What is the best way to get motivated?
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So, again, what is your advice on how to bring forth motivation when there is none?mantium999 wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »mantium999 wrote: »When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
So....you're basically saying the OP is screwed until they bathe in mind awakening mystical waters. At which point ain't no stopping them. Solid advice.
It's kinda true tho. Motivation comes from within.
What's your advice to the OP?
Motivation does come from within, don't disagree with that one bit. But it also needs to be pushed sometimes. It's not a switch that flips on, suddenly making you unstoppable in reaching your goals. You can't sit by, waiting for the light bulb moment. If you have a goal, there is motivation already there, otherwise where did the goal come from. It could be found because of a bad medical test, creating the desire to change course. It could be bought, as some people are despise wasting money and may go to the gym more often if they are paying for it. It could be given, as the birth of a child often encourages people to live in a healthier manner. There are as many motivating factors as there are people. But sitting by waiting for the trigger event and suddenly being all in, nah, I don't buy it.
You can't, therefore I have no advice core that situation. If there really, truly, is none, than my advice would be reassessment. If the goal or its underlying reasons don't create a base level of motivation, then perhaps that particular goal is not the right one. Now, if the base motivation does exist, it's up to the individual to determine why and make the choices that are conducive toward that objective. But it requires effort to do so, not hope that it will just happen.0 -
My advice is to make yourself more aware of what you're giving up to stay where you are. Getting fed up with the life I had, and wanting more out of it, was big for me. Because part of gaining weight is staying in a comfort zone that doesn't challenge you, and making justifications and tradeoffs. Try to see these for what they are.
Are you avoiding certain kinds of experiences that you might enjoy if it weren't for your weight (or discomfort around weight)? Are you "living on the sidelines", as a lot of people say? Eg not doing physical activities you think you might enjoy? Or not dating, or avoiding certain kinds of clothes? Is there anything like that, where dealing with weight is the first rung on a longer ladder, that you want more than you want to not change?
Do you live with a general sense of physical malaise or discomfort?
Do you accept certain health risks you know you could minimize with a healthier lifestyle?
It s kind of hard to imagine if you've been living with limits for a long time, but it IS possible to live differently.
To not get defeated by what's involved, look at success stories for inspiration, so you can see that people in your shoes have done it, which means you can , too.0 -
Agreed.mantium999 wrote: »
So, again, what is your advice on how to bring forth motivation when there is none?mantium999 wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »mantium999 wrote: »When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
So....you're basically saying the OP is screwed until they bathe in mind awakening mystical waters. At which point ain't no stopping them. Solid advice.
It's kinda true tho. Motivation comes from within.
What's your advice to the OP?
Motivation does come from within, don't disagree with that one bit. But it also needs to be pushed sometimes. It's not a switch that flips on, suddenly making you unstoppable in reaching your goals. You can't sit by, waiting for the light bulb moment. If you have a goal, there is motivation already there, otherwise where did the goal come from. It could be found because of a bad medical test, creating the desire to change course. It could be bought, as some people are despise wasting money and may go to the gym more often if they are paying for it. It could be given, as the birth of a child often encourages people to live in a healthier manner. There are as many motivating factors as there are people. But sitting by waiting for the trigger event and suddenly being all in, nah, I don't buy it.
You can't
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Stop looking at the big picture, you here that's you! Your motivated you did it already you are at your start!
Just don't allow your sad side to take over!0 -
mantium999 wrote: »
So, again, what is your advice on how to bring forth motivation when there is none?mantium999 wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »mantium999 wrote: »When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
So....you're basically saying the OP is screwed until they bathe in mind awakening mystical waters. At which point ain't no stopping them. Solid advice.
It's kinda true tho. Motivation comes from within.
What's your advice to the OP?
Motivation does come from within, don't disagree with that one bit. But it also needs to be pushed sometimes. It's not a switch that flips on, suddenly making you unstoppable in reaching your goals. You can't sit by, waiting for the light bulb moment. If you have a goal, there is motivation already there, otherwise where did the goal come from. It could be found because of a bad medical test, creating the desire to change course. It could be bought, as some people are despise wasting money and may go to the gym more often if they are paying for it. It could be given, as the birth of a child often encourages people to live in a healthier manner. There are as many motivating factors as there are people. But sitting by waiting for the trigger event and suddenly being all in, nah, I don't buy it.
You can't, therefore I have no advice core that situation. If there really, truly, is none, than my advice would be reassessment. If the goal or its underlying reasons don't create a base level of motivation, then perhaps that particular goal is not the right one. Now, if the base motivation does exist, it's up to the individual to determine why and make the choices that are conducive toward that objective. But it requires effort to do so, not hope that it will just happen.
That's where we started at in this thread. LOL
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also, motivation is a fleeting emotion...if you're just relying on motivation, you're fecked...you're never going to be motivated 100% of the time. Are you always motivated to go to work? Are you always motivated to vacuum the floors? Are you always motivated to do the dishes? How about yard work...you always motivated to do that?
All of us do things every single day that we aren't necessarily motivated to do...because they need doing...so we do them. Stop looking at health and fitness and nutrition as this "extra" thing and start looking at these things as just another part of your day just like anything else.0 -
You just need discipline. Discipline >=< Motivation.0
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I guess this won't be super helpful, but my motivation came from within. Starting in January 2014 I was going to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday (approx 10 months to do so) because I wanted to look hot for my Las Vegas trip. January came and went, so did February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and finally October. Every month was going to be the month I got back on track, but I wasn't mentally there yet. Then in December something clicked and I said f*** this being over weight s*** and I started losing. Once you're mentally there it's not too hard to lose. I'm 30 pounds down from where I started and plan on being down another 15 by this November.0
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strong_curves wrote: »mantium999 wrote: »
So, again, what is your advice on how to bring forth motivation when there is none?mantium999 wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »mantium999 wrote: »When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
So....you're basically saying the OP is screwed until they bathe in mind awakening mystical waters. At which point ain't no stopping them. Solid advice.
It's kinda true tho. Motivation comes from within.
What's your advice to the OP?
Motivation does come from within, don't disagree with that one bit. But it also needs to be pushed sometimes. It's not a switch that flips on, suddenly making you unstoppable in reaching your goals. You can't sit by, waiting for the light bulb moment. If you have a goal, there is motivation already there, otherwise where did the goal come from. It could be found because of a bad medical test, creating the desire to change course. It could be bought, as some people are despise wasting money and may go to the gym more often if they are paying for it. It could be given, as the birth of a child often encourages people to live in a healthier manner. There are as many motivating factors as there are people. But sitting by waiting for the trigger event and suddenly being all in, nah, I don't buy it.
You can't, therefore I have no advice core that situation. If there really, truly, is none, than my advice would be reassessment. If the goal or its underlying reasons don't create a base level of motivation, then perhaps that particular goal is not the right one. Now, if the base motivation does exist, it's up to the individual to determine why and make the choices that are conducive toward that objective. But it requires effort to do so, not hope that it will just happen.
That's where we started at in this thread. LOL
Which is why I responded to a comment, and not the OP. Suggesting that motivation exists in one of 2 extremes, either not existing at all, or exists such that one is unstoppable, is an insult to those who fight daily by making decisions that rationally support their goals.0 -
As I was losing, and now that I am maintaining, I have reminded myself of the catchphrase I adopted when I started this journey... if you're tired of starting over, stop giving up! Used it on my ticker just to remind myself.0
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deirdrebradley2 wrote: »I need to lose 20 pounds and am coming out of a couple of really stressful years. What is the best way to get motivated?
Ok, another tack - you're coming out of a difficult period. Health, fitness, well-being, even the positive reinforcement you give yourself and get from others for feeling attractive, help provide a base of resilience against future stressors, in so many ways. You can go from feeling like you're putting out fires (or like you're drowning) to having more energy , sleeping better, being able to think at least a little more clearly under pressure (if you're exercising), and of course managing stress itself (again with exercise, for a lot of people). These are changes that give you tools to cope with life.
Maybe you can draw inspiration from that stressful period. Illness? Living more healthfully obviously makes a difference there. Divorce or breakup? Get your head in the game again by doing right by yourself. Problems with children? Be a role model for them, provide them with guidance on living well from your own experience (or just give yourself more energy to cope). Issues with parents, again, another coping tool. Financial stress, again, hard to plan or do more than just react if you don't have a base of energy and wellness. Feeling better about your body (and yeah, looks too) also has knock-on effects on how people respond to you, in a self-fulfilling prophecy, so it can set you up for better luck with people.
So I don't know, dig into your most recent fears and hopes.0 -
When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
+1AlisonH729 wrote: »To me there's a fine line between 'searching for motivation' & 'procrastination'.
Just start. Even if it's slow, with better food choices. Or walks around the block, for example. Feeling & seeing results (however large or small) are excellent motivators, IMO. But you need to start somewhere.
Also +1
Just do it already.
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Several times I've thought about what motivated me to lose weight, and this sort of thing is good thinking material when I'm on a long bicycle ride because ... I don't know. So I ponder over several possibilities.
I suppose one factor was that we had finally settled for the first time in 4 years (which is the amount of time it took me to gain the 15 kg I wanted to lose). We'd been travelling the world and moving from here to there in that time. Never anywhere for more than a few months at most. But finally we are in one place with plans to stay here for ... who knows ... maybe even a couple years!! That'll seem like forever. So now I can focus ... and we're not faced with eating out all the time as we travel from here to there to over there.
Another factor is that it has been on my list of things to do for a while. I didn't just wake up one morning and think, "Oh my, I should lose weight". I've sort of been dealing with it now and then throughout the last 4 years. Several times I increased my activity level, and dropped a bit of weight. Several times I kind of reigned in the eating, and dropped a bit of weight. So last Christmas I was forced to take about 10 days off work for the Christmas holiday (my office shuts down over Christmas) but my husband had to work most of those days. Since we couldn't travel, I decided to spend my time off getting outside, exploring our new area and generally being as active as possible. Every day I was out cycling and walking and climbing stairs and lifting weights ... and it felt great! I was on a roll into the first couple weeks of January ... and then I was sidelined by a pair of surgeries. But when I recovered, I signed on here as a continuation of what I had started at Christmas.
Another factor is related to the one above. We live in a very hilly area, and although I was out cycling every day over Christmas, I was finding slogging up the hills to be quite challenging and painful. I knew that if I lost some weight, I would likely find the hills a little bit easier. After all, from experience I know that if I'm trying to ride a bicycle loaded with panniers up a hill on a tour, it is much more difficult than riding a bicycle without all that extra weight. So again, I signed on here as soon as I recovered from the January surgeries.
And then there was a jacket. I have a good quality waterproof-breathable cycling jacket I quite like. But there came a time when I couldn't zip it up. So, I began looking for a new one ... but the price has gone up quite a bit. I got to thinking that perhaps if I lost weight, I could get into my jacket again. Sure enough, after losing about 10 kg, I did.
Also my coworkers. I work with a collection of fit people. Lunches are almost a competition in healthiness. People chat on Monday mornings about their latest events ... bodybuilding, rowing, cycling, running, etc. etc. And there I was, one who used to be an ultra-distance cyclist, not participating in the conversations because all I had done on the weekend was a quick 25 km on the cycleway. That was no good ... I needed to take steps to get in there with the rest of them!
I could keep going.
It wasn't one thing ... it was many.
It was entirely internal ... although possibly influenced by external factors.
It did not involve motivational statements or slogans.
And in the end it was just simply a decision to do it.
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I was not feeling motivated at all when I started, so I came from a "just do it" and really had to take one day at a time. One thing that helps is to list all of the advantages to eating healthy and the disadvantages to not eating healthy, and do the same for exercise. And to start somewhere. Also getting supportive people in my life has really helped for me, not the trolls who are quick to jump on someone and tell them how messed up they are, but folks who can and will say "you can do this", offer positive feed back and advice. I find when I hear abusive feedback my feed myself for comfort wants to kick in, but sincere feedback being delivered without abuse (instead of saying you idiot how could you do that say a comment "okay, you burned less than you ate" and help problem solve how to not go there again, be it avoid a certain food for a while, find one or two people to share it with to reduce the amount, substitute something healthy that you love, etc. And find a plan for eating and exercise that you like and can live with. If there is a food you don't want to go without, work it in but carefully....I allow myself one slice of pie a month but I do not have a whole pie in the house as I know I will eat it...I go out for one slice and coffee and have salads and other low calorie foods for the rest of that day.
Then take one day at a time and move forward, and reward yourself every so often for doing well! I have a long way to go but I recently got myself a couple of cute tops in my new lower size, for example. Also I find ways to make food taste really good that are low calorie as well since I am a foodie and don't have to give that up. I also love to walk around the farmers market in town, doing a few laps before I buy.0 -
You don't need motivation, just consistency. Motivation is variable and if you lose it you might give up. Just make small consistent changes, track what you eat, do something physical you enjoy and accept there's no magical motivation that keeps you wanting to eat healthy and exercise. There will be days you begrudge every second of exercising and eating healthy, days you fail at doing that, days you gain, and days you ride the highs of losing weight and exercise endorphins and feel like you'll never give up for anything, and of course maybe the next morning you do. Consistency and repetition are much better long term than motivation.0
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mantium999 wrote: »When you're really motivated, you'll know it. You won't have to go looking for it. It'll just be there. It will carry you through the days when you don't feel like doing exercise or eating right. It will make you pick yourself back up after a fall. It will drive you and push you until you reach your goal. It's the reason you say No to the Ho-Ho and Yes to the strawberries, even when you'd much rather have the Ho-Ho.
But you can't find it. You can't buy it. Nobody can give it to you. It's internal. You either want to lose or you don't.
When you're truly motivated, nothing can stop you.
So....you're basically saying the OP is screwed until they bathe in mind awakening mystical waters. At which point ain't no stopping them. Solid advice.
That was rude.0
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