In need of some motivation

abithbat · June 2014

I'm finding that I am struggling a lot here lately, for a few reasons.

First, I can eat right all week, but when it comes to the weekends, all I want to do is pig out on the stuff I know I shouldn't be eating. Every day I come home and make a very clean, healthy dinner. But we ALWAYS have company over every single weekend, and I have to make about double the food I would normally make. No problem with that, except that we live on a budget and feeding a lot of people means throwing in filler foods, such as pasta or rice.

Second, my mother just moved in with my fiance and I, and she buys food which everyone can eat, but over half of it is junk food. My mother is in pretty bad shape, which is why she moved in with us, but she will absolutely not change the way she eats. So everyday I come home, and I see sweets, cheez-its, bagels, hot pockets, and my biggest weakness... soda. I try as hard as I can not to eat or drink that kind of stuff, but it is freaking hard not to.

Third, I haven't been going to the gym lately. I want to; it is on my mind every single day. I think mid-day "Oh, I am going to the gym tonight", but I never make it. I'm the kind of person who really enjoys just being at home. My fiance and I don't get to spend much time together as it is because of our work schedules, so throwing the gym in the mix has just become a hard thing to do. I can't go in the mornings, I already have to be up REALLY early, and I am not a morning person. I enjoy going in the evenings, anyway. My fiance has no qualms about going with me to the gym, but it is just a matter of getting up and doing it.

Really, this is just a vent. I know people out there struggle with these issues, or something of the likes, but how do you get through it? I've just gotten to the point where I WANT to lose weight. I WANT to eat clean and healthy. I WANT to get my body into a healthy state... But it's just getting the motivation and keeping it. Thanks for listening to my rant.

mebepiglet123 · June 2014

Rant listened too...

Hang in there

philipfoster76 · June 2014

Develop the will, get your mind straight, and the rest will follow.
Seems like you already have that for the most part.
Change your statements to "I WILL lose weight. I WILL eat clean and healthy. I WILL get my body into a healthy state."
A very small change in language but such a huge change in mindset.

As for me, I used to drink a 6 pack of coke a day, and I still miss it. But whenever I see one, or have a craving, I just remind myself what drinking them and otherwise eating unhealthy did to my body and my general disposition. The changes that I've made have been so amazingly positive that I could never go back to that.
If you struggle, if you have a rough day or week...also remember that it took years for you to get where you are now. It can also take years to remove that weight, to get back to a positive mental place. So one small bump isn't going to derail you. One hurdle or hot pocket eating mom isn't going to ruin everything.
You've got this.
One day at a time.

MichelleS08 · June 2014

weekends are a nightmare for me as well. during the week is perfect I meal prep all my meals during the week but the weekends come and the boyfriend wants to go out for dinner or even I don't feel like cooking, and with the gym part personally I have come to the point is the hard truth. excuses. what are the excuses for not going to the gym? simply not feeling like going? to tired? no time? well for me it came down to how bad do you want it? if you want it bad enough you will make time, you will go no matter how your feeling. you have an hour to watch tv? well you have an hour to go to the gym then...it just all comes down to how bad do you want it.

feel free to add me!!

cherrilovee · June 2014

Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find the motivation you need. Look at the success stories section of the message boards and see the beautiful people who get super healthy. You can do it too, just set your mind to it.

tssomerville6113 · June 2014

Just take it one day at a time, one choice at a time. What have really helped me is logging food before you eat it. I love candy and sweets. I will write the calories and decide to only eat half now and then save the some for another day... therefore still able to cheat a little but not to the point where i am blowing my whole diet on one sitting.

Every minute of exercise counts even if it only 5 minutes in the morning and then 5 minutes in the evening ..... try sticking to exercises like squats lunges and push up things you can do at home without having to even get dressed,going outside or use weights. this will keep your metabolism going strong during the day....burning more calories overall.

If you are having snack in between meal , try bring a apple or other fruit with you ...

try add salads to almost all lunches or dinner with low calories dressing . also great for big dinner parties that way when you have guest they have a filler that is cheap and healthy. So i eat a large salad and one slice of pizza and if you stop half way through your meal and wait like 5-10 ( drink some water, talk a little more to the people around you ) then go back to finishing your meal . this will give your body mind time to feel satisfied and full , therefore eating less in the process.

stormbornkraken · June 2014

Changing behavior is incremental. Know your ABC's to your current behavior.
A is for the antecedents - what happens just before the behavior occurs.
B is the behavior - know the setting, frequency and traditional time it occurs
C is the consequences - How do you feel after and what did you gain by choosing that behavior

Try not to look so far ahead. Don't think about how much weight you have hanging around, don't think of the long term. Think short term. Ask yourself do I have what it takes to eat healthy for this meal? Can I order water at my meal? Can I pack my gym bag and take it with me so I have to change and go to the gym before I go home. When work ends put it on and drive to the gym and say do I have what it takes to work out for this hour? Small, small promises.

And know that set backs are normal. Don't beat yourself up over the current issues, just say I have it in my power to do 10 pushups and 25 crunches before bed. Start that small. I hope you find your motivation soon!

I am right there with you and hoping all of that ^ babble made sense. :happy:
I find it easier to know I can choose my breakfast, I planned my lunch. I can at least stay healthy today. That is doable, that is attainable. I know what triggers me, I know my possible behavior choices and I definitly know how I will feel and the consequences of both my possible choices. One I will be energized, positive and content with my decision and the other I will feel depressed, upset and disheartened.

joergwb · June 2014

I agree with Michelle on the excuses. I tried to lose weight for almost 15 years. It was hard because I work 10 hour at the office, was writing scripts or editing movies in the evening (I’m a filmmaker), had to do the housework too and simply had no time to work out. And one day last summer, when I saw a group picture of our office crew, it struck me hard. That fat dude with my co-workers was me. I never knew I had gotten that big. I was so ashamed of myself that I had tears in my eyes. That was the moment when I realized I had to change and I had to do it right now.

I always thought I have no time to work out. Well, I made time. No matter what. And it was easy. No more long hours at the office, I do the laundry at the weekend and I put my filmmaking career on hold. I knew this is for me and for me only. This is my health, my life. I only have this single one so I better make it count. It just clicked inside of me. I realized the only thing that was between me and my health was the damn excuses I made up every time I should exercise or eat healthy. It was all me and nothing or nobody else.

When we have lunch in our office almost everybody eats between 2 to 4 chocolate bars after they had pizza or pasta. I have a salad and that’s it. Do I want to eat some chocolate? Well, sometimes. But I don’t. And it’s really easy. Because I know this little chocolate bar will cost me an hour of working out just to not gain weight. But if I don’t eat it and exercise this hour anyway I will finally lose weight. Sometimes I treat myself with some sweets, pizza or beer on the weekend when I feel like it. But I always watch my calorie intake. And if I’m extra hungry I will add another hour of workout.

Oh, and I hate gyms. Because I can’t even get my butt off of the couch to get there. I come home after 12 hours at the office and all I want to do is relax. The day was hard already, right? Wrong. I was just being lazy. So I bought myself a stationary bike. I then went home, jumped on my bike and watched an episode of 24, True Blood or some other great show while sweating the old me out of my body. Sometimes I even add a session of the 30-day-shred to it afterwards. Now if I come home and sit down on the couch, all it takes is one step and just do it. I ran out of excuses. It took a while to get used to it. But as soon as I saw the weight coming down you couldn’t stop me anymore. Because it really works. Now as the summer is here I bought myself a real bicycle so I can enjoy riding my bike for an hour in the evening sun. I do that 5-6 times a week.

Once in a while I don't feel like working out. So what I do is to step on the scales. If the weight is still the same or (God forbid) has even gone up again I know I can't afford to skip the workout and I will be on my bike before you can count to three. But if I have lost some weight this motivates me even more to get on my bike and lose some more.

So if you really want to lose weight then there is nothing that can stop you. Nothing! Too much food on the weekend? Don’t eat it. Your mother brings junk food or soda to the table? Ignore it. Don’t want to go to the gym? Then don’t. Find something you can do at home that you enjoy. Just stick to it. Do it 5 times a week or more. You may think it’s hard to exercise on a daily basis or skip the junk food. Well... don’t think – just do it. :-)

At least that’s how it works for me. So far I've lost 28kg/56 pounds in 11 months.

natalia32 · June 2014

Wow, I feel inspired with your fitness effort, I like the idea of watching TV while burning some cals on an exercise bike. ( My last exercise bike made a nice laundry airer). However I do like dancing round the house while Im cleaning, I want to increase my exercise I already do two zumba classes a week but I want to add in some else..

abithbat · June 2014

Thank all of you for your amazing support. It definitely has helped put things in perspective. As for my mother's junk food, I have moved it to another cabinet that I never use. I'm hoping the whole out of sight, out of mind trick is going to work. As for the soda, I am just going to force myself into not drinking it. My hardest part is I don't really care for the flavors, I just love the carbonation. My fiance and I were talking about that today, and we are toying with the idea of getting a Soda Stream machine, since you can put plain water in it and make it carbonated, possibly with a tablespoon of fruit juice if I wanted the flavor (I know I could just get sparkling water, but it tastes horrible to me).

Again, thank you to everyone who has responded. I greatly appreciate it. If you haven't already added me and you would like to, I could probably use the support and motivation again sometime down the road.

In need of some motivation

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