Getting Motivated to Loss Weight and Staying There

When you want this badly enough, you'll just do it. It's an inside job and unfortunately, only you can go get it! Good luck.

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DeservingGirl wrote: »

Hi, my name is Kelly. For the past 6 months, I have really wanted to lose weight an get into shape. I get caught in all or nothing thinking and cannot get myself to stick to logging or working out. I am completely stuck and sick of it. Help!!!!

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

When you want this badly enough, you'll just do it. It's an inside job and unfortunately, only you can go get it! Good luck.

that, all day long, every day. I've logged in every day since i started in january (and logged the OVERWHELMING majority of what ive eaten, aside from random days here and there)- and that was through vacations, parties, 2 moves and separating from my husband. if anyone had told me a year ago, id be down 75 pounds and 5 sizes today - I'd have thought they were insane.

Giving up on the all or nothing thinking was probably one of the main reasons I stuck with it this time (started in Jan '14) vs. the various other half-hearted attempts I made in the 2 or so years before that. I decided on a general plan and to log and to add activity over time (started with just deciding to walk everywhere, then I added some easy stationary biking 3 days a week for 30 min each, and kept adding to that). Making it really easy and adding in baby steps and logging and journaling what was working and not, what my struggles were, really helped. When things got tough I didn't quit but did what I could and forgave myself (or simply decided in advance I'd not worry about some piece) for a while and treated slips as a learning experience.

One key period was in March when I got really busy at work and was extremely stressed. Past history was that I'd miss workouts, blow a meal, and decide it wasn't working and I'd start again at a better time. This time I decided that it was okay if I took a week or so off workouts, but would do what I could to control what I knew I could control -- what I ate. Struggled one day because I was at work until 11 pm with nothing to eat and was really tempted to go to town on what was around, but I managed and I learned from that to bring greek yogurt and nuts and other "in case of necessity" stuff to the office. It ended up being a really helpful learning experience, and strengthened my understanding that I did not have to be perfect (because I'm just not, like everyone).

My 'motivation' is all over the map! Motivation can be so closely tied to our emotions... What works for me are bullet proof, iron clad routines and commitments that I do my best to fulfill no matter how I'm feeling at any particular moment. And whenever I screw up I try to laugh at myself kind of like I would if I slipped on a banana peel ala the 3 stooges and just get going where I left off. I find that giving too much negative attention that direction can become just a sort of twisted & devious form of procrastination or avoidance.

The best thing is to take it slowly one day at a time. Have a moderate weekly loss goal and try to keep your calories to a deficit. A loss in your weight might not even happen every week (very likely to have weeks where you don't lose in fact), but you're gonna have a downward weight trend going on if you're careful with your calorie logging. Taking it slow and chill is the key to getting rid of that all-or-nothing mindset!