So you've lost your motivation........... it doesn't matter.

mamadon
mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
edited January 2016 in Motivation and Support
During my time here on MFP, I have seen time and time again, posts that start with stuff like " I lost my motivation." People will write about how they have lost their excitement and motivation and ask what they can do to keep on going, so they don't fail at this.
Here is my humble opinion. Motivation does not matter, except in the sense that perhaps it got you started in the right direction. The truth is, everybody loses motivation after awhile, it's just human nature. Whether we are motivated to lose weight, get healthy, quit drinking, whatever it is, no one's motivation is likely to keep up indefinitely.
I guess what I am trying to say, is ultimately it doesn't really matter if your still motivated or not. You do it anyway. I am not motivated to go to work every single day, or maybe to just take a shower and brush my teeth lol, but I do it anyway. You do not have have to stay motivated to lose weight or get healthier. You do have to be dedicated and resolved.
I'm not trying to diss those who post these threads, I'm just hoping that they see it's never a reason to give up.

Replies

  • natajane
    natajane Posts: 295 Member
    Thanks for this, its what i needed to read today!
  • one2bskiny
    one2bskiny Posts: 35 Member
    Well said! Thank you
  • BodyByBex
    BodyByBex Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited January 2016
    Motivation is a fickle b*tch anyway.

    I've given up alcohol for 6 months this year. There was a time earlier this month when I wanted a glass of wine. A small craving, that slowly grew. All it took was a friend asking me, "If you give in, will you be disappointed in yourself?" Immediately the answer was a harsh resounding "yes" and there it was. Now pass the water.... :grumble:
  • fit4lifemom
    fit4lifemom Posts: 47 Member
    perfectly said - when friends ask me what I use for motivation, I try to give the kind of answer you posted.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    Thanks guys!
  • DoItLikeLuke
    DoItLikeLuke Posts: 6 Member
    Great read
  • zingers222
    zingers222 Posts: 8 Member
    So true!
  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
    Thanks! I really needed this!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Partially disagree here. We can do the same things over and over again and get no results. See it in the gym all the time. Same people, same machines, same workouts. Dedicated and come in consistently. And still no results.
    People that lack motivation to do something will always do it to the minimum.
    A motivated person will want to exceed to do better. You can't really teach that. It basically has to come from the person.

    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
    9285851.png
  • Cieren
    Cieren Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you for this - I desperately needed to hear/read it today. :smile:
  • BenOsen3
    BenOsen3 Posts: 121 Member
    I lose my motivation from time to time. There are lots of reasons like it's 5:30 am, it's dark and it's freezing outside. I just work my way through it.
  • samchez0
    samchez0 Posts: 364 Member
    Motivation ebbs and flows. Earlier this week I was unmotivated due to feeling sick. Now I'm super motivated cause I had a great workout. Whether my motivation is low or high, I still plan to stick with it though. There just might be more b**tching on the low motivation days ;)
  • samchez0
    samchez0 Posts: 364 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Partially disagree here. We can do the same things over and over again and get no results. See it in the gym all the time. Same people, same machines, same workouts. Dedicated and come in consistently. And still no results.
    People that lack motivation to do something will always do it to the minimum.
    A motivated person will want to exceed to do better. You can't really teach that. It basically has to come from the person.

    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
    9285851.png

    I agree with this as well. On days I'm more motivated, I push much harder on my workouts and am more diligent about what I eat. Less likely to give into temptation.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    I've said before and I'll say again: you have to find your own motivation. External support and motivation is nice, but fleeting. And just saying 'oh i need to lose weight' isn't always enough. It wasn't for me. You have to take a good, honest look at why YOU want to lose weight. For me, it was that I look fat in our wedding pictures. That was enough to keep me going when I wanted to just saw "Kelly Clarkson it, I want more cake!" I would look at the picture on my desk and remember that I didn't want to look like that again. Took me three years, but that is what worked for me. Everyone has a different reason, and sometimes it's not an obvious one.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Partially disagree here. We can do the same things over and over again and get no results. See it in the gym all the time. Same people, same machines, same workouts. Dedicated and come in consistently. And still no results.
    People that lack motivation to do something will always do it to the minimum.
    A motivated person will want to exceed to do better. You can't really teach that. It basically has to come from the person.

    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
    9285851.png

    Good point. What I should have said is that a persons motivation will ebb and flow, and that's no reason to give up.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I post about motivation often. There is a lot you can do to keep things exciting, but...there will be days, weeks, maybe even months that you just don't feel like it.

    Guess what, you burn exactly the same amount of calories doing the same exercise whether you feel good about it or are trudging though. Muscles don't know the difference. What I find is once I get started I get into it again though, so pushing myself to keep at it always helps in itself.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    Timshel_ wrote: »

    Guess what, you burn exactly the same amount of calories doing the same exercise whether you feel good about it or are trudging though. Muscles don't know the difference.

    QFT

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