how do you keep motivated?

kaylerrz
kaylerrz Posts: 77 Member
edited November 12 in Getting Started
how do you keep motivated when you get on the scale and it says you gained a pound or two? i always get discouraged.

Replies

  • BoxingLifestyle
    BoxingLifestyle Posts: 35 Member
    I just remember I have lost weight before and went through going up and down on the scale and this time is no different just remember as long as your clothes are not getting tighter you are on the right track...and eventually the numbers will drop you will lose inches before weight....and if numbers still done change do what I did and switch your diet hope I helped somewhat.
  • karlachula
    karlachula Posts: 9 Member
    I just keep in mind that my actions can keep me from my goal or get me closer.
  • michable
    michable Posts: 312 Member
    Make sure that your sole focus is not only on the scale weight.

    Weigh daily so you can note the daily fluctuations, which can be significant, and are generally due to fluid fluctuations - new workout, extra sodium in your dinner the night before, hormonal water retention, etc.

    Use a tape measure, difference in how your clothes fit, and photographs to track progress.

    Have a fitness goal. This gives you a reason to maintain adherence to a weight loss goal (e.g. being lighter for running).
  • Beckilovespizza
    Beckilovespizza Posts: 334 Member
    I used to keep 'goal clothes' I'd try them on weekly and notice I could do up one more button etc. unfortunately I now am too small for my original goal clothes. Had to buy a whole load of new stuff so treated myself to some designer. Motivation now is to never be too big for them. Very shallow but it works for me!
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    I just keep in mind that my actions can keep me from my goal or get me closer.

    This! You HAVE to remember that this is a long process, and your weight is going to fluctuate up and down. The only way I finally stuck it out and lost the weight was getting into the right state of mind. I always heard people say things about "liestyle" changes and thought no, all I have to d o is DIET and then... well, and then what? To succeed you have to make the commitment to be in this for the long haul. Yes, you can take breaks or go out and have drinks and food and treats. But overall, your focus has to remain on what you truly want. Sometimes I really do want the cake more than the abs :laugh: And that is PERFECTLY FINE! But when the scale goes up, you have to be able to say ok, I will keep pushing forward and that scale will go down next time.

    I say all this, but yes I still struggle with the scale not moving as quickly as I want in the right direction. It does get frustrating! But the scale isnt my only motivation anymore, I just overall want to be healthier and happier. I have other goals that in no way pertain to that number, and some of them even hinder the pounds from dropping, but they are more important to me than a lower weight (building muscle, strength training, etc)
  • I rarely weight myself but have occasionally been stepping on the scales and it was a tad depressing to know how much hard work I have put in over the past few months without actually loosing any weight but then I found old photo's of me and realised how far I have actually come!
    After seeing the photo's I got out of my slump, did some more exercise and realised how much I actually loved it! It isnt just about the goal, it's about the process. You need to love it :)
  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
    My birthday was yesterday. Got all kinds of goodies and treats for the day of, and the day prior. I had to eat the carrot-cake cupcake or it would have been rude (we have all been here!). Up 3 pounds. BUT - I had a great time and would do it again.

    Today is a new day...those 3 pounds will be gone in a week or less...as I am sure there is some salt/water-weight in there.

    Keep after it. Weight is like weather...it always changes a bit.

    I once asked people in maintenance how much their weight fluctuates. Their normal responses were 3 to 4 pounds and the extreme ones were 5 or 6 pounds.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    I weigh daily, and calculate an exponentially smoothed weighted average. That has helped me a lot in dealing with upward fluctuations, since I can see that they're mostly still below the average. It also lets me see the correlations between what I eat and do and my weight: eat out and my weight goes up (even if I stick to my calorie target), do a long run or bike ride and my weight goes down (even if I eat back all the calories). Get sick and my weight usually goes up a pound or two.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    My scale goes up and down 5-8 pounds per week. I just worry about my body fat and my improvements in athletic performance, as well as how my clothes fit.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I intend to win the battle this time. So, I have quit letting the scale define who I am. I am a strong woman, that lifts weights & runs. Every day that I get up and do these things - I'm winning.

    Motivation comes and goes. Build habits around exercise and eating healthy. They will carry you through the times you just want to quit.
  • Kiara2170
    Kiara2170 Posts: 6
    i just started and i had a cheat snack it said i gained a pound i was so upset and pissed... but i remembered stopping my diet isnt going to make things better nor make me smaller...

    i set little goal 10 pounds at a time and once i get there ill buy something i want like new shoes or body shaper or something!
  • skygirll
    skygirll Posts: 32 Member
    Seeing that pound gained IS motivation! I'll be extra strict for a coupld days after I noticed an increase!
  • Sddysart
    Sddysart Posts: 33 Member
    For myself I will look at my diary and see what I can do better, for example the extras I love to have , bread and sugar are my biggest downfall, I would cut those for a while...and add more green veggies..
    There is always something I can improve in if I take a good look back at things ...I never run out of Hope! Im a Red Head.....lol
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I'm not always motivated, but I am hard-headed and stubborn (at least that's what my husband says of me - I like to think of it as being determined) and I am determined not to have the years of unfit living and bad decisions beat me. I'm too damn stubborn to give up, that's all.
  • dmeyerman
    dmeyerman Posts: 27
    I heard a good example that helps motivate me, as I tend to weight daily and get a bunch of fluctuations.

    Think of weight loss as a Credit Card not a Debit Card. Debit cards you see exactly each and every transaction. Credit Cards you get a monthly statement, and that is how you want to look at weight loss. Hit the gym (however often) and at the end of the month you see your progress.
  • kimjevansmfp
    kimjevansmfp Posts: 2 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    I weigh daily, and calculate an exponentially smoothed weighted average. That has helped me a lot in dealing with upward fluctuations, since I can see that they're mostly still below the average. It also lets me see the correlations between what I eat and do and my weight: eat out and my weight goes up (even if I stick to my calorie target), do a long run or bike ride and my weight goes down (even if I eat back all the calories). Get sick and my weight usually goes up a pound or two.

    Sorry to be thick!lol what do u mean?and how do u calculate an exponentially smooth weighted average?i reli reli struggle when iv gained,2day bein 1.6lbs after losing 2lbs yesterday
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    I stay motivated by remembering that weight can fluctuate. Especially in women, about once a month....

    Also, I didn't put all the weight on in a week, it's not going to come off in a week. So far I've lost nearly 200lbs... Over two years and a half YEARS! So every time I feel frustrated I remind myself to not ruin two and a half years of work over a bad day or week.
  • nelja
    nelja Posts: 282 Member
    When the scale number goes up,i check the numbers from a week or month ago.Normally it is still less than the week before.So even going up a bit,in the big picture you are still less than you was before.See the big picture,not just today.I also weigh every day.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,140 Member
    edited August 2017
    I weigh daily so it's become more normal to see fluctuations (as much as 5lb per day), if I have been stuck for a couple of weeks, I can normally pinpoint the reasons - maintenance days for TOM, higher sodium, etc. On the rare occasions when it does get me down I look back over my trend charts and look at my old photos, they remind me that what I am doing is working.

    4lah494da839.jpg

    I no longer recognise the girl in this pic and that is the biggest motivation of all:
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  • cenafan
    cenafan Posts: 398 Member
    I remind myself that I stayed in my calorie range, did my workouts and that there is no way I actually gained 2lbs of fat. It's water or just my body fluctuating. It usually jumps back down quickly.
  • kfizza1
    kfizza1 Posts: 48 Member
    cenafan wrote: »
    I remind myself that I stayed in my calorie range, did my workouts and that there is no way I actually gained 2lbs of fat. It's water or just my body fluctuating. It usually jumps back down quickly.

    Yup exactly that! It's really not 2 lbs of "fat" that you gained overnight. Just stick to your routine, work out, drink plenty of water and the weight will come back down to normal in no time. :smile:
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,589 Member
    Since I weigh daily, I usually can figure out why it's changed that way. Sodium, or a big meal, working extra hard at the gym, or even having some water before bed - or any combination of those - can result in a higher number on the scale. It's a reminder to pay attention, sure, but it doesn't discourage me because 2 or 3 pounds isn't going to make a difference. It's when it's 2 AND 3 AND ... etc!! I'm in it for the long haul.
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