How do you motivate yourself?

pixish

I was doing really well with my calorie counting and exercise until a few months ago. My partner and I own a small business that is open pretty much every day except Christmas, however he also works at a different job for 10 hours a day. When he first started, he'd start at around 6 - 7am, and he'd drop me off at our store and I'd sort of just do little odd jobs around there and browse the internet until it was time to open. I could also drop some stuff in the slowcooker so we'd have dinner when we got home at around 8/9pm.

Then, he had a schedule change. We now get up at 3:50am to be out the door by 4:05. I have a small breakfast with him, and then he drops me off at the store, where I have some blankets and a pillow and I try to grab some extra sleep (I don't sleep well at night) When you get home after such a long day, where you have time for only dinner and maybe an episode of a tv show or two, I have to admit that you don't really feel like doing anything! Plus I generally tidy the kitchen and make my lunch for the next day to save doing it in the morning. I also don't think that slow cooked meals will do that well if I start them at 4am so I haven't been doing that either (except weekends)

My partner also hurt his foot (tore some tendons or something, the doctor has told him that they can't really do anything and it will heal over time - it will just take a long time) so exercising together isn't as much of an option. (We used to go for a jog around the block before dinner, but it is just too much strain on his foot)

Another thing is - I am motivated by results. I have been plateuing, probably since the shift change (a few months now) I actually did lose about 2 kilos after Christmas for unexplained reasons but before and after I have remained the same.

I have decided that I'm going to take a week off from calorie counting and thinking about it all to try and refocus myself and maybe work out some mini goals to work towards (to help refocus and give me something to work towards) At the moment I am thinking along the lines of things like 'getting my hair dyed' and 'closing the store early and going to a movie together' as special treats - but I am interested in what sort of things YOU do. What treats do you give yourself? What has worked for you when you feel like giving up?

rockerbabyy

im probably not the best person to answer, since ive been not so motivated myself lately - but ill bump this so you can hopefully get some helpful answers

Elisirmon

I look at pictures of in shape people and then I post my fat pic next to theirs...also I have workout buddies that I make a regular date with each week for working out so I can't back out.

Elisirmon

Before bed do 100 jumping jacks, 30 push ups, and 30 sit ups...there a 10 to 12 minute workout and when you feel like you can do alittle more increase also may help you sleep more soundly but try melantonin.

WatchMeLose80

I motivate myself by remembering the reasons why I am trying to lose weight, whatever they may be, remind yourself of them. Also I think about where I could be in a month,every month. I always tell myself that I am closer to my goal than I was yesterday. also that if I want that dream body I have to WANT it more than anything else or anybody else and act on it. Usually after every week I treat myself to something I know I can't have all the time but is still in the healthier area. Like a homemade oatmeal cookie, a small bowl of my favorite cereal, or maybe a piece of chocolate. I believe in the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy and 20% indulgent. I choose only one day out of the week to have a treat and thats it, the rest of the week I work my butt off in the gym and earn that next treat .

pixish

Before bed do 100 jumping jacks, 30 push ups, and 30 sit ups...there a 10 to 12 minute workout and when you feel like you can do alittle more increase also may help you sleep more soundly but try melantonin.

I think I'll try some of these, but I'm going to see if my partner could put on the wii before he goes to bed and I could stay up and do a few things on that as well. Since I don't sleep when he does, it doesn't seem too bad to stay up out of bed for that extra time I was mainly using the wii as my exercise previously and it was working really well, I just got a bit bored of the games I had (and we live in a share house situation so it's not always free, but usually at bedtime I can probably play without interuption!)

pixish

I motivate myself by remembering the reasons why I am trying to lose weight, whatever they may be, remind yourself of them. Also I think about where I could be in a month,every month. I always tell myself that I am closer to my goal than I was yesterday. also that if I want that dream body I have to WANT it more than anything else or anybody else and act on it. Usually after every week I treat myself to something I know I can't have all the time but is still in the healthier area. Like a homemade oatmeal cookie, a small bowl of my favorite cereal, or maybe a piece of chocolate. I believe in the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy and 20% indulgent. I choose only one day out of the week to have a treat and thats it, the rest of the week I work my butt off in the gym and earn that next treat .

Scheduled treats sound like a great idea I suppose if I can commit to exercising at least 5 days a week, a little treat is not going to be too bad at all and will give me something to look forward to in the short term

charismanoodles

Hmmm, by looking at photos of other people who have achieved their goals, imagining where I want to be in the future and not wanting to return to how I used to be.

I treat myself with going out for lunch/dinner with friends, but I pick a healthy option.

JJordon

I'm sick and tired... of being sick and tired... of nothing changing, nothing happening. Family is ignorant or indifferent, and the rest don't even care. Thus, the burden, as it always has, has fallen on me, to do something, anything. I was asleep, in a way, indifferent, but something stirred me, awakened me, filled me with fire and now, I'm going to do something, because if I don't push myself, if I don't prove to myself that I can do this, change one of the few things under my control (or so I tell myself), why should anyone else push me?

It's always been up to me to make it happen and do it.

Game on.

pixish

Thanks for your input everyone

I think I was overthinking it all, which made it more stressful for myself and I was getting overwhelmed. I'd make my weekly meal plan at the beginning of the week before shopping day so if something was not there, or too expensive I'd have to improvise and I couldn't incorprate leftovers and little snacks into my day. I've just started logging daily (mostly) again, and it's a lot less stressful! I also play the wii every night now, and if I do it for 4 consecutive days, I get a treat from my boyfriend - this time it was that he had to play the wii with me, so we played wii sports last night

I've lost almost all of the weight I gained back from the two weeks where I went a bit overboard, so I'm hoping that continues now that I'm motivated and feeling supported again