Fell of the wagon, need motivation!

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quartkneerae18
quartkneerae18 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was doing great logging in the first couple weeks on being on mfp. After a little while I just stopped tracking. I have not really gained back anything I lost but I need help with motivation. I have not worked out at the gym and I have been busy with life. I know that it is a personal choice and I need to be accountable. What are some of your secrets? How do you keep going?

Today I decided to start logging again. The only way to be accountable is logging and being true to myself on my goals.

Any advice would be appricaited.
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Replies

  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    One thing that helped me be successful was goals. My first goal was when I started and committed to 21 days of exercise and a diet plan.

    Along with that, they always say that it takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit and I found that to be true.........I finished that 21 days and the rest was easy. Setting goals for myself (i.e. lose XX lbs in XX weeks) kept me on track and focused.
  • GLR87
    GLR87 Posts: 17 Member
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    Even if you have a rough couple of days or weeks you can't give up. Living a health lifestyle should be a portion of your busy life. I wasn't able to go to the gym for about 5 days because of traveling and work but I went back yesterday and it only motivated me to wake up early and go today. You can try to fit in any and all exercise while you're busy. Take the stairs, take a walk on your lunch break. Most importantly try to prepare your meals in advance so you always have something healthy to grab. Best of luck.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I was doing great logging in the first couple weeks on being on mfp. After a little while I just stopped tracking. I have not really gained back anything I lost but I need help with motivation. I have not worked out at the gym and I have been busy with life. I know that it is a personal choice and I need to be accountable. What are some of your secrets? How do you keep going?

    Today I decided to start logging again. The only way to be accountable is logging and being true to myself on my goals.

    Any advice would be appricaited.

    What kept me going was that I was getting fat and didn't like what I saw in the mirror. What keeps me going now is that I love the process.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
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    Day 1- I came the to harsh realization that i was a filthy liar and wasnt being honest with my log.

    Day 2- awesome.

    Day 3- no time for the gym! eep! Walked instead, but those salt cravings hit.

    Day 4- snack cake mutilation :-(

    Im right back on the wagon, cause my saddlebags are starting to disappear. Ive been fat too long, and this is the first time motivation has lasted more than 2 days. I really want to go into Victoria's Secret, and i cant do that till i hit first goal.

    You can do it, just realize that you will slip up now and then.
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,635 Member
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    Making a schedule helped me, we have a calendar on a dry erase board on the fridge with the days I'm going to work out on it. I put a check mark after I complete the workout. Also renewing my committment (taking new before pics, weight and measurements) and also having social support. My boyfriend started working out again the same day I did. We plan on working out together 6 x a week. So far it has been great!
  • JolieJemmaMomma
    JolieJemmaMomma Posts: 54 Member
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    I try to make a menu a week ahead. Every morning I log what I am supposed to have that day. Doing this also makes me think twice before grabbing that super easy, not so good for you snack because i dont want to have to change my diary :)
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
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    Thats it....that is the first step - get on here and MAKE yourslf accountable. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes, but YOU need to make the choice to find the will power and the time. We can't do that for you. But we can be here to support your journey!!
    Just as everything else in life you need to schedule your work out. Schedule a time to log. Schecdule a cheat day. Schedule a rest day(s).
    Everyone can find 30 min to do a little extra. Then next thing you know you'll find an hour and then you'll move other things around just so you can get in a workout.

    21 days to make or break a habit. You CAN do this.... Stay strong and remember why you started in the first place.
  • evsullivan
    evsullivan Posts: 55
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    Breaking down a month into weekly goals (ie week 1 I will do 3 cardio workouts and 2 strength workouts, or I will lose 1 lb, etc) and taking progress pictures week to week. Compare the pictures from week 1 to week 4 and you will feel great and want to keep going the next month.
  • xoTammyox
    xoTammyox Posts: 74 Member
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    It's hard. I know. If you fall off the wagon just get back up. I've learned not to be too hard on myself. I get caught up in everyday life- we all do. I forget to log in some days, especially on weekends. Rememeber tomorrow is a new day and you can start again.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Two things kept me motivated:

    1. Do you want to be fat? Is being overweight your goal? If no, then you better get your act together! Keep the big picture in mind, but...

    2. Set mini goals. I used 10 pound milestones. I started at 175 so first goal was to be in the 160s, then the 150s, and so on. Seeing the middle number change helped my psyche!

    Things got easier when I stopped lying to myself. Sure, I am busy but so are 99% of the people I know. It's about priorities. If I am claiming I have "no time" to work out but can manage 30 minutes in front of the computer or TV at night, then I am just kidding myself. It is tough but be brutally honest when it comes to the reasons why you are slacking.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    There are no secrets. Ain't nothing to it but to do it.
  • MrsLVF
    MrsLVF Posts: 787 Member
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    I was doing great logging in the first couple weeks on being on mfp. After a little while I just stopped tracking. I have not really gained back anything I lost but I need help with motivation. I have not worked out at the gym and I have been busy with life. I know that it is a personal choice and I need to be accountable. What are some of your secrets? How do you keep going?

    Today I decided to start logging again. The only way to be accountable is logging and being true to myself on my goals.

    Any advice would be appreciated.
    You may have ups & downs, but as long as you keep using the tools you have, & be honest with yourself & log everything, even on a "bad" day you'll do fine. It doesn't happen over night, just keep on it.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    Figure out WHY you want your goals. If the goals & reasons for wanting them are important enough to you, you'll make them a priority and will make choices that will bring you closer to them.

    For me, it was finding out my cholesterol had gone over 200. That was more powerful that just wanting generically to be thin again. My Dr. advised exercise, so I made time for it, and make it a priority to spend 1-2 hours/day 4-6 days/week being active.

    For the food side, I'm finding it helpful to have an accountability buddy. We make sure we both complete our journals daily and check in with each other when we're slipping.

    For exercise, I'm finding it really helpful to have a plan to follow, for both guidance on what to do, and structure to know that I'm making progress, but still have more work to do. For this, I'm LOVING New Rules of Lifting for Women!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Last time I fell off the wagon, I gained 8 lbs.
  • chicadejmu
    chicadejmu Posts: 171 Member
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    Getting a fitbit has really been the best motivating thing for me. Instead of my regular 1x weekly workout of volleyball - I'm exercising almost every day. I took only 6 days off out of the last 30 where I didn't do at least SOME exercise. I want to get to the goal of at least 10K steps. And now my mom and aunt have 1 so I want to be the leader in avg. weekly steps. Reason to get up off your butt and get moving!

    Also, just log in and be sure to read through your friends. What started me going before I got the fitbit was seeing everyone else posting workouts. If your friends don't work out, get more/new ones that do! Commit to it and make it happen. You can do it!
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    Even though Ive used it before too, I don't like the term "falling off the wagon" because it makes me feel like there is an option of stopping your journey, Like you got left behind the wagon and are stranded because you made a bad choice. Rather, I would like to look at it as you are taking a detour or have gone over a few bump instead but your still holding on tight. Even if you gave up for a year, your still on it...
    There is no escape! muhahahaha ;) hehe

    Motivation. You know, sometimes it is just not there. I have gone through it, friends have gone through it. The best advice I can give you is to keep doing it anyways and I promise you, it will return. Having a routine of exercising every day/almost everyday is pretty important too. Mostly because it becomes a habit and just part of your everyday life. It turns into if you dont do it, you feel like something is missing.

    I would also point out, I would rather exercise for a few hours and get it done rather then feel bad about it for the rest of the day because of what I didn't do.

    I know this sounds corny but I always tell myself that I'm an athlete and I'm just getting back in shape. It works...dont know why because I was never a sporty person before haha
  • jfrankovich
    jfrankovich Posts: 31 Member
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    NerdFitness.com is a blog I've been reading lately with lots of good inspirational posts.
  • WhatDoesLisa
    WhatDoesLisa Posts: 214
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    I am taking one small step, logging everything I eat into MFP. I don't care how bad it looks. I think if I get some hard data in here that I can look it over and figure out what changes I need to make. But, if I keep lying to myself, then I will never be able to change.

    My food diary is just for me to be honest with myself. I am hoping my next step is modifying my diet and then adding exercise. But one foot in front of the other as the Winter Warlock said (or was it Kris Kringle?)
  • quartkneerae18
    quartkneerae18 Posts: 7 Member
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    Is there a certain diet plan that you have followed?
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    Is there a certain diet plan that you have followed?

    Not me. I am a true believer of everything in moderation and to kill it at the gym. I average 1700-2k cals consumed a day but I also burn 1000-1700 HRM calories burned at the gym 6 days a week. Diets are temporary. For long term results- eat healthy, eat the bad food only once in a while and exercise that butt off...literally.

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