How do you keep going!????
Ericacastillo
Posts: 28 Member
I have been consistent on MFP since the end of January i've already lost 24 pounds which I am really proud of! I was super motivated at the beginning I would hit the gym in the morning and in the evening I would switch it up between all of Jillian michaels dvds. I see such a huge change in my body! however summer came therefore vacation time came! its beens so hard to get back on track and honestly I never want to be the other woman I was I love fitting into cute clothes!
I guess my question is what do you guys do to continue on with the dedication! I was so good! super strict on myself I wouldn't ever drink any soda not even diet or eat bread which was super hard for me! I just can't get back on my two day workouts or being so strict with what I eat. However its not like I don't want to be strict I loved how healthy I felt.
What do you all do to stick to your diet!?
I guess my question is what do you guys do to continue on with the dedication! I was so good! super strict on myself I wouldn't ever drink any soda not even diet or eat bread which was super hard for me! I just can't get back on my two day workouts or being so strict with what I eat. However its not like I don't want to be strict I loved how healthy I felt.
What do you all do to stick to your diet!?
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Replies
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lol.. I don't know, I will let you know when I finally get to keep the weight that I periodically lose... off...
Good on you for your success thus far however!0 -
ease up on your self sometimes. take a rest from the gym and Jillian. Go for a walk. get outside. And... keep logging. We've all been there. there is no good or bad. You're doing well. that's what counts.0
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I find it so hard for me to keep going. But all the advice i heard, is set your goals low and when you reach is set another low goal. That within itself make you motivated.
Exercise also consists of being outside running around, walking, or just window shopping.
TO keep away from coke, one don't buy it. If your family does buy or someone else, or your at a party. Just look at the facts and remind your self is it worth drinking your calories, just get water. or a tea. and it will not only e better but it will hydrate you so much better.0 -
I'm with you on this one. I have looged everyday since Sept. 5, 2011 and real strict with myself. I lost 80 pounds. Then April 2012 came and I have not lost since if fact I have gained 10 pounds. I won't go back, I refuse to. I am interested in this post as I need some serious MOTIVATION.0
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I have been consistent on MFP since the end of January i've already lost 24 pounds which I am really proud of! I was super motivated at the beginning I would hit the gym in the morning and in the evening I would switch it up between all of Jillian michaels dvds. I see such a huge change in my body! however summer came therefore vacation time came! its beens so hard to get back on track and honestly I never want to be the other woman I was I love fitting into cute clothes!
I guess my question is what do you guys do to continue on with the dedication! I was so good! super strict on myself I wouldn't ever drink any soda not even diet or eat bread which was super hard for me! I just can't get back on my two day workouts or being so strict with what I eat. However its not like I don't want to be strict I loved how healthy I felt.
What do you all do to stick to your diet!?
You have to find motivation from within and not some external factor. That is when you are hooked for life. Almost everyone gets started via an external influence. At some point you have to find something else to fuel your fire.
For me, I compete against myself. I lived my life ashamed of my body my entire life. And I will not stop until I can be proud of the body I have.0 -
I agree, you need to find some internal motivator.
Also, you've got to figure out how to keep it up but still live a 'real' life. That can be difficult, but my goal is to both lose the weight but live a normal life- one where I'm not stressing about everything I eat, one where I can still hit the fair with my kids and ENJOY it, etc. And I'm doing it! Am I losing 10 lbs a month? NOPE! But, I AM losing, my friends notice it, and yet I still go out for dinner on occasion, or hit the coffee shop once in awhile (about twice a month), and I DO NOT talk about my 'diet' and drive them crazy.
Now my BFF just started using MFP. She joined awhile ago but has just recently started using it, once she saw me lose some weight.0 -
I just do it. its not a cycle of healthy/unhealthy. i just doont eat poorly, ever. i dont take days off of exercise unless its on my calendar.its not a habit or a portion of my life, its what i will have to do forever. dont give yourself the option of slacking. for me, i compare it to my pets. even if i dont want to walk/water/feed them it isnt a choice. it has to be done daily. rain or shine, good day or not. permanently. when you make healthy living a "have to" and not a "want to" it gets easy.0
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Try changing things up in your routine. Like...
Set a specific time for your exercise that's easy to fit in. (I find it's easiest first thing in the morning)
Avoid stressing over food choice and eat whatever you like just keep portion control in mind.
If you have been strict on yourself for a while and go off track for a little bit it's okay don't let guilt ruin things.
You can seek motivation from your friend on MFP or decide to be an inspiration to your friends and use that to motivate yourself.
Most important of all be happy and think fit.0 -
We need to make up a song to the tune of "Rawhide" …
Logging, logging, logging,
Log that food , log that run, log that walk, log that water… keep yourself a log gin',,,
Seriousy, the logging is the one thing that most plans, doctors, PT's, etc, have as a common continued successful healthy lifestyle. And the key to my success this year. So MFP is my motivation to keep going.0 -
Having no money. If you have no money you can't buy extra food and have to buy the best quality food with your money. If you have $5 you can either A) buy a slim jim and some sodas that last two hours or
buy two pounds of beef and some potatoes that can last you two days.
</joke>
More seriously, by sticking to a budget and a schedule. Get up, grab fruit or pastry, drive to class, eat fruit, go to work, eat more fruit, go home, eat dinner. Repeat.0 -
Let your self have a few treats every now and again so that it doesnt feel so hard, dont give up everything and what I do is think of the result on the scales and for good results its all worth it0
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Small achievable goals in the short term help maintain my motivation.0
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Set goals, challenge yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't accomplish set goals, just try again. Treat yourself when you reach a goal. Find healthier alternatives to the junk foods you are craving. Take a long look in the mirror and see the difference in your body. These are things that I do and that help motivate me. Plus when you have to buy pretty much a whole new wardrobe because all of your clothes are too big- huge motivator! :laugh:0
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I allow myself to make mistakes. In order for this to be a sustainable lifetime change I stopped being so strict and obsessing over every detail of this journey. When I get bored, I change up my eating and exercise. When I get really bored, I find nee people to motivate which in turn makes me more accountable to myself.0
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What keeps me going is seeing hints of my old body coming back, being able to run, actually run around with my toddler, and just looking better and feeling healthier all around-physically, psychologically, etc...whenever I don't feel like working out or can't for whatever reason, then I commit to eating extra healthy for that day. But, if I want a treat here or there, then I have it within reason and make it fit into my day, whether by increasing my exercise time or intensity or adjusting what I eat for the rest of the day.0
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The way I've kept going with my diet is by not making changes that are too radical to keep up. I haven't cut out any particular food, I still eat bread, chocolate etc. That's not to say I'm not eating healthier, because I'm eating much better than I did 6 months ago, and I'm feeling the benefits. I don't eat as much bread or chocolate, but it's not forbidden. Also, instead of cutting things out, I've added a lot of things to my diet, and made an effort to try new foods so I get a wider variety now. I've worked really hard to not feel like I'm "on a diet" though, so I know I can keep eating like this indefinitely.
With exercise (and I haven't completely cracked this yet) it's kind of the same thing. I think you need to find something you really love, so that you're motivated to do it for its own sake, because you enjoy it so much, not just to lose weight or whatever. Sometimes losing weight is enough motivation, sometimes getting healthy is enough. Other times, though, you just want to do what you want to do. If you can find some activity that becomes that thing you really want to do, then it'll be easy to keep doing it!0 -
(a) I don't call it a diet, it's a lifestyle change, there's a better chance of keeping the weight off for good.
(b) I set small goals, 10 lb increments with a treat at the end, a new hairdo, new top, etc.
(c) I hang a picture of the old me on the refrigerator, that reminds me of how much better I look & feel now. I'm liking the taste of success instead of the taste of calorie laden food.
(d) I refuse to die young like others in my family have.
I still have 10-20 to lose & I will get there!
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I have been consistent on MFP since the end of January i've already lost 24 pounds which I am really proud of! I was super motivated at the beginning I would hit the gym in the morning and in the evening I would switch it up between all of Jillian michaels dvds. I see such a huge change in my body! however summer came therefore vacation time came! its beens so hard to get back on track and honestly I never want to be the other woman I was I love fitting into cute clothes!
I guess my question is what do you guys do to continue on with the dedication! I was so good! super strict on myself I wouldn't ever drink any soda not even diet or eat bread which was super hard for me! I just can't get back on my two day workouts or being so strict with what I eat. However its not like I don't want to be strict I loved how healthy I felt.
What do you all do to stick to your diet!?
You have to find motivation from within and not some external factor. That is when you are hooked for life. Almost everyone gets started via an external influence. At some point you have to find something else to fuel your fire.
For me, I compete against myself. I lived my life ashamed of my body my entire life. And I will not stop until I can be proud of the body I have.
Great perspective! Also, I would say that if your diet is something you have to "stick to", it's too restrictive. Set a lower weight loss goal and make it something you can so with a little application of self control but not that it is hard. It may take you longer to get to your goal but it'll be faster than doing nothing by a long shot.
The one thing that will help you keep on track is regular exercise. This is not something that needs motivation. It just needs a decision and action. IOW, decide to so it, then do it. simple. Plan it into your schedule for the week and, like the NIKE ads say, just do it! A lot if time can be spent sitting around waiting for motivation instead of taking action.0 -
I just do it. its not a cycle of healthy/unhealthy. i just doont eat poorly, ever. i dont take days off of exercise unless its on my calendar.its not a habit or a portion of my life, its what i will have to do forever. dont give yourself the option of slacking. for me, i compare it to my pets. even if i dont want to walk/water/feed them it isnt a choice. it has to be done daily. rain or shine, good day or not. permanently. when you make healthy living a "have to" and not a "want to" it gets easy.
I LOVE this! Thats exactly what I want my mindset to be again. There's no choice. If you associate negativity with a workout or a healthy lifestyle, that's how it will be.
I've tried to schedule my life around working out and work. Just try not to overthink and take it one day at a time. It's kinda hard but we make it hard on ourselves. 0 -
You gotta want it bad enough, and you have to hate who you were bad enough. Put a picture of your old self where you can see it, and it will help you remember why you're going through this. Its real easy to lose sight of your goals if you dont. You said you dont want to go back. Then DON'T! Find ways to change up your routine and freshen it up. Find different foods to eat, different work outs. Don't let it burn you out! Good luck, you are doin' great! Keep it up!!:happy:0
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Definitely agree with some of the other posters. I compete against myself. Take an exercise you really enjoy doing and see how you progress with it. I enjoy running and lifting weights. It is an awesome feeling when I crush my PR's in both. It feels great and keeps me pushing harder to beat those previous records. As for the "diet" part, if I feel like eating a slice of pizza I do. I don't restrict myself from eating anything because that just makes me binge eat later. Like they say, everything in moderation.0
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I read a great article once with adivce from the top diet researchers. One said to diet at the most six months..then maintain for a while until you get your motivation back. He said, the average person can't keep their willpower and dedication strong after that time (on average). I think there is truth to that.. and that is a big reason why to hit it hard and get it done as fast as possible. Because there does come a time w here you want a break from the obsession it takes to lose weight.0
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(a) I don't call it a diet, it's a lifestyle change, there's a better chance of keeping the weight off for good.
First let me say, that I really liked your post and agree with all of what you said. Please don't take what I'm about to say personally because it's not critical at all it's just how my goofy mind works.
Whenever I see the statement above about a lifestyle change, I always chuckle to myself and I think " lifestyle change? Like you decided to be gay? ( then in a Jerry Seinfeld voice) Not that there's anything wrong with it!" LOL0 -
I don't think there's any magic solution that we can offer. But I think all of the comments I've read here, and my own thoughts, lean toward finding that internal motivation. I know it's difficult. And you're comparing what you want to do, with what you were able to do at the start. Don't forget... the first time you were so dedicated to doing this, that you did more than you could actually sustain. Working out every day, twice per day it sounds like? can lead to burnout. I went through that. I worked out 7 days / week for 1.5 hrs, lost 65lbs, felt like a million bucks, and gradually started to ween myself off all the extra working out - it simply wasn't sustainable - I never made a "realistic life shift". I did a quick fix, which was not sustainable.
The real key is to find a way to balance exercise, calorie intake, and your LIFE needs/wants/motivators/etc... we all need balance, and if we tip the scales (pardon pun) too far in one direction, we always swing back harder in the other direction. For example... too much exercise will lead to burnout and eventually no exercise... too few calories will lead to loathing calorie counting and you'll go back to overloading on calories.... too much of anything is too much and not sustainable. Finding balance is the real key, and NOT beating yourself up over it.
FIND A REALISTIC PATH which allows you to enjoy some things you really want to enjoy, allows you to exercise in moderation, and enjoy life.
Now I need to memorize all of this for my own self and follow my own advice. Shutting up now.... :-)0 -
I don't think there's any magic solution that we can offer. But I think all of the comments I've read here, and my own thoughts, lean toward finding that internal motivation. I know it's difficult. And you're comparing what you want to do, with what you were able to do at the start. Don't forget... the first time you were so dedicated to doing this, that you did more than you could actually sustain. Working out every day, twice per day it sounds like? can lead to burnout. I went through that. I worked out 7 days / week for 1.5 hrs, lost 65lbs, felt like a million bucks, and gradually started to ween myself off all the extra working out - it simply wasn't sustainable - I never made a "realistic life shift". I did a quick fix, which was not sustainable.
The real key is to find a way to balance exercise, calorie intake, and your LIFE needs/wants/motivators/etc... we all need balance, and if we tip the scales (pardon pun) too far in one direction, we always swing back harder in the other direction. For example... too much exercise will lead to burnout and eventually no exercise... too few calories will lead to loathing calorie counting and you'll go back to overloading on calories.... too much of anything is too much and not sustainable. Finding balance is the real key, and NOT beating yourself up over it.
FIND A REALISTIC PATH which allows you to enjoy some things you really want to enjoy, allows you to exercise in moderation, and enjoy life.
Now I need to memorize all of this for my own self and follow my own advice. Shutting up now.... :-)
I meant to say 1.5 yrs, not 1.5 hrs0 -
i keep telling myself when i am a size 5 again someone will love me again
i dont know what to tell you
just find a reason in you that you want to keep dieting and exercising
buy a cool dres two sizes too small
i have a size 5 pants haning in my room it helps
i am almost a size 8 now
just dont give up on yourself your are worth it 0 -
Do you have the summer off?
Have you gained weight this summer?
I am thinking that, if you do have the summer off and haven't gained weight, you could give yourself the benefit of the doubt by calling this your "maintenance diet for the summer". Once summer is over and you are back at your routine, go back to the work outs, but start a bit slower than when you left off-
good luck! oh, and wonderful that you lost 25 to begin with!!!0 -
It all starts in the Kitchen! I Make a grocery list every time. Plan my HEALTHY meals ahead of time so that I'm not tempted to buy things that aren't good for us. I have made it a habit to check the nutrition facts on everything. After studying these overtime you will learn what is healthy and what isn't. It has to become a natural part of life to pay attention to what you are eating.0
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I'm struggling with this too but here are things I'm doing...
1) I workout M-F in the gym before work.
2) On Saturday and Sunday I don't have to workout if I don't want to, but if I do it has to be something fun like going for a bike ride or doing something outside. Today I went on a bike ride for 10.6 miles which is 3.6 more than last weekend.
3) Find something fun to join like a running club, biking club, etc. That way you HAVE to exercise during the week to keep up with the group, but it's also fun and social!
Hope that helps 0 -
There are only a handful of foods I love but don't eat (stuffed crust pizza for starters), but that's more to do with sodium than calories. I eat what I want, provided it fits in my macros/calories, and log it. Portion control works excellent for me. Like people keep saying, "This is for life" and I'm for damned sure not living without another Reese's peanut butter cup.0
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