Need Motivation!

Hey Melissa!

Congrats on your first year! I just finished my freshman year too, my name is Heather.

So in order to find out what motivates you, there are some questions you can ask yourself. What do you want? What do you REALLY really want? It can't just be " to lose weight". Why do you want to lose weight? What do you want out of that? Do you want to be fit? Wear nicer clothes? Or, maybe, there are things you DON'T want. Like me. I don't want to huff and puff every time I walk up a flight of stairs. I don't want certain stores in the mall to be off limits to me because KNOW nothing is going to fit me. I don't want to be trapped in a body that says nothing about who I really am..etc... etc.. you get where I'm going with that?

What really motivates me is trying on clothes lol because I get sooooooo frustrated and pissed off when I do that. And when i get pissed off about something like this, it just springs me into action. Shopping for clothes is a painful nightmare for me. So now, I use that as fuel. Mind you, I don't go try on clothes everyday, but once in a few weeks, while I go shop for groceries I'll just walk to the clothes section and look at the non-plus sized clothing that won't fit. For me, my frustration is the key, and I use it to my advantage. Every day that I work out, eat right, and form healthy habits takes me further away from that painful frustration.

So, you have to find something you really want/don't want. Or both. And use that as your fuel. You also have to examine any underlying issues with food/weight that might be crippling your motivation. Not everyone has them, but it might be a good idea for you to examine this. For example, I was a binge eater, for many reasons. The root of that was self-worth issues, which I worked on before I began my weight loss journey. Now that I have come face to face with those self-worth issues and begun to change my beliefs about myself... I am more determined than ever, and my motivation is as strong as it was on day one.

Something else you can do is watch some motivational material. Meaning, watch other people's weight loss journey's. Or read other people's weight loss stories ( if you haven't already). And you can also make a motivational collage for yourself to hang up somewhere. I made one for my bulletin board where I keep my school schedule and all that. You can put motivational sayings, pictures of clothes you want, pictures of things you want to do ( I have a picture of this rock climber because that's what I want to do) etc... I have found that it helps me when I see it. I have also written myself a letter. A very honest and sobering letter about why I need to get healthy. All the painful stuff I do not like to face is in that letter, and so, when I read it, it helps to keep me motivated. I haven't had to read it yet but I know it's there! If you have a moment of weakness it is very helpful to get you back into the mindset you need.

Motivation is a crucial key component to any goal, but there are other things that are equally as important. Determination, perseverance, patience, and discipline. Holding yourself accountable is important to. Don't make habits of letting yourself get away with things, don't make the habit of skipping workouts or being lazy one night and not taking the little bit of time it takes to prepare your meals for school.

As for keeping the routine up during school, that's a whole other ball game lol. I know how hard it is, I had eight courses and maintained a 4.0 semester GPA both semesters. So it comes at a price. I think it all depends on your schedule too though. My game plan right now is to schedule 2/5 work outs for the weekend, leaving only three for week days. I think it would be best for you to form your healthy habits now so those will carry you through during the school year. And take one day at a time. There will always be new challenges to face, like eating out, special occasions, being out of town... but just take them one a time.

And for godsake, don't kill yourself if you have an off day. Don't think it's all ruined just because you ate a small bag of chips or gave into temptation a few times. It's all a learning experience so don't beat yourself up.

The #1 thing I can tell you is ALWAYS keep trying, don't ever give up hun!

Anyways, that's a novel right there, I know lol.. hope that helps! And good luck!

Heather