Who can admit that they just need motivation?

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mrsdavis1014
mrsdavis1014 Posts: 15 Member
in Motivation and Support
When I first started My fitness pal I was so motivated and had like a 75 days streak then I got sick w the flu and lost it all. That was so discouraging. I'm just admitting that I'm still working at it but I need more friends for motivation. Any one been here, wanna be friends so we can help each other? I just have to get out of this funk.
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Replies

  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    I absolutely know that feeling. When you lose that spark out of the blue and suddenly you don't remember why you cared so much and you don't know how to regain that passion. I am hoping that I don't hit that point anytime soon - or ever again lol But if it does happen, I could sure use some friends who get it :)
  • mrsdavis1014
    mrsdavis1014 Posts: 15 Member
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    How did u regain your passion?
  • gogojenniko
    gogojenniko Posts: 31 Member
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    Asking myself that same question...
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    Well, my youngest child is turning 2 next month so that is a pretty big motivator - the older my kids get, the more they are going to notice whether I've been a healthy role model or not. I am trying to make shorter more reasonable goals this time around - instead of trying to lose 50lbs in 2 months, I am planning to lose 25 in 5 months. And I also have 'micro-goals' such as 4 workouts in a week, or one day a week without eating any added sugar. Smaller goals like that can keep my attention from wandering off track.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Actually, what really got me on the right path, a path I've been on for over a year, was admitting that I didn't meed motivation - I just needed to suck it up and do it.

    Motivation is a fickle, changeable thing which can be fleeting, easily misdirected or lost. It means being enthusiastic and positively wanting to do something, which is great while it lasts, but what about when it goes?

    I'm past relying on motivation. I'm not motivated, I'm committed... I'm determined... but most of all I'm resigned. I'm not excited and well keen to get heathy, I HAVE to do it. I NEED to do it. It isn't a passtime I can pick up and drop at will.

    I'm not "motivated" to go to work in the morning. I do it because I have bills to pay, things I want to buy, a household to feed, a car to run and a lifestyle to sustain.

    I'm not "motivated" to clean my house. I do it because I have a level of comfort to maintain, a desire to not live in dirty surroundings, a level of health I wish to keep up.

    I don't clean the poop out of my cats litter tray because I'm "motivated". I do it because it stinks and is gross.

    I don't make good choices with my food and haul my *kitten* out to go running because I'm "motivated". I do it because I have physical pain I want to lessen and/or avoid, a lifestyle I wish to attain/maintain, a level of health I want to keep up, and a desire not to live in substandard surroundings - in this case an unhealthy body.

    I think that is what it takes to truly succeed. Put these changes in your necessity basket, stop making them optional :) Don't rely on motivation to do it because you want to - do it because you have to.
  • devotedhufflepuff
    devotedhufflepuff Posts: 29
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    I started MFP last May and by September had lost 25lbs and had a 100+ day streak. I exercised the first couple of weeks but then stopped. In September I went on vacation to the west coast. I intended to continue to log but I got messed up with the time difference and lost my streak. With that I also lost my motivation. I gained all 25lbs back plus 3 extra. I decided to try again at the beginning of January and I have lost 6lbs already. I am still not exercising because no matter what I read or hear from other people I just cannot find the motivation to get moving. I'm not sure what I should do but I'd be happy to have a new friend so add me if you'd like. :smiley:
  • happygalah
    happygalah Posts: 343 Member
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    Alatarie175 is correct. needing motivation is just another excuse not to do something. I brush my teeth and shower every day not because of motivation because it is just something I do every day to be clean. You don't stop bathing when you are on holiday so why would you stop eating right and exercising? The mindset is you are considering diet and exercise as something optional.
  • jenmovies
    jenmovies Posts: 346 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Actually, what really got me on the right path, a path I've been on for over a year, was admitting that I didn't meed motivation - I just needed to suck it up and do it.
    [...]
    I think that is what it takes to truly succeed. Put these changes in your necessity basket, stop making them optional :) Don't rely on motivation to do it because you want to - do it because you have to.
    All of this was amazing, and a great perspective!

  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,503 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Actually, what really got me on the right path, a path I've been on for over a year, was admitting that I didn't meed motivation - I just needed to suck it up and do it.

    Motivation is a fickle, changeable thing which can be fleeting, easily misdirected or lost. It means being enthusiastic and positively wanting to do something, which is great while it lasts, but what about when it goes?

    I'm past relying on motivation. I'm not motivated, I'm committed... I'm determined... but most of all I'm resigned. I'm not excited and well keen to get heathy, I HAVE to do it. I NEED to do it. It isn't a passtime I can pick up and drop at will.

    I'm not "motivated" to go to work in the morning. I do it because I have bills to pay, things I want to buy, a household to feed, a car to run and a lifestyle to sustain.

    I'm not "motivated" to clean my house. I do it because I have a level of comfort to maintain, a desire to not live in dirty surroundings, a level of health I wish to keep up.

    I don't clean the poop out of my cats litter tray because I'm "motivated". I do it because it stinks and is gross.

    I don't make good choices with my food and haul my *kitten* out to go running because I'm "motivated". I do it because I have physical pain I want to lessen and/or avoid, a lifestyle I wish to attain/maintain, a level of health I want to keep up, and a desire not to live in substandard surroundings - in this case an unhealthy body.

    I think that is what it takes to truly succeed. Put these changes in your necessity basket, stop making them optional :) Don't rely on motivation to do it because you want to - do it because you have to.

    This! All of this! In fact, it's almost exactly the way I describe it to people! Motivation is a fickle companion. I find habit and determination to be better fitness buddies by far. Also, if I only did the things I was motivated to do, I would never get up before 10:00, rarely go to work, and, yes, my cats would be very disappointed in the condition of their litter box! :)
  • Revonue
    Revonue Posts: 135 Member
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    Alatariel is completely right. I have come to regard losing weight like going to school or work. I'm not motivated to do these things. Sometimes I hate these things. But I have to do them regardless of how I feel about them.

    Managing my weight is going to be a lifelong process- through good times and bad. I think coming to accept this has been one of the biggest parts of my journey.
  • w0den
    w0den Posts: 84
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    Meeeeeee! :) I need willpower too
  • bcm8605
    bcm8605 Posts: 14
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    Add me! I need help and I would love to have friends and people to see my food diary, status & updates & comment on things. Any one in this thread is welcome to add me!
  • Illusent
    Illusent Posts: 228 Member
    edited January 2015
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    The same thing happened to me, but unfortunately that cycle continued... at my lowest I was around 208, and now (after basically giving up for months, then arriving at the holidays with no motivation) I found myself around 250-ish. I need some accountability too...
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,365 Member
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    Motivation is an emotion and it peaks and it troughs. It's commitment that is actually needed, commitment to do what it takes to reach your goals regardless of lack of motivation at a given point.
  • mayflowers457
    mayflowers457 Posts: 9 Member
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    Everyone, add me! I need a little encouragement and criticism every now and then.
  • brookenikolefoster
    brookenikolefoster Posts: 3 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Hey! This really sounds like what I did. I actually started jillian Michaels 30 day shred and got to day 9 feeling so motivated and so good about it all! Then bam I got my first super bad migraine. They run in my family but I had never had one before and this one started quickly. After 2 days of laying around and throwing up cause of the intense pain I went to the er and got iv fluids and migraine meds and the next day I was good. So 3 days out and I completely lost my motivation! I never started back after that. .. went back into my I'll do it tomorrow excuses and now it's been 2 months. I've gained 10 pounds more than what I was when I first started so not good! I NEED motivation from a friend stand point or I feel I won't succeed as of now. I'm also a mother of 2! So trying to lose baby weight is tough! My youngest is 2 and my oldest is 3. I'm going to add you! Maybe we can help eachother (:
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
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    happygalah wrote: »
    The mindset is you are considering diet and exercise as something optional.

    I strongly agree with Alatarie175 and happygalah here. Fitness needs to be an expected default state in our lives, like having some basic level of hygiene and continuing to breathe.

    Discipline is probably a more useful thing to consider day-to-day than stopping at motivation.
    This subreddit has tons of resources linked at the side:
    reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/
  • mrsdavis1014
    mrsdavis1014 Posts: 15 Member
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    This was a nice passage but when you are being perfectly honest about how u feel, working out IS a option and not a must. So yes SOME people need motivation.
  • mrsdavis1014
    mrsdavis1014 Posts: 15 Member
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    So although you aren't motivated are you watching your portions at least? I can eat and be under my calorie goal but the work out parts seems not to fit in my schedule
  • mrsdavis1014
    mrsdavis1014 Posts: 15 Member
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    Yes I sure hope that we can. I do not have any children but you can tell if you look at my waste line :neutral_face: I have pain in my feet and stiff ankles every single time that I stand up. Also knee pain is starting to occur. I just have to take things one step at a time.

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