weeks in) and they stuck it out. These are real people making real progress. Reading the information on how to make this work really helps for me. Making small goals and then trying to achieve one of them every day. Make a few supportive friends here and read their comments every day. Hang in there!
  • Amy62575
    Amy62575 Posts: 422 Member
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    And this ~

    herestous.jpg
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
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    I tell myself that the work I'm doing is worth it to get the body I want instead of the body I've had for the last 20 years. I'm not very overweight, which can make motivating myself a little bit harder. I don't have any serious health issues, and I don't have trouble fitting into clothes or walking up and down stairs. I'm just tired of looking the way that I do and not feeling confident in myself and my body. I feel much more in control when I'm exercising consistently and tracking what I eat. I know that I'm creating the body I want instead of tolerating the body I have. I picture myself the way I'd like to look -- a little bit thinner, and hot in a bikini -- and that keeps me going.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Your just one week into it. You will get a bit better at how to track to make it take less time. What did you expect though?
    Dust yourself off and see you next week. I usually will refer to this when I need some motivation.

    dr_phil_your_fat.jpg
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    Your just one week into it. You will get a bit better at how to track to make it take less time. What did you expect though?
    Dust yourself off and see you next week. I usually will refer to this when I need some motivation.

    dr_phil_your_fat.jpg

    LOL That is amazing!!
  • lveh8lve
    lveh8lve Posts: 162 Member
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    Number one thing I do when I feel that way is to whine to my friends on MFP. Surprisingly it works. They are incredibly supportive and give me that extra push that I never had before. I don't link my MFP to my facebook because some of my friends would just grow tired of it, but most people here are in the same boat and are truly helpful. So get a bunch of good friends that are active and let them be your support system!!! (Feel free to add me as well!)
  • LikeNoOneElse84
    LikeNoOneElse84 Posts: 475 Member
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    It's rough. Especially the first couple of weeks. To help keep myself focused, I constantly remind myself of why I decided to take this journey. I remind myself daily of my family's history of diabetes, and high blood pressure. I also keep pictures of Beyonce and Kim Kardashian plastered all over my computer screen. lol. While I know that I will never look exactly like them, their clothing style and 100% confidence with their bodies is something that I admire. You just have to remind yourself what you came here for and when you feel yourself reaching for that huge piece of cake of two glasses of soda, ask yourself if it's going to benefit you any.
  • irenematilda
    irenematilda Posts: 45 Member
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    I was kind of lucky in that I started in the New Year (traditionally a 'bad' time full of people reckoned to be trying to lose weight because they're 'supposed' to, but great for me because I'm usually sick of eating seasonal junk by then), and so the first two or three weeks weren't too bad. This week, I've faced out more than one urge to eat my own arm off, possibly related to TOTM. Not so good.

    At times like that, I sometimes find myself thinking woefully 'It'll be (x) amount of weeks before I can shed this poundage and it seems like forever'. So then I cast my mind back the same distance in time, and it doesn't seem that long ago in the scheme of things. I'll also remind myself that from that moment in time until the moment I began my efforts, my weight stayed static. Looking forward again to the moment I eventually hit my goal, my weight is not going to stay static and jump from 'current' to 'goal' overnight - the period between now and then may have it's difficulties, but it will have plenty of joys too. It will be peppered with milestone moments where I can joyfully celebrate having seen off a quarter of the excess, half of it etc, or being able to fit into clothes that get steadily smaller.

    I remind myself who I'm doing this for (primarily for me, but my kids come pretty close in my reasoning too) and why. The froggy in my forum weightloss tracker seems to think he's become one of my reasons too, and I've decided that it's in the best interests of my waistline to let him. I *will* get him out from under that cloud and have him playing in the flowers one day :)
  • OneDimSim
    OneDimSim Posts: 188 Member
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    I can relate. I feel like Sisyphus pushing the rock up the mountain for my entire life. It gets tiring. I get a bad attitude and tired as well.
    Few things:

    - this is your first week - it will get easier and more automated as you get used to the diet and exercise routine - no longer a struggle but just something you do.

    -be kind to yourself. Make sure you give yourself comfort; e.g., entertainment, friends, nice tea, good books, hot bubble baths, etc.

    - PLEASE check out Judith Becks book "Becks Diet Solution' - it has a lot of helpful stuff to adjust your mindset to where it needs to be to loose weight - so you don' think, i.e., " I am depriving myself" - instead you think "I want to do this"

    http://www.amazon.com/Beck-Diet-Solution-Train-Person/dp/B002PJ4I2U

    Good Luck and you are not alone!
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    I go online and save pictures I find of women whose bodies I admire. This is anyone from bikini contests, to crossfit pics, before/after photos from here, etc. I also save pics with motivational quotes/phrases on them. Then I set my desktop background and screen saver to shuffle through these pictures. My fiance thinks I might be bisexual. LOL. It's just motivating.

    Sayings that I literally repeat to myself as I am working out to the point of almost vomiting:

    "If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done."

    "Work out like your life depends on it... Because it does."

    "You're still beating everyone on the couch."

    "A year from now, what will you look like?"

    "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

    Those are quotes for workout, anyway. For everyday stuff, I think about how I don't -need- that candy bar. I tell myself, "Eat to fuel your body, not please your mouth."
  • MzzFaith
    MzzFaith Posts: 337 Member
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    Don't give up. Keep going. I used to tell myself the same thing. I wish I could loose it over night. You have to make yourself move and surround yourself with positive thoughts and eople. If u are not able to log on or count your calories and get tired. Write them down & come back and fill it out later. If you go over. Just think. I can do it. Keep @ positive attitude.
  • casi_ann
    casi_ann Posts: 423 Member
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    I have only been on this for one month and lost 17 pounds total. I will count calories and eat like this for the rest of my life just to keep that weight off let alone my real need to take off a total of 100 pounds to just get to a normal weight. I did this to myself and have no one else to blame. We are lucky to have such a site as myfitnesspal to count our calories and exercise (it actually makes it easy) and this is a life change, it isn't just until we lose the weight. It is so we don't gain any more weight, maintain the weight we lost so far and to continue to lose the weight if our bodies will let it come off. I have a fear that the weight will stop coming off with my current intake, that my body will grow use to the calories I'm eating and I'll stop losing. Like I said in the first sentence, I'll keep counting calories just to not gain any more. It is so easy to keep going up on that scale and scary.

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