Lack of Motivation..Ready to Quit

JocelynElizabeth2014
JocelynElizabeth2014 Posts: 26
in Motivation and Support
Okay so back in late February I started my weightloss journey. I decided (at that point) I wanted to lose 50lbs by August 15 (the day I leave for Vacation) I thought being able to feel comfortable in shorts and swim suitd would be enough motivation but it isn't at all.

I quickly lost 12 lbs but have stopped losing completely. I dont log everyday and I am so close to giving up and I don't want to at all.

I dont know what I am asking exactly...just looking for some inspiration.

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,179 Member
    Read this thread - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1286898-i-ve-had-it-up-to-here

    It started earlier today and is just as relevant to you :)
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
    Don't quit! Just keep going! Log everyday until it becomes a habit and then it will get easier.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    pls dont quit. i joined last year never expecting to be here this long and still here. its bloody hard work but its worth it.if you quit you wont make any progress at all. good luck you can do it.
  • cbeevs
    cbeevs Posts: 41
    If what you are doing is not working try something different. Our food supply is loaded with addictive chemicals that we do not understand. Maybe this is part of the problem. You might try Low carb, or going with whole foods. I do not buy it that the reason so many Americans are overweight is that they do not exercise.

    As an avid hiker, I hikes and hour a day for two years to see if I would become fit. although it did great things for me, I did not loose weight.. Since quitting sugar and grains, I am feeling a lot better and the weight is coming off.

    Not saying this is the one that will work for you. But, If you are trying to use someone else's diet and it is not working for you, it may be because it never will.


    I do like the ability here to easily post what I eat. It keeps me more honest about what I am eating.. I keep a large container of crunchy vegetables in the refrigerator which is "free".

    I take the container with me to avid getting hungry with no good food.

    Try different things, You can do this. 12 pounds is huge!! you must already feel better, right? SO you know this is the right thing to do?

    For motivation, go to u-tube and type in "Motivation. "

    I especially like Zig Ziglar, but there are hundreds of free videos

    Good luck and let me know how you are doing!!!!

    I want to win too!!!.
  • jodescorinna
    jodescorinna Posts: 57 Member
    I agree with shmerek-log everyday until it becomes habit. It is hard at first, no doubt but I find that I have a lot of regular foods stored so it's not such a hassle anymore.

    I can sympathise with the fact you thought getting into shorts for your holiday would be enough motivation because I got engaged at the start of march and thought that would be enough but it still took me two months to catch myself on and actually get thrown in. Even though we're getting married in August! I know il not be a skinny rake(nor would I want to be!) but at least I know I'll feel better for eating well and exercising up to August. I still have had my odd blips too even though I'm more or less only starting out but I don't beat myself up for it.

    You've still a while to go before your holiday-start today and shift a few pounds but ultimately not eating crap=not feeling crap. Exercising=happy hormones. So by august you'll go away feeling better about yourself, allow yourself to have fun and then come back and get stuck in again. Good luck !
  • KLangleydoula
    KLangleydoula Posts: 1,494 Member
    Hi! My name is Kim and my weight loss journey began two years ago. I was at my heaviest (225) and things were not good. I couldn't keep up with my kids, I was tired all the time, and my doctor told me that my cholesterol was on the rise! I decided something needed to change. I started walking, and eventually doing some weight training. I am down over 70 pounds! I feel so much better, and I love supporting and encouraging people to do the same. I would be happy to be an accountability partner with you. I still have some weight to lose, so we can work at it together! Getting your nutrition under control is a big key to losing weight. I can share what has worked for me if you are interested. If you work hard, I know you can reach your goal! So what do ya say? Are you in? If so, add me as a buddy!
  • dither105
    dither105 Posts: 7
    You're awesome. Weight loss is not about who you are as a person. It's about how you want to feel about yourself. Is there something else out there bugging you or bringing you down? Sometimes it feels easier and better to comfort eat or to put this off until later once you start to feel better. But don't! You are worth the health and the effort and the work!!!

    Treat yourself the way you need to be treated! It's okay that you may feel like you are the only one giving you the time and effort you deserve...others will follow suit and you will feel the confidence and the motivation to continue.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    I just made a blog entry about motivation.......

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Derpes/view/the-motivation-trap-658539
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    It all comes down to how bad you want it.

    If you want it bad enough, you will log every day, be honest about your logging, and make it happen. No one can do that for you.
  • jason_adams
    jason_adams Posts: 187 Member
    We're fed so many success stories about how easy it was to loose weight....

    Its NOT easy.
    It takes a lot of work and willpower.

    If you lost those 12 pounds you can see what that level of effort can get you. Keep at it!
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    You just have to have that inner fire to push you through the bad. There will always be bad. Don't be foolish and think that the inspiration you feel when you just start will always be there. It wont. It leaves you so fleetingly, when it does, it comes down to you to push through the ruts and the moments falling into darkness. It took me losing my mother in law to learn how to fight for my life. Because we only get one life. That was my motivation and it got me through almost a year. Now, I'm back to that slump. I'm back to that "giving up" feeling. I do my good share of crying when my kids are asleep. But I'm still here. I'm still fighting. Successful people don't always succeed but they understand the importance of getting back up when knocked down and that is the defining moment. When you realize the only thing you have to lose is time, maybe then you'll be ready. You have to inspire yourself or the magic of the beginning will never be enough to drive you.
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
    Just remember that the weeks between now and your vacation in August are going to go by regardless of whether you continue on your weight loss journey or not. You will feel so much better when you do go on your trip if you are able to get into those shorts and swim suit becuz you DID follow whatever weight loss plan you choose, than if you go back to old habits and either stay the same, or heaven forbid, put those 12 pounds back on. You've got 13 weeks between now and then. If you can manage a pound a week, you would be halfway to your goal. That is awesome progress !! Hang in there sunshine, you CAN do it if you put your mind back into the game... Good luck.
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    I have to agree with those that are telling you to log every day. It works, full stop. But, here's some perspective.

    I joined MFP in November 2012 and lost 50lbs by April 2013. Then, I stopped losing at such a rapid rate. I lost my motivation, too. After logging every single day for those first 6 months, I missed a day. Then I missed two, then a week. Eventually, I stopped logging altogether and, soon after that, I stopped exercising, too. It just became so much easier to hang out and not worry what I was eating. In January of this year, I stepped back on the scale and I had gained back 30 of those 50 pounds. Now, over a year from when I first started to lapse, I'm back to logging every day, back on my exercise, and I'm still trying to get back to where I was. Think where you'll be in a year if you just give up. Log your food today. Then log it tomorrow. See where it takes you.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I know its a pain but you must log everything!
    Food , well duh.
    Exercise, I use fitBit for general activity and Runtastic for Running, walking and their fitness apps.
    Weight lifting, Log it into MFP
    Weight, Aria WiFi scale daily.

    A lot of this stuff is automatic and requires little or no action on my part. Food logging is the real pain as I get the eye roll when I ask my wife "how many ounces of chicken do you think that is" . Exercise really helped me but until I got control over my eating portions and calories on a daily basis it was a one step forward two steps back deal. My back steps were the weekends. You can do this! Set MFP for 2 lbs. a week and eat close to that number. Don't go way under, you will do better if you don't starve and keep your metabolism up. Get walking, running do sit ups etc. because the more you burn the more you can eat. It just speeds up the process. Good luck and you still have time before August, just keep it slow and steady.
  • kayleedylmom
    kayleedylmom Posts: 12
    Thank you to all those that responded to her thread.I was down today but it has open my eyes. i will use your motivation for her to motivate myself.

    Time will pass regardless. Im trying to lose weight for my vacation as well and for other reasons of course but i agree time will pass regardless of exercising and eating right or if you decide to eat wrong and revert to bad habits. I rather take my chances enxercising and eating right than to revert back to the old.

    I just joined MFP i began my journey last year still trying to reach my goal.
  • mary659497
    mary659497 Posts: 484 Member
    Here is motivation, like many people on here. I lost weight, stopped doing what I was supposed to be doing and gained everything back plus some. You don't want to be heavier than you were when you go on vacation. Just take it one day at a time. I have learned the hard way that I need to be accountable each and every day. This is really hard, but you can do it.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Okay so back in late February I started my weightloss journey. I decided (at that point) I wanted to lose 50lbs by August 15 (the day I leave for Vacation) I thought being able to feel comfortable in shorts and swim suitd would be enough motivation but it isn't at all.

    I quickly lost 12 lbs but have stopped losing completely. I dont log everyday and I am so close to giving up and I don't want to at all.

    I dont know what I am asking exactly...just looking for some inspiration.

    Don't give up. If you do, you'll never get there. If you keep trying, you'll get there eventually. Unfortunatley, you set yourself up for disappointment by setting a firm date style goal. Weight loss is not linear and rarely works with our schedules.

    1. Log everyday.
    2. Dont' give up.
    3. One day you'll be happy you stuck with it.

    The alternative:

    1. Don't log
    2. Give up
    3. "If I'd only stuck with it, I'd be there by now." will forever be floating around in your mind.

    Good luck.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    Okay so back in late February I started my weightloss journey. I decided (at that point) I wanted to lose 50lbs by August 15 (the day I leave for Vacation) I thought being able to feel comfortable in shorts and swim suitd would be enough motivation but it isn't at all.

    I quickly lost 12 lbs but have stopped losing completely. I dont log everyday and I am so close to giving up and I don't want to at all.

    I dont know what I am asking exactly...just looking for some inspiration.

    Decide now who you want to be on August 15th. I see two basic choices:

    1. Someone who lost 12 lbs, gave up in May, and has since gained some or all of that 12 lbs back.

    2. Someone who lost 12 or more pounds and is continuing to work at feeling and looking better.


    It's okay not to hit your 50 pound target within six months. You can adjust to that, and you can continue to do whatever it takes to eventually lose that 50 pounds for good, no matter how long it takes. It's not okay to give up. If you give up, you'll be right back where you were in February: unhappy and overweight.
  • edisonsbulb
    edisonsbulb Posts: 93 Member
    If you quit, then I'll quit. Do you really want that hanging over your head?
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,259 Member
    Never give up, never surrender!
    There are going to be those times when you just don’t feel like going on, that is when you have to reach deep down and muster what it takes to muddle through the drudgery. You haven’t lost until you quit trying.
    Find activities that you enjoy, friends (support group) that can help push you when you need it, workout in a group, find what motivates you and lean on it when you need that extra motivation.
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,259 Member
    If you quit, then I'll quit. Do you really want that hanging over your head?

    NICE!
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
    If you quit, then I'll quit. Do you really want that hanging over your head?

    If you show me yours..I'll show you...
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    Remember if you average 1/2 # a week at the end of a year you are still down 26#!

    If you give up - you will just be where you are. You lost 12# since Feb. and maybe you stalled out a bit - but better to keep going and try, than give up all together. August will come whether you quit or stay with it. Decide what you want to do with that time. Adjust your goals to something short term -

    You can do this!
  • JocelynElizabeth2014
    JocelynElizabeth2014 Posts: 26
    Thank You everyone!
  • cparter
    cparter Posts: 754 Member
    It is your life. Quit if you want to. The hard fact is no one can motivate you as much as you can. You set the wrong goals and admit you have failed miserably at tracking. I was the same way after I lost 65 lbs but now I am on a reboot.

    I languished for 3 years on here wondering what went wrong and trying to get motivated to get the weight back off. I had friends that pinged me about logging onto MFP at the minimal and other MFP friends who dropped me like a bad habit. I deserved it because I was not upholding my end. When I finally hit rock bottom I found room to breath again. Now I am moving like a hurricane and enjoying the weight loss journey again and not looking at the scale because I am doing a life style change. I plan to weigh myself in another 4 to 5 weeks but not rushing that as much as I am enjoying the new found energy.

    So, if you want to quit - quit. You obviously have not hit rock bottom enough to take this thing serious. When you become serious you will document your intake "every day" and your exercise as frequent as you do it. You will take ownership of your journey. Until you do that, you are a lost cause and a failure to yourself. I would love to motivate you but you are your biggest motivator and everything else (please don't quit, hang in there, etc.) is all noise to you until you come to the realization that your health is a greater cause than a summer vacation in a bikini.
  • jerseygirlmaggie
    jerseygirlmaggie Posts: 165 Member
    Bumping for me to read later. I needed this today....
  • Denisebar
    Denisebar Posts: 36 Member
    Good luck!

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