What's the best way to stay motivated for long term weight loss?

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smileyducky
smileyducky Posts: 31 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've tried eating clean and exercising many times in the past and the longest I've ever managed was one month. I always feel very determined and pumped to make a lasting change and then it just fizzles and Im back to eating Nutella out of the jar for like three months then the process starts all over again

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  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Lol that sounds like me so many times- I would do so well for about a month to six weeks, lose some and then back to eating bad again and gain it back plus more. I just wanted something fast where I didn't have to think about what to eat- just give me a menu and I'll do it. Problem was that it was NOT sustainable- with whatever I tried (which I tried a lot of different things). I have been on here for well over a year now and lost 50 pounds (trying for the last 5 vanity pounds lol). Anyway, what is different this time is I think I am just following all of the basic tenets of all of the people on here who have been successful- eat what you like, count and log everything and stay withing your calorie goals. Over time you will lose. I also made changes slowly- I didn't even weigh everything for the first 4-5 months, didn't have to because I would just lose by counting and measuring. Then I started the weighing thing. I found that my food choices naturally started changing- I eat higher protein because it keeps me feeling fuller longer. I also eat healthy fats for the same reason, plus eating high fiber keeps me feeling full and is low calorie (vegetables). I also have found an exercise I enjoy that I will do forever (cycling) and a few months in I started lifting 2-3 times per week. Just in the last few months I quit diet soda. So just make it a new way to eat- weigh, log and don't deprive yourself. If you have a day where you overeat- that's fine- just log it and move on. It's what you eat MOST of the time that counts. Don't let a bad day turn into a bad week or a bad month, etc.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Pretty much what drama said. I have so much weight to lose that I truly have not choice but to change the way I think and behave. Before I hated to get up and go to the bathroom. Now I feel guilty when I don't get up and move. I feel so much better with the weight that I have lost and that motivates me to keep going. When I do eat something that I want to eat, but probably shouldn't, I assess how I feel afterwards. Normally I realize that I really did not even enjoy it.
    I am also learning not to beat myself up if I gain a few pounds. I just get back on my plan and do what I know I need to do.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    You can't rely on motivation to get you to the end. Motivation waxes and wanes. You have got to be DETERMINED, even when you are not motived! You have to go to the gym, even when you are tired after a long day at work. You have to make good food choices (at least about 80% of the time).

    Start with baby steps. Make small, sustainable changes, like switching one soda for water a day. Then, as you master that change, add another. It will be slow. You will mess up once in awhile. Forgive yourself and keep moving forward.

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Absolutely find sustainability.

    Eat in a way you plan to eat for life. Do you want to give up pizza, hamburger, ice cream etc for the rest of your life? Do you want to demonize those foods even though there is nothing inherently wrong with them? No? Then eat them in moderation, in portions that are appropriate. But also eat other things too, of course.. like salads, vegetables, lean meats, whatever tickles your fancy,

    For exercise, do the things you truly enjoy. Exercising is not supposed to feel like a chore. If you enjoy going outdoors, take walks or go hiking. Like music? Try Zumba or Dancing. Like weights? Lift them. Do the things you love and you'll want to keep doing them.
  • MVY_
    MVY_ Posts: 253 Member
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    Stop thinking of the reasons why you shouldn't...but the reasons why you should. You need to stay positive and keep your goal in mind to stay determined and motivated.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    The only thing that's worked for me considering I haven't had much success at all recently is realizing that time will pass no matter what so it's probably better to do something even if I end up falling short.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    I have tried not to look at it long term...just 5 to 10lbs at a time.

    It has also helped me to change up the way that I do things periodically...try new things...new foods...new exercises...new calorie goals.

    I have also learned to accept that I will have bad days/weeks/months but that at some point I can get back on track.
  • bri170lb
    bri170lb Posts: 1,375 Member
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    You can't go wrong if you follow all of the advice above.

    The only thing I can add is - make a commitment to yourself and be determined to make it your number 1 priority until you reach your goal.

    You only fail if you qiut, even if it takes a long time to get there.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going. Establish a plan and follow it. Don't wait to feel motivated. Break your total goal into minigoals, an app like Happy Scale will do this. Have multiple ways to track progress: scales, pics, measurements, steps, fitness progress. You'll alwAys haves few that are showing better results than others, so there is always something to keep you going.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going.

    That was almost word for word what I came here to say.

    I'm not "motivated" to brush my teeth twice a day, but every morning and evening I do this because it's part of my routine. Planning my meals in advance and eating what I planned is habit now too.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going. Establish a plan and follow it. Don't wait to feel motivated. Break your total goal into minigoals, an app like Happy Scale will do this. Have multiple ways to track progress: scales, pics, measurements, steps, fitness progress. You'll alwAys haves few that are showing better results than others, so there is always something to keep you going.

    ^All of this. Motivation comes and goes, especially once you get to maintenance.
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 650 Member
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    I've found that keeping it exceedingly simple is what makes this easier. There's only two non-negotiable things I do on a regular basis. First is log everything. Second is whenever I see a scale, I use it (e.g., weigh myself daily). Both of these things keep me aware of what I'm eating and aware of any trends in my weight.

    I try to exercise regularly, but sometimes I have a day where all I can do is walk a little bit more. I try to keep myself within my calorie goals, but sometimes I'm off (although if I'm logging regularly, it really has the end effect of keeping me fairly close to goal in the end).

    I don't focus on "eating clean" or "eating healthy." I try to eat some fruits and vegetables every day primarily because they help me stay within my calorie allotment, but really I love my pizza, doritos, and ice cream, and I eat that stuff regularly.

    I'm currently at the lowest weight I've been probably since I was in my early teens.
  • MartinCanDoThisWithGodsHelp
    MartinCanDoThisWithGodsHelp Posts: 84 Member
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    Never lose sight of why you started. When your mind tells you to quit motivate it by threatening to do more. Then do more. Create guard rails and boundaries with temptation. Recognize obstacles early out and plan for them. Most weight loss obstacles can be fought with positive models, repetitive healthy positive talk, lots of water, lots of fiber and greens and knowing when and how to avoid social gatherings that you aren't mentally prepared to fight food at. Hope that helps. It helped me I'm down 83.3lbs this year. When I want pizza or cheese cake I remind myself that my sons need me and that will take me from them faster
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Stand in front of a mirror naked that should do it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,670 Member
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    Occasionally pick up and carry the amount of weight you lost up a flight of stairs. It hits you right away.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,127 Member
    edited December 2015
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    smileyducky wrote: »
    I've tried eating clean and exercising many times in the past and the longest I've ever managed was one month. I always feel very determined and pumped to make a lasting change and then it just fizzles and Im back to eating Nutella out of the jar for like three months then the process starts all over again

    1) I don't "eat clean". I eat whatever I want as long as it fits within my calories. That means I have nutella on toast a couple times a month. :) With leatherwood honey! :grin:

    When I started with MFP, I made the decision that I was going to eat ONLY food I liked. I was not going to waste my calories on foods I didn't like.

    Also one of the first things I did when I started with MFP was to go to the grocery store and have a really good browse through everything, reading labels. I found all sorts of stuff that would fit within my calories ... and it was delicious! I'm eating a wider variety of food now than I used to. And just this past weekend, I even put together a meal in our new slow cooker. That's something I've never done before! Never even imagined I'd do something like that!

    There are many things my husband and I eat now which we'll stick with for years to come because we really enjoy the food.


    2) Go at it from a different perspective. Instead of looking at it as a long term weight loss, decide that you're going to stick with the correct number of calories for 6 weeks. That's it ... just 6 weeks. Then you'll reassess the situation at the end of 6 weeks. And maybe then you'll decide to stick with it for another 6 weeks, or maybe only 3 weeks ... and then reassess, and so on.

    That has been my approach. I was going to stick with it for 2 weeks, and if I didn't lose anything, and I didn't think I would ... I was going to quit. But I lost 1 kg, so the plan to quit after 2 weeks was foiled!!

    Then I decided to stick with it for about 3 more weeks, and if I lost another kg or so that would be nice ... then I'd quit. But I had lost a total of 5 kg by the end of that 3 weeks which was way more than I had imagined I would lose ... and that spurred me on to stick with it for another month or so. In less than 2 months, I'll have hit the 1-year point, and it has all been ... "I'll stick with it for a month or 6 weeks, and reassess". :grin:

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