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MyFitnessPal Community

How do you maintain your motivation to diet and exercise when you've reached goal?

baybeejulia

Hey all,

I'm asking because I have gotten down to my goal weight before, was extremely happy with myself, then stopped gym and ate it all back. I put 10kg on in 2 years. Now I'm back to square one trying to lose it all.

How do you people, who are at goal, feel & look amazing, still manage to count calories and get to the gym everyday. What motivates you?

Replies

jennifer_417

I believe you have to be very deliberate, even in maintenance. A lot of people who have maintained their loss either continue to log their calories every day, or have a weight range (3-5 lbs or so) that once they exceed, return to logging until they get back to where they were.

CockneyLady2014

Good morning from the UK. I maintained for almost 3 yrs - trouble was - it was at a weight 2 stone heavier than I wanted to be. However I had lost 2 stones so managed to keep that off. To be honest you hope that as you are getting to target you are re-educating yourself. Tastes change and you find that you can do without some of the things you did like.
As an example;
Sugar in tea, salt, pizza, cheesecake. I gave up sugar in tea when I was 15yrs of age and I am now 67. Salt (I do have some salt by the way) when my dad diet of heart problems 35 yrs ago. Pizza and cheesecake are so high in calories that when I seriously started to diet in 2010 I gave them a total miss. I can definitely live without pizza and I made a cheesecake at Christmas - lighter version) but generally I give that a miss.
Losing weight and the way you eat needs to be a way of life rather than a "diet" and then maintaining does become easier.
I also agree with jennifer_417 a lot of people keep with 7lbs of goal and log if they go over.
You have to find what works for you.
As regards to exercise don't make it so impossible that you end up doing nothing. Twice a week is better than nothing rather than everyday.
Hope this helps.

middlehaitch

The short answer is; so my clothes still fit me
(and I can do the things I want to do with no health restrictions).

The long answer is; by the time I hit maintenance I had a smaller appetite, had a decent idea of my portion sizes, and had worked my 3x week aqua into my weekly routine.
I add extra workouts, resistance and cardio, in the winter as I am less active outside. I also have a 5 lb weight range that I slide along, 100- 105 lb. I have been over it once and under it once in about 6 years.
I don't count calories consistently anymore, but come back to MFP for a few weeks every few months just to reaffirm my exercise and calories are where I want them to be.

Basically I like where I am, and there is no way on earth I am going to put that weight back on.

Cheers, h.

TimothyFish

It isn't unusual for people to torture themselves during weight loss because they know that once they reach their goal they can stop. Continuing torture into maintenance isn't going to happen for most people. And there's really not reason it has to. I started losing weight with a 1000+ calorie deficit. Once I reach my goal, I should be able to eat about 700 more calories per day than I am now. My preferred exercise is bicycling. I was doing that before I started losing weight and I will likely continue it after I reach my goal. I don't really think of it as exercise so much because I enjoy doing it. Find an activity you enjoy and do it. If it burns a lot of calories, so much the better. There's no reason you have to torture yourself in the gym, unless that's what you enjoy doing. I regained weight last time not so much because I ate too much (which I did) but because I didn't step on the bathroom scales once in a while. It is easier for me to take that second piece of pie if I don't know that my weight is creeping up. You don't have to weigh everyday, but stepping on the scale once a week will let you know where you stand. If the weight is climbing, then it is time to cut back. If it is falling, it is time to eat more. It is a lot easier to lose a couple of pounds than what it is to lose fifty.

livingleanlivingclean

Don't exercise because you have to, exercise because you enjoy it. I've never trained to eat, I've always eaten to fuel my training! Find something you like to do that motivates you

unknown

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Francl27

Not getting fat again.

I just stick to MFP, same process with more calories to play with.

jontucc

Just want to empathise as I am struggling with this at the moment. Was doing well with food and exercise then had some change at work and feeling really stressed so turning to food for comfort and watching TV instead of exercising.
Lots of good advice given.

SezxyStef

I set new goals. For example I lift weights so I see if I can get heavier weights, more reps. For Cardio I went from walking to running.

I have a closet full of new clothes and refuse to buy newer "fatter" clothing as well.

The one thing I don't do is stop logging and stop working out...I work out now because I love what I am doing...not because I have to.

ETA: on a side note I have to say seeing all these "here I am again...." threads makes me very sad..it really does. Maintenance is not that hard...I've been there...

LivingtheLeanDream

I like being able to wear smaller sizes and no matter what I put on it looks good on me....thats my major motivation

Secondly, and equally as important, I'm fit, strong and have bags of energy from consistently working out and actually enjoying being very active

I am never letting myself gain weight EVER AGAIN - thats my motivation!

I weigh in bi-weekly to keep a check I'm in my goal weight range of 3-5lbs, if it starts getting too close to my higher range I just rein in my calories again. I've been maintaining my current weight for more than a year

North44

Try to find a sport or form of exercise you love to do regardless of the weight loss aspect. I found tennis. Now all exercise I do is to keep in shape for that. Now I just need to keep the diet part under control for the long term and I'll be good for maintenance! It's not easy, I totally understand!

ReeseG4350

First of all, you've been "on" a diet your entire life. It's not really some new and innovative concept. DIET is simply a compendium of the things you eat. So your first step is to change the way you think about diet, in general, and the food you eat. "Going on a diet", ideally, is a process of learning how to eat right. Until you reach that goal, you haven't really reached "maintenance" in your diet.

The same holds true for your exercise regimen. As someone already stated, exercise should be something you do because you enjoy it, not because you 'have to'. If you have some sense of punishment or of something you must force yourself to do, something is wrong. Either you are going at the wrong exercises, or you simply need to readjust your mental attitude toward your exercise program overall.

I get up, most days, at about 4:15 in the morning. I get on a treadmill and I run. I used to do it on the street but that resulted in bodily injuries from too many poorly paved streets. So I run for an hour or so indoors, watching a movie or something on my computer. Now that summer has come, I've gotten back on my bike again, too. These are things that I do out of personal compulsion. I can't not get up and run in the morning. And... biking? Once I'm in the saddle, I could go all day and all night. It's a pleasure for me, an escape. I can isolate myself from all of the stress I've been exposed to each day. It's my detox time.

These are things I do for pleasure. Some people think I'm crazy because I enjoy these things. Maybe I am. But, then, if so, I'm in a lot of good company. Find what you actually enjoy doing as an exercise/body mover. Maybe it's something you haven't discovered yet. Yoga? Kayaking? Spinning? Dancercise? Tennis? Lifting? What appeals to your inner beauty? Find it and pursue it. And between that and smart eating, you don't even have to worry about how to maintain.

It just comes naturally!

sweetd6

I was going to say pretty much what Reese just said. You should change your attitude about maintenance. It isn't a "diet", you are not depriving yourself for the rest of your life, if you view it this way you will never continue! It is what you CHOOSE. Say some affirmations every day - I choose to eat healthy, I choose to exercise, I choose to feel healthy and strong, I choose to track my calories (if that is something you think you should continue), I choose to take care of myself. Choosing all those things leads you to feel anything but deprived. Good luck with your journey!

mamadon

Simply, the absolute detmination to never be fat again. I spent almost twenty years morbidly obese, and used to dream about being thin again, without feeling much hope that I would. I will never go back.

yesimpson

Because I worked hard to look and feel the way I wanted to, and I'm not about to just let go of it if I can help it.
I enjoy exercising, and I know what an appropriate portion size and a balanced, sustainable way of eating look like.
I set fitness goals, like running further or swimming faster.

And I refuse to buy all new clothes again, so I have to stay where I am now

saramatthews919

I just simply remember all the months of hard work sweat & work outs I have endured why would I want to go back I've lost nearly 5 stone 4 before I joined here in not there yet but I won't give up I train every day & feel lost if I don't it's so embedded in my daily routine now

baybeejulia

@jennifer_417 - I know, it does take a lot of commitment, that's the fear haha!

@CockneyLady2014 - you're absolutely right. You do learn what's good for you and what's bad for you. You start to make healthier choices and I think that's the best thing about MFP, it makes you aware of what you actually put into your body.

@middlehaitch - I get a smaller appetite too, I just need to make sure I don't grow it again over time!

@TimothyFish - I guess the thing is, I get my *kitten* to the gym no matter how tired I am now, because I know I have something awesome waiting for me at the finish line. I need to continue to get my *kitten* there even after when I'm at the finish line. That's not to say I don't enjoy the gym, cos I do, it's just easy to get lazy.

@livingleanlivingclean - Thanks

@shell1005, @Francl27, @RunRutheeRun, @mamadon, @yesimpson - you're all absolutely right! Keeping thin and never looking the same again should be enough motivation.

@ReeseG4350 - Reese, you are so lucky that you enjoy exercising. Many people struggle to keep themselves committed, i.e. me. Crazy, but good!

@sweetd6 - you're right, it's a choice, and I need to continue to make that choice everyday.

@saramatthews919 - that's amazing! Good on you