i gave up

kamp150
kamp150 Posts: 75 Member
edited November 12 in Motivation and Support
I've given up on losing weight and i gained about 15 lbs of the 80 that i lost. I'm going to give it another try! how do you guys stay mentally focused even when the stress of life/work/school can bring you down?

Replies

  • Lefty1290
    Lefty1290 Posts: 551 Member
    I think about my goals and the end result (goal weight). That usually keeps me motivated.
  • DvrDawg
    DvrDawg Posts: 88 Member
    I view it as a mental game - mind over body and I'm on the "Mind's" team. The mind is tasked with taking care of the body and the body is defiant. Who will win?
  • tedazorlu
    tedazorlu Posts: 3
    I keep my self motivatet with pictures on instagram or pinterest. The look in the mirror is also motivating. When i fell down, i go to the gym when i'm seeing other people running and working out, ir keeps me motivating.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Stress is part of life. Everybody has to deal with stress in one form or another. Once you understand that it's not going away you find ways to cope.

    Also, exercise is proven method to redirect the stress and improve your mood.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    You can't turn to food to help deal with the stress of life. Find other ways to manage it like exercise or a hobby to distract yourself. You have to make you a priority even during the tough times.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    I don't see how a person who lost 80 pounds wouldn't know the answer to their own question. Either your weight is a high priority or it isn't. You know what happens when it is your priority, and what happens when it is not.
  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
    Maybe looking at your quote might help you....."one day at a time"......motivation is overrated I really think it's patience and persistence that will get you through the tough times and believe me everyone has them.

    You have achieved such and awesome loss.....even with the back slide it's only a fraction of the overall huge steps forward to better health, better sex better everything......just stop this now before the 15lb regain becomes any higher.
  • 2POLARISS
    2POLARISS Posts: 7 Member
    I think we all have good days and bad days on our food choices - or at least I do-you have done amazing with an 80 lb loss..don't beat yourself up about a little gain...refocus & stay positive !
  • CariJean64
    CariJean64 Posts: 297 Member
    If you give up, you'll gain and lose the same weight over and over, or worse yet, just gain.

    That is not what you want, right? So keep at it. Quitting is the only way you can fail.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    Stop dieting and make a lifestyle change. You won't feel like you "give up".
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    You keep going anyway.

    I look at this as "it is not a choice anymore." I find when I struggle, I try to figure out what is wrong...am I too tried? Too stressed? I will at times take a week off and submerge myself in MFP forums and fitspo! Sometimes I will go from high-intensity workouts, to low intensity for a while. Sometimes I will take a break and not track for a few days and then start up again (this is a last resort for me).

    I also find education to be helpful. The more you know..the harder it is to go back to old habits.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    You gained some back, you didn't gain it all back, if you had totally given up you wouldn't have caught it at 15 lbs. So look at the mistakes you made, learn from them, and get back to making it a priority.
  • nicepurple
    nicepurple Posts: 17 Member
    By exercising, your body produces a healthy hormone to help you handle stress, to keep yourself more motivated, I always hangout my favourite piece of outfit that I finally able to fit in after all these hard work & try them on from time to time as my reward as I look in the mirror & compliment how nice the outfit looks on me!
  • vbianca2728
    vbianca2728 Posts: 13
    I dont strive for an outrageous number to start off with. It can be discouraging trying to lose 60lbs in a month. When you give yourself 5lb goals, it's better for you mentally and great motivation. At least for myself it is.
  • ednawhatnot
    ednawhatnot Posts: 93 Member
    I lost 80lb in 2012 then split with my ex, got out of my routine and gained every single one back. I'm back here now but it's taken a long time to be in the right frame of mind to start again. Don't be like me, you'll kick yourself. I wish I'd asked for support when I started gaining but I was going through emotional turmoil and that just makes me eat.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I weigh myself every day and log it. I can see if the trend is not where I want it to be and I can take corrective action. I also pre-log the next day's meals in a few quiet moments in the evening. It takes 10 mins and means I know exactly what I'm going to prepare for meals when I'm really busy and rushed for time.

    Thinking about my health (my ultimate reason for losing the weight) or my appearance or even fitting into my clothes isn't particularly motivating for me on a day-to-day basis. I prefer to focus on habit maintenance than "motivation".
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
    I started with 90 pounds to lose; I've lost almost 60 of that.

    Foremost, I did it by promising myself that I wasn't going to make food and exercise choices I'm not prepared to sustain pretty much the rest of my life.

    I don't want to continue with the yo-yo, and I - personally - start to lose interest in a lot of things once I hit about 35 pounds excess weight. I want to be active, vital, flexible, interested in life, etc.

    I want to hike, I want to geocache, I want to get up from the couch without cursing my knees. I want to be able to sit on the floor and get back up.

    I hate my job. The way I treat myself is more important than the way my job treats me. I find the things I can do - the food choices I can make, the exercise I can get - and I do.

  • jcim1ru
    jcim1ru Posts: 40 Member
    I never thought of losing weight and getting fit as a short-term action. I viewed it as a permanent change in my life.

    I invested time in learning how to eat, when to eat and most importantly

    why I was eating what I was eating

    Once I understood the ins and outs of my actual food consumption behavior and lack of interest in exercising I was able to make the corrective actions. For me, I gave myself no choice but to succeed. I reached my low point and said enough was enough.

    I put a picture of myself on my phone, on my vanity mirror, on my fridge, and on the inside of the cabinet doors that contained the things I had to remember to eat in moderation.

    I now have a before/after shot that is inside my medicine cabinet - whenever I think I can slack I look at that picture and realize nope, I can't.

    I don't ever want to look or feel the way I felt back then, so even on my worst motivation day I make myself find a way.
  • yhealthy2000
    yhealthy2000 Posts: 111 Member
    You can lose that 15 lbs! Make small goals. Lose one pound a week. You have done this before and you ca do it again. What kind of workout routine did you have while losing the 80 lbs? Also, did you log your food on MFP? That will help you for sure.
  • StaticNomad
    StaticNomad Posts: 37
    I think the question to ask is, what caused you to give up in the first place. Find that moment and acknowledge it, then you will know that when you see it coming again, you can be ready to fight that failure. You get what I'm saying here?
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