How do you stay MOTIVATED?

I think most of us struggle...isn't that why we are here. We also need support from others and confidence in ourselves.

Change up your routine when you can. Allow yourself to cheat a little every so often so you don't binge when you crave something. Set small goals for yourself. I started out needing to lose 25 pounds. Instead of looking at the big number I set a goal to lose so many pounds by my son's birthday, and then Christmas, and now a family vacation we are suppose to be taking in two weeks. My goal from Christmas to this vacation is 5-6 pounds. I've lost three , so I am half way there! Make sure your goals are attainable. You will hit plateaus. When you do, step up your work outs by 20%, or change them up. Find something you love to do like hiking, or bowling, or chasing your kids (or hubby) around the house and do those things to keep active. If you hate walking on the treadmill, find something else that you do like. I hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

I have a hard time sticking to it as well, but only when the scale shows a gain. I hate it when you work out, eat well, drink a TON of water and do everything you feel you could possibly do to lose weight and still gain a pound back every once in awhile. Those days make me feel like saying frigg it and baking a cake...lol But, I know that if I stop now, then I'll gain back the 20lbs I've lost and have to go through that much more torture at the gym...it's not worth it. How man y times have we all been on the right track and doing great, only to quit and gain back whatever we had lost. I wish that I had stuck to this healthy lifestyle the first time I ever tried it...if I had I'd been healthy now and looking great in a smaller size. I just remind myself of these things when it's a tough day...and eat a rice cake lol

for 30 lbs, count on losing 2 lbs a week so this should take you 15 weeks. i print out a calendar and write my weight on it for each day that i weigh myself and i put my workouts down for each day that i work out. i make sure to work out for at least 30 mins 3 days/week. my roommate and i must cook each other dinner if we don't do 3/week.

one thing that keeps me motivated is KNOWING (not hoping) that eating 1200 calories/day actually does work. it's pure science.

i think the reason people fail is b/c they feel discouraged one day and think "this isn't working". But the fact of the matter is that if you burn more each day than you consume, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. the scale might not show it each and every time but if you have faith that your calorie cuts are working then you won't give up.

Also, you could give yourself some sort of reward every time you lose 5 lbs. Depending on how much $$ you are willing to spend, you could get yourself a little necklace at Forever 21 for $5 or a massage at the Four Seasons for $120. Anything to reward yourself should keep you going.

Just remember the science behind losing weight. Burn more than you eat and you will lose weight. Most of us burn 1330 calories just laying around all day so if you eat 1200 calories you already have a calorie deficit (fat loss) of 130 calories. Don't give up and don't let small slip ups make you fail. You can always fix your mistakes the following day by eating fewer calories.

Stick with it! You will feel so much better and have so much more confidence once the weight is off. :happy:

I am a stay at home mom so getting out of the house is my motivation. Sometimes I get so crazy at home that I am excited to go torture myself in the gym. It is my way to relieve stress and if I loose a few pounds along the way, well that's the bonus. Also you definently need to reward yourself. If I make cookies for my kids, I don't tell myself I can't have one, because then I would probably just eat them all. Instead I allow myself one and then I have something to look forward to. I just walk an extra lap at the gym later. I don't make treats like that very often so it's not a big deal. Good luck!! Heidi:flowerforyou:

I look in the mirror and know I don't want to be this size forever

Put on a bathing suit and look at myself in the mirror... this is not how I want to look - so that usually motivates me. If not, I pull out my smaller clothes, try them on and they don't fit or they are embarassingly tight... so that usually motivates me. I also have a photo of a fit person who has a very similar body type to mine that I look at.

I have to exercise in the early morning and sometimes its hard to get out of bed (especially when its so cold outside) -- but I remind myself that I am only hurting myself and letting myself down by not going. Not exercising or exercising regularly is how I packed on the pounds to begin with . . .

Well I could say that I want to be healthy, and in part that's true. I quit smoking not to long ago and my bilogical father had a heart transplant and I DON'T WANT THAT!!! So there is some health concern and stuff there. But to be REALLY honest..................... I want to put on a pair of size 6 jeans and look fine as hell!!!!!!! I'm sick to death of buying 2 and 3X clothing at the tent makers. I have fat rolls on top of my fat rolls. I can feel my *kitten* on my back when I walk! :sick:

I'm realistic enough to know that I will never look like Tyra Banks. But I look at these naked pictures of myself everyday and the fat rolls and that's my biggest motivation!!!!