How do you find the motivation to keep going?

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard goes something like this:

"It's not motivation, but determination, that will get you to your goals."

In other words, it's making the right choices, no matter how you feel. It's choosing not to give up, no matter how slow your progress is. That scale has broken my heart 541361351.21 times, and I thought I'd be WAY closer to my goal by now, but I haven't given up. That's all it really takes.

Bump...
I love this...

I just hit 170 and im only 23, use to being 125 at my highest. That is my motivation right now to not eventually hit 200lbs.
It truly is day by day, you need to plan meals when you come home (even if its late at night) google workout routines and try them early in the morning.

Keep trying and keep it going, dont over think it just do it. Its hard, but if it was easy everyone would have their dream bodies.

i read "it starts with food" and realized that i needed to focus on eating healthier to heal my body, and in the process found that personally cutting out grains and refined sugars helped curb my appetite. i had used diet pills for years before reading this book. now that i eat this way, it's so much easier to focus on not overeating while i sit at my desk, and i make or order healthy foods (nuts.com or amazon.com have lots to choose from!) to eat in the office (i work 84 hrs/week). currently my motivation is an upcoming trip to asia with lots of beach time. just read up on how to eat for your health, figure out a lifestyle diet (ie, not just something to lose weight but a way of eating that you can stick to for a long time) and you'll be good to go. good luck!

Serious question.

I've been aiming to lose weight for around a year now, and I've done it for brief periods with mild success. I always hit a plateau and then just slowly ease off of a diet/exercise plan. I'm 6' 216 pounds. Back in March I started, aiming for 2lbs/wk and I got down to 209 at the end of April. Unsatisfied with the progress I sort of gave up.

I work 50+ hours a week and find it so difficult to eat healthy and exercise (I know, this is an excuse).
I don't have many opportunities to leave work, so I end up eating from a vending machine or giving someone my credit card to grab me McDonalds or something, and I always regret it..

I just want to know how you guys keep yourselves motivated throughout the long difficult process of losing weight, and avoid all of the temtations?

Its easy because I recondition my mind.Most people hit plateaus because they are to strict or over excercise,I find that being relaxed about it is the long term solution for eg I do eat McDonalds still but the last time I had one was 2 months ago the time before that was a week ago the time before that was 3 day ago etc I never beat myself up I always draw a line and move on as long as I dont eat it in consecutive days and stay in my cal intake. I have faith and Ill know ill be fine.Self control.

50+ hrs isn't alot of hrs and yes your diet can goto pot,Its your mind that is getting in the way as you have clearly pointed out,so my advice is to pack up for the day its very easy just get up earlier and prepare for your day never deprive yourself but limit yourself.Self control

Ultimately its all down to you and its starts with your mindset. Goodluck chap but I know itsnot luck

Hello, once you first start to loose those first few lbs, and then they become stones, and then the clothes start shrinking there was no going back for me. The complements start to come in, and I then realised it was me those complements were for, it is a great feeling and worth all the times I had said NO to something, that I knew I didn't need to have, as it was not on my food list!

Wearing size 10 and it is great and knowing that a size 12 is to big for me (wow). I was on the verge of a size18 and feeling fat and very frumpy, and was the point it all . Now I have loads of energy, I am always on the go. I also do lotsof walking challenges.

Having lost 45lbs, of course now I do say Yes to certain foods, but I also say enough is enough, and it's time to start saying NO, just to get back to where I know I am happy , otherwise it could be a slippery slop.... And my size 10's would not fit, I sometimes go by the weight on the scales. I know I need to be under 10 stone, 10:4 being my cut off, but a couple of weeks of saying NO soon sorts it out for me.

( I have gained a few lbs recently -summer holidays, but I am back to saying No, stepping up the walking and keeping to list of foods I can eat. And usually even naturally slim people gain a few lbs on holidays, but they usually get it sorted once they are back from holiday. In the past I just carried on eating like I was still on holiday !)

Good luck, and if you give yourself the commitment to do it you will. Planning what you are going to eat and drink (the water) is all good for you and of course keep you motivated. But if you should end up saying Yes when in fact it should have been a No, don't beat yourself up, just close the book, and find a new one to get started. After all it is your life.

It's sad that you quit after one month after you'd made such awesome progress. 7 pounds in a month is great! This isn't a race. Maybe you rushed it or you just weren't realistic. Maybe 2 pounds a week is too aggressive for you. I know that amount would have burned me out. I had months where I only lost a pound or two, but it never really bothered me. This is a lifestyle change, so it didn't matter how long it took, as long as I was going to make it last. (I've been on maintenance for 2.5 years.) Any small victory is a step in the right direction.

As far as motivation, you have to want it MORE than you want the alternative. Sometimes change is scary and we just get too comfortable with our old selves. Decide you want to live a healthy lifestyle, change your attitudes and behaviors, and make it a priority. You can tell what things are important to people by looking at their priorities. Healthy, fit people make it a priority. It doesn't just happen by accident. Maybe you're not ready yet, or maybe you just need to give it another shot but with a more realistic outlook this time. And take it slowly this time. It's not gonna happen over night. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Hey well done for getting back to it and having the motivation to try again.

MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY!

Sometimes it's the fear of succeeding rather than failing that stops us, that whole self-sabotage thing.. Know that you're worth it and you deserve it more than anything

GO FOR IT!

This really made sense to me - someone wrote that even if they hit a plateau and were not losing they were still eating healthy and getting fitter so why give up and go back to eating crap and being miserable.

Its not a race as long as you are heading in the right direction who cares how long it takes - slow and steady wins the race!!

I've been losing steadily since last year but I am more interested in being healthy and feeling good than how many pounds I've lost.

I started walking 2.7 miles in January and it took me 1 hour, now August the same distance takes me 40 minutes so that is proof that I am fitter.

Write measurements down and times that it takes to do things and then review every month, I guarantee you will see a difference and these really do give you a sense of achievement.

Don't give in, you know you will be miserable and all your hard work will go to waste, just keep eating healthily and exercising - I don't see this as a diet, its a HEALTHIER WAY OF LIVING FOR LIFE - you can have treats and still socialise just ensure that you get back on track as soon as you can and you will be able to have your cake and eat it

Good luck :happy:

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