How to keep motivation high?

I’m losing slow and steadily. I know that will help the lbs stay off. Sometimes I am super-extra-hyper-motivated. Other times, not so much. It’s especially hard when I feel like I’ve been doing so great then step on the scale to find that I gained. I know too that daylight saving time and spring will make a big difference (going outside, sunshine). I have a toddler, DH and work FT at an office job.

I get up early (5:30) to work out and am great at planning, healthy meals, having healthy snacks on hand, don’t eat much processed sugar, have a lot of healthy habits, etc… But it’s in the evening time my energy wanes and my desire for sweets kicks in. Usually I keep it at bay (and junk food out of the house) but at least once a week I break. Then I beat myself up a little. Of course I get to bed early.

How to keep motivation high?
What to do in the evenings?
How to keep focused on the big goal—being a healthy mom—rather than give in?
How to eat treats in moderation? What is reasonable?

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I think one of the best ways to stay motivated is to set smaller goals (I want to lose 4 lbs by the end of the month or even 2 lbs every other week). Make sure they are realistic goals, but smaller ones are easier to stay focused on than your final loss if it is large and somewhere in the hazy far future :) It also helps me get back on track if I decide to skip a week (say I go on vacation I will just make it a goal to workout x times and try to maintain and then when I get back set a new small goal and get right back at it).

    Working out usually gets rid of my appetite for a while so I usually work out when I get home and eat a little bit later dinner and then I do not even want to snack before bed. If that is not an option make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the afternoon/evening and keep good snack ready to grab. Carrots are a good muchy for me, they are sweet and crunchy and not as bad as a bag of chips. Popcorn can be another great option if you look for the less buttery types.

    What is reasonable for treats all depends on your favorites and how many calories you have to work with. I love chocolate and I get a much better fix from strait chocolate than a cake or cookie. I keep hershey bars on hand and 1/2 a bar will be a great treat for me for only 110 calories, whereas I can eat a whole 600 cal peice of chocolate cake and still not feel as satisfied. You will just have to figure out what works for you in that area.
  • Flacachica
    Flacachica Posts: 328 Member
    Please tell me cause I need to know!! :)

    Seriously though, right now I'm doing alright but there are times... and especially if/when you hit a plateau. Man those are hard. I just try to keep small goals in mind so I don't set myself up for disappointment. There's nothing more de-motivating than disappointment over and over.... and change things up every now and then. Don't get stuck in a rut.

    Keep your head high and remember this is not temporary, but a lifestyle change. If you keep your attitude in check, you will do this! Mind over matter... (I know, easier said than done). Good luck!
  • JamieMommy1985
    JamieMommy1985 Posts: 92 Member
    I started keeping a picture of myself where I was happy with my figure at my desk and on my fridge. So far its keeping me motivated to push forward. Good luck, you are off to a great start, keep up the hard work! :)
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    It's not possible to have a consistenly high level of motivation every day. On those down days, you just get it done. No thinking.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I start at 4am
    by the time the afternoon comes I am dead.
    I go to bed real early tho.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    I’m losing slow and steadily. I know that will help the lbs stay off. Sometimes I am super-extra-hyper-motivated. Other times, not so much. It’s especially hard when I feel like I’ve been doing so great then step on the scale to find that I gained. I know too that daylight saving time and spring will make a big difference (going outside, sunshine). I have a toddler, DH and work FT at an office job.

    I get up early (5:30) to work out and am great at planning, healthy meals, having healthy snacks on hand, don’t eat much processed sugar, have a lot of healthy habits, etc… But it’s in the evening time my energy wanes and my desire for sweets kicks in. Usually I keep it at bay (and junk food out of the house) but at least once a week I break. Then I beat myself up a little. Of course I get to bed early.

    How to keep motivation high?
    What to do in the evenings?
    How to keep focused on the big goal—being a healthy mom—rather than give in?
    How to eat treats in moderation? What is reasonable?

    sounds like you are developing some great habits. your motivation will wax and wane, but it's your habits that will carry you through.

    being a healthy mom is a great big goal, but in a way it's like a really overall encompassing goal. try and make smaller more tangible goals, like run a 5k in under 30 minutes, or squat your body weight.

    if you want a treat in the evening, have one! figure out what works for you. do you want a serving of ice cream nightly? or do you want two servings every other day because SERIOUSLY A SERVING IS A QUARTER OF A CUP?? lol. maybe if you have a sweet snack during the day, you won't have a raging sweet tooth at night.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's not about motivation. It's about making habits and making nutrition and fitness an intrinsic part of your life. The reason you think you need motivation right now is because you are thinking of all of this as something "extra" you're doing for now...these things must cease to become "extra" things in your life. Nutrition and fitness must because a tremendously big part of your life and who you are and what you do. Do you need motivation to get up and take a shower in the morning? No, you just do it right? It's just part of your daily...no biggie...couldn't imagine getting up and going to work without taking a shower amirite? This is the same thing...it has to become a part of your life...and it has to be about more than just watching the scale.

    Everyone is in such a hurry to get to goal weight...why? Because they think they're done...they can be finished with all this nutrition and fitness bull**** and get on back to normal. Guess what? Reaching your goal weight just means you've arrived at the starting line of a much longer and harder race...you are not done...you are never "done".

    Do you know what the difference between maintenance and losing for me is? It's about 300 - 500 calories...that's it...I eat the same way I ate when I was losing...I just have a few hundred more calories at my disposal. Do you know what the difference in my fitness is between maintenance and losing? Absolutely nothing. That's what people mean when they talk about "lifestyle"...it's making nutrition and fitness your "lifestyle"...not something you do for some limited time while you're trying to make the scale move.
  • minischnauz4
    minischnauz4 Posts: 29 Member
    I can't believe I read your post today of all days. You described exactly how I have been feeling all day long. I, too, am down 21 lbs and have about 40 more to go and before today I was all gung-ho and ready to set fire to this lifestyle change. Then today, after not cheating even once and sticking to plan - I stepped on the scale to see I'd gained 1.4 lbs this week. What's up with that? I've worked hard, I've been devoted, shouldn't that reward me with a loss instead of a gain? It's not until reading your post I realized - so what? Am I going to quit every time something goes wrong? Isn't that what led me to be overweight right now because I start off good and then throw in the towel at the least little bump? No, I'm going to refocus and look at the big picture. I can do this! I have been doing this! I will continue to do what I know will work for me if I just keep at it. I don't want those 21 lbs back but they'll return in a hurry if I allow them to so I hope you read this and find motivation in my words like I found after reading yours. We can do this Aprilfoolbrid! We can fight this battle and come out the winner. Just believe in yourself and remember you're working to be healthier for your child. Being a mom, myself, I know there's nothing I wouldn't' do for my child and I bet you feel the same. Keep going Aprilfoolbrid, keep going!
  • Aprilfoolbride
    Aprilfoolbride Posts: 552 Member
    Thank you to all who replied! I really appreciate the support, suggestions, and advice. It's one day at a time, sometimes one bite at a time :)

    4legsRbettert, it seriously never occurred to me to look at calorie density of sweets. Where do you get the biggest bang for the calorie buck?

    Flacchia, I'm all about the small goals. And I'm trying not to let the perfect (go down seven flights of stairs then walk back up) be the enemy of the good (walk down seven flights of stairs then take the elevator up) rather than thinking, well, if I'm not going to go up and down I won't bother. I bother!

    jamie121185, It'd be a mighty dusty photo when I was happy with my figure!

    Phaedra2014: How do you not think? Please tell me.

    KANGOOJUMPS, I imagine you must go to bed at 8pm!

    Capt_Apollo, I lol'ed when I read your goal like running a 5k in under 30 minutes. The last time I participated in a 5k I came in second... to last!

    cwolfwman13: I'm doing my best to make these habits part of my everyday routine. I'm in a hurry to get to goal weight so that i can feel better and feel good on my upcoming milestone birthday. I know from losing and gaining (80lbs) that it's the habits that matter most.

    minischnauz4, I loved your post. And when I look at my weight graph it's depressing. Then I look at the 12 month view and it's a whole different story. Sometimes the pounds come off easier than other times, but you're right --- saying "$%&) it" was what got me so heavy in the first place. It is hard to lose a lot of lbs and still be so heavy/big but I'm LESS heavy/big than before. You're right, I would move heaven and earth for my child so I'd better take good care of myself so I can. I've started listening to Eat Move Sleep & it's very motivating.

    Thanks again to all! I do appreciate it!
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I’m losing slow and steadily. I know that will help the lbs stay off. Sometimes I am super-extra-hyper-motivated. Other times, not so much. It’s especially hard when I feel like I’ve been doing so great then step on the scale to find that I gained. I know too that daylight saving time and spring will make a big difference (going outside, sunshine). I have a toddler, DH and work FT at an office job.

    I get up early (5:30) to work out and am great at planning, healthy meals, having healthy snacks on hand, don’t eat much processed sugar, have a lot of healthy habits, etc… But it’s in the evening time my energy wanes and my desire for sweets kicks in. Usually I keep it at bay (and junk food out of the house) but at least once a week I break. Then I beat myself up a little. Of course I get to bed early.

    How to keep motivation high?
    What to do in the evenings?
    How to keep focused on the big goal—being a healthy mom—rather than give in?
    How to eat treats in moderation? What is reasonable?

    Do what you love, and love what you do. That simple.
  • AleciaG724
    AleciaG724 Posts: 705 Member
    On days I don't work out I don't have the calories available for an evening snack, so I drink a fruity herbal tea. It gives me something to sip on & is slightly sweet so it satisfies me. Best of luck to you... it sounds like you're doing well - keep it up!

    ETA: Sodium is my enemy! If I have a salty meal at a restaurant, even if I've stayed below my calories, I will gain up to 2#. I know that it's water retention and if I'm consistent it will come back off, but it is discouraging to see the number go up even temporarly,
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    It's not about motivation. It's about making habits and making nutrition and fitness an intrinsic part of your life. The reason you think you need motivation right now is because you are thinking of all of this as something "extra" you're doing for now...these things must cease to become "extra" things in your life. Nutrition and fitness must because a tremendously big part of your life and who you are and what you do. Do you need motivation to get up and take a shower in the morning? No, you just do it right? It's just part of your daily...no biggie...couldn't imagine getting up and going to work without taking a shower amirite? This is the same thing...it has to become a part of your life...and it has to be about more than just watching the scale.

    Everyone is in such a hurry to get to goal weight...why? Because they think they're done...they can be finished with all this nutrition and fitness bull**** and get on back to normal. Guess what? Reaching your goal weight just means you've arrived at the starting line of a much longer and harder race...you are not done...you are never "done".

    Do you know what the difference between maintenance and losing for me is? It's about 300 - 500 calories...that's it...I eat the same way I ate when I was losing...I just have a few hundred more calories at my disposal. Do you know what the difference in my fitness is between maintenance and losing? Absolutely nothing. That's what people mean when they talk about "lifestyle"...it's making nutrition and fitness your "lifestyle"...not something you do for some limited time while you're trying to make the scale move.

    QFT

    I've been on maintenance for almost 3 years now. Everything I do is just a part of me now, so it's easy for me. You have to make it a priority and realize that's it's a permanent change (so you'd better make sure your methods are enjoyable and sustainable). My motivation comes from within. I LOVE myself the way I am now and I can't imagine being any other way. That's what keeps me on track. :flowerforyou:
  • CrisEBTrue
    CrisEBTrue Posts: 132 Member
    When I get the nibbles in the evening, I drink some non-caffeinated herb tea... I sometimes have a piece of sugar-free
    chocolate with it... or a spoonful of peanut butter, or a slice of apple or...SOMETHING.
  • Hi I see by your tracker your almost half way to your goal well done. You have good organization skills and you seem to cope very well. The key to any diet is to take out the word DIET because what your long term goal is, is to change your eating habits. If you think like this it becomes part of every day. Plan a night once a week and have a treat anything you want and the next day cut down on some calories and continue on eating healthy. Nothing should be band using this app because you can include most things. Start a hobby I've started knitting again my hands are occupied and now I don't bother to get up for snacks because I'm busy. Best advices don't beat yourself up if you fall get back up and start again your doing great keep it up.
  • LindaFromNH
    LindaFromNH Posts: 49 Member
    I usually save calories to have something that I like for a snack every day.... Depending on my sugar readings (diabetic) I try to incorporate my favorite snacks into my eating plan. That way I don't feel like I am depriving myself, which has always been a big thing with me losing weight. I do it for awhile, then lose my motivation because I am not satisfied.... So some of my snacks are

    Kozy Shack No Sugar Added - Tapioca Pudding, 1 snack cup
    with Cool Whip - Free, 4 Tbsp

    Butter Snap Pretzels (24)
    with 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

    Cabot - 50% Reduced Fat Individual Wrapped - Sharp Cheddar Cheese
    with or without 4 Nabisco Whole Grain Crackers

    2 Keebler - Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers

    Dole - Mixed Fruit In Cherry Gel - Sugar Free Gel, 1 container
    with Cool Whip - 4 Tbsp

    Boost - Glucose Control Nutritional Drink Chocolate, 0.5 bottle (237mL.)

    If I have a chocolate craving I like Nature's Valley - Granola Thins - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, 1 Pouch

    and don't forget fruit!

    All are roughly 100 calories, and stay within my guidelines for my sugar for the day...
  • Of_Monsters_and_Meat
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat Posts: 1,022 Member
    How to keep motivation high? I gave up on weight loss last year. Best decision I ever made. I train now instead.

    What to do in the evenings? Eat what I want. usually try to have something decent.(fruit, energy bar) sometimes I have chocolate covered peanuts or pretzels. If I have enough protein for dinner the cravings are pretty mild.

    How to keep focused on the big goal—being a healthy mom—rather than give in? I am a father. I do it so I can live longer to be with my kids when I'm old. What more motivation do you need? Don't sell your kids short on having mom around. That's selfish.

    How to eat treats in moderation? What is reasonable? If I have calories left, I eat them. If I go over, I don't beat myself up. Just regroup and try the next day.