how do you stay motivated EVERY.SINGLE.DAY?

RAURARIKES

The first few days of calorie tracking and exercising are easy. I'm super excited, I have my goals in mind... then after a week i start to feel really good (i lost maybe 2-3 lbs) and i get very happy with myself (im always happy with myself but it's more of a lenient/forgiving kind of happy), and then..it all stops. i start slacking, allowing extra bites, basically conditioning the part of my brain that made me gain weight in the first place. And just like that, im back to eating crap, grazing allll day...exactly where i started, getting depressed again.

what habits/rituals do you have to keep yourself motivated EVERY SINGLE DAY? im estimating it will take me about 16 weeks to lose the 25 lbs i want to lose. that's a looong way to go.... how will it be possible to stay motivated for 16 weeks?! (and the rest of my lif?e...but i assume after a certain point it will become second nature and there wont be much motivation needed).

thanks everyone! have a good day

rosebarnalice

My motivation is experience. I lost 70 lbs over 8 months by eating right and tracking. I then congratulated the "new me" on being able to make good choices, and stopped tracking . . .Then, over 2 years, I gained back 50 of those hard-lost lbs. So, I know that for me, it's the only thing that works.

Every morning, I make my breakfast and pack my lunch & snacks. I sit down while I'm eating breakfast and log my breakfast, lunch and snacks. Then I know eactly how much I have left for dinner and the evening.

The tracking IS the ritual: It's the daily face-myself-and-my-demons act of sitting down in front of the computer that reminds me that I must be honest with myself abotu every g*d*mmed thing that I put in my mouth, and that there is no such thing as "cheating" or "sneaking" with food because the belly and the big fat *kitten* KNOW just how much I eat.

unnur16

by remember why i started

Rarity2013

The tracking IS the ritual:

This is true for me too. I gained my weight when I stopped tracking my food intake (I used to do it manually). Overall, the changes I need to make to my lifestyle and eating habits are actually very small, but that's part of why its so easy for them to fall by the wayside. Motivating myself to exercise is my biggest issue, but seeing the freedom to have a beer or a glass of wine tracked in my diary helps to motivate me.

I also have an intermittent goal right now, which is to get into a specific t-shirt in time for the Download music festival :drinker:

jdhoward_101

It IS difficult. I am generally an optimistic, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual, but even i have those days where i'm just like ".....meh...." Actually, i'm having one of those days today lol. I just remind myself how fantastic i'll look in a few weeks time, i think about how everyone will compliment me on how much weight i've lost, and i think about how great it will be to be able to wear a pair of shorts or a crop top this summer. I remind myself how miserable i feel when i look at the scales to see i've gained weight, or how guilty i feel after binging on chocolate or cake.

Failing that, exercise. Even just going for a walk. Release those happy, happy endorphins, they will help you feel motivated again!

I used to do exactly the same, lose a few pounds, get complacent, put it all back on. Allow yourself a cheat day; don't plan it, if you wake up with insatiable cravings then indulge, but only do it once a week. Eat as many different meals as you can, do different exercise classes, try and keep it fresh.

Good luck

AllyCatXandi

What I do is I log things in before I eat them. That way, if I decide I feel like snacking on chips, I have to ask myself if I really can be bothered to weigh them out, log them in, and then evaluate if they can fit within my goal. Reading the labels on the back of packages whilst shopping (and having a list of what it is I actually need) helps as well.

As for motivation, don't try and take on too much too soon. Focus on making changes that you know you can sustain for the long haul. Some people in the beginning will be going to the gym every day, but then realize they can't maintain doing that and stop going altogether. Find something that you like, stick with it, and concern yourself more with improving at and enjoying it than precisely how many calories it burns.

Try and identify what it is that makes you graze/binge. Is it that there are particular emotions that trigger it? Or is it just that once you start the packet of biscuits you can't stop? Once you figure out what it is that makes you overeat, you can start doing something about it and address the root causes.

Best of luck to you

Lisah8969

Results. I am in such a better place than I was a year ago and the best I have been in over 20 years. I am taking part of the plan of not denying myself something if I really want it, but tweaking everything I eat when I can to make it better. This is the first time weight loss has really worked for me. Exercise is part of my schedule now. There is never a time when I think maybe I will and maybe I won't workout...I just go.

The one bit of advice I will give you is that you need to learn patience. If all you have to lose is 25 pounds, it may very well take more than 16 weeks. I would think aiming for one pound a week is a better idea and then don't be dismayed if it takes even more than that. You may see that you are losing inches more towards your goal than weight and that is a very good thing.

Good luck!

nannybubbles

understand completely... i used to feel better having lost a few pounds and felt the job was done... which is hilarious!!
every morning now i ask myself the question ... fatter or thinner?

if the answer is thinner, as it always is, i drag my sorry *kitten* out of bed and stomp down to the beach ... and in this weather it is wonderful!!

lambchoplewis

I agree that tracking is essential. I have been maintaining for 9 months and find it essential to track. I get up, weigh myself. Yes, this is controversial but it keeps me from shoving things in my mouth as I will have to "face the scale". I don't get upset at a 1-3 lbs weight gain as I know it is water unless I have binged. I log food and exercise and follow it for the day. One thing that I have finally come to grips with (I don't like it) is that this is for life. If I don't want to gain the weight back, I must eat and exercise correctly. I know I will slip but I get right back to it. My motivation is fitting into the clothes I bought as I got rid of the old ones!!!

lacroyx

I was taking 6 different medications to control all the health related issues I had in the past. I don't want to go back to that, ever.

katedevall

I look at success stories and see how great others look. I also have my "fat" pictures saved on my phone and they remind me why i lost all the weight

EmilyOfTheSun

It helps me to stay motivated by allowing myself "treats" every single day. I eat ice cream or some sort of dessert almost everyday, (sometimes more than once in a day!) Make some of your favorite foods fit into your daily goal and it won't seem so bad.

Also, sometimes when I know I don't have any room left in my diary for goodies, and all I want to do is snack, I chew gum. It seems to help.

ndj1979

i keep a picture of my old fat *kitten* on the lap top and anytime I don't want to work out or don't want to count cals...I look at that, shudder, and do what I got to do to keep my gains and increase them.


Also, once you make this a lifestyle change and incorporate it into your daily life counting cals/working out just becomes a natural part of your day ...like taking a shower....

jennifer_417

You don't. The trick is that you keep doing it, whether you feel motivated or not. You do it, no matter how you feel. It's not always exciting, and it's not always fun. Some unpleasantness is involved. You do it anyway.

bumblebums

Are you one of the three girls in your profile pic? If so, it will probably take you longer than 16 weeks to lose 25 lb. When you are already lean, you cannot expect more than half a pound to a pound a week. You also have to be quite precise about logging your intake, because the deficit has to be kept fairly low.

So, as far as advice on motivation: tempering your expectations (as above) is important. Also, if you don't like exercising, don't torture yourself. You don't need to work out to lose weight--just log your intake accurately and consistently, and keep the deficit small or else you'll be hangry all the time and won't stick with it.

nycgirlie87

25lbs is my goal too!

When you look at the big picture it can be discouraging. 16 weeks does seem like a long time but you shouldnt look at it like that. I do a weigh in every saturday and my goal is to lose 2-3 lbs a week. Keep yourself focused on the short term goals and you'll eventually get there. I will slip into a slightly bad habit once a week and i think that is okay. i've still been able to reach my goal by saying to myself - "ok ok let's get back on track, i have a weigh-in in 4 days!"

Also - I have little rewards set in my mind for every 5lbs i lose and they get greater as the weight sheds even further.

SassyClassyandALittleBadAssy

Friends, on here and in real life. Find someone to help hold you accountable. It's often easier to cheat or disappoint ourselves than it is someone else.

RAURARIKES

Are you one of the three girls in your profile pic? If so, it will probably take you longer than 16 weeks to lose 25 lb. When you are already lean, you cannot expect more than half a pound to a pound a week. You also have to be quite precise about logging your intake, because the deficit has to be kept fairly low.

So, as far as advice on motivation: tempering your expectations (as above) is important. Also, if you don't like exercising, don't torture yourself. You don't need to work out to lose weight--just log your intake accurately and consistently, and keep the deficit small or else you'll be hangry all the time and won't stick with it.

hey! im the one on the left but now im 10 lbs heavier!! and in the pic, i still wanted to lose 10-15 lbs. i was 140 in that picture. i set it as my profile to have it as a daily motivator!

RAURARIKES

Thanks guys! your advice is great!

jtoms97

Every day I wake up and say to myself "I CAN DO THIS!!!" I know it sounds corny, but actually saying it out loud and making myself believe it makes a difference. That being said, some days are still better than others. I give myself one day 'off' where I don't worry so much about what I eat and I don't walk/exercise. Mind you, I don't go crazy, just give myself a little more leeway. Keep your goals attainable, a pound a week is good, and I have found that how my clothes fit is a better measure of how I'm doing than weight is. I actually keep a tape measure in my bathroom and do inches once a week as well as my weight. You'd be surprised at how you might lose inches when the weight doesn't seem to be coming off! Also the buddy system works really well. I have to report once a week to my sister and she to me. Being competitive, I can't let her lose more!!!

postrockandcats

I'm NOT motivated every single day. There are days that I really DON'T want to log or think of calories or to go to the gym, but I have to. I nearly make myself sick with how I lived before, so even on those days where I want to sit on my *kitten* and eat a cheesecake, I force myself to make good choices. Even if I'm feeling unmotivated, being sick and unhealthy is enough to "scare me" in the right direction.

All that said, I still eat cheesecake (and other delicious things), just not as much. That was my problem, you see- it wasn't what I ate as much as how much I ate. I also don't have as many bad days now as I did when I started last July. As all this comes routine and as results start becoming obvious, it does get easier. Logging is so entrenched in my life now that I can't imagine not doing it.

bumblebums

Are you one of the three girls in your profile pic? If so, it will probably take you longer than 16 weeks to lose 25 lb. When you are already lean, you cannot expect more than half a pound to a pound a week. You also have to be quite precise about logging your intake, because the deficit has to be kept fairly low.

So, as far as advice on motivation: tempering your expectations (as above) is important. Also, if you don't like exercising, don't torture yourself. You don't need to work out to lose weight--just log your intake accurately and consistently, and keep the deficit small or else you'll be hangry all the time and won't stick with it.

hey! im the one on the left but now im 10 lbs heavier!! and in the pic, i still wanted to lose 10-15 lbs. i was 140 in that picture. i set it as my profile to have it as a daily motivator!

Ah, well, still--the thing to understand about MFP is that it allows you to set a "2 lbs a week" weight loss goal, but it's not a good idea for someone who is within the normal BMI or just a few clicks above it. If you take it slow, you'll get better results, trust me.

JesterMFP

The first few days of calorie tracking and exercising are easy. I'm super excited, I have my goals in mind... then after a week i start to feel really good (i lost maybe 2-3 lbs) and i get very happy with myself (im always happy with myself but it's more of a lenient/forgiving kind of happy), and then..it all stops. i start slacking, allowing extra bites, basically conditioning the part of my brain that made me gain weight in the first place. And just like that, im back to eating crap, grazing allll day...exactly where i started, getting depressed again.

what habits/rituals do you have to keep yourself motivated EVERY SINGLE DAY? im estimating it will take me about 16 weeks to lose the 25 lbs i want to lose. that's a looong way to go.... how will it be possible to stay motivated for 16 weeks?! (and the rest of my lif?e...but i assume after a certain point it will become second nature and there wont be much motivation needed).

thanks everyone! have a good day

I don't stay motivated every single day. Not by a long shot. What I am though is committed. I decided that being a healthy weight, and being fit, was important enough for me to make it a priority in my life. People do things every day that they don't want to do, or don't feel motivated to do, but they do them because it's a priority for them to be able to pay their mortgage, or put food on the table, or to have their children turn up to school on time, clean and fed.

So, I don't always feel like going out for a run, especially if it's cold and rainy. I do it anyway because keeping this weight off is a priority, and keeping my heart healthy is a priority, and keeping on top of my depression is a priority. Not to say that I always make the choice to go out and run, but more often than not I do, because it's important to me.

I don't always feel like sticking to my calorie goal. Most days I would happily overshoot it, and there are lots of times when I just can't be bothered counting at all. I didn't lose all this weight to gain it back again though, and that's something that's really important to me. So I keep to my calorie goal. Most of the time.

Try not to look at it as 16 weeks. First of all, if it's the last 25 lbs, then it will probably take longer. Secondly, if you want to keep it off, you're still going to have to maintain the habits that get you there. What kind of changes are you making that make you want to stop after a week? You say "back to eating crap" - do you eat completely different foods when you're trying to lose weight? Try not to polarise foods as "good" or "bad/crap" or "healthy" or "unhealthy". Find a balance between getting good nutrition, and eating foods that you enjoy. You'll find it much easier to stick with if you don't cut out all the foods you like, and if you don't view it as a temporary "diet" that you have to suffer through until you reach your goal weight.

RAURARIKES

Are you one of the three girls in your profile pic? If so, it will probably take you longer than 16 weeks to lose 25 lb. When you are already lean, you cannot expect more than half a pound to a pound a week. You also have to be quite precise about logging your intake, because the deficit has to be kept fairly low.

So, as far as advice on motivation: tempering your expectations (as above) is important. Also, if you don't like exercising, don't torture yourself. You don't need to work out to lose weight--just log your intake accurately and consistently, and keep the deficit small or else you'll be hangry all the time and won't stick with it.

hey! im the one on the left but now im 10 lbs heavier!! and in the pic, i still wanted to lose 10-15 lbs. i was 140 in that picture. i set it as my profile to have it as a daily motivator!

Ah, well, still--the thing to understand about MFP is that it allows you to set a "2 lbs a week" weight loss goal, but it's not a good idea for someone who is within the normal BMI or just a few clicks above it. If you take it slow, you'll get better results, trust me.

thanks! i definitely dont want to go fast. ive done that soooo many times and it ALWAYS results in regaining. SO FRUSTRATING. i finally acknowledged this time that it's gonna be looong. I'm not gonna lie i didnt think longer than 16 weeks (lol...dammit) but TBH im not even sad. as long as i LOSE IT, and KEEP IT OFF i am 100% happy. thanks for your help! !

Skrib69

I'm not motivated every day, but I never give up. Once you give up, then it is all over and the battle is lost.

I also think of it as re-education. Learning portion control has been a BIG education. I was making the odd poor choice, but on the whole my issue was the volume. Also, driving for my job, it was far too easy to stop at a garage and buy chocolate, crisps and stuff and eat the whole lot while driving to the next appointment.

It is also about learning why I made those choices. Boredom played a big part, particularly in the evening when I am working after everyone has gone to bed. 'hmmmm, i think I will just have..........' Why on earth would you need to eat 1000 calories late in the evening after a big dinner???? Once I understood my triggers I can deal with them.

Do I make bad choices now??? Sometimes, but I can now work them into my calorie plan with tracking. If I look like I am going over, then I take the dog for a walk. Or something else.......

To me, it isnt a diet - it's an education in changing me for the better..

A_Fit_Mom

I agree that experience motivates me. I know what I have to do to lose weight and to keep it off. I think where I was a month ago and where I am now. It motivates me to keep going. I know that 3 months will go by whether I am eating crap or eating right. Might as well eat right and see where I can be in 3 months.

Francl27

I make myself accountable to my diary. And failure is not an option. Plus really, it's not that bad. I still eat good food, just less of it, and not the really bad stuff (like fried food).

I'm just motivated not to be that very fat girl with reflux again. And I want to be healthy for my kids.

Cyclink

For me, it's been two things:
1) habit/routine. I have a reasonably stable schedule each week for both training and eating.
2) focusing on the process more than the results. If I'm hitting my training numbers and hitting my calorie targets, I should be losing weight. If not, I reassess and figure out why. I don't take a weight gain as a failure. I take it as an error in process and figure out why.

melindasuefritz

i want to fit in new clothes

Stacey_Leeann

I haven't read through every response, so sorry if someone else already said this. But what keeps me motiviated is coming to the message boards everyday. And, also all my "friends" who post encouraging things on a daily basis! I LOVE MFP, and I could not have lost these first few pounds without it! Also, the way I look at it the time is going to pass anyways. Sixteen weeks is a long time to wait for something but the time is going to pass either way, so might as well do something!

turkeyhunter60

by remember why i started

Yup!