Where do you get your motivation from?

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Replies

  • kellellie
    kellellie Posts: 109 Member
    edited June 2015
    This is going to sound stereotypical, but it's true. I don't have motivation. I'm not on a diet. I eat the way I do because it makes me feel better. I treat my food like medicine for my body. When I eat crap, I feel like crap. I'd rather eat well and not take meds than eat poorly and be on them the rest of my life. Losing weight is sort of just a perk to feeling better. Its a nice perk, but it isn't the reason. Dont use hating yourself as motivation, or think that that should be your motivator, hating yourself is a terrible idea. You should love yourself and do good things FOR yourself.

    I have a shift work job as well (though without the kids) Sometimes I make a big pot of something (soup, or stir fry, whatever) and I eat that in little nibbles through the day when I can, and just log it as "lunch". Make sure what you eat has protein and fat to keep you going if your shifts are longer.

  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 649 Member
    you have a stressful job and it is difficult to switch gears and put yourself first. If you see people who are successful as different than you it isn't helping. Use them as role models...they will tell you it isn't easy...but it is totally worth it. You are totally worth it.
  • shedthesweater
    shedthesweater Posts: 279 Member
    I lov
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »
    I have seen a few die from the fork.

    You get treated differently as a fat person. Ask any single fat person.

    At a point I wanted to get the life I always wanted before it was too late!

    The time is now. My life is now.

    Each day is a decision to eat right and exercise! So now I look at being 10-15 lbs from target back when it was so very far away.

    If you grit your teeth and just do it. In a month you will have some success. In two months that much more, in three months a habit and a good feeling

    Nobody can give you the desire

    This is a save your own butt sort of thing.

    I love it! well said!
  • shedthesweater
    shedthesweater Posts: 279 Member
    shedthesweater wrote: »
    I lov
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »
    I have seen a few die from the fork.

    You get treated differently as a fat person. Ask any single fat person.

    At a point I wanted to get the life I always wanted before it was too late!

    The time is now. My life is now.

    Each day is a decision to eat right and exercise! So now I look at being 10-15 lbs from target back when it was so very far away.

    If you grit your teeth and just do it. In a month you will have some success. In two months that much more, in three months a habit and a good feeling

    Nobody can give you the desire

    This is a save your own butt sort of thing.

    I love it! well said!

    I had to share this, I really like what you wrote.

  • gle8442
    gle8442 Posts: 126 Member
    edited June 2015
    I don't think motivation is all or nothing, something you either have or you don't. For me it's more like a battery that gets used up throughout the day and can get recharged too. I have to avoid things that will drain the battery quickly. I think those vary from person to person though! For me one thing that helps is to make good choices easier to make than bad choices. For example in your shoes the first thing I would probably do is throw out the ice cream or make a rule that the half gallon in the freezer is for the kids only. If you get home at the end of the day and you really, really want ice cream as a treat then put your shoes back on, go to the store and get yourself a pint of whatever the stuff you really love is. But you have to make the extra trip to the store. If you are like me, nine times out of ten that extra step of being forced to go out again will seem like too much trouble and you will end up skipping the ice cream out of laziness.
  • TakingBackForever
    TakingBackForever Posts: 564 Member
    edited June 2015
    I didn't read all the replies. But I get my motivation from myself. I'm strong, beautiful and worth it! But it took me 2 years to realize that. So I think you really need to be ready, because it's up to you. I've finally started and I'm enjoying it immensely!

    Good luck with your lifestyle change. You're a hard worker. Got to figure out your priorities.
  • kayva91011
    kayva91011 Posts: 19 Member
    I seriously read everyone's reply and I love them all.

    I love everyone's different point of view and suggestions.

    I know I can do better. I hope one day I can be the one giving advice to someone struggling.

    Thanks everyone... Really.

    I NEED to do this.
  • ArizonaToast
    ArizonaToast Posts: 231 Member
    heidipat wrote: »
    I found if I have a tub of ice cream I will eat it so I buy the ice cream sandwiches because then I will only eat one. When it comes to chips I buy a bag of chips and zip lock bags when I get home I portion the chips out. My husband and daughter do laugh at me but if you are a mindless eater this helps. I like to also log my meals at the beginning of the day too it helps me realize for this I need to give up that. Hope this helps you just remember we all have been there and struggled it helps if you can find someone to encourage you even with my family laughing they still help me count stuff out.

    Same here. If I have it in the house, I will eat it. If I want ice cream (or soda or other snacks that I would binge on) I make it so I have to go to a fast food place to get it. It makes it more expensive (so I can't do it all the time), plus comes in a smaller serving than a tub. My personal rule is that I am allowed to have it if I am out, but never in the house. This works for me.

  • chismmegan
    chismmegan Posts: 45 Member
    I also don't get REAL ice cream. I know some people don't like to eat "garbage" but when I want ice cream I eat the Artic Zero "diet" type of ice cream. I also have an obsession with coconut, so I get those coconut fruit bars. (120 Cal) Kinda like getting the ice cream sandwiches because you have to physically open each popsicle you eat, so it makes you more aware of how much you're eating. Also those Artic Zero ice creams only come in pint sizes and I think it's only like 70 calories for the whole pint.

    I saw snack size fudge bars from weight watchers. I don't know if they are any good, but 45 cal portion control right there! :) Good luck!
  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
    my inspiration just started coming to me through my clothes. i still have all my clothes from when i was my target weight and i found my shorts. they are a size 0. i wore them 2 years ago. sickens me. i WILL get back in them. THAT is my inspiration.
  • cc3833
    cc3833 Posts: 80 Member
    For me it was my horse's vet telling me he was going to get hurt if I didn't lose weight. It still is hard but I make progress photos whenever I'm feeling down and unmotivated. I'm down 28 lbs. But it took me a year. But that's a good pace for me. I started with the goal of going to the gym 1 day a week and now I'm up to 3-4 times a week. You can do it but it is a HUGE mind game. The only thing holding you back is your mind. But I find looking at photos of my own progress helps me more than looking at someone else's. Good Luck!
  • TaurianDoll
    TaurianDoll Posts: 111 Member
    I motivate myself. I've always been a self starter. I say I'm going to do something, I create a plan, and I do it. I just accept the fact that there will be awesome days, horrible days, days where I think "what's the point", but I pick up and keep going every day until I meet the goal.

    And now that I have a daughter, I know she watches me. She's only 10-months old but I know that my healthy habits will become a norm for her to follow. I went with my mom to the weight room when I was little and watched her train with a trainer. And when I was old enough, I went to fitness classes with her. I believe that these activities helped me to understand that first and foremost fitness is a way of life. The rest is up to me.
  • kayva91011
    kayva91011 Posts: 19 Member
    Awesome replies!!
  • RBracken34
    RBracken34 Posts: 90 Member
    I got my original motivation by being a mom who was told she was prediabetic... I want to be around for my kid, be healthy, and stop setting a bad example... now I just keep adding more motivation along the way whenever I need it: officiating a friend's wedding (photos) this weekend, my 25th high school reunion in 2 months, an international vacation in three months (more photos plus some active side trips), then there's the promise to myself to join a climbing gym with my son once he gets tall/old enough... I imagine that I will add more short, mid, and long term goals and rewards for myself as I go along toward my ultimate weightloss goal and then provide various maintenance goals (get stronger, muscle definition, various athletic feats, etc.) and rewards as I keep it off longer and longer until it's just a way of life to maintain it. I find that a combination of long and short goals, and deliberate meal planning and preparation have all gone a long way toward my success thus far.
  • RBracken34
    RBracken34 Posts: 90 Member
    kayva91011 wrote: »
    For instance I ate decent all day at work... Came home and binge ate on a 1/2 carton of ice cream.

    I keep photos of my goals stuck to all the places where food is... a photo of my kid on the freezer... a wedding invite on the fridge side... my high school reunion invite on the kid's snack cabinet. Really helps when I'm in that "standing in front of the fridge with the door open" mode.
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