Finding Motivation

I was almost done typing this out about how hard it is for me to even start. Mainly consisting of a bunch of reasons why it's so hard for me to even get started but somewhere in between me proof reading and texting my friend about my unhappiness I realized that this is my life. I've been doing this before. I've started plenty of diets and quit soon after. I would start a new eating plan knowing I would never keep up with it for even a week. But this is my life. Why am I doing this to myself? I'm 4 pounds away from 200 at 5"4. I figured I'd never get there and yet I'm so close. Why can't I be this diligent with actually losing weight? I never thought I was afraid of hard work but we will see what I'm made of. I'm going to put MFP to use and I'll do the same with my body starting off small. Today not tomorrow not next week today. If I screw up, which im sure I will, then I'll just get back on track no use in quitting.

Age: 20
Height: 5"4
CW:196
GW: 130 or whatever feels right honestly

If anyone else wants to join me don't be afraid! I may be posting a before picture later on.

Replies

  • ingeborgv
    ingeborgv Posts: 175 Member
    You can do it. The trick is to not think of this as a "diet" but as a long term lifestyle. Slow and steady does it!
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
    Hey there,
    That's the spirit, we all trip sometimes and fall over bumps in the road. It's how we get back up and strive to get further that defines us!

    This journey isn't always easy but I promise that if you give it your all and stick to it properly, the healthy lifestyle that results from it is 100% worth the effort!

    You got this!!
  • Beanogirl
    Beanogirl Posts: 97 Member
    Take it one day at a time. If you have a bad day remember MFP gives you a clean page every morning. You can do it!
  • PattieCakes25
    PattieCakes25 Posts: 30 Member
    You sound exactly like me. Im 25 and 5'3 and I'm about 225 right now. I always told myself that I would never get past 200, and here I am 25lbs past it. I've never been below 175, once before I got back down to it, but then...obviously I'm back up.
    I've decided this time that I'm going to stop saying the word diet. I'm not on a diet. If someone at works offers me food (this office is FULL of women and chocolate), I'm not going to look at them and say "I'm on a diet", if I want what they are giving I will take it, if not I won't. I fully believe that what will work best for me is balance, and finding that balance has taken me 3 years and I still don't have it right. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and a soda problem. I've kicked soda before, and I've started that again.
    It's about finding balance and realizing that if you fall off one day, to pick back up tomorrow. Don't let one day ruin everything and all the progress. So you ate that big cheeseburger for lunch. Make a healthy dinner, get a good workout in, and tomorrow have a yummy salad for lunch. It's all about finding balance.
    For me, I have hershey kisses at home. That's my dessert. After dinner is when I want sweets the most. So I grab a few (not a giant handful) of kisses and a glass of milk and I'm satisfied.
    I've also thrown away EVERYTHING unhealthy in my kitchen and I'm starting over with my groceries this week. Again, with a healthy balance.
    If youre like me and have an issue with cravings or chosing bad over good, do some research. Find recipes for "tastes like" things. I can make some killer tacos that are healthy, but taste like they are terrible for me.

    I always made excuses for myself, but in the end, I'm lazy. Terribly, terribly lazy. I can't work out at home, it just doesn't do well for me. I can do my challenges at home, but that's where it ends, therefore I sucked it up and got a gym membership. Something about putting on the clothes and the shoes and actually leaving the house seems to motivate me much more.

    I added you as a friend. Maybe we can motivate eachother throughout this.
    I'm wanting to lose 80 lbs by Christmas. I've got obstacles in my way, but I'm ready to move them.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Sounds like you are good on the excuses front and lacking with the confidence that you cna actually achieve. Maybe stop viewing it as one big thing and break it down into smaller more manageable bits. Gealthier mindset and then realistic short term goals are the way to go and then you can build and sustain from there. Go too severe, be too rigid, fail to understand what you are doing or being unwilling to commit will undermine your efforts. If you wnat to lose weight and have failed to do so in the past the get smart and figure out what went wrong and what the common elements you need to have in an effective plan that will enable you to deliver consistent deficits in a sustainable healthy way.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
    Almost exactly 3 years ago, I was in a similar situation. Health problems galore. My Dr said if I didn't lose 40 lbs I'd wake up dead. I ignored him, instead I lost 60lbs...in 3 months..and all, I mean all of my health problems faded away. And last Aug, I won my first Body Building contest..at the age of 48. Trust me, if you are ready to make a change and can stick to it, you will transform your life..everything for me is better now. And here is the interesting part, getting started is by far the hardest part. Once you start and are committed, you WILL start seeing results..and it's addictive...the more positive results you see, the more incentive you have to do even better. There are hundreds of people on this site that have transformed...will the next one be you?
  • Wow.... all the comments here are so uplifting. I definitely have a problem making excuses but I do feel this community will keep me on track. I've decided to start slow and small. If my weight loss is slow I'm completely okay with that considering a year goes by faster than I once assumed.

    Anyway I've decided to start with one healthy meal and one healthy snack. Gradually I will increase it to two healthy meals and so on. I'm also walking a little further to my bus stop than I would normally. Baby steps.

    My healthy meal and snack will most likely be random. That way if my breakfast isn't so healthy but I eat a healthy lunch I won't feel as bad about it. I'm also only going to eat three meals a day and two to three snacks.

    PattieCakes25: I love the idea of having little hershey kisses to satisfy a sweet tooth. I have a crazy sweet tooth and can honestly eat a whole loaf of banana bread.... or two. But I realized if I eat a smaller portion and put the rest stored away I'm content. If its just sitting there though I often indulge.

    TiberiusClaudis: WOW!
  • PattieCakes25
    PattieCakes25 Posts: 30 Member
    kaymar1120 wrote: »

    PattieCakes25: I love the idea of having little hershey kisses to satisfy a sweet tooth. I have a crazy sweet tooth and can honestly eat a whole loaf of banana bread.... or two. But I realized if I eat a smaller portion and put the rest stored away I'm content. If its just sitting there though I often indulge.

    I've realized that if I put the leftovers away from dinner after I've made my plate, but before I eat, it helps. Because then I don't want to get it our of the fridge and reheat. It seems like it takes more time, but it's just me and my wife, so i make our plates and then put the rest away.
    It helps tremendously.