Feel that I have lost all motivation and time.....

What time does your hubby leave in the morning? How about getting up a bit earlier and either going to the gym or taking a nice walk to clear you rmind for your day ahead? I know you said you are staying up so late doing homework, but how about trying a flipflop to the day instead. Get up extra early, even if just a couple days per week. And then there's nap times. Rotate between working out and doing school work. Try and set a schedule, but leave room for flexibility. This is a process, and you are just at a place where you need to rethink and get your own groove going. We seem to let ourselves go for the reasons you listed (kids, work, school, etc.), and it's easy to blame those areas. So now it's time to turn it around and use those things to your advantage. You can do it. Just a little extra effort will be so worth the return.

I have this problem sometimes as well with my hectic schedule. Since you have to tend to kids, why don't you take them outside, for a walk or playtime (and actually play with them). While my kids are out playing, I'll literally walk the length of our property, up and down our driveway numerous times, etc - anything to get a little exercise in. You just have to fit it in where you can. I sometimes walk up and down the stairs in my house for about 10-15 min. I'll also load mine up and go to a nearby park (that has a track) and take their bikes so they can ride while I walk. This way I am spending time with them WHILE working out. Now you will also have to be super mom and do all the other things expected, but know that some of it can just wait until the weekend. Homework obviously can't wait, so take advantage of nap time and when your husband gets home, have him watch the kids for an hour or so for you to get that done. I know it's hard, but if you're motivated enough, you can make it happen!!

That sure is a tough situation but do not get all demotivated. Maybe you can squeeze in 15 min workouts between your homeworks? Say work for an hour or so on your homework and take a 10-15 min break..jump rope or crunches or push ups..anything u feel like..just keep moving for those 10 mins. It might not be as effective as a full hour long session of workout but nevertheless it will help. Also stock your refrigerator with healthy snacks and foods. So even if you have to just grab something, it would still be healthy. Yogurt cups, fruits, oatmeal, nuts.
Start with small steps and in no time you will be doing lot more than you thought you could Keep going girl! You can do it

What an amazing person you are. Be proud of yourself for all that you do and for the wonderful example that you are setting your children. With regard to not grabbling unhealthy snacks, the obvious thing to do is to not have them in the house. The children and your husband can do without them, no matter how much they moan. If you get an hour's window at the weekend, maybe prepare a healthy grab box for the fridge with hard-boiled eggs, chopped celery, peppers etc. Remember to have some filling fruits such as bananas which are easily grabbed, maybe some instant/quick cook oats that can be done in the microwave in minutes. If you have a bit longer, maybe you could prepare some healthy meals for the week ahead and refrigerate/freeze them so you don't have the pressure of cooking every night.

All the very best with your studying! xxx

bump

The important thing is that you don't just give it up completely. Just use MFP to log your food everyday, be honest and log every single thing, good or bad. If your primary goal is achieving a lower weight then using MFP to log your food will help you to make choices that maybe you wouldn't have made without it. Even if you choose to go over, at least by logging you know exactly what it is that you put into your body that day. If you log, you maintain control. If you choose to go over or give up dietary restrictions/changes for a while then at least you can see exactly what it is you are eating.

I have found myself in the same boat. What has really helped me is meal planning. I plan all of my meals out and make little tupperwares of them, that way when I need a quick meal I can heat up something healthy really quick. Then once you get used to the swing of the schedule you'll start finding more productive ways of doing things, and you'll find time for working out.

I recommend two approaches.

One
MAKE your husband or other adult family members give you time and make your kids(if at all possible) more self sufficient to give you time to work out. Running or jogging is by far the most time effective.

Two
Target your eating habits and resolve yourself that you might be hungry for a very long time. Guzzle water or diet soda to fill up as needed.

Best of luck to you.

Is there a gym that provides childcare? Can you get a babysitter for an hour? I find it interesting that you and your husband have such combined packed schedules. Four kids to raise is a pretty full schedule until they are in school. Would you enjoy spending time with them and tackling school goals when 2 or 4 of them are in school? Is this lifestyle putting your self nurturing on a back burner? It should be a top priority, being someone who maxes themselves out. Don't break your health for your goals. If you are determined to do it all at the same time, I would suggest portion control to start, switching in healthy options to the foods you are grabbing. Also, is there a park around that you can go with another parent and take turns watching the kids while the other one walks/jogs?

I'd suggest just trying to eat better at first. Set an alarm on your phone for however often you think you should be eating - Some poeple do 6 small meals some to 3 bigger meals, whatever works for you. Take some time the night before to get your foodage straight for the next day, so when your alarm goes off, just go grab it, bring it back and eat.

Once you're one a roll with that, then start trying to figure out how to get the workouts in. If you can't, just concentrate on eating well. Everything I've read says that losing weight is 80% diet anyway, so you should still be losing. Get up and walk when you can. Take a break and do some jumping jacks or lunges or whatever when you can.

You can figure it out. Baby steps.

Best of luck to you

^ This and I would add, drink water when you get up, even before coffee or whatever. That seems to set me up for a day since I started doing that:)

Motivation has nothing to do with weight loss. You can be the most motivated person in the world to focus on your weight loss,without action, nothing happens. You can be the most unmotivated person in the world and take action. This will result in weight loss.It's about action, not motivation. You also might be taking too many credits. I wrote this on my wall a few minutes ago.

"When my friend was concerned about my weight he would say. "What? You are going to go to school all this time, get out and die in a few years." He's right. I rather get a C in a class and be thinner compared to getting an A in a class and being obese. Health and fitness improve cognitive functioning and mental performance. Don't fall in to that trap of "I can't follow my health routine because of school." Fitness > School. "

If you're not motivated, you're likely not going to take action, so I'm not seeing what you mean here?? Without the motivation to TAKE ACTION, you're right, there is no weight loss.

I am saying, I am not always motivated to go to the gym and workout, or eat good. I know some of my friends are in the same boat. Doesn't matter, we still do it. This is mostly a negative form of motivation ff not wanting to miss our workouts, fear of not being in consistent and back tracking. Some of the most leanest people I know sometimes don't want to workout that day, but they do. I am saying people think you got to be all "pumped up" to go workout. You don't.

It's not about being motivated going to the gym, it's about being motivated to lose weight, in whatever way that might be. You have to have the drive to make it happen. Fear of not being consistent IS your motivation and that's what makes many of us pick ourselves up and head to the gym or go for that walk. Motivation doesn't necessarily mean being pumped up; it means that you are providing a motive and even slight stimulation of interest to get something done even if you don't want to do it.

Take baby steps to get into a routine....for example, I'm a 'muncher'. So, instead of crackers or chips with my very garlicky hummus or light asiago and artichoke dip, I grab baby carrots or cut baby cucumbers into strips. VERY low calorie and yummy snacks. I also buy a lot of packaged salads, cooked chicken breast strips, steam in the bag veggies....I can't stand the taste of plain veg, so I'll steam them and then add them to a skillet with a bit of butter and LOTS of garlic! Green beans, brocolli, etc. Plus I'm not a big fruit eater, but I'll buy the apple wedges and have a small bowl of those with a tablespoon of peanut butter to dip them into. I get to eat a lot more without sacrificing calories, and I get in some fruit and veg servings too.

Also, invest in an inexpensive crockpot. Put it together the night before and throw the insert into the fridge. Then before you get your morning started, plug it in. Easy peasy.

For exercise, can you do any of your reading/homework on an exercise bike? Maybe buy some zumba videos and have the kids dance around with you. Give them a 'kid' area and block out a 'mommy' area so you're not knocking into them. May be difficult at first, but after a while they'll know it's mommy's exercise time. There are lots of workout links on line and I'm sure you'd be able to find some that will fit into your day with kids running around. Maybe have a contest with them to see how many pushups, jumping jacks, burpees, squats, etc. that everyone can do. Set aside 30 minutes a day to do a 'family bootcamp'. Make it fun for them, and it'll be fun for you too. Both getting in some proper nutrients and a bit of exercise everyday will really help you clear your mind, climb outta that funk, and give you more energy....write down a plan that you think you'll be able to do, and commit to it for 7 days. Then, see how you feel, expand on what works, and tweak what doesn't. Baby steps.

Lots of easy little changes will add up to big benefits!!

I'd suggest just trying to eat better at first. Set an alarm on your phone for however often you think you should be eating - Some poeple do 6 small meals some to 3 bigger meals, whatever works for you. Take some time the night before to get your foodage straight for the next day, so when your alarm goes off, just go grab it, bring it back and eat.

Once you're one a roll with that, then start trying to figure out how to get the workouts in. If you can't, just concentrate on eating well. Everything I've read says that losing weight is 80% diet anyway, so you should still be losing. Get up and walk when you can. Take a break and do some jumping jacks or lunges or whatever when you can.

You can figure it out. Baby steps.

Best of luck to you

This is great advice! Start with fixing one aspect or it will all seem too overwhelming! Good luck!

Motivation has nothing to do with weight loss. You can be the most motivated person in the world to focus on your weight loss,without action, nothing happens. You can be the most unmotivated person in the world and take action. This will result in weight loss.It's about action, not motivation. You also might be taking too many credits. I wrote this on my wall a few minutes ago.

"When my friend was concerned about my weight he would say. "What? You are going to go to school all this time, get out and die in a few years." He's right. I rather get a C in a class and be thinner compared to getting an A in a class and being obese. Health and fitness improve cognitive functioning and mental performance. Don't fall in to that trap of "I can't follow my health routine because of school." Fitness > School. "

If you're not motivated, you're likely not going to take action, so I'm not seeing what you mean here?? Without the motivation to TAKE ACTION, you're right, there is no weight loss.

I am saying, I am not always motivated to go to the gym and workout, or eat good. I know some of my friends are in the same boat. Doesn't matter, we still do it. This is mostly a negative form of motivation ff not wanting to miss our workouts, fear of not being in consistent and back tracking. Some of the most leanest people I know sometimes don't want to workout that day, but they do. I am saying people think you got to be all "pumped up" to go workout. You don't.

It's not about being motivated going to the gym, it's about being motivated to lose weight, in whatever way that might be. You have to have the drive to make it happen. Fear of not being consistent IS your motivation and that's what makes many of us pick ourselves up and head to the gym or go for that walk. Motivation doesn't necessarily mean being pumped up; it means that you are providing a motive and even slight stimulation of interest to get something done even if you don't want to do it.

Yes, I know what motivation is. We're all motivated to get out of bed in the morning. I do agree with you. There are different forms of motivation. That doesn't mean other people realize this. When people think of motivation they usually think of positive motivation. The simplest form of action requires motivation. I used to read a lot of books on motivation. I could sit there, be motivated but without action, nothing would happen. I just finally realized, "it doesn't matter how i feel, I just have to do it."

You realize you just have to do it because you are MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT! Therefore, motivation can indeed equal weight loss! :P LOL You know we could go on like this for days huh?? LOL I don't think I'm helping the original poster...:(

You're saying the OP isn't motivated to lose weight? She's on MFP, and she's asking for help.why isn't she doing it?

No I'm not saying the OP isn't motivated - she said that herself in the title of this topic. I'm basically disagreeing with what you said that motivation has nothing to do with weight loss. Period.

Everything in life is related in some shape or form. There is always some correlation. Belief is also a big part as well. If you're motivated to do something lets say like win an olympic medal but have no belief you can do it,would you even try? What if you believe you can do something like pick up a pencil but had no motivation to do so? Would you even try?

My original point is too many people focus too much on motivation and not enough on action. Yes you're right, motivation does play a part in weight loss. The op is motivated to some degree, but currently isn't taking the action she wants. She's motivated to take action, that's why she made this post. Motivation without action won't get you the results you want. As I said, I do agree with what you said, "motivation does have something to do with weight loss." We can make this subject very complex. It's easier to say, "motivation has nothing to do with weight loss, it's about action." compared to "there are different types of motivation, they're tied to your belief and value (make big paragraph here) there is positive and negative motivation (add another big paragraph here).

It's sometimes easier to just keep it simple.

Soooo not following ur post but ok.

O