I'm having a problem staying motivated and consistant. Anyon

alyssia02
alyssia02 Posts: 12 Member
edited September 23 in Motivation and Support
I don't know if anyone else find themselves at this point. Where you start of great, your doing all that needs to be done to start on the right path. You even start to see a little bit of weight come off the scale. Then only after two weeks in, you stall. Something happens to where the motivation starts to sizzle. You miss one day at the gym, and it just throws your whole exercise schedule off for the week. And because it was thrown off track the week before you let that attitude spill over into the next week and working out moves to the bottom of your list.

Well, this is where I am at. I moved to Cali 2 years ago today. And in the process I have found myself unemployed (with my Masters in Accounting up on the wall just staring at me) and I have gained 40 pounds. I have never been a tiny person but I came my weight in check. The move here has been one of the hardest moves every and the effects are stacking up. Stress has been my main problem when trying to get o a set regime with working out. Anytime my day is off, my working out schedule suffers. And I don't kow what to do to overcome this. Because everytime I start out great something in my "world" happens and it throws me off again.

Have you ever found yourself there? Have you ever found yourself unmotivated? How do you overcome it? What has worked for you? How have you found yourself getting over your mental block?

Any help or advice at this point is greatly appreciated because at this point I feel ready to throw in the towel.

Replies

  • rai8759
    rai8759 Posts: 296 Member
    I'm coming out of a time like that. It has got to become real to you again. Something motivated you in the beginning. Remember all those reasons. Look at that picture that made you cringe or made you wish you were them. For me I had to see the scale creep up and my body feel crappy from lack of exercise and eating junk. The most important thing is to keep going. Its not all or nothing. Even if you've missed the past week, month, etc at the gym go ASAP! Force yourself! You will feel better for it. Start counting calories in the morning and don't let up.

    Something that also helped me was setting a non-weight, non-food goal. I am doing a 10K in April and if I don't run I know I'll pass out, lol, and I really really really want to be able to run the whole thing. I'd feel like a wimp if I didn't. I've never been a fan of signing up for races, but it is something I've always wanted to do that just happens to help my weight come down.
  • jb83
    jb83 Posts: 38
    Start by forgiving yourself for "being thrown off" and it'll be easy to get back on track! It's NORMAL what you're feeling. Your life doesn't not revovle around the gym, or around weight loss! Once you accpet that it's OK for you to miss a day (or week) getting re-motivated might be easier!!!!
  • 123nikki123
    123nikki123 Posts: 527
    I have been there before! In fact I'm there right now. I started a 10 pound challenge 2 weeks ago. The first week was awesome. I lost 4 pounds, I exercised every single day and really payed attention to what I was putting into my body. This past weekend however, I totally messed up. I had no motivation to stay on top of my exercise routine and I ate poorly. I now suffer a 2 pound weight gain and I'm so disappointed in myself. How did I let this happen and why did I need to eat that pizza, which led to more crappy eating. An entire weekend of it. I didn't do much better today either:( I decided I would put my list of why I'm doing this back out on the front of the fridge in hopes that when I wake up in the morning I will have a good day again because I am going to remind myself every time I go to that fridge door why I want to loose the weight. I feel like when something in my life is off, which this past weekend was because I moved my youngest out of her baby room to redecorate it for her older sister. I was upset because it's hard to accept change but it is something that I need to do. I need to change and I need to accept it. Even if it's one day at a time. Even if it's hard, nothing is easy afterall and we can't expect this lifestyle change to be either. We are going to have bumps, we will have ups and downs but we will get through this!
  • Kaetheb
    Kaetheb Posts: 16 Member
    Oh, my, yes. Been there.

    If you're looking for motivation to get to the gym, here's what worked for me:

    Telling myself "The hardest part is getting started. ALL I have to do is get there." So I'd make my goal just *getting* to the gym. Nothing else. Just showing up was the whole goal. Because I knew once I was actually there, I'd work out.

    So instead of focusing on the workout, focus instead on the smaller steps for getting to the gym: gathering your workout gear, getting in the car, driving to the gym, parking. Once you've parked in the parking lot, the rest will take care of itself.

    And don't beat yourself up over a missed workout or two. Negative self-talk and promises of doing better tomorrow are never the way forward. Celebrate the tiny steps, not just the big ones, and think about what you can accomplish today. Remember, "yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery."

    Good luck!
  • jodie1306
    jodie1306 Posts: 43
    Start by forgiving yourself for "being thrown off" and it'll be easy to get back on track! It's NORMAL what you're feeling. Your life doesn't not revovle around the gym, or around weight loss! Once you accpet that it's OK for you to miss a day (or week) getting re-motivated might be easier!!!!

    This is awesome advice.

    You are not alone, we've all been where you are many many times. This time around for me, I have a different mental attitude. I'm not dieting, I'm making healthier food choices (LOL & drinking so much water). Exercise is not a chore because I have made it a priority in my life & "it is just something I do". I found I needed to get my head around this new part in my journey. And I think it is working for me. Sure haven't had huge weight loss results yet but man do I feel awesome. LOL I feel healthier if that's possible.

    You can do this. You are a strong woman who knows what she wants out of life. Kick yourself in the behind (I mean that with love), put on your joggers & go for a nice long walk & enjoy just being :smile:
  • colochel
    colochel Posts: 263 Member
    I watch an episode of the biggest loser on hulu every night before bed to keep myself motivated. This probably sounds really lame, but in my defense, I have never watched the show before a few weeks ago. So the reruns are new to me!

    It also helps coming to terms with the fact that you are in this for the long haul. If you're planning a 3-month diet and exercise-fest just to go back to old ways immediately after, then yes, every skipped workout matters. Every binge fest matters. But if you can accept that you are trying to change your lifestyle and habits, it's easier to forgive yourself when you slip up - because tomorrow is another day to get it right. And in the grand scheme of things, a few mistakes here and there won't matter.

    I hope you find your motivation... I'm sure you will. Keep digging! :)

    Chelsea
  • elizwelshman
    elizwelshman Posts: 136
    The hardest decisions we could make for ourselves will make us stronger. I understand how a move like that could be stressful and no matter where you turn it seems as though nothing turns out they way you want it to.
    I moved to Okinawa, Japan a couple months ago with my husband. Two days before the flight, I quit smoking cold turkey. I told myself, "Okinawa will be my new start, I am going to make myself a happier person". To be happier, I will do what I always wanted to do- start a healthy lifestyle. When we settled in, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My new start was kind of stalled. I became disappointed with myself because I lacked the motivation just to take a walk and enjoy what a new start would be. I was very thrown off with the obstacles I couldn't seem to over come, which held me back.

    What motivated me was to remind myself the one and only reason why I would do "a new start" in the first place. It was for myself. I wanted to feel happier, which would start with being healthier. It's okay to feel thrown back, unmotivated, to say that you are having problems with consistency. It's what makes us human, we can't always be perfect.
    Push yourself to do what is best for you. Be creative in your motivation, every time you do something for you it is the best treat you could have received. No one else can do it any better than you, so when you have an accomplishment flaunt it.

    A new start is not about creating a new person. It is a celebration of who we are & what we do to keep us living a happy life.

    Good luck in all that you do & keep motivated by celebrating you :-)
  • alyssia02
    alyssia02 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks for all of the positive feedback. It defintely made me feel 10 times better and it also gave me a lot of insight. I will strive to implement more positiveness into my regime so that when I do slip up, I know its not the end of the world.
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