Gah so discouraged

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why does my motivation come and go? Last week I lost all motivation and wallowed in self pity cuz I have a long way to go....I feel so discouraged about my weight loss :(

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  • dwulet130
    dwulet130 Posts: 108 Member
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    Unfortunately, only you can motivate you. Just take it one day at a time and know that you are not alone in this.

    Personally, I like to pre-log for the day get the "If you ate like this every day, you'll weigh ___ In 5 weeks" message. It either motivates me or tells me to hit the gym if I REALLY want desert that night. Good luck!
  • sandiikat
    sandiikat Posts: 104 Member
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    Girly you aren't alone. I sometimes (also lately) have felt the same way but keep in mind your goals and where you want to be. Think about the reasons why you want to lose weight and think about how terrible you feel about your current weight (some of my personal examples are: not being able to wear the clothes I'd like to or being careful of when people take pictures of me because I don't want to look too big). Just keep in mind why you are in it & most of all, think about all of the people you want to prove wrong! Even if that person is yourself. DOn't let anyone get in between your goals, you got this!
  • deniseteas
    deniseteas Posts: 42 Member
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    why does my motivation come and go? Last week I lost all motivation and wallowed in self pity cuz I have a long way to go....I feel so discouraged about my weight loss :(

    I have weeks like that too...i was all excited yesterday to do my 3 month measurement only to find out nothing has changed...even though im at the gym 5 days a week...cardio and lifting and nothing is changing...only a 3 pound difference....its so hard to stay motivated...but we can do it...we all can...we just have to stick with it!
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
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    happens to all of us! just when we're in the zone, for some reason we take our foot off the gas. It happens. Have a bad day, get over it and get back to it tomorrow!
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    You really have to be focused on the long-term goal.

    You have to be absolutely willing to change your entire life around to achieve this goal, even if you don't see any change for several weeks at a time. You have to have faith that it WILL happen, and keep doing it.
  • SunflowerCat74
    SunflowerCat74 Posts: 258 Member
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    It's hard! I took a break from mfp/working out and gained 12lbs back. While that alone is discouraging, what is now motivating me is the fact that when I don't work out and watch what I eat, I feel like crap! I don't sleep as well, I'm more prone to injury and I'm not as happy (endorphins are my happy pill!). Maybe instead of focusing on the scale, try and focus on all the other benefits that a healthier lifestyle offers.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    It doesn't mater what happened last week, today you have the chance to be a better you by changing whatever you feel you need to change.
  • jcmj3396
    jcmj3396 Posts: 8 Member
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    Take before photos, that way as the days or weeks go by you can compare your current image to your "before" photo and you can adjust accordingly. Get a good and consistent meal plan going, find what motivates you on a daily basis outside of the gym and try to incorporate that in the gym..... For me, once I walk thru those gym doors my headphones go on and the world gets turned off.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I concur that last week was last week.

    Is there any way, that you can put your mind in a state to continually work the deficit and do it with conviction, meaning and everything you have for at least 10 days. Is there a way that no matter what else may be going on to distract you, etc.. these things can be put in the back of the mind during meal times or all day when having to deal with eating..

    Put your goal in the forefront for just10 days, and see how you feel and how you are doing. Perhaps keep a journal of what you are feeling or what may distract or keep you from progressing each day during the 10 days...

    I bet if you can do this for 10 days, you can do this at lot longer and keep up with your goals. Set this mini goal and see if you can get through why or why not you are unable to motivate yourself to keep going or better yet reach 10 days (i say 10 days because I think if you get through a 5 day week and a weekend, you will be surprised).

    :):)
  • sandiikat
    sandiikat Posts: 104 Member
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    gia07 wrote: »
    I concur that last week was last week.

    Is there any way, that you can put your mind in a state to continually work the deficit and do it with conviction, meaning and everything you have for at least 10 days. Is there a way that no matter what else may be going on to distract you, etc.. these things can be put in the back of the mind during meal times or all day when having to deal with eating..

    Put your goal in the forefront for just10 days, and see how you feel and how you are doing. Perhaps keep a journal of what you are feeling or what may distract or keep you from progressing each day during the 10 days...

    I bet if you can do this for 10 days, you can do this at lot longer and keep up with your goals. Set this mini goal and see if you can get through why or why not you are unable to motivate yourself to keep going or better yet reach 10 days (i say 10 days because I think if you get through a 5 day week and a weekend, you will be surprised).

    :):)

    wow that was really good advice thanks for that! I am going to do this @lauraminardi we should do it together and keep up with one another :)
  • michaelafoor916
    michaelafoor916 Posts: 710 Member
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    you don't need motivation 24/7 365 for weight loss. you need to DECIDE that you ARE going to do this, that you ARE going to get healthy no matter what, that you ARE going to push through the bad days, that you ARE going to get to your goal. Motivation is good but it is not something that will stick with you every second of every day. There are going to be days where you just want to lay in bed and do nothing but you need to make the decision right now that you will get up and workout anyways. There will be days where you want that cheeseburger instead of a salad but you have to make the decision now to put good into your body in order to get good out of it.

    I know exactly how you feel with being discouraged. I've been there many, many times. But at some point you have to quit that. You have to quit feeling sorry for yourself and just get up and get to it. Your body will thank you, you won't regret one second of it. I promise you that. I do not mean to sound harsh at all but I just know what you are going through. I used to try losing weight, would have a bad day, feel sorry for myself, and just give up. But, I came to a point where I decided enough is enough. I'm doing this come hell or high water. I'm not motivated all the time but I can't quit. I can't quit on myself. You will have bad days and feel like crap and want to resort to your old ways but you have to just log it and move on. If I had to pick my best piece of advice, that would be it- log it and move on.

    You can do this. You just have to make the decision to do it. Set your mind whole-heartedly to this and you will do it. Our minds build up these mountains that don't exist. I have faith in you that you can make the mountains into flat land and you will lose the weight. Your body is counting on you :)
  • RosemaryBronte
    RosemaryBronte Posts: 103 Member
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    The thing that most helps my mood is getting a good night's sleep. If I go to bed earlier I can face doing some exercise and making healthier eating choices. Also picturing in detail my future if I set up healthy eating habits and my future if I don't.
  • nikkilovessweets
    nikkilovessweets Posts: 30 Member
    edited January 2016
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    We all have those moments, at some point or another, but learning how to push through the negative thoughts/feelings is the best way to overcome obstacles such as that. Whenever I start to feel discouraged (rarity-it has happened though) I remind myself that my health is a priority. It truly is about developing a healthy and positive way of looking at "your" journey of becoming the best you, you can possibly be. Hugs. :blush:
  • Eddie__Jones
    Eddie__Jones Posts: 197 Member
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    why does my motivation come and go? Last week I lost all motivation and wallowed in self pity cuz I have a long way to go....I feel so discouraged about my weight loss :(

    watch this ted talk.

    http://blog.mindvalleyacademy.com/happiness-and-positive-living/process-outcome-dependent-srikumar-rao-happiness-work

    tldr:
    In this TED talk, Srikumar Rao points out that anything you can get, you can just as easily “un-get”, and happiness that relies on “getting” this or “getting” that is short lived… So, instead of just focussing on that next big goal, Srikumar shares how true happiness comes when we make a commitment to the process.
  • Eddie__Jones
    Eddie__Jones Posts: 197 Member
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    You don’t need more inspiration. You don’t need more motivation. You need more discipline and you need to start now.

    http://impossiblehq.com/get-disciplined-not-motivated/
  • TheBeachgod
    TheBeachgod Posts: 825 Member
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    eazy__ wrote: »
    You don’t need more inspiration. You don’t need more motivation. You need more discipline and you need to start now.

    http://impossiblehq.com/get-disciplined-not-motivated/

    This. Motivation comes and goes. You need to commit.
  • KittyHeaven74
    KittyHeaven74 Posts: 68 Member
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    why does my motivation come and go? Last week I lost all motivation and wallowed in self pity cuz I have a long way to go....I feel so discouraged about my weight loss :(

    It is so hard some days to find that motivation. Weight loss and changing our lifestyles is a really hard process - it doesn't happen overnight. I went through this process in 2014 and was very successful, but it was tough some times. Then I put back on weight because I lacked the discipline to pay attention and maintain. Now I'm back 45 lbs up (more than half of what I lost), and have to do it again. But this time, after having fought with that motivation demon for several months, I know what I need to do and how to do it. I had to get myself into the right mindset, which isn't always easy. Sometimes it's just easier to eat those high calorie foods and sit on the couch. But easy isn't better. It's just lazy.

    Have you tried creating some smaller goals for yourself? When I get overwhelmed , I focus on smaller goals that I know will keep me thinking positive about the work I'm putting into this. I also give myself non-food rewards for reaching those goals. They can be as simple as drinking a certain amount of water per day for one week, or losing a smaller number of lbs over the course of a month, or getting in so many minutes of exercise. I'm just re-starting this journey, but I know that when I set these goals last time, it really helped me focus.

    A vision board might also help you. Put images and words on it that make you feel empowered and in control. Place it somewhere you will see it whenever you're tempted to eat - like on the fridge or pantry door.

    You can totally do this. Some days will be harder than others, but the key is to get back on that wagon after you slip. Don't give up. Re-focus and reflect on what went wrong last week. Maybe journal what you were feeling. In those times of low motivation, maybe journal how you're feeling and brainstorm ways to make yourself feel better. YOU CAN DO THIS.

  • lauraminardi
    lauraminardi Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks so much guys!!
  • PamOliva
    PamOliva Posts: 101 Member
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    I find it helps to have smaller goals vs focusing on the BIG goal which can be overwhelming. One lb a week was always my mini goal with 5 lb increments my longer term goal. They add up.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
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    I don't think you need motivation. You need a reason. I struggle with over eating because in the moment the cookie seems like a better choice than abstaining. But lately I have been remembering the REASON why I would prefer not to eat the cookie, and that's because I want to weigh less. Bottom line reason for it all: to weigh less.

    This makes it a simple choice, do I want to weigh less or not? Does this choice match my goal, or oppose it?

    Making it into a choice of "follow my goal, or don't follow my goal" makes it more simple for me. I used this method to avoid stopping at a drive thru yesterday when I got severely disappointing and bothersome news. Usually I use food to cope, but I stopped to make the choice rather than falling to default coping mechanisms. Wallowing doesn't get you closer to your goal.