how do you motivate yourself to stick with it

the time is going to pass regardless. Where do you want to be in 4 years? The same place you are right now or with a whole new body and life? Don't question it, don't let yourself sabotage your own happiness. Just stick to it and think about something else.

All or nothing, that decribes me to a t, I want it now lol, I am going to do this this time around, and if it means reading success stories every day, well I gues I will. I love reading what gets people going, and what pulls them back, somethung will stick to me and ill just keep going xxx

I understand where your coming from, I was always someone who wanted fast solutions. When I think back on all the diets I started which lasted a few months and were tough going, I am filled with regret. If I had taken on board the good advice I read on here and another forum I would have all my weight lost and be in maintainance for years. I have been losing and gaining for the past 5 years because I had an all or nothing attitude. I've changed my attitude, set my goal to lose 1 pound per week, got a fitbit and now consider this to be a life style change. I'm eating between 1500 and 2000 calories a day, eating what I want and enjoying it. For some reason the cravings that plagued me before are gone, I think it's because all my meals are satisfying, I'm not substituting real food for "diet" foods and I'm eating more protein.

You can't be a perfectionist and expect to stay on track. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL fall off the wagon, so to speak. But, if you're willing to make changes that you can live with, you'll see progress over time. I lost 35 lbs. through diet alone (the first 25 lbs. came off in the first few months), and ENJOYED it! I stopped eating low-fat, diet, faux-foods, and started eating whole foods, and just ate a tad less than I did before, when I plateaued, I cut back a little more. For example, don't drink your calories. If you drink 2-3 cokes/day, you'll save hundreds of calories/day by doing that alone. If that's you, start with cutting out cokes. When you feel good about that, cut back on volume of food. Ex: If you normally eat everything on your plate at a restaurant, divide it when you get it, and only eat 2/3 of it. Box the rest and save it for your next meal. It's all about baby steps and changes YOU can live with for the rest of your life. If you love cake, don't cut it out completely, just only eat it on special occasions, OR eat 1-2 bites (or 1/2 what you would've before) and push the rest aside. You can lose weight by implementing ONE of these changes every periodically (when weight loss slows). Also, make sure you weight loss expectations are realistic. While you might lose 5-7 lbs. the first week, you'll see it slow down the next week. I was 163 lbs. and lost 5 lbs. the first week, then 1 lb. each week for the next few weeks, then .5 lbs. each week for the next month, or so. When your weight loss slows down (to less than .5 lbs. per week), then, implement a new change.

Making small, gradual changes is the ONLY way that I found that I could lose weight, and keep it off. It's all about progress, not perfection.

Good luck!

You and I have the exact height and weight! I have always bounced between 170 and my heaviest was 210. I have a really hard time feeling motivated, I don't eat excessively, but I don't work out. So whatever I do eat sticks to me. Tracking everyday helps, I always enter in my meals before I eat them, so I am less likely to add a sweet or something that I haven't planned on. Packing a lunch everyday is not only cheaper, but it allows me the control. I also focus on how I feel, not how I look. This was a difficult shift, since looking better is a huge motivator for me. But I focus on the little things, like how I feel after I have climbed a flight of stairs, how my jeans fit and how I am sleeping. I hope this helps, it's nice to know there is someone out there like me!

I agree with making a lifestyle change and to stop thinking about how long it will take. As long as you are moving forward, who cares how long it takes? You are going to have days when you are not motivated, but every day is a new day to keep moving forward.

I myself am starting over again too. Last year I did well, but the holidays got to me. And that's okay. It took a long time to put the weight on and will take a long time to take it off. I think what kept me motivated the most last year was when I had to get new clothes. I honestly didn't think I had lost that much, but apparently my body did and my clothes didn't fit well. Buying new clothes and discovering I could get smaller sizes was really fun. And then people were complimenting my clothes and noticing I lost weight. I started having fun shopping and took an interest in how I looked.

There are lots of things you can do at home while your baby is napping or independently playing near you while you lunge across the dining room. I can't justify joining a gym right now, so I started by doing arm- exercises with hand weights, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, sit ups and other things like that while I watched TV after the kids were in bed. Eventually I dragged myself up early in the morning and did a work-out DVD. When the weather was nice and my kids wanted to go outside and play or take a walk, I always said yes no matter how many dirty dishes there were. Time spent with them and doing something physical is more important that dishes!

I am not sure where you live and if it snowing or cold, but maybe you could invest in a jogging stroller for when the weather is nice and take your LO out for walks, working up to jogging?

Good luck! You got this!

Instead of thinking how you cant do something think about how you can do something. Give yourself a reward if you make it through a week of working out and sticking to your new diet. For me I am not a runner but I signed up for the Shamrock Run on March 1st. i want to run the 8k in 50 minutes. I have a clan of friends going to cheer me on so I don't want to look like the fool . Training for this will knock off the pounds . One week in to it and i feel better already. For obtaining that goal I don't know what I am going to do yet aside from gloat ,boast and brag

I felt that way in the beginning when I looked at it as having over 90lbs to lose and that seeming impossible.(SW234/GW134) I could not really even walk a good 1.5 miles without being winded if there were any hills involved.

I had to change it to small goals and then it got better each time I hit one of. My first goal was 20lbs and to get in 2 miles a day of walking every day. I hit that and then got up to 8 miles a day after 2 months and switched to 60lbs and hit that after 5 months. Eventually I looked at how far I had come rather than how far I had left to go.

It is really great to find an exercise program that you love so that you will not hate doing it. It was kickboxing, then running and weight lifting for me....but find what you have a passion for and it will get easier. It really does get better, just hang in there for a good month and it will become more like a habit....you are not taking something away from yourself in regards to food, you are working towards better health.

Take it one day at a time. I read a thread yesterday that said just for today I will... Best wishes for success! BTW you have one of the most important jobs in the world!

I use past pictures of myself as my motivation. I know its hard and takes work, dedication, discipline, willpower, but, to me, its worth it.

Iv read sucess posts and am amazed, but when I think its going to take 1 year? 4 months? However long, I think to myself, nope, not possible, I cant do this, I cant think that ill ever be slim, its only week one, and I have negative feelings. Im 5 foot 3 and 194 pounds, so huge for my height, its gotta change, byt the lowest iv ever been is 170lb which is still big, I dont feel its possible, especially as I have now become a sahm and activity has dropped loads since I left work,
help please, how do you stay focused knowing you have such a long road ahead xxx

Today was the first day of my free online accountability challenge! message me if you'd like details! the more the merrier

I live by the quote that is my profile picture. I will be an active member of MFP for 2 years on April 15. That is when I got serious about my health. People ask me all the time what did it for me this time, as I was always talking about losing weight and never sticking with it. Even my daughter tells me she never thought I would actually do it because of all the times I talked about it before. The only thing i can think of is, I am doing this for ME!!! Not for my husband nor my children, not for my parents or my siblings, not because I was jealous of the "skinny people", not because my doctor told me "I really should lose that weight" in a stern voice. No, this time, it's all for me. For my health, for my psychology, for my mental outlook on both me and life. I just got tired of being tired and hating the way I look. Something had to give and finally, finally I was able to shut up that bratty ***** inside me who complained "If they can eat junk, why can't I? It isn't fair" or "I'm too tired to exercise and all of the other bull****. Because thats what ALL of the excuses are...bull****. When you are ready to dig your way out of the bull****, it won't be as difficult as you think it will be. You'll see. Meanwhile, if you would like to add me as a friend, I'm here all the time.