How do you all stay motivated?!

middlehaitch wrote: »

I woke up frumpy, fat, and fifty+!!
'Bugger that' I thought, and made a commitment to change me and my life.

5'1, 62yo, 100-105 lb, maintained 6 yr.

That's excellent!


I sort of had a moment like that too.

Just before Christmas 2014 I decided I had enough of being plump and relatively inactive, and started to exercise and eat better.
January I had a pair of unrelated cancer scares ... two surgeries a week apart. One was all clear, the other was "probably OK, but keep monitoring".
February, when I had recovered, I started here.

I'm in my late 40s and before I turned 50, I wanted to try to get down to my early 30s weight again. And I've done it!! Now that spring is here, I want to start building up to my early 30s activity level again too.

I personally have no effective external motivators. I don't see things or read things and go "YEAH I'm back on track!" I do think "wow that's so awesome for them, what a cool person!" and for that, progress photos are awesome and I love seeing them! It just doesn't affect me or my decisions.

What has felt cool is my clothes fitting differently and seeing a new number on the scale. That's encouraging and makes me want to continue and keep learning about health.

Mostly, I just don't want diabetes and heart attacks like my mom and my grandpa. I'd like to not hurt all over all the time anymore. I'd like to be less tired. I want to care about myself, and I'm hoping fake it till you make it applies.

shell1005 wrote: »

upgradeddiddy wrote: »

shell1005 wrote: »

I don't. To me motivation comes and goes. I focus on my goals....my commitment to them and the plans in place that I have to make those goals a reality. I focus on commitment and determination and let motivation come and go...while I take little notice.

I know it may seem like semantics, but to me commitment is doing something whether you really want to do it or not. Motivation is hard to find when you don't want to....commitment (at least for me), is less so.

So basically you are determined to keep a commitment to yourself..that's motivation to keep your own promise. Definitely semantics haha. No matter what car you drive as long as you get to the right destination it doesn't matter

Meh. To me they are significantly different. I have never been, nor will I ever be remotely motivated to get up at 5am on Tuesdays and Thursdays to go running. However, I am committed to my running and so the alarm goes off and I put my shoes on and head out the door....sadly now in the dark.

You are motivated. That's why you do it.

I think people are confusing motivation with "feeling like doing" something.

You may not feel like going to class, but you go because you want to pass and graduate. You may not feel like going to work, but you go because you need the money. You may not feel like getting up and running but you do it....for whatever reason you have.

The graduation, cash and whatever it is you want - that's the motivation.

Motivation is what carries you when you don't feel like doing something. You cannot be determined or committed unless you're motivated to be determined and committed.

My little blog about motivation ...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Machka9/view/motivation-755773

shell1005 wrote: »

I don't. To me motivation comes and goes. I focus on my goals....my commitment to them and the plans in place that I have to make those goals a reality. I focus on commitment and determination and let motivation come and go...while I take little notice.

I know it may seem like semantics, but to me commitment is doing something whether you really want to do it or not. Motivation is hard to find when you don't want to....commitment (at least for me), is less so.

Well said.

Motivation isn't some blinding flash of light that fixes everything for evermore. No, we will always have doubts and reluctance.

To me, progress is about goals, and my goals are fueled by my data: my Happy Scale app showing my downward weight trend; My iPhone 6 Health app counting my steps and my wish to improve my personal best at least once a month; MFP's Reports... all this data is showing me how well I'm doing, and I just want it to continue till I'm seeing a long, flat line from years of maintenance.

My motivation comes from having multiple goals that are a mix of simple to achieve through to ones which take alot of work.

My current simple goal is 95kg

Slightly harder goal is sub4 hour marathon in 4 weeks

longterm goals are

90kg
sub 20 min 5K
sub 42 min 10k
sub 100 min half marathon

Once I make the simple goal the 90kg goal gets moved up a category and I carry on

Motivation: At 63, my motivation has changed dramatically from what it would have been 30 years ago. For example, I really don't care how I look anymore, I'm just too old. These keep me going, though.

Health: Cholesterol too high. Trying to get it down and keep it that way using diet and exercise

Food: I'd like to be able to eat somewhat like a normal person instead of weighing every bite and living on water, baked chicken breasts and spinach for the rest of my life. I had a high calorie pumpkin spice latte this morning, something I could not have without exercise. Exercise gives me some extra calories.

My Dog: She has to be walked whether or not I feel like it. She needs her walk and loves her walk and I love her - I can't indulge in "I don't wanna". As long as we're out there, we may as well run until I'm gasping and she's dragging behind me. It's good for both of us, and it's not negotiable. Sometimes motivation is what you have to do instead of what you'd like to do.

Patttience wrote: »

Learn to enjoy the process. Enjoy yoru diet. If you are not enjoying it, then you need to tweak your methods and by that i do not mean eat more crap. I mean improve the quality of the food you are eating and eat enough.

Second, the way i keep myself motivated apart from thsi is by being committed to the idea that i do not want to be fat ever again. So far so good. I believe this will work as it has for hte last 20 months.

This pretty much says it. It's not motivation, it is my new way of living. I no longer eat whatever I want. It now all has to fit into my (calorie) budget. My wife will sometimes chastize me about logging in during dinner out. "I'm just checking to see if I can afford dessert" I reply. Instead of money controling what I eat, it's calories. Works for me ;-) Gonna need to buy new (smaller) suits.

I consider the alternative. Okay I can slowly lose weight or I can slowly get fatter and less able to move and enjoy life. Only 33 pounds lost and I already notice things like,

My knees don't hurt nearly as much.
I don't get winded as much.
My clothes fit better
I am more comfortable sitting in a booth at a restaurant
I can get on my horse from the ground again.
When sensei throws me I can roll out of the fall and onto my feet faster.
My seatbelt does not have as far to go
I don't displace as much water in the tub.
Getting out of the tub is much easier.
When I bend over to trim a horse I can see past my chest
When I look down I don't see my belly

Some days I have no motivation at all. On those days I just do it because not doing it is just not an option anymore. And I do it because after 6 months of doing it, it's just habit.

Kids, my children keep me motivated. My little guy the other day sees me on the tread mill and says "Daddy fighting the chub!" All I needed. I am fighting the chub..and the chub is going down!